News And Notes: Kings, Flyers, Scrivens, Penguins
The Los Angeles Kings announced today that they’ve signed 24-year-old center undrafted Patrick Bjorstrand to a one year contract. Bjorkstrand, the son of the Danish league’s Herning Blue Fox’s head coach Todd Bjorstraand, and brother of Columbus Blue Jackets’ prospect Oliver Bjorkstrand, scored nine goals, and 13 assists for the KHL’s Medveščak Zagreb last year.
Further links from around the NHL:
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced via their website that forward Nick Cousins has accepted his qualifying offer. Cousins will earn $937k on a one year contract.
- Former Maple Leafs, Oilers, and Canadiens goalie Ben Scrivens has signed with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk, according to The Hockey Writers’ Alvis Kalnins. Scrivens played 15 games with the Canadiens this year, posting a .906 save percentage, and split the rest of the season with the Bakersfield Condors and the St. John’s Ice Caps.
- The Pittsburgh Tribune’s Bill West speculates on Twitter that after re-signing Justin Schultz, the Penguins may be loading up on skating defensemen hoping that at least one becomes a significant contributor, and that if several pan out, they may be able to deal one later on.
Free Agent Profile: Luke Schenn
Free agent defenseman Luke Schenn came into the NHL with plenty of expectations, having been drafted with the fifth overall pick in 2008 by the Maple Leafs, winning a gold medal at the World Junior championship, and cracking Toronto’s lineup at 18 years old. Since then, Schenn’s value has diminished, and he’s quickly becoming a veteran journeyman, rather than a budding star.
Initially viewed as a young bright spot on a bad Leafs team, Schenn played 70 games at over 21 minutes a night. The longer Schenn played in Toronto, the more he seemed to be questioned. He was still seen to have the potential to become a high-end NHL defenceman in 2011, when he was signed to a five year, $18MM contract. After signing, Schenn continued to struggle, and was subject of trade rumors all season, until he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers at the draft for left winger James van Riemsdyk.
There have been flashes along the way, and Schenn has had success playing with more skilled defense partners, such as Kimmo Timonen, or Michael Del Zotto. Like in Toronto with his draft position, Schenn faced expectations in Philadelphia based on his salary and what was given up to acquire him, and never fully lived up to them. In January, he was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings along with Vincent Lecavalier for Jordan Weal and a third round pick.
Potential Suitors
While he’s unlikely to be called a top-four defenseman, Schenn has value. He’s an experienced and capable player, and plays the right-handed. Teams looking to balance their defense pairings will take a long look at him. The Boston Bruins, for one, only have two right-handed defensemen signed to NHL contracts, and have the sort of puck-skilled left-hand shots that Schenn has seen success with, including former teammate John-Michael Liles. The Edmonton Oilers have also been speculated to be looking for a right-hand shot.
Expected Contract
Placing Schenn 30th on our NHL free agent rankings, we had projected he would receive a three-year, $8.25MM contract. Given how much of the cap space throughout the league has already been spent, it’s hard to imagine him signing for much more than $1MM for one year in an effort to rebuild his value, or provide depth to a contending team. Teams looking for size and balance may be willing to pay more, but one would have to think that if they were, it would be done by now.
Free Agent Profile: Brandon Pirri
Now that Shane Doan is officially off the market – although no one really expected the veteran winger to leave the desert – there are few options remaining for teams looking to add offense to their lineups. Yesterday we profiled five of the top forwards remaining in free agency that could conceivably fit the bill. One of those players, Brandon Pirri, noticably stuck out on that list due to his relative youth compared to his unemployed peers.
It’s not usually surprising that aging veterans whose best seasons are clearly in the rear view mirror might linger on the market well into the summer. In fact, many will either be forced to accept training camp invites or face the prospect of retirement. However, it’s exceedingly rare for one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers – based on rate stats – and who is still just 25-years-old, to be waiting for his next contract into the middle of July.
Pirri tallied 14 goals and 29 points last year in 61 games, splitting the season between Florida and Anaheim. The Ducks had acquired the 6-foot, 183-pound forward from the Panthers at the trade deadline in exchange for a sixth-round draft choice. The year prior, Pirri netted 22 goals in 61 contests, albeit with an amazingly low 2 assists, for the Panthers.
Over the last three seasons, Pirri has averaged 0.95 goals for every 60 minutes of ice time he sees at five-on-five play. That rate places him 30th in the NHL among all forwards who have suited up for a minimum of 120 games during that span. In terms of even-strength goal scoring prowess, Pirri is certainly among the best in the game.
