Free Agent Profile: Tommy Wingels
Depth center options are always in need, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see a fourth-line forward like Tommy Wingels remain unemployed at this point in the offseason. Teams are especially now starting to look for depth to add to their system and Wingels could find himself near the top of a list of quality veterans that teams can pick from.
Wingels, who was a solid contributor for years with the San Jose Sharks as a bottom-six forward, signed with the Chicago Blackhawks last offseason who were in desperate need of depth. Wingels performed well, but as Chicago’s season began to go south, the team instead opted to trade him, sending him to the Boston Bruins for a conditional 2019 fifth-round pick.
Wingels provides teams with that gritty edge and experience that many teams covet for their fourth line. On top of that, he has the ability to produce some offense despite his limited minutes. He posted two goals and five points in 18 games when he arrived in Boston, but failed to produce in four playoff games as he missed time after taking a hit to the head from Toronto’s Nazem Kadri. Wingels is also only four years from two 30-point seasons. In all, he totaled nine goals, 17 points, 179 hits and 45 penalty minutes in 75 games, while averaging 11:29 of ATOI.
Potential Suitors
The most obvious match would be for the Bruins to bring back Wingels. While the veteran helped fill in for an injury-plagued team in their stretch run, Wingels hardly dominated and with the plethora of young talent waiting in the wings, it’s hard to tell whether Boston would want to bring Wingels back. On top of that, the 2019 fifth-rounder they gave to Chicago would turn into a 2019 fourth-rounder if they brought Wingels back, although that may not be that significant if they wanted him.
While there are a number of teams that may look to add some grit to their depth, there are a few teams known to hoard depth, especially at the center position. The Nashville Predators are already deep, but there are some who believe the team might continue to look at a player like Wingels if they think they can pass him eventually through waivers.
A potential return to Chicago would also make sense as the Blackhawks, with their salary cap issues, are always in need for depth and are already familiar with Wingels. The team even has some cap room to afford a relatively cheap contract that Wingels would require.
Projected Contract
Wingels days of making big numbers are gone as he had to settle for $750K last year in Chicago and likely will sign a deal with similar numbers this offseason, which will make him a solid bargain. However, if he can’t get an official contract, the veteran may have to settle for a PTO.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tampa Bay Still Has Several Other Extension Candidates
The offseason has been busy for the Tampa Bay Lightning, despite never completing a rumored Erik Karlsson deal. The team has already re-signed restricted free agent J.T. Miller to a long-term deal and negotiated huge extensions for Ryan McDonagh and Nikita Kucherov. The team has no arbitration cases pending and no restricted free agents threatening a holdout, but the work is far from over for GM Steve Yzerman and the rest of the front office.
Even outside of trade talks, Yzerman and company must be working through potential contract extensions for several other players on the roster. Brayden Point is the obvious candidate, after showing in his first two NHL seasons that he should be considered among the very best centers in the league despite his late draft status and diminutive size. Point is a workhorse in the defensive zone and should challenge for Selke trophies over the next few years as a shutdown option. He also added 32 goals and 66 points this season, and then followed that performance with a nearly point-per-game pace in the playoffs (16P in 17GP). In the final year of his entry-level contract, it will be interesting to see if the Lightning go the bridge deal route as they did with Kucherov, or immediately sign Point to a long-term deal.
On defense the team will have to make a decision at some point regarding Anton Stralman, who continues to be one of the league’s most underrated players and is heading into the final year of his current deal. At 31, Stralman likely still has a few productive years ahead of him as a mistake-free top-four defenseman and could fetch a multi-year contract on the open market. A right-handed option, plenty of teams would be thrilled to add a player capable of logging more than 20 minutes a night on a regular basis. Stralman might just be out of the question though for the Lightning after inking McDonagh to his $6.75MM cap hit, given that the team will have to extend Mikhail Sergachev and Andrei Vasilevskiy at some point down the road as well. While Dan Girardi and Braydon Coburn both come off the books along with Stralman, there might not be enough money to go around.
