Looking At David Perron’s Impending Free Agency
With a dramatic 6-5 overtime victory over the division rival Minnesota Wild yesterday, the Blues clinched their spot in the playoffs this season. While the story of this Blues team is still unwritten, it isn’t too early to look forward to the offseason to examine what the future of this Blues team holds. With the emergence of Ville Husso as the team’s number-one goalie and Husso’s status as a pending unrestricted free agent, most of the attention paid to the Blues’ offseason decision-making has been centered around the situation with Husso and Jordan Binnington, who is the owner of a rich $6MM AAV contract extension. What has flown under the radar as a result has been the pending unrestricted free agency of winger David Perron.
That should not come as a surprise, though, as flying under the radar has become something of a trademark for Perron. Since he was selected from St. Louis to play for Vegas in the Expansion Draft, Perron has quietly become a star scoring winger in the NHL, flirting with point-per-game production several times over the past five years. After his campaign in Vegas where he had 66 points in 70 games, Perron signed in St. Louis, and with the Blues for the past four seasons Perron has a combined 218 points in 245 games, which is a 73-point pace over 82 games. That’s the kind of production that makes a player an elite winger, but Perron isn’t often viewed as the elite winger his production says he is. So, that can complicate his contract situation, as he has been by all accounts one of the better scoring wingers in the NHL for the past five seasons, but doesn’t carry the same name recognition that other scoring wingers hold. As an example, Max Pacioretty, one of the other successful scoring wingers from Perron’s 2007 draft class, has 187 points in 218 games over these past four seasons, which is 70-point pace. So Pacioretty has had similar levels of production to Perron (actually slightly lower) over the past four seasons’ worth of games, but Pacioretty is routinely mentioned as one of the league’s best left wingers while Perron typically maintains a lower profile.
So, why is that relevant for Perron’s free agency situation? Because relative to his production, Perron has been underpaid. Perron’s contract in St. Louis carries a $4MM cap hit, a number that is significantly below market value for wingers who score at a 70+ point pace. To use the Pacioretty comparable again, his extension with the Golden Knights holds a $7MM AAV, and the going rate for wingers like Perron and Pacioretty is around $7MM, if not more. So that begs the question, is a $7MM+ contract something Perron will be aiming for this offseason? Moreover, given that Perron is already 33 years old, will he be able to get a contract at that number with any real term attached to it, beyond just one or two years? The market will obviously dictate the answers to those questions, but since Perron’s career has reached new heights as he’s aged (rather than getting worse with age, as happens with most players) it will be fascinating to see how the open market values him. Wingers who can score like Perron don’t grow on trees, so despite his age, it cannot be put out of the question that Perron will be able to earn a major contract.
While talented scorers like Perron don’t grow on trees for most NHL clubs, they seem to be readily available for Perron’s Blues. The Blues’ top three forward lines are an embarrassment of riches, and the team has seven players above 50 points on the year, and two more (Ryan O’Reilly and Brandon Saad) are set to reach that plateau by the end of the season. The team’s wealth of weapons up front further complicates Perron’s free agency situation, as, given the raise he is in line to receive, St. Louis may not be in a position to retain him. St. Louis’ forward corps has significant money on the books, with Brayden Schenn, Pavel Buchnevich, and Saad already locked into long-term deals. Additionally, two centerpiece young talents in Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou are set to be restricted free agents after next season. Two franchise icons in O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko also are set to be free agents after next season as well.
