Latest On Ivan Provorov
1:25pm: Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the two sides had been working on a six-year deal, but that things may have changed since Werenski’s signing. He adds that Provorov will not sign the same three-year, $15MM contract and noted in response to a reader that a six-year at $7MM per season “may get it done.”
9:35am: After Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Zach Werenski agreed to a three-year bridge deal in order to get a new deal signed before training camp started, heads turned to Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins and Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers to see who would be next. Both young defensemen are in similar situations to Werenski, looking for big raises after solid starts to their careers. For Provorov at least, it seems to have moved things along. His agent Todd Diamond spoke to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet today and reported that they and the Flyers were closer yesterday on a contract than they had been for weeks, and that things are starting to move in the right direction.
Provorov, 22, was taken just ahead of Werenski in the 2015 draft and has played all 246 games for the Flyers over the last three seasons. The former Brandon Wheat Kings superstar took almost no time at all to adjust to the speed of the NHL, recording 30 points and playing 22 minutes a night as a rookie. That ice time has only increased, to the point where Provorov was averaging more than 25 minutes a night in 2018-19, putting him sixth in the league in that category. Unfortunately his offense took a step backwards last season and the left-handed defenseman recorded just 26 points including just two on the powerplay. Granted, Shayne Gostisbehere is the lead dog when the Flyers have a man-advantage, but if Provorov is ever to become that Norris-caliber defenseman that some believed he could be, he’ll need to create more offense in one way or another.
Still, there’s no doubt that he is one of the most important players on the Flyers roster. Depending on term, he very well could become the highest-paid defenseman on the team, eclipsing Matt Niskanen‘s $5.75MM cap hit. Whether he follows Werenski down the path of a bridge deal is unclear, but that would at least give the two sides more time to negotiate a long-term deal down the road.
If a bridge deal does come out for Provorov, it will be important to note his salary in the final season. That will determine the qualifying offer that follows the deal, which could—like Werenski—walk him right into unrestricted free agency. Provorov is currently scheduled to reach UFA status in the summer of 2023.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Braden Holtby Hoping To Remain In Washington Long-Term
Regardless of how they perform, there will be a dark cloud hanging over the Washington Capitals throughout this coming season, or at least until they can make it go away. The Capitals have two core players heading for unrestricted free agency next summer in Braden Holtby and Nicklas Backstrom and it’s difficult to see the team finding enough cap space to bring both back at market value. Washington is currently over the salary cap approaching the start of this season and will likely be forced to make a move. Things don’t get much better a year from now, as the team has more than $62MM already committed to just 15 players. Extending two superstars while filling out the rest of the roster would be a daunting task.
For his part, Holtby hopes that the Capitals can find a way to figure it out. Speaking with Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic, the All-Star goaltender stated that he would like to spend his whole career in D.C. if it were up to him. “This is all I know. I would love to (re-sign), I think that’s pretty clear.” Holtby has enjoyed nine great years and counting in Washington, with a Stanley Cup, a Vezina Trophy, a Jennings Trophy, and two all-pro nods to show for it. The team is set up nicely to continue being competitive and Holtby has no reason to want to leave.
However, he was also very honest that he knows that NHL hockey is a business and he’s aware that it’s not always as easy as staying with your preferred team. Negotiations will begin soon between GM Brian MacLellan and agent Dave Kaye and Holtby only hopes that the two sides can “get on the same page before the season starts and go from there.” The veteran keeper does not want talks to become a distraction, telling El-Bashir “The main thing is we don’t want it to affect the team at all. I think that’s pretty universal… to not let it be a distraction, and to go out and win games.”
Holtby also surely knows that sometimes the numbers do not line up. What is best for the player is oftentimes not what is best for the team and vice versa. Rival goalie Sergei Bobrovsky showed that this summer, deciding to leave the Columbus Blue Jackets after many accomplished seasons to sign a massive seven-year, $70MM deal with the Florida Panthers. Holtby has already been working with a cap hit of $6.1MM on his last contract, signed five years ago – prior to both his individual award-winning seasons and the Caps’ Cup run. As such, that $10MM cap hit could very well be in the target range of Holtby’s camp. However, Washington sees a soon-to-be 30-year-old goaltender whose numbers have slipped relatively significantly over the past two years. They also see a promising 22-year-old Ilya Samsonov in the pipeline, a first-round investment hungry for an NHL opportunity. This will drive down the price that Washington is willing to offer.
