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Pacific Notes: Kovalchuk, Kings, Canucks, Ducks

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Los Angeles Kings free agent signee Ilya Kovalchuk finally spoke to the media today after agreeing to sign a three-year, $18.75MM deal with the Kings on June 23. The 35-year-old superstar has now spent the past five years in the KHL, putting up some great numbers and has made it clear that he believes that despite his age, he has three or four good years left in him, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen.

The winger said one of his main reasons for choosing the Kings was because he wanted to play next to a high-end center like Anze Kopitar. Kovalchuk could be a perfect complement to Kopitar. The 35-year-old has been playing some of the best hockey of his career, posting 63 goals in his last two KHL seasons as well as winning MVP for Team Russia in the Olympics this past year.

Kovalchuk also believes he is young for 35, but declined to say that he could put up a 30-goal season next season, according to Helene St. James of the Los Angeles Times. Kovalchuk last posted a 30-goal season in the NHL back in the 2011-12 season when he scored 37.

  • Sticking with the Kings, Lisa Dillman of The Athletic (subscription required) does a Q&A with head coach John Stevens, who says that the Kings had no choice, but to place more responsibility on young players on their defense. The team has five veterans to hold down the core of the defense in Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Dion Phaneuf and Derek Forbort. However, the team will have to rely on younger players, like Paul Ladue, Daniel Brickley and Kurtis MacDermid to fill out the rest of the roster. “There comes a point in time especially with the [salary] cap where you’ve got so many young guys. You have to make decisions,” Stevens said.
  • Jason Brough of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that after assessing the offseason in which the team spent money on multiple bottom-six forwards, the Vancouver Canucks are putting all their success next season on the scoring ability of their young prospects. For one, the team lost three of the team’s top five scorers and now besides Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, the team will need to get increased scoring output from other forwards, including Elias Pettersson, Sven Baertschi, Nikolay Goldobin, Brendan Leipsic and Jake Virtanen. If they can’t make up for that offense, it should be another long season.
  • Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required) looks at the Anaheim Ducks salary cap situation now and in one year from now to see if it will improve. Unfortunately the Ducks will not have much in terms of bad contracts that will come off the books in a year and the team will have to deal with other salary cap challenges instead. The team must deal with the cost of bringing back forwards Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg, who will be unrestricted free agents as well as goaltender John Gibson, who will be a restricted free agent.

 

Kings Sign Zack Mitchell

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The Kings have dipped their toes into the minor league free agent market.  CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they have signed winger Zack Mitchell to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal pays the league minimum salary of $650K at the NHL level and $150K in the minors.

Mitchell had spent the previous four seasons in Minnesota’s system after they signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 2014 but was eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer.

Last season, Mitchell spent most of his time at the minor league level, suiting up in 42 games with the Iowa Wild of the AHL.  He was fairly productive down there, picking up 16 goals and 17 assists in that span.  He also suited up in 23 games with Minnesota where he collected five points (3-2-5).

Although he was acquired as an unrestricted free agent, Mitchell could still potentially become a restricted free agent next summer.  He has played in 34 career NHL games thus far and if he suits up in 46 with the Kings this season, he will become a regular RFA.  If not, he will once again be a Group VI UFA next July.

Rasmus Kupari Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Los Angeles Kings inked a restricted free agent earlier, and now they’ve signed a top prospect. Rasmus Kupari has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the team, joining the organization after being selected 20th-overall in June. Head European scout Christian Ruuttu had this to say about Kupari after the Kings selected him:

As a player, we always knew he was a first round talent. He’s got the speed, he’s got the skill, he’s playing with men in the pro league. 

We’ve seen him a lot, and we knew what the new game is going towards. Rasmus is part of that game – the speed, the skill and the playmaking, all that. What he really does have, he’s got a good shot on the fly.

Kupari, 18, is expected to remain in Europe for another season despite signing his contract, which will allow it to slide and not begin until the 2019-20 season (or even another year past that). The talented Finnish forward played most of last season in Liiga, the country’s highest level, and recorded 14 points in 39 games. He’s obviously not fully developed at this point, but he measured in at a little more than 6’1″ 188-lbs at the combine which was quite a bit bigger than he’d previously been listed. That bodes well for an NHL career when it’s combined with excellent puck skills and vision, things Kupari should bring to North America before long.

The Kings are developing a nice little prospect pool in recent years, adding names like Gabriel Vilardi, Kale Clague and Jaret Anderson-Dolan to the mix. They even landed Akil Thomas when he slipped to the second round at the most recent draft, another high-upside forward that should help them down the line. While prospects are never guaranteed to pan out, Los Angeles has been looking for offense for years to help fill out their roster in front of Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty. With names like Kupari and Vilardi leading the way, that might not be so far off.

