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Eric Staal Still Hoping To Play In The NHL This Season

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As teams start to get a better feel for what they have and what they need, there should start to be some more roster movement over the coming weeks.  U.S. Thanksgiving is often viewed as the soft target for that to happen and that’s now less than two weeks away.  While that movement is often on the trade front, at least one veteran free agent center could also be in play as Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that Eric Staal hasn’t given up hope on playing in the NHL this season and that his agent Rick Curran is in regular contact with three or four teams who could have interest in signing him over the coming weeks.

The 37-year-old was a productive top-six player as recently as the 2019-20 season when he had 19 goals and 28 assists in 66 games with Minnesota.  However, things went off the rails last season with a tough showing in Buffalo with only ten points in 32 games before being traded to Montreal where his output dipped even further with just three points in 21 regular season contests.  However, Staal played a regular role in the playoffs during their surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final which was enough to land him inside our Top 50 UFA rankings this summer but a contract never materialized.

Back at the beginning of training camp, it was reported that Staal’s preference was to return to Minnesota but that was never really in the cards.  Beyond that, he was hoping to catch on with a team in the United States although being unsigned this long into the season, he may not have the luxury of being too selective if his goal is simply to catch on somewhere.

At this stage, all that Staal can likely hope for is a league minimum contract worth a pro-rated $750K although he is eligible for performance bonuses as well as long as he signs a one-year deal which is basically a certainty.  He sits just seven games shy of 1,300 for his career and even though he isn’t currently signed, it looks like Staal may very well be able to get to that milestone if one of those interested teams decides to pull the trigger on making a tweak to their roster in the coming weeks.

Sabres’ Lawrence Pilut Signs KHL Extension

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If there was any hope of a reunion between the Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Lawrence Pilut, it just took a major hit. The 25-year-old defenseman has signed a one-year contract extension in the KHL that will keep him with Traktor Chelyabinsk through the 2022-23 season. The Sabres will lose their rights to Pilut during that season, as he turns 27 in December 2022 and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023.

Pilut once looked like he could be a long-term fixture on the Buffalo blue line and there were undoubtedly some that hoped he might find his way back. Pilut was an undrafted prospect out of Sweden who the Sabres scooped up in 2018 after several impressive season in the SHL. In fact, he was the SHL’s Defenseman of the Year in his final season in Sweden, leading all defenders with 38 points in 52 games – and did all of this at the age of 23. He transitioned immediately into an NHL role in 2018-19, playing in 33 NHL games versus 30 AHL games. He only recorded six points as a rookie, but notched 26 in the minors where he continued to look like a promising offense defenseman. Instead of taking a step forward in the second – and final – year of his entry-level contract, Pilut instead skated in only 13 games with the Sabres and was held scoreless.

While neither side was likely happy with Pilut’s 2019-20 campaign, the Sabres still made the RFA rearguard a qualifying offer and attempted to re-sign him (or at least keep him from an NHL competitor). Pilut opted to return to Europe rather than stay in Buffalo, inking a two-year deal with Traktor, but it did not seem like the relationship between the two sides was irreparably damaged. After Pilut enjoyed a strong debut season in the KHL last year, recording 28 points and setting a franchise record for blocked shots, it seemed the Sabres would be clamoring to bring him back.

Instead, Pilut seems to have other plans. Staying in Chelyabinsk for an extra year will take him to unrestricted free agency and he will have his pick of a new NHL home, assuming he continues to play at the same high level in Russia. A two-time AHL All-Star with high-end scoring ability and good defensive skills, who will have seasoned in arguably the second-best league in the world for a few years, Pilut will be an intriguing free agent option, especially at just 27. While there is no guarantee he ends up back in the NHL, it does seem unlikely that he winds up back in Buffalo if that is the case.

Devin Shore To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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Nov 8: According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, the Oilers have moved Shore to injured reserve and recalled Ryan McLeod from the AHL.

Nov 7: Edmonton Oilers forward Devin Shore will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, per Tom Gazzola of TSN and NHL Network.

Shore had bounced around the Oilers’ bottom-six forward group so far this season but stayed mostly in a fourth-line role. He’d scored a goal and an assist through eight games, averaging just 8:37 per game.

Tyler Benson and Colton Sceviour are the two extra forwards on Edmonton’s active roster. They’ll both likely get opportunities to draw into the lineup in Shore’s absence. Neither have them have registered a point this year in three and two games, respectively.