Based on overall point-production, however, Pirri ranks just 203rd over the past three seasons in points-per-hour, due in large part to his 2014-15 tally of just two helpers. That ranking would seem to place him outside of a top-six role when it comes to offensive contributions.
Goal scoring is typically sought after and usually rewarded in free agency. Pirri’s continued presence on the open market is a bit of a mystery. It’s possible teams are scared off due to his low assists total from two seasons ago. Though it should be noted, if we remove that outlier from his career numbers, Pirri actually has two more assists than goals scored in his career and typically teams don’t pay as much attention to extreme statistical outliers.
Whatever the reason, it seems clear teams are hesitant about employing Pirri. He’s suited up for three NHL clubs over the last three campaigns and despite quality offensive numbers at the time of the trade, the Ducks obtained him from Florida for the lowly cost of a sixth-round draft pick. After the season, Anaheim elected not to qualify Pirri, a move that may have struck some as a bit surprising. He was eligible for arbitration and goals tend to be given extra weight when arbitrators decide on a player’s salary. It’s possible the Ducks wanted to avoid that process altogether. Nonetheless Pirri is free to sign with any team willing to give him a chance to show off his goal scoring acumen.
Potential Fits
New Jersey – The Devils finished last in the NHL in scoring this past season but have already added top-line LW Taylor Hall to the mix and expect their best returning offensive player, Mike Cammalleri, to be healthy at the outset of the upcoming campaign. A look at the club’s depth chart, courtesy of our partner site, Roster Resource, indicates the Devils have plenty of forward options so their interest in Pirri would likely be tepid at best.
Edmonton – Even though the Oilers have filled the hole they created when shipping the aforementioned Hall to Jersey by signing Milan Lucic, they could still use an upgrade over Mark Letestu at the third-line pivot position. Edmonton finished 25th in scoring and didn’t necessarily improve in that department by swapping out Hall for Lucic.
Columbus – If the Blue Jackets are ever able to offload winger Scott Hartnell they could be in the market for another goal scorer. But it’s possible the team would rather reinvest any savings from a Hartnell move into their defense as they have a number of quality forward prospects ready to make the jump to Columbus.
Los Angeles – Currently the Kings list Dwight King, Kyle Clifford and Dustin Brown as top-nine wingers. King’s career best in the goal socring department is 15 while Clifford has never tallied more than seven in any single season. Meanwhile, Brown’s days as a productive player capable of adequately manning a top-nine role may well be over. On a cheap contract the Kings could make sense for Pirri.
Expected Contract
Considering Anaheim passed on qualifying Pirri at just more than $1MM annually and given how late in the free agent season it is now, it’s not likely Pirri is going to find a deal representing much of a raise over the $925K he earned this past season. As such, a team like the Kings might be a terrific fit for Pirri on a one-year, make good deal at right around $1MM.
Flyers Sign Jordan Weal To One-Year Deal
After filing for arbitration last week, Philadelphia Flyers forward Jordan Weal has come to terms with the team on a one-year, two-way deal, according to Tim Wharnsby of CBC. The deal will see him paid $650K at the NHL level, and $200K if he remains in the AHL.
Weal made his NHL debut last season for the Los Angeles Kings before being involved in the trade that brought Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn out west. Weal is a small framed center, capable of putting up a ton of points at the AHL level, including back to back twenty-goal seasons in 2013-15.
Last season the 24-year old only got into 14 total games, as injury and waiver limbo kept him in the NHL all season. After being acquired by Philadelphia, the former Calder Cup MVP spent many games watching from the press box, as the team was unwilling to expose him to waivers to send him down. Now he’ll try to crack the Philadelphia top-6, and prove that he can carry over that scoring prowess to the next level.
Free Agent Profile: Kyle Quincey
One of the best remaining defensive options available on the open market, Kyle Quincey is somewhat of a tragic tale. After being selected in the fourth round by Detroit, he slowly crawled towards the NHL but could never establish himself on the Red Wings’ blueline. It took a waiver claim by Los Angeles – then a bottom-feeder of the NHL – to give him his chance, and he ran with it.
Playing in 72 games for the Kings that year, Quincey put up what would turn out to be a career-high 38 points, including a whopping 25 assists on the powerplay. Though he wasn’t considered an excellent offensive defenseman, the Kings just didn’t have many other options then – a 19-year old Drew Doughty was still learning the game, and Jack Johnson was injured for much of the season.
