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Free Agency

Free Agent Profile: Alexei Emelin

July 24, 2018 at 7:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

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.

Free Agency Alexei Emelin

1 comment

Toronto Maple Leafs Have Discussed Contract With Jake Gardiner

July 24, 2018 at 3:05 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 14 Comments

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

Free Agency| Toronto Maple Leafs Jake Gardiner

14 comments

Tucker Poolman, Marko Dano Re-Sign With Winnipeg Jets

July 24, 2018 at 2:44 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

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.

Arbitration| Free Agency| Schedule| Winnipeg Jets Marko Dano| Tucker Poolman

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Poll: Should The Ottawa Senators Trade Mark Stone?

July 23, 2018 at 4:48 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

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?

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Arbitration| Free Agency| Ottawa Senators| Polls Mark Stone

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Looking Ahead To The Incoming Seguin Saga

July 23, 2018 at 11:53 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

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

Dallas Stars| Free Agency

3 comments

Anaheim Ducks, Brandon Montour Submit Arbitration Briefs

July 22, 2018 at 9:29 am CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

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.

Anaheim Ducks| Arbitration| Free Agency Brandon Montour| Brett Kulak| Elliotte Friedman| Jacob Trouba| Matt Benning

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Central Notes: Trouba, Crawford, Wild

July 21, 2018 at 7:37 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

The Winnipeg Jets have proven to be a place where winning and success is starting to take fruition. Over the last couple of years, the team hasn’t had much trouble signing their key free agents, whether it’s Dustin Byfuglien, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers or Connor Hellebuyck.

That’s why its troubling to see the Jets and defenseman Jacob Trouba going to arbitration, the first player to take the Jets to arbitration in their history. This will be the second time the two sides have gone against each other in contract negotiations with the first encounter being quite heated and made it clear that Trouba didn’t want to be in Winnipeg. Considering that only one case in out of 55 last year went to arbitration, this just is another bad sign, according to Paul Wiecek of the Winnipeg Free-Press.

No matter what happens, the damage will have been done as arbitration only increases animosity between teams. With still lingering effects to the 15-game holdout between Trouba and the Jets, this will only worsen the problem. Wiecek suggests the team has two years to fix the problem and should start looking for a trade partner as soon as possible, because no matter how much he claims he loves it in Winnipeg, it looks more and more like he’ll bolt the first chance he reaches unrestricted free agency. Trading him as soon as possible will only bring home the best returns, which would be another solid defenseman.

  • Mark Lazerus of The Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Chicago Blackhawks will know more about the status of goaltender Corey Crawford in the coming weeks. The veteran goaltender, who missed a large portion of the season last year, is expected to start skating soon and so far looks to be on track to returning this season. “I ran into him [Monday] and talked to him for a while,” general manager Stan Bowman said on Tuesday. “Things are looking good. He said he hasn’t done a whole lot of on-ice stuff yet, but a few of our guys were just starting to skate today, as well. I think they’ll get ramped up over the next six weeks and get more on-ice preparation. I know he’s been training off-ice. Hopefully, things are good.”
  • The Minnesota Wild announced their new affiliation with the Allen Americans as their new ECHL franchise for the 2018-19 season. The team, based in Allen, Texas, has been a successful franchise over its nine years of existence, making the playoffs nine straight years including five years in the CHL and another four in the ECHL. They won the President’s Cup in 2013 and 2014, while winning the Kelly Cup in 2015 and 2016. The Wild used their Rapid City Rush last year as their ECHL affiliate.

Arbitration| Chicago Blackhawks| ECHL| Free Agency| Minnesota Wild| Winnipeg Jets Connor Hellebuyck| Corey Crawford| Dustin Byfuglien| Jacob Trouba| Mark Scheifele| Nikolaj Ehlers

2 comments

Free Agent Profile: Mark Letestu

July 21, 2018 at 11:16 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Mark Letestu has been a useful bottom-six center around the league in recent years but has yet to be signed for next season.  Here is a closer look at his situation.

The 33-year-old started off last season with the Oilers and while he fell short of his point per game average from the year before, he was still relatively productive given his role with 19 points in 60 games.  That resulted in some trade interest before the deadline and he was flipped to Columbus.

With the Blue Jackets, he didn’t fare as well.  He was used solely as a fourth line faceoff specialist which resulted in his output dropping considerably with just four points in 19 games.  His playing time was slashed by more than three minutes per night in the postseason and he was fairly quiet overall.  There’s a good chance that this has affected his market so far.

Despite that, as someone who has averaged better than 50% at the faceoff dot throughout his career, Letestu should attract some interest as a specialist while as much as he didn’t light it up with Columbus, he has been a decent point producer in previous years.  That’s likely the argument that his representatives are making in negotiations.

Potential Suitors

Center depth is something that contenders often look to acquire at the trade deadline but it wouldn’t be surprising for some rebuilding teams to show some interest as well.  In those cases, the team would want Letestu to serve as a bridge for a youngster that isn’t quite ready yet and then look to flip him at the deadline.

