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Negotiation Notes: No. 2 Pick, Nelson, Simon

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The Carolina Hurricanes and newly promoted GM Don Waddell are listening to offers on the second overall pick in the NHL Draft, but don’t expect them to make a move. Waddell spoke with the media at the NHL Draft Combine with week and said that if teams “want to present something to us, we’ll look at it” but, quickly added that “it’s going to be hard for us to move that pick.” After moving up nine spots in the draft lottery to #2, the Hurricanes are looking to make the most of their good luck. Although Carolina’s biggest need is a star center – something that isn’t available in this draft – they can still land a generational talent up front. Waddell stated that forwards Andrei Svechnikov, Filip Zadina, and Brady Tkachuk are the most likely candidates, but there could also be a possibility that Jesperi Kotkaniemi could slide into the spot, as the Finnish center has reportedly been flying up draft boards. Waddell did say that he was impressed with several of the top defensemen in this class, but feels the Hurricanes are well-stocked on the blue line. That is an understatement for what is one of the deepest and most talented groups in the league with promising prospects still on the way. Forward is the big need and the ’Canes seemed prime to make the pick, but Waddell will listen if another team is ready to blow him away with an offer or present him with an intriguing reason to move back in the first round.

  • Entering a crucial off-season, New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson has decided to move on from his current representation, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. Nelson has hired Ben Hankinson of Octagon Sports to handle his negotiations this summer as he enters restricted free agency. As Staple points out, Nelson’s last foray as an RFA did not go smoothly. Former agent Ron Salcer struggled in his dealings with the Islanders and talks grew contentious over the 2015 off-season. Nelson ended up finally re-signing with the Isles on the eve of training camp. Although Nelson has the benefit of arbitration rights this time around, he would still prefer a more civil negotiation with New York and new addition Lou Lamoriello in his new pursuit of an extension.
  • Contrary to an erroneous report, the agent for young Pittsburgh Penguins forward Dominik Simon says that his client has no immediate interest in leaving North America. Agent Allan Walsh dismissed rumors that Simon could join Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL if the Penguins did not offer the part-time winger a one-way contract extension, reports Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune-Review. Walsh states that Simon is focused only on playing in Pittsburgh in the future and that any talk with foreign teams would be originating from the teams themselves and not the player side. Simon is an RFA this summer and at 23 scored twelve points in 33 games as a rookie and impressed at the AHL level as well. It would be no surprise to see him land a one-way contract, but Walsh makes it sound as if that won’t make a difference in where he plays next season.

Islanders Having Daily Talks With Representatives For John Tavares

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With Lou Lamoriello now at the helm of the Islanders, his primary order of business is trying to get center John Tavares locked up and away from the open market next month.  In an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link), TSN’s Bob McKenzie notes that talks between Lamoriello and Pat Brisson, the agent for Tavares, have occurred on a daily basis since the 75-year-old joined New York last month.

While McKenzie predicts that as things currently stand, the 27-year-old will likely make it to the post-draft interview period, he expects the Islanders to try to be active on the trade market this month in an effort to land another scoring winger to try to entice him to put pen to paper sooner than later.  Tavares is coming off the second-best scoring season of his career and if he doesn’t sign early, he will be highly sought after on the open market as franchise centers rarely make it to free agency.

Snapshots: Carlson, Ellis, Kovalchuk, Nash

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If John Tavares re-signs with the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson would become the undisputed top free agent on the market this summer. However, Carlson’s priority is also to re-sign with his current team and the Capitals’ current Stanley Cup run may only sell him on staying even more. Plus, the estimated cap increase could make it easier for Washington to retain their blue line leader. Yet, Carlson is unlikely to ignore what the open market might offer in a world with no Tavares and a higher cap ceiling. The 28-year-old defenseman could command much more from another team than he’ll likely be able to get from the Caps. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun believes that one of the top suitors will be none other than Carlson’s current opposition, the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite their unforeseeable success this season, the Knights’ defensive corps is far from an elite unit and is in need of a leader. Although they have been connected to Erik Karlsson in the past, LeBrun opines that the easier route for Vegas may be to simply sign Carlson. The need, the cap space, and the connection to GM George McPhee may be enough to entice Carlson to make the cross-country trek. If the Knights are able to win the Stanley Cup, it would add insult to injury to steal both a title and a top player from the Capitals.

