Snapshots: Trouba, Worlds, Subban
Jacob Trouba was a big hockey story in the summer of 2016, when he held out on the Winnipeg Jets and asked for a trade. Trouba wouldn’t sign a new contract as a restricted free agent until November 7th of that year, missing a month of the season before settling on a two-year $6MM deal. The prevailing thought at that point was that Trouba wasn’t happy with his role or future on the team since the Jets already had Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers locked in on the right side, but things seemed to have changed in the years since.
Today, Jim Toth of TSN 1290 reported that Trouba has told his agent he wants to be with Winnipeg long-term, meaning signing a new contract this summer when he’s scheduled to become a restricted free agent once again. The 24-year old defenseman has developed into quite the player for the Jets, and has logged the second-most minutes in the postseason for them (behind only Byfuglien, who is averaging a ridiculous 26:15 through 14 games). Signing Trouba long-term would certainly be a win for the Jets, but the team has to be careful with how much money they hand out this offseason, as there are even more extensions—namely Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor—coming down the road.
- The quarter-final matchups are set for the IIHF World Championships, with Sweden facing Latvia, Russia facing Canada, the Czech Republic matched up with the USA and Switzerland taking on Finland. The games will be held on Thursday, with Saturday and Sunday holding the semi-final and medal rounds. Denmark, the hosts of this year’s tournament, were dramatically eliminated in the final game against Latvia despite winning three games in the preliminary round. That included a 3-2 upset of Finland, who ended up winning the group.
- Though it never had much merit in the first place, any rumors surrounding a trade of P.K. Subban out of Nashville were summarily shut down today by the club. As Joe Rexrode of the Tennessean writes, despite never having a full guarantee that a player won’t be traded, the Predators are about as far from dealing their Norris-trophy finalist as they ever have been. The relatively early exit at the hands of Winnipeg notwithstanding, the Predators had an outstanding season and Subban was a big part of that. He’ll almost assuredly be back in a Predator uniform to start next season.
Minnesota Notes: GM, Free Agents, Whitecaps
The Minnesota Wild are closing in on their next GM, as Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that team owner Craig Leipold will sit down with Paul Fenton today and Tom Fitzgerald on Thursday before making a final decision. Fenton, the Nashville Predators assistant GM, has been a candidate for countless jobs over the past decade but stayed with his current organization as the right hand of David Poile. Fitzgerald, a rising star in the New Jersey Devils front office, apparently “thoroughly impressed Leipold” in his first interview and is now a legitimate finalist for the job.
Minnesota let long-time GM Chuck Fletcher go after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, and are looking for something of a new direction under their next executive. The team has routinely made the playoffs in recent years, only to quickly bow out and try again the following season.
- When CapFriendly released their offer sheet compensation yesterday, one couldn’t fault a Minnesota fan from feeling fearful when reading the list of restricted free agents. Two of the very best—Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba—belong to the Wild, and could potentially draw offer sheet interest. Zucker is coming off a breakout 64-point season and is already 26, while Dumba lived up to his seventh-overall draft position with a 50-point season from the blue line. Both players are integral parts of the Minnesota team, and key negotiations for whoever becomes the next GM. If someone were to sign either to a big-money offer sheet, it may be hard to turn down what would be an expansive compensation package.
- The NWHL has expanded to the state of hockey for the 2018-19 season, as the Minnesota Whitecaps will become the league’s fifth team. Joining the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota will be the league’s first foray outside of the north east. The Whitecaps have operated independently for several years, playing exhibition games against NWHL teams but never being an official part of the league. The organization will initially be owned by the league.
Ryan Ellis Open To Contract Extension With Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators already made it clear this morning that they likely wouldn’t be bringing back Alexei Emelin, and that Scott Hartnell‘s tenure with the team was essentially over. GM David Poile also touched on an upcoming negotiation with defenseman Ryan Ellis, which Adam Vingan examines in a piece for the Tennessean. Ellis has one year left on his current contract, and would be eligible for an extension this summer. He’s very open to signing a new deal with Nashville, as he told Vingan:
I love it here. My fiancée loves it here. If it was my wish, I’d finish my career here. So we’ll see what happens.
