Chris Stewart Signs With Wild
After another disappointing season from Chris Stewart, he hit the free agency market with something to prove. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, he’s signed on to try and make that mark with the Minnesota Wild. The former 28-goal scorer will earn $2.3MM over the next two years for a cap hit of $1.15MM.
Last year, Stewart suited up in 56 games with the Ducks, collecting eight goals and 12 assists. His 20 points is quite a bit lower than the 36 points he put up the year before. He also played in seven postseason games, picking a goal and two assists but averaged just 9:33 per game.
The well-travelled Stewart is just 28 years of age but has already played for St. Louis, Colorado, Buffalo, Anaheim, and Minnesota. He has a total of 519 NHL games under his belt, scoring 137 goals and 147 assists. He will likely play in a third line role with the Wild.
Minnesota Wild Sign Eric Staal
After a disappointing season and an early playoff exit, Eric Staal was on the market for the first time in his career. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the former 100-point man has signed on in Minnesota for three seasons, at $3.5MM per year.
2015-16 was arguably the worst season of Staal’s career. He played in 83 games split between Carolina and the New York Rangers, he had 13 goals and 26 assists. That marked his lowest point total since his rookie season back in 2003-04. His postseason performance wasn’t any better as he was held pointless in five games.
Nonetheless, the Wild believe Staal could represent a solid second line forward to help replace the recently bought out Thomas Vanek.
In his career, the 31 year old Staal has played in 929 games between the Hurricanes and Rangers, scoring 325 goals and adding 456 assists.
Wild Re-Sign Zac Dalpe And Tyler Graovac
According to CapFriendly, the Minnesota Wild have re-signed forwards Zac Dalpe and Tyler Graovac. Dalpe spent time with the Wild in 2015-16 while Graovac primarily played with AHL affiliate Iowa, though he did appear in two NHL games. Both were restricted free agents. Chad Graff also tweeted confirmation of the deals.
Dalpe’s deal is a one-year, 600K two-way contract while Graovac’s is a two-year, $1.25MM deal. The cap hit is $625k. Graovac will have a two-way deal in 2016-17, but a one-way deal in 2017-18.
The 23-year-old Graovac played 39 games in Iowa, notching 16 points (5-11). Dalpe appeared in eight games for Iowa and had 4 points (3-1). In addition to two games (1 goal) with the Wild during the regular season, Dalpe suited up for three games in the playoffs, registering no points.
Free Agent Profile: Frans Nielsen
When you talk about free agents from Long Island this offseason, the conversation immediately goes to Kyle Okposo, the 28-year old winger who tied Steven Stamkos in points last season, or to Matt Martin, the bang-and-crash bottom six guy who everyone seems to want to add. Mostly forgotten, there is another UFA coming out of New York who should be commanding some attention.
Frans Nielsen has always been overlooked, perhaps because of his slender frame, or his Danish heritage – Denmark isn’t known for a flood of NHL players, though there have been some excellent ones – starting on draft day when he was selected deep into the third round. Nielsen has never earned more than $2.75MM in a single season, choosing to re-sign with the team who drafted him well before he became an unrestricted free agent in 2012.
He shouldn’t be overlooked any longer, as the 32-year old has put together an excellent career and comes into this offseason as a top-5 free agent, now that Stamkos and Yandle have both signed.
Potential Suitors
With, perhaps fittingly, almost no news coming out about Nielsen speaking with teams other than the Islanders, it’s a bit of a mystery where the Dane will finally end up. There are however a few teams who seem to fit with his ability and position perfectly.
In our UFA piece we had Nielsen going to the Red Wings, and after Stamkos re-signed this afternoon that seems even more a possibility. The club already has a young, up and coming center in Dylan Larkin who may be ready for the top line as soon as next season, so may not want to commit to the long-term deal that the other top option, David Backes, is surely to command.
While the Minnesota Wild have a young group of forwards who have shown the ability to play in the top six, they’ve also experimented with both Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund on the wing. If they think they’re more suited there, Nielsen makes a good choice as a steady veteran to put between them on the second line.
Expected Contract
Nielsen will be overlooked no more, as he hits this summer looking for one last big deal to finish his career on. If Backes goes early and the rest of the league views him as the next best option down the middle (which they should), he’ll look for a four or five year deal somewhere between $4.5 and $5MM per season. If he settles for a shorter term, he might be able to push just above that $5MM mark, but it would be very surprising to see him get close to $6MM.
