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Derek Forbort Signs Extension With Los Angeles Kings

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In the wake of the Los Angeles Kings’ bad news on Jeff Carter, the team has something else to cheer up their fans. Derek Forbort has signed a two-year contract extension that will pay him an average of $2.525MM per season.

Forbort has quickly become a fan favorite in Los Angeles, as he made the jump right from the minor leagues to Drew Doughty’s left side. After playing in 14 games for the Kings in 2014-15, Forbort suited up for all 82 last year and averaged over 20 minutes a night. This year he’s back for even more, playing sidekick to Doughty and being relied on as the team’s #1 penalty killer. The 25-year old was a long time coming for the Kings, who drafted him in the first round in 2010.

"<strongHis first stop was at the University of North Dakota, where he was part of their NHL factory that churns out professionals every year. He spent three seasons with the Fighting Hawks, while also skating key minutes for Team USA in the World Juniors in two consecutive years. Forbort began to hone his simple two-way style then, and made an immediate impact for the Manchester Monarchs upon turning pro. He helped lead the team to a Calder Cup championship in 2015, before making his NHL debut the next season.

Recently there has been speculation that the Kings could deal one of their other defensemen—Jake Muzzin or Alec Martinez in particular—for scoring help. That ability comes directly because of the quick transition Forbort has made to their top pairing, and his ability to play in all situations. While the team continues to lose offensive pieces to injury, their defense remains rock-solid. The Kings have allowed just 10 goals all season, easily the fewest in the entire league.

Forbort is in the final season of his two-year two-way deal he signed in the summer of 2016, just 14 games into his NHL career. Over that span it has been one of the most valuable deals in the league, paying him just $650K at the NHL level each season. Importantly, the new contract will take him to free agency in the summer of 2020 at the age of 28, when he can really cash in with a long-term deal. While there will likely be debate over how much of his success is directly tied to Doughty, he has positioned himself in a strong negotiating position for unrestricted free agency.

The Kings, on that same note likely didn’t want to commit to Forbort long-term on an expensive contract when they have Doughty’s own deal to worry about. Doughty will hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019, and if the Kings intend on keeping him they’ll have to give him one of the biggest contracts in the league. The 27-year old is coming off a Norris Trophy win in 2016 and is generally regarded as one of the best all-around defensemen in the NHL.

Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider first reported the deal on Twitter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Michael Matheson Signs Long-Term Extension With Florida

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5:53 PM: It’s a done deal. Less than an hour after Friedman’s report, TSN’s Bob McKenzie has confirmed that Matheson and the Panthers have come to terms on an eight-year, $39MM contract extension. The deal, worth $4.875MM per year, would make Matheson the fifth-highest paid player for Florida and a top-fifty paid defenseman in the league if the 2018-19 season were underway. The extension puts Matheson in the same salary zone as players like Sami Vatanen, Justin Faulk, and Morgan Rielly.

The contract breaks down as follows, per CapFriendly:

2018-19: $3MM salary, $500K signing bonus
2019-20: $3.5MM salary
2020-21: $3.5MM salary
2021-22: $5MM salary
2022-23: $4MM salary
2023-24: $4MM salary, $2.5MM signing bonus
2024-25: $4MM salary, $2.5MM signing bonus
2025-26: $4.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus

5:15 PM: According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers are working toward an eight-year extension in the neighborhood of $40MM with one of their defenseman. Keep in mind Aaron Ekblad already signed an extension last year and 2017-18 marks the first season of his eight-year, $60MM, while Keith Yandle is already on to year two of his seven-year, $44.5MM free agent contract from last summer. No, the star Florida defenseman that Friedman is reporting on is… Michael Matheson?

To be fair, Matheson did play in 81 games with the Panthers last season and led the team in even-strength ice time on ice. However, those 81 games were only good enough to be tied for second among Florida defenseman and he ranked third in overall average time on ice. Matheson scored 17 points, tied for fourth among Panthers’ blue liners, and his 69 hits was fifth among that group. Matheson led the team with 118 blocked shots, but that mark put him only 70th in the NHL. This was all while the Panthers endured a disappointing season and missed the playoffs after winning the Atlantic Division the year before. Matheson is a solid defenseman, but he didn’t really excel at anything in particular in 2016-17 and didn’t necessarily help the team win. When it comes to a long-term extension though, consistency is the key and Matheson has been this good for a long time, right? Except, last year was his rookie season. Matheson has been a name in hockey for years now – a first-round pick in 2012 and a prolific career at powerhouse Boston College – but in reality he has just 84 NHL games under his belt and is just one year removed from a season spent almost entirely in the AHL.