Ellis has been one of the most underpaid players in the league the last few seasons, carrying a cap hit of just $2.5MM during his five-year, $12.5MM contract signed in 2014. The 27-year old has developed into one of the best two-way defensemen in the league, and raised to new heights this season when he recorded 32 points in just 44 games. His season was limited by the knee surgery he underwent last summer, but after returning he produced at an incredible rate for the Predators and was back to driving possession while logging more than 23 minutes a night.
Oddly, Ellis’ name hasn’t been mentioned as much as some of the other defensemen scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019. While Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have taken all the headlines, Ellis has flown somewhat under the radar as a potential top pairing defenseman that could be available. That’s likely due to his role on one of the best defensive groups in the NHL, sometimes overshadowed by the flamboyance of P.K. Subban or steady play of Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. Make no mistake though, if Ellis was to hit the open market he would have dozens of teams knocking down his door to try and sign him.
That should lead to quite the raise if he does re-sign with the Predators, and one that isn’t necessarily a given. The team already has quite a bit of salary tied up in those other defensemen, and with Kyle Turris‘ $36MM extension kicking in next year there is a cap crunch coming in Nashville. While right now Ellis’ low cap hit is one of the reasons that the team can have so much depth, a substantial raise—which could potentially push him into the $6-7MM range—would leave the team with some tough decisions elsewhere on the roster. Josi is scheduled to become a UFA in 2020, while there are already decisions to be made with pending RFA Juuse Saros and incumbent starter Pekka Rinne, who has just one year left on his current contract.
Either way, Predators fans should be pleased that Ellis is already so open about a potential extension. The 11th-overall pick in 2009 has proven any doubters wrong by showing that a relatively undersized defenseman can be successful in his own end, and should be a big part of the team for years to come.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Alexei Emelin, Scott Harnell Unlikely To Return To Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are starting their offseason a little earlier than they expected, after being eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round. Now they have to face the tough decisions of who to bring back, including those who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that it is unlikely that Alexei Emelin will be back with the team in 2018-19, and that they’ve already made the decision to not offer a contract to Scott Hartnell. Both players will become UFAs on July 1st.
Emelin was brought in last summer in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights, after the team had selected him in the expansion draft. Nashville sent a third-round pick back to the Golden Knights, adding Emelin to help while they dealt with an injury to Ryan Ellis. Unfortunately, Emelin wasn’t all that effective in his one season in Nashville and would see his minutes reduced dramatically in the postseason. In 76 regular season games he registered just nine points, but did continue to be a physical presence racking up 181 hits (second on the team to only Austin Watson).
The 32-year old defenseman is coming off the final season of a four-year $16.4MM contract he signed in 2013, and will likely have to settle for something much smaller this summer. Though there will certainly be interest in him as a depth defenseman with experience playing against top competition, it doesn’t look like he can any longer be the minute-munching top-4 option he once was.
For Hartnell, it may be getting close to the end. The 36-year old winger did register 24 points in 62 games in his return to Nashville, but was essentially unused in the playoffs and doesn’t have a clear future. Bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer, there may be some interest from around the league on another one-year deal, but there isn’t much evidence he can be an impact player anymore. The former 37-goal scorer could have to settle for an incentive-based contract for 2018-19, if he decides to keep playing.
Western Notes: Former Stars, Turris, Kyrou, Heiskanen
After a disappointing showing in the 2017-18 season that saw the Dallas Stars fall out of the playoffs early, SportsDay’s Mike Heika takes a look at former Dallas Stars players who got an opportunity to compete in the playoffs, asking the question of whether trading away players is the way to go or should teams keep all their players?
He points out several former Stars, including defensemen Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak, as well as Matt Niskanen, as well as the Vegas Golden Knights’ trio of forwards James Neal, Reilly Smith and Cody Eakin.
The scribe writes that while Nemeth was lost to waivers to Colorado, it was unlikely that he was going to get an opportunity to play, while Oleksiak who the team traded away to Pittsburgh for a fourth-round pick, also would have found playing time remote with their group of young defenseman like Esa Lindell, Julius Honka, and Stephen Johns.
Neal and Niskanen were both traded back in 2011 for Alex Goligoski. Heika points out that while that trade looks bad now, Goligoski was a major contributor for years with the Stars as one of their top defensemen. Eakin was lost in the expansion draft, but freed up enough cap room to add Martin Hanzal via free agency, although so far that hasn’t worked out as well as they wanted. Smith went to Boston to get Tyler Seguin, which no one would complain about, although despite having already played for four teams, Smith might be the guy they could use the most.
