Late Free Agent Signings Who Made A Difference
Most of the best free agents are gone in the first few days of July, but sometimes the best value signings occur later on in the summer. There are generally at least a couple of guys who sign late, or who fight for a contract in training camp, and end up providing value for years. Here’s a list of some guys who should give you hope that your team can still make a savvy signing.
- Clarke MacArthur – At the 2010 trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres shipped MacArthur to the Atlanta Thrashers for third and fourth round picks in 2010. Over the full season he put up 16 goals, 35 points in 81 games, including three goals, nine points in 21 games for the Thrashers. This led to a $2.4MM, one-year arbitration award, which Atlanta rejected. The Toronto Maple Leafs then signed MacArthur to a one-year, $1.1MM deal, and he broke out for 21 goals, 62 points in 82 games that season. After signing a two-year extension, he put up another 20 goal season in 2012. MacArthur struggled the next year, never quite fitting with new Leafs’ coach Randy Carlyle. He was scratched often, before injuries forced him into the lineup in the playoffs, where he scored two goals in five games. The Ottawa Senators signed him two a two-year deal, and after a 24 goal, 55 point season, gave him a new five-year deal, worth $4.65MM per year. MacArthur’s injuries have slowed him down, but it’s hard to argue he wasn’t a great value signing.
- Anton Stralman – At 25-years old in 2011, Stralman failed to earn a roster spot after a professional tryout with the New Jersey Devils. He’d been traded or let go of by the Maple Leafs, Flames, and Blue Jackets over the last two years, and was just looking for a job. In November, a Rangers team with a depleted defensive group decided to take a chance on him. Stralman quickly proved himself to be of value, and played in the top-four of a Rangers’ team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately for the Rangers, in a cap world, you don’t always get all the benefits of your own good work, so Stralman signed a five-year, $4.5MM per year deal with the Lightning in July of 2014.
- Teemu Selanne – It might seem weird to have Selanne here, given he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame, but it was different in 2005. Everyone was a late signing, given that the lockout pushed the start of free agency until August 1st. Still, Selanne had to wait until the 21st to get a one-year deal for low money, which many thought was about getting one last NHL season in before retirement. He was 35, had declined in his time with the Sharks, and then failed to live up to expectations in Colorado. Instead of ending his career, Selanne scored 40 goals and 90 points. The next year, he led the Ducks in scoring, winning the 2007 Stanley Cup. Selanne’s run with Anaheim, who he had previously played for from 1996 to 2001, would last not one year, but nine.
- Dan Cleary – The salary cap coming around in 2005 was a huge problem for the Detroit Red Wings. They ended up having to buy out the contracts of Derian Hatcher, Ray Whitney, and Darren McCarty, and since the end of 2004, had to move on from Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph, and Brett Hull. At the time, Cleary was a former top prospect who couldn’t stick with the Blackhawks, Oilers, and Coyotes, and was just looking for work. He came to Detroit’s training camp while they were desperate to fill out a roster, and signed the day before the season started. He had only three goals, 15 points for the Red Wings that year, but the team liked him well enough to keep him, and he went on to score 2o goals, 40 points in 2007. He’d hit the 20 goal mark two more times, and stay with the Red Wings until 2015, winning the Stanley Cup in 2008.
- Matt Moulson – Moulson was a 25 year old veteran AHL scorer when the Islanders signed him in July 2009. It wasn’t a late signing, but it was definitely overlooked. 29 games into his NHL career, all with the Kings, he was never assumed to be a future impact player. He had been taken in the 9th round by Pittsburgh, and even the articles on his signing group him in with minor leaguers. Moulson responded by making the team out of camp, playing on the top line with John Tavares, and scoring a total of 97 goals over the next three seasons. The goals haven’t come quite as easily to Moulson since he joined the Buffalo Sabres, but at 33 he’s had a strong run in the NHL. If the only free agents a team signed were the flashy ones they gave five-year deals to, he may have never been able to prove himself.
Metro Notes: Rangers, Zibanejad, Buchnevich, Gagner, Cizikas
Today is New York Rangers Day on the Pro Hockey Talk section of NBC Sports and they’ve got several posts up focusing on the Blueshirts. Included among them, Jason Brough lists the newly acquired Mika Zibanejad as the New York Ranger “under pressure” for the 2016-17 season.
