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Matt Martin Expected To Sign Four-Year Deal

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The New York Islanders haven’t announced it yet, but word has come out that the extension for fourth-liner Matt Martin is quite a bit bigger than expected. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported today that it would be a “bit of a surprise” and that it would reflect the Islanders’ loyalty to the big forward. Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweets that it is expected to be a four-year contract with an average annual value of $1.5MM. New York GM Lou Lamoriello recently confirmed the team had re-signed Martin, but the contract has yet to be officially filed with the league.

Sure, a four-year deal for a fourth-line player is usually a surprise, but perhaps it shouldn’t be one in this specific instance. Martin is actually coming off two previous four-year contracts, one signed with the Islanders in 2012 and one signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016 (notably with Lamoriello, who was GM of the Maple Leafs at the time). This one will come in somewhere between the $4MM he earned on that first deal and $10MM he earned on his last, but still means that Martin will be more than twice as expensive as the league minimum.

For a player that scored just eight points last season and has a career-high of 19, this kind of commitment is exceedingly rare. But Martin is beloved in the Islanders locker room and does often impact the game positively, even if it’s not by putting the puck in the net. His defensive ability is actually a bit underrated, with opponents generating fewer shots when he’s on the ice, while he is also always among the league leaders in hits, something still valued by the tough-as-nails Barry Trotz system. The fact that Martin actually rarely takes minor penalties is also a rarity for a player of his ilk; in 2019-20 he took only five of the two-minute variety.

At one point in the past, the trio of Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, and Casey Cizikas was known as the most effective fourth line in the league. The Islanders obviously believe that the 31-year-old Martin can still be an asset in that role.

Dmytro Timashov Joins Islanders Camp

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The New York Islanders, notorious for failing to announce contract details, had another surprise as the on-ice portion of training camp opened today. According to Andrew Gross of Newsday, recently acquired restricted free agent Dmytro Timashov joined his new teammates. That means Timashov has signed a contract of some sort, whether it be a new NHL deal or perhaps a professional tryout.

The 24-year-old forward was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last month, brought to New York for nothing more than future considerations. In 44 career NHL games, he has just nine points but does have a certain familiarity with GM Lou Lamoriello from their time together in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

Timashov’s contract should be officially announced at some point, along with Mathew Barzal who was also listed on the Islanders’ training camp roster (but has not appeared on the ice yet). Notably, that roster also included Tom Kuhnhackl who had not yet been announced as a re-sign, but could also be participating on a professional tryout.

As always, Lamoriello’s group is the most secretive in the NHL. For now, Timashov at least is taking part.

East Notes: Barzal, Cizikas, Olofsson, Peterka

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With the opening of training camp, New York Islander players have undergone off-ice testing today. However, one notable missing player today is unsigned restricted free agent Mathew Barzal, who now is considered to officially be a holdout, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple.

Head coach Barry Trotz confirmed that Barzal is not in camp, although he said Barzal is on Long Island. He said he will make due without Barzal for now. The team currently only has $3.9MM in cap room, but once the team is able to put defenseman Johnny Boychuk on LTIR due to a career-ending eye injury, that should open up some extra cap space to sign the first-line center.

“You have to make sure you’re adaptable,” Trotz said. “We’re going to worry about who we can put on the ice.”

