Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Minnesota Wild Sign Mikko Koivu To Two-Year Extension

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Minnesota Wild have signed captain Mikko Koivu to a two-year extension worth $11MM in total, reports the Athletic’s Michael Russo. The deal breaks down to $6MM in 2018-19 and $5MM in 2019-20. Koivu was sent to become an unrestricted free agent at this season’s end.

Last season Koivu put up 18G and 40A in 80 games, good for third overall in team scoring. He has been the model of consistency for the team over his career. Koivu is not a flashy player, but he gets the job done game after game.

It is not that far off to say that Koivu is the face of the franchise. The Finnish forward—Wild captain since 2009—leads the Wild in all-time games played, assists, points, shots on goal, power-play points, and short-handed goals. He is also second in goals scored and third in penalty minutes earned.

David Pastrnak Signs Six-Year Contract

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Boston Bruins and David Pastrnak have finally come to terms, signing a six-year $40MM contract. The deal will pay Pastrnak an average of $6.67MM throughout the deal, which at first glance looks like a tremendous value.

David PastrnakBreaking out this season with 34 goals and 70 points, Pastrnak showed why he was so highly coveted by the Bruins organization and proved he could be an elite offensive talent. At just 21, he’s now completed three seasons in the NHL meaning this extension buys out only two UFA years. That length, which will make him a unrestricted free agent at 27, is why the cap hit is so much lower than someone like Leon Draisaitl, who was compared to Pastrnak all offseason. Draisaitl gave up three UFA years, but received an $8.5MM AAV on his new contract.

More similar is the deal Filip Forsberg signed last summer after his own entry-level contract expired. Forsberg received $34MM over six years, but was a year older than Pastrnak is now and didn’t have quite the high in terms of points. Forsberg backed up his deal with another 30-goal campaign, a path Bruins fans will hope Pastrnak follows.

One of the more interesting things is that Pastrnak’s average salary comes in right between Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, something that had been reported as important to the team. Though Marchand told them it was fine if the new contract surpassed his, they likely still didn’t want it to far outpace the two superstar forwards. It would have, had the term been extended to eight years.

While the deal seems good for the Bruins, it’s almost perfect for Pastrnak as well. He gets paid a hefty salary and entirely avoids the arbitration process, and will hit the market in 2023 as an in-his-prime scoring machine that could demand another huge contract. Obviously the Bruins will want to keep him around even longer, but he’ll likely have the ability to demand an eight-year contract from any team that wants to buy out UFA years (as long as the CBA stays the same).

Some may point to the fact that Pastrnak has “only had one good year,” but the Bruins certainly don’t think that he was just a flash in the pan. Even in his first two seasons he still scored at more than a 40-point pace, and those were mostly played as a teenager. If he continues to develop, he could be pushing Marchand for the team scoring lead as soon as this season.

The deal also has ramifications elsewhere around the league. Young wingers like William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Patrik Laine will be looking to get paid in the next couple of seasons, and there is now another sub-$7MM extension for an elite scorer. While Draisaitl’s deal likely gives them a top end to negotiate towards—though he has played plenty of center during his short career as well—Pastrnak, Forsberg and Johnny Gaudreau give them something more realistic to work up from. You can bet this deal will be brought up in negotiations for the next several years.

Darren Dreger of TSN was first to report the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Bryan Little Signs Six-Year Extension With Winnipeg Jets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As training camp opens and some teams are still worried about signing their restricted free agents, the Jets have been working on extensions instead. The team today signed Bryan Little to a six-year extension worth $31.75MM ($5.29MM AAV). Little was heading into the final season of the five-year contract he signed in 2013, and will have a cap hit of $4.7MM this season.

Bryan LittleThe new deal will take Little through his age-36 season, and though that is definitely a bit longer than they probably hoped it’s paying off by keeping the cap hit fairly reasonable. Just this summer 30-year old T.J. Oshie, a player with only slightly better production over the years, signed an eight-year deal to stay in Washington that will pay him $5.5MM per season. Little hasn’t had a 30-goal season since he was a sophomore in Atlanta, but is still a consistent point producer on a team with its eye on the playoffs and is a capable two-way center that can drive a line.

Last year Little put up 21 goals and 47 points in just 59 games, missing the first part of the season after suffering an injury on opening night. That marked the fifth 20-goal season of his career, but also unfortunately was the second year in a row he played fewer than 60 games. That injury risk is a real one, but he obviously still has the skill to be a big part of the Jets team going forward.

The Jets now have their top two centers locked in long term, with Little slotting in behind Mark Scheifele who signed what has turned out to be a very team-friendly eight-year contract last summer. Scheifele exploded for 82 points this season, giving the Jets a pair down the middle easily capable of 150 points if everything breaks right. That’s an incredible feeling to have for a franchise that has made the playoffs just twice in their entire history, and have yet to even win a game when they get there. Inking Little to this extension proves that they have no interest in rebuilding anymore, and that this is the group they intend to contend with.