Zibanejad was acquired from Ottawa in exchange for Derick Brassard, the Rangers leading goal scorer and second leading point producer. The expectation is Zibanejad, while perhaps not completely replacing Brassard’s offensive production, will be a more well-rounded player. Zibanejad played in all situations for the Senators, averaging 1:25 per game killing penalties and another 2:30 on the power play this past season. The Blueshirts struggled on the penalty-kill and it’s hoped Zibanejad will give the team another quality forward option when down a man.
Zibanejad was certainly the biggest name the Rangers have imported this summer after the disappointing end to their season. With hopes of returning to Stanley Cup contender status, the club will need Zibanejad to produce and play well in his first year on Manhattan.
More on the Rangers and other clubs in the NHL’s Metro Division….
- In the same piece, Brough discusses Rangers top prospect Pavel Buchnevich and where he might fit into the lineup, assuming of course he makes the team out of camp. Despite being listed as a LW on the team’s official roster, Brough suggests the Rangers could line up the left-handed shooting Buchnevich on the RW, opposite Chris Kreider and next to Derek Stepan. Head coach Alain Vigneault is not afraid to mix and match his lines or to give the line(s) playing well more ice time. Even if on paper Buchnevich is on the 3rd line, it’s still quite possible he’ll see plenty of ice time. As long as he’s getting top-9 minutes he should be fine. What’s more important is developing chemistry with at least one other forward (Vigneault sticks to pairs when assembling his forward units) and that his minutes are sheltered to keep him away from the opponent’s best players as often as possible.
- Staying in New York, Casey Cizikas spoke with the Islanders team website and answered questions regarding his new five-year extension, among other topics. The Islanders took a fair amount of criticism for doling out $3.35MM annually to a player who is considered primarily a 4th liner and penalty-killer. But that’s perhaps understating his actual value to the club. One, he averaged 12:41 of ice time this past season, whereas most 4th line players see about 8 – 10 minutes per game. Second, head coach Jack Capuano trusts Cizikas on the ice late in games when the outcome is undecided. Maybe we look back in a few years and see this contract as an overpay, but today, for what he brings to the club, the signing is at least defensible.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets recently inked veteran pivot Sam Gagner to a one-year deal worth $650K. In this post by Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch, Gagner says the reason he signed with the Blue Jackets is that they offered him the opportunity to “re-establish” himself as a quality NHL player. In fact, he passed on offers from at least four other clubs to take the deal with the Jackets. Gagner, who had netted at least 40 points six different times and never previously finished with fewer than 37 points in any season, slumped to a career-worst 16 points last year, skating primarily on the 4th line for the Flyers. With head coach John Tortorella seemingly preferring to use Boone Jenner on the wing and with only the oft-injured Brandon Dubinsky a sure bet to see top-six center minutes – assuming he stays relatively healthy of course – this does present Gagner an excellent chance to rebuild his value. The Jackets boast some quality talent up front – Brandon Saad, Jenner, Scott Hartnell and Cam Atkinson come to mind immediately – so Gagner will get to play with some skilled players. By the end of the 2016-17 campaign, Gagner might prove to be the biggest bargain of free agency.
Snapshots: St. Louis, Barrie, Marner
Sixteen years ago today was one to remember for the Tampa Bay Lightning, as on July 31st, 2000 they signed Martin St. Louis after he’d been released by the Calgary Flames. One of the biggest little-men in NHL history, the 5’8″ St. Louis would go on to score 953 points for the Lightning, and helped lead them to their first and only Stanley Cup championship in 2004. Their all-time leading scorer, and a two-time Olympian, St. Louis finished his career with the New York Rangers and is currently #71 on the all-time points list. He’s got a good case for a hall-of-fame induction eventually, and it’s all because Tampa Bay gave the diminutive forward a second-chance in the NHL.
- The only player to have reached salary arbitration this year, Tyson Barrie had his hearing on Friday to determine his cost for the upcoming season. The arbitrator had 48 hours to make her decision, and that window will come to an end at 1:30pm today central time. We profiled Barrie’s case last week, and showed how well he compares to some of the elite offensive defensemen in the league. Now, with only a few hours left (as of this writing) to negotiate a deal, it’s coming down to the wire for the two sides to reconcile their perceived differences.
