Free Agent Focus: Tampa Bay Lightning
Free agency is now less than a day from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Tampa Bay’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agent: F Cedric Paquette — Nine points hardly seems like a lot of points for key restricted free agent, but the 24-year-old Paquette isn’t about offense. The defense-first forward has been a key part of the team’s bottom-six line, which included Ryan Callahan and Kunitz line that was constantly put against opponents’ top lines. Now that he’s been qualified, Paquette, who scored just five goals during the regular season (and one in the playoffs) might be more needed than ever with Kunitz likely headed elsehere. Regardless, he could be in line for a significant raise after making $812K last year on his two-year bridge deal. Now with arbitration rights, he could walk away with quite a bit more.
D Slater Koekkoek — The 24-year-old blueliner has worked hard to try and break into the deep defensive core of Tampa Bay and did manage to get into 34 games last season and avoid a trip down to the Syracuse Crunch, but Koekkoek’s usefulness came to an end after Tampa Bay acquired Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline. From that point on, he appeared in just three regular season games and did not appear in the playoffs. While the team intends to bring him back, recent rumors that the team might consider trading the youngster are also a possibility. He made $800K last year on a one-year deal.
Other RFA’s: F Adam Erne.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Andrej Sustr — The 27-year-old depth defender could easily find himself on a new team with the amount of defenders under contract in Tampa Bay. The blueliner had been a regular on the Lightning’s defense over the past three years, but he found himself often a healthy scratch with the addition of players like Mikhail Sergachev, Jake Dotchin, Koekkoek as well as McDonagh. After making $1.95MM last season in the last of his restricted free agent years, the team must decide if they want to bring back the undrafted free agent they signed back in 2013.
Chris Kunitz — The 38-year-old winger was a big part of the Lightning’s shutdown line along with Callahan and Paquette in his one year with Tampa Bay, but there is little indication that Kunitz is expected return. Despite a productive season in which he tallied 13 goals and 29 points last season, rumors suggest he’s interested in a possible return to Pittsburgh.
Other UFA’s: D Mat Bodie, F Erik Condra, F Alex Gallant, D Jamie McBain, F Matthew Peca.
Projected Cap Space: The Lightning don’t have much cap space to work with this offseason as the team has just $5.3MM. On top of that, Tampa Bay has quite a few free agents they must deal with next year including Nikita Kucherov, McDonagh and Yanni Gourde to name a few, so they need to have as much cap room to maneuver with as possible. Despite their interest in John Tavares, don’t expect the team to dip heavily in the free agent market this year and more likely depend on their AHL depth to carry them through.
Western Notes: Winnipeg Goalies, Seguin, Lehtonen, Fehr, Beagle
With the trade of goaltender Steve Mason this morning to open up some cap space, the Winnipeg Jets find themselves with a sudden hole in their lineup as the team no longer has a viable backup goaltender behind starter Connor Hellybuyck. Their top goalie out of the AHL, Michael Hutchinson, is already an unrestricted free agent and likely to move on, while the next in line is Eric Comrie, who has a total of four NHL games to his name.
That will force the cap-saving Jets to find a cheap solution on the free agent market. A few days behind in the recruiting market, many of those backup options are already off the board, such as Carter Hutton (Buffalo), Jonathan Bernier (Detroit) and Cam Ward (Chicago).
The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe writes there are options out there, suggesting the team look at some under-the-radar goaltenders who struggled a year ago. Tops on his list is former Buffalo Sabres netminder Chad Johnson, who struggled last year in Buffalo with a 3.55 and a .891 save percentage. However, the 32-year-old was behind one of the worst defenses in the league, while the Jets’ offense could easily protect Johnson better.
- Sean Shapiro of The Athletic writes that extension talks between the Dallas Stars and Tyler Seguin can’t even start until after John Tavares signs a contract and sets the market. Whatever Tavares gets will be the starting point for negotiations between the two parties. Seguin, who is eligible to sign an extension starting tomorrow, put up a career-high 40 goals for the Stars. However, the 26-year-old can also opt to become a free agency next year in a similar fashion to what Tavares is doing now. Dallas has made it clear they want to lock the center up long-term.