Given their shared success, it is no wonder that Holtby would like to stay in Washington and safe to assume that the Capitals feel the same. However, with many financial factors in play, many outside the control of either side, it will not be easy to make an extension work. Getting off to a strong start, as Holtby noted, will be key, but this will likely be a long, arduous negotiation that lasts well into the season and, even if it doesn’t distract Holtby and his teammates, will surely weigh on Caps fans. In the end, the two sides will have to land at a perfect point that makes sense for both sides, as there is no wiggle room for a “winner” in the negotiations when it comes to Washington’s salary cap crunch.
Free Agent Profile: Scott Darling
Veteran goaltender Cam Ward called it a career today, signing a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, who he served for 13 seasons to begin his NHL career. The 35-year-old finally moved on from the Hurricanes last season, but struggled in a backup role with the Chicago Blackhawks. With his numbers slipping and age catching up with him, Ward decided now was the time to retire.
Interestingly enough, Ward’s failed replacement in Carolina, Scott Darling, also remains an unsigned free agent, waiting for a market to develop. Just two UFA goaltenders – Anthony Stolarz and Jared Coreau – have signed an NHL contract since July 2nd and no goalie has been inked in 50 days. The market is dead quiet, but Ward’s exit leaves Darling as the obvious top name if a team does come calling. Darling, 30, is just hoping at this point that he too doesn’t have to consider retirement.
It was not long ago that Darling was actually considered one of the best backup goaltenders in the NHL. A 2007 draft pick, Darling was a slow-developing prospect who played another year of juniors, two years in college, and four years bouncing around the minors before he ever saw NHL action. However, when he broke through in 2014-15 with the Chicago Blackhawks, he immediately impressed. Darling spent three seasons as the backup to Corey Crawford, with his role increasing each year, and in total posted 39 wins, a .923 save percentage, and a 2.37 GAA in 75 appearances.
The Hurricanes believed they were getting a bargain when they acquired Darling for a third-round pick in the summer of 2017 and signed him to a four-year, $16.6MM contract. However, it quickly became clear that the star backup was not cut out to be a starter. Darling was unable to overtake Ward despite ample opportunity, posting an .888 save percentage and 3.18 GAA in 43 appearances. Darling made 40 starts to Ward’s 42 and was outplayed by the aging veteran, which is not what either he nor Carolina had hoped for.
The ‘Canes essentially cleaned house last summer, letting Ward walk in free agency and burying Darling in the AHL, replacing them with the far more effective duo of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney. Darling did make eight spot starts for Carolina this past season, but somehow performed even worse than he did the year prior. In the minors, Darling sat behind lauded prospect Alex Nedeljkovic and when he did get a chance to play – he made just 14 appearances – the results were just as bad if not worse than his NHL performance. Not wanting to be weighed down by Darling’s $4.15MM cap hit any longer, the team traded him to the Florida Panthers this off-season along with a sixth-round draft pick for a new backup in James Reimer. The Panthers quickly bought out Darling, making him a free agent.
Potential Suitors
It has now been more than two years since anyone has been impressed by Darling’s efforts on the ice. With that said, the free agent market at goalie is slim pickings, with Darling easily headlining a group that includes Michal Neuvirth – who has signed a PTO with the Toronto Maple Leafs – Chad Johnson, Al Montoya, and Michael Leighton. Each of those players is both older than Darling and was last considered a legitimate NHL option far prior to Darling’s downfall. Darling is simply the best of a poor group, but is looking for redemption. Unlike Ward, Darling will have no expectations of any role or guaranteed play time. He will instead be looking for an opportunity to show that he can still be an effective NHL backup, likely by seeking a third-string role with the chance to battle for play time at the top level.
Accepting a role such as this could open some opportunities for Darling, especially once training camp begins. Injuries to starters or backups can shift the paradigm for an NHL team and leave them searching or an experienced option. The Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Philadelphia Flyers are examples of teams with shallow depth in net and injury concerns who could turn to Darling in the even of an incident.