- Mitch Marner, the sometimes-forgotten uber-prospect in the Maple Leafs system is in an interesting situation this season; the 19-year old is too young for the AHL, and must either crack the NHL roster or go back to junior to play for the OHL’s London Knights. When asked about his possible play at this year’s World Junior Championship, Marner intimated that he’s doing everything he can to stay in the NHL. “It’s not up to me. If I am in the OHL, then I am going to play and look forward to it.” Fellow top-prospect Dylan Strome was much less reserved about his hopes for next year when he was asked the same thing by Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun: “I feel like I’m done with junior, and don’t want to be there next year, but if Arizona thinks it’s best for me, I don’t have a choice.” Strome and Marner were picked third and fourth overall in the 2015 draft, following Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, who have both already made an impact at the NHL level.
Snapshots: Kane, Elliott, Mrazek, Hrivik, Gormley
Evander Kane‘s most recent legal woes has led to speculation Buffalo could look to move the talented yet troubled forward. One potential suitor might be the Vancouver Canucks, who are thought to be interested in adding a scoring line winger. Kane of course is a B.C. native and played his junior hockey as a member of the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. Along those lines, Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Sun makes the case the Canucks need a player of Kane’s ilk and should pursue a trade. Meanwhile, Jason Botchford, writing for The Province, takes the opposite position and lists five reasons the club should avoid Kane.
It’s hard to imagine Buffalo being able to find a trade partner at this point, at least until Kane’s legal issues are resolved. For one, the NHL is monitoring the situation and while they say they aren’t considering punishment for Kane, the possibility of such can’t be dismissed pending the results of the criminal proceedings. Second, at this point in the summer most clubs are capped out, making a move to acquire Kane and his $5.25MM cap charge difficult to complete.
More notes emanating around the NHL…..
- After finishing dead last in the league in both save percentage and goals against average, the Calgary Flames completely turned over their goaltending position, dealing for Brian Elliott at the Entry Draft and signing Chad Johnson as a free agent. The duo replaces the combination of Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, Niklas Backstrom and Jonas Hiller between the pipes for the Flames. Elliott, the presumptive starter, was introduced to the Calgary media Wednesday and wasted little time endearing himself to the followers of his new team.
- The recent signing of RFA Petr Mrazek has pushed the Red Wings to a figure almost $5MM over the 2016-17 salary cap ceiling. As my colleague, Nate Brown, wrote earlier this morning, the concern is that GM Ken Holland has invested too much of his resources in role players and/or rewarding his own to exorbitant contract extensions. While the concern may be warranted, the Red Wings immediate issue is becoming cap compliant ahead of the start of the upcoming campaign. But as MLive’s Brendan Savage writes, the Wings will likely place veteran forwards Johan Franzen ($3.95MM cap hit) and Joe Vitale ($1.12MM cap charge) on LTIR, thus freeing up just more than $5MM in space and bringing the Red Wings into compliance.
- The New York Rangers have come to terms with their lone remaining RFA, agreeing to a new contract with F Marek Hrivik, per the club’s website. According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Hrivik received a two-way deal which will pay him $600K at the NHL level. Hrivik will go to camp and have an opportunity to compete for one of the final forward spots for the Rangers, though it’s likely he will again spend most of the year in the minors. Last season Hrivik saw action in five NHL games, picking up his first career point. In 68 AHL contests with Hartford, Hrivik netted a career-high 41 points and 29 assists.
- Former first-round pick Brandon Gormley has agreed to join the New Jersey Devils on a one-year contract worth $650K at the NHL level. Gormley, selected 13th overall in 2010 by Arizona, spent last season as a member of the Colorado Avalanche organization following a September trade. In 26 NHL games this past season, Gormley notched a single assist and recorded eight PIMs. Gormley looked to have a bright professional future after an accomplished junior career. He played for a QMJHL championship club with Moncton in 2010 and won a Memorial Cup as a member of Shawinigan in 2012. He has yet to translate his amateur success into a regular role in the NHL and looks to be earmarked for depth duty in the Devils organization.
Snapshots: Marchand, Kreider, Monahan, Gaudreau
Joe Haggerty reports that the Bruins and forward Brad Marchand are inching closer to a deal and that all signs point to something getting done sooner rather than later. While on Boston’s 98.5 The Sports Hub with Toucher and Rich, Haggerty indicated that while the asking price is hefty, Marchand and the Bruins have a strong mutual interest in one another. He points to Marchand’s recruitment of David Backes, as a paramount reason Marchand is in no hurry to leave Boston. Further, Haggerty writes that the Bruins wouldn’t want to let go of a player who plays in any situation on the ice and is still in his late 20’s. He also points out his knack for goal scoring as 37 of his 61 points last season ended up in the back of the net. While he won’t come cheap, Haggerty expects the B’s to pony up.
