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Colorado Avalanche Planning To Be “More Aggressive” In Free Agency

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When the free agent period rolled around last year, Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic was coming off a year in which his team had over-performed. After finishing dead last in the NHL during the 2016-17 season with a dreadful 22-56-4 record, things turned around for them and the team rode an MVP-type season from Nathan MacKinnon all the way to the playoffs. While they were knocked out by the Nashville Predators in six games, it was a successful year overall and one that must have had Sakic thinking about bigger things.

Instead of going hard after some of the top names in free agency however, Sakic instead worked out some smaller deals with Ian Cole and Matt Calvert to bring in some veteran players, insulating his young group. Both contracts were for three seasons, not giving away too much length in case the 2017-18 team was a fluke. This season however the Avalanche proved it wasn’t, and now Sakic is getting ready for an even busier summer. When asked today at his season-ending media availability about the upcoming free agent period, the Colorado legend immediately seemed excited:

It’s a pretty good class this year. I already have targeted players in mind, if they become available, that we’re going to want to talk to about joining our club. You know we see positions of need, what we’re looking to do, and there are a few guys that we’re going to want to talk to if they become available. We’ll be more aggressive this year with that. Keeping in mind that if it doesn’t work out for the players that we want to talk to we’re not just going to go spend on anybody. We want the right players and the right fit.

This could end up being quite the offseason for Sakic to make his mark—or perhaps just another mark, given his legendary playing status—on the franchise. The team has a huge contract negotiation upcoming with restricted free agent forward Mikko Rantanen, but also with depth players like Alexander Kerfoot, J.T. Compher and Nikita Zadorov. The Avalanche also have two picks in the first round including the fourth-overall selection thanks to a trade with the Ottawa Senators, and a huge amount of cap space to go out and get a big name if they so choose. All of that after two straight playoff appearances, this season’s lasting more than just one round, and the Avalanche are in great shape moving forward.

That doesn’t mean there can’t be mistakes though. Sakic admitted that he would rather work on a long-term contract with Rantanen, but would concede to a short-term deal if he must. Thinking like that has likely spread throughout the entire league after teams watched a William Nylander negotiation come down right to the wire this year, only for the Toronto Maple Leafs forward to struggle all season after missing so much time. Getting Rantanen under contract before training camp would obviously be a positive, though Sakic wouldn’t expand on any potential time frame.

Poll: How Many Top Free Agents Will Re-Sign Before July 1st?

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The season is over for all but four NHL teams, meaning free agents from the other 27 clubs are already focused on July 1st and the start of free agency. How many of those top free agents are still considering staying where they are versus testing the market? How many teams have the means and interest to re-sign them?

In January, PHR published our Mid-Season UFA Power Rankings: 1-10, 11-20, and honorable mentions. Mark Stone, Eric Staal, Jakob Silfverberg and Jimmy Howard – four of our top 25 –  have already signed extensions. However, the other top names and their current squads have exactly seven weeks to decide whether or not they will follow suit.

The Columbus Blue Jackets went all in at the trade deadline and it paid off with the franchise’s first ever playoff series win, a shocking sweep of the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning. Yet, the acquisitions of Ottawa Senators standouts Matt Duchene (No. 5) and Ryan Dzingel (No. 16) was not enough to get the team through round two, nevertheless to a Stanley Cup title. Now, the team faces the possibility that their new additions could walk in free agency alongside stars Artemi Panarin (No. 2) and Sergei Bobrovsky (No. 6), leaving them with major holes to fill. The latter duo have long been expected to test the market, perhaps even as a package deal. Additionally, the conditional 2020 first-round pick tied to re-signing Duchene would seemingly make it less likely that Columbus opts to extend him, especially given their lack of picks in the upcoming draft. None of those three have officially ruled out a return to the Blue Jackets, but it doesn’t look good. On the other hand, Dzingel, an Ohio State University alum, looks like he could be a more natural long-term fit, but it hasn’t prevented rumors that other teams are very interested in signing him.