That lack of finances could also be thanks to the final big extension candidate, 26-year old Yanni Gourde. Gourde was one of the very best bargains in the league last season, scoring 64 points as a rookie in the first season of a two-year $2MM (total) contract. After several good seasons in the minor leagues the Lightning gave him a chance to play consistent minutes in the NHL and he rewarded them with an incredible year, leading the team with a whopping +34 rating. While Point is still young enough to consider a bridge deal that will keep him a restricted free agent in a few seasons, Gourde will be an unrestricted free agent next summer without an extension. The undrafted winger would put himself among the very best options available with another season like 2017-18, and will force the Lightning into an incredibly tough decision. The team has been doing a wonderful job of managing the cap so far, but a Gourde contract would be 100% UFA seasons and likely fairly expensive even before this year takes place. Afterwards, he might just be out of their price range.
These players are all extension candidates because of their excellent play for Tampa Bay, and they make the Lightning a very interesting team to watch this season. Even if the team is in a solid playoff position and looking like the Stanley Cup contender many believe them to be, several players on their roster may be available in trade. Whether that is players like Gourde and Stralman who are scheduled for unrestricted free agency or others like Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson who could be flipped to free up space, there is so much talent on Tampa Bay that someone might need to go.
One last option for the team to free up some space would be to trade Ryan Callahan and his $5.8MM cap hit, which was rumored to be discussed when the Karlsson talks were heating up. Callahan underwent another shoulder surgery at the end of May, and is nowhere near the player he once was. Though his leadership and experience is valued in the Tampa Bay locker room, his cap hit might force them to move on from another more talented player. If Yzerman is known for anything as a GM it’s avoiding giving up excess value, meaning if Callahan—who it should be noted now only has a 15-team no-trade clause—is the only way out of this issue he won’t wait to pull the trigger. Regardless of what happens, the Lightning find themselves just starting a very busy season and won’t be sitting on their hands for very long.
Remaining Restricted Free Agents
We’re getting closer to turning the calendar over to August, and there is still a lot of work to do for teams around the NHL. 10 arbitration cases remain unsettled, including for star players like William Karlsson and Mark Stone. Both will be extremely interesting to follow, as their respective teams have tough decisions on their hands.
For the Vegas Golden Knights, do you hand out a long-term expensive contract to a player that is still relatively unproven. Though Karlsson scored 43 goals this season he had just 18 career tallies beforehand, and finished this season with an impossible 23.4% shooting percentage. There is almost no chance that he can maintain that rate going forward, meaning his huge 2017-18 season may be a career-high. On the other side of that coin though is the increased opportunity he was given after switching teams, which could provide a realistic chance for him to be a 30-goal, 65-point player going forward. Signing him now would likely get you a bit of a discount on that type of scoring threat, though Vegas would assume almost all of the risk.
In Ottawa, there’s no clear direction on how the team will deal with Stone’s impending unrestricted free agency. Obviously one of the team’s most talented players, an arbitration award of one year would stop the Senators from negotiating with Stone’s camp until January on any potential extension and could make him a prime trade candidate. The 26-year old posted his fourth consecutive 20-goal season in 2017-18 despite playing in just 58 games. With all the turmoil in Ottawa it could be difficult to convince him to stick around long-term.
Beyond the arbitration cases though there is an incredible amount of talent left on the RFA board. Dylan Larkin, William Nylander, Sam Reinhart, Shea Theodore, Josh Morrissey and many others remain unsigned and could all be looking at expensive long-term deals with their respective clubs. These players are already excellent players in the NHL before they’ve even become eligible for arbitration and could really grind the offseason to a halt if they decide to hold out. There’s no indication that anyone is planning a long negotiation, but we’re now almost a month into the signing period without any deals.