In July of that year, still rehabbing a herniated disc that cut short his season, Quincey was the centerpiece in a deal with the Avalanche for Ryan Smyth, a key member in the turnaround the Kings experienced a year later. In joining Colorado, Quincey – still just 24 – was on his third team already in his young career.
Colorado wouldn’t keep him around very long either, as they dealt the young blueliner back to his original Detroit Red Wings mid-season in 2011-12 (via Tampa Bay, who received a first-round pick in the transaction). He was back with the team who wouldn’t give him a chance in the first place, and immediately saw his numbers plummet again. He’d see the ice 36 times in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, but only logged three points all season.
Still, the Red Wings thought of him enough to hand him a two-year, $8.5MM deal on July 1st of 2014, even though he qualified as an unrestricted free agent and could have chosen anywhere else (that would have him).
Now, with that deal expired, the Red Wings have shown no interest in keeping Quincey around, and have moved on to other options. He now represents one of the best options left available, if you believe his early career success can be replicated in any way.
Potential Suitors
Before free agency started, we had Quincey on our Top 50 UFA list going to the Minnesota Wild, and it still seems to be a fit, though there has been no discussion about the 30-year old thus far in the media. Having given deals to both Eric Staal and Chris Stewart as they try to rebuild there value, it’s clear the team is willing to try and re-energize former stars on short-term deals.
Another possibility would be that of the Edmonton Oilers, despite already bringing in Adam Larsson and Mark Fraser. Though they look to have too many (luke-warm) bodies already, expect a few of them to be shipped out by the start of the season. If the team is committed to rebuilding a blueline that was horrible last year, Quincey could be a nice option on a bottom pairing to help some of the youngsters (Darnell Nurse, Jordan Oesterle or Brandon Davidson) develop into legitimate NHL defensemen.
Expected Contract
Needing to rebuild his value, Quincey will probably take a fairly low number on a short-term deal to prove that he’s still an effective NHL blueliner. With advanced metrics disliking his play the last few seasons, he looks to be in the same boat as fellow unsigned free agent Kris Russell, in that teams are moving towards possession-based metrics, especially for their defense.
The thing that Quincey has going for him, is that he was once regarded positively in this manner, and with a change of scenery and correct role he could be again. Only 30 years old, he’ll try to secure as much as Roman Polak did for the Leafs (one year, $2.25MM), but – amazingly – might not even get that.
Kings Sign Derek Forbort To Two-Year Deal
According to General Fanager, the Los Angeles Kings have signed restricted free agent Derek Forbort to a two-year, two-way deal that will see him earn $650K per season in the NHL. Forbort was coming off his entry-level contract after being selected fifteenth overall in the 2010 draft.
A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Forbort went to the University of North Dakota after being drafted before making his professional debut in 2013, getting into six games with the Manchester Monarchs. In the three seasons following, Forbort has been a mainstay on the AHL blueline (which this season moved to Ontario, California) and got his first taste of the NHL when he finally made his debut this past year.
After being called up but never dressed in 2014-15, Forbort was the last player from the first round of the 2010 draft to make his NHL debut, a full 1939 days later. In the 14 games that he played this season for Los Angeles, the 6’4″ defenseman scored just two points in barely over eleven minutes a night.
He’ll try now to prove that he deserves another shot in the NHL, but has to go through a deep, proven group on the Kings’ back end. Even so, the guaranteed $550K over the two seasons isn’t a bad check for an AHL player.
Snapshots: Brent, Mrazek, Kings, Datsyuk
Veteran forward Tim Brent has decided to retire, reports Bill Doucet of the Cambridge Times. The 32 year old is beginning his post-hockey career in real estate in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he spent part of his career. Brent spent parts of seven seasons in the NHL with Anaheim (who twice drafted him), Pittsburgh, Chicago, Toronto, and Carolina, where he last played in 2012-13. Overall, he played in 207 NHL games, recording 21 goals and 27 assists.
Other news and notes from around the NHL:
- Detroit opted to take goalie Petr Mrazek to arbitration earlier this week and as George Malik of Kukla’s Korner writes, there’s a sizable gap between the two sides at the moment. Mrazek is apparently seeking close to $6MM while the Wings are offering closer to half that amount. Despite that, Mrazek’s camp is hopeful that they can get a deal done without going through the arbitration process. Arbitration hearings will take place between July 20th and August 4th.
