Minor NHL Transactions: 7/20/2016
Here is where we will keep track of the day’s minor moves:
- The Florida Panthers, via their team website, have announced the re-signing of forward Logan Shaw to a one-year, two-way contract. The six-foot-three, 202-pound Shaw saw action in 53 games with the Panthers in 2015-16, netting 5 goals and 7 points. He also appeared in 19 contests with the Portland Pirates (AHL) where he tallied 11 goals and 14 points. With the Panthers among the more active teams this summer, adding talent via both free agency and the trade market, it would seem the roster is pretty set meaning Shaw is likely to serve as a depth piece in 2016-17, much as he did this past season.
- Veteran center T.J. Hensick is set to join the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, according to the L.A Kings Insider website. Hensick last appeared in the NHL back during the 2010-11 campaign while a member of the St. Louis Blues. He split the past campaign with Utica and Charlotte of the AHL, scoring 40 points in 65 games. Hensick played with Kings prospect Adrian Kempe for MODO in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14, suggesting his familiarity with one of the club’s top prospects played a role in this signing.
- Arizona has hired former NHL goalie Doug Soetaert to be the General Manager of their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Most recently, Soetaert was a professional scout in the Arizona organization covering the western region. Prior to that, Soetaert plied his trade in Europe, scouting all professional leagues on the continent as well as the AHL. Soetaert also has extensive experience in the North American junior leagues, serving as Vice President and General Manager of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League from 2002 – 2012. During his playing days, Soetaert appeared in 284 games as a member of the New York Rangers (two stints), Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.
Snapshots: Arbitration Filings, Devils, Rangers, Girgensons
Tim Wharsnby of CBC tweets that Mikhail Grigorenko will be asking for $1.65MM in arbitration, while the Avalanche will be offering $950K. Given Grigorenko just turned 22, and is coming off a 27 point season with little ice time, his ask is probably on the lower end of what players with similar values make.
Sticking with arbitration, former NHL defenseman turned TSN analyst Aaron Ward tweets that Rangers’ forward Chris Kreider is asking for $4.75MM in arbitration, while the Rangers have offered $3.2MM. This looks close enough that it might just settle in between. Kreider, 25, is coming off back to back 20 goal seasons, and is generally seen to be a part of the Rangers’ long term core.
Here are some more links from around the league:
- NHL.com’s Mike Morreale writes today about New Jersey Devils prospects Pavel Zacha and Steven Santini, and their odds of becoming NHL regulars next year. Zacha, a 19 year old center taken 6th overall in the 2015 entry draft, played most of last year with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. Santini, 21, played defense for Boston College last year, and was taken in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2013 draft. Both played one game for the Devils this year, together against the Maple Leafs. Zacha had two assists, and Santini was a +2 on the night.
- Robert Nasso at Today’s Slapshot writes that the Rangers may be turning a corner, praising the smaller adjustments they’ve made, and the their trade of Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad. He also speculates on the rumors surrounding Rangers forward Rick Nash, and their potential interest in Kevin Shattenkirk. While not mentioned in the article, it’s fair to wonder if Nash, who has extensive experience with Blues’ head coach Ken Hitchock, playing for him in Columbus and with Hockey Canada, would be of interest in return for Shattenkirk. It was reported in June that the Blues asked for another left wing, Taylor Hall, then of the Oilers, now of the Devils, in exchange for Shattenkirk at the entry draft.
- The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington reports that while Zemgus Girgensons would like a two or three year deal, the Sabres may be hesitant to commit to him, given his offensive decline this year. Girgensons, 22, has always been seen as having potential, having been taken 14th in the 2012 entry draft, but put up just seven goals and 11 assists last year, in 71 games. The Sabres are also fairly loaded down the middle, and as Harrington writes, that could push Girgensons to the fourth line.
- The NHL tweeted today that Devils forward Kyle Palmieri has been added to the American team for the World Cup of Hockey, replacing the injured Lightning forward Ryan Callahan. Palmieri, 25, is coming off a breakout year for the Devils, in which he scored 30 goals, and added 27 assists, playing in all 82 games.
