Western Notes: Niederreiter, Dumba, Golden Knights, Gusev
The Minnesota Wild were expected to shake things up after another disappointing playoff run and made that clear when they replaced general manager Chuck Fletcher with Paul Fenton. One forgets that Fenton as the assistant to David Poile in Nashville for the past 20 years, has been involved in many blockbuster trades in that time. So, don’t be surprised to see the team make several big moves this offseason.
The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required) delves into several potential trade candidates and what the chances are that Fenton might move them. At the top of the list is winger Nino Niederreiter, who might be the perfect trade candidate. After three 20-goal seasons, Niederreiter came up two goals short this year, but also missed 19 games this year with a high ankle sprain and a broken fibula. Unfortunately, Niederreiter also has struggled in the playoffs recently combining for just one assist in 10 playoff games over the past two seasons. However, the fact that he’s 25 years old and is locked in for another four years at $5.25MM AAV could make him the team’s biggest trade chip. Throw in the fact that Jason Zucker and Zach Parise are listed as the top two left wings on the team, he is expendable.
While he analyzes a number of trade candidates in the article, Russo suggests that despite going well out of their way to protect Mathew Dumba at the expansion draft last season (that cost them Erik Haula and Alex Tuch), Dumba rewarded the team with a career highs in goals and assists with 14 goals and 36 assists. Now a restricted free agent, the team must decide whether Dumba is worth a long-term deal and if not, the Wild might want to move him while his value is high.
- With the team’s success this year, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee refers to their 2017 first-round picks, Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom as “long shots” to making the team next season, according to SinBinVegas. If one of those picks were to make the Golden Knights roster out of training camp, they would have to be “really, really good.” McPhee also said he doesn’t believe teenagers belong in the NHL and the team must take more responsibility to develop their prospects properly. “Smartest thing we can do is take our time and develop them,” McPhee said.
- Sticking with the Vegas Golden Knights, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that McPhee said the team continues to pursue Russian winger Nikita Gusev, who the team acquired in an expansion-day deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. The 25-year-old has scored 46 goals and tallied 133 points over the past two seasons in the KHL. He still has one more year remaining on a two-year deal he signed last summer, so the Golden Knights have to wait a while longer. “He’s got another year on his deal and then we’ll see what we can do. He’s a talented guy and we’ll do what we can to get him here. We’ve talked to him, and we’ll continue to talk to him,” McPhee said.
Niklas Svedberg To Sign In Sweden
It was a short-lived NHL comeback for goaltender Niklas Svedberg. The 28-year-old free agent returned from two years abroad in the KHL with a one-year deal with the Minnesota Wild, but is now reportedly headed back to his native Sweden. A Swedish newspaper, the Kvalls Posten, revealed that Svedberg has agreed to terms with Timra IK of the SHL and two sides are hammering out the details of a contract, per GM Kent Norberg.
Svedberg originally made a name for himself in Sweden, breaking into the elite ranks with MODO at just 17 years old in 2007-08. He played five seasons in the SHL, including three as a starter, and led Brynas IF to the championship in 2012. Following his success overseas, the undrafted keeper signed a two-year deal with the Boston Bruins. Svedberg entered the NHL with high expectations that a combination of underwhelming performance and a lack of opportunity has kept him from reaching. In his first year in Boston, Svedberg was blocked by the emergence of Anton Khudobin as the backup to Tuukka Rask and did not play a single game in the NHL that year for the eventual Eastern Conference champions. However, he did post top marks in the AHL. The next season, Svedberg finally made his debut, but was held to just the one impressive outing as Boston again got reliable backup play, this time from Chad Johnson. Meanwhile, his play dropped off in the AHL. Finally, in 2014-15, Svedberg was promised the backup job in Boston and re-signed with the team. He performed well, posting a .918 SV% and 2.33 GAA, but did so in just 18 appearances as Rask started 70 games.
