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John Tavares Will Meet Other Teams During Interview Period

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As the second day of the NHL Entry Draft moves along, we finally get an update on John Tavares and his upcoming free agency. Tavares is allowed to start meeting with other teams around the league as early as Sunday, and he apparently will take advantage of the opportunity just as Steven Stamkos did two summers ago. Stamkos ended up re-signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the only team he’d ever known, something New York Islanders fans will hope repeats this summer after Tavares gets a chance to see what else is out there.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period both have heard that Tavares will meet with five teams this week, though the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues are apparently not among them. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic also reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets will not meet with Tavares. Who those teams are is not clear at this point, though there has been plenty of speculation about clubs like the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Tavares, 27, would arguably be the best free agent to hit the market during the salary cap era, and could potentially become the league’s highest-paid player. That distinction currently belongs to Connor McDavid, but his eight-year $100MM contract could be eclipsed should a bidding war start on Tavares. That rules out many teams around the league, but still even those with a small amount of cap space may be interested in meeting and seeing how they could work things out. The Los Angeles Kings for instance were looking at basically every offensive player available, but with the signing of Ilya Kovalchuk today likely don’t have the room to fit in a player like Tavares.

Arthur Staple of The Athletic, who is one of the closest people in media to the situation in New York, believes that Toronto, San Jose and Dallas will “almost certainly” be among the teams afforded a meeting. He mentions Tampa Bay and Vegas—a team Pagnotta also mentions—as well, though no one will really know until Tavares reveals the teams himself, or someone stakes out the meeting spot. Staple adds though that despite taking the meetings “just about everyone” still expects Tavares to re-sign in New York.

Dallas Stars Sign Stephen Johns To Three-Year Deal

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Stephen Johns is headed back to Texas. The Dallas Stars have re-signed Johns to a three-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $2.35MM. Johns was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this offseason, and will now be heading to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2021.

Johns took a major step forward in 2017-18 with career highs offensively and defensively. The 25-year-old blue liner registered 15 points on the year, including eight goals, which tied John Klingberg as best among all Dallas defensemen. John’s +10 rating was also among the best on the Stars, tied for seventh among all skaters. In his own zone, John’s shutdown game garnered league-wide attention this season. His 201 hits and 155 blocked shots were both the top marks in Dallas and top-25 in the NHL. Johns plays a fast, physical style and can be used in many different situations.

At just over $2MM per year through the next three years of the prime of Johns’ career, Stars GM Jim Nill got a great deal on this extension. Dallas has struggled at preventing goals in recent years and the team’s defense is not without significant blame for those issues. However, the Stars began to turn that around this year and the improvement in Johns’ game is a major reason why. If Johns continues to develop a strong two-way game, his contract will be a bargain that allows the Stars to build their roster knowing that they have a dependable veteran on the back end.

Elias Lindholm Generating Interest For Carolina Hurricanes

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Friday: LeBrun reports that the meeting between Lindholm and the Hurricanes front office today did not go well, leaving the two sides still far apart on a contract decision. The 23-year old forward is now a real possibility according to LeBrun.

Thursday: Though most eyes are on Jeff Skinner and Justin Faulk, the player generating the most interest in Carolina is Elias Lindholm according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required). LeBrun qualifies the trade speculation by saying the Hurricanes’ first priority is to re-sign the restricted free agent, but that his name continues to be brought up in negotiations with other teams. Yesterday LeBrun mentioned talks between the Calgary Flames and Carolina, and today he expands on that notion saying that even Noah Hanifin and Dougie Hamilton were discussed before things went south.

Lindholm, 23, has been an exemplary player for the Hurricanes since being drafted fifth overall in 2013, Spending time at both center and wing, he has at least 39 points in each of his four full seasons and should be in for another raise on the $2.7MM cap hit he carried the last two years. While not an elite offensive player, he continues to be a positive in the faceoff circle and a reliable two-way player capable of anchoring a middle-six group. With teams so desperate for help at center, it’s no surprise that his name continues to be brought up.

While Skinner has just one season remaining on his contract and Faulk two, Lindholm is a restricted free agent this summer and could be signed to a long-term deal. There are hurdles to jump to do that though, as even his youth won’t keep the price tag down on a multi-year contract. Lindholm already has five seasons under his belt in the NHL, and is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020 at the age of 25. That means any long-term deal is buying out several free agent seasons and likely driving the price upwards. It also means that a two-year bridge deal is no longer an option, as that would take him right into the waiting arms of the open market as one of the youngest players to ever reach free agency.

