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Rocco Grimaldi Receives Arbitration Award

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The final arbitration case of the 2019 off-season is in the books. The Nashville Predators announced that the independent arbitrator has awarded forward Rocco Grimaldi a one-year, one-way, $1MM contract. The Predators had requested a minimum $700K salary and two-way contract for Grimaldi, while the 26-year-old filed at $1.275MM, resulting in a $988K midpoint for the case. As such, this award is a win for Grimaldi’s camp in terms of both the nature and value of the contract.

Grimaldi finally found a fit for himself in Nashville last season and failing to impress in stops with the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche. After recording ten points in his previous 37 NHL appearances over four seasons, Grimaldi played in 53 games for the Predators last season and contributed 13 points, plus three goals in five playoff games, while also developing an effective two-way game. Given his meager 5’6″ frame, Grimaldi’s defensive growth came as a nice addition, as did his ability to win puck battles and create offense when called upon by the team.

There are still doubts that the former University of North Dakota star can be a regular in the NHL, seeing as Nashville still sat him for nearly 30 games last season. However, a one-way deal makes it even less likely that the Predators will try to pass Grimaldi through waivers this season. Most likely, he will continue to serve an important depth role and could fight for even more starts in the upcoming campaign.

The award for Grimaldi currently leaves the Predators with just $1.34MM in projected cap space. However, he was their final unsigned restricted free agent, meaning Nashville is done adding to the payroll if they so choose. Additionally, that projection also accounts for 24 players, meaning the team will open up additional space when they are forced to cut a player from camp.

Rocco Grimaldi, Nashville Predators Submit Arbitration Figures

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The arbitration figures for the last few cases came out fast and furious today from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Rocco Grimaldi was third, with Friedman reporting that the forward submitted a $1.275MM ask while the Nashville Predators filed for a $700K/$200K two-way contract. Grimaldi is scheduled for a hearing on Sunday. It is important to remember that the two sides can continue to negotiate up to (and for a short period after) the hearing. The arbitrator does also not need to choose one filing or the other, but will almost always decide on a number near the mid-point of the two.

Grimaldi, 26, received the biggest opportunity of his professional career last season with the Predators when the team dressed him for 53 games. The former University of North Dakota standout had previously played just 47 NHL games in his entire career, despite being the 33rd pick in 2011. It’s not like he hasn’t kept up his offense, as Grimaldi has routinely been one of the most dangerous players in the AHL. His height however—standing at a generous 5’6″—still likely plays a part in how teams and scouts evaluate him for the NHL.

Regardless of his stature, Grimaldi became a valuable part of the Predators this season. Though he recorded just 13 points when he was on the ice the shot totals were drastically shifted in Nashville’s favor, and though part of that is quality of competition there is nothing wrong with having your fourth line feed the other team’s their lunch on a regular basis. Grimaldi averaged just ten minutes per game, but was effective in that role.

In the postseason he was given even more responsibility and it paid off. Grimaldi scored three goals in five games for the Predators, which amazingly actually led the entire team. Roman Josi was the only other Predator to score more than one goal in their first round loss to the Dallas Stars.

Grimaldi is coming off a one-year, two-way contract with the Predators that carried a $650K salary in the NHL, meaning he’s going to get a raise no matter what happens through arbitration. The league minimum has increased to $700K this season and it seems likely that he will be able to secure a deal even higher than that. Whether he can keep his job on the NHL roster is another story, but one that he’s ready to fight for.

Central Notes: Hossa, Vesalainen, Johns, Bonino

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The Chicago Blackhawks got eight amazing seasons from star forward Marian Hossa from 2009 to 2017 and that is expected to continue in the future. Granted the 40-year-old’s playing career is over, but in an interview with Chicago Blackhawks President John McDonough, The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes that McDonough feels that Hossa will definitely work with the Blackhawks.

Obviously, Hossa is still under contract as his rights are owned by the Arizona Coyotes for the next two seasons, but McDonough said that Hossa will have a role within the organization when Hossa’s contract is up.

“He will work for the Blackhawks. Rocky (Wirtz) and I feel very strongly about that,” McDonough said. “Marian Hossa’s contributions to the Blackhawks are immeasurable. Immeasurable. Not just his on-ice performance, which is Hall of Fame. The way he goes about himself personally and professionally and he’s kind and respectful and polite … But Marian Hossa will play a role here when he’s done, and we’ll have that conversation with him.”

Hossa scored 186 goals with the Blackhawks and helped the franchise win three Stanley Cups during that time.