- Former Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen and current unrestricted free agent could be an interesting watch, according to Fox Sports Andy Strickland. The 34-year-old backup was interested in joining the Boston Bruins as a backup to Tuuka Rask, but now doesn’t seem likely. While there has been some interest from some Western Conference teams, he could choose to retire if the right opportunity doesn’t present itself. Lehtonen finished last season with a pedestrian 2.56 GAA and a .912 save percentage as a backup for the Stars.
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo writes the Minnesota Wild have had conversations with free agent center Eric Fehr. The 32-year-old veteran had trouble cracking the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup this year and was eventually traded to the San Jose Sharks for a 2020 seventh-round pick, but made an impression centering the team’s fourth line. He put up three goals in 14 games and played in 10 playoff games. The scribe also writes that he doubts Fehr ends up in Minnesota.
- Despite rumors that the Vancouver Canucks were closing in on an agreement with unrestricted free agent center Jay Beagle yesterday, Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet reports that the market for Beagle is increasing and driving up his pricetag. Vancouver remains quite interested in signing the veteran and are very, very much in the race to acquire him.
Eastern Notes: Tavares, O’Reilly, Ryan, Pickard
With the John Tavares watch about to hit the 11th hour before free agency hits, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reminds people that the superstar center doesn’t have to make a decision today. He can wait to make a decision later. However, the longer he waits, the more telling his decision will be.
If he opts not to agree to a contract tonight, then the New York Islanders are almost guaranteed to be out of the running for Tavares as even the Islanders can’t offer an eighth year after tonight. If all New York can offer is seven years, then it’s highly unlikely he’ll return to New York.
The other implication to not choosing a team today is that many teams are waiting for Tavares to make a decision as well as players. The dominos will begin to fall after Tavares signs, so the longer Tavares waits, the more the market will be held up. For example, Toronto, who has dubbed center Derek Ryan as their consolation prize if the can’t sign Tavares, according to The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required), must force the highly-coveted Ryan to wait. That’s also the case with trade candidates such as Jeff Skinner and likely Ryan O’Reilly as their value is likely to shoot up once Tavares is off the board.
- It looks the O’Reilly sweepstakes are even more muddled than ever as many felt that if the Buffalo Sabres were to trade away their star center, it would be before the Sabres would have to fork over his $7.5MM signing bonus which is due at midnight tonight. If no deal is made within the next few hours, then the situation can go two different ways, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. The most likely scenario would suggest that if they pay him the $7.5MM themselves, the plan would be to keep O’Reilly and hope that he wants to stay with the team. However, Harrington also adds that perhaps Buffalo is willing to eat the $7.5MM to get a greater package in return from a team with the possibility that a trade has already been worked out and they are both waiting for July 1. The scribe adds that the two teams who have most coveted O’Reilly are the Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues. However, the Blues are not offering their top prospect, Robert Thomas, as part of any trade.
- While many teams believe that the holdup of a potential Erik Karlsson trade is being held up because of the $2MM bonus due to forward Bobby Ryan on July 1, that is not correct, according to Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. The scribe writes that Ryan and the four years and $29MM remaining on his contract, which are expected to be included in any Karlsson deal, already received his $2MM bonus on May 15, which means he will only cost a team $5.5MM next season.
- Sean Shapiro of The Athletic writes that many teams are looking for cheap backup goalie options and suggests that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Calvin Pickard could quickly find himself in high demand. Pickard, who was a solid backup for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2016-17 season, found himself in an odd position after being taken in last year’s expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights and then traded off to Toronto to share AHL goaltending duties with Garret Sparks. Together they helped clinch the Calder Cup Trophy as he finished with a 2.31 GAA and a .918 save percentage. Backing up Sparks during the AHL playoffs, Pickard got into three games, putting up a 1.00 GAA and a .956 save percentage.
