Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins
While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Boston’s core is aging but the Bruins were still the best team in the regular season and will be looking to return as Stanley Cup contenders.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Jake DeBrusk – Which DeBrusk are the Bruins signing this offseason? The 27-goal sophomore star that was the team’s most important weapon behind the top line in 2018-19, or the 19-goal depth scorer who put up only 35 points in 2019-20? It looked for a while like DeBrusk was heading towards a huge payday on his second contract, but after more than 200 games in the NHL it’s still not exactly clear what the Bruins have. There’s no doubt he’s an important part of the roster but he was included in a group of names that GM Don Sweeney “has to listen” on in Fluto Shinzawa’s latest for The Athletic. Though Shinzawa ultimately lists the likelihood of a DeBrusk trade as low, his pending free agency and the Bruins cap situation still keeps it a possibility.
D Matt Grzelcyk – There are few defensemen in the NHL that are playing fewer minutes than they deserve. Usually, because of the lack of quality options, blueliners are skated to their last breath, ridden until the wheels fall off. In Grzelcyk, the Bruins appear to have one of the rare defensemen ready to take on more responsibility. The 26-year-old averaged just over 18 minutes a night this season but could be in for a huge increase, especially with the man-advantage. Grzelcyk is an in-house replacement for Torey Krug, who will be featured below, and could be a bargain given he’ll be negotiating this summer on three relatively unproductive NHL seasons. In 197 games Grzelcyk has managed to score just 54 points, a number that could nearly double if given the reins to PP1 in 2020-21 (although, Charlie McAvoy may have something to say about that assignment).
Other RFAs: F Brett Ritchie, F Zachary Senyshyn, F Karson Kuhlman, F Brendan Gaunce, F Peter Cehlarik, D Jakub Zboril, D Wiley Sherman
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Zdeno Chara – There isn’t much to say about the 43-year-old Bruins captain. Chara wants to return and is willing to work with the team on a salary that fits their financial situation. Even if he’s not the perennial Norris Trophy contender he was in his prime, Chara is still a useful option for the Bruins and was their leading penalty killer in 2019-20. An irreplaceable leader on the blueline, he’ll likely be back on another one-year deal.
D Torey Krug – Krug is where the real focus will be, given how well he has played for the team and his status as one of the best free agents on the market. Over the last five seasons, only five defensemen have scored more points than Krug. Three of them are up for the Norris this season and the other two are Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. The 2020-21 cap hits of those five names: $11.5MM, $9.06MM $8MM, $8MM, $7.875MM. You can bet that Krug’s representatives will bring those names up in the negotiations, though given Sweeney’s comments today the two sides may still be far apart.
Other UFAs: F Joakim Nordstrom, D Kevan Miller, F Ryan Fitzgerald, D Alexander Petrovic, G Maxime Lagace
Projected Cap Space
The Bruins actually have some money to spend this offseason, with just $66MM committed to the 2020-21 season, but will have to tread very carefully with long-term deals. That’s because even bigger negotiations are right around the corner with McAvoy and fellow defensive rock Brandon Carlo, while a decision will have to be made in net at some point. Both Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2021.
David Pastrnak also has just three years remaining on his below-market contract, though by the time he’s up the team will have said goodbye to some of their more troublesome deals. Still, it’s not like the team can go out and splash seven-year deals across the headlines with the league’s top free agents unless they’re willing to say goodbye in other areas.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Goaltending Notes: Lehner, Lundqvist, Free Agency
Robin Lehner has shutout another opponent, blanking the Dallas Stars last night to even the Western Conference Finals at a game apiece. That was Lehner’s fourth shutout of the postseason, raising his overall save percentage to .924 and lowering his goals-against-average to a measly 1.84. The big trade acquisition has been outstanding for the Golden Knights since arriving, which makes it easy to see why the team is trying to keep him around long-term.
Jesse Granger of The Athletic writes that talks have already begun between the Golden Knights and Lehner on a long-term extension, though it’s not clear exactly what price tag a new contract would come with. A move of that nature however would likely spell the end of Marc-Andre Fleury‘s time in Vegas, if only because it would be too expensive to keep them both on the roster. Fleury, who has also performed well in his lessened role this postseason, has two more years on his contract at a $7MM cap hit and holds a 10-team no-trade clause.
- Another legendary goaltender may be getting pushed out this offseason, as Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic writes that Henrik Lundqvist‘s career with the New York Rangers is coming to an end as the team “must buy him out and they know it.” Lundqvist has just a single year left on his contract but has been passed by two different young goaltenders in New York. A buyout would save the Rangers just $3MM of his $8.5MM cap hit in 2020-21 and force a $1.5MM penalty onto the books for 2021-22.
