More On Alex Pietrangelo’s Pending Free Agency
The St. Louis Blues have become the target of much speculation over the last week, after issuing extensions to Sammy Blais, Mackenzie MacEachern and most notably, Marco Scandella. The latter deal ate up another $3.275MM of cap space on the back end for each of the next four years, precious real estate for a team with arguably the top pending UFA. Alex Pietrangelo, the Blues captain, and best defenseman is up for a new contract.
Over the weekend Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic wrote about a $9MM-per-season ask that may have to come down thanks to the stagnant cap and today Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gave some similar thoughts on the radio:
I don’t think there has been a lot of dialogue on this one this year. I think there has been on again and off again negotiations. I believe that the Blues made it clear they were willing to go around [Oliver] Ekman-Larsson. Ekman-Larsson is $8.25×8, and I believe the Blues are willing to go a little bit higher because he’s their guy, he’s their captain, they won the Cup and everything. But I don’t believe they were willing to go into the [$9MM/year range] or anything more than that and that’s where they were stuck at this particular point in time.
It is important to remember some of the moves that Blues GM Doug Armstrong has made in the past with key players. At the 2017 trade deadline Armstrong traded away pending free agent Kevin Shattenkirk despite the Blues sitting in a playoff spot. They would eventually finish with 99 points and advance to the second round, only to lose to the Nashville Predators in six games (scoring just 11 goals in the series). Even though Shattenkirk was an absolutely integral part of the Blues at that point—his 42 points through the first 61 games trailed only Vladimir Tarasenko for the team lead—it was clear he was not going to sign a long-term deal before testing free agency. Armstrong bit the bullet and traded away a franchise star for futures.
In 2018 is was much the same story for the Blues. As the trade deadline approached, St. Louis was in the midst of a season-long seven-game losing streak, but still just within a few points of a playoff position. They were obviously still a strong club, but it didn’t seem to be their year (that would come soon enough). When the Winnipeg Jets came calling, Armstrong decided to trade off another star player that wouldn’t be re-signing. Paul Stastny, who sat fourth on the team in scoring through the first 63 games, was dealt for another package of futures including a first-round pick.
Make no mistake, Shattenkirk and Stastny are not Pietrangelo. The 30-year old is one of the most well-respected captains in the league, a Norris-level defenseman, and a current Stanley Cup champion. He also has been with St. Louis for his entire career and would go down as one of the best players in franchise history if he never played another game. His two-way skill is a huge part of what makes the Blues so special, which makes it easy to understand why he too wasn’t dealt away at the deadline.
But there will be a limit for the Blues and if Armstrong’s history is any indication, he won’t hesitate in moving on if he feels that’s what right for the organization. The fact that the salary cap situation is still so unclear makes the $79MM+ in commitments the team has already made for next year quite dubious, meaning they would have to move out some significant money to make room. Of course, there is still time to do that, especially if compliance buyouts or some sort of salary relief is put in place.
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Pacific Notes: Hall, Reaves, Edler
It’s been three weeks since Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka told The Athletic that while no specifics on a contract with Taylor Hall had been discussed during the NHL suspension break, he and Hall’s agent, Darren Ferris, had been in discussion about a potential deal. The Coyotes traded for Hall in December with the hope that they would become the favorite to convince the star forward to sign with the team when he hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
However, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that Ferris says that he has not been approached by Chayka regarding contract talks during the break, putting even more confusion on whether Hall will choose Arizona as his long-term home. Hall has fared well with 10 goals and 27 points in 35 games with the Coyotes, but those are hardly numbers of a star player, although there is some transition time expected of any player when traded to a new team. However, the team also didn’t show much improvement with Hall in the lineup with the team going 14-17-4 during that time, although the team did have some goaltending issues during that time.
Hall is looking for a long-term deal in the range of seven or eight years, potentially around $10MM per season. The Coyotes are already right up against the cap and have little coming off their books next season, which might require Chayka to shake up their roster a bit if they want to retain Hall.
