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Tortorella, Blue Jackets Discuss Extension

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Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella has spoken with Columbus management about an extension. The Blue Jackets’ 108 point season in 2016-17 shocked nearly everyone, setting the franchise record for most points in a season. They also had the second longest winning streak in NHL history, at 14-0-0, before settling back into a more pedestrian clip. They were felled by the eventual champions from Pittsburgh in an incredibly disadvantageous divisional matchup in the first round. Still, Tortorella turned the team around to see 16 more wins overall while guiding the growth of many standouts, such as rookie Zach Werenski and sudden goal-scoring force Cam Atkinson.

Tortorella coached the 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning to a Game 7 victory over the Calgary Flames in the Stanley Cup Final to earn his only championship behind the bench. He coached for 4 seasons with the New York Rangers and 1 disappointing season in Vancouver before landing in Columbus. Tortorella is league-renowned for his abrasive demeanor in press conferences and preaching a hard-nosed style of play. There is a solid chance Tortorella takes home the Jack Adams at the NHL Awards – he is nominated alongside Toronto’s Mike Babcock and Edmonton’s Todd McLellan.

If Tortorella were extended, it is unclear for how many years the contract would be. His current deal expires at the end of the 2017-18 season, and he is still being compensated by the Canucks after his termination there. Portzline suggests that a contract could be in excess of $2 MM.

Metropolitan Division Offers Vegas Multiple Goalies, Project Players

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The Metropolitan Division was undoubtedly the most competitive last season, with 3 of the league’s top 5 points finishers within it, including the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Penguins. Some teams in the Metro have prepared poorly, while others look to take a minor hit and move on from expansion relatively unscathed. No major surprises exist outside of Brooklyn, where the Islanders took the crown for the most unorthodox and confounding strategy.

The Penguins seem to have known for quite some time that Marc-Andre Fleury was Vegas bound. GM Jim Rutherford balked at trade offers last off-season despite the goalie’s no-movement clause potentially complicating matters further down the line. The organization finally asked him to waive his clause in February, and both parties seem willing to move on. Rutherford did seem to be leaning toward the 7-3-1 model originally, but eventually opted to go with the 4-4 route to protect both Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz. If for whatever reason Fleury is not chosen, playoff performer Bryan Rust is almost certainly the claim. Columbus’ list is about what we expected, but it still seems strange to see Josh Anderson and Jack Johnson are left exposed. If there is a deal in place for a 1st round pick, as reported earlier by the Columbus Dispatch, Johnson is the likely selection. He’s still got a lot of talent, and with all his international experience, he could be a great leader for younger players in Vegas.

The Philadelphia Flyers made one of the smarter (if unexpected) decisions of the day and opted to protect Scott Laughton over assistant captain Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and the streaky Michael Raffl. Jordan Weal is still left exposed, and theoretically any of the three could be headed to Vegas. The Washington Capitals are absolutely going to lose a solid player, and it’s destined to be either the very promising defenseman Nate Schmidt or standout goalie Philipp Grubauer. The Capitals knew this was coming for a long time, but it can’t hurt any less to lose assets in this fashion. A possible scenario to watch out for is whether Vegas will pursue T.J. Oshie as a free agent in the short-term. They have first dibs on negotiations if they want to open that conversation, and he’s considered by many to be the top available UFA. The team doesn’t really need another goaltender, and their defense would survive without Schmidt, even with his incredible talent.

The New Jersey Devils arguably have the weakest roster on paper at the moment, and it shows with the potential selections Vegas need to consider. Mike Cammalleri is unproductive and overpaid, Beau Bennett has all but busted when he isn’t injured, Jacob Josefson scored one goal last season, and Devante Smith-Pelly is with his third club in as many years. The New York Rangers couldn’t move Antti Raanta and now it seems probable that Vegas will take advantage. Other options would include Jesper Fast and the very productive (27 goals) Michael Grabner, neither of whom is good enough to justify passing on the solid Raanta. No surprises here, but management certainly waited until the final hour to buyout Dan Girardi – which allowed them to utilize that 7-3-1 strategy effectively. Carolina will offer up one of the worst prizes to the Golden Knights, and Lee Stempniak is the only name that truly jumps out. Long-time goalie Cam Ward finds himself on the outs, as does Eddie Lack, but when the team moved for Scott Darling this fate was very foreseeable. Perhaps management will try to entice Vegas to claim one of the keepers and help their logjam along.