Shore signed a two-year, $1.7MM extension with the team on June 9, prior to the opening of free agency. The 27-year-old forward has struggled to maintain a regular spot in an NHL lineup over the past three seasons after playing all 82 games in his first two full NHL seasons with the Dallas Stars in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Given his timeline, Shore is likely to miss between 12 and 19 games.

Latest On John Klingberg Extension Talks

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John Klingberg is facing down quite the predicament this season. Playing on an expiring contract – a contract that has made him a bargain for the Dallas Stars for many years – Klingberg is planning his future. The talented defenseman has watched a number of defensemen, unrestricted and restricted free agents alike, sign massive, long-term extensions over the past few months. Unsurprisingly, Klingberg has expressed his interest in joining this group with his next deal. Klingberg, 29, would be one of, if not the top defender on the open market if he makes it there this summer and could command such a contract. Yet, Klingberg has also been adamant about his desire to stay in Dallas. The Stars just gave fellow rearguard Miro Heiskanen an eight-year, $67.6MM extension and have both Esa Lindell and Ryan Suter signed for three more years beyond 2021-22 at substantial cap numbers. Can Klingberg land the deal he wants in Dallas?

Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek was the first to put hard numbers to the hypothetical, reporting that Klingberg was seeking a a max-term deal in the $62-66MM range. This would put him just below his young teammate Heiskanen over the same number of years. This would likely be a palatable scenario for the Stars to keep their elite top-four together without paying more for Klingberg, who would be 37 when his next deal expired, than for Heiskanen, who will be as old as Klingberg is now.

Unfortunately, that may be a pipedream for the Stars. Klingberg is among the top ten scoring defensemen in the NHL over the course of his current contract. Why should he settle for an AAV of $7.75-8.25MM as Marek suggests when he has outscored the likes of Dougie Hamilton, Seth Jones, and Darnell Nurse – all of similar age and experience – and they each came in at $9MM+ on recent deals? The Athletic’s Saad Yousef claims that Marek’s numbers are merely a starting point. He has heard from sources that Klingberg is chasing that $9-9.5MM AAV and on a long-term deal, knowing this could be his last chance at a big pay day given his age.

Klingberg’s camp has not drawn a line in the sand on their numbers just yet as the defenseman truly does wish to stay in Dallas. Yousef also notes that even at this elevated, fair-market asking price, the Stars can still afford to re-sign Klingberg and likely will do just that if he performs well early this season. There could be some wiggle room for Klingberg to take a slightly shorter deal or come in a little lower than his comparable given his age and the “hometown discount” factor. However, the pressure is on for the Stars to work out those kinks and come to an agreement. The longer the season wears on, the longer Klingberg has to prove he is elite and the prize of the free agent class, driving up his bargaining power on contract talks. Both sides want to see the relationship extended, but those odds go down the longer they wait. Dallas is prepared for that possibility, but that would make it no less of a major blow if Klingberg walks away.

Montreal Canadiens Extend Nick Suzuki

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With their season starting tomorrow night, the Montreal Canadiens have locked up their future. Nick Suzuki has signed an eight-year extension that will carry an average annual salary of $7.875MM. The deal will start in the 2022-23 season and keeps Suzuki far away from restricted free agency and any potential offer sheet. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star reports that the deal will include a 10-team no-trade list (which is only applicable for the final four seasons of the contract). PuckPedia tweets the full breakdown:

  • 2022-23: $6.0MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $10.0MM salary
  • 2024-25: $10.0MM salary
  • 2025-26: $8.75MM salary
  • 2026-27: $6.25MM salary
  • 2027-28: $6.0MM salary
  • 2028-29: $3.0MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2029-30: $3.0MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus

Suzuki, 22, is coming off a very strong season with the Canadiens and has assumed the team’s first-line center spot, an undisputed role now that both Philip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are playing elsewhere. The young forward recorded 41 points in 56 games, but it was once again his outstanding postseason that really put him on the map for many fans. In 22 games on Montreal’s quest for the Stanley Cup, Suzuki scored seven goals and 16 points while averaging almost 19 minutes a game.

That ice time is likely to only go up from here as he transitions from up-and-comer to established leader, helming the Canadiens attack every night. This extension is betting that he’ll take on that responsibility without issue, making him the team’s highest-paid skater for next season, even eclipsing Shea Weber’s LTIR-bound contract.

Make no mistake, there is risk in a deal of this magnitude for someone so young. Suzuki’s career-high in goals is 15 and he has just 82 points through his 127-game career to this point. While those are fine totals, this deal is assuming they will increase as he enters the prime years of his career; a safe assumption, but one nonetheless.