- If Lehner re-signs with the Golden Knights, and the Vancouver Canucks manage to bring back Jacob Markstrom as they indicated yesterday, the free agent pool for goaltenders suddenly doesn’t look quite as impressive. Sure, there are still plenty of names available like Thomas Greiss, Anton Khudobin, and Cam Talbot, but if Markstrom and Lehner both re-up with their current teams it is going to leave Braden Holtby as the only UFA starter that isn’t already in his mid-thirties. That can only help Holtby’s market, but it also could lead more teams to consider the trade route with options like Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen both potentially on the market.
Snapshots: Simmonds, Crawford, Wheat Kings
Wayne Simmonds wasn’t effective this season. In 61 games with the New Jersey Devils he scored just eight goals and then was traded for a conditional fifth-round pick to a team that had no real shot at the playoffs. Simmonds ended the year with a single assist in seven games with the Buffalo Sabres, meaning his final tally was eight goals and 25 points on the season. That was his worst year since 2008-09 when he was a rookie, but he still feels like he can contribute somewhere next season. Speaking to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Simmonds responded directly to the speculation that he could return to his hometown of Toronto:
So of course it’s crossed my mind. I know they’re in a bit of a salary cap situation and things of that nature, but you know I’m open to everything, Toronto’s got a great core of players and I think that’s definitely a team where I could go in and make an impact right away. It’s up to the teams. Whoever wants to choose me, I’ll be waiting. I’ll definitely be ready to go.
The Maple Leafs brought back hometown boy Jason Spezza this season on a league-minimum deal and may not have a lot more than that to offer to Simmonds, if the match were to be made. Even after clearing Kasperi Kapanen‘s contract off the books, the Maple Leafs still have close to $74MM committed to just 16 players for 2020-21.
- Corey Crawford isn’t the youngest goaltender among those headed to unrestricted free agency, but he still may be one of the best. The 35-year-old bounced back from some concussion issues to record a .917 save percentage in 40 appearances this season, the exact number his career percentage sits at over nearly 500 games. He’s played each of those contests with the Chicago Blackhawks and the team is discussing a new deal with him to return. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that the Blackhawks have offered Crawford a one-year contract around $3.5MM already.
- Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon is no longer the owner of the Brandon Wheat Kings, a team he’s been affiliated with since 1988. McCrimmon has sold the WHL team to the J&G Group of Companies, ending a long, successful era that also included stints serving as head coach and GM of the team he owned. Fans of the Wheat Kings shouldn’t have any fear of relocation after the sale, however, as new owner Jared Jacobson was born and raised in Brandon and is a huge part of the city’s business community. McCrimmon will also be remaining with the organization as an alternate governor.
Canucks Notes: Markstrom, Virtanen, Trades
The Vancouver Canucks went further in the 2020 playoffs than many expected, coming within a single game of the Western Conference Final. GM Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green spoke with the media today (audio via TSN radio) about where the team goes from here, with Jacob Markstrom‘s future front and center. The goaltender is a pending free agent who is coming off an excellent season but was injured in the second round leading to Thatcher Demko‘s coming-out party. Even with Demko’s performance, Benning was clear about his desire to bring back the more veteran goaltender:
We’re going to try and figure out a way that makes sense for us and makes Jacob and his agent happy. Try and figure out a deal to get him signed. We want him back. We’re going to start working on that this week.
Markstrom, who could potentially hit the free agent market as the best available goaltender depending on some other situations, is coming off his best season in the NHL. Through 43 appearances he went 23-16-4 with a .918 save percentage, a performance that made Benning call him the team’s MVP. Demko is signed for next season at just a $1.05MM cap hit and Benning pointed out multiple times the fact that the Canucks believe they need two strong goaltenders to handle the tough travel schedule of the Western Conference.
- As for another pending free agent, Jake Virtanen, Benning was a lot less impressed. The 24-year old forward is going to be a restricted free agent for the second time as his two-year bridge deal comes to an end, but failed to make much of an impact in the postseason for Vancouver. Virtanen had his best regular season performance with 18 goals and 36 points in 69 games but scored just three points in 16 postseason matches. Benning was on Sportsnet radio and explained that he was expecting more from Virtanen in the playoffs. Add that to the GM saying that he might have to move on from some young players this offseason in order to recover some draft picks and you can see why the speculation regarding Virtanen’s future in Vancouver instantly exploded.
- In terms of creating salary cap room, Benning won’t be moving draft picks to do get rid of some of the more onerous contracts on the books. Vancouver is already without their first and second-round picks this year and it’s clear the front office wants to add, not subtract ahead of the draft in early October. Remember, though they have quite a bit of cap room for next season, the Canucks are staring down a 2021 offseason that will see Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Demko hit restricted free agency all at the same time.