Another free agent-heavy team that blew through round one of the playoffs only to be knocked off in round two are the New York Islanders. After losing John Tavares last summer, going through the same with top forward Anders Lee (No. 9) would be devastating for the Islanders franchise. Yet, the captain still remains unsigned. It’s fair to assume they will eventually figure it out, but that line of thinking if awfully reminiscent of last year. New York is reportedly pushing hard to retain enter Brock Nelson (No. 11) and winger Jordan Eberle (No. 15) as well, but they could be more inclined to test the market. There’s also the question of resurgent goalie Robin Lehner (No. 23). Will the Islanders lock up the young keeper who was so solid this season? Or will they refuse to pay market value for a player that has benefited from their system while splitting time with Thomas Greiss?

Another team of interest are the San Jose Sharks, who remain alive in the Western Conference Final. Superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson (No. 1) and respected veteran forward Joe Pavelski (No. 7) are both heading for free agency and the Sharks may be hard-pressed to sign both. There’s also deadline addition Gustav Nyquist (No. 14) to consider re-signing, as he has had a strong postseason with the Sharks. The Carolina Hurricanes are also one of four teams still playing and are definitely happy they held on to forward Micheal Ferland (No. 18). Ferland is reportedly expected to test the market, but after a deep postseason run he may be more open to extending his stay with the Hurricanes.

It was a difficult end to the year for the Winnipeg Jets, who were one-and-done this year, falling to the St. Louis Blues in the first round. Between rental center Kevin Hayes (No. 8) and big defenseman Tyler Myers (No. 10), the Jets have a pair of coveted free agents on the roster who they would surely like to keep, but that is the least of their worries as they face a daunting impending cap crunch. It could make bringing back even one of the two nearly impossible. The same goes for defenseman Jake Gardiner (No. 12) and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs will have a hard enough time keeping their roster together and re-signing their current restricted free agent, nevertheless managing to re-sign Gardiner.

Generally, playoff rentals proceed to hit the free agent market rather than re-up with their new teams. In addition to Duchene, Dzingel, Hayes, and Nyquist, Nashville’s Wayne Simmonds (No. 13), Dallas’ Mats Zuccarello (No. 21), and Colorado’s Derick Brassard (No. 24) could very well be headed to yet another destination. Simmonds and Brassard were disappointments in their short stays, but Zuccarello proved to be a nice fit with the Stars. However, the team would lose a first-round pick rather than a second-round pick to the New York Rangers if they were to re-sign the veteran forward. That may not be enough to stop them from extending him, though.

If there was any doubt that the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t re-sign Jeff Skinner (No. 4), one would think he would have been dealt at the trade deadline. However, he remains suspiciously unsigned and would be a massive addition to the free agent market if he does make it to July. Skinner has been a great match with Jack Eichel and certainly looks like a long-term fit in Buffalo, but the team’s second-half struggles could have Skinner re-thinking a long-term stay.

Vancouver’s Alexander Edler (No. 22) stated that his preference was not to be dealt at this year’s trade deadline and to instead re-sign with the Canucks. The two sides have been working toward an extension, but until pen meets paper he is still an impending free agent that will attract considerable attention. Similarly, Semyon Varlamov (No. 17) has expressed an interest in remaining with the Colorado Avalanche, but it’s unclear if the feeling is mutual. Varlamov would have to take a major pay cut to stay on as backup and may rather test a goalie market that has already lost Howard and could lose Lehner before free agency opens.

Compared to recent years, this impending free agent class does look to have fewer locks for extensions among top players. Any of these names could hit the market, although odds are they won’t all choose to do so. Regardless, this could be a healthy market come July 1st. Just how deep could it be? That’s for you to guess. How many of these top free agents will sign extensions?

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Goalie Notes: Rask, Binnington, Colorado

