Off-Season To Date: Central Division
The NHL has entered its seasonal lull where teams are done signing free agents and will wait until training camp to make roster moves. Each team’s additions and subtractions will most likely remain static until the season starts, so compiling moves runs little risk of changing in the coming days. We have already documented the off-season moves of teams in the Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division, and now we take a quick look cross-conference at the Central Division.
Chicago Blackhawks
Key Additions: Jordin Tootoo, Brian Campbell
Key Departures: Andrew Ladd, Teuvo Teravainen, Bryan Bickell, Dale Weise, Tomas Fleischmann, Christian Ehrhoff, David Rundblad, Andrew Shaw
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $2,490,705
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: Another year, another cap-constrained selloff for the Chicago Blackhawks. This summer they managed to find a taker for Bryan Bickell, but it cost them young prospect Teuvo Teravainen. They also signed Brian Campbell to a one-year deal worth $1.5MM—a steal assuming Campbell doesn’t significantly decline this season. The ‘hawks are particularly tight on cap space this year because Artemi Panarin achieved most of his bonuses last year, and the resulting cap hit gets applied to the upcoming season
Colorado Avalanche
Key Additions: Joe Colborne, Fedor Tyutin, Patrick Wiercioch
Key Departures: Mikkel Boedker, Shawn Matthias, Nate Guenin, Nick Holden, Reto Berra
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $1,534,405
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: The Avalanche have had a tumultuous offseason. They waged a prolonged standoff with RFA Tyson Barrie before re-signing him to a four-year, $22MM deal, but then lost head coach Patrick Roy as he stepped down due to not having enough control. The Avs did not address their suboptimal possession metrics, nor did they boost their roster traditionally to compete in the historically tough Central Division.
Dallas Stars
Key Additions: Dan Hamhuis
Key Departures: Vernon Fiddler, Alex Goligoski, Kris Russell, Jason Demers, Colton Sceviour
Unsigned RFAs: Valeri Nichushkin
Cap Space: $7,984, 167
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Stars parted with significant defensive pieces and failed to upgrade its goaltending, but they still remain poised to challenge for first in the Central. They did sign Captain Jamie Benn to an eight-year, $76MM extension, a steep price but one most pundits found reasonable. The Stars still have ample cap room to sign another defenseman—even more if they decide to trade either goalie for a cheaper backup option.
Minnesota Wild
Key Additions: Eric Staal, Chris Stewart
Key Departures: Thomas Vanek, David Jones
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $2,168,909
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: Minnesota remained relatively static this offseason, letting Vanek walk but signing Eric Staal to a three-year, $10.5MM contract. The Wild are hoping that having Zach Parise healthy for the playoffs this year will be enough to challenge for the Central Division crown.
Nashville Predators
Key Additions: P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber
Key Departures: Shea Weber, Jimmy Vesey, Carter Hutton, Cody Hodgson, Paul Gaustad, Barret Jackman, Eric Nystrom
Unsigned RFAs: Stefan Elliot
Cap Space: $5,414,166
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Predators rocked the boat this offseason by shipping Weber off to Montreal for fellow Canadian defenseman P.K. Subban. With the move, the Preds hope to have a stalwart offensive-minded defensemen for the foreseeable future, but give up elite rock solid dependency in return. Overall the move should boost Nashville’s offense and help them take the next step in the Central.
St. Louis Blues
Key Additions: David Perron, Landon Ferraro, Carter Hutton
Key Departures: Brian Elliot, David Backes, Troy Brouwer, Steve Ott, Anders Nilsson
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,957,083
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: The Blues lost talent this offseason after Troy Brouwer and captain David Backes signed elsewhere in free agency. They also traded away goaltender Brian Elliot for draft picks, placing their trust in young Jake Allen. With the Blues’ young guns stepping up last year, the organization must have felt that they could afford to let Backes and Brouwer go. Finally, it was rumored this summer that the Blues would trade Kevin Shattenkirk—in the final contract year—but nothing has materialized to date.