Los Angeles Kings Re-Sign Paul LaDue

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Paul LaDue decided not to file for arbitration this summer, and perhaps it’s because he knew he would reach a deal anyway. The Los Angeles Kings have announced a two-year contract for the 25-year old defenseman that will carry an $825K cap hit. LaDue will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal.

The Los Angeles defense corps is one of the hardest groups in the league to break into, but LaDue will try again to get some playing time this season. He suited up on just 12 occasions for the Kings in 2017-18 and 34 times during his short career, despite his successful run at the University of North Dakota and in the minor leagues with the Ontario Reign. LaDue is a skilled puck-moving defenseman that doesn’t sacrifice size on the blue line. Standing 6’2″ he plays well enough in his own end—though not overly physical—to command some more minutes, but is still buried on the depth chart in Los Angeles.

The Kings of course have Drew Doughty eating up a ton of minutes on the right side, but also Alec Martinez who despite shooting left often plays on his off-side. If LaDue can work his way onto the bottom pairing with any regularity, he may find some success and a growing role. If not, this may just be a depth signing that continues to play little impact on the Kings on-ice product.

Poll: What Kind Of Extension Is Predators’ Ryan Ellis Worth?

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With top defensemen getting locked up to big, long-term deals everywhere, one only has to look around the league to see who is next. The most obvious target would be Nashville’s Ryan Ellis, who will be wrapping up the final year of his five-year, $12.5MM deal. Ellis, who is one of the core of Nashville’s talented back end, is one of the most underpaid blueliners in the league at $2.5MM AAV, should be in line for a great extension. After all, many of his defensive teammates are already well-paid, including P.K. Subban ($9MM for four more years), Roman Josi ($4MM for two more years), and Mattias Ekholm ($3.75MM for four more years).

Nashville claims that locking up the 27 year old is the team’s top priority this offseason. Yet little has happened. However, how much is he worth, asks Adam Vingan of the Tennessean? While two of the most significant extensions went to Los Angeles’ Kings Drew Doughty (eight years, $11MM AAV) and Arizona Coyotes’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson (eight years, $8.25MM AAV), Ellis likely doesn’t fit into that category. Therefore, Vingan writes that Nashville must compare Ellis’ play with several other tiers of defenseman that have recently signed new deals. The most likely comparables for Ellis will come down to the recent contracts signed by Washington Capitals’ John Carlson (eight years, $8MM AAV) and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan McDonagh (eight years, $6.75MM AAV). However is he as good as those two?

The next tier would be contracts handed out a few years ago that could compare, such as Pittsburgh Penguins’ Kris Letang (eight years, $7.25MM AAV), Erik Johnson (seven years, $6MM AAV) and Anaheim Ducks’ Cam Fowler (eight years, $6.5MM AAV). Ellis’ stats are challenging to look when attempting to compare to any of those defensemen. Offensively, he’s never put up 40 points in a season yet, coming close once with 38 points (16 of those were goals). However, after missing the first half of this past season after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason, Ellis’ stats took a jump when he put up 32 points in 44 games, suggesting that his offense is starting to emerge. With his defense never under question, the Predators must come up with a number soon.

So what range should Ellis fall into?

How much should Nashville defenseman get on his next contract?
$6-8MM per year 54.71% (598 votes)
Less than $6MM per year 39.71% (434 votes)
More than $8MM per year 5.58% (61 votes)
Total Votes: 1,093

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Damir Sharipzyanov Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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Largely unnoticed earlier today was the placement of Damir Sharipzyanov on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination. The 22-year old defenseman actually spent last season in the KHL on loan, but will now have his NHL rights relinquished by the Los Angeles Kings. Tomorrow after his contract is terminated he could technically sign with another NHL team, but it seems likely that he will return to the KHL.

Sharipzyanov, 22, signed an entry-level contract in 2015 after going undrafted for the second time and returned to the Owen Sound Attack for a final season and won a silver medal for Russia at the World Juniors. His point totals were solid if unspectacular, and he had the size to potentially find success at the professional level. After a season spent bouncing between the ECHL and AHL, he decided to go to the KHL where he would have a better opportunity. In this interview with Alessandro Seren Rosso for The Hockey Writers, Sharipzyanov did seem to indicate that he would want to come back to North America eventually.

I had a chance to get back home. To be loaned [to the KHL]. And then to get back to North America. I simply want to play. I didn’t have this option [in North America] at this moment. That’s why I and my agent decided to give the KHL a chance.

It seems unlikely that the Kings would give up his rights if he intended on playing in North America this season, meaning we’ll likely have to wait to see if there is a return down the road. If his first season in the KHL was any indication—where he recorded 16 points in 54 games while logging nearly 20 minutes a night—there could be plenty of teams after him in a few years.

Kings To Sign Drew Doughty To Eight-Year Extension

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July 1: The Kings have officially announced the contract, signing Doughty to an eight-year, $88MM contract extension. The deal will kick in for the 2018-19 season, and make Doughty the highest-paid defenseman in the league, barring an even bigger extension being signed before then.