Next summer will still bring quite a bit of uncertainty. The Jets have 24 players who will hit free agency in one way or another, and though the vast majority are restricted free agents the team will still have to wisely plan out their salary structure. While new deals for Jacob Trouba, Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey are important, they must retain the flexibility to pay Patrik Laine when his contract is up in two seasons. Locking Little in gives them some certainty in that regard, and will look just fine if the cap increases at all through the duration.

Jamie Thomas of Jets TV was first to report the contract, while Darren Dreger of TSN gave us the financial details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

 

Bo Horvat Signs Six-Year Contract With Vancouver Canucks

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Vancouver Canucks have signed their young center Bo Horvat today to a six year contract worth $5.5MM per season. Horvat is coming off his entry-level contract, and had discussed everything from two-year bridge deals to eight-year extensions. A long-term deal always seemed like the eventual outcome, and Horvat will be giving up two unrestricted free agent years to stay in Vancouver. The deal contains no signing bonuses or trade protection, and the breakdown is as follows:

  • 2017-18: $6.5MM
  • 2018-19: $7.0MM
  • 2019-20: $5.775MM
  • 2020-21: $3.5MM
  • 2021-22: $5.775MM
  • 2022-23: $4.45MM

"<strongThe 22-year old Horvat was selected ninth-overall by the Canucks in 2013, and has turned out to be everything the team hoped for. His game is developing into that of a true number one center, capable of leading a team offensively and playing well enough to hold his own in the defensive zone. In just his third season he topped the Canucks with 52 points, coming in just ahead of Henrik Sedin in a metaphorical passing of the torch. The Sedins, so long the faces of the Vancouver franchise, will start to take a back seat to Horvat and the other young stars coming through the system.

Horvat was never expected to be a dynamic, league-leading type of offensive player. Even in London, where he played his junior hockey with the Knights in the OHL, he took on a two-way role behind Max Domi (now with the Arizona Coyotes) and other offensive stars. He used a heavy frame to do his fair share of scoring, but now there may be even more upside to his game. Horvat’s 20 goals included just three on the powerplay, a number that is sure to increase as the Sedin’s move on. Interestingly, it also included two short-handed goals, an area which he’ll likely excel throughout his career. Like Mikko Koivu in Minnesota, being a number 1 isn’t always about putting up 80+ point seasons.

The $5.5MM cap hit is a reasonable number for the Canucks, as other players are being paid more and more just out of the entry-level deals. Horvat’s contract will come in at the same amount as Jonathan Drouin, a fellow 2013 draftee that had similar production last year. While Drouin has considerable offensive upside, he also hasn’t proven himself at center thus far in his career. He’ll have a chance to do that in Montreal this year, but Horvat will likely remain the more natural player in the middle. Alexander Wennberg, another comparable to Horvat just signed a six-year deal for only $4.9MM, which looks better and better for the Blue Jackets as the weeks go on.

Vancouver doesn’t have a ton to worry about cap-wise at the moment, as this will mark the last year of the Sedin’s current contracts and with it will open up $14MM. With the team rebuilding, there will be plenty of room to fit Horvat’s number in going forward. If he takes another step offensively this could even look like one of the biggest bargains in a few years, especially if the salary cap goes up in the coming years (which is far from guaranteed).

Bob McKenzie of TSN first gave us the details and confirmed the deal was done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Flames Re-Sign Sam Bennett To Two-Year Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Flames announced that they have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with center Sam Bennett.  The deal carries a cap hit of $1.95MM.

Apr 17, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett (93) skates with the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsThe fourth overall pick back in 2014 is coming off of his second career professional season and his sophomore campaign didn’t go as well as his first.  Last season, Bennett posted 13 goals and 13 assists in 81 games which checked in below his 2015-16 output (18 goals and 18 helpers in 78 contests).  He did, however, pick up a pair of goals in Calgary’s first round sweep at the hands of the Ducks back in April.

The fact that he was coming off of a down year and has yet to realize his potential made a bridge deal like this a much more likely outcome than some of the larger contracts that have been handed out to young players this summer.  The breakdown of salary by year has not yet been announced but it will be interesting to see if the contract is back loaded as whatever his 2018-19 salary is will represent his qualifying offer that summer.

Bennett will likely begin the season as Calgary’s third line center behind Sean Monahan and Mikael Backlund.  That will give him time to continue to work on his game without too much extra pressure being put on him right away.  With Backlund eligible for unrestricted free agency in July, the 21-year-old could be in line to slide up into his spot one year from now if the Flames can’t get Backlund re-signed.