Winnipeg Jets
Key Additions: Shawn Matthias
Key Departures: Grant Clitsome
Unsigned RFAs: Jacob Trouba, J.C. Lipon
Cap Space: $10,018,333
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: Winnipeg stayed relatively pat this summer, signing only Matthias to beef up the team’s bottom six. The focus is on what they haven’t done—namely, sign RFA Jacob Trouba to a new deal. Trouba will anchor Team North America’s defense this summer at the World Cup of Hockey, and a good performance could loosen Winnipeg’s pocketbook.
Training Camp Invite Tracker
Over the course of the offseason more and more players will accept invitations to join team training camps. Usually these are players trying to resurrect their career or to show that they have one or two more years left before retirement. Notable training camp invites last year included Lee Stempniak and Jonas Gustavsson.
Making a team as an invitee is harder than just being one of the top-12 forwards or top-6 defensemen. Teams are usually looking for specific needs, such as a speedy second line forward or a defenseman who can eat minutes. Teams may want to save their bottom roster spots for developing prospects, so invitees risk being cut unless they meet a team’s identified need.
Here are the notable players who have been invited to training camps thus far. The list excludes players that are attending camps but are already signed to minor league contracts or prospects who are hoping to earn a minor league deal. Check here often for updates.
Training Camp Invites
Anaheim Ducks:
Sean Bergenheim
David Booth
Yann Danis
David Jones
Arizona Coyotes:
Zach Boychuk
Boston Bruins:
Peter Mueller
Calgary Flames:
Luke Adam
Jamie Devane
Matt Frattin
Nicklas Grossmann
Chris Higgins
Lauri Korpikoski
Colby Robak
Carolina Hurricanes:
Raffi Torres
Colorado Avalanche:
Gabriel Bourque
Rene Bourque
Jiri Tlusty
Columbus Blue Jackets:
Keith Aule
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Mike Brown
Aaron Palushaj
Jarret Stoll
Edmonton Oilers:
Eric Gryba
Kris Versteeg
Ryan Vesce
Florida Panthers:
Justin Fontaine
Adam Pardy
Los Angeles Kings:
Lucas Lessio
Tom McCollum
Devin Setoguchi
Minnesota Wild:
Ryan Carter
Tomas Fleischmann
New Jersey Devils:
Brian Gibbons
Anders Lindback
New York Islanders:
Steve Bernier
Stephen Gionta
New York Rangers:
Maxim Lapierre
Ottawa Senators:
Matt Bartkowski
Philadelphia Flyers:
Corban Knight
St. Louis Blues:
T.J. Galiardi
Eric Nystrom
Chris Porter
Yan Stastny
Mike Weber
Tampa Bay Lightning:
James Wisniewski
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Jeff Glass
Raman Hrabarenka
Brandon Prust
Vancouver Canucks:
Jack Skille
Tuomo Ruutu
James Sheppard
Washington Capitals:
Drew MacIntyre
Parise Should Be Ready For World Cup Of Hockey
Tom Gulitti caught up with Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise and writes that the 32-year-old should be ready for the World Cup of Hockey. Parise suffered from a lower back injury last season which left him out of the Wild’s plans and as Gulitti writes, causing Parise to wonder if he could continue to play hockey. Luckily for him, Minnesota, and Team USA, it appears that his back is on the mend.
Gulitti quotes Parise as saying this regarding the injury:
“It was really scary,” Parise said. “That’s not very comfortable at all, for the longest time, having no feeling in your leg and in your foot. You are kind of wondering, ‘When is this going to go away? When is this going to go away?’ And one day I woke up and it was good, so it was good after that. But, at that time, it’s really scary not feeling anything and really struggling to get out of bed.
“You’re like, ‘Is this something I’m going to have to live with?’ But, so far in August, it’s been really good.”