All of this is to say that the Blues are going to have some major decisions to make in the near future, and it’s very possible that given the contracts set to expire, the situation with Husso this offseason, and the team’s need to add to their defense, there simply isn’t enough room to pay Perron what he deserves. While Perron’s third tour of duty as a Blue has been a success, and Perron obviously has a real connection with the market and the organization, if he wants to be paid like the elite winger he has been for the past five seasons, it’s going to be difficult for him to get that contract in St. Louis.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Update On Johnny Gaudreau
The Flames have had a remarkable season this year, bouncing back from last year’s disappointment and clinching a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They sit sixth in the NHL with a 46-20-9 record and are in the conversation for the best team in the Western Conference. But despite these good times for the franchise, there is one looming uncertainty that could pose a serious threat to the team’s ability to compete after this season: Johnny Gaudreau‘s pending unrestricted free agency. Gaudreau, 28, has been the most skilled player to don a Flames sweater in years, and he has reached a new dimension of production this season, with 105 points in 75 games. He has played himself into the Hart Trophy conversation and cemented his status as the team’s most important player. But after this season, Gaudreau’s $6.75MM AAV contract expires, and he is set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
Naturally, that situation has been a consistent storyline all season for Calgary. The Flames reportedly began extension talks with Gaudreau last July, but those talks obviously have not borne fruit. After this season began both parties decided they would not negotiate a contract mid-season in order to remove all distractions for the team and player. As a result, Gaudreau’s contract situation still looms large over the franchise, so much so that in an interview with Sportsnet after his team clinched the playoffs, Flames GM Brad Treliving was asked about Gaudreau’s situation directly. Treliving stated that the two parties’ choice to “keep things quiet” on the extension front during the season “should by no means be taken as any indication” that the team does not want Gaudreau back. Treliving even goes further on that sentiment, saying that the Flames will “move heaven and earth” and “do everything [they] possibly can to get Johnny back.” Treliving communicated a general sentiment in his comments that the Flames’ overall philosophy is to try to retain and support the team’s most talented players rather than to trade them away or let them leave. These comments cannot be seen as anything but a strong indication that Treliving intends to apply that philosophy to the contract situation of Gaudreau.
But despite Treliving’s intention to “move heaven and earth” for Gaudreau, like with any unrestricted free agent, the decision is not his alone to make. Gaudreau has had a fantastic platform season as he enters the open market, and he looks in line to command a massive contract. The Flames have a Matthew Tkachuk extension to consider after this season and are heading into the final two years of Elias Lindholm‘s team-friendly $4.85MM AAV deal. There is definitely room for the Flames to give Gaudreau that extension, especially if the team can find a way to move Sean Monahan and his $6.375MM cap hit, but it won’t be easy.
Additionally, one external factor complicates things as well. Gaudreau is from southern New Jersey and has in the past flirted with the idea of playing for the Flyers. The Flyers will be under significant pressure this offseason to build a team that can win in 2022-23, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on a 32 Thoughts podcast that the Flyers’ strategy for dealing with the financial pressures of losing is typically to “go out and get something shiny” that “the fans find attractive.” What would be more attractive to the Flyers fanbase and sponsorship base than a Hart Trophy candidate who grew up rooting for the Flyers? With all those factors in play, one has to wonder if the Flames are in the position to win a potential bidding war against a highly motivated Flyers club that has that hometown advantage over their player. But if Treliving’s comments from yesterday are any indication, the Flames look set to make a major push this offseason to retain their homegrown star.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Chicago Blackhawks Extend Reese Johnson
The Chicago Blackhawks have reached a two-year contract extension with Reese Johnson, signing him through the 2023-24 season. The deal comes with a cap hit of $800K, and means that the young forward will avoid restricted free agency for the time being. PuckPedia reports that the one-way deal carries a salary of $750,000 in year one and $850,000 in year two.
If there’s an opponent that Johnson doesn’t want to hit, he hasn’t found it yet. The 23-year-old forward has racked up 111 hits in just 28 games this season, his first semi-regular NHL campaign. Coming into the year he had seen just five games with the Blackhawks and was still looking for his first NHL point, and he now has six of those to his name, including one goal.
While he might not offer much offense, the undrafted free agent signing can certainly provide some energy and physicality in a fourth-line role, and now appears to be penciled into that spot for the next few years. With the Blackhawks starting into a full tear-down, and other players likely traded out this offseason, there may be a full-time opportunity coming down the pipe for Johnson and other cheap forwards like him. This deal avoids arbitration and locks him in through his age-25 season at a price barely above the league minimum.
That’s certainly some job security, especially given Johnson would have to pass through waivers in order to be assigned to the minor leagues starting next season. The two-year term on the deal likely helps him clear, should that be the Blackhawks’ plan at any point.