After re-signing defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon yesterday, Calgary has all of their players left under contract for the upcoming season.  They have a little over $5MM in cap space remaining, per CapFriendly.  League-wide, there are now just eight remaining restricted free agents left to re-sign.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Thomas Vanek

at CDT | by 1 Comment

One of the long free agent waits of the offseason is finally over; the Vancouver Canucks have signed Thomas Vanek to a one-year contract worth $2MM. The deal will come in at a lower amount than his $2.4MM pact with the Detroit Red Wings from last season, even after Vanek put up a solid 48-point season. He’ll hit the open market once again next summer.

[Related: Updated Canucks Depth Chart]

Teams who want a little extra offense and are close to the playoffs could have used Vanek’s powerplay and shootout prowess in a sheltered role, but another option was always a team like Vancouver signing him only to flip him for an asset at trade time. Like Detroit last season, the Canucks could give Vanek ample opportunities to rack up points in the first half of the season, only to send him to a bubble team for a draft pick come February. Vanek netted the Red Wings a third-round pick (and Dylan McIlrath) last year, more than enough return for a relatively small amount of money.

The Canucks are in rebuild mode after struggling again last season, but have brought in several high upside players that could be used in this manner already this summer. Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto and Alexander Burmistrov could each fetch a solid return on the market either this year or next should they show any improvement, and Vanek could be much of the same. As the team waits out Daniel and Henrik Sedin’s contracts and looks to build towards a future centered on Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Olli Juolevi and Elias Pettersson, signing tradeable assets can only accelerate the process.

Horvat’s extension now enters the spotlight, as the team will have somewhere around $7MM in cap space depending on which forwards they move off the roster before the season starts. They currently have 15 forwards on one-way contracts, not including Horvat or Boeser, who is expected to stay with the team all year. While there likely will be some injuries in training camp, it does look like Vancouver will have to make a move or try and sneak a few players through waivers.

Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 first got confirmation that the Canucks were “in the mix” on Vanek.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Alexander Wennberg

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

So much for digging in their heels. The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Alexander Wennberg to a six-year, $29.4MM contract, ending what has been a long negotiation this summer. The 22-year old was a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, coming off his entry-level contract. The deal will pay him an average of $4.9MM each season, though it is slightly back-loaded:

  • 2017-18: $3.5MM
  • 2018-19: $4.5MM
  • 2019-20: $5.35MM
  • 2020-21: $5.35MM
  • 2021-22: $5.35MM
  • 2022-23: $5.35MM

"<strongWennberg posted career highs in nearly every statistical category last season, registering 13 goals and 46 assists for 59 points. That number put him second in team scoring on the Blue Jackets behind only Cam Atkinson, and solidified his reputation as a number one center for the team. Selected 14th-overall in 2013, Wennberg has quickly overcome any doubts in his ability to rack up points at the NHL level. Through 217 games, he has totaled 119 points and could easily set new career highs once again this season.

At first glance this contract seems like a fairly large bargain for the Blue Jackets. Wennberg comes in well below Jonathan Drouin’s recent six-year extension, despite the Montreal forward having less experience in the league and scoring fewer points last season. While you can point to Drouin’s draft pedigree and dynamic offensive upside, contracts are usually handed out based on actual in-game production which Drouin only leads slightly in a per-game basis. The Blue Jackets will be quite pleased with contract that comes in under $5MM, and it will help them keep their entire core together down the road.

Over the next two summers, Columbus has contracts to give out to players like Atkinson, Artemi Panarin, Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski, Ryan Murray and several more, while a deal for Josh Anderson is still on the table this offseason. Getting a key member of your forward group like Wennberg locked up for a reasonable number is a huge part in keeping your salary structure possible. He’ll actually come in as just the fourth-highest paid forward on the team this season, behind Panarin, Brandon Dubinsky and captain Nick Foligno.

Wennberg isn’t a perfect player. 21 of his assists came on the powerplay this season, and he needs to do a better job generating shots while at even strength. Though his defensive game has potential to be good enough to lock down opposing top lines, it’s not yet at the level of some of the elite centers in the league. He’ll never be an overly physical player, but his size does allow him to work capably in the corners and in front of the net. Success in the faceoff dot should be expected down the road, though the team will obviously live with his shortcomings in that area in order to get him on the ice as much as possible.

It will be interesting to see if Wennberg gels with newcomer Panarin, who plays a much different game than the outgoing Brandon Saad but could form a near-unstoppable trio along with Atkinson should they see time together. The three are all gifted offensive players, but could be spread out among the top two lines in order to work with more physical players like Jenner or Dubinsky. Either way, it will be one of the most dangerous forward groups in the league, capable of beating teams in several different ways.