Seemingly was fed up with his role in Boston and unable to find work elsewhere in the league, Sveberg left for the KHL in 2015 and proceeded to serve as the starter for Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the next two seasons. Although he was the unchallenged starter, Svedberg’s performance in the KHL last year was the worst of his pro career and the journeyman goalie decided he would settle for a backup job in the NHL, signing with the Minnesota Wild last summer. Again, Svedberg’s luck was poor; he expected to replace Darcy Kuemper as the backup to Devan Dubnyk, but instead lost the job in camp to Alex Stalock and did not make an appearance with Minnesota this year. His performance with AHL Iowa was pedestrian as well.
Now, Svedberg seems to be content to just head home to Sweden and make his living as a starter in the SHL. He has his work cut out for him with Timra, who return to the country’s top league after being relegated back in 2013. The team has some promising young talent up front, but the adjustment to tougher competition will be much smoother with Svedberg in net. With that said, a recently promoted team is unlikely to be immediately successful and Svedberg may not put up flashy numbers with the team. As such, it may be hard for him to work his way back into the international spotlight. The NHL may have seen the last of Svedberg.
Dean Evason Hired As Assistant Coach By Minnesota Wild
The Milwaukee Admirals will be looking for a new head coach for next season, after Paul Fenton convinced his old colleague to come north with him. Dean Evason, who has coached the Admirals for the past six years, has been hired as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild, replacing the outgoing John Anderson.
The departure of Evason from Milwaukee opens another AHL coaching job, joining Belleville, Colorado, Hershey and Tucson. These roles are sure to be filled by the next wave of head coaching prospects, just as Evason did in 2012 after serving as an assistant with the Washington Capitals. You can bet, after all the success that Milwaukee has had sending players to the Nashville Predators during his time there, that Evason is on a short list for future head coaching positions in the NHL. Getting back to the biggest league in the world is just the next step.
In Minnesota, Evason is re-joining his former GM in Paul Fenton, who ran the Admirals for many years under Preadtors GM David Poile. If anyone knows the kind of impact he can have on young players, it’s the GM who has watched him develop names like Kevin Fiala, Viktor Arvidsson, Austin Watson and Filip Forsberg in recent years.
Minnesota Wild Name Jack Ferreira Assistant To The GM
The Minnesota Wild got their man when they hired Paul Fenton to be their next general manager, and now they’ve hired the man who taught Fenton everything he knows. Jack Ferreira, legendary NHL executive and mentor, has been hired as the Minnesota assistant to the GM. In the press release, Fenton explains his relationship with his new assistant:
He’s certainly one of the people who has influenced my career, not only from when I was a kid playing, but all the advice he’s given me over the years. I learned so much working for him in Anaheim and continuing a relationship as we’ve gone forward in professional hockey. I look forward to having him here as a really good guidance piece.
Ferreira, 73, has worked with teams all across the NHL and has been a big part of developing hockey in the state of California. Most recently he had spent 12 years with the Los Angeles Kings working as a senior advisor that helped in a variety of responsibilities, but left the organization last month. His wealth of knowledge, and championship history—three Stanley Cups and a World Cup gold medal—will be priceless for Fenton to call on as he begins his new role with the Wild. Speaking about his new boss, Ferreira made it clear that he won’t try to impose his will when it comes to decision making:
I told him there’s going to be issues where we don’t agree. But we’re going to be united. He’ll have the final say, and whatever we do, I’m going to back him. We’re not going to see eye-to-eye all the time.
The Wild are trying desperately to overcome their history of early playoff exits, and let long-time GM Chuck Fletcher go earlier this spring. Fenton will try to find a way to push them over the top, and get to the point of real Stanley Cup contention.
Snapshots: Kunitz, Cameron, Anderson
The Tampa Bay Lightning have some tough decisions to make this summer as they try to decide how to improve and get them to the next level, and Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the future of every player on the roster in his latest piece. When it comes to Chris Kunitz, who is one of the team’s few players scheduled for unrestricted free agency, Smith relays some comments from agent Ben Hankinson:
There’s no quit in [Kunitz]. He loved everything about the city, the team, the fans, and the direction they’re going. He’s wired for another run.