Below is the full list of unsigned restricted free agents:
Ondrej Kase (ANA)
Nick Ritchie (ANA)
Marek Langhamer (ARZ)
Sam Reinhart (BUF)
Noah Hanifin (CGY)
Garnet Hathaway (CGY) – Scheduled for arbitration, July 30
Hunter Shinkaruk (CGY)
Patrik Nemeth (COL) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Gemel Smith (DAL) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 1
Dylan Larkin (DET)
Matt Puempel (DET)
Darnell Nurse (EDM)
Michael McCarron (MTL)
Kerby Rychel (MTL)
Miikka Salomaki (NSH) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 2
Kevin Rooney (NJD)
Steven Santini (NJD)
Miles Wood (NJD)
Kevin Hayes (NYR) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 2
Ryan Spooner (NYR) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Cody Ceci (OTT) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 1
Mark Stone (OTT) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 3
Robert Hagg (PHI)
Jordan Schmaltz (STL)
William Nylander (TOR)
William Karlsson (VGK) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Shea Theodore (VGK)
Eric Comrie (WPG)
Nicolas Kerdiles (WPG)
J.C. Lipon (WPG)
Josh Morrissey (WPG)
Nic Petan (WPG)
Morning Notes: Miller, van Riemsdyk, Virtanen
K’Andre Miller will miss out on his next opportunity to impress the New York Rangers staff as he’s been forced off the USA Hockey World Junior Summer Showcase roster due to illness. Miller, selected 22nd-overall in June’s draft, will give up his spot to Max Gildon, a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers who attended the Showcase last summer as well.
Miller will play this season at the University of Wisconsin, and continue to develop as a defenseman after switching positions from forward just two years ago. Though he’ll need time to develop his defensive instincts further, there are already signs that Miller could grade out as a top-end option for the Rangers down the line. His length and skating ability should allow him to thrive in the NCAA right away, though the World Juniors may have to wait until next year.
- James van Riemsdyk knew that he wouldn’t be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season long before he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, as his former team was up front with him heading into free agency. van Riemsdyk told media including Adam Kimelman of NHL.com that the Maple Leafs informed him they would be going in a different direction a few weeks before July 1st, and that he was grateful to them for being so honest. Interestingly, if we’re to believe that John Tavares made up his mind to go to the Maple Leafs just the night before signing, the team was prepared to let van Riemsdyk walk regardless and would have had an immense amount of cap space to go after other free agents. Signing a five-year $35MM contract with the Flyers, van Riemsdyk was arguably the second-best free agent option on the market behind Tavares.
- Jake Virtanen has a lot of pressure on him to perform up to his high draft status this season, and he’s enlisted the help of a somewhat non-traditional source. Pavel Barber, the YouTube stickhandling sensation, has been working with Virtanen this summer according to Mike Johnston of Sportsnet. Barber runs coaching camps across North America and is known for his off-ice stickhandling routines, and Virtanen apparently can already feel an improvement in his game. After struggling to carve out a top-six role for himself despite a sixth-overall draft selection, any help is appreciated by Virtanen and the Vancouver Canucks. The 21-year old forward signed a two-year contract yesterday, and has a lot of pressure on him to perform in the next couple of seasons.
Free Agent Profile: Alexei Emelin
While he isn’t a big name defenseman, Alexei Emelin has quietly logged just shy of 20 minutes per game over the last six years. There are always teams looking for players that can log big minutes on the back end but more than three weeks into free agency, he remains on the open market.
Last season was Emelin’s first outside of Montreal and his role was considerably reduced with the Predators, who acquired him from Vegas shortly after the expansion draft. After spending time on the top pairing with the Canadiens the year before, the 32-year-old was reduced to third pairing duties when Nashville’s top four were all healthy.
While his playing time was lowered, Emelin still provided the physicality that he has been known for while also blocking at least 100 shots for the fifth straight season. On top of that, he took a regular turn on the penalty kill. As far as a stay-at-home player goes on a third pairing, he brings some value.