The New York Islanders seem to have botched their efforts today, but there may be machinations behind the scenes which could justify such a bizarre strategy. GM Garth Snow opted to protect only 3 forwards and 5 defensemen – the only team to do so. Even worse, one of the defenseman left unprotected was Calvin de Haan. Assuming there is no deal to take a blueliner in the works, Vegas could choose de Haan or their favorite from a large selection of intriguing forwards. Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson, and Ryan Strome are all available, and each provides a different skillset. McPhee could even take one of the league’s toughest bottom sixers in Casey Cizikas or a crafty, veteran Nikolai Kulemin. He has loads of options, and none of them are any good for an Islanders team who survive off their depth. Why Adam Pelech, with his 12 career points and 46.6% Corsi For in 2016-17, was worth protection over any of those names will surely be one of the draft’s greatest quandaries.

Vegas will get an opportunity to draft their starting two goaltenders from the Metro, and will have a wide assortment of options elsewhere. The Washington situation should be fun to speculate on, and trying to find a worthwhile pick in New Jersey could be an adventure for the Knights. Snow’s Islanders are just an incredible anomaly, and that list may draw some serious criticism.

Expansion Primer: New York Rangers

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

Until today, the Expansion Draft plan for GM Jeff Gorton and the New York Rangers remained unclear. The time had come and gone to ask overpaid blueliners Marc Staal and Dan Girardi or the underachieving Rick Nash to waive their No-Movement clauses and the team declined. They were also cutting it close should they choose to extend one of their impending free agent forwards and make their expansion decisions easier, with protection lists due on Saturday. New York has one of the deepest groups of forwards in the NHL, even with rookies Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich draft-exempt, yet the team had not taken any steps to protect their core. At least not until this morning…

The Rangers announced two moves earlier today, the first being an extension for impending restricted free agent forward Matt Puempel. With term now on his contract, Puempel meets all the criteria to be one of two mandatory forwards exposed in the Expansion Draft, saving them from otherwise having to expose a core forward. The second announcement was the long-awaited end to the Girardi era, as the stated their plans to buy out the veteran tomorrow, opening up a slot on the blue line for them to protect the underrated Nick Holden.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
Rick Nash (NMC), Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Michael Grabner, Mika Zibanejad, Jesper Fast, Daniel Catenacci, Matt Puempel, Oscar Lindberg, Nicklas Jensen, Brandon Pirri

Defense
Marc Staal (NMC), Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Klein, Nick Holden, Steven Kampfer, Michael Paliotta, Adam Clendening

Goaltender
Henrik Lundqvist, Antti Raanta, Mackenzie Skapski

Notable Exemptions

Jimmy Vesey, Brady Skjei, Pavel Buchnevich, Cristoval Nieves

Key Decisions

With Rick Nash holding on to his No-Movement clause, the Rangers have just six spots left to protect a large group of impact forwards: Mats Zuccarello, Derek Stepan, J.T. Miller, Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Michael Grabner, and restricted free agent Mika Zibanejad. Despite a unexpected outburst of 40 points in his first season in New York, Grabner is the easy target to point at as not like the rest of the Rangers’ young and mostly homegrown talents. Many Ranger fans wouldn’t have minded holding on to Grabner, at $1.65MM next year, over Nash, who will make $7.8MM again in 2017-18 after recording less than 40 points in three of the past four seasons.