Free Agent Profile: Dan Boyle
Free agent defenseman Dan Boyle, who spent last year with the New York Rangers, is still searching for a contract. Boyle, 40, was ranked #42 on our list of the top 50 NHL unrestricted free agents this year. It seems unlikely he’ll return to the New York Rangers next year, despite the cap space they’ve cleared, given that they already have eight defensemen under contract, and four of them are right hand shots.
Still, Boyle has been a useful contributor his entire career, and remains so, despite going undrafted. Last year he put up 10 goal, and added 14 assists. His possession numbers were strong relative to a brutal possession team. Boyle won an Olympic gold medal playing for Canada in 2o10, and a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He’s on the smaller side, especially for defensemen, at 5’11”, but he’s always moved the puck well.
Potential Suitors
The Edmonton Oilers have been searching for help on the right side of their defense all summer, with just Mark Fayne and Adam Larsson there currently. The Toronto Maple Leafs bid for his services when he was last a free agent in 2014, and also look to need depth on defense, but the return of Roman Polak on the right side probably rules then out. His hometown Ottawa Senators could use right-side depth after Erik Karlsson, but it’s worth noting that they’ll likely give Cody Ceci every opportunity to fill the second pairing role. None of these teams seem especially appealing to Boyle, given their recent struggles. At his age, he’s likely to want to play for a serious contender.
That said, the Dallas Stars, winners of the Central division title, only have John Klingberg among right handed defensemen with significant NHL experience, though Stephen Johns, with 14 games played in the NHL, is under contract. The Philadelphia Flyers, who’ve been carrying many puck moving defensemen of late, may have a use for him. They have seven defensemen under contract, with Brandon Manning still to sign, but none outside of Radko Gudas play right handed, and several don’t appear to be locks for playing time.
Projected Contract
Boyle should be looking at a one-year contract at around $2MM, given that he’s still productive, but comes with a certain amount of risk as a 40 year-old defenseman. Still, he’s got enough rare qualities, his ability to carry the puck, his ability from the right hand side, that teams looking to balance their defense should seriously consider picking him up a a stop-gap option.
Upcoming Salary Arbitration Hearings
With the signings of Jaden Schwartz, Alex Killorn, and Dylan McIlrath, this week’s NHL arbitration calendar was slashed in half. Still scheduled, however, are Marcus Johansson (who’s case we profiled here), Chris Kreider, and Mikhail Grigorenko. Johansson’s hearing is on Wednesday July 20th, and both Kreider and Grigorenko have hearings on Friday July 22nd.
Players and teams have up until 48 hours before the hearing date to submit their argument briefs, and that is usually when we hear each sides’ salary demand. Kreider made $2.475MM on his last RFA contract, and will be looking for a significant raise after two straight twenty goal seasons. Kreider is a central cog to the Rangers offense, and while he is currently penciled in as the number 2 LW, the possibility of Rick Nash losing a step becomes more real with each passing season. The Rangers have over $11MM in cap space after their offseason moves, so they should be able to afford whatever the arbitrator decides.
[see New York Rangers depth chart at Roster Resource]
Grigorenko’s case is less straightforward. The Russian forward potted 6G and 21A with Colorado last year, but has not lived up to his hype after being drafted 12th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012. Grigorenko’s previous contract paid him only $625K last season, and he does deserve a raise. How much of a raise, however, is left for the arbitrator to decide. Grigorenko’s representation will have to find a way to parlay potential into dollars while the Avalanche will point to Grigorenko’s current and past production.
Rangers Trade Derick Brassard To Senators For Mika Zibanejad
The Ottawa Senators announced that they have acquired center Derick Brassard and a 7th round pick in 2018 from the New York Rangers in exchange for center Mika Zibanejad and a 2nd rounder in 2018.
Last season, Brassard played in 80 games with the Rangers, scoring a career high 27 goals and adding 31 assists while averaging a career best 17:53 per game. His 58 points ranked second on the team to winger Mats Zuccarello. He also added four points (1-3-4) in five postseason contests.