In other news around the league:
- Larry Brooks reports that Chris Kreider is approaching the 2016-17 season with a new mindset–one that will get him more on the scoresheet and less into his own head. Brooks writes that Kreider says he “knows the type of player he wants to be.” Brooks recalls a NY Post article last season where Kreider lamented his inability to play well on a given night, revealing a bruised psyche.
Too often, Brooks reports, Kreider was not on the scoresheet and failed to play with “authority,” on the ice. Brooks points to the crease crash with Carey Price during game one of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals as a possible turning point in Kreider’s net presence. Kreider injured Price on the play when he slammed into the goaltender after being tripped on a breakaway. Brooks wonders, as he puts on his amateur psychologist hat, if that moment scared Kreider away from driving harder to the net.
Despite the psychological concerns, Kreider didn’t fall off in goal production (21) and only slightly fell below his 2014-15 numbers, where he had 46 points (21-25) compared to his 43 points (21-22) in 2015-16. Perhaps the four-year, $18.5MM investment the Rangers made with him could serve as another buoy to Kreider’s confidence. - The Calgary Flames are still trying to put deals together for restricted free agents Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan writes NBC’s Joey Alfieri. Calgary general manager Brad Treliving says that there is “no real update there” and that the Flames will keep plugging away to get a deal done. Both forwards are considered the foundation of the Flames offense and will not come at a cheap price, though Monahan did indicate he would take a discount from the fair market price. What should excite Flames fans is that both Monahan and Gaudreau are seeking long term deals–guaranteeing a pairing of high scoring forwards in the Calgary fold for years to come.
Maxim Lapierre To Receive Try-Out With Rangers
After we profiled five players who are candidates for a professional try out (PTO) with a team in upcoming training camps, it seems as though one is set to be handed out to a former NHLer who has been playing in Europe.
Maxim Lapierre, a veteran of 614 NHL games who split last season in Sweden and Switzerland, will receive a PTO with the New York Rangers, according to Nicola Berger of the NZZ (New Zurich Times). In a piece by TVA Sports back in May, Lapierre was quoted as saying that he was ready to head back to the NHL, be it on a PTO or two-way deal.
While nothing will be confirmed until closer to camp, Lapierre would represent the perfect candidate for the PTO system. After scoring 15 goals and 28 points for Montreal in 2008-09, Lapierre was never able to duplicate that success and found himself bouncing around fourth-lines across the NHL.
Now 31, Lapierre will try and crack an NHL roster once again, to provide leadership and grit to a young forward group. The Rangers will see if there is anything left in the former second-round pick, as it’s a no-risk, low-reward move for a team looking to head back to the playoffs.
Western Notes: Chayka, Sydor, Eberle
When the Arizona Coyotes gave then 26-year old John Chayka their GM job, many in the hockey world cringed at the thought of the analytic community finally having a poster boy at the top of an NHL franchise. Chayka promised to bring with him the newer possession-based analysis of NHL players, and today summed it up quite nicely in an interview with Dan Rosen of NHL.com:
“The philosophy is fairly simple. It’s when we don’t have the puck, recover the puck as quickly as possible. There are all kinds of different forms where you can gain possession of the puck, some of them are physical and some of them are non-physical, so I think you need a blend to have both. Once you get the puck back it’s to transition the puck. Defense isn’t about defending, it’s about getting the puck in the forwards’ hands and getting the puck moving into the offensive zone. It’s about transitioning.”
The phrase “defense isn’t about defending” will stick out as a sort of mantra for the analytics push, as the league continues to move away from players who can impose themselves physically in their own end, but can’t move the puck when they end up with it. His team has added Alex Goligoski, a possession darling who moves the puck well, but has also signed Luke Schenn and Jamie McGinn, both players who aren’t so revered for their new-age skills. It’ll be interesting to watch what Chayka does in the future, and whether he breeds a level of success rarely seen in the desert of Arizona.
- The Chicago Wolves of the AHL have hired former NHLers Darryl Sydor and Daniel Tkaczuk as assistant coaches for 2016-17, adding to a group that is led by Craig Berube. The St. Louis Blues affiliate went 33-35-8 last season, and will look to improve on that record this year. Sydor, a 19-year NHL veteran played in over 1200 games in his career, and has been coaching as an assistant with the Minnesota Wild for the past five seasons. Tkaczuk, an AHL journeyman who made it into just 19 NHL games during his career, coached with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL last season.