Kunitz, 38, registered 29 points for the second regular season in a row, but couldn’t find any of that playoff magic he had in Pittsburgh and Anaheim. Held to just a single assist in 17 postseason contests, it might be time for the Lightning to move on from the veteran winger. Whether they do is unclear at this point, but Smith does believe that Andrej Sustr, the only other roster player scheduled for UFA status, is as good as gone this summer. The towering defenseman played only 44 games in the regular season and was held out of the playoffs for the team.
- Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that Dave Cameron, former Ottawa Senators head coach and recently a Calgary Flames assistant, has taken a job with the Vienna Capitals in Austria for next season. Cameron was a long time junior and minor league head coach, but will now journey to Europe for the next chapter in his professional career. We’ve seen it work for other NHL coaches in the past, including Marc Crawford who spent four years in Switzerland before returning to the NHL, and Bob Hartley who won a championship in Switzerland and recently had been leading the Latvian national team. Hartley is now headed to the KHL, another option for Cameron down the road if he isn’t given another opportunity in the NHL.
- Speaking of coaches leaving for other opportunities, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Minnesota Wild assistant coach John Anderson will not have his contract renewed. Anderson had come with the team alongside Bruce Boudreau two years ago, but will have to find another landing spot for the next part of his coaching career. A four-time 30-goal scorer during his playing days, Anderson was a long-time head coach of the Chicago Wolves and secured two Calder Cups for the team during his time in the AHL.
Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Draft Picks Expire
The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players—the same total as last year—will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2018 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. Adam Mascherin is the highest picked player among those who will be headed back into the draft, selected 38th overall by the Florida Panthers two years ago. Below is the full list of players:
Anaheim Ducks:
F Tyler Soy (7th round, 2016)
Arizona Coyotes:
F Anton Karlsson (3rd round, 2014)
D David Westlund (6th round, 2014)
Buffalo Sabres:
D Vojtech Budik (5th round, 2016)
F Brandon Hagel (6th round, 2016)
D Austin Osmanski (7th round, 2016)
Calgary Flames:
D Adam Ollas Mattsson (6th round, 2014)
Carolina Hurricanes:
C Hudson Elynuik (3rd round, 2016)
D Noah Carroll (6th round, 2016)
Chicago Blackhawks:
D Andreas Soderberg (5th round, 2014)
Colorado Avalanche:
G Maximilian Pajpach (6th round, 2014)
Dallas Stars:
D Miro Karjalainen (5th round, 2014)
Detroit Red Wings:
D Jordan Sambrook (5th round, 2016)
F Julius Vahatalo (6th round, 2014)
Florida Panthers:
G Hugo Fagerblom (7th round, 2014)
C Adam Mascherin (2nd round, 2016)
Los Angeles Kings:
D Jacob Friend (7th round, 2016)
Minnesota Wild:
D Pontus Sjalin (6th round, 2014)
D Brayden Chizen (7th round, 2016)
New Jersey Devils:
G Evan Cormier (4th round, 2016)
Philadelphia Flyers:
C Anthony Salinitri (6th round, 2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Connor Hall (3rd round, 2016)
San Jose Sharks:
D Mark Shoemaker (6th round, 2016)
Tampa Bay Lightning:
C Christopher Paquette (5th round, 2016)
Toronto Maple Leafs:
D Keaton Middleton (4th rond, 2016)
F J.J. Piccinich (4th round, 2014)
D Nicolas Mattinen (6th round, 2016)
Vancouver Canucks:
D Cole Candella (5th round, 2016)
F Jakob Stukel (6th round, 2016)
C Brett McKenzie (7th round, 2016)
Washington Capitals:
F Kevin Elgestal (7th round, 2014)
D Dmitri Zaitsev (7th round, 2016)
Winnipeg Jets:
C Jordan Stallard (5th round, 2016)
Offseason Keys: Minnesota Wild
With just two teams still playing, the rest have already started their offseason planning. What storylines lie ahead around the league? Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Minnesota Wild.
