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Morning Notes: Jagr, Morin, Samsonov

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Jaromir Jagr didn’t think he’d be left out in the cold this summer, waiting for an NHL contract long into the offseason. The 45-year old spoke with NHL.com correspondent Micheal Langr and discussed the challenges he’s faced so far and what he wants to do going forward. Joking that he could play for Kladno in the Czech Republic, a team that he owns, he still has his sights set on 2,000 points in the NHL.

Jagr is actually coming off another fine season even though his goal total dropped to 16. His possession play is still elite, and despite his lack of foot speed and reputation doesn’t hurt you defensively. He could still be an extremely effective option for teams looking to round out their top six and get some help on the powerplay.

  • According to our friends at Roster Resource, Jeremy Morin has signed in the KHL for this season, leaving the North American system after several unsuccessful years. Morin was drafted 45th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, but has found little success in the professional ranks. Heading to the KHL will allow him to re-invent his game and potentially compete for a chance on the US Olympic team if he gets off to a fast start.
  • Ilya Samsonov is one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, and Washington Capitals fans will be happy to hear that he’s willing to play in the AHL if he comes across to North America next year. In a new interview with Daria Tuboltseva of Championat, Samsonov speaks about the constant communication he has with the Washington front office, and how it would be a dream to eventually play with Russian superstars like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Samsonov is still only 20, but has an outside chance at going to the Olympics with Team Russia because of his outstanding first two seasons in the KHL. Last year he posted a .936 save percentage and was nearly unbeatable.

Still Waiting For Nikita Zadorov Announcement

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Colorado Avalanche fans have been waiting patiently since the end of the season for news surrounding restricted free agent Nikita Zadorov. Back in July he told Sport-Express in Russia that he’d play for CSKA if he couldn’t come to an agreement with the Avalanche, as the KHL team had already offered him a lucrative contract. After a season which he flashed the potential that made him a first-round pick and centerpiece for Ryan O’Reilly, the Avalanche couldn’t accept his departure.

Earlier this month it was reported that the two sides were closing in on a two-year deal, and Alexey Schevchenko—the same reporter who conducted the interview referenced above—even went so far as to say that a deal was done. The contract would reportedly pay Zadorov $2MM per season. That number has filtered throughout the rumor mill, but has still yet to be confirmed by a North American source or announced by the team.

It does sound like Zadorov will be returning, and for good reason. The Avalanche simply can’t be as historically bad as they were last season, and the big Russian defender can be a part of the turnaround. In 56 games last season he averaged more than 19 minutes a night, and established himself as one of the most devastating open-ice checkers in the league. Now 22, Zadorov could easily take another step forward this season and start to put himself on the map among up-and-coming defensemen in the league. For a team like Colorado who is committed to a rebuild, he’ll be positioned as a key cog going forward.

Morning Notes: Wrenn, Crosby, Sochi

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Just being a second-round pick doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a shot at the NHL, and that’s what William Wrenn has had to come to grips with this offseason. After bouncing around the minor leagues for several years, the former San Jose Sharks’ pick will head to the KHL for a new chapter in his career.

Wrenn played last season with the Toronto Marlies, his fifth straight in the minor leagues since coming out of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. Before that it was the University of Denver where he played just two seasons, beginning an interesting journey after being selected 43rd-overall. With Dinamo Riga next year, the 26-year old defenseman will try to prove that there’s more to his game.

  • Sidney Crosby turned 30 years old today, finishing the first part of his career with 1,027 regular season points and three Stanley Cups. Crosby has eight years remaining on his current contract meaning it may be his last one, and interestingly the Penguins will get quite the discount in a few years. Crosby is due just $9MM total in the last three seasons, making him affordable even if his play does decline rapidly in his mid-thirties.
  • After prevailing on Sunday in their first game at the Sochi Open, players for Team Canada will continue their audition for the Olympic roster with a game against Russia today. Former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jesse Blacker scored the winner yesterday, and Justin Peters earned the shutout. The full roster for the Canadian squad can be found here.

Snapshots: Shalunov, Prust, Dorsett

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The Chicago Blackhawks were disappointed when Maxim Shalunov signed a three-year deal in the KHL, but Scott Powers of The Athletic writes that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be out of their plans for that long. As we’ve seen multiple times over the past year, KHL contracts can be terminated early to allow players to come over to the NHL.

Remember this year that an entire team’s contracts were terminated after their new owners refused to pay debts. While that’s not going to happen to Shalunov’s new team, CSKA Moscow, there are always ways around their contracts.