June 29: A major impending free agent is about to be off the market, but it’s not a member of the 2018 class, but the 2019 class. When July 1st arrives and players with expiring contracts after next season are first eligible to sign extensions, Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty is expected to re-sign with the Kings. TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the two sides put the finishing touches on a max eight-year extension today that will be officially signed on Sunday. No financial terms have been disclosed.

The Kings are undoubtedly one of the teams that benefited the most from the massive salary cap spike this off-season. That added flexibility allowed L.A. to add much-needed scoring in the form of Ilya Kovalchuk without losing the breathing room needed to retain Doughty. For a time, many speculated that Doughty would test free agency next summer, but over the past few months the Norris Trophy-winner has made it clear that he would prefer to stay with the Kings. The team’s acquisition of Kovalchuk and continued search for talent this off-season was likely the very last boost of confidence that Doughty needed to re-up in L.A.

Doughty now joins fellow defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Arizona Coyotes and center Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks as potential superstar free agents who will instead sign on with their current teams as soon as possible. Doughty is the biggest name so far and, if previous reports prove true, will soon be the highest paid defenseman in hockey. Doughty has gone on the record as saying that he would like to be paid more than Nashville Predators blue liner P.K. Subban, who is currently the highest-paid defenseman in the league at $9MM AAV. LeBrun’s TSN colleague Darren Dreger is among many speculating that deal will land in the realm of $11MM per year over the eight years, which would make him the new top dog among defenders and the second-highest paid player in the league – at least until Erik Karlsson signs his next contract.

Ilya Kovalchuk Agrees To Terms With Los Angeles Kings

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July 1: The Kings have officially announced the three-year, $18.75MM contract for Kovalchuk.

June 23: The Ilya Kovalchuk saga is finally over, and the Russian sniper has decided to move to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms with Kovalchuk on a three-year contract, and will officially sign him on July 1. The contract will carry a $6.25MM cap hit.

Kovalchuk is returning from the KHL after five years away, but had several teams pursuing him right down to the wire. The deciding factor seems to have been the third season, which was the exact same thing that convinced fellow J.P. Barry client Patrick Marleau to go to Toronto at an advanced age. Kovalchuk’s deal is a 35+ contract, meaning that cap hit will be applied to Los Angeles regardless of whether the player retires or returns to Russia.

Marleau’s contract is a direct comparison as it came in at the same money value as well, and could be a blueprint for the bonus structure. Kovalchuk won’t be eligible for performance bonuses, as they can only be applied to one-year deals.

The Kings have struggled for several seasons in the offensive zone, and were after nearly every scoring winger on the market. Kovalchuk may be the best of the bunch of them, and it cost them only money to sign him out of free agency. He does come with obvious risk, but after leading the KHL in scoring and winning an Olympic MVP en route to a gold medal, there apparently was just too much reward available. Kovalchuk can immediately bring goal scoring ability and help the Kings powerplay, something that desperately needed another option for 2018-19.

Los Angeles is obviously trying to compete for the Stanley Cup right now, but there is plenty to be wary of as they move forward. The core of their team is made up of players in their thirties or close to it, and many of them are signed long-term. The only one that’s not is Drew Doughty, who could sign an extension as soon as July 1st. While that group could certainly find some success this season, it’s a precarious position the organization finds themselves in while their prospects continue to develop.

Kovalchuk left the NHL with 816 points in 816 games and could easily join the 500 goal club on this contract. With 417 through the first part of his career he was one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league every year. If any of that skill is still around, the Kings will be more than happy to pay him a contract of this amount.

Edmonton Oilers To Sign Tobias Rieder

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Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that the Edmonton Oilers have decided the price is no longer too high on Tobias Rieder, and will sign the free agent forward to a one-year contract worth $2MM. Rieder did not receive a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Kings and became an unrestricted free agent.

The deal is the optimal “prove it” contract as the Oilers aren’t risking more that $2MM to see if they can get him to have a breakout season and if it fails, they can move on with no repercussions. With Rieder’s speed, he might be a solid fit next to Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl on one of the top two lines. If he is a success, then Edmonton still gets his restricted free agent rights next season, so they can keep him in the fold. And at age 25, he’s still has potential to improve his game and fit in well with the younger core of Oilers. He also has some penalty killing experience, which can’t hurt an Edmonton team that struggled with special teams last season.

The speedy winger has always had a tremendous amount of potential and looked to be well on his way after his first three years in Arizona in which he tallied 13, 14 and 16 goals. However, he fell out of favor with Rick Tocchet and the team opted instead to send him and goaltender Scott Wedgewood to Los Angeles for backup goalie Darcy Kuemper. Rieder posted four goals and six points in 20 games after the trade, but it wasn’t enough for the Kings to give him an qualifying offer.

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