- The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) analyzes some the chances that the Vegas Golden Knights will bring back each of their pending unrestricted free agents, noting that there is a strong likelihood that the team will retain forward Ryan Reaves, who was heavily recruited two years ago when he was a free agent. Reaves signed a two-year, $5.5MM deal to return to Vegas, but now at age 33, is likely going to be willing to take less to stay with the Golden Knights. He is rooted in Vegas as a fan favorite, who has his own beer company in the city and he holds more endorsements than any other Vegas player. He tallied eight goals and 15 points in 71 games this year to go with a league-leading 316 hits.
- The Athletic’s Harman Dayal (subscription required) looks at the Vancouver Canucks’ possession statistics and how the play of rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes has made quite the difference. However, Dayal does note that one player who has seen a significant decline in play last year was Alexander Edler, who had the lowest possession exit percentage among team defensemen with just 25.8 percent (compared to Hughes’ 48.1 percent). With the league average at 34.6 percent, Edler’s numbers have been in decline for a couple of years now. He is currently in the middle of a two-year, $12MM contract.
Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Joonas Korpisalo
Who needs Sergei Bobrovsky anyway? The Columbus Blue Jackets did just fine with their unproven goaltending tandem this season, with Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins both performing at All-Star levels when they were called upon. That success requires payment however and both goaltenders were scheduled for restricted free agency this summer. You can check at least one name off the to-do list, as Korpisalo has signed a two-year extension with the Blue Jackets today. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $2.8MM and keeps Korpisalo under contract through the 2021-22 season. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen explained just why he decided to offer the contract:
Joonas had the opportunity to play a lot of games for us early in the season before he was injured and responded by playing at an All-Star level. He is a young, talented goaltender with a great work ethic and desire to succeed and we are very excited to see his continued development and improvement moving forward.
Korpisalo, 26, was given 37 starts for the Blue Jackets this season and recorded a .911 save percentage in those games—nearly equalling Bobrovsky’s numbers from a year ago. That performance earned him a selection to the All-Star game, though an injury kept him from attending. Injuries will be the question moving forward and likely will play a role in deciding which of the team’s netminders gets the majority of the games.
Having Korpisalo sign at such a low number will allow the team to keep both, assuming that the negotiation with the arbitration-eligible Merzlikins goes smoothly. Even with a stagnant salary cap the Blue Jackets should have more than enough room to operate with this tandem in place, and the fact that Merzlikins is not eligible for the Seattle expansion draft means the team could have their goaltending positions solved for some time.
It is important to remember however that even though Korpisalo may be new to the net, he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this contract. The number may be low but the team bought out only one UFA year.
Mackenzie MacEachern Signs Two-Year Extension
The St. Louis Blues aren’t on holiday. After extending both Sammy Blais and Marco Scandella earlier this week, the team has announced a new two-year contract for Mackenzie MacEachern. It’s a one-way contract for the depth forward, that will carry an average annual value of $900K and take him through the 2021-22 season.
Interestingly, MacEachern was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season after playing in exactly 80 NHL games through the first part of his career. That’s the threshold he needed to meet to be ineligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency, meaning the Blues may have dodged a bullet by having him in the lineup just before the season was suspended.
The 26-year old forward has recorded 10 goals and 15 points in those 80 games, seeing fewer than nine minutes of ice time on average. MacEachern will serve as some inexpensive depth for the Blues as they head into next season trying to squeeze a talented roster into a stagnant salary cap, something that will be made even more difficult if they try to bring back captain Alex Pietrangelo.
MacEachern’s new contract leaves just two more pending restricted free agents on the Blues roster—Jacob De La Rose and Vince Dunn.
Boston Bruins Will Discuss New Contract With Kevan Miller
The Boston Bruins have several decisions to make this summer with regards to their defensive group, including the pending free agency of Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara. Both players obviously would love to stay in Boston, but how exactly they fit into a stagnant salary cap isn’t clear. There is another player however that is scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and that’s Kevan Miller, the 32-year old defenseman who hasn’t played in an NHL game in more than a year. Even with all that time spent away from the ice dealing with injury, Miller may still have a home in Boston if he wants one. Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney was on a conference call today with reporters including Matt Porter of the Boston Globe and indicated that the team will “entertain the opportunity to bring Kevan back.”