  • Sticking with the Islanders, Staple reports that forward Casey Cizikas is in camp and ready to go. The 29-year-old forward was forced to leave the bubble during the playoffs after suffering an eye injury. Cizikas told Staple that he took a hit to the head during the playoffs and the vision in his left eye went blurry. After leaving the bubble, the key fourth-line forward was diagnosed with a detached retina. “I feel comfortable and confident on the ice now, so that’s the most important thing,” said Cizikas.
  • When Taylor Hall signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres, the former Hart Trophy winner was penciled in next two Jack Eichel and winger Victor Olofsson. Unfortunately, the first few days of camp haven’t given him much playing time with those linemates as Eichel has been out with an upper-body injury and has been day-to-day with the start of camp. Now, Olofsson is also listed as day-to-day. The forward left practice Saturday after crashing hard into the goal post while doing a one-on-one drill with Rasmus Dahlin at full speed, according to The Athletic’s Jon Vogl. He was favoring his left arm. However, head coach Ralph Kruger said Sunday that he expects Eichel, Olofsson and goaltender Linus Ullmark to return by Wednesday, according to the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, although that likely means they will miss Monday’s scrimmage.
  • Despite an impressive showing for Team Germany at the World Juniors last week, Buffalo Sabres prospect John-Jason Peterka will not be attending Buffalo’s training camp. The 18-year-old is expected to return to Germany and play for EHC Munchen in the DEL where he has been playing since last season. The team’s second-round pick (34th overall) scored seven goals amongst men in 42 games there last season and should take a much bigger role with his team this year. Vogl adds that Krueger knows Peterka’s coach in the DEL and believes he will develop him well.

New York Islanders Confirm Three Signings

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New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello held media availability today, and though he had no update on the negotiations with restricted free agent Mathew Barzal, did confirm several previous reports. Andy Greene, Matt Martin, and Cory Schneider have all agreed to contracts and will be in Islanders training camp, Lamoriello explained to reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. All three veterans were unrestricted free agents.

News of these deals came months ago at the start of free agency, but none of them have officially been announced yet and likely won’t until the situation with Barzal is solved. The Islanders have just under $4MM in cap space, but since the young center is likely going to take much more than that, some salary cap gymnastics will have to be performed. Johnny Boychuk, who was forced to retire due to the eye injuries he sustained last season, is still technically on the books with a $6MM cap hit for this season. That number can be moved to long-term injured reserve at the appropriate time, allowing the Islanders to stay cap compliant.

Still, there is certainly no guarantee of playing time for any of the three veterans. Greene came to the Islanders from the New Jersey Devils at the deadline and ended up playing in 21 of the team’s postseason matches, but with Noah Dobson continuing to push for playing time and some other young defensemen creeping up the depth chart, the 38-year-old may find himself in and out of the lineup. That doesn’t mean he won’t still be a valuable addition to the team, but at this point in Greene’s career he can no longer be that top-4 presence.

Martin, who has played eight of his ten years in the NHL with the Islanders also suited up for every game in the playoffs, but he too could find himself scratched upon occasion this season. The 31-year-old is an effective enough option on the fourth line but normally doesn’t provide much offense at all (though Martin did score five goals in the postseason). The heart-and-soul winger has a place on the team to be sure, but at some point, the Islanders will want to take a look at some of their younger options like Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows.

If Greene and Martin have at least some sense of playing time, it is something of a mystery for Schneider. The 34-year-old goaltender has a long history with Lamoriello which stretches back to the 2013 trade from the Vancouver Canucks, but New York already has Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin locked into the two NHL spots. Schneider has struggled the last few seasons and likely is there only as the taxi squad goaltender, moving into the lineup only in an emergency.

Still, his position in the organization is an interesting one, if only because the Islanders have very little in net behind their top two. Jakub Skarek is currently the only other goaltender under contract, and the 21-year-old has barely any experience at the minor league level, let alone the NHL. Varlamov is also the only goalie eligible to be exposed in the expansion draft, meaning Schneider or some other veteran will have to be signed through 2021-22 if the Islanders want to protect their current starter.