  • Scott Billeck of NHL.com writes that the Winnipeg Jets have high hopes that 2017 first-round pick Kristian Vesalainen is ready to take on an NHL role this season. The 20-year-old played in three leagues last season, which included a return-trip to Jokerit of the KHL. He played five games for the Jets last season before choosing to return to the KHL where he scored six goals and 17 points in 31 games. With Jokerit’s season over, Vesalainen decided to return to North America and join the Manitoba Moose of the AHL where he posted four goals and 13 points in 22 games. However, Vesalainen has continued to work on his strength and conditioning, which he hopes might get him a chance at a bottom-six role next season. “Vesalainen is stronger and where he could do the drills last year because he’s a gifted man, it wasn’t easy for him to drive through drills and always push,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “And at the end of practice, he’s still coming out of the corner now hard. He’s just physically stronger. He can do an hour long of all those drills and he’s just a more mature player. How that relates to [training camp], we’ll see. But clearly, there’s been some good work done there.”
  • The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf (subscription required) writes that the Dallas Stars are getting good reports on defenseman Stephen Johns, who sat out the entire 2018-19 season with concussion-related symptoms. The scribe writes that there are still questions that linger with the 27-year-old, including the fact that he still needs to be cleared by team doctors, but the team hopes that the 6-foot-4, 225-pound blueliner can contribute to the blueline despite not having been on the ice for 18 months. Johns scored eight goals in 75 games for Dallas back in the 2017-18 season.
  • In his most recent mailbag, The Athletic’s John Glennon (subscription required) writes that while the Nashville Predators are likely done with offseason moves (minus signing restricted free agent Rocco Grimaldi), he wouldn’t be surprised if the Predators attempted to move center Nick Bonino during training camp or early in the season. Bonino is coming off a solid season (17 goals, 35 points) and has just two years remaining on his contract at $4.1MM AAV, which makes him an interesting trade candidate for teams in need of a veteran center. Colton Sissons, who just signed a seven-year, $20MM contract, could easily take over Bonino’s role as the center on the fourth line.

 

Colton Sissons Signs Seven-Year Deal

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The Nashville Predators and Colton Sissons have avoided arbitration, and will be together for a long time. The two sides have agreed on a seven-year, $20MM contract. That means Sissons’ cap hit is just under $2.86MM moving forward, and the hearing scheduled for July 26 is no longer necessary. CapFriendly has the full breakdown:

  • 2019-20: $3.45MM
  • 2020-21: $2.5MM
  • 2021-22: $3.65MM
  • 2022-23: $2.775MM
  • 2023-24: $3.5MM
  • 2024-25: $2.3MM
  • 2025-26: $1.825MM

While a contract of this length is still surprising to see, it’s not like Predators GM David Poile hasn’t done it before. In 2016 he signed a 24-year old Calle Jarnkrok to a six-year, $12MM deal to secure one of his bottom-six forwards for a reasonable price and hope for a breakout. Jarnkrok had just completed a 16-goal, 30-point season for the Predators, both easily career highs. Those totals line up well with the 15 goals and 30 points that Sissons just had, also career highs. Knowing that he will likely provide at least that, Poile is betting on a potential breakout while mitigating his risk with a relatively low cap hit.

That’s not to say that Sissons is guaranteed to score 15 goals in every year of the deal. The 25-year old needed a 13.6% shooting percentage to do it in 2018-19, though there are many other factors to take into account. One of them is how often he starts his shifts in the defensive zone, almost never given the chance to take a faceoff in the opponent’s end. Even if that production does dip a bit, he’s a valuable penalty killer and defensive center that has proven he can step into a larger role if forced. With Ryan Johansen, Matt Duchene, Kyle Turris and Nick Bonino still on the roster though, it seems unlikely that will be necessary.

The other thing to consider when it comes to Sissons is his off-ice influence on the Predators. The young forward has been known as a pure leader for quite some time, first serving as captain for the Kelowna Rockets before being named the youngest captain in Milwaukee Admirals history when he was just 21. That kind of presence is exactly what the Predators are hoping to lock up.

Like usual for the Predators, the deal includes no signing bonuses or trade protection. It will buy out five years of unrestricted free agency, taking Sissons to the age of 32.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke news of the signing on Twitter.