So, why is GM Dale Tallon reportedly throwing this kind of money at him? Why could Matheson soon be paid more and for longer than the likes of Roman Josi and John Klingberg after just one alright NHL season? It could be that Panthers, who admittedly have seen more of Matheson than anyone else, see something more from the 23-year-old. Of course, it could also be, that after trading away Jason Demers, this extension is the result of some panic setting in. Ekblad is coming off a down season with some lingering injury concerns, Yandle is on the wrong side of 30, and Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic tend to be one-dimensional players. With Ekblad, Pysyk, and Petrovic all young, right-handed rearguards, that side of the defense could be set for the long haul, even if there are some concerns. However, on the left side, Matheson and Yandle are the only two established NHLers on the roster with nearly no high-end defensive prospects in the system. It seems likely that Florida sees Matheson as a worthy gamble because he is all they have to gamble on. Is that worth upwards of $40MM? Maybe not, but at least waiting until later in the season to gauge Matheson’s development could help to alleviate some of the risk. (Update: They didn’t.)

Ducks Sign Josh Manson To A Four-Year Extension

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The Ducks have locked up a key defender as Josh Manson has inked a four-year extension, the blueliner announced via the team’s Twitter account.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the contract will carry a cap hit of $4.1MM.  The deal will begin in the 2018-19 campaign; he will earn $825K this season and would have been a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in July.

"AprManson has been with Anaheim since they drafted him in the sixth round (160th overall) back in 2011.  Last season, he played in all 82 games with the Ducks, tallying a career-high 17 points (5-12-17) while averaging 18:38 of ice time per night.  He also suited up in 17 postseason contests, posting three assists while seeing his ATOI increase to 20:33 per game.

With injuries to Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm to start the season, the Ducks will be asking Manson to take on a bigger role for the time being before settling into a fourth or fifth defender role once those two return to the lineup.

This contract now has Anaheim’s core of blueliners (including Vatanen, Lindholm, and Cam Fowler) locked up through at least the 2019-20 season.  However, with now just 13 players under contract for 2018-19, GM Bob Murray will still have a lot of work to do and not a lot of money as they already have more than $60MM committed for next season.  Most of their players with expiring contracts are slated to become unrestricted free agents but winger Nick Ritchie is another notable RFA who could be an extension candidate in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Nikolaj Ehlers To Seven-Year Extension

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced a seven-year, $42MM extension for forward Nikolaj Ehlers. Ehlers is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, and will see his average annual salary jump to $6MM per season starting in 2018-19. That number will make him the second-highest paid forward on the Jets, behind just Mark Scheifele who earns $6.125MM per season.

Nikolaj EhlersEhlers was selected ninth-overall by the Jets in 2014, and after another outstanding year in the QMJHL—he scored 132 points in just 65 games—jumped right to the NHL and never looked back. Last year as a sophomore he found chemistry with Scheifele and Patrik Laine as one of the best lines in the NHL (when they were together) and registered 64 points. The impressive part is Ehlers looks to have even more offensive upside, and going into the season as a 21-year old there are high expectations.

Interestingly, this $6MM price tag is quite reasonable for a player so young and dynamic. He’ll instantly be compared to the other big names from the 2014 draft, including Leon Draisaitl ($8.5MM per season), Aaron Ekblad ($7.5MM) and David Pastrnak ($6.67MM) all who outpace him easily in terms of salary. While Ehlers may not have quite the career-highs of Draisaitl and Pastrnak at this point, he is certainly capable of keeping up with them offensively. This will also have an impact on a couple of other 2014 picks in William Nylander and Dylan Larkin, both of whom are in their final ELC years and will be looking for big raises at some point.

Still, for the Jets this fits nicely into their salary structure. Earlier this offseason they extended Bryan Little for six years at a reasonable number but they still have plenty of big contracts to come. Laine will be eligible for an extension next summer, and Jacob Trouba will be a restricted free agent for the second time. Trouba held out the first time looking for a better role on the team, but has since proved that he should be treated as a top-tier defenseman in the league. Things might get tight, but even with a first line that can compete with nearly anyone in the league, they’re generally paying below market value.

For Ehlers, this is a strong vote of confidence in his ability going forward. The Jets have obviously liked what they’ve seen since taking him so high, and why not. Two of the players taken ahead of him haven’t even made the NHL, while no one taken after (minus Pastrnak) has scored more. The Jets, while still waiting for that first franchise playoff win—they were swept in the first round both appearances—are clearly an up-and-coming team that will be hard to deal with in the coming years. If they can fix a goaltending issue that has plagued them since their days in Atlanta, perhaps this is the year they take a run. If not, they still have a lengthy run watching Scheifele, Laine and Ehlers light up opponents (even if it does happen on different lines at times).