Snapshots: Vatanen, Ho-Sang, Raska

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As the NHL free agent market continues to thin out in a second wave of signings, veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen still stands out as one of the top available names. PHR’s No. 14-ranked UFA, Vatanen is a veteran of more than 400 NHL games averaging over 21 minutes per outing and at 29 still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Although he hasn’t been the healthiest player in recent years, Vatanen has continued to produce when on the ice. Yet, perhaps it is that lack of reliability that has left him in the lurch this off-season, even if his talent is unquestioned. With that said, teams have been kicking the tires on Vatanen – at this point surely for an affordable one year deal – and the Vancouver Canucks have been confirmed as one of the interested parties. TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the team has checked in on Vatanen, but to this point there has only been casual talks. Should the Canucks ultimately land the veteran, which would take some salary cap acrobatics, Vatanen could certainly serve a role on the team. Vancouver currently has just one right-shot defenseman slated for the NHL roster. They also have just two defenseman who scored at a higher clip than Vatanen last season. The skilled blue liner can score at even strength and could also help to elevate the Canucks power play to one of the best in the league. He checks a number of boxes, but it remains to be seen if the two sides share a mutual interest in a deal and, if so, can make the numbers work.

  • When New York Islanders training camp opens next week, it will do so without Josh Ho-Sang. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that Ho-Sang has not been invited to NHL camp, despite re-signing with the Islanders in October. The polarizing prospect, a 2014 first-round pick, has played exclusively in the AHL in each of the past two season after seeing significant NHL action in each of his first three pro seasons. It now seems as if Ho-Sang could be headed back to full-time AHL duty again judging by his absence from NHL camp. Ho-Sang has been the topic of trade speculation for some time and this new development implies that the relationship between player and team has not improved. The future of Ho-Sang with the Islanders remains a mystery.
  • When his time at the World Juniors is over, Adam Raska will not return to the Czech Republic nor will he compete for a roster spot with the San Jose Sharks. Instead, Raska will report to his QMJHL club, Rimouski Oceanic, the team announced. Raska spent last season with Rimouski, but had been playing in his native Czech Republic with HC Ocelari Trinec so far this season leading up to the WJC. The hard-working winger, who was selected in the seventh round by San Jose this year as an overage prospect, will look to take on a greater offensive role with Rimouski this season.

Morning Notes: Return To Play, Wahlstrom, Miller

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The NHL and NHLPA continue to work towards finalizing an agreement on the upcoming season, though it doesn’t appear as though any announcement will come today. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that there is “hope” that something will be done in the “coming days.” We’re getting a lot closer to that January 13th start date that has been reported and players from all around the world are starting to make their way back to North America.

  • Oliver Wahlstrom is one of those players, recalled from his loan in Sweden by the New York Islanders. The 20-year-old Wahlstrom had eight points in ten games for AIK of the second tier but returns to North America with his eyes set on an NHL roster spot. Selected 11th overall in 2018, Wahlstrom made his NHL debut last year with nine appearances but failed to record a single point. With the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL he had 22 points in 45 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues have found a replacement for former AGM Bill Armstrong, who left this offseason to take over the Arizona Coyotes. Ryan Miller (no, not that Ryan Miller) has been promoted to assistant general manager from his position as director of hockey operations. Miller had already been intimately involved with almost every move the Blues have made over the last several years but now, as the press release puts it, “he’s getting the title to go with it.”

New York Islanders Acquire Dmytro Timashov

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The New York Islanders have acquired restricted free agent forward Dmytro Timashov from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for future considerations. Timashov does not yet have a contract for the 2020-21 season.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see Timashov head to the Islanders, given he is a well-known commodity in the eyes of GM Lou Lamoriello. The 24-year-old winger was selected in the fifth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs just a month before Lamoriello took over as that team’s GM, meaning he oversaw Timashov’s development for years.

After several strong seasons in the AHL where he was used as a quarterback on the powerplay (operating from the half wall) and winning a Calder Cup in 2018, Timashov got his chance in the NHL this past season. In 39 games for the Maple Leafs he registered nine points, but was eventually the odd man out and found himself on waivers at the trade deadline. The Red Wings claimed him and Timashov would play five more games with Detroit, failing to register a point.