- Team Canada announced that they have added Nashville Predators center Kyle Turris for the IIHF World Championships in Denmark. He should add some veteran depth to a strong Canadian team. Turris, whose Predators were eliminated Thursday, had a solid year between Ottawa and Nashville, putting up 16 goals and 35 assists, but struggled in the playoffs. He failed to score and only had three assists in 13 games.
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon answers questions in a mailbag column, but says that St. Louis fans shouldn’t hold their breath when it comes to the status of prospect Jordan Kyrou joining the St. Louis Blues out of training camp next season. The 20-year-old center is one of the team’s most heralded prospects after putting up 109 points in 56 games with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting this past season. However, Gordon writes it’s far more likely that Kyrou will start the season in the AHL and shuttle back and forth to gain experience.
- Dallas Stars prospect Miro Heiskanen has been making his mark at the World Championships in Denmark for Team Finland. At 18 years old, the 2017 third-overall pick helped his team to a victory over Team Canada Saturday, which included a key save to a likely goal by Connor McDavid. His success on the ice likely means that he is ready to join the Stars next season. “It’s nice to face those guys and see where I am,” Heiskanen said. “It’s a good test to play them, maybe I will play them next year in the NHL. I want to play there as soon as possible, that’s my goal.”
Poll: Should The Predators Consider Moving On From Pekka Rinne?
While it’s only been two days since the were eliminated and a reactionary rumor rarely makes sense, there is a lot of talk in Nashville that the team should consider trading goaltender Pekka Rinne now.
At first glance, that would seem insane. Rinne is the leading candidate to win the Vezina Trophy for the best goaltender in the regular season, but after a disappointing performance in the playoffs in which he was yanked quicker than any other goaltender in Game 7 playoff history, one has to look deeper. Rinne, who put up a 2.31 GAA and a .927 save percentage in 59 regular season games, definitely struggled once the postseason began, posting a 7-6 record with a 3.07 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 13 games. And at age 35, with one year left on his contract for $7MM AAV, this might be the best time to trade him. With several teams in need of a quality veteran goaltender such as the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres or the Philadelphia Flyers, the team might be able to get back a quality player, while freeing up needed cap room.
Nashville has other needs they need to consider as well. The team has the opportunity to extend the contract of star defenseman Ryan Ellis on July 1. The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan reports that the 27-year-old is open to playing out his career Nashville. However, it will likely take quite a bit more than the $2.5MM he is currently making, so cap room is essential. Add to the fact they will have to re-sign restricted free agent forwards Ryan Hartman and Miikka Salomaki. That’s extra money as well as the team’s need to sign restricted free agent goaltender Juuse Saros to a new deal.
On top of that, that extra $7MM could help the team make a big free agent splash to help them for their run next season, whether they attempt to add another top-four defenseman such as John Carlson, make an attempt to land John Tavares or go in a different direction.
Many feel that Saros might be ready to make that transition from backup to starter. The 23-year-old has been solid as the team’s backup for the past two years, putting up a 2.45 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 26 games this season. While only managing 114 minutes in four playoff games, Saros still performed admirably with a 1.06 GAA and a .952 save percentage in the playoffs. Considered the goalie of the future, why not now? Ideally, giving Saros one more year with Rinne as the starter makes sense, but if the team has to give Saros a lot of money in a bridge deal, the team might be paying close to $10MM for their goalie tandem, which is way too much.
Of course, making a move like this would be extremely risky, but The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin writes that if any team and general manager would consider trading a Vezina Trophy candidate as well as one of the best players in franchise history, David Poile would be the one. Back in June of 2016, Poile and the Predators did the unthinkable of sending star defenseman Shea Weber to Montreal in exchange for P.K. Subban. While the deal was somewhat shocking, the move looks better and better every day while Weber’s play has declined due to injury and age.
What do you think: Do you think the Predators should move forward and give the starting job to Saros or keep everything the same and try again next season?
Should the Predators consider trading Pekka Rinne
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Yes, get all you can for him now 48% (365)
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Maybe, if they can get a great deal 27% (209)
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No, keep him around for one more year 25% (190)
Total votes: 764
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Predators’ Mike Fisher Announces Retirement Again
Nashville Predators forward Mike Fisher announced that he will be retiring from the NHL again, according to Predators’ communications coordinator Brooks Bratten. The veteran who retired last season after the Predators fell in the Stanley Cup Finals, returned to Nashville in January to take another shot at a cup run.
