Boston Bruins Sign Zdeno Chara To One-Year Extension
The Boston Bruins have decided to keep around one of their franchise greats, inking Zdeno Chara to a one-year extension worth $5.0MM. The deal also includes up to $1.75MM in performance bonuses, something that can only be added for a player of his age on a one-year contract. Chara was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Chara, 41, has had an outstanding season not only for his age, but as a pure defenseman. The hulking Boston captain can still get around the ice well enough to use his huge reach and strength to move players off the puck, and he’s routinely shown off his elite conditioning by logging extremely long shifts on the penalty kill and leading the team in minutes played. His 23 per night is still almost an entire minute longer than 20-year old partner Charlie McAvoy.
With the season he’s put together, it’s easy to see why the Bruins handed him an extension, and one that will actually see him collect a bigger paycheck. Because of the front-loaded nature of his last contract, and a quirk in the old CBA, Chara earned just $4.0MM this season and carried the same cap hit. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the performance bonuses are based around games played and playoffs, meaning it’s reasonable to believe Chara will earn even more than $5.0MM when it is all said and done.
Chara has always maintained that he wanted to stay with Boston, but there would have been ample interest in him had he hit free agency. Even as a player in his forties, Chara could have an immediate impact on any defense corps around the league. We ranked him 18th in our Midseason UFA Power Rankings, due to his age, but even at the time it seemed unlikely he would sign somewhere else.
The extension gives the Bruins six defensemen—Chara, McAvoy, Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller and Brandon Carlo—under contract for next season, with Matt Grzelcyk under control as a restricted free agent. That group is good enough to go with to start 2018-19, but don’t expect Boston to sit on their hands in free agency. For a team that believes they can win the Stanley Cup, adding more defensive help is still always a consideration.
In that way, Chara’s role may be reduced next season, which should actually frighten Atlantic Division foes even more. As his body inevitably slows down, less responsibility actually could produce better results on a short term basis. Chara routinely faces some of the strongest competition on the team, something that may change as other, younger options become more and more adept. For now, he’ll remain the top shutdown option on Boston, a legendary penalty killer, and one of the most recognizable players in the NHL.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Henrik Borgstrom Signs Entry-Level Contract With Florida Panthers
Another University of Denver forward has decided to turn pro, as Henrik Borgstrom has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers. DU was eliminated from the NCAA tournament this weekend, meaning Borgstrom is free to start his professional career.
Borgstrom, 20, was selected 23rd-overall by the Panthers in 2016 after starring in the Finnish junior leagues, and immediately became a dominant presence in the collegiate ranks. Able to stickhandle his way out of trouble, Borgstrom is an elite offensive talent that can protect the puck and find his way through traffic to generate scoring opportunities. He’d be successful even as an undersized player, but stands 6’3″ 195-lbs and has improved his physicality over the last year. He’ll likely be a full-time player for the Panthers in short order, but could really become a key member of their forward group if he continues to round out his game and compete in the defensive end.
After just two seasons in the NCAA, Borgstrom was named NCHC Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker award. He was also one of the most asked about prospects at the trade deadline, as GM Dale Tallon explained earlier this month. In the release announcing the signing Tallon spoke again about his prize prospect:
Henrik is a highly-talented, exciting and dynamic young forward who has been a dominant player over his last two seasons in Denver. In a short time he has put together an accomplished career in the college game, including a national championship. We are thrilled to have him take the next step in his development with the Panthers. Henrik’s addition to our skilled, young core of players further strengthens our foundation for success for years to come.
The young core that Tallon mentions is getting more impressive every day. Led by 22-year old Aleksander Barkov, who has morphed into a legitimate MVP candidate, and supported by others like Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck, the Panthers have a group that seems destined for some playoff appearances even if they miss out again this season. With Borgstrom, Owen Tippett and Aleksi Heponiemi ready to make an impact before long, that group could be one of the most dangerous in the NHL in the offensive zone.
Casey Mittelstadt Turns Pro, Signs Three-Year Entry-Level Contract
Buffalo fans rejoice. Casey Mittelstadt has decided to turn pro and sign his three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. He’ll report immediately to the NHL team, and according to CapFriendly will burn the first season of the deal despite being just 19. That’s because of a clause in the CBA making his contract ineligible to slide as he turns 20 between September 16 and December 31 of the year it was signed.