Minnesota Re-Signs Zucker, Close With Graovac
12:00 PM: Russo tweets that the deal for Zucker is indeed two-years for a total of $4MM. He’ll earn $2MM in each season.
10:55 AM: According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the Wild are close to deals with upcoming RFAs Jason Zucker and Tyler Graovac. Elliotte Friedman chimes in with a report that would see Zucker earn around $2MM per season on the bridge deal that Russo originally stated.
The 24-year old Zucker scored 13 goals and 23 points this season, after breaking out in 2014-15 with 21 goals. The former second-round pick from California has shown some promise the last couple of seasons and will continue to work his way into the top-six in Minnesota. His versatility as both a scoring winger and penalty killer gives the Wild a valuable player for a reasonable price.
Graovac is a monster centerman that Minnesota drafted in the seventh round and had seen steady development at the AHL level until an injury plagued 2015-16 saw him post just 16 points in 39 games. He’ll still be hard pressed to make it to the NHL, but with his 6’5″ frame perhaps he’ll be a late-bloomer.
Free Agent Notes: Ladd, Martin, Lucic
It’s that time of year again in the NHL, where rumors and speculation run rampant. Last night, after a report from Jimmy Murphy of VICE Sports indicated the Bruins were preparing an offer sheet for Jets’ defenceman Jacob Trouba, the Twitterverse went wild with speculation and conjecture. If the Bruins are indeed preparing a sheet, it would have to be for the maximum compensation, four first-round picks, as the team doesn’t own their second or third rounders for 2017. A tough pill to swallow to be sure, even if Trouba is the top pairing blueliner they think he is. More news about the upcoming free agent market:
- Darren Dreger wakes us this morning with a report that the Islanders, Canadiens, Lightning and Predators are all in the hunt for Andrew Ladd. As the Stamkos Extravaganza begins (and quite possibly ends) this Friday, the Ladd camp is moving slowly and assessing possible fits before really getting into any negotiations with teams.
- Matt Martin, another interesting name on the market is getting a lot of calls, writes Arthur Staple of Newsday. Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Los Angeles and Calgary have all reached out already, making the bottom-six winger one to watch over the next few days.
- Among the chatter yesterday was talk of Milan Lucic having agreed to a deal with the Edmonton Oilers, and while this seems like it’s a little ahead of itself, it’s at least something to keep an eye on. Gene Principe of Sportsnet, among others, reported that he’s heard Lucic is probably headed to Edmonton, but can’t guarantee it.
Full List of Players Who Did Not Receive a Qualifying Offer
The deadline to make a qualifying offer to a restrict free agent ended at 5pm today. Below is a list of players who did not receive an offer and sorted by team for easy reference. Any player that did not receive a qualifying offer is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
(as of writing the Toronto Maple Leafs were the only team not to confirm which players received QOs)
Anaheim Ducks
F Matt Bailey, F Brandon Pirri, F Charles Sarault, D Kevin Gagne, and D Martin Gernat.
Arizona Coyotes
F Sergei Plotnikov, , D Philip Samuelsson, F Christian Thomas, D Kevin Connauton, D Jarred Tinordi, D Klas Dahlbeck, and G Niklas Treutle
Boston Bruins
F Landon Ferraro and F Brett Connolly.
Buffalo Sabres
F Alex Guptill, F Colin Jacobs, F Jack Nevins, and Nathan Lieuwen.
Calgary Flames
F Kenny Agostino, F Bill Arnold, F Joe Colborne, F Turner Elson, F Josh Jooris, F Drew Shore, F Bryce Van Brabant, G Joni Ortio, and Kevin Poulin.
Carolina Hurricanes
F Zach Boychuk, F Anthony Camara, F Dane Fox, F Carter Sandlak, F Justin Shugg, D Danny Biega, D Michal Jordan, D Rasmus Rissanen, and G Rasmus Tirronen.
Minor Transactions: 6/26/16
Here is where we’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions.
- The Flyers have re-signed D Mark Alt to a one year contract, according to Cap Friendly. The 24 year old will receive $625,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 in the AHL. He last suited up for the Flyers in 2014-15. Last season, he had 4 goals and 15 assists in 72 games for Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
- The Wild announced that they have issued qualifying offers to seven players, including D Mathew Dumba, G Darcy Kuemper, and LW Jason Zucker. They also announced that they did not issue qualifying offers to RW Brett Bulmer, LW Raphael Bussieres, G Brody Hoffman, C Jared Knight, and RW Scott Sabourin. Those five will become unrestricted free agents on July 1st. The deadline for qualifying offers is Monday afternoon at 4 PM CST.
