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Prospect Notes: Kaprizov, CHL Defensemen, Draft

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The Minnesota Wild and their fans are still waiting to see Kirill Kaprizov hit the ice with the team five years after they drafted him. The 23-year old forward is widely regarded as one of the best players outside the NHL, but for years there was little indication he wanted to come to North America. Now that there is—Kaprizov has made it clear that he is ready to sign with the Wild—the current league pause is getting in the way.

Despite being on the reserve list of the Wild, Kaprizov (and other players like him in similar situations around the league) isn’t being allowed to sign with the team for the 2019-20 season because of the current pause. Minnesota GM Bill Guerin is still holding out hope that the league will change their mind, telling Dan Myers of NHL.com that both sides are just taking it “day-by-day” and not jumping into an agreement for 2020-21 until it is necessary. As Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) has explained several times, a delayed start to 2020-21 could pose a threat for the Wild should Kaprizov decide he doesn’t want to wait around for the season to begin, but it does seem like finally, both sides are on the same page.

  • Each of the three leagues that make up the CHL have announced their Defenseman of the Year awards. Ty Smith repeats for the WHL, taking home the award for the second consecutive season and joining Kris Russell, Dion Phaneuf and Nolan Baumgartner as the only back-to-back winners. The New Jersey Devils prospect recorded 59 points in 46 games for the Spokane Chiefs and looks ready to make the jump to the NHL in short order. Noel Hoefenmayer doesn’t have quite the same name recognition as Smith, given that he was a fourth-round pick in 2017 and failed to sign with the Arizona Coyotes, but he was just as impressive this year in the OHL. Hoefenmayer recorded 82 points in 58 games for the Ottawa 67’s, an incredible total even if he was playing his over-age season. Hoefenmayer recently signed an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies, his hometown minor league team. Jordan Spence takes home the award for the QMJHL, more exciting news for the Los Angeles Kings whose prospect pool is bursting at the seams with talent. As Scott Wheeler of The Athletic points out on Twitter, Spence now has a QMJHL Rookie of the Year and Defenseman of the Year award in his cabinet, but still isn’t even one of the very best prospects in the Kings’ system.
  • Everyone is waiting to see when the draft will be for this season, but the push to have it take place in June before finishing the season has seemingly come to an end. In fact, Bob McKenzie of TSN asked some general manager around the league yesterday, who told him they have “no clue” on when it will be. McKenzie reports that the entire focus is on returning to play right now and that the decision on when to hold the draft “won’t be made anytime soon.”

Potential Compliance Buyout Candidates: Part II

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As the current Coronavirus crisis wears on, it seems more and more likely that the NHL will not return to action soon and when play resumes, it will almost certainly not be the full remaining regular season schedule. That lost revenue is expected to impact the 2020-21 salary cap, perhaps even keeping the current $81.5MM upper limit in place. Given that teams expected an increase, initially projected to be between $84-88.2MM, this stagnation could have a harsh impact on a number of clubs’ cap situations. As such, many expect that compliance buyouts will return in some form or fashion to ease that pain. These buyouts, which do not count against the salary cap, would allow for teams to open up space that they otherwise expected from a cap increase.

After taking a look at the first ten teams, we move on to the middle third of the NHL:

Detroit Red Wings: Justin Abdelkader

– When Abdelkader signed a seven-year extension with an AAV of $4.25MM following his career-best season in 2014-15, it was perceived to be a bargain at the time and few expected that it would turn out poorly. Yet, with three years still to go Abdelkader has failed to impress in each of the first four seasons, recording a total of just 78 points and consistently missing time due to injury. On a young rebuilding team, the 33-year-old forward’s slow, plodding game is not a fit and his salary is not commensurate to his role on the club. New GM Steve Yzerman wouldn’t hesitate to buy out the career Red Wing if given the opportunity.