Central Notes: Strome, Fabbro, Fiala, Schenn, Pietrangelo

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It might be tough for Dylan Strome to duplicate his performance with the Chicago Blackhawks this season. The under-performing center found his game once he was traded to Chicago and posted 51 points in 58 games. However, Strome could be in line for another breakout season as the Blackhawks have concentrated their focus of Strome’s offseason workouts on strengthening his lower-body, which the team feels is his biggest weakness, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Because the 6-foot-3 Strome uses a short stick which forces him to play leaning slightly forward. The down side to him doing that is that his vision is limited as his head is leaning downwards towards the ice. The team’s plan is to develop his lower-body and core, so he can play more upright and increase his vision.

“He has all the potential to be able to do exactly what he wants to do,” said Paul Goodman, the Hawks’ strength and conditioning coach. “But physically, [he’s] just going through a maturation process and understanding how his body can actually be pushed further and also be able to translate into better speed, better power, better change of direction, better vision.”

  • Of course it’s still quite early to decide who any team might be losing to Seattle in the upcoming expansion draft in 2021, The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) writes that quite a bit has already changed for the Nashville Predators as the team now must protect defenseman Dante Fabbro, which complicates matters for the team. Nashville was hoping to only have to protect Roman Josi (with the assumption that he re-signs with Nashville), Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm. That would have allowed the team to protect seven forwards. Instead, the team will be forced to protect Fabbro and will only be able to protect four forwards instead, thereby exposing an extra three forwards to Seattle.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that with the recent signing of Ryan Donato to a two-year deal at $1.9MM, the Minnesota Wild’s top priority is to ink restricted free agent Kevin Fiala now. While Donato opted to sign a two-year bridge deal to prove his value to the franchise, Russo believes that with general manager Paul Fenton’s familiarity with Fiala, the GM might consider trying to lock up Fiala to a much longer deal and hope to get a bargain out of him down the road. Evolving Hockey’s contract projections suggest that it would cost Minnesota about $4.97 AAV to lock him up for five years, but is the team willing to gamble on him is the real question.
  • The St. Louis Blues have had a relatively quiet offseason this summer, but that could change next season as the team has two key players who will be unrestricted free agents next season, including center Brayden Schenn and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Both are critical to the team, but St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann writes that keeping both will be challenging as they are both still quite young and should garner quite a bit of attention on the open market next summer unless general manager Doug Armstrong can find a way to lock them up early.

Poll: How Many Unresolved Arbitration Cases Will Require An Award?

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In the NHL, the salary arbitration process is more often used as a negotiating tool – an incentive to get a deal done before the uncomfortable setting of a hearing and the unknown of an arbitrator’s decision – than it is for its actual purpose. A vast majority of players who file for arbitration end up settling before their hearing or even at the last moment before an award is handed down. Last year, 44 players filed for arbitration and 40 settled prior to their hearing. The year before, all 30 cases were resolved before an arbitration award could be made.

So what about this year? There were initially 40 cases of player-elected arbitration and one case of team-elected arbitration (the St. Louis Blues and goalie Ville Husso), but that number is now down to 25 open cases. That’s a substantial drop-off, but time is running out for some RFA’s and their teams to come to terms, as the first scheduled hearing is set to take place on Saturday, July 20th. Listed below are all of the remaining cases:

July 20: Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes
July 21: Andrew Copp, Winnipeg Jets
July 22: MacKenzie Weegar, Florida Panthers; Zach Aston-Reese, Pittsburgh Penguins; Ville Husso, St. Louis Blues; Christian Djoos, Washington Capitals
July 23: Evan Rodrigues, Buffalo Sabres
July 24: Oskar Sundqvist, St. Louis Blues; Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets
July 25: Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers
July 26: Colton Sissons, Nashville Predators
July 27: Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames
July 28: Mirco Mueller, New Jersey Devils
July 29: David Rittich, Calgary Flames; Pavel Buchnevich, New York Rangers
August 1: Remi Elie, Buffalo Sabres; Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals
August 2: Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres; Charles Hudon, Montreal Canadiens; Will Butcher, New Jersey Devils
August 4: Jake McCabe, Buffalo Sabres; Anton Forsberg, Carolina Hurricanes; Sheldon Dries, Colorado Avalanche; Rocco Grimaldi, Nashville Predators; Joel Edmundson, St. Louis Blues

Given the time constraints and the complexity of each of these cases, how many will feel forced to go to hearing? Will Trouba be one of that select group, as he was last year? Will the Sabres struggle to settle four cases before their scheduled hearing dates? Will the Blues see through their team-elected case with Husso? Will other goalies prove to be difficult negotiations? And will polarizing players like Bennett and Buchnevich fail to find common ground with their teams? Or will it be under-the-radar players like Gemel Smith and Brett Kulak last year who go through the full process?