However, his possession numbers are typically below average and as the league trends more and more towards speed, Emelin’s lack of foot speed and puck-moving skills certainly will work against him. That will wind up limiting the number of teams that might show interest in him.
Potential Suitors
Unlike some of the other veteran defenders on the market, Emelin isn’t going to be able to limit himself to potential contenders. He may actually be better off signing with a lesser team where he might be able to get regular playing time and then potentially be flipped towards the trade deadline.
Among Eastern Conference teams, the Senators (who haven’t been remotely active in free agency) feel like a fit. They are very weak in terms of established options on the left side so there is certainly an opening that could be filled. However, they already have a similar player in Mark Borowiecki and having two players like that on the back end could be an issue. New Jersey could use more depth but he may be more of a seventh defender than a sixth which may not be a palatable option for him.
The options aren’t more plentiful in the West either. He’d still make some sense in Nashville but that was ruled out shortly after the playoffs. Chicago has some roster spots to fill and Emelin could conceivably surpass Erik Gustafsson on the depth chart but they likely have their sights set higher for now. Most of the other teams in the Western Conference either lack the cap space to add another player or are already set on the left side defensively.
If those options don’t pan out, there is always the KHL. Emelin is no stranger to that league having played parts of eight seasons there already and would likely command a nice contract to go back home.
Projected Contract
Emelin was slotted 42nd in our Top 50 UFA Rankings with a projected one-year, $2MM deal to the Rangers. (New York instead chose to add Fredrik Claesson in free agency and since they’re leaving spots for youngsters, they’re probably not a great option now either.) With there only being a handful of teams where he’d fit and other veterans still available, he’s going to have to take an even bigger pay cut from the $4.4MM in salary he received last season. A one-year deal around $1MM may be close to his ceiling for this next contract now and Emelin will have to decide if that’s a better option than going back to Russia.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Toronto Maple Leafs Have Discussed Contract With Jake Gardiner
The Toronto Maple Leafs added a huge contract to their salary structure this summer, signing John Tavares to a seven-year, $77MM deal on July 1st. That sent Maple Leafs fans everywhere scrambling to CapFriendly to see if the team could afford to re-sign their young forward core—Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner—to long-term extensions when the time comes, but there’s another player who could be affected by so much money going to Tavares. Jake Gardiner is heading into the final year of his current contract and is coming off the best season of his career with 52 points. The conversation on TSN radio today with guest James Mirtle of The Athletic turned to the future for Gardiner with Toronto:
I think that this new management with [Kyle] Dubas and Brandon Pridham and Laurence Gilman is going to try and not lose good players for nothing in free agency. That would mean deciding right now whether you want to sign Jake Gardiner to a contract extension or moving him and getting something back…
…I think at the very least you explore what does he want in a contract extension and are you comfortable with that, and then you also explore what is he available for in the market. If you can get something of equal value to Jake Gardiner–which might be a difficult trade to make, but if you can–then I think you’ve got to think about it. You don’t want to be taking key pieces of your team, and regardless of how poorly he played in the playoffs he is a key piece of their team, you don’t want to keep losing those for nothing.
Mirtle of course is referencing the three other key forwards that the Maple Leafs let walk into free agency this summer, losing Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov to big multi-year contracts elsewhere around the league. Though it wasn’t clear if the Maple Leafs ever had much intention of bringing any of them back, signing Tavares basically guaranteed that they wouldn’t be able to. That might not be the same situation for Gardiner, as the team needs to pay someone to play defense on their team and have relied on the 28-year old to log big minutes for them. Mirtle gives another nugget of information late in the interview, reporting that the two sides have in fact met to discuss a potential extension.
I know that Gardiner’s agent Pat Brisson–the same agent as Tavares–has met with Kyle Dubas and talked about Jake Gardiner’s contract. So it’s on their radar. I’m sure that management just wants to know what he’s asking for and they can make the decision on whether they want to meet that price or not.