  • LeBrun also had the inside scoop on another defenseman, the Nashville Predators’ Ryan Ellis. Although Ellis is not a free agent until 2019, LeBrun learned from Nashville GM David Poile that signing Ellis to an extension will be the Predators’ top priority this summer. Citing the loss of Ryan Suter years ago, LeBrun says that Poile is no longer willing to wait on re-signing his key players. However, the negotiations with Ellis may prove to be more difficult than anticipated. Ellis has been one of the best values in hockey over the last five years at a cap hit of just $2.5MM. No one will blame the offensive defenseman for seeking top dollar in his next deal and he is more likely to find that on the open market.
  • One player who may not be as concerned about money is Ilya Kovalchuk. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Kovalchuk’s main priority in returning to the NHL is to win the Stanley Cup. Kovalchuk is allegedly focused on finding a multi-year deal with a good fit. One possible suitor could be the New York Islanders, as Kovalchuk expressed to Dreger that he appreciated how then-GM Lou Lamoriello handled his sudden departure from New Jersey and shared that the two have maintained a positive relationship. Now that Lamoriello is in New York with more than enough cap space to sign Tavares and quite a few more, Kovalchuk could be a target. The KHL’s reigning leading scorer may sign with any team on July 1st.
  • One player who could be locked up before July 1st is Rick Nash. Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney has expressed a desire to bring back several of his impending free agents, but has noted the reality that there is not enough space for all of them. The Bruins appear to have prioritized a new deal with their blockbuster trade deadline acquisition, as The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson reports that Sweeney and Nash will continue negotiations next week. On the topic, Sweeney said “Rick indicated when he came to Boston that he was excited about the opportunity. He wants to win. He wants an opportunity to win. He felt badly, and certainly he’s not responsible for this, because he got injured.” What Nash feels badly about is likely both the drop-off in his play during the playoffs and the premature end to the Bruins season at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. Nash suffered a concussion late in the regular season and never seemed to get back to 100%, but prior to his injury looked unstoppable on the Bruins’ second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. At the right price, it’s understandable why Sweeney and company would like to give Nash another chance to re-create that chemistry and help bring a Cup to Boston.

Poll: Where Will Ilya Kovalchuk Sign?

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One of the biggest question marks this summer is the potential return of KHL superstar Ilya Kovalchuk. Though he’s made it known he wants to return to the NHL this season, there isn’t a clear front-runner to sign the 35-year old winger. The teams in New York and Florida were reported as his preferred destinations last summer, but now that he is an unrestricted free agent there could be any number of teams reaching out. Indeed we heard recently that his new agent J.P. Barry has been discussing Kovalchuk with several teams, but don’t know who those are.

The Rangers were once believed to be interested, though now that they’re heading into a mini-rebuild could avoid going after the veteran forward. After trading Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash and more over the last few years, New York is trying to get faster and younger to compete in the new NHL. Kovalchuk doesn’t really fit that mold, but would certainly be a big attraction at Madison Square Garden should he end up there.

Florida could use some more firepower up front and has former teammate Evgeni Dadonov under contract, but might be happy plugging in younger options like Henrik Borgstrom and Maxim Mamin. The Panthers also aren’t flush with cap room, unless Kovalchuk was one of their only moves of the summer. Still, they could be an enticing option if they believe that the team can compete in 2018-19.

The Islanders are probably the most interesting contender right now, as they’re in one of his preferred destinations and just hired Lou Lamoriello, the same man who signed Kovalchuk to a 15-year $100MM contract in 2010. Obviously Lamoriello felt strongly about Kovalchuk’s talent at that point, but there’s no telling what he thinks this time around. The Islanders are working to re-sign John Tavares and compete right away, and adding a five-time 40-goal man wouldn’t hurt either situation.

Where do you think Kovalchuk will land? Does he stay on the east coast as expected last summer, or will he end up out west? Is Lamoriello the one to bring him back to the NHL, or has that bridge been burned? Vote below and make sure to leave your explanation in the comments.