Mikael Granlund To Test Free Agency
While many teams will be using these next few weeks to try to reach new deals for their pending unrestricted free agents, that won’t be the case for the Predators and forward Mikael Granlund. Instead, his agent Todd Diamond told Adam Vingan of The Athletic (subscription required) that they intend to test the open market when it opens up next month. Diamond wouldn’t rule out a return to Nashville but they will see what other options are out there first.
Granlund’s time with the Preds has been littered with its ups and downs. Acquired at the 2019 trade deadline for Kevin Fiala, the 28-year-old had just a single goal in 16 regular season games down the stretch with his new team and only had a goal and an assist in their first-round exit at the hands of Dallas. Things didn’t get off to a great start this season either.
However, once John Hynes took over from Peter Laviolette as head coach, things started to turn around for Granlund. He led the team with 11 goals in 27 games under Hynes while his ice time jumped to over 19 minutes per game as well, numbers that Diamond will surely be emphasizing to potential suitors. His usage was similar in their Qualifying Round series against Arizona as well as he logged 18:43 per game although he only managed a single assist in four games.
Granlund is one of the more intriguing names in what is a fairly soft market for forwards. He’s only two years removed from back-to-back 20-plus goal/65-plus point seasons and at his age, it’s quite possible that he could get back to those numbers in the right environment. He also has experience at center although he has largely played on the wing in recent years; that versatility will also be attractive.
Having said that, two quieter years offensively undoubtedly won’t help his leverage, especially if he’s seeking a long-term contract. While he will be one of the top forwards on the market, the flattened salary cap will reduce how many teams are willing to pay big money for a long-term deal at a rate close to the $5.75MM he made on his most recent contract. As a result, he’s one that might be better off looking for a short-term pact in a better offensive environment that would give him a chance to restore some value before hitting the market again where there is more certainty surrounding the economics. Either way, he’ll be hearing what his options are no matter what with an early contract with Nashville now being ruled out.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes
While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Arizona has been in constant turmoil for two decades and now face an offseason with incredible challenges.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Christian Fischer – What happened to the promising young power forward that scored 15 goals and 33 points as a rookie? Fischer, a second-round pick from 2015, burst onto the scene with the Coyotes in 2017-18 as a 20-year old wrecking ball, using his 6’2″ frame effectively to punish opponents and create offense. Now 23, Fischer is coming off a nine-point season that saw him averaging less than ten minutes a night in the second half. That offensive drop off coincided with plummeting possession stats, while the playoffs didn’t bring much change. In nine postseason games, Fischer recorded just one point. He shouldn’t be expensive for the Coyotes to retain after that dreadful year, but a return to form for Fischer would go a long way in helping the Coyotes lengthen out their lineup.
F Vinnie Hinostroza – You can basically cut-and-paste the disappointing year quotes for Hinostroza, who scored just five goals in 2019-20 after tallying 16 in his first year with Arizona. The 26-year-old forward ended with just 22 points in 68 games, a substantial step backward for a player that was an exciting piece of the Marian Hossa deal in 2018. Unlike with Fischer however, Hinostroza is heading into restricted free agency for the final time, is arbitration-eligible and could potentially be a player the Coyotes walk away from if things are getting too expensive. He’s coming off a contract that paid him just $1.5MM this season, and it’s hard to imagine him providing much excess value for whatever the arbitrator awards.
Other RFAs: D Ilya Lyubushkin, D Jordan Gross, D Dane Birks, D Kyle Capobianco, D Vili Saarijarvi, D Jalen Smereck, G Merrick Madsen, G Adin Hill
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Taylor Hall – Here’s where the real tough decisions come for the Coyotes. Nick Merkley, Nate Schnarr, Kevin Bahl, and two high draft picks is what the Coyotes paid for 44 games of Hall. 12 goals, 33 points, and a first-round exit were the return, not exactly what they were hoping for when they made the deal with New Jersey midway through the season. Now, a team operating without a permanent GM is trying to sell Hall on the perks of remaining a Coyote, but it’s hard to imagine him taking any contract before seeing what’s available on the open market. The former MVP is still an excellent offensive player and he’s only 28. While his market may be significantly depressed by the flat cap, that doesn’t mean he’s going to come cheap. The Coyotes aren’t really in a position to be giving out the biggest contract of the offseason, meaning they may end up without a chair when the music stops on Hall’s free agency.