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Up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Final behind a pair of convincing wins, the Boston Bruins have their eye on a second Stanley Cup title this decade and have the appearance of the team to beat right now. Tuukka Rask has been the Bruins’ best player so far this postseason and maybe the best player altogether. That is the growing consensus anyway, as Rask has emerged as the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy should Boston go all the way. Entering the third round of the playoffs, Vegas odds makers gave the Bruins keeper the best chances to be named playoff MVP after an incredible first two rounds. Two games later, he’s continued his strong play and those odds are only improving. Granted, Cup-winning goalies tend to be given strong consideration for the Conn Smythe every year, as reflected by St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington, San Jose’s Martin Jones, and Carolina’s Petr Mrazek filling spots two, four, and five respectively in the current odds as well. However, it’s more than that when it comes to Rask’s current level of play, as a quick look at the numbers will show that has truly been the best player in these playoffs so far. In 921 minutes, almost an hour more than Binnington in second, Rask not only leads all goalies in time on ice, but also tops all starters in wins and save percentage and is second in goals against average. Ruling out relief appearances by Dallas’ Anton Khudobin and Nashville’s Juuse Saros and two starts from Carolina’s Curtis McElhinney, Rask’s .937 save percentage is the best so far this postseason and, were it not for the New York Islanders’ Robin Lehner, Rask’s 2.02 GAA would also be tops. In fact, the Bruins allowed two late goals in Game Two against the Hurricanes after sitting back on a 6-0 lead, without which Rask would lead all categories and would hold a sub-2.00 GAA.

Rask has often faced unfair criticism during his time in Boston for lacking a “clutch” factor, despite winning a Vezina Trophy and leading the team to the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. In fact, while Rask may not get much recognition, he is quietly one of the better goaltenders in NHL history on paper and has been even better in the postseason. Rask’s career playoff save percentage currently sits at .927, ranked seventh all-time and fourth among active goalies, while his 2.21 GAA is 14th in the modern era and again fourth among active goalies. Compared to his career regular season .921 save percentage and 2.28 GAA, Rask is better in the playoffs, yet his regular season numbers rank third and fourth all-time behind only the likes of Dominik Hasek, Ken Dryden, and Martin Brodeur. Rask is certainly due more respect than he tends to get and if he continues this impeccable playoff run, he should get it in the form of the Conn Smythe Trophy.

  • Ranked second in the Conn Smythe odds and second among the four remaining starters in time on ice and goals against average, Binnington has continued to be the surprise performance fueling the Blues amazing turnaround season. A 25-year-old rookie who forced himself into Calder Trophy consideration with a stunning second half, Binnington recorded 24 wins, a .927 save percentage, and a league-leading 1.89 GAA this season. Yet, his numbers have tailed off in the postseason, although it’s been enough to get St. Louis through to the Western Conference Final. Is there more to Binnington’s slight struggles than just tougher competition in the playoffs? TSN’s Frank Seravalli writes that it’s hard to ignore the similarities between Binnington’s season and that of Andrew Hammond in 2015, when the “Hamburglar” took the league by storm. Hammond also arrived on the NHL stage late in his career and without much initial fanfare. He posted even better numbers in his rookie year than Binnington did his year and led the Ottawa Senators to the postseason, stealing starts from Craig Anderson along the way. However, he faltered in the playoffs and was replaced by Anderson mid-way through a first-round exit. Hammond put up pedestrian numbers as the Senators’ backup the next season before completely falling off the map. Could the same fate await Binnington? Already Binnington has bested Hammond’s season by continuing to play well in the playoffs, but how he’ll perform next year remains a mystery. In speaking with Blues coaches and players, Seravall notes that no one is worried that Binnington will fizzle out, this year or next. St. Louis fans just have to hope they are right, especially if the team opts to enter next season with the same tandem of Binnington and the inconsistent Jake Allen. 
  • After the Colorado Avalanche signed 22-year-old Adam Werner to his entry-level contract today, they now have two goalies under contract for next season, and that’s it. Fortunately, one of those two is starter Philipp Grubauer, who came on strong in the second half of the season and in the postseason. He looks like a solid starter moving forward, but the Avs have many decisions to make behind him before next season. Werner should be no higher than fourth on the depth chart next year, so he’s not the solution as Grubauer’s backup by any means. Spencer Martin, 23, is a restricted free agent who should be back with the team. However, Martin struggled in the AHL this season and has yet to assert himself as a true NHL option through four pro seasons. Current backup Semyon Varlamov is a free agent who seemingly remains on good terms with the Avalanche, but is coming off a contract worth $5.9MM annually and may not be willing to take less than Grubauer’s $3.33MM on his next deal. This would seem to put this year’s third-stringer, Pavel Francouz, in a promising situation. The 28-year-old KHL import had a strong first season in North America, earning AHL All-Star recognition and making two impressive NHL appearances. Francouz initially signed with Colorado before Grubauer was acquired last summer and expected to compete for NHL time more than he did. Perhaps this could be his opportunity to win a full-time backup job next season. If the Avalanche feel Francouz and Martin are not adequate depth behind Gruabauer, Brian Elliott, Anders Nilsson, and Curtis McElhinney are among the affordable backup options available in free agency.