With the deal registered, the Canadiens now have more than $84MM committed to 18 players for next season. A good chunk of that–$7.86MM–is Weber’s deal that will likely be moved to LTIR once again, but it still means that the team won’t have a ton of extra space to work with moving forward. Long-term deals for Suzuki, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, Jeff Petry, David Savard, Jake Evans, Joel Armia, and Carey Price mean that this group is unlikely to see sweeping changes for quite some time. Even Mike Hoffman, Joel Edmundson, and Tyler Toffoli are signed for two more years after this season, meaning this is essentially the group for the next while.

No matter what, this is a contract extension that has a high probability of looking like a steal in a few years, should Suzuki continue on his current development path. At worst, he’s a little overpaid as he settles into the level he has already reached. But the Canadiens haven’t had a franchise center in some time, and certainly weren’t going to risk letting this one get poached in restricted free agency, or increase his price with a true breakout offensive campaign.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Brady Tkachuk

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The Ottawa Senators have two preseason games left. This Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, and Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Right now, it looks like they may not have star forward Brady Tkachuk for either of them.

Tkachuk is the final major restricted free agent left to sign this offseason after his most recent training partners, Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, both signed multi-year deals with the Vancouver Canucks. Neither of those contracts, which were six and three years in length respectively, seem to be what the Senators are looking for in their negotiation with Tkachuk. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that Ottawa is “set” on only signing Tkachuk to a seven or eight-year deal.

One of the closest comparables to Tkachuk in terms of age and production was Andrei Svechnikov, who reached an eight-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in August. The two were both picked at the top of the 2018 draft, and have similar numbers through their first 200 NHL games (Svechnikov has one less goal but 15 more points in seven more games). The simple fact is though that not many premium restricted free agents are signing deals of that length for their second contract, instead trying to maximize earning potential by selling off fewer years of unrestricted free agency. That can be a nice compromise for most teams, given they also have salary cap concerns to worry about and a shorter deal keeps the cap hit down, but Ottawa isn’t really in that situation.

The Senators have more cap space than any other team in the league, as they currently sit below the cap floor. It makes sense then that they would want to lock in Tkachuk for as long as possible, as they did with Thomas Chabot in 2019 when they signed him to an eight-year, $64MM contract extension. Given their history of losing key players in free agency (or, rather trading them away as they approached it), buying out as many years as they can now is likely their best option. Avoiding a bridge deal, which would open up the path to arbitration in a few seasons, also seems prudent for a team that works on an internal budget.

But this season was also about turning the corner for Ottawa, moving away from the complete rebuild, and starting to play competitive hockey. Without Tkachuk in the lineup, their roster suddenly doesn’t look like it is ready to take that next step. Missing training camp and the start of the season has different effects on every player but has negatively impacted the performance of many in the past. The Senators have already accepted that risk as Tkachuk has missed most of camp, but if they don’t want him to miss many games they have just a few days left to find a compromise of some sort.

Though it is a long way away, one date to remember is December 1, when restricted free agents must be signed by if they are to play at all. In 2018, William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs made a deal at the very last second on his current six-year contract, which allowed him to suit up for the rest of the season. He had a dreadful year, scoring just seven goals in 54 games, and both sides expressed regret that they didn’t get something done sooner. There’s plenty of time to avoid that situation, but once the season begins, December comes quickly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Anaheim Ducks Sign Ben Hutton To PTO

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Better late than never, huh Ben Hutton? With most NHL teams trimming their training camp rosters down considerably over the past few days, the Anaheim Ducks have gone in the other direction. CapFriendly reports that the team has extended a PTO to veteran free agent defenseman Hutton. With Hutton unlikely to suit up for the Ducks tonight, he will have only two preseason games and just over a week of camp to prove he can stick with the team before they open the regular season on October 13.

The timing of this late tryout offer could imply that is is simply a precursor to a signing, merely getting Hutton into camp while the two sides hammer out the fine print on a contract. After all, it is not as if Anaheim is unaware of what Hutton brings to the table. The 28-year-old blue liner began the 2020-21 campaign with the Ducks after signing a one-year deal in free agency (another late-offseason deal). Hutton skated in 34 games with the team, recording five points and over 18:30 of ice time per night, before he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fifth-round pick. Hutton is an experienced defender who was logging major minutes and recording substantial minutes with the Vancouver Canucks not too long ago and would easily bolster a shallow Anaheim defense corps at a cheap price.