Free Agent Focus: Nashville Predators
Free agency is now just days from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Nashville’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: G Juuse Saros — The goaltender of the future just burned his final year of his entry-level deal and now goes into restricted free agency. Still blocked by Vezina Trophy winner Pekka Rinne, the 23-year-old netminder has transitioned nicely into the team’s backup who can give the 35-year-old Rinne a breather once in a while. In a career-high 26 NHL games last year, Saros put up a 2.45 GAA and more importantly a .925 save percentage.
With Rinne on the last year of his current seven-year, $49MM deal he signed back in 2011, Saros time as the starting goaltender of the future could come soon, who even managed to make four appearances in the team’s abbreviated playoff run. With an AAV of $925K last season, Saros should get a nice bump up in pay next season.
F Ryan Hartman — The gritty forward was picked up at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks for their playoff run and projects as a solid and versatile bottom-six option for a deep Nashville roster. The 23-year-old posted a 31-point season between the two teams last year, including three goals and six points in 21 games with the Predators, while averaging 13:46 of ATOI. He added another two goals in nine playoff games for Nashville. After a season in which he made just $863K last season, he should get a raise, but with no arbitration rights, probably won’t cost the team too much.
Other RFA’s: F Miikka Salomaki.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Alexei Emelin — The team traded for Emelin last offseason as a means to bring in a potential top-four defenseman to fill in for the injured Ryan Ellis for the first half of the season. The 32-year-old posted almost the exact same numbers last year, but once Ellis returned in January, Emelin’s minutes dropped and in the end averaged a career-low in minutes with just 16:53 ATOI. He will take a major paycut after receiving $4.1MM last year in a deal he signed with Montreal back in 2013. However, with seven defensemen with NHL experience already locked up on the Predators roster, it doesn’t look like Emelin will return to Nashville next season.
F Scott Hartnell — While the 36-year-old had respectable numbers in his return to Nashville, the 17-year veteran is not expected to return to Nashville with the amount of young talent that is trying to break into the Predators lineup. Regardless, the veteran has already stated that he intends to play for another season, but almost assuredly will be looking for a new home.
Other UFA’s: F Cody Bass, F Brandon Bollig, G Anders Lindback, F Mark McNeill, G Matt O’Connor, D John Ramage, F Trevor Smith, F Harry Zolnierczyk.
Projected Cap Space: The Predators are projected to have $12MM in available cap space going into free agency and while the team does have to lock up a couple restricted free agents like Saros and Hartman, the team has money to play with. Regardless, the Predators haven’t been in on many free agent rumors so far suggesting the team might hold back and add specialty players to team that intends to challenge for a Stanley Cup this year. The team also must be ready to have the eventual cap space to lock up Ellis, who will be a free agent in the 2019-20 season.
Islanders Re-Sign Defenseman Seth Helgeson
The New York Islanders are certainly keeping busy as they wait for a decision from John Tavares. In the team’s second deal in under an hour, they have signed defenseman Seth Helgeson to a contract extension. According to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, the deal nearly mirrors the one given to goaltender Christopher Gibson earlier today. It is a two-year, two-way contract that pays Helgeson the $650K minimum at the NHL level next season and $700K in the NHL in 2019-20, with a$250K salary in the AHL over both years.
Helgeson, 27, is coming off of his first season with the Islanders organization after signing as an unrestricted free agent last summer. Helgeson previously spent four seasons with the rival New Jersey Devils. A fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2009 and a four-year starter at the University of Minnesota, Helgeson entered the pros with high expectations of being a solid stay-at-home defenseman with room to grow. While his defensive game has always been steady, he has been underwhelming at the other aspects of the game. In both the AHL and NHL, Helgeson has struggled to produce points or move the puck and has gotten into frequent penalty trouble. In 50 NHL games – all with the Devils – Helgeson has just four points and a Corsi rating of 43.7%.
Last season, Helgeson failed to make an appearance with the Islanders and recorded one goal and eleven assists in 76 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He also recorded 137 penalty minutes, sixth-most in the league. At his best, the 6’4″, 220-lb. Helgeson is a big, heavy defensive presence who intimidates the opposition and plays a safe stay-at-home style. Often that can be the perfect type of stopgap emergency call-up player for NHL teams to stash in the minors. However, Helgeson’s play leaves a lot of upside to be desired and he will likely serve much of this two-year extension in Bridgeport.