Coaching Updates: Buffalo, Edmonton, Toronto

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As usual, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has produced another edition of “31 Thoughts” that is chock full of insider information. With the postseason ongoing and free agency yet to begin (officially anyway), a considerable focus this week is on head coaching vacancies. And the coaching news is coming in fast. Less than 24 hours after initially naming Ralph Krueger as a candidate for the vacancy with the Buffalo Sabres, Friedman writes that he is now considered the favorite. The former Edmonton Oilers head coach, and most recently soccer executive, has ties to GM Jason Botterill and has the experience that the Sabres reportedly seek. Friedman also believes that Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Jacques Martin is out of the running for the Buffalo job, which may have moved Krueger up the board. He also adds that Tampa Bay Lightning assistant Todd Richards is no longer being considered.

  • Long-time NHL head coach Dave Tippett is still a candidate in Buffalo, but Friedman believes that he has become the favorite in Edmonton and is more likely to take over as the Oilers’ head coach. Tippett has been working with the Seattle expansion team ownership group of late, but has been itching to get back to coaching. In 14 years of coaching, Tippett finished above .500 11 times and made the playoffs eight times. That alone is a major step up for Edmonton, who have done neither of those things in nine of the past ten years. Joining Tippett in Edmonton as an assistant could be recent Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner, Friedman adds. By many accounts Boughner was fired not due to his own performance, but due to Joel Quenneville’s availability, so he would be a major addition as well.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may not need to worry about losing highly-touted AHL head coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe’s name has been relatively quiet on the coaching market thus far, but that could be due to the fact that Friedman believes he is unwilling to leave Toronto unless there is a better chance for him to succeed. Keefe could be in line to replace Mike Babcock as Leafs head coach when his contract ends (or sooner) and step into a talented Toronto lineup. However, assistant D.J. Smith remains a candidate in Ottawa and fellow assistant Jim Hiller has been granted permission to interview elsewhere, Friedman reports. Friedman does not expect Hiller to be back in Toronto next season and mentions the Nashville Predators as a potential landing spot. Hiller’s power play expertise could certainly help a Predator’s man advantage that was the worst in the NHL this season. The potential loss of both Smith and Hiller would hurt for the Maple Leafs and could force them to move Keefe to the NHL as an assistant.
  • Friedman has no news about the vacancies in Ottawa and Anaheim. As it stands now, the Senators are considering Smith, Martin, Dallas Stars assistant Rick Bowness, Providence College’s Nate Leaman, and internal candidates Troy Mann and Marc Crawford. As for the Ducks, it appears to be Dallas Eakins, whose AHL San Diego Gulls are still alive in the Calder Cup playoffs, or bust.

Snapshots: Guelph, Karlsson, Hurricanes

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The Guelph Storm are your 2019 OHL champions, defeating the Ottawa 67’s in six games after falling behind in the series 0-2. The Storm came back in three different playoff rounds to punch their ticket to the Memorial Cup, where they’ll take on the QMJHL winner Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, host team (and QMJHL runner-up) Halifax Mooseheads and either the Prince Albert Raiders or Vancouver Giants out of the WHL.

Guelph had a huge number of future NHL players on the team, but perhaps none more impressive than Nick Suzuki who took home MVP honors. The 19-year old forward recorded an incredible 42 points in 24 playoff games, while also finishing a +22. Suzuki was the main piece acquired by the Montreal Canadiens in last summer’s Max Pacioretty trade and will try to take another step in his development path next season when he starts his professional career.