Again, it’s not clear if the Maple Leafs have any intention of offering Gardiner an extension or would be willing to let him walk into free agency next summer. The talented but sometimes frustrating defenseman has a penchant for both incredible breakout passes and defensive zone miscues, but has been one of the most consistent offensive producers in the league the last few seasons. Scheduled to turn 29 just a few days after he becomes an unrestricted free agent, there will be plenty of teams willing to pay for his offensive production and live with some of the struggles he can have in his own end. It’s hard to find consistent points from the blue line, and Gardiner has proven he can reliably run a powerplay and contribute at even-strength.
Still, that Tavares contract makes any extension for the Maple Leafs more difficult. Though they currently look to have more than $30MM in cap space for the 2019-20 season, much of that will be eaten up by the contracts for those three aforementioned young players including a potential $10MM+ cap hit for Matthews. Even past those three, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson will be looking for new deals after their first full NHL seasons and the team will have to find a replacement of some sort for Ron Hainsey as his deal is also set to expire. If Gardiner is looking for a long-term big money deal, it may not be in the cards for Toronto.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Tucker Poolman, Marko Dano Re-Sign With Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets have locked up one of their depth defensemen, signing Tucker Poolman to a three-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $775K and take Poolman right through to unrestricted free agency in 2021. The team has also re-signed Marko Dano to a one-year $800K contract, crossing out another one of their arbitration eligible restricted free agents. Dano was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 30th, but will now not need to travel to Toronto for the meeting.
Though Poolman and Dano both had to get new contracts, the Jets still have a remarkable number of restricted free agents left to sign this summer. Josh Morrissey, Nicolas Kerdiles, J.C. Lipon, Nic Petan and Eric Comrie are all still sitting without contracts. None of those four are scheduled for arbitration though, giving the team some respite from the ticking clock that the hearings brought.
The 25-year old Poolman only played in 24 games with the Jets this season, but also wasn’t given the opportunity to develop in the minor leagues. The former University of North Dakota standout served as the extra man on many nights, something that he may have to suffer through again in 2018-19. When Morrissey is signed, the Jets will have eight defensemen signed to one-way contracts, with Poolman earning the lowest amount of the group. Perhaps he’s fine with the role he’s been given though, as a three-year deal is longer than many expected. It actually buys out a year of unrestricted free agency, but gives Poolman barely a raise on the minimum NHL salary.
For Dano, this may be one of his last chances to prove that he’s an NHL regular. After being selected in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets five years ago, Dano has failed to secure a full-time spot in three different organizations and played only 23 games for the Jets last season. He’ll turn 24 this November and with 45 points in 130 career games, there may not be another one-way contract waiting for him in free agency next summer.
Poll: Should The Ottawa Senators Trade Mark Stone?
The Ottawa Senators have just two weeks to sign Mark Stone before an arbitrator awards a one-year contract that would send him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019. His hearing is scheduled for August 3rd, after which there will still be a short window to get a deal done before the one-year deal is awarded. Getting him signed to a multi-year contract appears to be a priority, but what if the team can’t get him to sign this summer?
If Stone makes it to the arbitration award and the Senators decide not to walk away from it, it would put them in an interesting situation. He wouldn’t be eligible to sign an extension—or even discuss one—until January 1st, 2019 since he’s on a one-year deal, which would also put him just a few months from the end of the season and a potential bidding war for his services on the open market. After all, Stone has developed into one of the most consistent two-way wingers in the NHL and put up 62 points in just 58 games during the 2017-18 season. His ability to create turnovers and strip unsuspecting players of the puck is almost unmatched around the league, and he can be used in many different offensive roles depending on the situation. Though there are other top forwards scheduled for free agency next offseason, Stone would be right among them as one of the top options available.