Carter Hutton Visits Buffalo Sabres
Friday: Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports (Twitter link) that Hutton is expected to sign with the Sabres once the free agency period officially opens up on Sunday.
Thursday: The Buffalo Sabres made a bold move when they decided not to qualify Robin Lehner, letting their starting goaltender walk into unrestricted free agency instead of trying to fix the inconsistencies in his game. Linus Ullmark, the heir apparent to the Sabres net, will be playing a healthy number of games this season but needs some experience to help him acclimate to life in the NHL. That may come in the form of Carter Hutton, the top goaltender on the UFA market and one that brings a history of pushing young goaltenders to their full capabilities. Hutton was in Buffalo on Wednesday according to Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) and has narrowed his potential landing spots from the plethora of teams that reached out to him at the beginning of the free agent interview period.
If the Sabres can convince Hutton to sign with them, he’d be bringing along the .931 save percentage he posted last season in 32 games. Custance believes that’s enough to land him a three-year deal on the open market. That would be the longest contract of his career, and at the age of 32 perhaps his last multi-year deal. Hutton was a classic late bloomer that had to work his way through the NCAA and minor league ranks before making his NHL debut at 27, but has stolen the limelight twice in his career as Pekka Rinne and now Jake Allen struggled. His career .915 save percentage would actually match Lehner’s, but he might come in at a lower price tag than the latter’s qualifying offer would have guaranteed.
Buffalo, armed with new superstar prospect Rasmus Dahlin and some Stanley Cup-winning talent are trying to compete for the playoffs this season. Ullmark has showed immense potential and could step into a full-time starting role right away, but there’s no harm in pairing him up with one of the best options on the market.
Hurricanes Notes: Free Agents, Darling, Skinner, Tavares
The Carolina Hurricanes have already made some noise this off-season, acquiring Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox from the Calgary Flames for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, but what else the team plans to do this summer remains a mystery. In speaking with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, GM Don Waddell indicates that they may simply stick with the status quo for now. Waddell confirmed that the team is not pursuing contracts with pending unrestricted free agents Cam Ward, Derek Ryan, and Lee Stempniak and expect all three to hit the open market on July 1st. Ward, the Hurricane’s long-time goalie, is rumored to be headed to the Chicago Blackhawks, while Ryan is expected to re-join former Carolina coach Bill Peters and his recently-traded teammates in Calgary. Stempniak’s name has not drawn much attention so far this off-season, as the veteran struggled in 2017-18 with nine points in 37 games. Waddell did not discuss recently non-qualified free agent forward Joakim Nordstrom, likely implying that they are moving on from him as well. Waddell also did not offer any updates on negotiations with restricted free agents Trevor van Riemsdyk, Lucas Wallmark, and Valentin Zykov.
- Waddell did state that the team has no plans to move goalie Scott Darling and are committed to having him on the roster moving forward. The 29-year-old struggled in his first year with Carolina after signing a long-term contract last summer, but the team hopes that his second season as a starter will go smoother. However, Carolina is looking to add a goalie in free agency and have spoken to upwards of six candidates already. The question remains what type of goalie they are looking to bring in. A starter to compete with Darling could look like Robin Lehner, Kari Lehtonen, or Jaroslav Halak, while a steady backup could be Ondrej Pavelec, Chad Johnson, or a reunion with Anton Khudobin.
- As of now, there is no imminent trade involving forward Jeff Skinner. Skinner’s name has been one of the hottest on the rumor mill and many speculated that the Los Angeles Kings signing Ilya Kovalchuk could be the domino that would lead Skinner to being dealt to a team that missed out on the sharp-shooting veteran. Instead, Waddell says that talks with other teams have been ongoing and they have seen some good offers, but haven’t been “comfortable” with accepting any of them. One has to wonder that if they could pull off a trade as big as the one during draft weekend but aren’t comfortable with “good” offers for Skinner, if they are even looking to trade the talented winger at all.