It’s hard to make a case for any of the other six being offered up instead of Grabner. Zuccarello is the oldest of the group, but he’s still only 29 and has led the team in scoring in three of the past four seasons. Zucarello is almost certainly safe. At just 23 years old, Miller has taken a bigger and bigger role for the Blueshirts with each year and is perhaps the franchise’s best building block. He too is a near guarantee. While both Stepan and Kreider have heard whispers of trade rumors in each of the past two seasons, with Stepan’s growing louder in recent days, both are far too good to give up for free and will likely be protected. After trading away Derick Brassard last off-season to acquire Zibanejad, it seems highly unlikely that the team would risk losing him already, even if his first season in New York was marred by injury. Finally, Hayes, who has done nothing but excel in any role the Rangers have given him since signing with the Rangers out of college three years ago, and it would be a major surprise to see them choose Grabner over him.

Thus, it seems Grabner will likely join Puempel as the Rangers’ unprotected forwards and with the decisions in net and on the blue line pretty clear-cut, the Rangers have gone from a confusing expansion scenario about 24 hours ago to one of the easiest teams to project.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F/3D/1G

Forwards

Rick Nash (NMC)
Mats Zuccarello
J.T. Miller
Derek Stepan
Chris Kreider
Mika Zibanejad
Kevin Hayes

Defensemen

Marc Staal (NMC)
Ryan McDonagh
Nick Holden

Goalie

Henrik Lundqvist

The Rangers barely have any decisions to make in regards to their protection on defense and in net. All-world keeper Henrik Lundqvist is obviously safe, leaving skilled backup Antti Raanta as an intriguing target for the Golden Knights. Vegas GM George McPhee has stated that the team could select many promising goalies in the Expansion Draft and guage who to keep and who to trade away after the fact. Raanta could indeed be one of those picks.

On the blue line, the buy out of Dan Girardi will leave one more spot open to join go to the team’s best defender and captain, Ryan McDonagh, and Marc Staal, who was not asked to waive his No-Movement clause. The only real candidate to fill that spot is Nick Holden. Kevin Klein, who is reportedly mulling retirement, meets the 40/70 criteria to fill the one-defenseman exposure quota, but is not a viable target for Vegas. The only other defenseman under contract for the Rangers is journeyman Steven Kampfer, another player who would be a strange selection for the Golden Knights. Restricted free agent Adam Clendening, despite showing signs of upside in 2016-17, has already been informed that he will not receiving a qualifying offer and will become an unrestricted free agent, like several other Rangers blue liners, and again it is unlikely that the Knights will waste picks on UFA’s.  For all intents and purposes, the Girardi buyout ensures that no further changes will be coming to the New York defense in the coming week.

If Vegas passes on Raanta, they will likely instead turn to offense and, more likely than not, Michael Grabner. After his best season since he nearly won the Calder Trophy in 2010-11, Grabner appears to be back at the top of his game and could be hard to pass up for a Vegas team that will have a hard time finding scoring in the Expansion Draft and this summer’s free agency class. The loss of Grabner would be far greater than that of Jesper Fast or Oscar Lindberg or any other possible player, though don’t rule out the possibility that the Knights simply take youth and upside over established skill.

The situation in New York has gained great clarity today and now they face one of the more predictable expansion situations in the NHL. However, that doesn’t mean that they will escape the draft unscathed. A deep, talented team like the Rangers seems destined to take a hit next week.

New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Matt Puempel

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The New York Rangers have come to terms with one of their pending restricted free agents, signing Matt Puempel to to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $725K for next season. The extension will now allow the Rangers to expose Puempel and one other forward to fill their exposure requirements for the expansion draft.

Puempel was claimed off waivers by the Rangers mid-season from the Ottawa Senators and ended up playing 27 games for the club down the stretch, registering nine points. The former first round pick hasn’t impressed since being selected 24th overall, but still has time to grow into the offensive potential that he showed in the OHL. A natural goal-scorer, his shot is definitely ready for an increased role, but the rest of his game has lacked consistency to get him there. He’s clearly shown an ability at the AHL level, but has averaged only 10 minutes per night in his various NHL stints.