So, if there is any indication that Stone won’t sign a multi-year contract in the next two weeks should the Senators consider trading him? The team has already lost Mike Hoffman this summer to the Florida Panthers, and traded Dion Phaneuf at the deadline to free up some cap space last season. If it’s to be believed that captain Erik Karlsson is the next one out the door, what is left for Stone to accomplish this season for the club? The Senators aren’t expected to compete for the playoffs let alone the Stanley Cup, and could be several years away from contention given that they also owe their 2019 first-round pick to Colorado for Matt Duchene—who is also scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019. Would moving Stone following his arbitration hearing be the ideal time? Should the team be considering it even if they can work out a multi-year deal with their 26-year old forward? Or is waiting to see how the team reacts this year the best option?
Cast your vote below and explain how you’d be approaching the situation in Ottawa if you were GM Pierre Dorion. Is Stone part of the turnaround, or just an asset to get a head start on the incoming rebuild?
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Looking Ahead To The Incoming Seguin Saga
Superstars in their prime never reach free agency. That’s what was the common belief leading up to the summer of 2016, when Steven Stamkos still didn’t have a contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Even as the months went by, Stamkos was always expected to re-sign like so many other stars had done before him. People knew to not get excited about a potential big name NHL free agent, as so often they would sign a team-leading contract extension well in advance and never even flirt with the open market. Stamkos though was different. The star center certainly flirted, even going out for dates with his potential suitors by taking meetings during the free agent negotiation window. Maybe there was a change coming in the NHL, and Stamkos would upend the apple cart by leaving Tampa Bay for another team with massive contract offer.
And then, during one of the wildest days in recent NHL history, he didn’t.
Stamkos re-signed with the Lightning for a reasonable, below-market contract extension after seeing what else was out there and the NHL landscape returned to normal. The still relatively young forward chose the only franchise that he’d ever played for and a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup over the bigger dollar signs (at least in terms of pre-tax salary) offered elsewhere. Perhaps we witnessed the first cracks in the system with the Stamkos decision, but the outcome remained the same: superstars in their prime never reach free agency.
But this year something did change. John Tavares, probably the player most closely linked to Stamkos throughout his hockey playing career given their similar backgrounds, age group and NHL impact, was unsigned when the free agent bell rang on July 1st. A long, winding negotiation with the New York Islanders that had included an entire organizational face lift a few weeks prior ended without Tavares following the established hockey model of re-signing with the franchise you helped shape, and suddenly 30 other teams were (theoretically) in the running to add a star player in his prime for nothing more than money. Tavares wouldn’t last long on the open market, as his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs would quickly announce a seven-year, $77MM contract for their local hero. Whether the decision had to do with money, front office structure, Stanley Cup contention or just home cooking won’t ever be really known, but one thing was clear this July; the NHL free agent landscape had been changed.
Now suddenly a player in his prime could make it to free agency, and wasn’t necessarily expected to stay true to the team he currently played for. We perhaps saw the effect immediately when Artemi Panarin announced that he didn’t currently want to discuss an extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets, despite speaking highly of the organization and coaching staff. There doesn’t seem to be an animosity between the two sides but Panarin, now unburdened by the idea that a star player has to negotiate an extension early, decided he can wait to make a decision at a later date. The Blue Jackets are understandably worried about that situation, with rumors surfacing that they have at least considered a trade as a potential outcome for Panarin over the next year. They won’t want to be caught holding his empty jersey on July 1, 2019 without anything to show for it.
Where the Tavares example really becomes interesting though is with a more comparable player than Panarin, and one that is now less than a year away from perhaps inking his own $80MM+ contract. Tyler Seguin, the top line center for the Dallas Stars and second-overall pick from 2010, is now three weeks into the final season of his current six-year contract without an extension to be found. Seguin, 26, was born just a little more than a year after Tavares, just down the road in Brampton, Ontario. While Tavares was playing his final season of junior hockey for the Oshawa Generals and London Knights, Seguin was in his first for the Plymouth Whalers. Though Seguin would eventually drop behind Taylor Hall at the top of the 2010 draft board, his future potential was extremely well regarded by scouts all across the league as a potential top line center. What he’s turned into is perhaps even more impressive.