Looking At John Klingberg’s Impending Free Agency
Now that the free agency situations of Josh Manson, Darcy Kuemper, and Ryan Strome have been examined, it’s time to move on to another big name set to headline this offseason’s free agent market: John Klingberg. This is Klingberg’s seventh and final season on the deal worth nearly $30MM that he signed after he finished his entry-level contract. The only NHL club Klingberg has known, the Dallas Stars, have given out major contracts to both Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen on their blueline. Additionally, the Stars’ cap situation is further complicated by the fact that Tyler Seguin has a $9.85MM cap hit through 2026-2027 and Jamie Benn costs $9.5MM through 2024-25. The point of mentioning those names is to show that the Stars already have major money committed to their team going into the future, which makes Klingberg’s situation an interesting one.
It is made even more interesting by the contracts still yet to come. Jason Robertson is a restricted free agent this offseason, and Roope Hintz becomes one after next season. Given how those two players are going to be major pillars of the Stars’ future, it’s likely the team would prefer to pursue long-term extensions with each. Therefore, a Klingberg extension in Dallas seems highly unlikely.
That unlikeliness is made even more extreme by the kind of contract Klingberg is reportedly set to look for this offseason. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, Klingberg is seeking a maximum-term deal worth around $8MM per year. With all of those factors in play, it is highly unlikely that Klingberg can receive that deal from the Stars. So, he will hit likely free agency and be among the top defensemen on the market.
In an offseason market, a player like Klingberg can be rare. Players traditionally signed in free agency are older, declining, and lacking in dynamic talent. While Klingberg, 29, isn’t young anymore, he isn’t nearing the end of his playing days either. Klingberg is a highly productive offensive defenseman and has posted 43 points in 65 games this season, which is a 54-point pace. He isn’t known for his defensive game and shouldn’t be an all-situations minute-eater like many coaches covet, but as a defenseman for the modern NHL, there are few more dangerous than Klingberg.
So, with all that in mind, the main question surrounding Klingberg will likely end up being about how much NHL clubs value offense-first defensemen nearing the age of 30. Dougie Hamilton got $9MM AAV from the Devils this past offseason but did it as a 28-year-old free agent. Klingberg will be 30 when next season starts and has not had as strong of a season as Hamilton had in his platform year. Will a team see enough value in Klingberg for him to get the contract he desires? Or will Klingberg’s foray into free agency prove to be a disappointment? Like with many major free agents, it could come down to not necessarily what he signs for, but where he signs his contract. Regardless, his time on the free agent market will be one of the marquee storylines during this offseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs To Meet With Matthew Knies
The Toronto Maple Leafs already signed Nick Abruzzese out of the college ranks and quickly inserted him into the lineup, where he has played three games so far. The Harvard alum is still waiting for his first NHL point, but looks like a key part of the depth chart as they head toward the playoffs. Another name that could potentially have an impact down the stretch is Matthew Knies, the standout freshman from Minnesota who is one of the biggest risers from the 2021 draft.
Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Knies is expected to meet with Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas tomorrow to discuss his future, though several reports have indicated to this point (including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet) that he is leaning toward a return to school for another season. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked about the young forward today, and explained his excitement to reporters including David Alter of The Leafs Nation:
He’s obviously a player we’re excited about. He’s had a monster season in college hockey, not just college hockey but World Juniors, Olympics. He’s really made his mark. We’re very excited about him and having him in the organization. Obviously, we’re going through a process right now and sorting through what’s going to be the net step for him. Our focus remains what’s happening here. When the time is right for him, of course we’ll welcome him. This season, down the line, whenever that may be. They’re going to go through that process.
Knies, 19, fell to the Maple Leafs at No. 57 in last year’s draft after an uninspiring 2020-21 season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. His size and skill were an intriguing package though, and he showed exactly why when he hit the college circuit. In 33 games as a freshman with the Golden Gophers, Knies scored 15 goals and 33 points, becoming arguably the team’s most dangerous player by the end of the season. He also was given a chance to play at the Olympics for Team USA, where he recorded a goal and an assist in four games.