Team USA will need Parise as the roster is one constructed of hard hitters and grinders, something that will push grit but lack in goal scoring prowess Skilled goal scorers like Bobby Ryan and Phil Kessel were left off the list while bubble players like Justin Abdelkader. Patrick Kane and Joe Pavelski will help, but to keep up with Canada, they will need all hands on deck. Goal scorers like Parise, who also add a physical element, will be crucial to have for Team USA’s success.
The Wild, on the other hand, welcome a new coach in Bruce Boudreau and a big name in Eric Staal. They’re looking to find sustained success after getting bumped early from the playoffs last season and struggling to get past the Chicago Blackhawks in previous seasons. Parise is certainly a key in that happening, and any time away will certainly hurt the Wild’s chances.
Roster Crunch: Central Division
Previously, we looked at some of the battles for the last few spots among Pacific Division teams, happening to focus mostly on the third pairing on many teams. With the Anaheim Ducks leading the way with their glut of young defenders, we’ll head to the Central Division next where there are a few teams who might be contenders to scoop up one of extra Ducks pieces.
Dallas Stars – It’s not often you see a team lose three of it’s top-four defenders in one offseason, but that’s what happened to the Stars this summer after Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Kris Russell all became unrestricted free agents. While Russell has yet to sign, he was probably miscast as the 24-minute-a-night player the Stars used him as down the stretch. They brought in Dan Hamhuis to fill one of the spots, but it’ll be a battle between Jamie Oleksiak, Stephen Johns, Patrik Nemeth, Jordie Benn and Esa Lindell for playing time this year. Because Johns is the only right-handed member of that group, perhaps Julius Honka, a former first-round pick, will make his NHL debut this season as well.
Salary Cap Report: Central Division
As the hockey world takes its collective breath before the World Cup, training camps, and the regular season, most teams have checked off their boxes and marked their ledgers. Some teams are not finished building their rosters, with RFAs still to sign and trades to explore. Some teams have plenty of space to maneuver with; other teams will need to get creative to stay under the cap.
We’ll complete our Salary Cap Reports by taking a look at the Central Division. Of note:
- The Central Division has the two highest paid players in the NHL in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks captain and leading scorer signed matching eight-year, $84MM extensions in the summer of 2014.
- After June’s blockbuster trade, the NHL’s highest paid defenseman is now in the Central: P.K. Subban and his $9MM cap hit are now members of the Nashville Predators. The Predators also have the highest paid goalie in the division, with Pekka Rinne making $7MM per season.
- With Dallas captain Jamie Benn signed to a long-term extension already, there aren’t any superstar pending-UFAs in the Central, but veteran scoring wingers Patrick Sharp and Alex Steen are both up at the end of this season. Calder Trophy winner Artemi Panarin and Ryan Johansen headline next summer’s RFAs.
By the numbers:
- Chicago Blackhawks
Cap Space Remaining: $2,490,705
Greatest Cap Hit: Jonathan Toews/ Patrick Kane: $10.5MM - Colorado Avalanche
Cap Space Remaining: $1,534,405
Greatest Cap Hit: Nathan MacKinnon: $6.3MM - Dallas Stars
Cap Space Remaining: $7,984,167
Greatest Cap Hit: Jason Spezza: $7.5MM (Jamie Benn’s $9.5MM per year extension doesn’t begin until 2017-18) - Minnesota Wild
Cap Space Remaining: $2,168,909
Greatest Cap Hit: Zach Parise/ Ryan Suter: $7.54MM - Nashville Predators
Cap Space Remaining: $5,414,166
Greatest Cap Hit: P.K. Subban: $9MM - St. Louis Blues
Cap Space Remaining: $3,957,083
Greatest Cap Hit: Vladimir Tarasenko: $7.5MM - Winnipeg Jets
Cap Space Remaining: $10,018,333
Greatest Cap Hit: Dustin Byfuglien: $7.6MM
Also in the Salary Cap Report series: Atlantic Division, Metropolitan Division, and Pacific Division.