  • Brandon Prust will be in NHL training camp again this year, as according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, he’ll be in Los Angeles come September. Prust spent last season playing in Germany after going through training camp with the Maple Leafs, and has been clear about his desire to return to the NHL. It’s unlikely that he’ll earn a contract, but perhaps Los Angeles will have room for a fourth-line veteran.
  • Derek Dorsett underwent surgery on his neck in December but is now on track to be ready for the start of the season. Rick Dhaliwal of NEWS 1130 in Vancouver reports that Dorsett has “no issues with his neck” and that he’s already skating to get ready for training camp. He played just 14 games for the Canucks last year, but has been a fairly effective bottom-six player for his career. In 2014-15 he set a career-high with 25 points, and will be in the lineup more than not to protect the young players Vancouver is set to use this year.

Andrej Nestrasil Signs In KHL

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According to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express, HC Neftekhimik has signed free agent forward Andrej Nestrasil for the upcoming season. Nestrasil was not issued a qualifying offer by the Carolina Hurricanes this spring after a scathing interview he gave in the Czech Republic in which he said “I’m done here, 100%. I do not want to continue here.”

Nestrasil played just 19 games for the Hurricanes last season, bouncing up and down constantly from the minor leagues as an injury replacement, but spending the majority of his time in the AHL. The 26-year old was a third-round pick by Detroit in 2009, but hasn’t ever really shown an ability to consistently contribute at the NHL level. In 128 career games he has just 48 points, and rarely found the scoresheet even at the minor league level this year.

Instead he’ll head to Neftekhimik who went 28-28-4 last season but drew just over 5,000 fans on average. One of the much less popular teams, Neftekhimik could use a player to excite their fans and perhaps Nestrasil can be that. After all, during his time in the QMJHL he was a highlight machine that seemed to do everything at top speed. It’s hard to see him ever returning to the NHL after his poor experience, though if he breaks out there may be a little more guarantee coming from another team. Carolina no longer holds his rights after failing to qualify him.

Andrei Markov Will Play In KHL In 2017-18

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Monday: Ak Bars Kazan has announced a two-year deal with Markov.

Thursday: Breaking his own news, Andrei Markov announced on a conference call with reporters that he will play in the KHL in 2017-18. He was willing to sign a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens but couldn’t come to an agreement, and had other offers from around the NHL before deciding to head back to Russia. In his own words:

I didn’t see myself with any other NHL team. I didn’t see myself wearing another jersey.

NHL.com correspondent Sergey Demidov reports that it will be Ak Bars Kazan that signs Markov, though he wouldn’t confirm it on the call. It’s likely that he’ll retire having only played for a single NHL team, something that’s hard to find in professional sports these days. He did say he could return to Montreal in a year, though that would be a surprising turn after the team clearly wasn’t ready to meet his asking price this summer. The 38-year old will be able to play in the Olympics next year, which would be his fourth such tournament for Russia.

Markov was clearly upset that he was leaving Montreal, but did say that it was a positive move for his family. Just recently Markov got married and has several children, who can now all move back to Russia together. Earlier this year he brought his young twin boys over from Russia after their mother passed away.

It’s a likely end to what was an outstanding NHL career, with 990 regular season games and 572 points. He obviously could have helped a large group of teams around the league still, but never wanted to play for a different team. Montreal had been the team that gave him his first shot in North America, and it was going to be where he finished his career.

Dwight King Expected To Sign In KHL

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There are still quite a few names from our Top 50 Free Agent List still yet to sign, and one of those is the 49th-ranked Dwight King. According to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver, that’s about to change with the veteran forward expected to sign in the KHL. Dhaliwal reports that the Canucks had some interest in him before moving on.

While King isn’t a household name by any means, he nevertheless has been an effective fourth line player throughout his career. With size (6’4″ 232-lbs) and some surprising offensive skill, he can provide some much needed secondary (or tertiary) scoring in limited minutes. Twice he’s scored double digit goals, and even registered 30 points in 2013-14 with the Los Angeles Kings.

With more effective players like Drew Stafford, Jaromir Jagr and Thomas Vanek still available it’s easy to see why King would be left out in the cold, and he should find some success in the Russian league even if he doesn’t possess the elite puck skills that are so prevalent there. Still just 28, he could easily return to the NHL at some point in the future.

KHL, IIHF Hand Out Three Doping Suspensions

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The KHL has suspended three players for violating their doping policy, after working with the IIHF to test 377 samples from the league. Derek Smith has been suspended until September 2nd, 2018, Andrei Konev until November 19th of this year, and Danis Zaripov until May 22nd, 2019 for use of a prohibited substance. Zaripov’s suspension carries a longer penalty for also testing positive for a prohibited masking substance.