The Rangers will have to expose another forward who fills the 40/70 games played requirement, but this gives them several options now. Michael Grabner and Kevin Hayes both represent possibilities, and the team could also give an extension to one of several other players including Tanner Glass and Jesper Fast. It will be interesting to see if the Rangers try and push Puempel into an increased role next season, or if he is destined to play the role of 13th forward once again. Vegas could also find some use for him, as scoring ability will be hard to come by in the expansion draft. If they believe his upside is that of a 20-goal man in the NHL one day (even with his defensive deficiencies) they might take a chance to try and acquire him one way or another.

Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reported the financial details of the contract. 

New York Rangers Make Changes To Front Office Staff

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New York Rangers To Buy Out Dan Girardi

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In a bold but perhaps unsurprising move,the New York Rangers will buy out the contract of defenseman Dan Girardi when the window opens tomorrow. For all the fans clamoring to find out why the team would not ask him to waive his no-movement clause before the expansion draft, this is an answer. Team President Glen Sather released a statement on Girardi’s time with the team:

Dan’s contributions to the New York Rangers organization have been immeasurable. He has been a role model through his relentless determination, giving everything he had to this organization both on and off the ice. He, Pam, Landon and Shaye will always be a part of the Rangers family.

The Rangers made it clear that they want to get younger on defense, and Girardi’s hefty cap hit and declining play seemed the obvious choice for a buyout or trade. Because he held a full no-move clause, the team’s hands were somewhat tied prior to the expansion draft, though it did drop to a limited no-trade clause this summer. While his $5.5MM cap-hit will no longer be on the books, the Rangers will incur a buyout cap-hit of the following:

  • 2017-18: $2.61MM
  • 2018-19: $3.61MM
  • 2019-20: $3.61MM
  • 2020-21: $1.11MM
  • 2021-22: $1.11MM
  • 2022-23: $1.11MM

Even though his play has dramatically declined over the past few years, Girardi has had an immense impact on the Rangers over his career. In parts of 11 seasons, he’s played 788 games and recorded 230 points. Until this season, he had averaged over 20 minutes a night in every year since his rookie season even getting to a high of 26:15 in the 2011-12 season. That year he finished sixth in Norris trophy voting as the league’s best defenseman. His Rangers have made it to the playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons, where he has logged huge minutes through his 122 contests. Even this year, perhaps knowing that it may be his last in New York, Girardi played with cracked ribs throughout part of the playoffs. Dan Girardi

For the Rangers, this gives them more flexibility in the expansion draft and free agency, two upcoming concerns for the club as it looks to improve and get back to the playoffs next season. With several restricted free agents looking for new contracts including Mika Zibanejad, the team was going to be pressed right up against the cap should it stay relatively flat. Now, with the almost $3MM of savings this season they could go after another player on the open market. With younger players like Alexei Bereglazov and Neal Pionk already signed this spring, the team could go for a youth movement on defense and rely on Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skeij to anchor their top two pairs. Marc Staal, another possible candidate to be moved this summer, also has a no-movement clause and impeding cap-hit.

Girardi will now look to land on his feet somewhere else, and it’s not inconceivable that he could sign a multi-year contract at a much lower salary. The soon-to-be free agent is right handed and does still provide some intangibles that are sought after on the open market, even if his performance has been critiqued for some time. Teams that want a veteran option on the bottom pair or as a depth defenseman could see him as a perfect option even at the age of 33. It will be interesting to see if he finds a home before free agency starts on July 1st, as he’ll be a free agent for weeks before that date.

Realistically, he’ll likely have to settle for a one-year contract to try and prove that he can still contribute 15-17 minutes a night in a more sheltered role. Though he’s no longer an offensive contributor, he still does provide penalty killing experience and a penchant for shot-blocking. He also comes with plenty of leadership and playoff experience, something that young teams sometimes covet on the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kevin Klein Nearing Retirement?