It’s also very possible that several teams are already aware of their weaknesses in goal and simply waiting to see how their current keepers look in training camp and the preseason and potentially even early on the in the regular season. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the one team that everyone is focused on in net, as the team is set to have former backup Joonas Korpisalo and newly-signed European prospect Elvis Merzlikins begin the year as a young, unproven tandem. Early concerns could lead to Columbus looking for additional support, with Darling as the top option other than trade or waivers. The Colorado Avalanche are also in need of depth in net. Their top two of Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz are likely to be fine this season, but the lack of any other experienced name behind them could be a cause for pause, especially given this will be Francouz’ first full NHL season.
Ironically, the Florida Panthers are one final team that could be in the goalie market and would have been a good fit for Darling. The team understandably bought out Darling’s hefty contract, but could’ve actually used a player of his experience. The Panthers spent big on Sergei Bobrovsky’s this summer and will likely ask him to start 65+ games this season, but young Samuel Montembeault is currently slated to be his backup with other untested prospects behind him. Montembeault’s performance in the backup role, as well as the effect on his development of sitting so often, could lead the Panthers to search for a veteran option. Darling won’t be the answer now, but one has to wonder if the two sides connected at all prior to what was clearly an orchestrated trade-and-dump.
Projected Contract
It’s nearly September and teams are getting ready for training camp, yet Darling still sits without a contract. At this point, he will receive a PTO or nothing. Even if he proves himself in camp, it will likely only result in a minimum $700K NHL cap hit on a one-year, two-way deal. If that’s what it takes to climb his back way into the NHL though, Darling will surely take it. After all, he’s receiving a nice pay check from the Panthers for four more years anyway.
Snapshots: Werenski, Kempny, Pominville
Despite all that has happened over the past few month, Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has no regrets. He tells ESPN’s Greg Wyshysnki that the team’s decision to go “all in” at the trade deadline, holding on to Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and acquiring Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, was a “calculated risk”. Even though all four have departed this summer via free agency, Kekalainen made his best effort to retain them and isn’t doing to dwell on the players’ decisions not to return. Instead, the bold executive is focused only on the coming season. Kekalainen answered Wyshynski confidently about a number of issues facing his team entering 2019-20, but paid extra attention to the stalled contract talks with RFA defenseman Zach Werenski:
The real frustration for me [is when it] drags on into training camp, because that’s a time for ‘team’… They start preparing and jelling and building that chemistry that we need as a team. When it goes to training camp time, it takes away from that preparation. It takes away from the team. That’s what I’m concerned about. And that’s where we’ve drawn the hard line before: We don’t believe in taking that preparation time away from the team. We think it should be resolved before the team gets together and gets ready for the season.
It seems that the Blue Jackets and Werenski are no closer to a resolution in contract talks and it is starting to impact the GM. With so much talent leaving Columbus this off-season and very few new faces arriving, Columbus needs their leaders and core players in training camp to get ready for what will likely be a more challenging season. Werenski is one of those key players and Kekalainen is clearly doing all that he can to get the talented young blue liner back under contract as soon as possible. As training camp draws closer, the question will be whether the Blue Jackets cave to Werenski’s demands to ensure that their valuable “preparation” is not adversely affected.
- The division rival Washington Capitals may also be without a key defenseman in training camp and perhaps longer. Michal Kempny is still working his way back from a season-ending hamstring injury and The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir writes that there is no clear timeline for his return. Fortunately, after a summer spent rehabbing at home in the Czech Republic, Kempny has resumed skating back in D.C. and is working one-on-one with Capitals strength coach Mark Nemish. Kempny hopes to be ready for training camp, but truly has his sights set on simply being at full strength for the team’s regular season debut. “I’m getting there,” Kempny said, “I’m not 100 percent yet, for sure. I still need some time. If I’m going to make the (start of) training camp, that’s going to be great. But we’ll see… My goal is to be ready for the season.”
- At one point this off-season, veteran forward Jason Pominville was also hoping to see another opening night of NHL action, but as the summer has drawn on without much interest in the free agent, his mindset has shifted. Pominville explained to NHL.com that he is “fine with the way things ended” last season, if it was indeed the end of his playing career. The 36-year-old returned to the Buffalo Sabres two years ago, re-joining the team with which he spent the first nine years of his now 15-year NHL career, and proved that he could still be a contributor, posting back-to-back 30+ point seasons and taking on an important role in the locker room. Pominville hoped that he could return to Buffalo for another season, but since that seems like a longshot, he’s content to stay in the city and not move his family, even if that means hanging up his skates.