Sweeney expects Miller to be fully healthy by the start of next season—whenever that may be at this point—but it’s obviously tough to know exactly what the Bruins would be getting if the did re-sign him. The veteran defenseman has played just 165 games since the start of the 2016-17 season but was at one point an important part of the Boston blue line. The physical, rugged Miller was a staple on the penalty kill and would always be among the team leaders in hits and blocked shots, offering a counterbalance to more offensive-minded players like Krug.
Currently on the final season of a four-year, $10MM contract he signed in 2016, there’s no doubt that Miller will earn less than that $2.5MM cap hit on his next deal. If the Bruins seem cash-strapped after reduced hockey-related revenues keep the salary cap ceiling where it is (or even perhaps drop it), perhaps a player like Miller on a low-cost bounce-back contract could be of some use.
Still, it’s hard to imagine him stepping directly back into the group and being an impact player once again after missing so much time, especially with other younger options coming up the pipe in Boston.
Latest On Torey Krug’s Pending Free Agency
If the NHL ever decides that they are not able to play any more games this season, it will be a wild few months. Very suddenly, players who were in the middle of a Stanley Cup chase will instead become free agents, able to sign with whichever team they choose—or at least whichever is interested in them. Torey Krug is one of the players in that situation. The Boston Bruins defenseman was an integral part of a squad looking to challenge for a league championship but is now in limbo awaiting a decision from the NHL to see if he has played his last game with the team.
Of course, Boston could re-sign Krug, which is clearly what the defenseman is hoping for. He was on a conference call with reporters including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com yesterday, and explained the situation:
We haven’t had any talks since this thing has started. I can’t speak for any other UFA that’s in a position like I am, but in terms of my situation here in Boston, we haven’t continued any talks or made any progress in that regard.
For me personally, I really hope I did not play my last game as a Boston Bruin. It’s been a special place for me and my family to grow and my love for the game and playing in front of these fans, it’s been very special to me.
Krug, who will turn 29 on Sunday, was having another outstanding offensive season for the Bruins, scoring 49 points through his first 61 games. The left-handed defenseman has been one of the elite puck-movers in the game for some time now, but took his powerplay production to a whole new level last year and seems to continue to improve in his own end. That package—even if it’s not a big one; Krug stands at just 5’9″—would make him one of the most attractive unrestricted free agents on the market this summer and a target for dozens of teams.
The biggest question to this point is will the Bruins even be able to afford him? With the rest of this season still clouded in uncertainty, there’s no telling exactly where the hockey-related revenue numbers will come down for this year. That means the 2020-21 salary cap could be drastically affected, something that would impact heavily the Bruins’ free agent plans.
Krug isn’t the only important player on the Bruins headed for free agency. Jaroslav Halak, who has been arguably the best “backup” goaltender in the league for some time now, is also headed for UFA status. As is Kevan Miller, though it’s not clear what his future holds due to injury concerns.
Captain Zdeno Chara is also on an expiring deal, though he is probably willing to work with the Bruins on a reasonable salary should he decide to come back. Chara took a one-year deal last year that guaranteed him just $2MM in base salary, but had up to $1.75MM in performance bonuses.
On the RFA side, Jake Debrusk, Anders Bjork and Matt Grzelcyk lead the way and will all be looking for raises.
Depending on how the Bruins go about it, shelling out $8MM+ per season for Krug may simply not be possible. You can understand why the two sides haven’t been locked in negotiations though since there is no way to tell exactly how much money Boston even has to spend.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Examining The Top 2020 Group Six Free Agents
Last month, the list of players eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency this offseason was made available. There were four players that could still potentially avoid that designation although the pause has stopped any progress in that regard although Blues winger Mackenzie MacEachern’s last game reverted him to restricted free agent status. It isn’t the strongest of classes to choose from but there are a handful of players who will certainly generate some interest on the open market whenever the free agent period winds up beginning.