The question of course is whether another year of development at Minnesota would be beneficial, especially since the team is still loaded with talent. Brock Faber decided to return, instead of signing with the Los Angeles Kings, and others like Ryan Johnson and Jackson Lacombe have yet to make their decisions. It’s not even clear how much opportunity would be waiting in Toronto right away, given how deep their forward group already is.
Notably, the Maple Leafs did leave room in terms of contract slots for this very situation. Knies could take one of those slots, burn the first year of his entry-level contract and reach restricted free agency a year early. Whether that would be the best for his career in general still remains to be seen.
Looking At Ryan Strome’s Impending Free Agency
After looking at Darcy Kuemper‘s upcoming contract situation, we move east and take a look at another tricky contract situation, this time regarding New York Rangers center Ryan Strome. Since arriving in Manhattan in exchange for Ryan Spooner, Strome has begun to realize the potential that got him drafted fifth-overall in 2011. Considering the low cost in a trade that it took to acquire him, Strome has been an invaluable “found money” top-six center as the Rangers have clawed their way out of the throes of a major rebuild to become a playoff contender this season. But given the general cap situation of the Rangers, whether the team will be able to keep Strome beyond this season is unknown.
As previously mentioned, this season has been a momentous one for the Rangers. After the famous “letter” sent out by the former regime led by Jeff Gorton and John Davidson, communicating to the fans that a rebuild was in store, the Rangers spent several years building a prospect pool and adding younger talent that could help them compete long-term. With some extra lottery luck and the addition of players who were dead-set on playing for the Rangers (such as Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox and superstar winger Artemi Panarin) the Rangers have this season escaped that rebuilding phase and become a legitimate playoff contender within a stratified Eastern Conference.
In order for the Rangers to become a legitimate playoff contender, many players have elevated their games since arriving in New York, perhaps none more significantly than Ryan Strome. Before his trade to New York, Strome was going through a difficult time as an Edmonton Oiler. His first season there, 2017-18, was decent, as he posted 13 goals and 34 points in 82 games, but the beginning of his second season was a nightmare, as he was only able to generate two points in 18 games before being shipped to New York. In his first season as a Ranger, Strome flashed greater offensive capability, scoring 18 goals and 33 points in 63 games. Since that first season, Strome has blossomed into a legitimate top-six center, and in his most recent three seasons in New York, Strome has 155 points in 191 games, a 67-point 82-game pace. That’s production fit for a high-end second-line center or even a low-end first-line center, meaning Strome has played himself into becoming one of the rarest and most valuable commodities in the NHL.
The Rangers have had Strome at a $4.5MM cap hit, but his contract is expiring and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Players like Strome, centers who can score at a 67-point pace, rarely hit unrestricted free agency, and when they do, they get paid. Matt Duchene, coming off of a tumultuous two-year stretch where he scored at a 68-point pace, received a seven-year, $56MM contract carrying an $8MM average annual value. Ryan Johansen and Tomas Hertl, two centers with similar scoring profiles in terms of raw production to Strome, also received deals worth around $8MM per year. Kevin Hayes, a center with a more well-regarded two-way game than Strome but without Strome’s production, got a seven-year contract worth $7.14MM per year from the Philadelphia Flyers. In a world where centers scoring at the pace Strome has scored at these past three seasons are routinely getting to the $8MM mark on long-term deals, and centers who don’t have Strome’s numbers are clearing $7MM, would it be unreasonable to believe that this would be the target for Strome’s representation as well?
Furthermore, if getting a contract comparable to Johansen, Duchene, Strome, or even Hayes is the target, is that a deal the Rangers are going to be able to do? The team already has significant money tied into core players such as Panarin, Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, and Mika Zibanejad, and Fox’s mammoth $9.5MM-per-year extension is set to kick in at the start of the next league year. Additionally, the team has potential extensions for Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller, and Alexis Lafreniere to either immediately or eventually consider. With an $8.5MM center already on the books, it’s not easy to see how the Rangers could match a major, market-price offer for Strome’s services, especially given that as of the most recent update, no extension talks between Strome’s camp and the Rangers have been held.