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Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post, it seems possible that New York Ranger defenseman Kevin Klein will retire at the relatively young age of 32. Klein has suffered from a serious back injury issue which helped keep him sidelined for all but one playoff game. This news is a surprising turn of events, considering that he did partake in 60 regular season games. Apparently Klein is still considering playing elsewhere, perhaps Europe. Brooks cites inside sources to come to this conclusion, and it’s uncertain how close or far Klein might be from this decision.

If true, this potentiality might add sense to the decision to not ask Marc Staal or Dan Girardi to waive their no-movement clauses for the purpose of the expansion draft. The team may already be losing UFA Brendan Smith so losing Klein also could (temporarily) solidify those players’ positions in the top-4. Staal and Girardi are still candidates for buyouts, but this decision would further necessitate that the Rangers seek a defenseman this off-season.

Klein has played in 627 NHL games as of 2017, posting 38 goals and 116 assists. Klein was drafted in the second round of the notably deep 2003 draft and played parts of 9 seasons in Nashville before moving on to New York. He’s gotten Lady Byng votes in four separate seasons, which is awarded for sportsmanship. His game has slowed down, but he was still a near-neutral possession impact, logging over 17 minutes a night. If he were to retire, he would free up $2.9 MM in cap space for GM Jeff Gorton.

Taylor Beck Signs With Avtomobilist Of KHL

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  • Taylor Beck is headed to the KHL, signing with Avtomobilist today. The 26-year old was set to become a restricted free agent once again, this time with the New York Rangers whose farm team he ended the season with. The once third-round pick of the Predators was traded four times in a two year span, including a deal at the deadline this year. Despite scoring 66 points in 56 games this season in the AHL, Beck got into just five NHL contests and will now try his luck somewhere else. In 92 career NHL games, he has 23 points and always seemed just a step behind what it took to make an impact at the highest level. He’ll try to refine his game in Russia, while possibly returning at some point down the road.

More Players Not Asked To Waive NMCs

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Newsday’s Arthur Staple reported that the New York Islanders did not ask forward Andrew Ladd or defenseman Johnny Boychuk to waive their NMCs, and the New York Post’s Larry Brooks reported that the New York Rangers did not ask defensemen Dan Girardi or Marc Staal to waive theirs either.

Ladd just finished his first season on his new $5.5MM AAV contract with the Islanders, and was unlikely to be exposed at the expansion draft, despite a underwhelming season. While Ladd scored 23 goals, he only added 8 assists for 31 points in 78 games. Boychuk finished second in average ice time, and was one of the Islanders’ better defenders all year. His protection, however, means that unless the Islanders trade Travis Hamonic, both Calvin de Haan and Ryan Pulock will be left unprotected.

[Check out the Islanders Expansion Primer here]

The Rangers’ non-moves were expected as well. Girardi finished the season averaging 19:06min a game, and Staal with 19:11. Neither had stellar production, but both are mainstays on the Rangers blueline. No word on whether John Tavares or Rick Nash were asked to waive their NMCs, though those scenarios are very unlikely.

 

 

New York Rangers Hire AHL Coach

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Just a few weeks after firing Ken Gernander as the Hartford Wolf Pack head coach, AGM Chris Drury and the New York Rangers have found a new man for the job. The team announced that Keith McCambridge will be the sixth head coach in the history of the team, promoted from his role as assistant last season. Drury was promoted to General Manager of the Wolf Pack at the same time as the firing, making this the first hire of his tenure.

McCambridge has several years of experience as a head coach in the AHL, previously working with the St. John’s IceCaps and Manitoba Moose. In 2013-14 he took the IceCaps all the way to the Calder Cup final, eventually losing to the Texas Stars. The long-time minor league player was drafted in the eighth round by the Calgary Flames, but never made it to the NHL.

The hiring is an interesting one, as the Wolf Pack finished dead last in the AHL this season. Many expected a new face to be brought in to give the team a fresh outlook, but instead they will promote from within and hope McCambridge can use his past experience to turn the team around. As always, AHL success is determined mostly by the players the NHL club provides for them, and with the Rangers not selecting a player in the first round for several years, the Wolf Pack have suffered.

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