Edmonton Oilers: James Neal

– Last summer’s swap of Neal for Milan Lucic was labeled as two teams exchanging bad contracts. However, Neal got off to a hot start and ended up with 19 goals and 31 points despite being limited to just 55 games due to injury. That being said, the 32-year-old forward, who was a -20 this season, is still probably the worst contract on the team. The likelihood of Neal playing up to his remaining $17.25MM over three years seems slim and the Oilers could use the cap space to add a younger, better winger. If Neal has earned the trust of the team, Kris Russell could be bought out before his final year at $4MM.

Florida Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky

– Would the Panthers move on from Bobrovsky just one year after handing him a seven-year, $70MM deal? That could be the biggest question of the off-season if compliance buyouts become reality. The star goalie’s first season in Florida could not have gone worse as he posted a career-worst GAA and didn’t boast a shiny save percentage either. Expected to be the Cats’ savior in net, Bobrovsky was anything but. If they hesitate to cut ties with Bobrovsky and his play does not improve, he would undoubtedly become the worst contract in hockey. Though on the other hand, if Bobrovsky goes elsewhere and succeeds and Florida cannot find a suitable location, some would surely say that they didn’t give him enough of a chance.

Los Angeles Kings: Jonathan Quick

– The rebuilding Kings have been trying to move Quick for a couple of years now and it would be a surprise if they did not take advantage of a compliance buyout opportunity. A holdover contract from the days of yore, Quick’s ten-year, $58MM deal signed in 2012 remained a bargain for the first half of the term until Quick hit a wall last year. While his play rebounded this season, Quick is still not playing up to the all-world level that had become the norm. L.A. is still a ways away from contending and can make more use of extra cap space over the next three years than a goalie who is past his prime.

Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise

– The Wild and new GM Bill Guerin came awfully close to trading Parise at the deadline this season and in recent years players who have been rumored to be leaving Minnesota are always eventually dealt. However, the potential trade included the team taking back bad salaries to facilitate the movement of Parise’s remaining five years and $37.69MM. Although Parise showed a return to form somewhat over the past two years, he has never been able to replicate his numbers from earlier in career and the team has generally been unhappy with the results of their 13-year gamble. If the possibility to dump the 35-year-old Parise without any cap repercussions opened up, it would become a serious conversation. More interesting would be if the Wild also discuss Mats Zuccarello as a buyout candidate after he was a bust in the first of a five-year, $30MM deal.

Montreal Canadiens: Karl Alzner

– While there will be those that find some of the bigger names on Montreal as intriguing buyout candidates, Alzner seems like an obvious choice that will improve the roster without any risk of releasing a good player or upsetting team chemistry. Few players in recent history have had their team turn on them following a major contract as quickly as the Canadiens did with Alzner. After signing the physical defenseman as a top free agent in 2017, the Habs decided just a year later that he was not worthy of an NHL roster spot following a difficult first season. Alzner has played just 13 NHL games over the past two years, buried in the AHL for the remainder. With two years at $4.625MM remaining, Montreal would be happy to be completely rid of Alzner’s contract rather than receiving just minor saving from sending him to the minors instead.

Nashville Predators: Kyle Turris

– For a long time, Nashville GM David Poile was opposed to handing out expensive, long-term contracts. That policy served him well for quite a time, as the Predators ended up with a number of tremendous values on the roster. Since the team has started to move away from that practice, things have not gone so well. Turris is the poster boy for this statement. He signed a six-year, $36MM extension with Nashville not long after being acquired by the club early in the 2017-18 season and has never lived up to the expectations. His 54 total points over the past two years is less than the one-year total the season prior to his joining Nashville. Turris has become an expendable player, not only missing time due to injury but also as a healthy scratch. The team has been eager to move him and they likely wouldn’t hesitate to do so with a compliance buyout.