There are many questions left about this group of restricted free agents and time is running out before we know the answers. So the choice is yours: will we see an unprecedented class of arbitration awards or will all or most cases reach a resolution in the coming weeks?

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Snapshots: Appleby, Skinner, Knights

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Goaltender Ken Appleby will have to settle for an AHL contract again this season. The 24-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the Nashville Predators, the team announced. Appleby spent much of last season on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but was signed to an NHL deal at the trade deadline to serve as a depth option for the Winnipeg Jets. Appleby will hope that his play earns him another NHL contract, during this season or next summer.

Appleby continues to be a tough keeper to nail down. A standout with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, Appleby earned a three-year entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils as an undrafted prospect. In his first pro season in 2015-16, Appleby largely played in the ECHL, but put up good numbers and performed well in limited AHL action. The next year, he again dominated in ECHL to begin the year but quickly was called up to play a key role in the AHL and put up good albeit unspectacular numbers. In the final year of his ELC, Appleby’s AHL performance slipped somewhat, but he made three NHL appearances and was stellar, posting a .945 save percentage and 1.45 GAA. Yet, Appleby inexplicably failed to garner NHL attention last summer and, after signing with Manitoba, struggled greatly in the AHL and ended up back down in the ECHL. It’s unclear what to expect from the roller coaster goaltender, but at the very least the Admirals add an experienced netminder who has shown flashes of brilliance.

  • New York Rangers prospect Hunter Skinner is shifting his development plan. A fourth-round pick out of the USHL last month, Skinner was expected to play one more year of junior before heading to Western Michigan University. That all changed today when Skinner signed with the OHL’s London Knights, effectively ruling out the NCAA route. London used a fifth-round pick on Skinner in the 2017 OHL Draft and have made good on that gamble by convincing Skinner to change lanes and play major junior. However, it comes as a bit of a surprise that the Michigan native backed out of his WMU commitment. A big right-handed defenseman who is ahead of the game physically but still raw in his skill and IQ, the Rangers reached for Skinner in the fourth round. It’s not a stretch to think that they used that leverage to influence this decision, perhaps preferring to see Skinner play against stronger competition sooner rather than later to start developing those abilities. The Broncos are definitely disappointed to lose a promising prospect, but Skinner is in good hands in London, a premiere NHL feeder program led by Dale and Mark Hunter.
  • Speaking of which, former London Knight Will Lochead has signed his first pro contract with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Lochead actually began classes at the University of Western Ontario last year and had intended to continue there, but after a breakout season opted to pursue the pro route. The aggressive defenseman recorded a career-high 17 points in 54 games for the Knights and continued to show that he is not afraid to throw his body around and play a fast-tempo game. The Thunderbirds are taking a chance on a young, undrafted player without much production to show for in his junior career, but who brings room for growth and an exciting style.

Greg Johnson Passes Away At 48

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Former NHLer Greg Johnson passed away on Monday at the far too young age of 48. USA Today’s Kevin Allen relays the news today from Johnson’s friend and former agent Tom Laidlaw, who says Johnson died at his home near Detroit, Michigan. No cause of death was provided, but Johnson was forced to retire early in 2006 due to an irregular heartbeat, making the cardiac ailment the likely cause.

Johnson played 785 games in the NHL, but will be remembered most for the 502 spent with the Nashville Predators. An inaugural member of the 1998 expansion Predators, Johnson led the team in points per game in its first year of existence with a career-best 50 points in 68 games. He would go on to captain the team for the final four years of his career as well. Laidlaw recalls that Johnson cherished his role with Nashville and took less money to stay with the Predators, while former teammate Chris Mason says that Johnson was “a big part of establishing the identity of the franchise.”

Johnson was also well known for being both the captain and star forward of the University of North Dakota in the early 90’s. He had been drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round in 1989 after a near-100 point season in the USHL and quickly proved he was the real deal, recording 272 points in 155 games in his NCAA career. Johnson broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and also spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. He accumulated 224 in 785 games in his NHL career and became known for his two-way play and work ethic.

Most importantly though, Johnson is remembered as a great teammate. Allen writes that Johnson was a soft-spoken and caring type of captain, who prioritized taking care of his team. Mason calls Johnson “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” and “the kind of guy that Predators wanted their other players to be like on or off the ice.” The Predators themselves released a statement calling their former captain ” a consummate professional and terrific teammate who was an integral part of our community and in developing the Predators culture that we experience today.”