To be eligible, players must be 25 or 26, have three years of professional experience, and have less than 80 games played for skaters and less than 28 games for goalies (with a minimum of 30 minutes per appearance). Here is a quick look at some of the players that should garner some attention.
Gavin Bayreuther (Dallas) – A plethora of injuries last season forced the 25-year-old blueliner into 19 NHL games with the Stars where he wound up holding his own rather well, logging over 18 minutes a night while chipping in with two goals and three assists. Those injuries haven’t been as prevalent this season so he hasn’t had an NHL stint this year but he has been productive in the minors with 29 points in 59 games. He’s someone that should get enough interest to land somewhere with a team that will give him a legitimate shot at a full-time roster spot.
Colby Cave (Edmonton) – In 2018-19, he was basically an NHL regular and split time between the Bruins and Oilers. His offensive upside isn’t overly high but as someone that can hold their own on a fourth line at center, teams looking to bring in competition for the final spot or two up front should have some interest. He was one of the players that could still avoid hitting the open market but that’s looking less likely now with the return of regular season games in question.
Jon Gillies (Calgary) – It was only a couple of years ago that the Flames envisioned him as a goalie of the future as they gave him a one-way salary for the 2019-20 season. However, he was passed on the depth chart by David Rittich and has been in the AHL ever since. At 6’5, he has the size that many teams are coveting between the pipes and with the Flames having other prospects in need of ice time, he’ll welcome a chance to hit the market and try to catch on as an AHL starter elsewhere.
Tyler Lewington (Washington) – With his cap hit being below the league minimum this season, Lewington has been up with the Capitals for more than a quarter of the 2019-20 campaign but has spent a lot of that time as a reserve player as he has just six NHL games played over his 43 days on the roster. He’s a throwback third pairing player who provides some toughness but not a lot else. There is usually still a market for those types of blueliners though and after not getting much of a chance this year, he’ll likely look for an opportunity to compete for an end-of-roster spot elsewhere.
Boo Nieves (NY Rangers) – After spending more than half of 2018-19 on New York’s fourth line and signing an early one-way contract extension to avoid this designation a year ago, it looked as if Nieves had made it. However, he cleared waivers in training camp and has spent all but four games this season in the minors where he continues to show an ability to set up goals but scoring them has been a challenge. If the season resumes, the Rangers can still secure his rights for next year if they play him in four more games.
Andrew Poturalski (Anaheim) – This will be his second trip through this type of free agency after hitting the open market last summer coming off a stellar season with Carolina’s farm team. A broken wrist limited him to just 17 games with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate and they weren’t the most productive. However, his time with the Hurricanes showed that he can at least put up points in the AHL on a regular basis when healthy and with top AHL players garnering more guaranteed money seemingly every year, he should be poised to take advantage.
Carson Soucy (Minnesota) – He has the most NHL action of this season with 55 games on the third pairing for the Wild. His playing time has been more limited since Dean Evason took over behind the bench which may not bode well for his future there but he has done enough this year to draw some interest in a sixth or seventh defenseman role.
Valentin Zykov (Vegas) – His first season with the Golden Knights hasn’t been one to remember. Zykov tested positive for a banned substance which caused him to be suspended for the first 20 games of the season and that set him back. His offensive numbers in the AHL weren’t as high as they usually are while he only picked up four points in 15 NHL games with the Golden Knights. He has shown the ability to be an impact player at the AHL level in the past and with 55 career NHL contests under his belt, there should be several teams interested in him as a top AHL player that gets recalled a few times when injuries strike.
While it’s true that none of these free agents project to be impact NHL players, they can still represent a depth upgrade and we’ve seen how important depth can be as injuries strike. Accordingly, while these players won’t show up on any top free agents lists, they should still receive a lot of interest when they get to the open market.