New Jersey Devils: Cory Schneider

– An overpaid, under-performing starting goalie is one thing; an overpaid, under-performing backup is another. It has been quite a time since Schneider was the top man in net in New Jersey and young Mackenzie Blackwood has now taken the reins. However, Schneider’s horrific numbers over the past two year suggest that he isn’t even capable of being an NHL backup at this point in his career. With two years remaining at $6MM, Schneider’s might be the worst goalie contract in the league and a rather obvious buyout candidate.

New York Islanders: Andrew Ladd

– Ladd, part of the infamous 2016 class of terrible free agent contracts, Ladd has never provided adequate value to the Islanders compared to his $5.5MM AAV. The team finally buried him in the AHL this season after recording just 71 points through his first three years. With the majority of their forwards signed to substantial long-term deals, there is almost no chance that Ladd can ever work his way back into the NHL mix for the Islanders. New York was ready to move him at the trade deadline and would be quick to buyout the final three years of his deal rather than continue to pay major money for him to play in the minors.

New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist

– While it would be a sad day for the Blueshirts and their fans, the reality is that Lundqvist is the best use of a compliance buyout on the team. New York was considering moving young Alexandar Georgiev at the deadline rather than continue to carry three goaltenders, as Igor Shesterkin looks like the starter of the future and King Henrik has become an immovable contract. However, the team would be far better off retaining both young goalies and moving on from Lundqvist, who at 38 years old had the worst season of his career and still has a season remaining at $8.5MM. That’s a hefty salary to pay the man who would be your third-string goalie next season if Georgiev is not moved. The Rangers have no shortage of options though if they cannot overcome the loyalty they feel toward Lundqvist. Defensemen Marc Staal, $5.7MM AAV, and Brendan Smith, $4.35MM AAV, have both outworn their welcomes in New York and would not be missed in the final years of their respective contracts.

Stay tuned for Part III coming soon.

Minnesota Wild Attempting To Sign Kirill Kaprizov Early

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The Minnesota Wild have already fared quite well on the college free-agent market, signing forward Mitchell Chaffee. They also signed 2019 second-rounder Hunter Jones to an entry-level contract. Now, general manager Bill Guerin has focused his sights in on KHL star Kirill Kaprizov, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required).

It has been reported that Kaprizov, the third-leading scorer in the KHL, is expected to sign a contract this summer. However, due to KHL rules, he would not be eligible to sign a NHL entry-level contract until his contract expires on Apr. 30, four days after his 23rd birthday. That would allow Minnesota to sign him to a two-year, entry-level deal by May 1. However, with the KHL playoffs recently having been cancelled and with the World Championships also being cancelled, Kaprizov doesn’t have any remaining obligations remaining to Russia, which might be enough for his team, CSKA Moscow, to release him from his contract.

Kaprizov had career highs in goals and assists with 33 goals and 29 assists in 57 games in his sixth season in the league. Guerin would prefer his two-year, entry-level deal to start for the 2020-21 season, so the team gets the most out of the deal. Guerin is now trying to talk to his agent, Dan Milstein, about the potential of getting a deal done early. Of course, the recent agreement between the St. Louis Blues and college defenseman Scott Perunovich, where he agreed to two different contracts, depending on when the season continues, could be an option as well, especially if Kaprizov wants to force restricted free agency one year earlier.

Minnesota Wild Sign Hunter Jones

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The Minnesota Wild are still hard at work improving their organizational depth, this time signing prospect goaltender Hunter Jones to a three-year entry-level contract. Jones’ season with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL was recently cut short, but he’ll instead get to enjoy the feeling of signing his first professional contract.

Jones was selected 59th overall in the 2019 draft, the fourth goaltender off the board. The 6’4″ netminder from Brantford, Ontario was having an excellent season for the Petes, recording a 31-14-3 record with a .913 save percentage. Jones will be eligible for the AHL next season given his 20th birthday comes before the season begins, but he could also return to the OHL to develop further against players his own age.

The Wild do already have some other options for their AHL net, and it is hard to see how another year in Peterborough would hurt Jones’ long-term outlook. Regardless of where he ends up, the future looks bright for the big goaltender.