Everyone at PHR wishes the best for the family and friends of Johnson at this time.

Adam Helewka Signs In KHL

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It’s been quite the last few weeks for minor league forward Adam Helewka. Traded from the Nashville Predators to the New Jersey Devils just after the draft, the 23-year old then saw his contract terminated a few days later. Today, Barys Astana in the KHL announced they have signed him to a one-year deal, meaning he’ll take his talents overseas for the 2019-20 season.

It wasn’t the first time Helewka had been traded in his young career. Originally a draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, he would play two seasons in their minor league system before finding himself on the way to the Arizona Coyotes in the summer of 2018. Then a few weeks before the most recent trade deadline, the young forward was on the move again, this time to the Predators. Despite that midseason move, Helewka managed to post his best professional season with 50 points in 65 games in the AHL.

After such turmoil in North America, a trip overseas may do wonders for the former WHL offensive star. He’ll get a chance to play in the KHL and prove that he can compete at a high level, hopefully earning another NHL deal one day. Because of the termination, the Devils will not retain his negotiating rights.

Notable AHL Signings: 7/1 & 7/2

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It’s not uncommon to see many players coming off NHL contracts, including those who have found success in the AHL, opt to sign minor league contracts early in July. As the new league year begins, many unrestricted free agents find that the market for their services at the top level does not develop. Rather than hold out hope for a two-way NHL contract further into the off-season, many are content to accept AHL contracts, which don’t rule out the possibility of signing in the NHL but provide some certainty about the coming season. Through the first two days of free agency, more than a few familiar names have settled for minor league pacts:

  • Tyler Sikura has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, remaining in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Sikura has been a key contributor for Rockford the past two years, even earning a one-year contract with Chicago this past season, but did not make an NHL appearance. He was likely content to stay with organization anyway, as he can continue to play with younger brother Dylan Sikura.
  • After playing a key shutdown role for the Charlotte Checkers en route to a Calder Cup championship, defenseman Josiah Didier has signed a one-year deal with the Providence Bruins. Providence has several top prospects on their blue line, but are lacking depth and Didier should again play an important role for his team next season.
  • The San Antonio Rampage have signed former Detroit Red Wings prospect and second-round pick Zach Nastisiuk to an AHL contract, as well as fellow forwards Cameron Darcy and J.J. Piccinich. The trio will have to fight for ice time in the minors, as the St. Louis Blues have signed quite a few depth players already over these past two days.
  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms went big game hunting among AHL veterans yesterday, signing five-time AHL All-Star Cal O’Reilly to a two-year deal and bringing back their own All-Star, Greg Carey. O’Reilly, 32, has been on an NHL contract in each of the past five seasons, but had to settle for a step down this year despite another strong campaign. The center was a point-per-game scorer for the Iowa Wild, notching 67 points in 67 games to finish in the top ten in the AHL in scoring. It was his sixth AHL season with 60+ points. Carey, 29, saw his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers expire, but remains in the organization, where he has recorded three straight 50+ points seasons. The Phantoms also signed another Iowa forward, Gerry Fitzgerald, and defenseman Eric Knodel to one-year contracts.
  • A trio of familiar names have joined the Hartford Wolfpack: goalie Thomas McCollum, forward Harry Zolnierczyk, and defenseman Vincent LoVerde. All three players are coming off of NHL contracts but will have to work their way back into relevance at the top level. McCollum and Zolnierczyk both have played in the NHL, albeit not in several years, and LoVerde is a two-time AHL All-Star and Calder Cup champ. It’s quite a haul for Hartford.
  • Sam Vigneault left Clarkson University early to join the Columbus Blue Jackets, but his play in the minors tailed off over the past two years and his entry-level contract expired without an NHL experience. However, he’s content to stay in the organization, as Vigneault has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
  • Former top goalie prospect Zach Fucale has had a tough go of it in the pros. A second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, Fucale has been relegated to the ECHL for much of the past three seasons. He managed to find an AHL contract with the Syracuse Crunch, but considering the depth in net for the Tampa Bay Lightning after signing three goalies yesterday, Fucale is likely headed back to the ECHL.
  • Cole Schneider has been a force in the AHL for years, recently wrapping up his sixth straight season of 50+ points. However, the 28-year-old has been unable to translate that offense to the NHL. Although he still had enough value to warrant a trade to the Nashville Predators this season, Schneider never made an appearance for the team. That hasn’t stopped him from sticking with the organization though. The Milwaukee Admirals have brought back the talented forward on a one-year deal.

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