Even in Detroit, there didn’t seem like a ton of opportunity for Timashov, so perhaps a move to New York will give him a chance to play in the NHL again. Even if he wants to play in the AHL he’ll need a new contract, but perhaps Lamoriello knows that he’ll be able to work that out. It’s not as though he represents a ton of upside, but getting even a fringe NHL player for “future considerations” is usually worth it. In a year where a taxi squad or expanded rosters could be used, Timashov may fit that role of an in-betweener perfectly.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Islanders

Current Cap Hit: $77,594,163 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Noah Dobson (two years, $894K)

Potential Bonuses
Dobson: $537.5K

Dobson was a victim of the NHL-CHL agreement that prevented him from being eligible to play in the AHL.  He clearly had done all he needed to at the major junior level but he also wasn’t quite ready for primetime duty in the top league either.  That might actually help the Islanders when it comes to his second deal as while he burned the first season of his contract, he wasn’t an impact player by any stretch.  He’s undoubtedly a big part of their future plans but he’s unlikely to break the bank with his next contract as things stand.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Anthony Beauvillier ($2.1MM, RFA)
F Casey Cizikas ($3.35MM, UFA)
F Michael Dal Colle ($700K, RFA)
D Adam Pelech ($1.6MM, RFA)
G Ilya Sorokin ($2MM, RFA)

Cizikas has been a very effective energy player for several years.  However, this is a hefty price tag for a player that still spends some time on the fourth line and rarely sees action in the top six.  These types of players – while still effective – are going to feel the squeeze of the flattened Upper Limit so it’s hard to see him coming close to what he’s making now on his next deal let alone a raise.  Beauvillier had a career year last season and has become a consistent secondary scorer.  Between that and arbitration rights, he could have a shot at doubling that price tag if he takes another step forward in 2021-22.  Dal Colle had a limited role last year which only earned him a one-way contract.  He’ll be owed a minimum-salary raise at a minimum next offseason but unless he plays his way into a bigger role, he probably won’t get much more than that.

Pelech is coming off an injury-plagued year but emerged as an under-the-radar top-four defenseman.  If he maintains that role, he’ll be well-positioned to earn a decent raise and with him being one year away from UFA eligibility, GM Lou Lamoriello will likely be looking to buy out a UFA-eligible season or two as well.

Sorokin has yet to play in the NHL but managed to get this high of a salary after burning his entry-level contract while being ineligible to play in the postseason bubble.  He enters this season as the backup which may limit his short-term earnings upside but at the same time, he’s their goalie of the future and is only two years away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency.  He could be one of the more interesting RFA cases next summer as a result.

Two Years Remaining

D Johnny Boychuk ($6MM, UFA)
F Cal Clutterbuck ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Thomas Hickey ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Ross Johnston ($1MM, UFA)
F Leo Komarov ($3MM, UFA)
D Nick Leddy ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Ryan Pulock ($5MM, UFA)

At one point, Clutterbuck was part of New York’s vaunted fourth line, a unit that is now more overpaid than it is vaunted.  They’re still effective but this is another overpayment in their bottom six.  So too is Komarov who isn’t able to hold his own in bigger minutes like he was while playing for Lamoriello in Toronto.  Neither player should come close to matching their current contracts on the open market two years from now.  Johnston isn’t an every-game player but his price tag is at least more appropriate for someone in that role.

While Boychuk’s playing days are over, he’ll remain on the books until his contract expires.  He’s eligible for LTIR and the Islanders will need it to be cap-compliant once everyone is signed.  Leddy’s deal seemed like a bargain early after he was acquired from Chicago but as his production has dipped the last couple of years, that isn’t the case as much now.  It’s not a massive overpayment either as he’s still a top-four option but barring him rediscovering his offensive touch, he is another veteran eyeing a dip in pay.  That will also be the case for Hickey who spent last year in the minors and only is being mentioned here since they’ll still face a sizable cap charge if he’s sent back down this season.