F Carl Soderberg – A veteran forward with a history with the Boston Bruins finished third in goals for the Coyotes in their first season in Arizona. Phil Kessel? No, it’s Soderberg, who ended up with 17 goals and 35 points in 70 games (Kessel had 14 and 38) while playing nearly 16 minutes a night. That ridiculous 14-point season in 2016-17 is the obvious outlier now for Soderberg, who has scored at least 12 goals and 35 points in each of his other six NHL seasons. After just one season in Arizona, Soderberg will be 35 next month and could find himself on the way out given the team’s cap crunch. You can bet other teams are watching to see if the veteran center will hit the open market as a strong depth option.
Other UFAs: F Brad Richardson, F Markus Hannikainen, F Beau Bennett, D Robbie Russo
Projected Cap Space
That flat cap will have several teams struggling to piece together the offseason puzzle, perhaps in Arizona most of all. Even without Hall, the team has more than $80MM committed for next season thanks to expensive extensions kicking in for Darcy Kuemper and Clayton Keller. Hossa’s $5.275MM cap hit will be kept on long-term injured reserve again to give some added flexibility, but even so, the team is going to be cap-strapped in the offseason. That’s exactly the reason why captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson‘s name has already been floated in the trade rumor mill, along with several other of the team’s veteran defensemen—Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers, and Jordan Oesterle are all unrestricted after next season.
If Hall is to come anywhere near a return to Arizona, the team is going to have to move some money out. Does interim GM Steve Sullivan pull that trigger, or will the team wait for their next front-office leader to be hired before issuing sweeping changes to the roster?
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Latest On Frederik Andersen
The Toronto Maple Leafs have now gone another year without winning a playoff series (this time not even getting out of the qualification round) and there are changes coming to the roster. Kasperi Kapanen has already been shipped out of town to the Pittsburgh Penguins for cap space and a draft pick, but more names are swirling in the rumor mill already.
One of those names is starting goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has been already been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Continuing that story, Friedman was on the radio this morning and explained what he knew about the situation:
The most concrete information I can give you is that since the rumors really got going, I think Kyle Dubas has reached out to Frederik Andersen and spoken to him twice, just to kind of fill him in on what’s happening. From what I understand, [Dubas] has told [Andersen] ‘we are not shopping you, but we are getting asked about you. And there are teams that have interest in you.’
Where those conversations have gone from there, I can’t tell you. But I know that’s the general tone of the message.
Friedman goes on to say that he doesn’t beleive the Maple Leafs will make a move “just for the sake of making a move.”
There has certainly been a lot of smoke around the veteran goaltender the last few weeks, though it’s not clear exactly how the Maple Leafs will deal with the situation just yet. The most important factor in Andersen’s situation, perhaps other than his struggles during the 2019-20 regular season, is his contract status. Signed only through 2020-21, he would need a new deal from the Maple Leafs if he is to be their starter moving forward. The fact that he will turn 31 next month and just had the worst season of his career doesn’t help his case to sign a long-term deal, but it’s not like Toronto has an in-house option ready to replace him.
In terms of their depth chart, the Maple Leafs did acquire Jack Campbell from the Los Angeles Kings earlier this year, but he has never appeared in more than 31 games in a season. The team locked him up with a two-year extension, but it’s hard to see them handing the keys to him for the majority of the games next year. Joseph Woll and Ian Scott are both interesting prospects but neither one appears to be ready for the NHL, leaving free agency and trade the only options to find an upgrade in net should they move on from Andersen.
Of course, this year may be the best chance to do that given the glut of goaltenders available. Robin Lehner, Jacob Markstrom and Braden Holtby are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while other names like Matt Murray (a former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound, where Dubas cut his teeth in the OHL) and Alexander Georgiev could be available in trade.
If the Maple Leafs are looking for a substantial return in an Andersen trade, it might not be out there. The St. Louis Blues recently had to settle for a third-round pick in a trade for Jake Allen, despite a pretty comparable situation. Andersen is almost a year older than Allen and costs a little more against the cap next season, but both are scheduled to reach free agency in 2021. Allen lost is starting gig in St. Louis last year, but had a much better statistical season than Andersen in 2019-20. While an argument can certainly be made about the defense corps each goaltender is playing behind, it’s hard to see a considerable package coming back to the Maple Leafs in a trade.
There is one more interesting twist in his value however, and that is the fact that $4MM of Andersen’s $5MM cap hit will be paid in a signing bonus this season. That means an acquiring team would only need to pony up $1MM for the year, something that might be very interesting in a depressed financial climate. Andersen also holds a partial no-trade clause, with which he can block moves to ten teams around the league.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Zdeno Chara: “I Want To Stay In Boston”
The Boston Bruins have several questions to answer as they examine what went wrong against the Tampa Bay Lightning, including how a team known for their defensive structure and strong goaltending allowed 17 goals in four straight losses. Two of the biggest decisions of the offseason sit on that defensive unit, as Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug are both scheduled for unrestricted free agency.