- For any ‘Canes fans out there still holding out hope that Carolina was a secret seventh team in on the John Tavares sweepstakes, Waddell confirmed that he has had no contact whatsoever with Tavares’ camp. The Hurricanes do have more than enough cap space to add a Tavares though, so perhaps Waddell will be active in free agency after all, but focused on other big names.
Poll: Biggest Surprise Among Non-Qualified Free Agents?
When the deadline to issue qualifying offers to restricted free agents comes and goes each year, there are always a few surprises on the list of those who did not receive an offer. For both those players and teams across the league, it can often be a shock that those players are suddenly unrestricted free agents able to sign with whoever they like. Oftentimes, not receiving a qualifying offer does not automatically mean that the player and his team are through. Already this year, defensemen Derrick Pouliot, Ryan Murphy, and Joe Morrow and forwards Riley Sheahan and Phil Di Giuseppe were not tendered an offer, but soon after signed with their respective squads. Yet, this year has also left more notable names than usual to be scooped up by another team come July 1st.
Robin Lehner, the 26-year-old starting goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres, was one of the earliest known players to not be qualified. Whenever a starter hits the open market it can draw attention, but it’s much more surprising when that starter is both young and experienced. Lehner has seen regular NHL action for the past five years, some as a backup or “1B” with the Ottawa Senators and others as the “1A” for Buffalo. Granted, Lehner has had his fair share of difficulties, both staying healthy and performing when he is on the ice, but it came as surprise that the rebuilding Sabres were so willing to move on from their young keeper. In each of his first two seasons in Buffalo, Lehner posted a save percentage of .920 or better and a majority of his appearances were quality starts. Only this season did those numbers drop off, but apparently that was enough for Buffalo to cut him loose. With Chad Johnson also a free agent, the Sabres head into the off-season lacking any true NHL-caliber goalies on the roster.
Anthony Duclair, just 22 and a former 20-goal scorer, was another surprise that many did not see coming. In his sophomore season in the NHL in 2015-16, the 20-year-old Duclair played in 81 games for the Arizona Coyotes and registered 44 points, good enough for fourth on the team. The young winger even garnered Calder Trophy votes. However, last season his play fell off substantially and this year was only marginally better, prompting a mid-season trade to the Chicago Blackhawks. Many opined that a change of scenery would be good for Duclair, who has shown great talent but needs to put it all together on a more consistent basis. Yet, Chicago gave the experiment 23 games before deciding to move on. A team with major cap problems who is always in need of affordable scoring let a young goal-scorer with years left of team control remaining walk in free agency after less than half a season.
Tobias Rieder, a 25-year-old two-way forward, found himself in a similar situation. Rieder was traded to the Los Angeles Kings ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline and played well in his limited role down the stretch for the Kings. However, it wasn’t enough as Rieder was curiously non-qualified after just 20 regular season games in L.A. Before that, the well-rounded forward had played a major role in the forward corps of the Arizona Coyotes. Rieder has recorded more than 20 points in each of his four NHL seasons and has been a double-digit scorer in each year as well. The young German winger plays a smart, physical style and has an innate ability to crash the net and light the lamp. At 25, he still has room to grow and has 20-goal potential in the right situation. The Kings passed up a chance to take a longer look at what Rieder can do and, of course, have scoring winger as their biggest need this summer.
Dylan DeMelo, the 25-year-old defenseman most recently of the San Jose Sharks, is a hard one to understand as well. DeMelo seemingly did everything he was asked of in San Jose, but found himself a free agent anyway. DeMelo had worked to carve out a role for himself with the Sharks in his first two seasons with the team, but in 2017-18 seemed to have found his place. The young defender skated in 63 games and set a new career high in points by a wide margin with 20. While DeMelo is not an offensive juggernaut by any means, he is solid defensively and was a nice complement on the blue line to the many other talented defenders in San Jose. Even if the Sharks were worried about committing too much money to defense or wanted to give some more time to other even younger options, it is hard to imagine that they couldn’t have found a taker for DeMelo on the trade market.
What do you think? Who is the biggest surprise among the RFA’s that did not receive qualifying offers this year and now find themselves looking for a new team this summer as a UFA?
Biggest Surprise Non-Qualified Free Agent?