The same can’t be said for Pulock.  The two-year term on his most recent deal certainly raised some eyebrows as it walks him straight to unrestricted free agency in the prime of his career.  He very quietly has established himself as their top defenseman and assuming he continues on his current trajectory, it’s quite possible that he adds another couple of million per year to his next cap hit.  That the Isles opted for this contract shouldn’t be perceived as an indictment on Pulock but rather a reality of who still needs a contract (more on him later).  This was the cheapest way to get him signed and while they’ll benefit from it for the next two years, they’ll pay for it in 2022 when he’ll cost a fair bit more to re-sign.

Three Years Remaining

F Andrew Ladd ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Scott Mayfield ($1.45MM, UFA)
G Semyon Varlamov ($5MM, UFA)

Ladd is yet another of the terrible 2016 UFA contracts that were handed out.  While he was a top-six forward when the deal was signed, he isn’t now and spent most of last season in the minors.  That may be the case again next season and to make matters worse, the structure of the deal makes it virtually buyout-proof.

Mayfield’s five-year extension came with some risk considering he didn’t have even one year’s worth of NHL experience under his belt but it has proven to be a prudent move as he has since established himself as a capable regular.  His offensive production (or lack of) will limit his earnings upside but he should still get a fair-sized raise in his first crack at the open market.

Varlamov had a good first season with the Islanders and eventually wrestled away the number one job.  However, Sorokin is their goalie of the future and the expectation is that he’ll eventually take over the top role from Varlamov.  As a result, it’s fair to wonder if he finishes this team with them; if he does, he’ll probably have a hard time commanding similar money from a 1B or backup role.

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Islanders Expected To Pursue Bridge Contract For Mathew Barzal

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One of the more interesting RFA cases is Islanders center Mathew Barzal.  He has been their leading scorer in each of his first three NHL seasons and GM Lou Lamoriello has publicly stated any offer sheet would be matched in an effort to dissuade other teams from even attempting to go that route.  However, cap space is still a big factor, even after trading blueliner Devon Toews to Colorado and the recent announcement that Johnny Boychuk’s playing career has come to an end (making him eligible for LTIR).

Accordingly, Newsday’s Andrew Gross notes that the industry expectation for Barzal is that he will sign a bridge deal, a two-year or three-year pact around $7MM per season.  That would still represent a substantial raise from the $925K base pay he earned on his entry-level deal (which included his signing bonus) and give both sides a chance to re-assess the financial landscape before he reaches UFA eligibility.  On top of that, it also gives New York a chance to determine if the 23-year-old is capable of getting back to his rookie-season output of 85 points or if he’s likely to check in below that as he did in the past two years where he had 62 and 60 points.

If that is indeed the route they go, there are two big questions to be answered.  The first is the structure of the deal in terms of how much to backload it, particularly with the new qualifying offer rules in place.  Now, the required tender is the lower of 120% of the AAV or whatever the salary on the final season winds up being.  Even if the AAV of this deal winds up near that $7MM target, it’s quite likely that the qualifying offer will be in the $8MM range.

The other is how to fit this in on the cap.  Yes, Boychuk is going to wind up on LTIR but there is a timing factor at stake.  If the Islanders can wait to put him there until the start of the season, they’ll have some more in-season flexibility to work with.

As things stand, they have roughly $3.9MM in cap room, per CapFriendly and that’s with a minimum-sized roster.  If they want to get this deal done and be in cap and roster compliance before placing Boychuk on LTIR, there is going to have to be some roster juggling.  Some high-priced veterans (such as Andrew Ladd, Thomas Hickey, and Leo Komarov) could be waived in camp and sent down, freeing up $1.075MM each in cap space before having to offset that amount by a minimum-salaried recall.  Expected goalie Ilya Sorokin (who is waiver exempt) could also go down and be temporarily replaced by a lower-salaried netminder on their season-opening roster before those transactions were reversed.  Even more of those moves may be required to pull that particular strategy off.