Byfuglien Saga Reaching Conclusion
In times like these it is easy to forget about those NHL transactional situations that were ongoing when the league decided to pause their season, but even though no games are being played there is work being done to conclude them. One such situation revolved around the Winnipeg Jets and Dustin Byfuglien, which included all the markings of a good drama—a lack of communication, heaps of frustration and the withholding of large sums of money.
Byfuglien, 35, seemed like he was leaning towards retirement at one point last offseason, but when he didn’t go that route and instead simply failed to report to Jets’ training camp he was eventually suspended by the team without pay. The veteran defenseman opted for ankle surgery in October without the team’s involvement, only complicating things.
For months now there has been reporting suggesting that the two sides were getting closer to a settlement on the dispute over his remaining salary, but nothing has been officially announced from either side. Last night on TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger explained that it all may be coming to a head soon:
It is nearing an end, but obviously given current events it’s not top priority for all involved. What I know is that the National Hockey League is scheduled to discuss the situation with the Winnipeg Jets in the very near future. Now, the Players’ Association, the league, the player and the Winnipeg Jets are all aligned in the termination agreement, but it hasn’t been executed yet and because of that the Winnipeg Jets aren’t in a position to announce. The detail work between the league and Winnipeg Jets is expected to ironed out in the near future.
While it’s unclear what kind of an agreement will be executed in terms of payment, it will mark the end of Byfuglien’s tenure in Winnipeg. Whether he plays NHL hockey again in the future will be up to him, but you can bet that there will at least be some lukewarm interest should he hit unrestricted free agency. To be clear, Byfuglien would not be eligible for the 2019-20 playoffs with a new team regardless of when they happen.
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Ryan Shea Not Expected To Sign With Blackhawks
Soon after a report surfaced that Luke Martin was unlikely to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, news that another top collegiate defenseman will test free agency has popped up. According to Rinkside Rhode Islander reporter Mark Divver, Ryan Shea will not sign with the Chicago Blackhawks and instead will become an unrestricted free agent later this summer. Shea recently completed his senior season at Northeastern University, where he served as captain.
Unlike Martin, whose game almost entirely revolves around his defensive play, Shea has blossomed offensively over the years at Northeastern and recorded 31 points in 34 games this season. The left-handed defenseman was a fourth-round pick of the Blackhawks back in 2015 but played a year in the USHL before heading to college. He can become an unrestricted free agent after August 15th—though that date may change depending on how the league ends up scheduling the coronavirus-delayed offseason.
Chicago announced four signings earlier today, including Evan Barratt, one of their more highly-touted college prospects, but Shea shouldn’t be completely overlooked. The 23-year old has improved his skating and defensive play every year and was relied on in all situations by the Huskies.
Earlier this year, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke to Shea and asked him if he felt any loyalty to the Blackhawks organization. At that point, the young defenseman told Powers that his relationship with Blackhawks director of player development Mark Eaton was “very strong” and that Chicago felt like the right spot by “all indications.” Obviously, things haven’t gone exactly according to that plan.
Luke Martin Not Expected To Sign With Hurricanes
Every summer, some of the college players that were drafted several years ago end up becoming unrestricted free agents. They have spent four years in their NCAA program and only have to wait a few months to earn the right to sign with whichever team they want. While the day that draft rights expire is usually in the middle of August, it’s not clear how that will work this year thanks to the current pause.
Still, news is bound to start coming out about which prospects intend to test free agency. Luke Martin appears to be one of those players, as Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest reports that the University of Michigan defenseman is not expected to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Martin, 21, was the 52nd overall pick in 2017—slightly higher than his ranking on several lists before the draft. He ended up ranked 61st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, but the Hurricanes clearly liked what they had seen in his first year of college hockey. Martin had previously been a member of the national team development program and had registered seven points in 35 games as a freshman with the Wolverines.
The 6’2″ defenseman never really has taken a step forward offensively. His junior season resulted in just nine points in 36 games, but he has logged big minutes against top opponents since his freshman season and could be an interesting depth addition for an NHL organization later this year.