However, after failing to get out of the second round of the playoffs after a seven-game series loss to the Winnipeg Jets, Fisher said he’s done.
“This cow has been milked as much as it can. It’s bone dry,” said Fisher, according to Predators Radio Network’s Jeremy Gover.
The 37-year-old Fisher played 18 seasons in the NHL, putting up a 278 goals, 311 assists and 589 points in 1,104 regular season games. He scored two goals and two assists in 16 games after coming out of retirement this year, but scored just one goal in 12 playoff games this year, playing mostly on the fourth line.
Even if he hadn’t opted to retire, his future with the team was likely in doubt since the one-year, $1MM deal he signed on Feb. 26 will expire. The long-time Predator was in the middle of a team that is filled with young, quality forwards, which likely would have forced him out anyway.
While his playing career is over, Fisher left the door open for a potential future role with the Predators organization.
Several Nashville Predators Heading To IIHF World Championship
8:05pm: Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala will both also be journeying to Denmark to play for Switzerland, raising the total to seven Predators who will be in the tournament. The huge contingent of players just reiterates how talented the Nashville roster is, especially with others likely turning down offers.
4:15pm: After facing elimination at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets last night, several Nashville Predators players will be heading to the IIHF World Hockey Championship. We learned earlier today that Eeli Tolvanen would continue his whirlwind season with Team Finland, while Nick Bonino will join Team USA. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet also reports that Viktor Arvidsson, Mattias Ekholm and Filip Forsberg will all join Sweden.
All four new additions will be huge for their respective countries, as the tournament heads towards the elimination rounds next week.
Bonino hasn’t represented the USA at the tournament since 2015 when he was still with the Vancouver Canucks. That year, he registered four points in 10 games en route to a bronze medal. He’ll join a team that just crushed Korea 13-1 to win their fifth-straight game to open the tournament. That’s a feat the team hasn’t accomplished since 1933, and one that bodes well for their chances in the medal round.
Ekholm and Forsberg have both appeared in the tournament on multiple occasions, but this will be Arvidsson’s first time around. The 25-year old winger last represented Sweden at a major international tournament in 2013, when he helped their World Junior squad to a silver medal. All three should increase Sweden’s odds of a medal tremendously, as three All-Star level talents from the NHL.
Eeli Tolvanen Headed To World Championships For Finland
Eeli Tolvanen must like flying. The 19-year old sniper has been added to the roster for Team Finland at the ongoing IIHF World Championships, just the latest chapter in an incredible season. Tolvanen played a full season in the KHL before signing and making his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators. Meanwhile, he also suited up for Finland at the World Juniors and Olympic Games.
Selected 30th-overall last June, Tolvanen has had quite the year. He broke several recorded for scoring in the KHL, and performed well at both previous international tournaments. Though he wasn’t able to make an impact in Nashville during their playoff run, he should carve out a full-time role there next year. Joining Finland at the World Championships, he has another chance to win an international medal before finishing his year.
The Predators will not be heading to the Western Conference finals this season after being knocked out by the Winnipeg Jets, but should contend for the Stanley Cup again next season. With players like Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro set to make an impact at the NHL level in the coming years, there doesn’t appear to be a lull coming in Nashville anytime soon.
Nashville Predators Sign Carl Persson
The Nashville Predators have dipped their toes back into the European free agent market, signing Carl Persson to a two-year entry-level contract. Persson is fresh off his first full season in the SHL, but will now be joining the Predators’ organization for the next chapter in his hockey career.
The 22-year old forward recorded 24 points in 52 games this season, a very good total for a rookie in the infamously low-scoring SHL. That total placed him third on his club team, and apparently did enough to impress the Predators. Standing 6’1″ 205-lbs, he’ll likely get a chance to keep scoring with the Milwaukee Admirals next year.
Nashville continues to add from the European ranks, bringing in Persson to a system that already added Filip Pyrochta just this week. GM David Poile knows the value of adding risk-free talent from the international market, as he flipped Victor Ejdsell earlier this year as part of the package to acquire Ryan Hartman. Though Persson isn’t quite as high profile of a prospect, he still adds value to the organization.