With Strome’s recent success as a scorer must come one major reservation. Beyond just the fact that Strome’s production has dipped this year, (he has 47 points in 65 games, which is a 59-point pace) the role that Strome has settled into in New York, the role that has brought him this offensive success, has been as Artemi Panarin’s center. Panarin, as one of the most prolific scoring wingers in the NHL, is the driver of play on that line. The offense flows through him, and that does add some risk to Strome as a potential free agent. With much of his production coming as Panarin’s center and as a supporting character in the Rangers’ blockbuster power play, one has to wonder if Strome is the kind of center who can drive his own line. Before his Rangers tenure, Strome’s best offensive showing in the NHL was when he played next to John Tavares on the Islanders. If he is someone NHL decision-makers tag as being a strong supporting scorer rather than a true play-driver who can run his own line from the center position, that could damage his ability to land a contract of the same magnitude as the centers mentioned earlier.
Overall, Strome’s contract situation is a fascinating one. The numbers are there, there is no doubt about that. But given his level of production, he may not be able to sign the type of contract he might want in New York, meaning he could be a big-ticket free agent elsewhere. And given the role, he has played next to Panarin and on a juggernaut powerplay, perhaps there is more risk to his free-agent profile than there might seem to be. With all those factors in place, one thing is abundantly clear: Strome’s free agency could be one of the most interesting offseason storylines in the NHL.
Looking At Darcy Kuemper’s Impending Free Agency
This past summer, the Colorado Avalanche looked to be in a precarious position with their goaltending. Philipp Grubauer, their regular starter, hit free agency and opted to sign a major $5.9MM AAV contract with the Seattle Kraken, leaving Colorado as a team with Stanley Cup aspirations but no goalie to backstop them to that point. To solve the issue, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic made a deal with the Arizona Coyotes, a soon-to-be division rival, to acquire goaltender Darcy Kuemper for Conor Timmins and two draft picks, including a 2022 first-round pick. The trade allowed Colorado to acquire an accomplished goaltender to get out of their difficult situation, but the long-term implications of the trade were cloudy. Kuemper was acquired as a player with only one year left until free agency, meaning there was no guarantee that this trade would be anything but a one-year marriage. But with the current state of the Avalanche, it’s likely both parties would like to continue their partnership.
The Avalanche sit first in the NHL with a 49-14-6 record, and Kuemper’s play has been a large part of their success. In 48 games this season Kuemper has a 32-9-3 record, a .925 save percentage, and a 2.37 goals against average. His save percentage ranks fourth in the league and this is all factoring in Kuemper’s difficult start to the season. Until Kuemper came back from a lower-body injury in early December his save percentage was mired in the low .900’s. As Peter Baugh of The Athletic notes, since that point when Kuemper returned from injury, he has cemented his place as one of the league’s top goaltenders and has a legitimate chance to finish the season as not only a Vezina Trophy contender but also a Stanley Cup champion.
It may seem like based on all those factors Kuemper is a lock to extend in Colorado, but the reality of his situation is not that simple. Sakic is a patient, calculated general manager who rarely makes deals he does not totally believe are in the best interests of his team. Kuemper is in line for a massive contract this offseason. Scoring is at a high point for this era of hockey, and fewer and fewer teams can truly be counted as having a “franchise” goaltender, meaning an offseason bidding war for Kuemper’s services could be a near-inevitability. Despite his accomplishments, one has to wonder if Avalanche are in the position to be able to outbid other suitors for Kuemper. The expiration of superstar Nathan MacKinnon‘s $6.3MM AAV deal after the 2022-23 season looms large on everything Colorado plans to do, and even with that in mind, the Avalanche have a tricky free agent situation this offseason.
Setting aside Kuemper’s situation, the Avalanche still have other major contributors set to hit free agency. Nazem Kadri, the team’s breakout star and crucial top-six centreman, is in line for a major raise having posted 83 points in 65 games this season. Andre Burakovsky is an important winger for the team, and he looks set for an improved contract given his 49 points in 67 games of production. Two strong two-way wingers, Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin (who is now scoring at a 30-goal, 64-point pace) are also on expiring contracts, as pending restricted and unrestricted free agents, respectively. And then there is Josh Manson, the team’s recent trade acquisition, who also is a pending free agent. This is all to say that Sakic and the entire Avalanche front office have a herculean task ahead of them if they want to keep the band together, and Kuemper could be the sort of player who slips through the cracks.