- While the Kings were looking to make organizational changes after being ousted in the first round of the playoffs, the majority of them have come off the ice in terms of small philosophical changes, writes Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy. Given their relative cap constraints (they have just shy of $1.8MM in space according to Cap Friendly), Los Angeles has only been able to add Jeff Zatkoff, Tom Gilbert, Zach Trotman, and Teddy Purcell, only the latter of which can be viewed as a potential impact addition.
- The widely anticipated Pavel Datsyuk contract with SKA St. Petersburg was officially announced by the KHL team today as the Coyotes have approved and signed his player transfer card. It’s a two year deal believed to be worth roughly $7.6MM US. Though he will play in Russia and won’t be paid by Arizona, the Coyotes will still be charged for his entire cap hit of $7.5MM for 2016-17.
Minor Transactions: 07/06/16
A few minor moves were made today to fill out minor league rosters:
- Blues’ prospect Jake Walman will head back to Providence College this season for his third year at the school, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. After putting up 28 points in 27 games last season, Walman’s year was cut short by a shoulder injury that needed surgery.
- According to General Fanager, T.J Hensick has signed an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate. Hensick last played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 2010-11, and has 38 points in 112 NHL games.
- Also with the Reign, Paul Bissonnette has signed on after an entertaining social media presence over the last few days. Bissonnette, a veteran of 202 NHL games, let fans in on all his conversations with various clubs and players, even sharing that he’d be tricked by a friend into believing Nashville had offered him a contract.
- Ryan Bourque, son of former NHLer Ray who was in court today, has re-signed with the Hershey Bears after being traded to them midseason last year. Bourque was part of the Calder Cup run that took Hershey all the way to the finals before losing to the Lake Erie Monsters. A former third round pick of the Bruins, Bourque has played one game in the NHL to date. He returns to Hershey to play alongside his brother, Chris. The Bears additionally announced that they had re-signed Dustin Gazley and also that they have inked former Boston College standout goalie Parker Milner.
- The Red Wings have signed goaltender Jared Coreau to a two-year deal, according to a team release. Coreau was one of the 24 players to file for salary arbitration yesterday. The 24-year old spent last season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Pacific Notes: Oilers, Kings, Canucks
The Oilers trade for Adam Larsson was not well received in many parts of the hockey world, and TSN’s Travis Yost writes that just getting Larsson was not enough for Taylor Hall. Outside of opining that Larsson might not be as good as the Oilers think, he notes that the Devils were often better with Larsson on the bench. However, Yost also points out that Oilers bench boss Todd McLellan could do wonders for the young d-man by employing a “friendly two-way approach.” Yost provides a number of statistical defenses as to why Larsson may not be as bad as many think, but he concludes by indicating that Hall was more valuable than just a one for one trade for Larsson.
- The Los Angeles Kings are one of six teams that have been very quiet this offseason writes Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski. Despite signing Teddy Purcell, and Tom Gilbert, Wyshynski notes that the Kings are in need of a left wing after losing Milan Lucic to Edmonton and they have little cap room to spare. Wyshynski wonders if the Kings can move Dustin Brown, who was recently stripped of the captaincy. The cap concerns are troubling since Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson are both due raises after next season.
- Ben Kuzma writes that Canucks winger Jake Virtanen has to put on his “big boy pants” and plunge into the crowded rink filled with forwards. Kuzma writes how Virtanen has a number of different hurdles to clear, one of which includes impressing new assistant coach Doug Jarvis, who’s in charge of forwards and the power play. Kuzma insists that Virtanen possesses the skills to make an impact on the Canucks roster, but that his maturity last season suffered when his “attention span would waver or his conditioning wasn’t where it should be.” Virtanen had 13 points (7-6) in 55 games.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Teddy Purcell
According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, the Los Angeles Kings have signed free agent forward Teddy Purcell. Purcell spent last season split between Edmonton and Florida, scoring 14 goals and 43 points. Elliotte Friedman adds that the deal is worth $1.6MM for just the 2016-17 season.
With the Kings coming off their first round exit at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, they are looking to add some scoring punch to their top-9, and have found it in Purcell. While he has never been able to replicate the 24 goal, 65 point season he put up in 2011-12, Purcell has been a consistent offensive performer throughout his whole career including putting up 43 points last season.
With Dustin Brown becoming an anchor for the Kings, and not contributing anything offensively the team had to go after inexpensive options to upgrade their forward group. At just $1.6 million Purcell provides a solid risk-reward proposition for a team looking to get back to the playoffs this season.