- Jordan Eberle has hired the “Shot Doc” to help him with his shooting ability for next season. Ron Johnson, a skills coach who has worked with Joe Pavelski and Ryan Kesler in the past has been known for improving things like grip mechanics and puck protection. If Eberle can improve on the 14.5% shooting percentage he put up last season, he could climb back above the 30-goal mark for the second time in his career. Eberle has 145 career goals in 425 games, and is a near-lock for 25 each season.
Philadelphia Re-Signs Brandon Manning
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Philadelphia Flyers have reached an agreement with their final arbitration-eligible player Brandon Manning on a two-year, $1.95MM deal. Tim Wharnsby of CBC breaks it down: 2016-17 $950K, 2017-18 $1MM.
After the Flyers got Brayden Schenn to sign a long-term deal, Manning was next on the docket and was headed to an arbitration hearing on August 2nd.
Manning made an impact on the Flyers lineup this season, getting into 56 games at the NHL level. The 26-year old scored seven points and logged over 16 minutes a night in his first lengthy chance with the big club.
He’ll now head to camp looking to secure a bottom-pairing job and show that he’s advanced past the AHL level – where he has been spectacular, scoring 43 points in 60 games in 2014-15.
As with the Rangers, the Flyers will now receive a 48-hour buyout window after re-signing multiple arbitration cases. The team has under $500K left under the cap, but no one left to re-sign.
Snapshots: Larsson, Zborovskiy, Davidge
The Oilers prized new defenseman Adam Larsson was in his new home city for the first time on Monday, meeting teammates and taking part in a charity golf tournament. Larsson said he’s excited about his new city and teammates, specifically fellow Swede and potential defensive partner Oscar Klefbom, saying “it’s going to be fun playing with him”.
When asked about filling the departed Taylor Hall‘s shoes, Larsson said it’s different because he’s a defenseman while Hall is a winger, but that New Jersey got a “really good player”.
The Oilers also announced Larsson will wear number six.
Here are some other items from around the hockey world:
- The New York Rangers have signed 2015 third-round pick Sergey Zborovskiy to his entry-level contract, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Zborovskiy will make $633K per season, and will pocket a $278K signing bonus. He was the 79th pick in last year’s draft. He posted 44 points in 135 games over two seasons with the WHL’s Regina Pats.
- Bill Davidge, the Columbus Blue Jackets color analyst for Fox Sports, took to Twitter to announce he is cancer free. Davidge was diagnosed with myeloma in 2014. He joined the Blue Jackets as a scout in 1999 before joining the broadcast crew for their inaugural season in 2000-01.
Snapshots: KHL, Burrows, Oilers, Blues, Moore
Former Blue Jackets’ forward Alexandre Picard and former Hurricanes’ defenseman Brett Bellemore, have signed today to play for Red Star Kalunin, the new KHL expansion team in China, according to KHL reporter Alvis Kalnins. Picard, 30, was taken eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2004 entry draft, and last played in the NHL in 2010. Bellemore, 28, has played 121 NHL games, all with the Hurricanes, the last of which came in 2015.
Here are some more links from throughout the day.
- Canucks forward Alex Burrows is hopeful for a bounce back season in 2017, writes Dhiren Mahiben of The Hockey News. Burrows had just nine goals, 22 points last year, in what has to be considered one of the worst states of his career. As a 35 year old on the last year of his contract, he may be staring at the end of his NHL career, but Burrows tells Mahiben that he has been assured by management that there remains a spot for him in the lineup.
- Also from The Hockey News, Mike Brophy went over some of his scattered off-season thoughts. Among other subjects, Brophy speculates that Connor McDavid may be soon in line for the Oilers’ captaincy, and questions how long teams will continue to take chances on Buffalo Sabres’ forward Evander Kane. There were reports of the Sabres shopping Kane earlier this summer. Kane was recently charged with harassment after allegedly attacking two women in a bar.
- Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy writes today on the St. Louis Blues, and how they intend to move forward with their young core after losing veteran Brian Elliott, David Backes, and Troy Brouwer. As Wyshnyski discussed, the Blues will rely more heavily this year on their under-25 core, including Robby Fabbri, Colton Parayko, Jaden Schwartz, and Vladimir Tarasenko, as well as 26-year old defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
- Luke Fox of Sportsnet writes today about the future of former New York Rangers’ center Dominic Moore. Fox writes that the Rangers appear to have moved on, but that Moore, 35, has multiple offers on the table as he considers his future. Moore’s production has declined in recent years, but data suggests he’s been playing some of the tougher minutes in the NHL as of late.