Arguably the top prospect in the entire league, Mittelstadt has gone from eighth-overall pick to potential franchise-changing talent in the span of less than a year. One of his biggest critiques going into the draft last summer was the fact that he spent much of the 2016-17 season playing at the high school level, one that is generally regarded as lower competition than the elite junior leagues of his contemporaries. His fitness was questioned at the combine, while some questioned whether he’d be able to survive at center in the NHL. All that went out the window as soon as Mittelstadt joined the University of Minnesota, where he starred immediately and was nominated for the Hobey Baker award as a freshman.
Playing for Team USA at the World Juniors, Mittelstadt was the most dangerous player on the ice and took home tournament MVP after an 11-point performance. He would take home a bronze medal, but once again showed he could dominate whoever he came up against. He’ll face the toughest challenge of his life as he jumps right to the NHL, but will likely be surrounded by Buffalo’s most talented players.
Mittelstadt is a natural playmaker who loves to hold the puck on his stick just an extra second to open up room for teammates. Though it is still to be seen whether the NHL will afford him the time to make those plays, Buffalo is getting an extremely talented player to fit in alongside the Jack Eichel-led rebuild.
The Sabres are currently sitting in last place in the entire NHL and have the best odds at securing Rasmus Dahlin in June, which, along with Mittelstadt’s early exit from Minnesota, could push the team to new heights in 2018-19. Though there is more work to be done this summer to address the defensive group and goaltending situation, Buffalo looks more poised than ever to climb out of the basement and fight for a playoff spot.
NCAA Tournament Field Announced
It’s Selection Sunday for the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Tournament, following last night’s conference championship games. The top 20 or so teams waited anxiously to hear their names called and to see where they had been seeded ahead of next weekend’s Regional round. 16 teams are selected to the tournament: the six conference champions – Boston University of Hockey East, Notre Dame of the Big Ten, defending champ Denver of the NCHC, red-hot Princeton of the ECAC, Michigan Tech of the WCHA, and Air Force of Atlantic Hockey – and ten at-large bids. Four each, seeded 1 through 4 in each region, will play a single-elimination tournament (#1 vs. #4 and #2 vs. #3) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The hosts of the Regionals this year are Holy Cross (Worcester, MA) for the Northeast Region, Fairfield (Bridgeport, CT) for the East Region, Penn State (Allentown, PA) for the Midwest Region, and 2016 title-holders North Dakota (Sioux Falls, SD) for the West Region. Of the four host schools, only Penn State qualified for the tournament. Below is how the selections and seedings shook out when the entire 2017-18 season was taken into account by the NCAA Selection Committee:
Northeast
- Cornell (ECAC)
- Michigan (Big 10)
- Northeastern (HE)
- Boston University (HE)
East
- Notre Dame (Big 10)
- Providence (HE)
- Clarkson (ECAC)
- Michigan Tech (WCHA)
Midwest
- Ohio State (Big 10)
- Denver (NCHC)
- Penn State (Big 10)
- Princeton (ECAC)
West
- St. Cloud State (NCHC)
- Minnesota State (WHCA)
- Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
- Air Force (Atlantic)
While all four regions have more than their fair share of talent, the location to watch is the Northeast, where top-seed Cornell is rewarded with a match-up against BU, the team with perhaps the most NHL talent on their roster. The winner faces the survivor of Michigan-Northeastern, quite the showdown in it’s own right. The easiest path to the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota belongs to St. Cloud State, the #1 overall seed in the tournament. Air Force poses little threat to the Huskies, while they went 4-2 against Minnesota State and Minnesota-Duluth combined this season.
The biggest surprises of the selections? With the Big Ten leading the way with four teams earning a spot, some notable teams were left out. No absence jumps out as much as North Dakota, who hasn’t missed the NCAA tournament since 2002. North Dakota has been extremely successful in recent years and even this year was ranked #14 in the final Pairwise rankings. However, it just wasn’t enough and neither was #13, as the Minnesota Golden Gophers were the highest-ranked team to not qualify for the tournament. Perennial contender Boston College was also left out of the action. It is the first time since 1977 that all three of BC, Minnesota, and North Dakota are absent for the National Tournament, perhaps exemplifying the growth of the college game in recent years. Other teams that some may be disappointed to see snubbed are Harvard, and Olympic star Ryan Donato, and an upstart Bowling Green squad that fell just short of a surprise appearance.