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Anthony Duclair 44% (540)
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Robin Lehner 22% (264)
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Dylan DeMelo 13% (158)
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Tobias Rieder 13% (154)
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Other - Shore, Nordstrom, Yakupov, Carr, Davidson, Claesson, Mrazek, Kuhnhackl (comment below) 9% (108)
Total votes: 1,224
Mobile users, click here to vote.
Detroit Red Wings Still Talking To Mike Green
The Detroit Red Wings weren’t able to trade the expiring contract of defenseman Mike Green at the deadline given his injury concerns, but now might not be losing him for nothing in free agency after all. Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports that the Red Wings are in talks with Green and believe they can sign him to a two-year contract. Detroit obviously could ink Green to a deal before Sunday since he’s still under their control, though there was expected to be plenty of interest in him on the open market as one of the better puck-moving defensemen available. Green is coming off a three-year, $18MM contract with the Red Wings he signed in the summer of 2015.
Now 32 years old, Green is no longer the dominant offensive weapon he once was. Scoring 31 goals in just 68 games during the 2008-09 season, and followed it up with a 76-point campaign, he finished second in Norris Trophy voting in consecutive years. That incredible powerplay weapon may be gone, but Green can still contribute with the man advantage and be an effective puck-moving option at even-strength. He’s not as weak defensively as some may believe, and doesn’t require extremely sheltered minutes like other offensive-minded players—though he would likely excel if given them.
The Red Wings, who recently bought out Xavier Ouellet and traded Robbie Russo, need someone to play defense for them even if some of their younger players are ready to take the next step. Niklas Kronwall, Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson are all on the last legs of their careers and bring long injury histories, while Danny DeKeyser isn’t as effective as he once was. Re-signing Green would also keep an asset in the organization that could be valuable at the trade deadline, a strategy that could pay dividends if he’s not injured this time and doesn’t demand a no-movement clause.
Green should have enough leverage for a fairly expensive contract, but the Red Wings have plenty of cap space to fit him in. Sitting more than $20MM under the ceiling, Detroit could be quite creative with free agents this summer. Andreas Athanasiou, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha all need new deals, but for a rebuilding squad that just had one of the best drafts in the league, signing veteran names to short-term deals that could be moved at the deadline is a solid plan.
Rick Nash Still Uncertain About Returning Next Season
One of the most surprising revelations of the last few weeks was a report that veteran winger Rick Nash had considered retirement after suffering another concussion late in the season with the Boston Bruins. That idea seemed to be fading as we heard reports of the Columbus Blue Jackets and other teams reaching out to Nash in the free agent interview period, but now Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the 34-year old forward has informed teams he will not sign on July 1st. Nash is still considering whether to play next season, and “didn’t want to further interfere” with the plans of teams looking to improve through free agency.
It’s a classy move by Nash to not make teams wait on him, but it still could throw a wrench into the offseason for some. Should Nash decide that he wants to continue—and all fans of the sport should hope that he remains healthy enough to do so—down the line, there may be little cap room available from some of his biggest suitors. He’s obviously resigned to the fact that he may be weakening his negotiation power by pushing off a decision, but one has to wonder whether he’ll be a late-summer addition to a playoff team. Like acquiring a player at the deadline, it could be a big boost to a team that has lost someone to injury during training camp or has seen a rival load up with key free agents.
Nash recorded the 13th 20-goal season of his career in 2017-18, registering 21 goals in 71 games split between the Bruins and New York Rangers. Though he’s obviously not the dominant offensive player of his youth, he can still skate well enough to contribute at both ends of the ice and remains an effective penalty killer. The fact that he struggled in the playoffs for the Bruins could be due to health concerns, but even then he was still a positive possession player for the team.
If it is the end of Nash’s career, he’ll go down as one of the better talents of his generation. In 1,060 games he recorded 437 goals and 805 points, won a Rocket Richard trophy for the first of three 40-goal seasons, and three times received Selke votes as one of the league’s best defensive forwards. Selected first-overall by Columbus in 2002, he didn’t see the second round of the playoffs until coming to New York, and was never able to lift the Stanley Cup.