Following a disappointing first-round exit, Minnesota was hoping for better things in 2017-18. They had another strong regular season as they hit the 100-point mark for the third time in four years. They also hovered near the top-ten in both goals scored and allowed and did so despite several key injuries to some of their top players. In the end, the final result was the same, a five-game series loss in the opening round. One big change has already been made with Paul Fenton replacing Chuck Fletcher as GM; what will Fenton have on his plate this offseason?
Decide On An Ennis Buyout
The inclusion of Tyler Ennis in the trade that saw Marco Scandella go to Buffalo was more for salary cap purposes than Minnesota wanting him but they were certainly hopeful that a change of scenery would help him get closer to the 40+ point mark that he reached a couple of times with the Sabres. While his offensive numbers improved slightly, he still didn’t provide much value compared to his $4.6MM cap hit.
Now, with just one year remaining on his contract, a buyout looks like a realistic possibility. Because his deal was front-loaded though, they’d still be on the hook for a $2.17MM cap charge in 2018-19 plus $1.22MM in 2019-20. That said, they could still find a suitable replacement for Ennis for less than the roughly $2.5MM difference between his current AAV and his buyout cap hit for next season which would allow them to allocate the savings to fill another hole.
The other idea that they may want to explore is a trade with 50% retention. While that would bring about a slightly higher cap hit compared to a buyout for next season, it would get him off the books entirely for 2019-20. However, they’d also likely have to take another contract back which would lessen the benefit from doing this. It’s also a possibility that Ennis stays but given how tight they’re going to be on the salary cap, he is someone that appears to be in line to be a casualty in some form.
Re-Sign Dumba, Zucker
The Wild don’t have many restricted free agents to re-sign but they have a pair of prominent ones to lock up in defenseman Mathew Dumba and winger Jason Zucker.
Dumba is coming off of his bridge contract and had a great platform season, posting 50 points while logging just shy of 24 minutes per night. He has emerged as a top pairing defender and has positioned himself to get a significantly higher payday than his $2.75MM qualifying offer. Dumba is two years away from UFA eligibility so a long-term deal is a likely outcome with an AAV around double what his qualifier is.
As for Zucker, he vastly outperformed his two-year, $4MM deal for the second straight season and posted career bests across the board offensively. Those types of numbers (33 goals, 31 assists) will look awfully strong in an arbitration room. While Dumba’s deal is certainly important, Zucker’s case may be even more so as he is just a year away from UFA eligibility. If they can’t agree on a long-term deal, he can just opt for arbitration, get a significant raise, and potentially hit the open market next summer. That’s not a scenario Fenton and the Wild will want to deal with so it wouldn’t be surprising if they push to get something done sooner than later with Zucker.
Add Defensive Insurance
Because of their cap situation, Minnesota basically rolled with four quality defenders and used youngsters and depth players to fill out the back half of their back end. That’s a risky play when everyone is healthy, something that may not be the case to start the season with Ryan Suter’s availability being in doubt.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fenton try to add a veteran that can be a strong fit on a third pairing when the full lineup is available that can move up and hold his own on a second pairing when there are injuries. Ideally, a true top-four defender would be better but even with the expected increase to the salary cap, they won’t have a lot of room to work with once Zucker and Dumba are locked up. A fourth or fifth defender is about all that they will be able to afford but that would still give them some form of insurance which is something they didn’t really have this past season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ryan Suter Weeks Away From Putting Weight On His Broken Ankle
- Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is making progress in his recovery from surgery to repair his broken ankle, notes Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. However, he is still several weeks away from putting any weight on that ankle let alone resuming any offseason workouts. Suter remains optimistic that he’ll be ready to start the season but that’s far from a guarantee.