In each of last five seasons since being traded to Dallas, Seguin has recorded at least 26 goals and 72 points putting him among the NHL leaders for offensive production on yearly basis. In fact, his 384 points during that time is 12 more than the 372 that Tavares has registered during the same time, though it does come in nine more games played. Seguin is undoubtedly one of the top players in the NHL despite his checkered history with the Boston Bruins and their eventual decision to move on from him, and could be considered an even better free agent target than Tavares was this summer.
Though it certainly hasn’t taken up much space on talk radio in many NHL markets given Seguin’s relatively low-key reputation—playing in Dallas will do that to some players—it will before long. The Tavares negotiations were a daily concern for Islanders fans all season, with those from other markets drooling at the opportunity that could present itself if the Long Island captain ever made it to free agency. Should Seguin remain unsigned by the start of the season you can expect the same, perhaps with even more fervor given that there is now recent precedent of a player of his ilk getting to the open market. There’s no doubt that Seguin could change the fate of a franchise looking to contend in 2019-20, and his star should be considered no less bright than that of Tavares or Panarin.
As with almost any pending free agent, it’s important to note that Seguin has never indicated that he would not re-sign with Dallas or that he dislikes the organization in any way. In fact there is plenty of reason to expect he will eventually ink an eight-year extension with the team and play out the majority of his career in Texas. After what has happened this summer though, you can’t blame anyone for thinking their team may get a chance in a year’s time at adding one of the very best players in the NHL. After all, superstars in their prime now sometimes reach free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Anaheim Ducks, Brandon Montour Submit Arbitration Briefs
Salary arbitration is popular in the NHL this year. A process that often acts more as a looming threat to accelerate and finalize contract talks rather than for it’s actual intended use, arbitration has nonetheless been a much greater story line already this off-season compared to most. A decision for Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba is expected at some point today barring a last-minute agreement between both sides, the Calgary Flames and defenseman Brett Kulak have exchanged figures and seem likely to sit down for their scheduled hearing tomorrow, and now a third case is going through the motions ahead of a Tuesday hearing date.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reports that the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Brandon Montour have exchanged arbitration briefs and requested salary figures this morning. Friedman states that the team side has filed at $1.5MM, while the player side has filed at $4.75MM. Friedman adds that, while the team decides the length of a player-elected arbitration decision, Montour is hopeful for one year while the team is asking for two. Montour is three years away from unrestricted free agency, meaning a contract of either length would expire under team control.
The exchange of arbitration figures today comes after a report yesterday that Ducks GM Bob Murray was still holding out hope that a bridge deal could be agreed upon. Often the formal submission of briefs is enough to get both sides on the same page and eager to keep the decision between them. The filing figures set a midpoint of $3.25MM. If the two sides use that as a starting point for a bridge deal, a three-year term would likely fall below that point – as Montour would then hit the free agent market – while anything longer would likely come in above it as prime UFA years are chewed up.
Montour is an interesting case as a player who has been very successful in limited game played before becoming arbitration eligible. Montour, 24, has only 107 NHL games to his credit, but has been a consistent scorer and top-four regular for Anaheim after honing his game at the college level with UMass. There aren’t many good comparisons of past arbitration-eligible contracts for players with this skill level but lack of experience. For something to compare it to, both the Edmonton Oilers’ Matt Benning and New York Islanders’ Ryan Pulock are similar players who signed two-year deals worth $1.8MM and $2MM respectively this off-season. Neither is as well-rounded as Montour and neither had arbitration rights, meaning the decision is likely to come in above that point. However, Montour’s side may have a tough case – if it gets to that point – arguing that he is worth the full $4.75 given his limited games played in the league.