Assuming they can do so, they could utilize almost all of Boychuk’s contract in LTIR room (the cap room freed up is the amount of the contract minus existing cap space at the time of placement, not automatically the full value of the contract) and it appears that they’ve already done some of that spending.  Gross adds that deals are believed to be in place for goalie Cory Schneider (which had been reported back in October), defenseman Andy Greene, and winger Matt Martin.  That money can’t be committed until they get Barzal signed and Boychuk transferred with the latter move happening right at the beginning of the season.  As a result, it’s probable that those veterans will be in camp on PTO deals only.

Bridge contracts are often viewed as the simple solution but in Barzal’s case, there will be a lot of moving parts to this one with several veterans being affected by what he eventually signs for and when the deal is done.

Free Agent Profile: Andrew Hammond

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I know what you’re thinking. Andrew Hammond? Really? Other than the “Hamburglar” moniker, Hammond isn’t exactly a household name to NHL fans. In fact, Hammond hasn’t made an NHL appearance since 2017-18 and has just seven total appearances over the past four seasons. It’s been quite a while since Hammond heroically stole the Ottawa net and led the Senators to the postseason in 2014-15.

Yet, there’s a good case to be made that Hammond is the best available free agent goalie and there is no arguing that there isn’t still a considerable need for net depth around the NHL. The free agent market seems to be on hold right now as the league figures out its plans for this season, but when it picks back up Hammond is likely to be in demand.

Hammond, 32, is built for the 2020-21 season. The veteran goaltender can likely be slipped through waivers if his signing team so desires, but if injury spurns his recall, Hammond has both the NHL experience to jump into a backup role and has been a workhorse in the AHL for several years, ready for a condensed schedule and frequent appearances if need be. Hammond made 33 appearances for the Rochester Americans in the shortened 2019-20 season, the twelfth-most in the AHL. Hammond is also one of just seven netminders to have made 33+ appearances in each of the past two AHL seasons.

Among qualifying goaltenders, Hammond’s 2.53 GAA this past season ranked 13th in the AHL. It’s a pretty good ranking on its own, but consider that only one goalie with a better GAA played more minutes than Hammond last year and it puts his performance in perspective given his workload. Hammond’s .908 save percentage, while not among the AHL’s best, is a good number and has held steady for two seasons now as a stark improvement versus his AHL numbers earlier in his career.

When last Hammond was seen in the NHL, he was actually shocking many with his strong play as an emergency postseason call-up for the Colorado Avalanche in 2017-18. Hammond played three playoff games after making just one regular season appearance, yet posted a stellar .933 save percentage with a 2.62 GAA. While a small sample size, if this is what Hammond can do at the NHL level then he is even more valuable than it seems. For a larger sample size, look back at the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons with Ottawa, the only time in his career that Hammond was given a regular NHL role. In 48 games over two years, Hammond recorded an outstanding .927 save percentage and 2.21 GAA, as well as a .705 quality start percentage. Admittedly, that was five years ago now, but Hammond’s NHL numbers speak for themselves.

Still, Hammond can’t be the best free agent goalie option available, can he? Well, only four UFA keepers saw NHL action last season: Craig Anderson, Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, and Cory Schneider. Anderson, Howard, and Miller each made over 20 appearances last season, but didn’t exactly inspire their respective teams to give them any more play time than necessary. Of the 57 NHL goalies who made at least 20 appearances last year, Howard finished dead last in both save percentage and goals against average; Anderson ranked 47th and 55th and Miller came in at 37th and 47th, respectively. These poor performances marked a steep drop-off for Howard and Miller, while this is the third year in a row with ugly numbers for Anderson. Age is also a troubling number shared by all; Anderson and Miller are 39 and Howard is 36. Given their ages and stats, Anderson and Howard appear done. Miller may have enough left for one more run, but his value as a free agent is limited given his desire to play only with a team near his home in Southern California. As for Schneider, he played in 13 games and posted numbers comparable to Howard’s. Schneider, 34, has faced problems with injuries and inconsistency for several years now. He is nothing more than a dart throw at this point – and according to some sources there is a handshake agreement between he and the New York Islanders, who appear willing to toss that dart at a potential veteran No. 3. Even if Schneider is available or if Miller is willing to move on from the Anaheim Ducks, do any of these aging options inspire more hope than an established AHL starter with strong NHL numbers in Hammond?