Any acquiring team would have to consider this, and likely discuss the contract with Lindholm’s representatives first. If they can get him signed long-term for a reasonable cap hit, he would bring back a considerable package to the Hurricanes. If not, it might not be worth it for Carolina to send out one of their more reliable young players before his 24th birthday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On The Arizona Coyotes & Phil Kessel

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Part of Josh Yohe’s latest piece for The Athletic (subscription required) touched on the fact that Phil Kessel would be willing to play for the Arizona Coyotes due to his solid relationship with head coach Rick Tocchet. The problem, according to Yohe, was that the Coyotes are only looking to stay near the salary cap floor this season and had told the Penguins it likely wouldn’t be possible to take on Kessel’s salary. Now Arizona GM John Chayka wants to dispel any notion that he’d be stopped from going after Kessel because of financial reasons.

On Arizona Sports 98.7 today, Chayka sounded off about the report:

I’d like to know more about it, too. I think it’s terrible reporting. It’s inaccurate across the board from start to finish. I don’t know where some things come up. I’m the one having trade discussions, those discussions with the Penguins haven’t occurred. So unless someone else is making calls that I don’t know about, I’m not sure where his information is coming from.

I’m not sure where it’s coming from, but the basis of that reporting is not coming from anything tied to the Coyotes and certainly not anywhere close to factual.

Chayka by no means confirms that he is pursuing Kessel, but the fact that he reacted so strongly to the suggestion that the Coyotes are limited financially does make them an even more interesting team to follow this offseason. Arizona currently has around $57MM in salary obligations for next season, but that includes Dave Bolland’s contract that will be mostly covered by insurance and no real important restricted free agents to sign. If they had the full salary cap to spend, the Coyotes could go on a shopping spree in free agency and certainly afford to bring Kessel on board.

More likely though is that Arizona will sit somewhere in the bottom third of the league once again and could even be a landing spot for another bad contract at the draft. Similar to the way they took on Bolland and Pavel Datsyuk in the past, Chayka could use his cap space to take a contract like Marian Hossa’s off the books of Chicago in exchange for an asset.

It seems in this case as though a source was mistaken or perhaps was speculating on discussions between Pittsburgh and Arizona, though a trade between the two would likely benefit both. The Coyotes are looking to compete next season and could use another veteran star to support their young core, and the Penguins need to create some cap flexibility if they’re to do anything in free agency. Pittsburgh has several RFAs to get under contract, and currently less than $10MM in cap space to do it.

Top Contenders For Paul Stastny Emerging

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If and when John Tavares re-signs with the New York Islanders this off-season, there will be a lot of teams left in need of a center with few options to turn to. The trade route is an option, although a costly one when searching for a top-six pivot. Not many teams are openly shopping their top centers either. The draft is no help in a class largely devoid of pro-ready talent down the middle. The restricted free agent offer sheet has all but gone extinct. For those teams in need of center help, this leaves the free agent market as the most realistic choice and, behind Tavares, pickings are slim. Tyler Bozak, Riley Nash, and Derek Ryan are all top-five scorers among free agent centers despite all being two-way focused forwards best suited for third-line roles. Joe Thornton, Valtteri Filppula, and Tomas Plekanec are all well past their primes and their recent production proves it. There are simply very few good options.

For these reasons, it is no surprise that teams are already lining up for the services of Paul Stastny. Easily the top UFA center behind Tavares, Stastny is coming off a 53-point season with St. Louis and Winnipeg. Add in a dominant 15-point postseason with the Jets, and Stastny has greatly improved his stock heading into the open market. Both an offensive threat and a defensively responsible player, Stastny is a complete, two-way player. He is also a twelve-year veteran who dismissed talks of being past his prime this season and seems capable of high-end play over the course of another long-term contract.

In fact, the 2017-18 season was Stastny’s best offensively since his early days with the Colorado Avalanche. Ironically, the Avs reportedly would like to see if he still has that 70-point potential he showed as a younger player in Denver. Both Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland and BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater believe that Colorado is the leader in the chase for Stastny. As a team with which he has chemistry, as well as a young, exciting roster in need of a leader, it would be easy to see why a return to the Avalanche could be appealing to Stastny. Strickland also names the Winnipeg Jets as a top suitor. After acquiring Stastny at the deadline and seeing him fit in so well down the stretch and in the playoffs, it is no wonder that they would like to retain him. However, the Jets are inundated with valuable restricted free agents in need of extensions and may run out of the cap flexibility needed to compete for one of the market’s biggest names. Dater hears that the Montreal Canadiens, one of the more desperate center-needy teams in the league, is also in the hunt for Stastny. The Canadiens would be able to keep up with any bid the Avalanche could make and it would likely come down to which team Stastny feels is the best fit.