  • Erik Karlsson is “not at 100%” according to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, who noted yesterday that the San Jose Sharks defenseman may find his earning potential limited by his injury history as he heads towards unrestricted free agency this summer. While Kypreos explained that the Sharks do have interest in re-signing their star, he imagines that there may not even be a team willing to give Karlsson a seven-year contract given the injury risk he poses. The 28-year old has dealt with a groin injury for much of this season and previously had major surgery on his ankle. Karlsson has 13 points in 15 games this postseason, but has yet to score a goal.
  • Perhaps the Carolina Hurricanes needed to find a way to get Patrick Brown and Jake Bean into the lineup today, but both were technically reassigned to the AHL before the game. The Hurricanes were picked apart by the Boston Bruins in Game Two, and will need to find a way to stop the bleeding as the series transitions back to Raleigh. Brown and Bean had been up on emergency recalls, meaning they have to go back down if the rest of the roster is healthy enough to play. The Charlotte Checkers don’t start their third-round series until Friday, meaning the Brown-Bean shuffle will probably continue all week.

Eastern Notes: Chabot, Vrana, Maenalanen, Maatta

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The Ottawa Senators may have benefited long-term from trading off its expected big-name free agents at the trade deadline, but the franchise must still answer to its fans. With a number of young players on their roster, the team must prove to their fan base that it has no intention of just trading away all of their players once their contracts come up. There are rumblings that suggest the Senators are ready to commit to one such player, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes in his “31 Thoughts” column that the Senators are going to attempt to lock up defensive cornerstone Thomas Chabot to a long-term extension. Chabot, who broke out with a big season in his sophomore year with 14 goals and 55 points in 70 games, would be the ideal signing for the organization to prove to its fans that they intend to compete in the future.

Friedman also writes that owner Eugene Melnyk has been humbled by his lack of success in finding a President of Hockey Operations with top candidates showing no interest to the point of refusing to even meet with the team. The hope is that Melnyk will now find a way to please the fans by rewarding one of their young players. Chabot is the most likely fit as he will be eligible for an extension on July 1 as he is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. Perhaps the move will also turn around the team’s presidential search.

  • NBC Sports Brian McNally writes that while the team was thrilled that 23-year-old Jakub Vrana put up 24 goals and finally broke out as a consistent top-six winger, the team now has to pay for him. Vrana, who becomes a restricted free agent this summer, could look to sign a long-term deal as a young piece to a veteran team or opt to sign a bridge deal that could take him towards unrestricted free agency in a few years. Of course, Vrana struggled in the playoffs which could count against him, as he didn’t register a point during the team’s seven-game series to the Carolina Hurricanes. We’ll have some decisions to make,” general manager Brian MacLellan said. “We’ll find out which direction we’re going on Vrana with a term deal or a bridge deal. Some of it is money decisions. Some of it’s we need to make a couple changes.”
  • The Carolina Hurricanes are ready for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals with the Boston Bruins and while there will be no lineup changes, News & Observer’s Luke DeCock writes that the team still hopes that forward Saku Maenalanen, who has been out since Apr. 28 after having surgery on his hand, could return to the team soon as he practiced with the team Saturday in a non-contact jersey. The surgery was expected him to miss 10 to 14 days, which has already passed. While he’s tallied just one assist throughout the playoffs, the 6-foot-4 winger had given the team a physical element that it needed. The team hopes he might return later in this series
  • Jonathan Bombulie of TribLive writes that while it will be Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford job to move out some defensemen, figuring out which defensemen to move could be more challenging that most might think. Looking at Olli Maatta, who is coming off a poor season, the scribe writes that while he struggled when on the ice with bottom-line centers like Derick Brassard, but was more even-keel when Evgeni Malkin was on the ice, while he was solid when playing with Sidney Crosby, suggesting that the problem may not totally fall on the team’s defense.

Central Notes: Laine, Predators Prospects, Gunnarsson, Honka

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With teams worrying about players’ second contracts more than ever, the Winnipeg Jets may have one of the most challenging tasks this summer when they have to lock up star forward Patrik Laine, who hits restricted free agency on July 1. While many may ask why not offer him what he wants, the Jets have two other serious issues, including an already full salary cap as well as the fact that Laine has proven to be wildly inconsistent so far in his early career.

While Laine still tallied 30 goals this past season (his lowest total of his career), 18 of those goals came in November with Laine scoring no more than four goals in any other month. Regardless, The Athletic’s Murat Ates (subscription required) writes that while a long-term deal could net Laine close to $9MM per season, he might even get more if he opts to take a bridge deal and bank on the potential to get back to 40 goals in the next two years. With the potential to hit his peak within that time, he could really hit payday if he waits. However, that could be an even bigger problem to the team’s long-term salary outlook.