Central Notes: Landeskog, Sobotka, Wild
Concussions are a touchy subject in the NHL. In the older days of the league, players who ‘had their bell rung’ often returned to the game as if nothing had happened. That mindset has slowly started to change but in a piece penned for The Players’ Tribune, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog argues that more change is still needed.
Landeskog recalled the concussion that he suffered early in the 2012-13 season and that he felt the pressure to stay the game, something that was exacerbated by the fact he had recently been named the new captain of the team. Even the following day with the symptoms clearly present, he admitted that he was telling his teammates and the trainer that he was alright even though he clearly wasn’t.
Landeskog notes that there is a culture change in the dressing rooms around the league as more and more players are becoming aware of the significance of concussions. However, he suggests that associating the common term ‘warrior mentality’ with players who try to play through their head trauma sends the wrong message throughout the sport that those who take the proper time to recover are weak. There’s no doubt that there is more understanding about the effects of concussions but there is still further progress to be made.
More from the Central Division:
- Six weeks ago, it was reported that the Blues were expected to bring center Vladimir Sobotka back from the KHL but as of yet, no official announcement has been made. Louis GM Doug Armstrong told ESPN’s Craig Custance that they’re in the process of finalizing the paperwork to make it official. Sobotka last played in the NHL in 2013-14, picking up 33 points in 61 games. He will play on a one year, $2.725MM contract that was awarded via arbitration in the 2014 offseason.
- Wild majority owner Craig Leipold has started the process of buying out minority owner Matthew Hulsizer, reports Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Hulzizer owns 27% of the Wild and purchasing his stake will take Leipold’s ownership percentage to 95% in a process that will take place over the next few months. The timing may seem strange but Leipold is exercising an option in the original purchase agreement from February 2015 to call back the shares. Leipold notes that Hulsizer had a key role in Minnesota’s increased use of analytics both in terms of scouting as well as their on-ice play.
Wild Re-Sign Matt Dumba
The Minnesota Wild announced today that they have re-upped restricted free agent defenseman Matt Dumba to a two-year, $5.1MM contract. The young blue liner, who just turned 22 a few days ago, is already entering his fourth year in the NHL and had a career high 26 points last season.
The two-year extension, which pays Dumba $2.35MM is 2016-17 and $2.75MM in 2017-18 for a cap hit of $2.55, for all intents and purposes is a textbook bridge deal. Rather than agreeing to a long-term, expensive extension, which has become the norm around the league, the sides have agreed to a further evaluation period at a reasonable salary. If Dumba continues to develop into the top-pairing defenseman he has been projected as, then he will cash in big after this new contract expires. However, the Wild mitigate some risk giving Dumba a short-term deal that will still leave him as a restricted free agent at its conclusion, rather than committing to a long-term deal at a much higher price for an asset that they are still evaluating.
The signing of Dumba signals the likely end of any further off-season moves for Minnesota. While Dumba’s name, as well as the names of fellow defenseman Jonas Brodin and Marco Scandella, have been tossed around as rumored trade candidates, the Wild seem to be set going into the season with a full roster that is under the salary cap and has the makings of a playoff team.
The contract could also set the bar for many other unsigned restricted free agents whose teams would prefer bridge deals over long-term commitments. Examples include Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba, Ottawa’s Cody Ceci, and Anaheim’s Hampus Lindholm. With Dumba now extended and off of the market, the trade stock of those players will also increase. Keep an eye on that trio as the regular season continues to get closer and closer.
Western Notes: Chayka, Sydor, Eberle
When the Arizona Coyotes gave then 26-year old John Chayka their GM job, many in the hockey world cringed at the thought of the analytic community finally having a poster boy at the top of an NHL franchise. Chayka promised to bring with him the newer possession-based analysis of NHL players, and today summed it up quite nicely in an interview with Dan Rosen of NHL.com:
“The philosophy is fairly simple. It’s when we don’t have the puck, recover the puck as quickly as possible. There are all kinds of different forms where you can gain possession of the puck, some of them are physical and some of them are non-physical, so I think you need a blend to have both. Once you get the puck back it’s to transition the puck. Defense isn’t about defending, it’s about getting the puck in the forwards’ hands and getting the puck moving into the offensive zone. It’s about transitioning.”