Charlie Coyle Undergoes Surgery On Both Wrists
Wild forward Charlie Coyle has undergone successful surgery to repair tendons in both of his wrists, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). The issues first surfaced back in January although he played through those for the rest of the regular season plus their first-round postseason loss at the hands of Winnipeg. The injury also caused him to decline an invitation to participate at the World Championships for Team USA.
Of course, that wasn’t the only injury Coyle dealt with this past season. The 26-year-old broke his fibula early in the season which cost him six weeks of action which could very well have played a role in his decision to play through the pain.
Despite that, it was still a decent season for Coyle, who posted 37 points in 66 games, his second-highest point-per-game mark of his career. All in all, those numbers aren’t too bad when you factor in the perspective that he experienced pain every time he went to shoot the puck from the midpoint of the season onward. He was also held off the scoresheet in five postseason contests.
Fortunately for Coyle and the Wild, the recovery period for this injury is just two-to-four weeks so it shouldn’t have a significant impact on his offseason workouts and he is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp.
Paul Fenton Hired As New GM Of Minnesota Wild
As had been reported in recent days, the Minnesota Wild have decided who will be their next General Manager. That’s Paul Fenton, who was officially announced as GM and Alternate Governor today with a press release from owner Craig Leipold:
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome Paul Fenton as the General Manager of the Minnesota Wild. Paul is uniquely suited for this job having played 10 years of professional hockey and holding 25 years of management experience in the NHL. His gift of evaluating talent is obvious in Nashville’s roster and recent success. My relationship with Paul goes back to my early days in Nashville and I know that Wild hockey fans are going to love Paul’s infectious passion for the game and unsurpassed work ethic. He’s the right person to deliver a Stanley Cup to the State of Hockey.
It was just one month ago that the Wild relieved Chuck Fletcher of his duties as GM, after the team’s sixth consecutive early exit from the playoffs. Minnesota was knocked out in the first round by the Winnipeg Jets, and are expected to make significant changes to the organization before next season. That starts with Fenton, who will be joining the team after two decades in Nashville where he first worked under Leipold, who owned the Predators from 1998-2008.
Fenton is regarded as an exceptional judge of talent and has been integral in the development and building of the Predators’ Presidents Trophy-winning club. He has been considered for various front office roles around the league seemingly every year, but will now take over an NHL team for the first time. It’s not clear yet who will replace him in Nashville as AGM and GM of the Milwaukee Admirals.
Minnesota has struggled for years with a level of mediocrity that has frustrated Leipold, and the owner even made comments last summer about regretting a certain trade deadline transaction. Obviously not content with just making the playoffs, the Wild will entrust Fenton to take them to the next level and really contend for the Stanley Cup.
How he’s going to do that is far from public knowledge, but in his first offseason he’ll have plenty of opportunity to effect change in the team’s roster construction. Several key players including Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba are restricted free agents, and could demand big raises and long-term deals coming off career seasons. There are only one or two years remaining on key veteran contracts like Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund, Eric Staal, Charlie Coyle and Jared Spurgeon. Many of those players might not be back in the coming years, as the team tries to rebuild itself around some different stars.
Unfortunately, Fenton also inherits a team with two albatross contracts on the books. Though Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are still effective players, their contracts—identical 13-year $98MM deals signed in 2012—form a salary base that’s tough to work around. Both players are currently 33 years old, and have seven years remaining at a cap hit of $7.54MM. The deals also include full no-movement clauses, and would cause potential cap recapture penalties if either were to retire early.
If there is a silver lining the deals, front-loaded as they are, were (along with others like them) part of the reason for the last NHL work stoppage. With a salary of just $1MM in the final two seasons, there could be a way that Fenton and the Wild front office get out from under them while providing some help to teams struggling to reach the cap floor. We’re still a long way away from either one needing to be shipped out of town, but the new GM has to know what he’s getting into.
The Wild are a good team already, and they’ve now hired one of the best GM candidates around the league. If Fenton will try to turn them into a contender right away, this summer should be a very interesting on for Minnesota fans.