The 28 year old Brassard was originally the 6th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by Columbus and was dealt to New York in 2013 as part of a package for Marian Gaborik. He has played in a total of 563 career NHL games between the Blue Jackets and Rangers, scoring 127 goals and 216 assists.
As for Zibanejad, he departs the only NHL organization he has ever known after being selected sixth overall back in the 2011 draft. Last season, he posted career highs across the board for the third straight season, recording 21 goals and 31 assists in 81 games. In 281 career contests with the Sens, he has 64 goals and 87 assists.
[Related: Updated Senators and Rangers depth charts.]
The deal represents a shake up for both teams’ top six forward units. In Brassard, the Senators acquire a consistent point producer as he has hit 45 points or more in each of the last three seasons and he is also someone who can play a top line role. Meanwhile with Zibanejad, the Rangers add a considerably younger but not as proven top six forward that also plays more of an all-around game.
TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie adds that this deal had been discussed for several weeks but that a $2MM bonus that Brassard received on July 15th needed to be paid by the Rangers for the Sens to do the deal.
Brassard has three years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5MM. However, his salary drops to $3.5MM in each of the final two seasons (while he is only owed $3MM in 2016-17 after the bonus payment) which is important for a budget-conscious Ottawa team. As for Zibanejad, he has one year left on his bridge deal that he signed last offseason with a cap hit of $2.625MM. He will be owed a qualifying offer of $3.25MM next summer.
New York now has just shy of $7.5MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly with left winger Chris Kreider, center Kevin Hayes, and prospect Marek Hrivik still to re-sign. As for Ottawa, they have just over $12.6MM in space per Cap Friendly with defenseman Cody Ceci and arbitration-bound left winger Mike Hoffman still to re-sign.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor Transactions: 7/18/16
Here’s where you can find minor transactions for today.
- New Jersey announced the re-signing of defenseman Reece Scarlett to a one year, two-way deal. Scarlett will make $600K at the NHL level. Last season, he played in 60 games with the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Albany, scoring four goals and 22 assists.
- Aaron Portzline tweets that 2015 first round pick Jack Roslovic has agreed to an entry-level, three-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets. Roslovic also tweeted confirmation of the deal. Roslovic was the 25th overall pick of the Jets in the 2015 draft. However, he enrolled at Miami University and tallied 26 points (10-16) in 36 games. Portzline writes that Roslovic will most likely play for the London Knights in 2016-17, though because he was drafted from the US developmental team, he is eligible to play in the NHL or AHL.
- The New York Rangers have signed Robin Kovacs to an entry-level deal for three years. Kovacs was a third round pick of the team in 2015. Last season with AIK, Kovacs had 34 points (21-13) in 44 games.
- Joe Haggerty tweets that the Boston Bruins have announced the hiring of Kevin Dean as the next head coach of AHL affiliate Providence. Mark Divver reports that the job was offered to Dean on Friday. Dean was the assistant coach for Providence under former bench boss Bruce Cassidy, who is now an assistant coach with the Bruins.
Josh Jooris, Tommy Hughes Sign With New York Rangers
After inking defenseman Dylan McIlrath to a one-year deal avoiding arbitration, the Rangers have also signed free agent forward Josh Jooris according to the team twitter. Jooris played for Calgary last season, recording 13 points in 59 games. The team also announced that they have come to terms with restricted free agent Tommy Hughes on a new deal.
Jooris, 26, went undrafted out of the OJHL before heading to Union College where he would play with fellow Metropolitan Division youngster Shayne Gostisbehere for two seasons. Jooris would put up solid numbers at the college before being signed in 2013 to join the Abbostford Heat of the AHL. He really made his mark in his first NHL campaign however, when he scored 12 goals and 24 points and suited up on the powerplay more than a few times.
For Hughes, New York is the only organization he’s ever known after being signed as a undrafted free agent out of London in 2013. He’s spent the last three seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, putting up 25 points and playing a solid defensive game. After the McIlrath signing locked up a bottom pairing defenseman for this season, Hughes will continue to serve as depth for the team in the AHL, and might make his debut this season should injuries occur.