The phrase “defense isn’t about defending” will stick out as a sort of mantra for the analytics push, as the league continues to move away from players who can impose themselves physically in their own end, but can’t move the puck when they end up with it. His team has added Alex Goligoski, a possession darling who moves the puck well, but has also signed Luke Schenn and Jamie McGinn, both players who aren’t so revered for their new-age skills. It’ll be interesting to watch what Chayka does in the future, and whether he breeds a level of success rarely seen in the desert of Arizona.
- The Chicago Wolves of the AHL have hired former NHLers Darryl Sydor and Daniel Tkaczuk as assistant coaches for 2016-17, adding to a group that is led by Craig Berube. The St. Louis Blues affiliate went 33-35-8 last season, and will look to improve on that record this year. Sydor, a 19-year NHL veteran played in over 1200 games in his career, and has been coaching as an assistant with the Minnesota Wild for the past five seasons. Tkaczuk, an AHL journeyman who made it into just 19 NHL games during his career, coached with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL last season.
- Jordan Eberle has hired the “Shot Doc” to help him with his shooting ability for next season. Ron Johnson, a skills coach who has worked with Joe Pavelski and Ryan Kesler in the past has been known for improving things like grip mechanics and puck protection. If Eberle can improve on the 14.5% shooting percentage he put up last season, he could climb back above the 30-goal mark for the second time in his career. Eberle has 145 career goals in 425 games, and is a near-lock for 25 each season.
Wild Sign RFA Jordan Schroeder
July 25: The Wild have officially announced the signing. Schroeder will make $650K in the NHL ($25K less than originally reported) and $275K in the AHL.
July 23: The Minnesota Wild have reportedly signed RFA Jordan Schroeder to a one-year, two-way deal, according to CBC’s Tim Wharnsby. Schroeder will get $675K at the NHL level, $275K in the AHL, and $300K in guaranteed salary. Schroeder and the Wild were set to go to salary arbitration on July 27th.
Schroeder has yet to produce at the NHL level, amassing only 11G and 16A in 107 games with the Vancouver Canucks and the Wild. The homegrown forward has, however, put up decent production in the AHL. Last season Schroeder put up 14G and 20A in 40 Games with the Iowa Wild, Minnesota’s AHL Affiliate.
The core of the dispute between parties centered around whether Schroeder deserves a one-way contract. A one-way contract ensures that Schroeder receives full NHL pay if he is sent down to the minors, whereas a two-way contract significantly decreases his pay if the Wild demote him.
The Wild put Schroeder on waivers last week as a bargaining tool to show both a future arbitrator and Schroeder’s camp how much the forward is worth on the open market. Any team could claim Schroeder for a $15,000 waiver fee, and if he goes unclaimed—the fourth time in one year—it significantly weakens Schroeder’s position that he deserves a one-way contract. And as Michael Russo points out, the Wild did this in 2008 with RFA Stephane Veilleux. The Wild may have started a trend as the Maple Leafs waived Peter Holland yesterday in an attempt to achieve a similar result.
Maple Leafs Waive Peter Holland
Elliotte Friedman tweets that the Toronto Maple Leafs have waived forward Peter Holland. He is set for an arbitration hearing next Monday July 25. James Mirtle posted a number of different tweets regarding the Leafs’ reason for making the move. Mirtle does not believe Holland will return to the Leafs and believes he will be claimed or moved following the hearing.
Last season, Holland had 27 points (9-18) in 65 games. A season prior, he registered 25 points (11-14) in 62 games.
Holland becomes the second player waived prior to an arbitration hearing. On Tuesday, Jordan Schroeder was waived by the Minnesota Wild.