  • The Athletic’s John Glennon (subscription required) writes that while the Nashville Predators have been ranked near the bottom when it comes to the franchise’s prospect cupboard, the Nashville Predators have some hope. The team does have a team in the AHL, the Milwaukee Admirals, who have slowly developed players that are ready to compete for spots on the NHL roster such as Eeli Tolvanen, Anthony Richard and Yakov Trenin, while the team has added some college depth to bolster their depleted group of prospects. Much of the team’s problems is that they have traded many picks to add talent over the last few years, but Glennon adds that the team has drafted well with the picks it has had whether they are in college, in juniors or playing overseas.
  • The St. Louis Blues will be missing a defenseman Saturday when they open up Game 1 against the Dallas Stars as NHL.com’s Chris Pinkert writes that Carl Gunnarsson will sit out after suffering a lower-body injury in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars in the second round. Veteran Robert Bortuzzo is expected to replace him in the lineup. Gunnarsson, a third-pairing defenseman, saw his playing time decrease somewhat in the second-round series.
  • SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks writes that one offseason task that the Dallas Stars must look at is what to do with defenseman Julius Honka, who has been a healthy scratch for the final four months of the season as he hasn’t played a games since Jan. 15. The former first-round pick in 2014 has fallen down the depth chart as he has slipped behind Jamie Oleksiak, Ben Lovejoy, Taylor Fedun, Joel Hanley, Gavin Bayreuther and Dillon Heatherington. “We’re going to sit down over the summer now and we’re going to decide is he a part of this group or is he an asset to go get something else?” said Dallas general manager Jim Nill. “That’s what we’ve got to figure out.”

Snapshots: Bobrovsky, Duchene, Webber

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When NHL players buy property in a city, particularly free agents, it is often blown out of proportion. Many players have ties to cities throughout the league, but may not necessarily have any intention of signing with the local team. However, when players sell property in the city they played in, that carries some more weight. An impending free agent usually has enough on his plate without house hunting, unless it’s part of a move to a new team. So, when Sergei Bobrovsky put his place on the market today, most Blue Jackets fan saw it as the last piece of evidence pointing to his departure. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that Bobrovsky’s $3MM condominium in downtown Columbus has been put up for sale, likely ruling out a possible return for the superstar goalie. Bobrovksy has hinted for more than a year now that he was likely to leave Columbus as a free agent, but there were surely some fans holding out hope that the team’s postseason run may have changed his mind. His real estate move today would suggest otherwise. Bobrovsky, who is undoubtedly the best netminder on the free agent market and arguably the best player overall, will be donning a different jersey next season.

  • Speaking of ties to a city, Bobrovsky’s Blue Jackets teammate Matt Duchene was again spotted in Nashville this week, writes Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean. However, Skrbina is quick to note that Duchene was joined by several other teammates who were all in town to celebrate Riley Nash’s 30th birthday. This is not the first time that Duchene has been linked to the home of the Predators, though. In fact, the country music fan owns property in the area and many Nashville fans have hoped he would one day call the city home. The Predators were the third team in on the now-infamous trade that sent Duchene to Ottawa last year, but only because they were initially interested in acquiring Duchene himself. While they settled for Kyle Turris instead, that was a decision that didn’t play out so well this season, as Turris missed 27 games due to injury and contributed only 23 points on the year. The Predators find themselves in need of scoring again this off-season, but is Duchene a realistic target? Skrbina notes that GM David Poile recently commented that he feels the team has the flexibility to add up front in free agency, but Duchene is the top center on the free agent market and is likely to command at least than $9MM annually on his next deal. Having just acquired Mikael Granlund and handed Turris a major extension, it seems unlikely that Nashville will be willing to make the commitment in dollars and term that it would take to land Duchene, even if he does enjoy the city.
  • One player who knows for sure where he’s playing next season is draft-eligible prospect Cade Webber. Webber, a hulking defenseman out of The Rivers School in Massachusetts, has signed on with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL for next season, the team announced. Webber had previously committed to Boston University as part of the 2020 recruiting class, but there was uncertainty about whether he would return to Rivers or play elsewhere in the upcoming season. With Penticton, Webber will have the opportunity to face tougher competition but also to develop in a program that has turned out plenty of talent in recent years, including another BU defenseman in Dante Fabbro. At 6’6″ and nearly 200 lbs., Webber is about as big as they come at 18 years old. However, he does not let his size define his game; Webber is a strong skater and isn’t afraid to carry the puck and get involved in the offensive end. He recorded 12 goals and 26 points in just 29 games for Rivers this season and also featured for Team USA at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Recently ranked No. 87 among draft-eligible North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Webber is a candidate to be drafted as early as the third-round in June and teams could be tempted to reach for a player with size you can’t teach. After that, the Vees will get a major boost next season from the talented blue liner before he joins the Terriers a year later and likely jumps to the pro level not long after that.