Minnesota Wild Sign Mitchell Chaffee

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After just three seasons at UMass-Amherst, Mitchell Chaffee has decided to turn pro. The undrafted free agent forward has signed with the Minnesota Wild, receiving a two-year entry-level contract that will begin next season.

The 22-year old Chaffee was pursued by several teams this offseason as one of the top college free agents. In three NCAA seasons he posted 95 points in 109 games and was named captain as a junior. Chaffee led all Hockey East players in scoring during the 2018-19 campaign, posting an incredible 42 points in 40 games. Though those numbers dropped a tiny bit this year, there’s still plenty of upside in the former USHL forward.

In fact, there’s a good case to be made that Chaffee could compete for a roster spot as soon as next season. The Wild could see some substantial change at forward if both Mikko Koivu and Alex Galchenyuk are allowed to test unrestricted free agency (or retirement, in the case of the former), and a Zach Parise trade is revisited in the offseason. That would open up spots for some younger options, including perhaps a 22-year old Chaffee who has shown a well-rounded game at the college level.

It’s been a big week for GM Bill Guerin and the Wild, who also signed Damien Giroux and Adam Beckman yesterday. The club is obviously trying to restock the cupboards and provide a little more depth at the forward position.

Stretch Run Storylines: Minnesota Wild

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As things stand, the NHL is planning to have games resume at some point over the coming weeks.  Assuming the regular season continues, there will be plenty of things to watch for over the stretch run.  Over the coming weeks, PHR will examine the top stretch run storylines for each team.  We continue our look at the Central Division with Minnesota.

It has been another disappointing season for the Wild who currently are on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.  New GM Bill Guerin has been aggressive in recent months in terms of shaking things up, moving out Jason Zucker while making a change behind the bench as well.  The effect of that coaching change is among their storylines to watch for down the stretch.

Evason’s Future

The decision to part with Bruce Boudreau last month came as a bit of a surprise even though Minnesota was struggling at the time.  It seemed like the likelier time to make a move would have been the summer but Guerin opted not to wait and installed assistant Dean Evason as the new bench boss on an interim basis for the rest of the season.

The early returns have certainly been promising as the Wild are 8-4-0 since the change and as a result, they’ve crept back into the playoff race and sit only one point outside of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.  Despite the strong start under his tenure, Guerin indicated earlier this month that he wasn’t willing to remove the interim tag at this time and will make a decision on Evason’s status at the end of the season.

That makes the stretch run (and possible playoff appearance depending on the format) extremely important for the first time NHL head coach.  A good showing would certainly bolster his chances of getting the full-time gig but if they falter, Guerin could go elsewhere.  There’s a lot riding on their final few games (assuming they actually occur).

Dubnyk’s Struggles

While Devan Dubnyk’s save percentage dipped a bit in 2018-19 while his goals against average went up a couple of points, he still seemed like a safe bet to be at least an average starter this season.  That hasn’t exactly happened.

The 33-year-old has posted a save percentage of just .890 this season.  That’s his lowest one since his rookie year and the last time he had one around that territory (2013-14 at .891), three different organizations were paying him to be a platoon goalie for Montreal’s AHL affiliate.  His goals against average of 3.35 is his worst since that 2013-14 campaign.  Those are not starting-caliber numbers; those aren’t even backup level.

That’s why Alex Stalock was given a chance to run as the starter and to his credit, he made the most of it in the weeks leading up to the break in the schedule.  But he has been a backup (or third-stringer) for his entire career so asking him to keep up his level of play isn’t realistic.

Eventually, they will need Dubnyk to get back to his form from a year ago.  This is where the break should do him some good as some time away certainly can’t hurt.  If you look back at how he bounced back from his ugly 2013-14 season, he quickly rediscovered his form with Arizona which helped land him in Minnesota where he had fared well until now.  They’ll certainly be counting on a similar bounce back down the stretch.