Where will Ilya Kovalchuk sign?
New York Islanders 22.62% (294 votes)
New York Rangers 22.08% (287 votes)
Other 21.31% (277 votes)
Vegas Golden Knights 10.00% (130 votes)
KHL 8.62% (112 votes)
Florida Panthers 7.38% (96 votes)
Dallas Stars 5.08% (66 votes)
San Jose Sharks 2.92% (38 votes)
Total Votes: 1,300

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Snapshots: Vrbata, Snow, Calgary

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Radim Vrbata had already announced that he would be retiring from the NHL after this season, and in an excellent piece by Craig Morgan of AZ Sports he goes into just why he made the decision. Vrbata plans on coaching his son’s hockey team in the Czech Republic, before deciding where his hockey career—whatever that entails—will take him next.

Vrbata will end his career having played 1,057 games in the NHL, scoring 623 points in the process. Though he never won a Stanley Cup, he did get to the Conference Finals with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2011-12, the same year he scored a career-high 35 goals. The seventh-round pick from 1999 proved to be an excellent offensive producer throughout his career, cracking 50 points on four occasions and scoring 30+ goals twice.

  • Garth Snow and the rest of the New York Islanders front office were apparently caught off guard by the hiring of Lou Lamoriello recently, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports. Snow and Islanders’ head coach Doug Weight were at the IIHF World Championship scouting in Denmark when the team hired Lamoriello to run their hockey operations, and were “kept out of the loop.” While Brooks doesn’t expand on what that means, it does add a little awkwardness as Snow is currently still listed as GM and Alternate Governor of the team, though many reports have Lamoriello with full control of the team.
  • Just as Ottawa falls into disarray again with the recent comments of Daniel Alfredsson over the desire for a new owner, Calgary gets some good news on their future. The Flames have been embroiled in a battle with the city over a prospective new arena, with both sides walking away from the table late last year. Now, city council has voted to open talks again with the team to try and get some progress towards a new home for the Flames. Several times team President Ken King has hinted that staying at their current home for much longer isn’t financially feasible, with some taking that to mean that possible relocation would happen down the road without a new arena. While this is extremely preliminary, it is at least a step in the right direction.

Snapshots: Kulemin, Schmidt, Oil Kings

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Nikolai Kulemin’s NHL career is over for the time being, as the 31-year old has signed with Magnitogorsk in the KHL. As TSN relays, it is a multi-year deal worth around $3.2MM per season, which is actually a step down from the salary he’d been earning in the NHL. Kulemin signed a four-year $16.75MM contract with the New York Islanders in 2014, and was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ second round pick from 2006 played just 13 games for the Islanders this season, recording three points. A one-time 30-goal scorer, Kulemin was never able to repeat that kind of success and will leave the NHL with 274 points in 669 games. There’s no guarantee his career in North America is finished for good, but it wouldn’t be surprising if we never saw him on this side of the ocean again.

  • Nate Schmidt has turned into an elite defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights, logging huge minutes on a nightly basis and controlling the game during the playoffs. If you were a Washington Capitals fan upset when they lost him in the expansion draft, know that GM Brian MacLellan tried (and failed) to get him back right away. In Isabelle Khurshudyan and Jesse Doughtery’s latest piece for the Washington Post, Vegas GM George McPhee reveals that Washington immediately tried to reacquire the young defenseman, but that the Golden Knights valued him so highly that they made a deal impossible for the Capitals to accept. Schmidt will take on his former club in the Stanley Cup Finals starting tonight, where he’ll be asked to shut down some of the most dangerous forwards in the league.
  • The Edmonton Oil Kings have relieved head coach Steve Hamilton and assistant coach Ryan Marsh of their duties, meaning a new staff will be taking over the WHL team next season. That staff might have to be hired by a new GM too, as the team also announced that GM Randy Hansch will be joining an NHL team as an amateur scout after July 1st. The Oil Kings finished dead last in the WHL this season with a 22-42-8 record, and scored the fewest while allowing the most goals in the league. It was a disastrous year, but as we’ve seen many times at the junior level before they could be in for a quick rebuild. The team selected 15-year old Dylan Guenther first overall in the recent bantam draft, and will hope he can lead the team back to prominence in the coming years.