While these three teams are surely not the exclusive list of contenders, they are three teams that are logical fits for Stastny. Two teams that whose absences are noteworthy though are the St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, the Blues traded away Stastny and when they had him it wasn’t enough to be a true Stanley Cup contender. However, a healthy St. Louis team would have been much more competitive this season and one of the holes they now need to fill to return to that place is at center. Bringing back Stastny is an idea that no one would dismiss, yet Strickland – a Blues beat writer – makes no mention of them. The Hurricanes, like the Canadiens, are simply a team in drastic need of a top center. While Stastny may not put them over the top, he would be yet another piece to a roster that has the potential to turn things around next year. Carolina also has near limitless cap space to contend for the rising price of Stastny’s services. At the end of the day, Strickland states that Stastny just wants to go somewhere where he will have a “chance to win”. Winnipeg and Colorado fit the bill, while Montreal, St. Louis, and Carolina may not. Others are sure to enter the fray too in a free agency market that may end up being defined by the choice made by Paul Stastny.

Snapshots: Trotz, Tavares, Salary Cap, Seattle

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As soon as Barry Trotz announced his resignation from the Washington Capitals, the vast majority of speculation pointed to him joining the Metropolitan Division-rival New York Islanders, now under the control of famed executive Lou Lamoriello. Recent events will only add fuel to that fire. Newsday’s Andrew Gross believes that Lamoriello prefers to have a coach named before the beginning of the NHL Draft in Dallas on Friday. While Gross notes that Lamoriello will not rush if time doesn’t permit him to fully consider his choice, it seems likely that Lamoriello knows who he wants and simply wants to finalize terms ahead of a major roster-building event. Yet there have been no reports of any candidates formally interviewing for the Islanders’ head coach vacancy, though several names have been brought up so far. However, who was spotted at an airport in Newark yesterday but Trotz. As expected, it seems Trotz is likely on his way in to New York to meet with Lamoriello and the Islanders and, if all goes well, Lamoriello will make the call prior to the draft.

  • Another important note for the pace of the Islanders’ head coach hiring is its impact on the John Tavares situation. With each day closer to the opening of free agency, the Isles lose control over their superstar player. If Lamoriello can land Trotz, one of the top coaches in the game, it could help to finalize an extension with Tavares. However, at this point it seems inevitable that Tavares will at least meet with interested teams. In fact, he and agent Pat Brisson have already whittled down the suitors. While no organizations have been specifically named, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that if Tavares entertains other offers, he will likely only meet with up to five other teams. This self-limited market could benefit the Islanders, but it could also indicate to each of the five teams that they have a legitimate chance of signing Tavares and could up the ante. Only time will tell as July 1st fast approaches.
  • As teams get ready to spend this summer, there is still some question as to what limit they will have. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly estimated earlier this month that the salary cap ceiling for 2018-19 would rise to somewhere between $78-82MM from its current $75MM. This would present quite a jump, but still leaves teams with a $4MM window of possibility. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston states that clarification is coming soon. He expects an official announcement in the next day or two, likely prior to the start of the draft on Friday. Johnston estimates a narrower range of possibility, speculating that the cap limit will be somewhere on the lower end to midpoint of the original projection, between $79-80MM.
  • Looking further ahead, Don Muret of the Oak View Group relayed information today from recently named CEO and President of the Seattle expansion team Tod Leiweke. Leiweke, the younger brother of Oak View CEO and part owner in the venture Tim Leiweke, has clarified the timeline of the expansion process somewhat over the next year or so. Leiweke stated that both the NHL Board of Governors and the city of Seattle will have their final vote in early September. Assuming the team is moving forward, they will break ground on a new stadium in October. Leiweke expects that construction will be a two-year project, likely meaning that Seattle’s inaugural season will be 2020-21. Regardless, Leiweke and company expect to reveal a name for the future team in the first quarter of 2019. This process is moving a bit slower than it did with the Vegas Golden Knights, but still seems to be full steam ahead.

Minor Transactions: 6/19/18

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While many fringe NHL players and veteran minor leaguers have already begun to look overseas for their next contract, others are lucky enough to have found a reliable workplace here in North America. Journeyman goalie Richard Bachman is one of that fortunate group. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the Vancouver Canucks are engaged in extension talks with Bachman and it appears likely that the two sides will come to an agreement on a new contract. Although Bachman did not make an NHL appearance last season and has not been a regular at the NHL level since 2012-13, he has nonetheless carved out a nice role for himself as a mentor for the Canucks with their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. Undersized and on the wrong side of 30, Bachman is no longer a legitimate threat to make a difference in Vancouver, but is a good locker room presence, a teacher for the likes of Thatcher Demko and soon Michael DiPietro, and if necessary an experienced backup option. He also comes cheap; Bachman’s $650K salary at the NHL level last season was the league minimum and it was also the highest salary of his seven-year pro career. The Canucks clearly appreciate the role that Bachman plays for the organization and may be willing to re-sign him to one-year deals in perpetuity until he himself calls it quits.

