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Brendan Lemieux Avoids Arbitration

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The New York Rangers won’t need their arbitration hearing for Brendan Lemieux, as the two sides have come to a new agreement. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Rangers have signed Lemieux to a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $1.55MM. The young forward’s hearing had been scheduled for today, with Lemieux filing for $2MM and the Rangers looking for a two-year contract with an AAV just over 1.01MM. This falls almost right in the middle, where arbitration likely would have landed anyway.

Lemieux, 24, scored 18 points in 59 games last season but was among the league leaders in penalty minutes, racking up 111 of them as an in-your-face pest every night. He won’t play a scoring role with the Rangers but doesn’t kill you at even strength and provides some bite to the bottom of the lineup.

With the new contract signed, the Rangers now have about $4.8MM in cap space and all of their players locked up. If they want to spend a little on free agency they have that ability, though with some big extensions coming up in the next few years it may be wise to only take on short-term money.

Speaking of money, the Rangers will now receive a second buyout window on Sunday where they could potentially free up even more cash. Brendan Smith is really the only candidate left, though at this point it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. A buyout would only save them a little more than $1.5MM in cap space this season, not a lot more than they would get by burying Smith in the minor leagues again. Taking on the buyout penalty in 2021-22 that would come along doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Instead, the Rangers may just look ahead with their roster set and next season representing a new chance. Loaded with young talent all over the roster, New York should be considered a playoff contender.

Ryan Strome Signs With New York Rangers

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The New York Rangers have reached an agreement with restricted free agent forward Ryan Strome ahead of his arbitration hearing, signing him to a two-year contract worth a total of $9MM according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Strome’s hearing had been scheduled for later today, with his camp filing for $5.7MM and the Rangers filing for $3.6MM. This deal’s AAV comes down in the middle of those two numbers, but also importantly buys out an extra year of unrestricted free agency.

Strome, 27, could only have received a one-year contract from the arbitration process as he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. The fifth-overall pick from 2011, he has already played in 491 NHL games in his career. Those haven’t all been successful outings, but Strome did seem to find his footing again after landing in New York in 2018. With 59 points in 70 games last season he was the team’s best offensive weapon behind the super-pair of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, though that isn’t expected to continue. The Rangers have a number of blue-chip prospects ready to make an impact including 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere.

What Strome does still represent is a solid middle-six center for a team that suddenly looks like they will compete for a playoff spot. Their offense is young, skilled, and deep, while the crease is safe in the hands of two young netminders. Tony DeAngelo was re-signed to a two-year deal, and Adam Fox looks like a future star.

Even if they decide that Strome isn’t the player they want to sign a long-term UFA deal with, the Rangers will have two cracks at it with him on this new deal, one that certainly doesn’t impede their ability to add even more. Only Brendan Lemieux remains unsigned and the team has more than $6.3MM in cap space.

Brendan Lemieux, New York Rangers Exchange Arbitration Figures

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The New York Rangers have a pair of arbitration cases set to go down over the next few days, including tomorrow’s hearing for Ryan Strome. On Friday, Brendan Lemieux will have his, and today the two sides exchanged figures. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Rangers have filed for a two-year contract that would pay the young forward $950K in 2020-21 and $1.075MM in 2021-22, while Lemieux filed for a $2MM AAV.

It is important to remember that in the NHL, the arbitrator does not need to choose one filing or the other and usually instead awards a contract somewhere in the middle. The two sides can also come to an agreement in the coming days, though this year once the hearing begins they must wait for the reward and cannot settle while the arbitrator deliberates. The Rangers are able to choose the term of the deal (one or two years) because it was Lemieux who filed for arbitration.

In this case, the player’s ask is not above the $4,538,938 “walk away” threshold, meaning that the Rangers will have to sign Lemieux to whatever the arbitrator awards should the hearing begin.

Lemieux, 24, scored 18 points in 59 games for the Rangers last season while racking up a whopping 111 penalty minutes. That actually put him second in the league in that category behind only Evander Kane’s 122. The feisty, much-like-his-dad forward is a super pest for the Rangers but has also shown the ability to chip in offensively now and again. His deal will likely come in somewhere around $1.5MM per season, a reasonable amount for a player that is unlikely to advance past the bottom-six.

Ryan Strome, New York Rangers Exchange Arbitration Figures

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The next arbitration hearing is set for Thursday, with Ryan Strome and the New York Rangers sitting down (virtually) to make their case for a new contract. Today, they exchanged filings. Strome has filed for $5.7MM, while the Rangers have filed for $3.6MM, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It is important to remember that in the NHL, the arbitrator does not need to choose one filing or the other and usually instead awards a contract somewhere in the middle. The two sides can also come to an agreement in the coming days, though this year once the hearing begins they must wait for the reward and cannot settle while the arbitrator deliberates.