Teams Worrying John Tavares Could Stay With Islanders

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The addition of Lou Lamoriello to the New York Islanders has quickly changed the free agency landscape. Suddenly, teams that have been drooling over the chance to sign star center John Tavares are beginning to question whether it’s just a dream.

Tavares, who is by far the top-rated unrestricted free agent in this summer’s free agent class, is coming off one of his strongest seasons in his career as he posted 37 goals and 84 points in a full 82-game season despite the team’s struggles throughout the season, which resulted in not making the playoffs for a second straight year. His best season came in 2014-15 when he had 38 goals and 86 points, so the 27-year-old is at the top of his game.

Regardless, he has refrained from signing or even mentioning signing an extension during the season and has said he would like to test the free agent market. Between the team’s troubles of finding a permanent home (their new arena is still years away) and the team’s inability to provide a stable winning environment, many people believe that Tavares, known to be a very loyal player, was ready to move on.

The Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons writes that several teams, however, are already getting the impression that Tavares might re-sign with Lamoriello and the Islanders before free agency even starts on July 1. The Tavares camp isn’t acting like they will be free agents, according to Simmons, with the phrase “if” as in “if we’re available.” To make matters worse for these teams, Lamoriello is known for two key facts — credibility and silence. Lamoriello has a history of winning, which Tavares would appreciate and he also doesn’t tip his hand, so no one really knows what he is doing behind the scenes.

It should be noted that rarely does a franchise free agent ever change hands. Steven Stamkos did not leave Tampa Bay after many believed he was. The Sedin twins never left Vancouver. Regardless, the addition of Lamoriello into the free agent mix will only make things more interesting on July 1.

 

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The Stanley Cup Finals are right around the corner and we’re now just a month away from the NHL Entry Draft. Teams like the New York Islanders and Minnesota Wild are getting new management, while others like the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers will be welcoming new coaches on the bench.

With that in mind, we’ll be running another mailbag this weekend. Our writers will answer all your questions—Stanley Cup related or not—in this week’s edition. Submit your queries using the #PHRMailbag hashtag on Twitter, or by leaving a comment down below.

You can read our previous mailbag right here, where our Brian La Rose dives into the future for the Carolina Hurricanes, what’s left for Jonathan Toews, and potential rule changes for NHL play.

Linus Soderstrom To Play In North America In 2018-19

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  • After spending this past season on loan with HV 71 of the SHL, Islanders goalie prospect Linus Soderstrom is expected to play in North America next season, notes Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The 21-year-old had stellar numbers in 2016-17 but a shoulder injury didn’t help his cause in 2017-18 as he wound up getting into just 14 games and had a save percentage that was 49 points lower than the previous campaign.  With both Kristers Gudlevskis and Christopher Gibson eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency in July, there should be plenty of playing time available with their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

Lou Lamoriello Named New York Islanders President Of Hockey Operations

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The New York Islanders have officially hired former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello as their new President of Hockey Operations. In fitting Lamoriello fashion, the press release includes a note that he will “have full authority over all hockey matters with the organization.” It had already recently been reported that Lamoriello spoke with John Tavares as a representative of the Islanders, something he will continue to do now that he has been officially announced.

Lamoriello was pushed out of his role as GM when his contract finished, with the Maple Leafs instead turning to Kyle Dubas to lead their team going forward. Mark Hunter, Lamoriello’s assistant GM, also left the team this morning, though there is no indication yet if he’ll join his former boss in New York. For now, Lamoriello will come into a front office that had been run by Garth Snow, who will likely now move to a different role within the organization. Snow has a long-term contract with the club still that is reportedly difficult to buy him out of, but there is no question who will be running things going forward.

Lamoriello’s son Chris is also with the organization as an assistant GM, and will likely be retained under his father. As for the rest of the group, there’s no telling how it will be restructured.

For the Islanders, this can only be seen as a positive moving forward. The team desperately needs to find some success in the next few years, and their future depends on how negotiations go with Tavares. Either they’re going all-in with their franchise center to compete right away, or building around Mathew Barzal and the rest of the team’s young players. Lamoriello has experience in both from his days in New Jersey and Toronto, and understands the challenges fully.

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