Buffalo Sabres Sign Jack Eichel To Eight-Year Deal
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:
2018-19: $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.
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Pittsburgh Trades Derrick Pouliot To Vancouver
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.
Pouliot 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.
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Josh Anderson To Sign With Columbus
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
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
Since 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.
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Robby Fabbri To Miss Entire 2017-18 Season
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
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
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.
Breaking 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.
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Bryan Little Signs Six-Year Extension With Winnipeg Jets
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.
The 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.
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Bo Horvat Signs Six-Year Contract With Vancouver Canucks
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
The 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.
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Flames Re-Sign Sam Bennett To Two-Year Deal
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.
The 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.
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