Regardless of the teams not selected, those who did qualify present a fantastic group of talent. The 2018 NCAA Hockey Tournament is one worth watching and the last few years have shown that this tournament is never short on drama and excitement. Enjoy the best of the best in college hockey over the next few weeks.
Dmitry Kulikov Out Eight Weeks Following Back Surgery
When Dmitry Kulikov was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury last week, it seemed completely innocuous. Now, it appears to be anything but and potentially season-altering for the Winnipeg Jets. Sportsnet’s Sean Reynolds reports that Kulikov is undergoing back surgery and will be out about eight weeks. For perspective, that would be a return around May 12th, most likely the conference finals round. This is likely season-ending surgery for Kulikov and Winnipeg hopes it won’t contribute to a premature end to their 2017-18 run as well.
For those trying to think of when Kulikov could have suffered such a major injury, you would have to go all the way back to the 2016-17 preseason. Then a newly-acquired Buffalo Sabre, Kulikov suffered a back injury before the season even began and dealt with repercussions all year. Kulikov missed 35 games due to injury last year, at least 22 of which were officially credited to his back, and landed on injured reserve twice. Now, Reynolds adds, the lingering issue has returned to plague him again. In his first season of a three-year deal with the Jets, one has to wonder what the future looks like for Kulikov as this back problem continues to stick around.
Until this point, Kulikov has been relatively healthy for Winnipeg, skating in 62 games thus far. Kulikov has fit in nicely for the Jets, far exceeding his performance in Buffalo last season. His numbers may not jump off the page, offensively or defensively, but as a third-pair pair blue liner he has done everything asked of him, including playing a solid game in his own zone and possessing the puck safely. While his absence may not hurt as much as the loss of a Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien, or Tyler Myers would for the rest of the year, it will certainly be felt. Especially with Toby Enstrom already on the shelf as well, the Jets are hurting for the strong defensive depth they began the year with. More pressure will certainly fall on the likes of Tucker Poolman and Joe Morrow for the remainder of the year, as Winnipeg looks to keep injuries from slowing down an incredible campaign.
Dean Kukan Signs Two-Year Extension With Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets have locked up one of their young defenders, inking Dean Kukan to a two-year extension. Kukan was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, but will now be under contract through the 2019-20 season. The deal will be one-way, and pay Kukan an average annual value of $725K.
This will be the first one-way deal of Kukan’s career, a nice reward for the development he’s shown over the last few years. Originally signed out of the SHL in 2015, Kukan was a relative unknown that had gone undrafted but had impressed at two World Championships with Switzerland. He made his NHL debut that season, but spent all of last year with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL.
Playing in 10 NHL games this season, Kukan seems destined to replace one of the Blue Jackets’ pending free agents in the lineup on a more regular basis next year. Ian Cole, Jack Johnson and Taylor Chorney are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, while Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara are also RFAs.
Kukan is a solid defender that can be relied upon in the defensive zone and get the puck up quickly to his teammates, though perhaps lacks a bit of creativity and aggressiveness on the offensive side. With players like Zach Werenski and Seth Jones giving the Blue Jackets more than enough offense from the back end, Kukan can focus on the defensive side and carve out a role for himself.
The Blue Jackets have quite a bit of cap space heading into the summer, and getting players like Kukan locked in on relatively inexpensive deals will help them maximize that financial asset. He’ll cost just a touch more than the minimum salary for next season, just like Scott Harrington who is signed for just $650K.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Zach Whitecloud To Entry-Level Contract
The Vegas Golden Knights continue to impress this season, this time signing one of the top college free agents. Zach Whitecloud has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Golden Knights, after finishing his sophomore season at Bemidji State University. The press release indicates that Whitecloud will join Vegas tomorrow in Buffalo, and wear #2.
Whitecloud was being pursued by several teams around the league, including Los Angeles, Detroit and Tampa Bay according to the latest 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The 21-year old defenseman grew up in Brandon, Manitoba where Vegas AGM Kelly McCrimmon ran the Wheat Kings for more than a decade. Whitecloud will go down as the Golden Knights’ first NCAA signing, and he’s an impressive one.