Jamie Thomas of JetsTV was first to break the news.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Buffalo Sabres Sign Jack Eichel To Eight-Year Deal

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The Buffalo Sabres have signed franchise cornerstone Jack Eichel to an eight-year extension worth $80MM. The contract—which kicks in for the 2018-19 season—will pay Eichel an average annual value of $10MM, putting him in rare company. Only Connor McDavid, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Carey Price will earn at least $10MM in the 2018-19 season. The extension will buy four years of free agency, sending Eichel to the open market at 29. The contract breaks down as follows:

  • Jack Eichel2018-19: $10MM salary
  • 2019-20: $10MM salary
  • 2020-21: $2.5MM salary + $7.5MM signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $10MM salary
  • 2022-23: $2.5MM salary + $7.5MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $10MM salary
  • 2024-25: $10MM salary
  • 2025-26: $10MM salary

Selected second overall in the 2015 draft, Eichel immediately left Boston University for the professional ranks and make an impact as a rookie. He finished with 24 goals and 56 points in the 2015-16 season, but still finished just fourth in Calder Trophy voting as the league’s top rookie. Artemi Panarin, Shayne Gostisbehere and McDavid all finished above him despite Eichel coming second in rookie scoring and showing he could survive as a top-line center in the NHL.

Last year, he suffered a high ankle sprain early in the season and was limited to just 61 games but once again proved his elite talent by scoring 57 points down the stretch. That total put Eichel 11th among forwards in points-per-game, ahead of players like Panarin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jamie Benn.

Eichel’s deal—like his career—will certainly be compared to draftmate McDavid’s eight-year, $100MM contract. While McDavid dealt with his own injury problems as a rookie, he bounced back this season to capture nearly every individual trophy available. Though Eichel isn’t quite at that level, the Sabres wanted to spend no time waiting around before locking him in long-term. As the new face of the franchise, he’ll be leaned on as the go-to offensive weapon and first-line center for some time. Ryan O’Reilly will offer a strong partner for him on the second line, but the Sabres future will hinge on Eichel’s improvement.

The deal has sent shockwaves throughout the league, as though Eichel was always expected to get a large contract extension many didn’t believe he would crack the $10MM mark. While he’s certainly talented enough, he still hasn’t won any individual awards or taken his team to the playoffs. As other teams look to extend their young stars—Toronto and Auston Matthews in particular—Eichel’s deal now represents a second data point behind McDavid to compare to. Matthews, whose 40 goals and 69 points easily eclipsed Eichel’s rookie season, will now have two comparable extensions to bring up in negotiations next summer. Should he lead the Maple Leafs to the playoffs once again, and even surpass his own rookie totals, something pushing close to McDavid’s $12.5MM per season is not out of the question.

Still, some of Buffalo’s need to extend Eichel comes directly from that lack of playoff success. With the team struggling to put a playoff contender on the ice, letting Eichel get anywhere close to free agency (even restricted as it would have been) would have put a sour taste in the mouths of many fans. The 20-year old wasn’t going to give up money on a long-term deal before he’d really proven what he can do over a full season, so the team had to come in with an offer that would be in line with the other top players in the league. It doesn’t come without risk, as Eichel could regress or have more injury problems, but they’re willing to hitch their wagon to him right away.

NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen was first to announce that a deal had been reached, while TSN’s Darren Dreger gave us the financial details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pittsburgh Trades Derrick Pouliot To Vancouver

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have finally given up on Derrick Pouliot, trading the first-round defenseman to the Vancouver Canucks for Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round pick. Pouliot is no longer waiver-exempt, and did not earn a role with the Penguins this fall. Pedan on the other hand cleared waivers today and can immediately be sent to the minor leagues if the team so chooses.

Derrick PouliotPouliot has had a long and disappointing tenure with the Penguins since they drafted him eighth overall in 2012. The 23-year old defenseman has struggled to even crack the lineup, and whenever given a chance hasn’t been able to stay in the NHL. In the minor leagues his offensive upside shines through, but the Penguins time and again haven’t been able to live with his lack of defensive consistency.

He’ll get a new start with the Canucks, who are taking a flier on a player who was once considered a blue-chip prospect. When he was selected out of the WHL, Pouliot was compared to Brian Campbell because of his skill with the puck and elite playmaking ability. It’s what made him the first-overall pick in the WHL Bantam draft, and what helped him rack up points with the Portland Winterhawks (where Canucks’ coach Travis Green was behind the bench) and Canada’s World Junior team. That skill remains, and he’ll be given a chance right away to show it off with Vancouver.

While he may never reach his full potential, the Canucks are hoping that he’ll have a bigger impact than Pedan. Though Pedan is blessed with size and strength, he has barely seen the NHL since being drafted in the third round six years ago, and doesn’t project out to be a full-time defender at the highest level. He does have some upside as a depth player, but isn’t expected to ever reclaim the scoring touch he showed for the Guelph Storm.