In Chara’s case at least, there’s nowhere he’d rather be than Boston. The 43-year old captain explained just that to reporters today including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com:
I want to stay in Boston. I want to be a Boston Bruin.
Chara has played on consecutive one-year deals the past two seasons and earned just $2MM in base salary for 2019-20. His effectiveness in the playoffs was questionable at best, but the legendary defenseman still logged more than 21 minutes a night throughout the regular season, usually taking long shifts on the Bruins penalty kill. His possession numbers plummeted, but as a depth defenseman, it will be hard to turn him down.
If Chara does return, he will be working to become just the 13th player in NHL history to suit up for more than 1,600 regular season games. Currently sitting at 1,553 he reached his 1,000th in a Bruins uniform this year and will likely be headed to the Hall of Fame when it is all over.
Krug on the other hand isn’t quite as sure of his return. In fact, today he repeated a line he’s used in the past, saying he’s not sure what the future holds. Krug did make it clear that he would not consider taking a one-year deal because of the cap uncertainty, explaining that he has “bet on himself before.”
The 29-year old defenseman will be one of the very best free agents on the market and is coming off another outstanding offensive season. Krug tallied 49 points in 61 games, taking his streak to seven consecutive seasons (every full campaign of his career) of at least 39 points. One of the best powerplay quarterbacks in the league, Krug has shown his talents in the playoffs before, racking up 52 points in 75 career postseason contests.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Latest On Taylor Hall’s Pending Free Agency
One of the most interesting storylines to follow this offseason will be the future of Arizona Coyotes forward Taylor Hall. The 28-year old forward took home a Hart Trophy in 2018 after carrying the New Jersey Devils to the playoffs, but has been rather disappointing since. After what looked like a breakout season where he turned into a legitimate superstar, Hall came back with an injury-riddled 2018-19 and found himself traded midway through the 2019-20 season. The Devils received what many saw as an underwhelming return for the former MVP and Arizona didn’t get enough out of Hall to help them push deep into the playoffs.
Now, he’s just a month away from becoming an unrestricted free agent in an offseason that may see salaries squeezed because of the revenue shortage. The NHL has locked in a flat salary cap for the next few years, making mistakes even more dangerous for clubs looking to improve through free agency. In Hall’s case, the forward has expressed a desire to get some stability and head to an organization that has a chance to compete. The Coyotes, after their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade, will try to make him believe that they represent that chance as Darren Dreger of TSN reports Arizona will make another pitch to Hall today to try and re-sign him.
Of course, Arizona doesn’t seem like the most stable organization at the moment. Earlier this summer they had to deal with GM John Chayka‘s departure, an ugly public affair that included his resignation just a few days before they were set to start their qualification round. Steve Sullivan took over in the meantime, but just last week the team was hammered by the NHL with a penalty for breaking draft rules. The team was stripped of a first and second-round pick, meaning they currently have just a single pick in the first three rounds of this year and next. In fact, the 2021 third-round pick that they gave up for Hall could even be increased to a second should he decide to re-sign in Arizona.
Losing draft picks is one thing, but according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Coyotes are also potentially going to “test the marketplace” on captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who has seven years remaining on his expensive contract. Friedman also mentioned star goaltender Darcy Kuemper as a “very attractive piece” in potential trade talks, though it’s not clear if the Coyotes want to move him. If the team is simultaneously shedding their highest-paid, but best players, it’s hard to imagine the pitch that the Coyotes are giving to Hall to stick around.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Brady Keeper Re-Signed By Florida Panthers
Even though the Florida Panthers are currently without a GM, the front office is still taking care of business. The team has announced a new one-year contract for Brady Keeper, one of their players scheduled for restricted free agency. The deal will be two-way, though the financial details have not been released.
Keeper, 24, played the entire 2019-20 regular season in the minor leagues, scoring 18 points in 61 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds. An undrafted free agent signing in 2019, Keeper had previously played two seasons at the University of Maine. Interestingly enough, he got into just his second NHL game this summer when he played just over 13 minutes against the New York Islanders, recording two hits and two blocked shots.
It’s hard to know where anyone stands in the Florida organization right now, given the uncertainty in the front office, but there are bound to be some changes coming to the NHL roster before the start of the 2019-20 season. Should defensemen be moved out to shake things up, Keeper will be one of the first men up on the depth chart to try and take a full-time role.