Potential Suitors

There is no shortage of teams in need of a goalie before the 2020-21 season, including the aforementioned Ducks and Islanders. Anaheim especially currently counts just starter John Gibson and presumptive backup Anthony Stolarz as NHL options, with only recent draft picks as their other signed goalies. While Stolarz is younger than Hammond and has more recent NHL experience, the two share similar career AHL stats with Hammond having an edge in the NHL. Hammond could prove to be an upgrade over Stolarz as Gibson’s backup, if not just a sold third-string option at a shallow position. There is also the matter of the impending Expansion Draft and Anaheim needing a goalie signed beyond this season to expose, making Hammond an even more likely fit. In New York, depth is an extreme concern beyond the NHL tandem, with only one other goalie signed in young Jakub Skarek. Even if the Islanders do sign Schneider, it may not hurt to add Hammond as well given Schneider’s injury concerns and not wanting to rush Skarek into a workhorse AHL role.

Elsewhere, Hammond could compete for an NHL role with the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks have maintained that they are content with an unproven trio of Collin Delia, Malcolm Subban, and Kevin Lankinen competing for both NHL spots as they begin a rebuild. However, things could turn south quickly with that group and an experienced goaltender in Hammond could be valuable. Even if Hammond doesn’t make the ’Hawks out of camp, the team could use some dependability in their depth chart. Similarly, the Penguins claim that they are happy to go into next season with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith in net. Jarry put up great numbers last season, but has never had a true starter’s workload in the NHL. DeSmith meanwhile did not see any NHL action last season and was outplayed in the AHL by Hammond. The Penguins have okay depth, including UFA addition Maxime Lagace, but could alleviate the risk of their untested NHL tandem or at the very least upgrade at No. 3 with Hammond.

Options where Hammond would only be asked to serve in a third-string role (at the outset), but where that could still turn into a key position, include the Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, or a return to an old home with the Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers and Sharks impressed no one with their off-season changes in net; Edmonton struck out with top free agents and re-signed Mike Smith to play alongside Mikko Koskinen, while San Jose decided the way to help severely struggling starter Martin Jones was to acquire an equally struggling netminder in Devan Dubnyk. Both teams have decent depth in the minors and may be content to lean on young options if their NHL tandem fails, but if either one hopes to be a contender this season they need a No. 3 who can push for top level opportunity and Hammond could fit the bill. At this point in time, it’s anyone’s guess whether any of Smith, Koskinen, Jones, or Dubnyk are actually better goaltenders than Hammond. As for Vancouver and Colorado, both teams are set with a solid duo in the NHL, but injuries are a concern and each is sorely lacking a proven option in the AHL. For two top contenders from this past season, depth is key and Hammond would look awfully nice as a third-string fallback.

Projected Contract

The contract question for Hammond is not so much NHL salary, but AHL salary. Given the cap crunch climate, Hammond is not getting any more than the $700K league minimum salary, even if he could work his way into a regular NHL role worth far more. The question is whether he can get a one-way deal, as he did last year with the Buffalo Sabres, and have that NHL salary guaranteed in the minors or if he will have to settle for a two-way deal, as he did two years ago with the Minnesota Wild. The cap implications are the same and Hammond’s decision will likely come down to fit and opportunity over salary anyhow, so the signing team’s current financial status will likely determine one-way versus two-way. Given the potential competition for his services though, Hammond may have a number of good options and a one-way offer could be the deciding factor.

As alluded to with the Ducks, don’t rule out a two-year deal either. While a one-year term is more likely, teams will be cognizant of their Expansion Draft requirements and how training camp waivers could change the status quo as well, which could lead to Hammond landing some two-year offers to serve as Kraken bait next summer.

 

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