Vegas GM George McPhee explains what he sees in the organization’s newest player:
He’s a mobile defenseman who moves the puck real well. Is a safe player right now. We think he plays kind of conservatively, we believe he can give us a lot more offensively. There is lots of room for growth there. I like that he he’s got his base attributes that he’s safe and conservative, and if we can build the offense into his game he can be a pretty good player.
Whitecloud’s offense isn’t is calling card, but he’s also no slouch there. Scoring 19 points in 36 games this season, the right-handed defenseman has a hard shot and can quickly move the puck up the ice. If he starts to jump into the rush more often, and develops a willingness to attack in the offensive zone, there might be an uptick in point production. Even without the added offense, Whitecloud can handle himself in the defensive end and could be used as a penalty killing option at the professional level.
While the Golden Knights spent several draft picks acquiring Tomas Tatar at the deadline, the team still needs to add to their development system over the next few years. One way to do that is mine the college ranks for talents like Whitecloud, who at the very least can be a solid addition to a minor league program. Even if his NHL ceiling is somewhat limited, adding young free agent depth is always a good thing. Whether he gets into a game this season is still unclear, but he’ll be practicing with the team and learning what it means to be a professional hockey player.
Ron Francis Out As Hurricanes General Manager
New Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is ready to change things up. The team has announced that Ron Francis, the General Manager and a legendary player for the franchise, will transition to a new role as President of Hockey Operations. A search will begin for a new GM, who will report directly to Dundon.
While the move may sound like a promotion, in reality it is not. Dundon more or less made that clear, saying “There are a lot of good people working in the organization, but I feel that a change in direction is needed when it comes to hockey personnel decisions.” He adds that “Ron is a smart and talented hockey man. I am glad that he will continue to be a part of the team, serving in this new role”, but Dundon apparently wants his own hire to be in charge of roster operations.
Francis served as GM of the Hurricanes for four seasons and has built a solid team, including one of the deepest defensive units in the NHL, but Carolina is on the outside of the playoff picture yet again and have a good chance of extending a league-worst postseason drought to nine years. While Francis has hardly been a bad GM, he hasn’t done enough – he didn’t make a single player-for-player trade in his tenure – and some of his mistakes (read: Scott Darling) have drawn much ire on the local and national scale. The new hire will face the daunting task of both fixing the goaltending situation and somehow acquiring the star forward that Carolina desperately needs. The GM decision could also lead to questions about the job security of head coach Bill Peters. In terms of evaluating talent, the Hurricanes have been known to be one of the leading front offices in terms of analytics, but it is unknown right now whether or not Dundon will continue to steer the team in that direction with his next hire.
Much is still up in the air, but it’s clear that things are changing in Raleigh. For a franchise that has lacked success in the standings and at the box office for too long, that could be a good thing. The Hurricanes will now be one of the more intriguing teams to watch in the approaching off-season.
Ryan McDonagh Acquired By Tampa Bay Lightning
Ryan McDonagh has been traded. The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired the New York Rangers captain, pending a trade call according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Darren Dreger adds that J.T. Miller is also expected to be in the trade. McKenzie tweets that the return will be Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, a 2018 first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick that will become a first-round pick if the Lightning win the Stanley Cup this year or next.
In the biggest deal of the year, the Lightning have added that much-needed defensive help by bringing in McDonagh. The 28-year old former captain is a legitimate first-pairing player, but will be able to slot in behind Victor Hedman to give Tampa Bay two impressive pairings. They also completed the deal without giving up Mikhail Sergachev, who projects to be a long-term option for the club’s top-4 and can continue to be sheltered in his rookie while quarterbacking one powerplay unit.
Miller, 24, is another huge addition for the Lightning, who had been looking for help on the wing all season. Though he had been transitioned back to center this season for the Rangers, it seems more likely that he’ll move back to the left side as Tampa Bay still has a glut of options down the middle. The 15th-overall pick in 2011, Miller has shown a consistent scoring ability and is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons. This year he has just 13 goals, but has already totaled his third straight 40-point season and could challenge his career-high with a good final stretch.