  • The captain of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms is staying put. However, Colin McDonald had to take an AHL contract to do so. With his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers about to expire, McDonald has chosen familiarity over possibility and has opted to skip free agency and simply re-sign with Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms announced a one-year contract for the 33-year-old forward earlier today. McDonald did not see any NHL action with the Flyers this season and lost some minor league games and production to injury, but looked strong in the postseason and ready to continue leading the Phantoms. The Flyers have had a plethora of draft picks over the past two years and have used a large proportion on forwards. They also have another nine picks this year to keep adding on. With an onslaught of young forward soon entering the system, having an experienced and well-rounded veteran in the AHL ranks to help their prospects along is a good move for Philadelphia.
  • Rich Clune may not be the captain of the Toronto Marlies yet, but he will certainly be in consideration next year. The 31-year-old forward emphatically announced his return for next season at the celebration for the Calder Cup champions. Clune has played for the Marlies for the past three years, the last two on AHL contracts while also still collecting on his buyout from the Nashville Predators. Clune is not one to contribute much offense, but plays a heart-and-soul, bottom-six energy role for the Marlies and it is clear that he means a lot to the team. With captain Ben Smith moving to Europe, Clune is one of several leaders on the defending champs who could fill his shoes next year.

Edmonton Oilers Agree To Terms With Matt Benning

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The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to re-sign defenseman Matt Benning to a two-year contract, avoiding restricted free agency with the 24-year old. Ryan Rishaug of TSN gives us the financial details, reporting that the deal will carry a $1.9MM average annual value with Benning earning $1.8MM in the first season, and $2.0MM in the second.

Benning was one of the only Oilers defensemen to take a step forward this season, and finished tied with both Oscar Klefbom and Kris Russell with 21 points despite only playing in 73 games. The former Northeastern University standout has now been a solid depth defenseman for two years, logging positive possession results and respectable point totals in just 16-17 minutes a night. While several other defenders took substantial steps backwards resulting in real struggles for the Oilers, not a lot of that can be laid at the feet of Benning who could likely have argued for an even bigger raise had given up more years. He’ll still finish this contract as a restricted free agent, giving the Oilers at least one more year of control.

It’s contracts like these that will allow the Oilers to compete in the face of huge cap hits for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Benning is a quality player that could likely take on a bit more responsibility, but is still earning a relatively low amount. The team needs to find more players like this through the college ranks or entry draft, and fill out the fringes of the roster with more talent. McDavid proved that he can’t carry the team on his back, as even with an 108-point season the team missed the playoffs badly.

For Benning, this gives him a chance to remain with his hometown team for at least another two years and compete for a bigger role going forward. While the team has been rumored to be targeting a right-handed defenseman in free agency or trade, if they can’t find it Benning might be asked to do more. The team also has Darnell Nurse still to negotiate with, which could really complicate things for the team’s defensive group. With close to $20MM now sunk into five defenders, Nurse’s deal could make the blue line for the Oilers a bit too expensive, given how they performed last season. It could also stop them from acquiring any help, unless they decide to move out one of the bigger contracts like Klefbom or Andrej Sekera. Either way, things aren’t finished developing for the Oilers and where Benning fits in is still very unclear.

Rutherford Eyeing Trade Market To Improve Penguins

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Changes are coming in Pittsburgh this off-season, but GM Jim Rutherford is “not even really thinking about free agency right now”. Speaking with Josh Yohe of the Athletic, Rutherford admits that “we won’t really have the cap space to do anything anyway. We’re going to re-sign some of our restricted free agents. And at that point, we’re around the cap.” The Penguins need to re-sign RFA’s Bryan Rust, Riley Sheahan, Daniel Sprong, Jamie Oleksiak and more and even with the expected increase to the salary cap limit will only have $8-12MM maximum to work with. The team could make a couple additional minor moves here and there on the unrestricted free agent market, but Rutherford is correct that team is strapped for the cap space to make any significant signings this summer, at least as things stand now.