Free Agent Profile: Marc Methot
It doesn’t seem that long ago that Marc Methot was considered to be a high-end shutdown defenseman. Actually, it was just two years ago when the veteran was with the Ottawa Senators, that he averaged just short of 19 minutes per game for eight straight seasons. However, after signing a four-year, $19.6MM extension to remain in Ottawa in 2015, the Senators choose to expose his contract in the Vegas expansion draft and the defense-greedy Golden Knights opted to grab him, immediately flipping him to Dallas for a prospect and a 2020 second-round pick.
Unfortunately, the Stars didn’t capitalize on Methot’s impressive defensive play as he struggled with injuries in his two years in Dallas. In those two years, he has appeared in just 45 games and only nine of them came in the 2018-19 season. In fact, the knee injury that sidelined Methot for most of the season last year, could keep him out even longer than people had expected.
Having hit free agency this year at age 34, TSN reported in July that Methot might not be ready for the 2019-20 season at all due to the knee surgery that he underwent in January. However, despite the injuries, he still was a valuable commodity when he was on the ice with his defensive play and ability to play physically and provide key hits during the game.
Potential Suitors
The most obvious suitor could be retirement depending on how Methot’s knee responds from his surgery. TSN’s Shawn Simpson reported last month that Methot has started skating, which could increase his suitors if he can prove he is ready to return to the ice. If his knee can hold up, he could provide key depth on any team’s defense as a shutdown third-pairing defenseman, which plenty of teams would need.
A reunion in either Ottawa or Columbus might make sense, but Ottawa has already added a number of veterans to its defensive core, including Ron Hainsey and with a number of young blueliners waiting to get playing time, he might not be a good fit with his hometown. However, Methot could find a way there. In Columbus, the team is likely set on defense, but one injury could change that and a coach like John Tortorella would appreciate a defensive-minded veteran.
The New Jersey Devils are a team that could be interested in Methot as he might provide a good fit at the bottom of their lineup. There are plenty of other teams that might still need some depth on their defense such as the Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals. However, much of who might be interested in Methot, may be determined by team injuries and their needs.
Projected Contract
Methot’s situation might require him to wait to sign a contract until he can prove that he’s healthy and can really contribute to an NHL team, meaning he might have to wait until well into the 2019-20 season before signing a deal. Once he can prove he’s healthy, assuming he can and doesn’t opt to retire instead, Methot will likely have to settle for a minimum-salaried deal and prove his value to the team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Profile: Riley Sheahan
It wasn’t all that long ago that Riley Sheahan was considered to be part of the next wave of young forwards in Detroit. However, since the Red Wings salary cap concerns forced them to trade the center two seasons ago, his value around the league has dipped considerably. Nonetheless, he could still be an intriguing option for teams looking for depth down the middle this summer.
The 27-year-old was only briefly a UFA last summer as although Pittsburgh opted to non-tender him to avoid the risk of salary arbitration but quickly re-signed him to a one-year, $2.1MM deal. Unfortunately for Sheahan and the Penguins, he didn’t exactly live up to it.
After a rough start that saw him record just nine points in 49 games, the Pens dealt him to Florida as part of a four-player swap designed to shake up their roster. The change of scenery did Sheahan some good as his ice time jumped by two minutes per game and his offense also ticked up as he picked up 10 points in 33 games down the stretch. That’s still not a great return on that contract but it was at least a small step in the right direction.
However, it hasn’t been enough to get him a contract so far this summer. While he’s slightly above average at the faceoff dot, Sheahan isn’t the best penalty killer around which limits his effectiveness in a bottom-six role. That likely has played a big factor in his limited market through the first five weeks of free agency.
Potential Suitors
There are two types of teams that should have some interest in Sheahan. Teams that need more depth down the middle could view him as an affordable option. Also, rebuilding teams that believe their prospects need more development time in the minors could look at him as a capable stopgap option with an eye on trying to move him to a team looking for depth at the trade deadline.
In terms of teams looking for depth down the middle, the Oilers could have a spot for him depending on what the plans are for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. If one of them plays on Connor McDavid’s wing, they’d be looking at depth pieces to fill the last two spots. Sheahan would provide them with an offensive complement to the more defensive-minded players that currently project to fill those roles. Winnipeg could have an opening if they opt to keep Jack Roslovic on the wing and they will need to add some players on the cheap to round out their roster once they re-sign their restricted free agents.