The addition of both players pushes the Lightning back to a favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference and win the Stanley Cup, but did come at a hefty price. Though Sergachev and Brayden Point were both not included, the package given up includes several pieces with very high potential.
In Namestnikov, the Rangers are acquiring a 25-year old forward in the midst of a career-best season. The 27th-overall selection from 2011, he has scored 20 goals for the first time in his career to go along with 44 points through 62 games. He’ll immediately become one of the Rangers’ best options at center, but does come with some work still left to do. A pending restricted free agent, Namestnikov is in for a hefty raise—something Miller will also be in line for this summer—given that he has just two years before being scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Any long-term deal will have to come with a substantial raise from his current $1.94MM cap hit.
The prospects, Howden and Hajek, are both among the best in the game. Howden was selected 27th-overall in 2016, and still plays in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Despite the fact that he’s not yet in professional hockey, he does have some experience at the AHL level after playing eight games for the Syracuse Crunch at the end of last season. Since then, he’s put up 58 points in 38 games for the Warriors, and played a key role in Canada’s gold medal at the World Juniors.
He plays a dynamic two-way role, and projects to be an excellent center in the NHL capable of both contributing offensively and playing against some of the opponent’s best. He brings size and speed, and makes the Rangers future down the middle even brighter. When grouped with Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, suddenly a position that was an organizational weakness a year ago now ranks among the league’s best.
Hajek brings his own high potential, and could turn into the best player in the deal for the Rangers down the road. A prototypical shut down defenseman, Hajek is an excellent skater that has continued to improve since being taken 37th-overall in 2016. He also has experience with the Crunch, playing eight games for them last season, but is currently with the Regina Pats of the WHL. The 20-year old can play various different styles and arguably becomes the Rangers top defensive prospect, even ahead of the recently acquired Ryan Lindgren and current NHLers Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo.
The fact that the deal also brings with it the potential of two first-round picks makes it worthwhile for the Rangers, even if it hurts to lose two of their best players. After this trade and the others completed over the last few weeks, New York now has seven selections in the top three rounds this year including three in the first round, and could really jump-start the rebuild they promised their fans.
While the Rangers have completed what they promised to do this season, the Lighting are now ready to compete for the Stanley Cup not only this season but next. McDonagh carries just a $4.7MM cap hit through the end of the 2018-19 season, when he is scheduled to be one of the top unrestricted free agents. It seems unlikely that Tampa Bay will have the cap space to retain his services at that point, but if we’ve learned anything from GM Steve Yzerman over the last few seasons, it is to expect the unexpected.
Photo of McDonagh courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
San Jose Sharks Acquire Evander Kane From Buffalo Sabres
The San Jose Sharks have acquired Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN in exchange for a conditional 2019 first-round pick, conditional 2020 fourth-round pick and Daniel O’Regan. Kane has not signed an extension with the Sharks, and is still scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports that the bidding was down to San Jose, Anaheim and Calgary today.
The first-round pick is tied to the re-signing of Kane. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports, if the Sharks don’t re-sign the 26-year old forward before July 1st, it becomes a second-round pick in 2019 instead—unless the Sharks also win the 2018 Stanley Cup. It’s unclear what the conditions are on the fourth-round pick.
O’Regan, 24, is a former teammate of Sabres’ forwards Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues at Boston University and has played 19 games for the Sharks this season. Though he has just four points on the season, O’Regan does have some offensive upside and could jump right into the Buffalo lineup. He has 25 points in 31 games in the AHL, and though he’s a bit undersized could give them another option down the middle for the next few years. He’s a restricted free agent in the summer, but should be relatively cheap to sign for the Sabres.
The package Buffalo received for Kane may seem a little light at first glance, especially when compared directly to Rick Nash from this week. That’s likely because of the struggles he’s gone through of late, and his lack of playoff experience. Kane has just six points in 23 games in 2018, and hasn’t played a single postseason game in his nine-year career.
There is also obviously the case of Kane’s perceived attitude, which could have influenced the market that Buffalo was able to create. Kane has had off-ice trouble in the past, and though there hasn’t been much lately on any turmoil in the Buffalo dressing room, playoff teams often don’t want to risk their team chemistry on a player with a reputation. San Jose does have a strong leadership group, and decided that this package was more than acceptable for a player capable of scoring 30 goals in a season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images