As a result, it is the trade market that Rutherford is more interested in. The team has already stated that they don’t plan to buy out any of their current players, but they could look to move them via trade. Atop that list are likely wingers Carl Hagelin and Conor Sheary and defenseman Matt Hunwick. In fact, the blue line appears to be the most likely area for a player to be traded away, as the team enters next season with six veterans under contract and Oleksiak and Frank Corrado as restricted free agents. Rutherford stated to Yohe that defenseman Brian Dumoulin is the most untouchable player on the back end due to his invaluable defensive play, and also expressed his fondness for Oleksiak and Olli Maatta as well. Rutherford said that the front office is optimistic that Kris Letang and Hunwick will perform better next year and were happy with the play of Justin Schultz and Chad Ruhwedel as they made up for Letang’s and Hunwick’s shortcomings respectively this season. However, Rutherford added that his comfort with this group doesn’t mean that won’t make a change.

The goal in making any deal is to improve the depth and youth of the Penguins’ forward corps. This explains why the team was connected to Max Domi recently, before he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens last week. The team is seeking versatility and upside up front and are willing to move substantial assets to get it, but Rutherford wasn’t willing to part with the Alex Galchenyuk-level ask from the Arizona Coyotes for Domi. Rutherford knows that even if he does nothing this summer, Pittsburgh will still be a contender, and as such he does not need to overpay in any trade. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are not going anywhere and Rutherford has already confirmed that he is not shopping Phil Kessel. It’s safe to assume that young winger Jake Guentzel and new acquisition Derick Brassard are also safe. That is already shaping up to be a solid group yet again and the internal addition of younger players should add energy and potential. However, Rutherford’s preference still is to add depth and even more youth if he can to combat the injuries and fatigue that hurt his aging roster last year. Those are the moves he is looking to make this summer and it seems inevitable that at least one such transaction will be made by the expert executive. They may not be three-peat champions, but the Penguins are going to re-stock and be dangerous again in 2018-19.

Minor Transactions: 6/18/18

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Former Dallas Stars defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk won’t wait until July 1st to decide on his future in free agency. The 29-year-old veteran will make his first foray into international play, as EHC Munchen of the German DEL have announced that he is set to join the team. Bodnarchuk has played in 42 games in the NHL over his career, but has largely played a regular role in the AHL with more than 600 games to his credit. Most recently, he spent the entirety of his two-year contract with Dallas as the alternate captain and defensive leader of the Texas Stars, who fought all the way to Game Seven of the Calder Cup Final this year. Bodnarchuk will now take that same leadership and ability on the back end to Munich, where he will join a talented team that already employs several former AHLers like Keith Aulie, Ryan Button, and Derek Joslin on the blue line.

  • Also heading overseas is former top prospect Patrice Cormier. The 28-year-old forward and captain of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose has signed with Barys Astana, per a report from the local Kazakhstan sports news source Shaiba. Cormier is a major addition for Astana, a team that has struggled in recent years and recently watched top scorers Nigel Dawes and Linden Vey depart in free agency. Cormier, a second-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2008 and the star prospect in the return for Ilya Kovalchuk in 2010, has never quite reached his lofty expectations. However, in 49 NHL games and another 400+ AHL game, all with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization, Cormier has proven to be a capable player in all three zones who can show finesse around the net as well as physicality along the boards. Cormier seems like a player primed to break out in the KHL.
  • Cormier may also be joined by another impressive AHL forward in Curtis Valk. The Florida Panthers restricted free agent is also expected to sign with Barys Astana according to sources at Shaiba. Valk, 25, led the Springfield Thunderbirds with 62 points in 73 games this season and finished among the top ten in the AHL in scoring. Nevertheless, the undersized forward was only given one game at the NHL level to show himself. Perhaps upset with his lack of opportunity despite solid minor league results in his four-year pro career, Valk is eyeing a move of his own and could become a dynamic one-two punch with Cormier up front for Barys.
  • The Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies already lost captain Ben Smith to Europe and aren’t keen to lose any of the other contributors to their title any time soon. The team announced today that they have re-signed veteran forward Colin Greening to a one-year, AHL contract. Greening, 32, was previously acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the return from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Dion Phaneuf. Even on a relatively pricey NHL contract, Greening served almost exclusively in the AHL with the Marlies over the past three years. Although some speculated he could challenge for at least a two-way contract this summer, it is expected that on his new deal with Toronto that Greening could be named the new captain of the Marlies and is likely content to remain in Toronto for as long as he can to close out his career.
  • On the other end of the spectrum, the Marlies announced the first AHL contracts for several college players who had joined the team on amateur tryout deals during the stretch run and postseason: Robert Morris’ Brady Ferguson, Holy Cross’ Scott Pooley, Alabama-Huntsville’s Josh Kestner, and Niagara’s Derian Plouffe. They also inked Matt Bradley, an unsigned free agent from the WHL’s Regina Pats, to a one-year AHL deal as well.

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