In this case, the player’s ask is above the $4,538,938 “walk away” threshold, meaning that if the award comes in above that number the Rangers would have the option to release Strome to unrestricted free agency instead. If they choose to do that, Strome would actually have an opportunity to take the initial $3.6MM team filing instead of testing the market—a tougher decision in today’s flat-cap world.

Already 27, Strome is only eligible for a one-year contract and would become a UFA next offseason. The fifth-overall pick from 2011 has had a very up-and-down career, finding his footing early with the Islanders only to struggle for several years afterward. Following an unsuccessful stint with the Edmonton Oilers, Strome has found a new home in New York, recording 18 goals and 59 points last season.

The savvy, playmaking center still doesn’t have the greatest foot speed or elite raw skills but has proven he can be a capable middle-six pivot in the right situation. With the Rangers suddenly looking extremely dangerous at forward, perhaps they would be willing to pay up for a season of Strome to see what this group can do in the standings. A long-term deal is still obviously possible, if unlikely, especially if it would cost the Rangers upwards of $5MM per season. The team has several young players to get under contract in the coming years and may not be able to afford a contract like that for Strome.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Profile: Sami Vatanen

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Much like fellow countryman and unsigned free agents Mikael Granlund, Sami Vatanen is getting next to no attention on the open market so far this off-season. The 29-year-old defenseman, ranked No. 14 overall in PHR’s Top 50 UFA’s, is an established two-way defenseman with nearly 200 points in his eight-year NHL career, but seemingly can’t find a suitable offer in the stagnant, flat cap market.

Unfortunately for Vatanen, recency bias looms large in the free agent market. Teams are more willing to offer significant contracts to players who have impressed in their most recent outings rather than looking at their overall career. This has sunk Granlund so far and the same can be said for Vatanen on multiple fronts. First, Vatanen’s time with the Carolina Hurricanes was utterly forgettable. Traded at the deadline despite being injured, Vatanen did not see any regular season action with Carolina due to the suspension of the season. He was healthy enough to play once the postseason resumed, but played a limited role of just over 18 minutes per night in seven games (missing the final playoff game due to undisclosed reasons). Second, his past two seasons overall have not been stellar. Following four straight seasons of 67+ games played with the Anaheim Ducks, Vatanen’s health diminished over the past two years with the New Jersey Devils. He played in just 97 games total across the two campaigns and while his per-game stats both offensively and defensively held steady with his career average, his totals suffered.

Of course, the full picture of Vatanen’s career clearly displays why he ranked so high among PHR’s top free agents. He may be a couple of years removed from a relatively full season, but a healthy Vatanen in Anaheim was a perennial 30+ point player who also logged 100+ blocks and nearly 100 hits each year. Vatanen’s plus/minus was also superior before joining the struggling Devils. Even as part of what used to be a loaded Ducks defense corps, Vatanen earned his minutes and performed at a high level.

At full strength and given the opportunity, Vatanen can be a difference-maker for any team. A player who has logged 21 minutes or more per game in each of his six full NHL seasons , Vatanen knows how to carry the load of major minutes and special teams roles. He is also versatile, comfortable playing on his natural right side or on his off side. Over 82 games, Vatanen has 40-point upside and can be a disruptive force defensively as well. He has his demons as well; Vatanen is undersized, turnover prone, and can be a liability positionally in his own end. However, the total package is one of a bona fide top-four defenseman. Yet, at this point in the off-season he may not be paid as such.

Potential Suitors

Cap space aside, there are few teams in the NHL who couldn’t use a defenseman that can play both sides and contribute at both ends. Vatanen should cast a wide net of suitors, which makes the silence surrounding his name on the rumor mill all the more strange.

Taking into account the teams with ample salary cap space and need, there are a number of rebuilding clubs who could very likely be eyeing Vatanen. The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings have shown no hesitation to add free agents this off-season and could use a player like Vatanen, while the Los Angeles Kings have been very quiet but could greatly benefit from adding a player of Vatanen’s caliber to their young, inexperienced blue line. The Kings have a number of right-shot defenders, but Vatanen could still be very useful on the left side.

Of course, the problem with any of these teams is that Vatanen just escaped a rebuild in New Jersey and may want to look for a more competitive landing spot. While 2019-20 was a major disappointment for the San Jose Sharks, the team has the pieces to return to relevance this season. However, they could really use one more established veteran on the back end and Vatanen would fit the bill. There is a gap on the right side as well behind Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns, but Vatanen might be the most dangerous playing on his off side with either of those stars.