As for the second group, the Kings have largely been quiet this summer. Adding Sheahan would allow them to give someone like Blake Lizotte some extra development time while he should be able to beat out Mario Kempe for a spot. Minnesota likes what they have in Nico Sturm but he could certainly benefit from some time in the minors to start which would open up at least a short-term role for Sheahan.
Projected Contract
At this point, it’s hard to imagine Sheahan getting more than half of his previous deal and a one-year, $1MM pact wouldn’t be too surprising. Considering he’s still fairly young, there’s some potential for a deal like this to be a bit of a bargain as well. If he can’t get that, he’s a safe bet to land somewhere on a training camp PTO but that would be quite the fall from grace for someone that looked to be part of Detroit’s young core just a few years ago.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Remaining Unsigned Restricted Free Agents
Originally published on August 9th
The NHL is extremely quiet today with just one transaction, the one-year two-way contract for Hunter Warner. That’s the way it has been on the restricted free agent market for some time, with very few non-arbitration deals coming down the pipe. In fact with just over a month before training camps open, 46 restricted free agents remain unsigned for the upcoming season. Among them are some of the most impressive young talents in the game and several others who are still promising prospects. Still more of the players are those who will play overseas in 2019-20 and were qualified in order for a team to retain their exclusive negotiating rights.
The full list of unsigned restricted free agents is as follows:
Anaheim Ducks:
(none)
Arizona Coyotes:
F Emil Pettersson – Will not sign, playing in SHL
Boston Bruins:
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson* – Will not sign, playing in SHL
D Charlie McAvoy*
D Brandon Carlo
Buffalo Sabres:
(none)
Calgary Flames:
F Matthew Tkachuk
F Andrew Mangiapane
F Spencer Foo – Will not sign, playing in KHL
Carolina Hurricanes:
F Saku Maenalanen
F Roland McKeown
Chicago Blackhawks:
F Brendan Perlini
F Victor Ejdsell – Will not sign, playing in SHL
Colorado Avalanche:
F Mikko Rantanen
D Sergei Boikov – Will not sign, playing in KHL
Columbus Blue Jackets:
F Lukas Sedlak – Will not sign, playing in KHL
D Zach Werenski
Dallas Stars:
D Julius Honka
D Niklas Hansson – Will not sign, playing in SHL
Detroit Red Wings:
G Patrik Rybar – Will not sign, playing in Liiga
Edmonton Oilers:
Florida Pantherss:
F Maxim Mamin – Will not sign, playing in KHL
F Juho Lammikko – Will not sign, playing in Liiga
F Denis Malgin
Los Angeles Kings:
Minnesota Wild:
F Kevin Fiala
F Joel Eriksson Ek – Signed for two years, $2.975MM
D Louie Belpedio
Montreal Canadiens:
(none)
Nashville Predators:
(none)
New Jersey Devils:
New York Islanders:
F Anthony Beauvillier
F Joshua Ho-Sang – Signed for two years, $1.4MM
F Michael Dal Colle – Signed for one year, two-way, $874K
New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
D Anthony DeAngelo
Ottawa Senators:
F Colin White* – Signed for six years, $28.5MM
Philadelphia Flyers:
F Travis Konecny
D Ivan Provorov
Pittsburgh Penguins:
San Jose Sharks:
(none)
St. Louis Blues:
Tampa Bay Lightning:
F Brayden Point
F Adam Erne – Traded to DET, signed for one year, $1.05MM
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Vancouver Canucks:
F Brock Boeser*
F Nikolay Goldobin
Vegas Golden Knights:
Washington Capitals:
(none)
Winnipeg Jets:
F Kyle Connor
F Patrik Laine
G Eric Comrie
*Not eligible for offer sheet
Stefan Matteau Signs AHL Contract
After failing to see any time in the NHL last season, Stefan Matteau has settled for an AHL deal this time around. The 25-year old forward has signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Monsters. Matteau qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency after playing last season with the Chicago Wolves.
Originally a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Matteau actually jumped directly into the NHL as a teenager. Playing 17 games with the Devils before heading to junior during the 2012-13 season, the big forward seemed to be on track to quickly become a key part of their forward group. Even the next year playing with the Albany Devils things still seemed on the right track, as Matteau scored 26 points in 67 games as one of the youngest players in the AHL. Unfortunately he was unable to ever really take that next step, and found himself shipped to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Devante Smith-Pelly in 2016.