In all, the Penguins cut their losses and gain an asset for a player they were likely to lose at some point for nothing, while the Canucks take a home run cut without risking very much. The rebuilding Vancouver club will likely take more of these chances over the next year or two, as it tries to build a core around Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser and their other young players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Josh Anderson To Sign With Columbus

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Josh Anderson has agreed to a three-year deal worth $1.85MM a year with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anderson was a restricted free agent, and the Blue Jackets’ last player to sign before the season starts. The deal will officially take Anderson through the 2019-20 season, and is broken down as follows:

  • 2017-18: $1.6MM
  • 2018-19: $1.85MM
  • 2019-20: $2.1MM

Anderson and the Blue Jackets were locked in contract negotiations all summer. Things rose to a head in September when Anderson reportedly asked for a trade. The final terms are lower than what two other prominent RFAs received. Calgary Flames’ Sam Bennett signed for $1.95MM a year, and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Connor Brown signed for $2.1MM a year.

In his first full season with the Blue Jackets, Anderson scored 17G and 12A in 78 games and an additional 1G and 1A in 5 playoff games. Columbus valued him enough to make moves prior to the expansion draft to protect him and other prospects, but apparently did not budge from its contract valuation. Head coach John Tortorella stated earlier this offseason that Anderson will have to earn his spot on the team.

Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to confirm that the deal was done.

Craig Anderson Signs Two-Year Extension

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The Ottawa Senators have signed Craig Anderson to a two-year contract extension worth $4.75MM per year. The deal will kick in for the 2018-19 season, after his current contract expires. Both sides had recently discussed an extension, which will no longer be a distraction during the season. The deal includes a ten team no-trade list, and the salary will break down as follows:

  • 2018-19: $5.5MM
  • 2019-20: $4.0MM

Craig AndersonSince Anderson is already 36 years old, this deal will come with some restrictions. Should Anderson retire or be bought out before the end of the contract, his full cap hit will still be applied for the Senators. While he’ll turn 37 at the end of this season, he’s already shown that he can still be a near-elite goaltender in the league in his mid-thirties, and has the added safety of Mike Condon behind him in the net.

The Senators relied on a strong defensive system and excellent goaltending last year, and it appears as though they’ll do the same for the next several years. With Condon’s own new deal, the tandem will earn $7.15MM over Anderson’s extension, a hefty price if they’re not among the league leaders. Ottawa clearly believes they can be, especially after Anderson posted a .926 save percentage last year during the regular season, only to carry a .922 in the playoffs and help the Senators reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

Still, it comes with some worry. Ottawa has some big names up for new contracts in the coming seasons, with Mark Stone, Kyle Turris and Cody Ceci all free agents of some sort next summer. The year after that, Erik Karlsson and Derick Brassard come up, all the while the team will still be paying a combined $14.25MM to Bobby Ryan and Dion Phaneuf. Obviously things can change in an instant, but locking in a 37-year old goaltender for nearly $5MM per season is risky at best.

Anderson had one of the most emotional seasons in recent memory a year ago. After his wife Nicholle was diagnosed with cancer early in the season, Anderson was away from the team for some time. In his heart-wrenching return, he stopped all 37 shots to earn a shutout and would go on to post one of the best seasons of his career. By the end of the season, Nicholle would announce she was in remission just days after Craig did everything he could to keep the Senators in the playoffs. Stopping 39 of 42 shots, but losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime, the city of Ottawa would rally around the couple. Anderson took home the Masterton Trophy for perseverance and sportsmanship.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Robby Fabbri To Miss Entire 2017-18 Season

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In an incredibly disappointing turn of events, the St. Louis Blues announced today that Robby Fabbri will miss the entire season after re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee. Fabbri, who was profiled as our “Player to Watch” for the Blues this year, was originally thought to have just a minor aggravation, but clearly there was structural damage once again.

Fabbri played just 51 games last season after tearing his ACL in early February. At that point, he had 29 points and was well on his way to setting several career-highs. The 21st-overall pick in 2014, Fabbri is a dynamic offensive player who was a pick by many to break out in the next few years. That will obviously have to wait, and ruling him out so early does throw into question what kind of a comeback he’ll eventually have. Knee surgeries can be tough to come back from, especially for players who are known for their quickness and lateral movement.

The Blues have been ravished by injury early on, losing Zachary Sanford for five to six months and seeing Alex Steen and Jay Bouwmeester go down to broken bones. The latter two will be re-evaluated at the end of camp, but neither is expected to return very soon. It was going to be tough to replace those players already, but Fabbri’s injury will just put even more stress on a team that has struggled to progress in the playoffs. While there are young talented players coming like Klim Kostin and Jordan Kyrou, it will likely be a while before either can make a real impact. Kostin remains in training camp, but Kyrou was sent back to junior today.

Minnesota Wild Sign Mikko Koivu To Two-Year Extension

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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.

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