With that said, Hutton’s numbers have been on decline for years now and he did next to nothing with Toronto following last season’s trade. This PTO may simply be a courtesy by the Ducks to see if Hutton has any gas left in the tank and to let other teams take a look at his game in preseason action. While likely still a capable competitor, Anaheim may be better off going with younger options such as Josh Mahura or even Axel Andersson over Hutton, especially knowing that they do have some solid call-up options in Brendan Guhle, Brogan Rafferty, and Greg Pateryn. Hutton will have to show that he is a significantly superior option to any of these players if he wants to lock down a job with Anaheim.

Key Dates Announced For 2021-22 Season

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The NHL has set in stone various key dates for the upcoming season, as several reporters including Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star tweeted the list nearly simultaneously. It includes this year’s trade deadline, which will be significantly pushed back because of the Olympic break in February. The deadline will be March 21 this season. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff includes the full list:

  • March 21: Trade deadline
  • April 29: Last day of regular season
  • May 2: First day of Stanley Cup Playoffs
  • June 30: Last possible day of Stanley Cup Playoffs
  • July 1: First buyout period opens
  • July 2: Deadline for first club-elected salary arbitration notification
  • July 7-8: 2022 NHL Draft
  • July 11: Deadline for qualifying offers
  • July 12: First buyout period ends; club’s ability to sign own pending UFA to eight-year contract expires
  • July 13: Free agency opens
  • July 17: Deadline for player-elected salary arbitration notification; commencement of second club-elected salary arbitration notification period
  • July 18: Deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification
  • July 22: Qualifying offers expire
  • July 27: First day of salary arbitration hearings
  • August 11: Last day of salary arbitration hearings

As PuckPedia points out on Twitter, the deadline is 40 days from the end of the regular season, meaning that players acquired will carry 20% of their cap, a number slightly smaller than the normal 22%. While the result of that small change won’t be seen for several months, it could potentially allow playoff teams to load up even further at the deadline by accruing cap space throughout the first part of the year.

These dates confirm what was reported earlier this month, that the NHL Draft in Montreal will start on a Thursday in July, several weeks after it would take place in a normal year. Free agency is now nearly two weeks after its normal date, meaning the offseason will be condensed once again.

Seravalli also notes that though taxi squads are not in place right now, the league and NHLPA have discussed the potential of bringing them back should they be deemed necessary at some point during the season.

Filip Lindberg Eyeing NHL Role With Penguins

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Training camp is a time for special interest stories. Seasoned vets and rookies alike sit down with their teams’ communications staffs and talk about their summers, their history with the team – or for newcomers their introduction, and their hopes and dreams for the seasons. However, no team is going to provide their fans with false hope about a prospect’s chances to help the team with stories of unreasonable expectations for the season. They may ask an AHL-bound player about his aspirations for the year, but will keep their own statements at least relatively grounded.

So when the Pittsburgh Penguins publish an article about premier college free agent signing Filip Lindberg hoping to win a job with the NHL team in his first pro season, it isn’t just puffery. When the team writes that “Lindberg is in [a] competition for playing time amongst the other netminders here in Pittsburgh as he looks to earn a starting role”, it doesn’t require much reading between the lines. It appears that the reigning NCAA National Champion, at just 22 years old, will actually have a chance to battle for a roster spot this preseason.

The Penguins were expected to bring in a veteran goaltender this off-season following inconsistency issues with starter Tristan Jarry and injury concerns with backup Casey DeSmith. Louis Domingue is not exactly what fans were expecting. Instead, Lindberg was the real value addition to the crease this summer. A seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2019 following his freshman season at UMass, Lindberg had far outplayed his draft stock by the time he decided to leave college early and turn pro this year, spurning Minnesota for free agency in the process. In three NCAA seasons, Lindberg never posted a GAA over 2.00 nor a save percentage below .927. In 50 appearances for the Minutemen, he recorded a stunning .937 SV% and 1.55 GAA and, unsurprisingly, a .711 points percentage. This culminated in an NCAA Tournament performance for the ages, earning two shutouts for a .986 save percentage and 0.33 GAA in three games en route to UMass’ first ever title.

As accomplished as he may be at the college level, is Lindberg really ready for the NHL as a first-year pro? Maybe not for most NHL teams, but the Penguins have limited options. Jarry, 26, still appears to be locked in as the team’s starter, especially with another season left on his contract. However, 30-year-old DeSmith who has had struggles with injuries and inconsistency and is in the final year of his deal with the Penguins may not have much left to offer. Even if DeSmith begins the season on the NHL roster, he may not last. Would it really then benefit Pittsburgh to bring in journeyman Domingue over potential future NHL starter Lindberg? A strong performance in camp would be a good start for the college star, but may not be enough to win him a job outright. However, continued excellence in the AHL, including stealing starts from Domingue, could quickly put Lindberg in line for an NHL shot and perhaps even a full-time job in year one.