- Boston issued qualifying offers to RW Brian Ferlin and D Chris Casto while failing to tender one to C Ben Sexton, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal.
Free Agent Notes: Stamkos, Okposo, Lucic
With the completion of the NHL Entry Draft, the negotiating window with upcoming unrestricted free agents has now opened. From now until July 1st, teams are allowed to contact, but not sign, the pending UFAs. This is a key period when teams decide on strategy for the summer before the free agent frenzy begins, and also the last chance for teams looking to re-sign their own players to eight year contracts. Once the player becomes unrestricted next Friday, teams may only offer seven year pacts. Here is some information already coming out about some of the top names:
- Steven Stamkos is the most important example of a team who would lose their advantage after July 1st, with the superstar center surely demanding a maximum length deal. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that the Buffalo Sabres may be joining the hunt for the 26-year old, quoting GM Tim Murray: “We’re going to chase the big fish.” The Sabres do have over $20MM in cap space for the upcoming season, and could fit a Stamkos-like contract into their current structure.
- After opening, the window for Kyle Okposo must have been pretty stuffed as Arthur Staple of Newsday reports there was plenty of interest in the 28-year old. Among the teams that came calling were the Jets, Blues, Kings, Wild and Red Wings. Okposo put up 64 points last season and landed at #2 on our list of the top 50 UFAs.
- ESPN’s Joe McDonald passes along a report that Boston Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney has considered a reunion with Milan Lucic, and that the team will at least inquire about Stamkos. Boston isn’t finding much luck trying to re-sign their own star forward, as Loui Eriksson looks poised to hit the open market next week.
2016 NHL Draft Results
Pro Hockey Rumors will be following and updating every selection of the 2016 NHL Draft. Below are the results of the first round.
Round 1
1. Toronto Maple Leafs: C Auston Matthews (Zurich Lions – SUI)
2. Winnipeg Jets: RW Patrik Laine (Tappara – SM-liiga)
3. Columbus Blue Jackets: LW Pierre-Luc Dubois (Cape Breton – QMJHL)
4. Edmonton Oilers: RW Jesse Puljujarvi (Karpat – SM-liiga)
5. Vancouver Canucks: D Olli Juolevi (London – OHL)
6. Calgary Flames: LW Matthew Tkachuk (London – OHL)
7. Arizona Coyotes: C Clayton Keller (USA NTDP – USHL)
8. Buffalo Sabres: F Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads – OHL)
9. Montreal Canadiens: D Mikhail Sergachev (Windsor – OHL)
10. Colorado Avalanche: C Tyson Jost (Penticton – BCHL)
11. Ottawa Senators (from New Jersey): C Logan Brown (Windsor – OHL)
12. New Jersey Devils (from Ottawa): C Michael McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads – OHL)
13. Carolina Hurricanes: D Jake Bean (Calgary – WHL)
14. Boston Bruins: D Charlie McAvoy (Boston University – NCAA)
15. Minnesota Wild: C Luke Kunin (Wisconsin – NCAA)
16. Arizona Coyotes (From Detroit): D Jakob Chychrun (Sarnia – OHL)
17. Nashville Predators: D Dante Fabbro (Penticton – BCHL)
18. Winnipeg Jets (From Philadelphia): D Logan Stanley (Windsor – OHL)
19. New York Islanders: LW Kieffer Bellows (US NTDP)
20. Detroit Red Wings (from Arizona via New York Rangers): D Dennis Cholowski (Chilliwack (BCHL)
21. Carolina Hurricanes (from LA Kings): RW Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs – QMJHL
22. Philadelphia Flyers (From Winnipeg via Chicago): C German Rubtsov (Team Russia U-18)
23. Florida Panthers: C Henrik Borgstrom (HIFK – SM-liiga Jr)
24. Anaheim Ducks: LW Max Jones (London – OHL)
25. Dallas Stars: LW Riley Tufte (Blaine – USHSW)
26. St. Louis Blues (From Washington): C Tage Thompson (Connecticut – NCAA)
27. Tampa Bay Lightning: C Brett Howden (Moose Jaw – WHL)
28. Washington Capitals (From St. Louis): D Lucas Johansen (Kelowna – WHL)
29. Boston Bruins (from San Jose): C Trent Frederic (USA U-18 NTDP)
30. Anaheim Ducks (from Pittsburgh via Toronto): C Sam Steel (Regina – WHL)