If the way the Avalanche let Grubauer walk is any indication, the team has a certain price they are willing to allocate to goaltenders and are unwilling to go above that number for a player if they don’t deem him worth it, regardless of the sort of dangerous situation holding such a line could get them into. So might they have that line with Kuemper? And if they do, will it be high enough to keep Kuemper away from the major offers he is set to receive from other teams?
Given his recent brilliance and overall resume since becoming a full-time starter with the Coyotes, as well as the overall lack of “franchise” goaltenders across the league, could Kuemper reasonably target an extension near $10MM AAV similar to Carey Price, Sergei Bobrosky, or Andrei Vasilevskiy? He doesn’t have the individual accolades those goalies had when they received their contracts, meaning a figure closer to $6MM AAV where Jacob Markstrom and Connor Hellebucyk sit would probably be more reasonable. But could the market say otherwise? And if so, will the Avalanche be able to keep up?
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Looking Ahead To The Pittsburgh Penguins Offseason
After a record-breaking 15-straight playoff appearances, and a 16th seemingly a given, the Pittsburgh Penguins will head into the 2022 offseason with some difficult questions regarding their core. Once contracts expire, the Penguins will sit with a $51.5MM cap hit for the offseason, leaving $31MM in space, what should feel like a comfortable number. This $51.5MM cap hit includes the $8.7MM cap hit of the still-elite Sidney Crosby, the $6MM cap hit of star Jake Guentzel, goaltender Tristan Jarry, as well as core forward pieces Jason Zucker, Jeff Carter, and Teddy Blueger and all but one of their defensemen.
The problem for Pittsburgh rests with who is a free agent. In addition to key forwards such as Bryan Rust, the newly-acquired Rickard Rakell, and breakout star Evan Rodrigues, the Penguins have Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang both hitting unrestricted free agency. Presently, there doesn’t appear to be much concern that Malkin or Letang want to leave Pittsburgh, or that Pittsburgh doesn’t intend to re-sign them. However, Malkin and Letang are still high-caliber assets despite their ages (Letang will be 35 to start next season, and Malkin will be 36), and will be able to still command a fairly significant salary. Malkin currently holds a $9.5MM cap hit, while Letang has a $7.25MM cap hit.
If they were to re-sign for the same cap hits, that would cost the Penguins $16.75MM in cap space, leaving them with just over $14MM. Even if both take discounts to stay in Pittsburgh, the pair will still command a significant salary between the two of them. Due a significant raise is forward and pending UFA Bryan Rust, who has 56 points in 48 games for the Penguins this season, and 154 points in 159 games since a breakout 2019-20 season.
Rust, who is coming off of a four-year, $14MM contract he signed prior to 2018-19, which carries a $3.5MM cap hit, would likely have to sign somewhere between Zucker’s $5.5MM cap hit and Gunetzel’s $6MM cap hit. Recent UFA contracts like Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, and Kevin Hayes could realistically push Rust above that $6MM number on the open market, however COVID-related issues such as the flat-cap might push Rust into a comparable group of players like Zach Hyman and Jaden Schwartz. As compared to Nelson, Lee, Hayes, Hyman, and Schwartz, Rust should slot comfortably in the $5.5-6MM range.
Speculating on Malkin and Letang, if the Penguins can re-sign them on slightly discounted cap hits, perhaps at $8.5MM and $6MM respectively, they would be left with $16.5MM in cap space this offseason, and if they can sign Rust at $5.75MM, evenly between Zucker and Guentzel, they would then have $10.75MM leftover.
Rakell is coming off of a six-year, $22.8MM contract which saw an annual salary of $3.8MM. Despite a consistent downward trend since a career best 69 points in 77 games in 2017-18, he could still expect a modest raise from his previous salary, especially if he continues to play as well as he has for the Penguins so far, with five points in seven games since the trade. A comparable contract could be the four-year, $17MM contract Tyler Toffoli signed with the Montreal Canadiens last summer before his subsequent trade to the Calgary Flames (a $4.25MM cap hit).