This contract has ramifications outside of Columbus as well, as David Pastrnak and Bo Horvat look for similar long-term contracts. Both players are in similar situations coming off their entry-level contracts, though have different offensive profiles. Pastrnak put up much higher scoring numbers last year, but plays the wing and is 20 months younger than Wennberg, while Horvat has a better two-way game and has a higher draft pedigree. Pastrnak has been looking for a contract that would far outpace this deal, while Horvat’s negotiations have spanned everything from a two-year bridge deal to an eight-year pact.

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported the financial details of the contract. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Devils Sign Will Butcher To Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The highly-publicized wait is over as Will Butcher will be joining New Jersey, the Devils announced.  The two-year deal is worth the maximum allowable base salary on an entry-level deal of $925K.  Andrew Gross of The Record adds that he can add an additional $850K in performance bonuses each year.  Butcher became an unrestricted free agent on August 16th after he chose to not sign with Colorado, who drafted him in the fifth round (123rd overall) in 2013.

[Related: Updated Devils Depth Chart]

Butcher played out his four seasons of eligibility at the University of Denver and saved his best play for last.  Named the captain for his senior season, the 22-year-old posted a career high 37 points (7-30-37) in 43 games while helping lead the Pioneers to the NCAA Championship.

As a result of his strong play, Butcher received plenty of accolades, including First Team All-American, NCHC Player of the Year, Frozen Four Tournament All-Star, and, most notably, the Hobey Baker Award which is given to the NCAA’s best player.

Although his agent Brian Bartlett had stated on quite a few occasions that Butcher wouldn’t necessarily look to go to a team that would give him an NHL spot right away, he’ll certainly have a chance to make an immediate impact with the Devils.  He’s undersized at just 5’10 but if his ability to run a power play translates quickly to the pro game, he’ll stand a pretty good chance of making their opening night roster.

As many as a dozen teams expressed an interest in signing Butcher, including the Blue Jackets, Kings, Golden Knights, Penguins, and Sabres.  Of those teams, he visited Buffalo, Los Angeles, and Vegas earlier this week.

Coincidentally, the two most prominent college free agents wound up switching teams in the end as center Alex Kerfoot, originally drafted by New Jersey, signed with the Avalanche earlier this week.

Connor Brown Signs 3-Year Deal With Toronto

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed restricted free agent Connor Brown to a three-year extension, worth $2.1MM per season. The 23-year-old wing had a breakout season for the Maple Leafs last year in his first full season. In 82 games, he put up 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points.

Brown is the final free agent that Toronto had, ensuring that everyone is signed and ready to go before training camp.

Much reaction is that Toronto got a steal of a deal. His contract falls just behind fellow restricted free agent Zach Hyman, who signed a four-year deal worth an AAV of $2.25MM. Hyman scored just 10 goals last year to go with 28 points.

 

Francois Beauchemin Signs With Anaheim Ducks

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Francois Beauchemin has signed with the Anaheim Ducks for one-year, and will earn $1MM plus up to $500K in performance bonuses. Beauchemin was bought out by the Colorado Avalanche earlier this spring, and will return to the Ducks for a third stint. Francois Beauchemin

Now 37, Beauchemin actually still recorded an average of more than 21 minutes of ice time last season for the Avalanche, a number he’s eclipsed in every season of his 12-year career. One of the most reliable defensive options over the last decade, Beauchemin found his greatest success with the Ducks when he won a Stanley Cup in 2007. Beauchemin at that time was playing third fiddle on the blueline to hall of fame players Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger, and will now be asked again to provide some veteran depth to what is a very young group.

Both Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen underwent surgery at the conclusion of the playoffs to repair various injuries, and still both have their season debuts in jeopardy. With that and the loss of Shea Theodore and Clayton Stoner to the Vegas Golden Knights, there was a need to add a depth option to help the Ducks get off to a good start. Jacob Larsson was an option to start the year, but the signing of Beauchemin likely means that the young defender can start in the minor leagues.

[Updated: Anaheim Ducks Depth Chart]

For Beauchemin this season could total as much as $3MM, since the Avalanche are paying him $1.5MM to not play for them. Due to his age, Colorado will still have to deal with his whole $4.5MM cap hit. Moving him would have cost them an asset, something that they clearly didn’t want to do.

Starting his career in Montreal, Beauchemin has played in 836 regular season NHL games and 97 additional playoff contests. He actually has 39 points in those postseason games, a rate significantly higher than his regular season production. For a Ducks team that saw their defensemen play through injury all playoffs only to fall at the hands of the Nashville Predators, adding some experience should help them down the stretch. Beauchemin will likely not be asked to play over 20 minutes a night, but clearly still has the capability to contribute to an NHL team.

Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports was the first to break the deal, and provided the financial details. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top