Two other teams in need of defense but who might not be an obvious fit due to shot side are the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Both clubs are set on the right side; Boston has Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and a now-healthy Kevan Miller as well as NHL prospect depth and the Rangers have Jacob Trouba, Anthony DeAngelo, and Adam Fox. However, both teams have somewhat failed to address holes on the left side this off-season. Even on his off side, Vatanen would be a major upgrade to Brendan Smith and depth additions Jack Johnson and Anthony Bitetto in New York and to Matt Grzelcyk and John Moore in Boston. Both teams have considerable prospect depth on the left side, but as Stanley Cup contenders may not want to miss a chance at a player like Vatanen on a bargain deal.

Projected Contract

PHR originally expected Vatanen to sign a deal in the neighborhood of four years and $19.5MM. At this point, if Vatanen was going to land a long-term deal it would have happened by now. It seems teams want to make sure that he can stay healthy and play at his best for a full season before thinking about multiple years. Vatanen may not be restricted to just a one-year deal, as the impending Expansion Draft and its exposure requirements may make a two-year offer attractive to some, but anything beyond a two-year term seems unlikely.

As for the money, the posited $4.875MM AAV seems highly unlikely. That valuation was based on a long-term deal. Whether one year or two, Vatanen is now unfortunately facing a “show me” contract. With so many possible landing spots at or close to the salary cap ceiling, there isn’t much money to go around. If he wants to end up with a competitive club, Vatanen will be looking at a $3MM AAV or lower. If he chases the money, it still seems like the market is pointing toward a $3.5MM cap hit at best.

While Vatanen is a more well-rounded defenseman than Erik Gustafsson, the one-year, $3MM deal he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers feels like a decent expectation. If Vatanen lands a second year, perhaps he gets a total of $7MM. Either way, Vatanen is being paid for his floor when, if healthy, his ceiling is much higher. If whoever eventually signs Vatanen is lucky enough to get a healthy season (or two) out of him, he could be one of the better bargains of this free agent market.

Rangers Likely To Pursue Two-Year Award If Brendan Lemieux Files For Arbitration

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  • The Rangers have a pair of arbitration hearings on the docket for next week in center Ryan Strome and winger Brendan Lemieux. While they’re limited to a one-year term for the former, they’ll have the option to elect a one-year or two-year award for the latter.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post suggests that New York will opt for a two-year term for Lemieux in an effort to limit his earning upside for 2021-22.  The 22-year-old had six goals and a dozen assists along with 111 PIMs in 59 games last season.  Lemieux’s hearing is scheduled for November 6th.

Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Foligno, Devils

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The New York Rangers locked up restricted free agent defenseman Anthony DeAngelo to a two-year pact Thursday, but with a lopsided group of blueliners on the right side, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that Rangers’ general manager Jeff Gorton and his staff have had internal discussions about moving either DeAngelo or Adam Fox to the left side.

With Jacob Trouba, Fox and DeAngelo on the right side, the Rangers would be better off if one player moves to the left, which isn’t as strong with Jack Johnson, Ryan Lindgren and Brendan Smith leading the way, not exactly what you’re looking for on one side. The Rangers then might have an opening to bring in top prospect Nils Lundqvist, the 28th overall pick in 2018, to join the team’s top six after his SHL season ends in early March, although they would still have to convince him to sign his entry-level deal.

Brooks also noted that the recent two-year deals handed out to both DeAngelo and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev suggest that both players could be trade candidates in a year as a two-year contract makes them easier to trade down the road then if there were both restricted free agents once again.

  • This should be a critical year for Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno, who is entering the final year of the six-year, $33MM contract he signed back in 2014. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that while Foligno has played mostly in top-six roles over the years, that role is changing, especially with his decline in offense after posting 10 goals and 31 points in 67 games last season. While head coach John Tortorella has said that he intends to be more aggressive this year and have Foligno play a big role in that, the 32-year-old will have to fight off a number of players for a top-six role, including Alexandre Texier. With other top forwards coming in in the next couple of years, Foligno’s role will have to change. Despite his respect around the organization and his love for the city of Columbus, the veteran will have to take a significant pay cut if he wants to stay for the remainder of his career.
  • One question that many fans are asking is whether the New Jersey Devils are done making moves. One area of weakness is on the team’s blueline where they have Ryan Murray and Will Butcher on the right side and Damon Severson and P.K. Subban on the left. However, the team has little else in terms of depth with injury-prone Connor Carrick and rookie Ty Smith the likely candidates for the third-pairing role. The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required) suggests the team could try and add a veteran via free agency, but there aren’t many options left. The team could circle back around to Sami Vatanen, but the team may be looking at the trade market as well with cap space being one of the few assets the team has.