In the East, while Carolina added Jordan Martinook when they dealt Marcus Kruger earlier this offseason, he’s better utilized on the wing which could make an opening for Letestu.  He’d also serve as insurance if youngster Martin Necas struggles in training camp.  The Flyers were looking for a third line center earlier in free agency but they may look to fill that role internally.  Washington should have some room to work with to upgrade their bottom six and their center depth behind their top three options is somewhat limited.  Toronto is believed to be high on Par Lindholm for their fourth line spot but they could certainly look to Letestu to add some competition for that position.

The options aren’t quite as plentiful out West.  San Jose has cap room to work with and could use him on their fourth line.  Anaheim added Carter Rowney earlier this summer but Letestu would be an upgrade over him; Ducks GM Bob Murray is known to tinker with his fourth line midseason so this would represent an opportunity to improve beforehand.  Chicago now has cap space but the return of Kruger doesn’t really leave room for Letestu to work with.  We had originally projected Calgary to sign him but they added Derek Ryan in free agency as well as Austin Czarnik, who has played center at times as well so there isn’t a great fit there now either.

Projected Contract

Letestu ranked 40th on our Top 50 UFA list and had a projected one-year, $1.75MM contract.  It’s hard to envision him getting that amount now that most of the comparable depth centers have gone elsewhere and there aren’t a lot of vacancies left.  However, he’s not in a situation where he should have to settle for close to the league minimum either given his track record.  Something in the middle (between $1MM and $1.25MM) now appears to be a more likely outcome at this time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Mark Letestu

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Minor Transactions: 07/20/18

July 20, 2018 at 9:31 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Though free agency is basically over for a lot of NHL teams, minor league affiliates are still busy adding players from development camp or overseas. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves of the day right here.

  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed Alex Krushelnyski, Michael Huntebrinker and Frank Hora to AHL contracts for 2018-19. Hora, 22, spent some time with the club last season and is trying to show that his solid two-way game from the OHL can translate to professional hockey. The former Kitchener Rangers captain had 14 points in 62 games for the ECHL Reading Royals last season.
  • Cam Maclise has signed a one-year deal with the Manitoba Moose, after playing 67 games with them last season. Maclise, an undrafted forward out of the AJHL, played in the Canadian university circuit before jumping to the professional ranks in 2017.

AHL| ECHL| Free Agency| Players| Transactions

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Free Agent Profile: Toby Enstrom

July 19, 2018 at 7:43 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While he was often banged up in his final few seasons in Winnipeg, defenseman Toby Enstrom has been a dependable blueliner over an 11-year NHL career.  With a return to the Jets off the table, the 33-year-old is now looking for a new team for the 2018-19 season.

Last year, Enstrom dealt with multiple lower-body injuries and also was a scratch the odd time on a deep Jets back end.  As a result, he wound up playing in just 43 regular season contests while suiting up 11 times in the playoffs.  It was Winnipeg’s decision to sit him late in the postseason that played a role in him deciding to leave even before free agency began.

Although that certainly isn’t a great year with which to market himself, it should be noted that Enstrom has logged at least 20:51 per night in every season except for 2017-18.  While he is probably better suited to play closer to 18 minutes per game at this stage of his career, the fact that he can move up and take on a bigger when called upon should be appealing to some teams.

While Enstrom is long removed from his days as a 50-point player, his mobility and puck-moving skills fit in well as the league transitions to quicker, more skilled defenders.  That could still make him useful on a power play although he isn’t much of a shooting threat at this stage of his career.  Enstrom isn’t a top-four player anymore but he could still upgrade the third pairing on a lot of teams.

Potential Suitors

At this stage of his career, it’s hard to imagine rebuilding teams looking at Enstrom and vice versa so let’s just focus on teams that have playoff aspirations.

In the West, Chicago has freed up some cap space and could stand to upgrade their defensive depth which would make them a logical fit for Enstrom.  Nashville’s back end is full with three players on cheap contracts but they have more than enough cap flexibility to add a one-year upgrade.  San Jose is who we originally projected Enstrom signing with as he would certainly serve as an improvement on their third pairing.  If they’re unable to land a notable player via trade over the coming weeks or months, upgrading their depth by signing someone like Enstrom becomes a more feasible option.

Out East, Washington has some salary cap flexibility and could stand to use another veteran to help round out their back end.  New Jersey has been surprisingly quiet this summer and after not being able to land much in free agency, shoring up their depth makes sense as a next way to turn.  Meanwhile, Columbus lost a pair of left-shot defenders in free agency and while they have some lower-end replacements signed, Enstrom would represent an upgrade on their third pairing.

What will be interesting here is if Enstrom is willing to play a six/seven role where he is a healthy scratch at times which is what his role would be with some of these teams.  He didn’t take too well to being in that spot in Winnipeg and if that’s still the case now, that could limit his options.  With that in mind, returning home to play in Sweden is certainly on the table as well.

Projected Contract

Enstrom was ranked 37th on our Top 50 Free Agents listed with a projected one-year, $1.75MM contract.  That represents a significant decrease from the $5.75MM he received in each of the last five seasons but is in line with what veteran third pairing players can get on the open market.  While he has yet to sign thus far, it’s hard to envision the price going much lower knowing that he can simply choose to go back home to Sweden and sign a sizable contract there.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Toby Enstrom

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