Zaripov is easily the most recognizable name of the group, known as one of the best non-NHL players in the world. The 36-year old suited up for Russia at the 2010 Olympics, and holds five World Championship medals. He also has won the Gagarin Cup—the KHL championship—four times and has scored over 450 career points for Ak Bars Kazan since the KHL began in 2008.

Smith had a cup of coffee in the NHL, playing 94 games over five seasons before heading overseas to continue his career. He played 44 games in the KHL this season, registering nine points. The 32-year old defenseman was undrafted, but signed with the Ottawa Senators out of Lake Superior State in 2007.

Konev is the youngest of the bunch at 28, but has had trouble finding regular work in the KHL over the years. Playing in just 24 games this past year, he registered two points. The defenseman hasn’t played more than 24 games in a single season since 2009-10, often finding himself on the fringes of the roster.

Minor Notes: Didier, Muzito-Bagenda, Tarasov

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It has been a relatively eventful day for a Monday in late July for the NHL. RFA fever and impending arbitration is occupying many general managers’ time. That said, teams have also been busy at work with their AHL rosters and reviewing their prospect situations.

The Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, announced the signing of Daniel Muzito-Bagenda to a two-way contract. The former Missassauga Steelhead generally plays on his off wing, the right side. He’s never displayed overwhelming offensive capabilities, and did struggle slightly to adjust to the North American game after playing two seasons for MODO’s under-20 squad in Sweden. He played well for the Steelheads in their very abbreviated playoff appearance in the 2015-16, leading that team in points through their 7 games played. Last season he played in 61 games for the Amerks, tallying only 15 points.

Muzito-Bagenda has a lot to prove if he wants to push for a 4th-line call up. Still, for a 6’1 player he has decent promise and should be able to improve his output at least marginally. The only way he’ll see spot duty is if there is a mass of injuries and he leapfrogs many others. Still, at only 21, he has room to grow.

  • The Charlotte Checkers, Carolina’s AHL Affiliate, signed defenseman Josiah Didier to a two-way contract today. Didier split time between the AHL in St. John’s and the ECHL in Brampton last season. It will be interesting to see if he can solidify himself some playing time this year and earn consideration for another contract down the line. He only saw 39 games of action and tallied a meager 8 points in that time. At 24 years old, the former fourth-round pick of Montreal is certainly hoping to finally put it together. His right-handed shot is certainly intriguing, but this will have to be the year to get noiced.
  • The NHL website ran an intriguing piece on Columbus’ 3rd round selection at the 2017 Draft, goaltender Daniil Tarasov. Tarasov showcased some amazing ability at the 2016 World Juniors, but missed the year due to injury. He could prove another sneaky good selection by GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who has truly revitalized that franchise through solid scouting and prospect management. Finally getting recovering to ful health once again, Tarasov will ease himself back into the game by playing for the “junior KHL”, the MHL, for a team called Topar Ulfa. It will be interesting to see whether this gamble pays off, and how quickly Tarasov could push for a KHL position. His athleticism and poise definitely turned heads, but a year off can harm any player’s development.

Free Agent Profile: The Goalie Market

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More than three weeks into free agency, there are still several big names available on the market. Among PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents, you can still find Thomas Vanek (#8), Jaromir Jagr (#13), Andrei Markov (#14), Drew Stafford (#21), Cody Franson (#22), and many more without NHL homes. What you can’t find is a single goalie on that list left unsigned. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a single free agent goaltender that the casual hockey fan would recognize.

The following is list of available keepers who were on NHL contracts in 2016-17: Daniel Altshuller, Mantas Armalis, Sam Brittain, Mac Carruth, Ryan Faragher, Michael Garteig, Jonas Gunnarsson, Matt Hackett, Jake Paterson, Mackenzie Skapski, Colin Stevens, and Stephon Williams. Are none of those names standing out? They shouldn’t. Not one of those 13 players made a single NHL appearance last season and only Altshuller, Brittain, and Garteig even sat on an NHL bench. Of the group, only Hackett and Skapski have ever played in the NHL and neither one has suited up since 2014-15. The group leaves little to be desired.

This could explain why many other teams have decided to reach overseas for goalie depth this off-season, with the Nashville Predators bringing back Anders Lindback, the Minnesota Wild signing Niklas Svedberg, the Vegas Golden Knights signing Oscar Dansk, the Florida Panthers signing Harri Sateri and, most recently, the New York Rangers bringing in young Alexander Georgiev. Yet, even the foreign market is drying up. The top leagues in Sweden and Switzerland have nothing to offer net-needy NHL team, while the best remaining free agent goalies in the KHL and Finnish Liiga are 37-year-old Alexander Yeryomenko and 34-year-old Pekka Tuokkola respectively. Other KHL free agents like Riku Helenius, Drew MacIntyre, Justin Pogge, and Kevin Poulin are all former NHL wash-outs themselves who have done little to improve their stock overseas and don’t present much of an upgrade over many of the North American options.