Rangers Sign Dylan McIlrath To One-Year Deal
After filing for arbitration earlier this month, defenseman Dylan McIlrath has come to terms with the New York Rangers on a one-year, $800K contract for 2016-17, according to a team release.
McIlrath, 24, played in 34 games for the Rangers last season, lending his physical style to the bottom pairing. With 64 PIM, the former 10th overall pick ranked second on the team and recorded 93 hits and 35 blocked shots. His possession numbers indicate that he may be able to take on a larger role as soon as this season, and with the departure of Keith Yandle, and retirement of Dan Boyle, it may soon present itself.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post points out that should McIlrath not play in at least 42 games this season, he would become a Group VI unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2017. To qualify for this type of free agency, a player must have played in less than 80 NHL games (among other things); McIlrath currently has played in 38, including one playoff match this season.
The Rangers also signed free agent forward Josh Jooris within minutes of announcing the McIlrath deal, and still have arbitration eligible RFAs Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes on the docket. Kreider has an arbitration hearing set for July 22nd, while Hayes will have to wait until the 27th.
Rangers Re-Sign J.T. Miller
The Rangers have announced the re-signing of forward J.T. Miller. Miller’s agent, Scott Bartlett, announced that the deal carries a cap hit of $2.75MM. Miller will earn a base salary of $2.5MM in 2016-17 plus a signing bonus of $250K while earning a salary of $2.75MM in 2017-18. He will be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the contract with a required qualifying offer of $2.75MM.
The 23-year-old Miller had 43 points (22-21) in 82 games last season, good for a tie for fifth on the team in points. In five playoff games, Miller had three assists which ranked third in team scoring. In 196 career games with the Rangers, the former first rounder (15th overall in 2011) has 76 points (37-39).
With Miller’s signing, both parties avoid arbitration which had been scheduled for August 2nd. The Rangers now only have Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Dylan McIlrath, Tommy Hughes and Marek Hrivik as restricted free agents. They sit $9.675MM under the salary cap according to Cap Friendly.
Snapshots: Trades, Cullen, Hall, Callahan
USA Today’s Kevin Allen writes today on eight teams he expects to be active in the trade market going forward, the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. While there are still several useful players left on the unrestricted free agent market, Allen suggests several teams are looking to either move out salary, or upgrade their teams via trade.
Allen suggests the Blues and Ducks would both like to add forwards, and could dangle defensemen to get it done. The Ducks have long been rumored to be willing to move Cam Fowler in exchange for forward help, and the Blues may be willing to move Kevin Shattenkirk, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017. All of the Oilers, Bruins, and Red Wings are said to be seeking defensemen, and the Oilers in particular have excess forwards who could be moved. Allen also suggessts defensemen Tyson Barrie of the Avalanche, Matt Dumba of the Wild, and Kevin Klein and Marc Staal of the Rangers may be shopped this summer. In the case of Klein and Staal, it would likely be in an effort to clear cap space, and it’s also possible the Rangers move forward Rick Nash, but his $7.8MM cap hit may make that difficult.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Recently acquired Devils forward Taylor Hall will switch from wearing the number four to the number nine, reports Scott Lewis at Sportsnet.ca. Hall had previously worn four for his entire NHL career, but it’s retired in New Jersey for former Devils’ captain Scott Stevens. There had been a previous controversy when Hall was given the number four in Edmonton, which had been retired for former defenseman and then Oilers’ President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe.
- Puck Daddy’s Josh Cooper reports today on deliberations over who will replace injured Lightning forward Ryan Callahan on the American team for the World Cup of Hockey. Cooper lists Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson, Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo, Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel, and New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri as potential replacements.
- Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford was quoted on Twitter by the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Bill West, saying they do have an offer out on center Matt Cullen, but suggests the money is less than his play last year would justify. Cullen, who turns 40 in November, had 16 goals and 16 assists in 82 games last year, helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.