Before too long, even the starter’s job could belong to the lightning-quick netminder. Lindberg already unseated one Matt Murray in his career. Who’s to say he can’t do the same to Matt Murray’s replacements in Pittsburgh?

Bruins’ Bergeron, McAvoy Not Rushing Negotiations

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The Boston Bruins have very few expiring contracts entering the 2021-22. In fact, among players that appear to be a lock for an NHL roster spot this season, only six will be free agents next summer. Of that group, only two will be unrestricted free agents and just three are set to make over $800K this season. By and large, the Bruins face very little risk of a roster shake-up via free agency next off-season. Yet, amongst this small group of expiring contracts is two of the most important players on the team, captain Patrice Bergeron and young stalwart Charlie McAvoy. Both career Bruins, one represents that remnants of the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning core and the other appears to be the future of the franchise as they look to transition to a new core. Negotiations with each player will be crucial for the Bruins, but the club has not rushed to extend either just yet; and neither seems to care.

Bergeron, 36, is focused on winning another title this year before shifting his focus to what’s next. Speaking to the media, Bergeron said of his next contract, “I’m going to play out this year, and then talk about that after.” GM Don Sweeney stated last month that Bergeron has free reign to sign on for as many more years as he likes in Boston. While the cap-strapped Bruins will need to be more careful about the cost, they are open to whatever term the future Hall of Famer is seeking. Bergeron has been a face of the franchise for many years, establishing himself as arguably the best defensive forward in league history and with a point-per-game campaign could crack 1,000 career points this season. He has earned the right to decide when he wants to retire or otherwise leave Boston, whether that be next year or several years for now. This season really is less about establishing anything more for contract negotiations and instead focusing solely on the pursuit of the Stanley Cup and continuing to build a lasting legacy in Boston. As Amalie Benjamin relays for NHL.com, Bergeron stated the thinks this Bruins group can be “special”, not only this year but even beyond his playing days:

I want to create something special, as I said. We obviously want to work towards winning a Stanley Cup. I know everyone says that, but it’s definitely our goal as a team. And I think we always are competitive to be in that group of teams. So I think that’s where that’s where my focus is at right now… We have some players that have been around for a while and they’re getting older, but also some younger players that are taking a bigger role, whether it’s on the ice or off the ice in the locker room. I think you want to make them understand that it’s going to become their team at some point soon and that they have to take some more responsibilities and whatnot. I’ve always said that I believe in leadership by committee and I think it can’t just be about one or two guys, it has to be a lot of guys.

One of those future leaders is undoubtedly McAvoy. While the Bruins have had an unfortunate recent history of moving on from young players too early, Boston seems to be sold on McAvoy’s complete game, work ethic, and locker room presence. One of the top defensemen in the NHL last season, McAvoy took a major step forward despite the departure of Zdeno Chara and the lack of a consistent pair mate. In an off-season that has been defined by long-term, big-money contracts for top young defensemen, McAvoy has established himself as at least an equal player to those who have already received mammoth new deals. With so many comparable contracts now available, the Bruins easily could have offered McAvoy a similar long-term deal and moved on, but the two sides are taking their time with negotiations; and McAvoy doesn’t mind. According to the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, McAvoy brushed off any suggestion that he was frustrated to not have a new contract in the books. “Honestly, I don’t have any comment on it,” McAvoy said. “I’m just really excited for the year, just worrying about this summer, being in the best spot to get ready for camp. I think we’re going to have a heck of a team… I just want to get after it.” Unlike Bergeron, McAvoy also stands to gain financially from waiting to agree to a new deal, as another top-notch season could lead to an even bigger deal. His agent, Rick Curran, stated as much:

For Charlie, it’s all about focusing on the season. He wants to go out and have a really good season, and focus on what he can do for the team, really solidify himself as a top D-man in the league. He wants to control what he can control and let the chips fall where they may.

While Bruins fans may want some peace of mind about the futures of Bergeron and McAvoy before or even during the upcoming season, it seems more likely that both will wait until after the season and appear happy to do so. With their sights set on bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston, the duo have more important things to do that worry about contracts when both are guaranteed to be with the Bruins for as long as they like.

 

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