 

New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Fontaine, Raddysh

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The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with two more of their restricted free agents, Gabriel Fontaine and Darren Raddysh. Contract details were not included for either player.

Fontaine, 23, was a sixth-round pick of the Rangers in 2016 and has spent the last three seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. Unfortunately, his 2019-20 campaign came to an early end when he underwent shoulder surgery in November. In the 13 games he did play, Fontaine scored just three points.

Raddysh meanwhile was once a relatively sought after undrafted free agent, following his OHL Defenseman of the Year award in 2017. An elite offensive defenseman in junior, Raddysh has carried some of that to the AHL level, racking up 80 points in 204 games. Even on this NHL contract, he’s an unlikely candidate to spend much time with the Rangers, though obviously they believe he can be valuable depth.

Rangers Re-Sign Anthony DeAngelo

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The Rangers have taken care of another one of their pending restricted free agents, announcing via Twitter that they’ve re-signed defenseman Anthony DeAngelo.  While terms of the deal weren’t officially disclosed, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that it’s a two-year deal with a $4.8MM AAV.  The blueliner had filed for salary arbitration last weekend but won’t need the hearing now.

The 24-year-old had to settle for just a one-year, $925K contract last September as DeAngelo didn’t have arbitration rights and the Rangers were right up against the Upper Limit of the salary cap.  While that certainly was a tough one for him coming off of a 30-point season, he made the most of it in 2019-20.  DeAngelo had a breakout season that saw him post 15 goals and 38 assists in 68 games, good enough to tie him for fourth in NHL scoring among blueliners with Canucks rookie Quinn Hughes.

This deal will effectively serve as a second bridge contract, albeit one that’s a lot more expensive than it would have been had they been able to afford to give DeAngelo a multi-year deal last offseason.  He gets a significant raise but the risk is limited with just a two-year term.  It also leaves him one year shy of being eligible for unrestricted free agency so the two sides will be in this situation again in 2022 where there will be a longer track record to work off of when pondering a possible long-term deal.

With that in mind, it’s worth noting that PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal is slightly backloaded as many have been in recent weeks with 2020-21’s salary being $4.3MM and 2021-22’s salary at $5.3MM.  Under the new CBA rules which says the qualifying offer will be the lower of 120% of the AAV or the final year salary, DeAngelo’s qualifying offer in 2022 will be $5.3MM.

Meanwhile, New York still has some work to do this offseason, even after re-signing Alexandar Georgiev earlier today.  Ryan Strome and Brendan Lemieux both have arbitration dates in early November and while they will still have some cap space left after signing both of them, their exceptionally high potential performance bonus total (over $10MM) does limit their ability to spend; teams can only use the bonus cushion up to 7.5% of the cap (just over $6.1MM).  Anything over that is deducted from their allowable spending so GM Jeff Gorton won’t be able to spend right to the cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Alexandar Georgiev

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The New York Rangers will be without Henrik Lundqvist in net for the first time in years and now have both of his replacements under contract. The team announced they have agreed to terms with Alexandar Georgiev on a new contract, which CapFriendly reports will be a two-year deal that carries an average annual value of $2.425MM.

Georgiev, 24, has more NHL experience than his crease partner Igor Shesterkin, but not much. The undrafted goaltender has appeared in 77 games over the last three seasons, posting mostly excellent results whenever given an opportunity. He has a .913 save percentage and 35-31-7 record, posting four shutouts and even a 55-save performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019.

The young tandem will be incredible to watch develop with a Rangers team that is turning the corner towards contention and both will be protected from the Seattle expansion draft. Shesterkin is not eligible for selection thanks to his limited North American experience, while Georgiev can now be the goaltender the team protects, exposing third-string Keith Kinkaid in the process (a key reason why Kinkaid was given a two-year deal).

Importantly, Georgiev will also not be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this deal. Instead, he will once again be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, a process he elected this offseason as well. Georgiev’s hearing that was originally scheduled for October 31 will no longer be necessary.

Not only will the Rangers have a strong tandem in 2020-21, but they are also only paying a total of $3.35MM for the pair of goaltenders. That will change slightly with Shesterkin’s RFA status next offseason, but given he won’t be eligible for arbitration they should have a window here of very inexpensive, but very productive, goaltending.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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