Galchenyuk’s Future

When the Canadiens signed Alex Galchenyuk to a three-year deal three offseasons ago, it set him up to potentially be one of the most sought after forwards in unrestricted free agency.  Here was a top-three pick only a year removed from a 30-goal campaign and he’d be hitting the open market at 26 in the prime of his career.

Things haven’t gone quite as planned, however.  Galchenyuk was eventually moved to Arizona where his numbers declined.  He started this season in Pittsburgh and didn’t do much there and saw his value plummet to the point where he was effectively a salary matching throw-in as part of the Zucker trade.

Prior to the pause, Galchenyuk was actually showing some signs of improvement.  He had seven points in 14 games, a pace that was comparable to his output from a year before despite averaging a little less than 15 minutes a night.  If he is able to return and sustain that pace, he’ll at least position himself to have interest from a few teams on the open market, including potentially Minnesota.  But if he struggles down the stretch (or even if play doesn’t resume), he could go from possibly being one of the more intriguing free agents to one that will have to wait a while in the offseason to find his next team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minnesota Wild Sign Adam Beckman, Damien Giroux

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The Minnesota Wild have started out this week with a couple of contracts, signing both Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to three-year entry-level deals. Both players were mid-round picks by the Wild and are coming off outstanding seasons in the CHL.

In fact, Beckman’s performance may have quickly jumped him up the Minnesota prospect rankings. The 18-year old forward recorded 48 goals and 107 points for the Spokane Chiefs, leading all Western Hockey League skaters in both categories. Originally selected 75th overall in 2019, it’s easy to imagine him going much higher if teams had known how his offensive game was going to explode.

Obviously that doesn’t mean he’ll be an impact player at the NHL level, but the fact that Beckman has another year to dominate CHL competition before even being eligible for AHL play should be quite exciting for Wild fans. He’ll surely be an invitee should this year’s Summer Showcase happen, and should have a chance to compete for a spot on Team Canada at the World Juniors.

That’s not to take anything away from Giroux, who had an excellent season as the captain of the Saginaw Spirit. The 20-year old center scored 44 goals—good enough to tie for sixth in the OHL—and 75 points in just 61 games. Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, his offensive production has steadily increased to the point where the Wild at least believe he’s worth of a contract slot.

Giroux’s deal will kick in next season when he will likely be assigned to the AHL, while Beckman’s will slide forward another year—unless he somehow makes the NHL roster and plays in ten games.

Extension Notes: Donovan, Svedberg, Leksands

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While Matt Donovan would undoubtedly rather remain under contract with the Nashville Predators, he will settle for staying in familiar territory and continuing his relationship with the organization. The Predators’ AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, announced today that they had signed Donovan to a two-year AHL contract, an extension of sorts for the veteran defenseman. While Donovan only played in two games with Nashville last season and zero this season, he has been crucial piece for Milwaukee in both campaigns. An experienced two-way defenseman who has spent time in the New York Islanders organization as well as in Sweden and in the NCAA with the University of Denver, Donovan is known as a possession defenseman who can jump up into the play but can also be relied upon for physicality and defensive awareness. A top-pair defenseman for the Admirals, Donovan will continue to play a major role for the team while he sets his personal sights on playing his way back onto an NHL contract.