Overseas Notes: Holm, Ramage, Lindgren

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Just as NHL teams have started to snap up European free agents to join them for next season, some North American players will also start heading overseas despite not technically being free agents yet. Many fringe players who are heading towards free agency will have spoken to their team and know whether or not they have a chance to re-sign, giving them some advance notice in order to find a job for 2019-20. There’s also the case of NHL prospects re-upping with their international clubs, instead of coming to North America just yet. Here are some notes from overseas:

  • John Ramage is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this season after spending 2018-19 with the Binghamton Devils, but instead of re-signing with the New Jersey organization he’s headed to Germany to play in the DEL. Ramage signed a two-year deal with Berlin, ending his run in North America for the time being. The 28-year old defenseman has won at nearly every level, taking home gold medals at the U18 and U20 World Juniors and championships in both the ECHL and AHL levels.
  • Arvid Holm was selected in the sixth round by the Winnipeg Jets in 2017, but isn’t yet ready to make the trip overseas. Holm has signed a one-year deal with Farjestad in the SHL in order to continue his development in Sweden. The 6’4″ goaltender put up a .907 save percentage in the Swedish second league last season, but may get a chance at the highest level in 2019-20.
  • Jesper Lindgren has done the opposite, coming to North America now that his season has ended in Finland. The Toronto Maple Leafs have assigned Lindgren to the AHL after he took home the Liiga championship with HPK. The right-handed defenseman is just 21, but already signed his entry-level contract last spring. The right-handed defenseman is another prospect they hope can develop and help out the NHL defense down the road, but he needs some more development time in the minor leagues.

Snapshots: Free Agents, Jost, Kakko

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There are now 27 NHL teams eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, and with that comes a new focus. Free agency is right around the corner and plans are starting to formulate on who to retain or who to pursue in order to improve for next season. Once considered a “Super class” of unrestricted free agents, the group for 2019 has dwindled considerably as teams are hesitant to give up their top players. Still, there is plenty of talent without a contract for next season and Frank Seravalli of TSN released an early ranking of those players today.

As expected, Artemi Panarin, Erik Karlsson and Sergei Bobrovsky occupy the top three spots, all superstars at their respective positions. The trio could change the face of any franchise in the league, but will each cost a fortune to obtain. Beyond those three though there are other impressive names on the list like Matt Duchene, Anders Lee and even Joe Pavelski. While it may no longer be the best class of free agents in history, teams are still hoping the next seven weeks pass quickly.

  • With John Tavares out of the IIHF World Championship due to an oblique injury, Team Canada suffered a defeat at the hands of Finland today 3-1. The forward group was quite unimpressive except perhaps for a few opportunities by Jonathan Marchessault and Anthony Mantha, and may have trouble creating offense at even strength in the tournament. Canada has three extra spots to add other players, and one of those will be used on Colorado Avalanche forward Tyson Jost according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Jost competed last year for the Canadians and recorded six points in nine games, and also took home a World Junior silver medal for them in the past. Update: The team will also be adding Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
  • While the Canadians struggled to create any offense, the Finnish squad had no problem thanks to the presence of top draft-eligible prospect Kaapo Kakko. The 18-year old opened the scoring on a breakaway and finished it off with an empty net goal after winning a loose puck from Marchessault while defending the lead. Kakko and fellow potential first-overall pick Jack Hughes are both competing in the tournament against other NHL stars, and have a chance to really show the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers what kind of impact they can have from day one.

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