So which keepers are the best of this rag-tag bunch? The short answer is that none are ready to make NHL starts any time soon. Every NHL free agent either spent time in the ECHL in 2016-17 or should have because of unsightly AHL numbers, whereas none of the KHL free agents were particularly impressive this past season either.

Poulin is the most likely of any to earn an NHL contract for next season, as he has more NHL experience than everyone else on this list put together – with just 50 appearances. The 27-year-old went back and forth between the New York Islanders, who drafted him in 2008, and their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, from 2010 to 2015. In that time, Poulin had an 18-25-3 record with an .899 save percentage and 3.07 GAA. While it isn’t the best NHL stat line, it isn’t the worst either. Outside of the NHL, Poulin has always posted a save percentage of .909 or better, including a .909 exact and 2.66 GAA with Barys Astana of the KHL last year. For a team in need of a goalie, even just for AHL depth, Poulin isn’t a terrible option.

Hackett would be next on the list and also has the second-most NHL games played. Once considered the “goalie of the future” for the Minnesota Wild after a spectacular rookie season in 2011-12, the now 27-year-old’s career has gone in the opposite direction. Pedestrian play in the AHL and inconsistency in his NHL efforts took Hackett out of the running as an NHL starter, but he’s still been able to find work as a third-string backup after Minnesota with the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks. Even after an AHL season where he was passed up on the depth chart, saw only seven games of action, and posted poor numbers, Hackett still seems like a safe bet to find a new deal somewhere.

Beyond Poulin and Hackett, a contract for any of the other free agent goalies would come as a surprise. At 23 years old, Paterson is the youngest of the free agents and has put up strong numbers in each of his first two pro seasons. However, those numbers have come in the ECHL rather than the AHL. Paterson’s junior numbers in the OHL aren’t spectacular, so the competition level of the ECHL may simply be where he’s best suited. Nevertheless, he has the most room to grow of anyone available. On the flip side, the 37-year-old Russian keeper Yeryomenko is by far the most talented goalie available statistically. The KHL veteran was arguably the best goalie in the league last year, posting a .950 save percentage and 1.29 GAA in 37 starts. There is no reason to think that Yeryomenko is eyeing a move overseas at this point in his career nor that he could adjust to the NHL’s pace of play at his age, but if he is open to it, he could be a low-risk gamble as a stop-gap veteran backup in the AHL for some team.

Potential Suitors

Luckily, most NHL teams are not in dire straits in net that they should have to be taking a long look at the current free agent market. Nearly every viable name has already been scooped up and few teams have a pressing need. However, it never hurts to have several fallback options in net, and even teams with three or four solid players can end up scooping up that one extra keeper as the off-season goes on.

The one team that really must make a move is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yes, they have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, and promising young backup Joonas Korpisalo, but after trading Anton Forsberg away this summer, the Blue Jackets are lacking in depth. The only other goalie under contract is Matiss Kivlenieks, who is entering his first pro season out of the USHL. Kivlenieks is probably not suited to even start at the AHL level yet, nevertheless be the next man up for Columbus. The Blue Jackets could stand to add two goalie even, though their need is great enough that they could be scouring the trade market instead for their third-stringer.

Even after replacing Ryan Miller with Anders Nilsson in free agency, the Vancouver Canucks could still use another goalie. Thatcher Demko is a stud prospect and ready to carry the bulk of AHL starts, and Richard Bachman is a good veteran AHL option capable of making an NHL spot start too. However, should Jacob Markstrom or Nilsson, both injury-prone and relatively new to their 2017-18 roles, struggle or be sidelined, Demko or possibly Bachman will be ready to go, but without much reliable backup depth in Utica. Vancouver could simply re-sign Garteig, who was in the system last year, but may want to go with a superior talent given the unproven nature of their top three goalies at the NHL level.

Expected Contract

It might be a stretch to assume that any of the goalies remaining on the free agent market, NHL or international, will sign an NHL deal this summer. If they do, it will surely be a one-year, two-way deal worth the minimum $650K or simply a minor league AHL deal. There’s not much left to offer on the market, but with some holes still in need of filling across the league, understanding the strengths and many, many weaknesses of the goalie market could help to make sense of any upcoming deals.

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