  • A move that flew under the radar recently – as fans hold out hope for a continued NHL season and are not thinking ahead to free agency just yet – is goaltender Niklas Svedberg resigning in Sweden. The 30-year-old netminder, and former member of the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild, was one of the best goalies in the SHL this season. Yet, despite what could be a weak goalie market this summer, Svedberg has opted to re-up with Djurgardens IF rather than test the NHL waters again. The team announced a new two-year deal with Svedberg, retaining one of their most valuable assets for a while longer. Svedberg would be 33 before he could have the chance to suit up once again in North America, which could mean that his NHL days are over. The talented keeper never quite found the right time to break into a consistent NHL role, despite strong numbers at both the NHL and AHL level – including an AHL All-Star nod in 2012-13 – as well as some stellar seasons in the KHL and SHL. It seems the veteran goalie is simply content to stay in his native country and continue to be one of Sweden’s best at his position.
  • Staying in Sweden, Leksands IF has a lot to look forward to as they have retained two young standouts in Alexander Lundqvist and Nils Aman. The team announced two-year contract extensions with both exciting young pieces, who each made their SHL debut this season. Lundqvist, 19, is the nephew of Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and a budding puck-moving defenseman in his own right. Undrafted in 2019, Lundqvist will be up for grabs again this year and should draw more attention following a 24-point campaign in the SuperElit and an eight-game stint in the SHL. At 6’2”, 183 lbs. and lauded skating ability, Lundqvist projects as a solid two-way defenseman and should step into a regular SHL role next year. Aman, 20, has a similar stature to Lundqvist but plays up front and has the numbers to prove it. Aman posted 47 points in 30 games in the SuperElit and made the most of his own eight-game stint in the SHL with three points. Aman looks ready for the top level and should slot into a consistent role next year as well. A youth movement could be coming to Leksands, who need all the help they can get after only missing the relegation game due to the league’s recent cancellation.

Wild Pursuing Several NCAA Free Agents, Won't Remove Interim Tag From Dean Evason

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When Mike Smith signed with Edmonton in free agency, the move raised some eyebrows.  He was coming off a season that saw him post the lowest save percentage of his career and with Mikko Koskinen having several question marks, some were expecting the Oilers to add a more proven goaltending option.  Instead, he has rebounded quite nicely and has posted the second-highest point total among NHL netminders since January while helping Edmonton get into second place in the Pacific Division.  As a result, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector suggests that the soon-to-be 38-year-old has done enough to warrant another one-year deal for next season.  Despite the strong record since the turn of the calendar to 2020, his overall numbers on the season (2.95 GAA, .902 SV%) aren’t the best so the Oilers may be able to get him cheaper than his current price tag of a $2MM base salary plus another $1.75MM in performance bonuses ($500K of which have been reached so far).

More from the West:

  • While there aren’t any games being played, college players can still sign deals and that where Minnesota’s focus appears to be at the moment. GM Bill Guerin told Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that they are currently involved in talks for a few players.  However, he also mentioned that he has no intention of merely stockpiling players given the uncertainty for next season.  With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine that they’ll sign all of their targets but perhaps a deal can be reached with one or two of them.
  • From the same interview, Guerin stated that he’s quite pleased with how Dean Evason has performed as the interim head coach so far but that he’s not prepared to change his status at this time to the permanent role. He acknowledged that he isn’t speaking to anyone else about the spot at the moment thanks to the current travel restrictions in place and that a final decision will come at the end of the season.

NHL Rosters To Be Frozen During Suspended Season

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According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the NHL will implement a league-wide roster freeze this evening after announcing a new directive for players earlier today. Johnston points to this freeze as the reason for several roster moves today, moving players between the NHL and AHL. We’ll list those moves below:

  • The New Jersey Devils have moved both Janne Kuokkanen and Matt Tennyson to the AHL. Both players are on two-way contracts, earning less at the minor league level.
  • The Minnesota Wild have moved Matt Bartkowski back to the AHL. He hadn’t played in a single NHL game this season and is on a two-way contract.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Mark Letestu from his conditioning loan in the AHL. He is on a two-way deal, but would need to clear waivers in order to be sent to the AHL full-time.
  • The Florida Panthers have moved Sam Montembeault back to the AHL. He is on a two-way deal and is still waiver-exempt.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent both Jani Hakanpaa and Anthony Stolarz to the AHL. Both players are actually on one-way contracts, meaning they don’t earn any less at the minor league level.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have sent Logan O’Connor to the AHL. The 23-year old is on a two-way contract.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Keegan Kolesar and Brandon Pirri to the AHL. Pirri is on a one-way contract, while Kolesar is still on his two-way entry-level deal.

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