With all of these proposed numbers, the Penguins would then have $6.5MM left. Problems begin, however, with Evan Rodrigues, who is a pending UFA coming off a breakout career year. It’s tough to speculate on what Rodrigues’ next contract would look like, as the 28-year-old forward has 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points in 70 games this season, his previous best being 29 points in 74 games in 2018-19. In addition to Rodrigues, the Penguins would need to re-sign backup goaltender Casey DeSmith, who has done well in his role and could expect a raise from his $1.25MM cap hit this season.
There is also the matter of pending RFA forward Kasperi Kapanen, who is coming off of a three-year, $9.6MM contract carrying a cap hit of $3.2MM. Although Kapanen has arguably not lived up to expectations, his 30 points in 68 games this season should be enough to command at least a similar cap hit going into next season. In an effort to alleviate some cap-issues, Pittsburgh could potentially choose to let Kapanen go.
Lastly, Pittsburgh will have to round out its roster, but is currently seeing forward Danton Heinen hitting RFA status and veteran forward Brian Boyle becoming a UFA. Pittsburgh holds Heinen’s rights as an RFA and could re-sign him to a similar cap hit as his current $1MM, and while Boyle could return on the same one-year, $750K contract he signed last offseason, the 37-year-old could choose retirement too.
One option for Pittsburgh to solve some of the cap crunch could be a possible trade of Zucker. The 30-year-old forward has seen his production drop off a bit in recent years and has faced several injuries in that time. With only one more year at $5.5MM, Zucker may not be difficult to move, but the Penguins will likely have to give up an asset to do so.
After looking at this Penguins’ offseason more in-depth, it’s not out of this world to think that the organization could bring back the same roster it has now, as long as the front office is able to do a good job of keeping salaries in-line with comparable players, and especially if they can work out somewhat lighter cap hits with Malkin and Letang. Further, letting go of Kapanen or trading Zucker and his $5.5MM cap hit could go a long way to solving some of their cap concerns. While the Penguins do have cap concerns, their problems are far from unsolvable, but to maintain a comfortable cap situation, some difficult conversations may have to come first.
Boston Bruins Sign Brandon Bussi
The Boston Bruins have another goaltending prospect in the system, announcing today they have signed Brandon Bussi. The one-year entry-level contract will start in 2022-23, and carry an NHL cap hit of $825K.
The undrafted free agent goaltender recently wrapped up his junior season with Western Michigan, where he posted a .912 save percentage in 39 appearances, going 26-12-1 in the process. Standing 6’5″, Bussi will turn 24 later this summer, and will be joining the Providence Bruins on a tryout contract.
Mark Divver of Rinkside Rhode Island tweets that the Bruins have had their eye on Bussi for a while, and that he has been told there is “plenty of room for growth” still in the big goaltender.
Notably, both Troy Grosenick and Callum Booth are scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency at the end of this season, opening up some spots in the minor leagues. If signed, Bussi could potentially fill one of those, though it still remains to be seen whether his game can translate to the professional level.
Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald broke news of the deal on Twitter, while PuckPedia reported the contract details.
Minnesota Wild Sign Sam Hentges
The Minnesota Wild have inked another college prospect, signing Sam Hentges to a two-year entry-level contract. Hentges–not the Sam Hentges that plays for the Cleveland Guardians–recently completed his senior season at St. Cloud State, suited up for the U.S. at the recent Olympics, and could have potentially reached unrestricted free agency this summer. Instead, he’ll join the Wild on a contract that begins in 2022-23.
Hentges, 22, had 12 goals and 22 points in 20 games with the Huskies this season, his best offensive season to date on a per-game basis. He added a goal at the Olympics and has come a long way from being the 210th overall pick–just a few selections from the very end of the draft–in 2018. Two players from that seventh round have already made their NHL debuts, and the young forward will try to make it a trio when he’s officially eligible for recall next season.
In all likelihood, he’ll join the Iowa Wild on an amateur tryout contract for the rest of the season in order to get his feet wet at the professional level. Given his age–he’ll turn 23 in July–and the polish to his game, he may be a quick mover through the organization, if things translate well down the stretch.