From there, the young forward has found himself in the minor leagues for entire seasons save for eight games with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18. While he is still a decent AHL player he never became the dominant power forward that some believed he could be. Now with just 64 NHL games under his belt and an AHL contract in his pocket, he’ll have to really take another step forward if he’s ever to make it back to the best league in the world.
Beau Starrett Signs With Bakersfield Condors
With this year’s big fish of the college free agent market, Chase Priskie, off the board after signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, Cornell University forward Beau Starrett became arguably the top name remaining. Well, he is now under contract as well, albeit not in the NHL. The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have announced a one-year deal with Starrett for the 2019-20 season. The former Chicago Blackhawks prospect is still available for an NHL team to sign, but the parent club Edmonton Oilers have the right of first refusal.
The signing has added meaning for the Oilers organization, as Starrett’s brother, Shane Starrett, is a goalie in the system. Shane was an undrafted product who played just two dominant seasons at the Air Force Academy before signing an entry-level contract with Edmonton in 2017. The 25-year-old was stellar in the AHL last season and looks to have a reasonable case for NHL opportunity sooner rather than later. Signing his brother could be added recognition of Edmonton’s commitment to the promising netminder.
Beau did not have as strong a college experience as his brother, though. Despite being the higher-rated prospect of the two, as evidenced by his selection by the Blackhawks in the third round in 2014, Starrett failed to live up to the hype at Cornell. In four seasons with the Big Red, Starrett failed to ever surpass 15 points in a season. Although his eight goals as a senior matched his first three seasons combined, Starrett’s offensive upside at the pro level remains unknown. It could be that the 23-year-old, who was once a star at the junior level in Massachusetts, simply has failed to pan out and will be more of a defensive forward at the next level, or perhaps Cornell was not the right place for his development and the Oilers see more to his game than the Blackhawks did. This season in Bakersfield will be telling as to what to expect from the younger Starrett moving forward, but it’s a risk-free addition to the Edmonton organization as, at worst, it will at least make their third-string goalie happy.
Free Agent Profile: Andrew MacDonald
The Philadelphia Flyers had to make a tough decision earlier this summer when it opted to buy out veteran defenseman Andrew MacDonald. The veteran has been a key piece in the Flyers’ locker room, but the team felt it had to make a change. Regardless of the buyout, there should still be a place for the 32-year-old defenseman in the NHL. He just needs to find it. The blueliner may not be putting up big numbers on offense, but he could easily provide depth as a bottom-line defender for plenty of teams
MacDonald was acquired by Philadelphia back in 2014 from the New York Islanders and was promptly signed to a long-term extension, signing a six-year, $30MM deal a month after the trade. While the defenseman provided solid defense when on the ice, the veteran was often injured and slowly has seen his play decline as his $5MM AAV became a target of criticism for fans. The buyout was largely expected, but many Flyers praised the veteran for his leadership skills.
That ability to lead could give MacDonald an advantage as teams with a young defense might gravitate towards a player who could help lead. Unfortunately, perhaps the main reason that he hasn’t been signed yet is the fact that he has dealt with injuries and has slowed down a bit and certainly wasn’t worth the $5MM AAV that he signed years ago.
Potential Suitors
A possible return to the New York Islanders could always be a possibility. MacDonald played his best years here and could serve as a veteran who could fill in as a 6/7th blueliner and another veteran who could help out with a bunch of up-and-coming defensive prospects such as Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde. However, the team does have several veterans already and likely wouldn’t show a significant interest unless some of those players went down with injuries.
Although they have been mentioned often in regards to blueline free-agents, the Winnipeg Jets will be expected to add a few blueliners to fill out its depth eventually after the team locks up restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. The veteran could also look to return to Canada and find a home there, but again teams like Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa may not be in need of a veteran blueliner as they all have quite a bit of depth.
In the end, however, MacDonald will likely just have to wait until teams lose a player to injury.
Projected Contract
MacDonald will never get anything near $5MM and likely at this point will have to accept a minimum salaried deal. Considering that he is still getting quite a bit from Philadelphia, that money should make it easier to accept any deal that might come along for him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.