Senators Sign Colin White To Entry-Level Deal
After offering an amateur tryout to Colin White, the Ottawa Senators have now inked the forward to a three-year, entry-level deal according to a tweet from the team.
White, who played for Boston College, was drafted by the Sens in 2015 with their 21st overall pick. The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch writes that White will join the team and play against Detroit on Monday.
With Binghamton, White had a goal and two assists.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Tucker Poolman To Entry-Level Deal
Winnipeg Jets fans can relax now, as the team has come to an agreement with University of North Dakota standout Tucker Poolman. Recently a wrench was thrown into his future in Winnipeg as he suffered a shoulder injury that requires surgery and will keep him out for the next four to six months. Bob McKenzie of TSN wondered if that could jeopardize a contract with the Jets, as he would become a free agent this summer and would be free to sign with any team.
The deal will be a one-year entry-level contract worth $1.775 million (salary+bonuses) for next season. Because Poolman will turn 24 this summer, this was the longest deal the Jets could give him, and he will become a restricted free agent come 2018. It will be interesting to see where Poolman plays next season, as McKenzie seemed to hint that the Jets would be willing to put him in the NHL right now. With Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba and Dustin Byfuglien all installed long-term on the right side for the Jets, someone will have to play their off side. For what it’s worth, Poolman spent much of this season of the left side at UND and had success, meaning he’ll possibly debut there next year.
The big-bodied defenseman has incredible offensive instincts and jumps into the play often, even protecting the puck down low on the powerplay and eluding defenders with his deceptive quickness. For a 6’3″ 210-lbs player, he moves smoothly on the ice and has a crisp, accurate first pass. While he can crank it up with a slap shot at times, he often uses a powerful wrist shot to get the puck on net.
While Poolman isn’t expected to become a star in the league, he is NHL ready and could anchor a bottom pair and play in all situations. For a team like the Jets who are trending in the right direction with a young core, he could easily become an effective role player behind their big-4 on defense. Hopefully the surgery—which is scheduled for tomorrow—will go well enough to allow him a full training camp, as four months would have him ready for the beginning of August.
Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald was first to report the deal, with Gary Lawless of TSN reporting the terms.
David Pastrnak & Leon Draisaitl: The Next Contract
The 2016 restricted free agent market was one of the most talented – and most entertaining – in recent memory. As hockey moves more and more toward youthful skill and speed, the dynamics of team building have changed as well, as last summer marked the “death of the bridge deal“. A multitude of massive extensions for young players were handed out, including giant new deals for forwards like Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele, Calgary duo Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, and Florida pair Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck. The 2017 RFA group is no slouch either; it features star scorers such as Minnesota’s Mikael Granlund, Vancouver’s Bo Horvat, Nashville’s Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson, the Tampa Bay trio of Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson, and Ondrej Palat and more.
Yet, the two most intriguing restricted free agents are the youngest of the group: 20-year-old Boston Bruins right winger David Pastrnak and 21-year-old Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl. Last summer opened the door for the game-changing pair to skip right over an affordable short-term deal that would keep them restricted into a third contract for the “prime” of their career. Now, Pastrnak and Draisaitl have the newly-minted industry standard option of asking for a six- to eight-year deal, lasting well into their late 20’s, worth somewhere in the range of $5-7MM annually. So what exactly will the new contracts look like this summer?
Pastrnak’s agent, J.P. Barry, is on the record as saying that his client is looking for a long-term deal and they are viewing the contracts of Monahan, Scheifele, and Filip Forsberg as comparisons. Forsberg signed a six-year, $36MM extension last June, worth $6MM annually, while Monahan re-signed for $6.375 per year for seven seasons and Sheifele agreed to $6.125MM a year for the maximum eight seasons. The only problem for Pastrnak and his representation in making those comparisons is the consistency argument. Pastrnak has an impressive 64 points through 68 games so far this season, much like Monahan’s 63 point total last year. However, Monahan also put up 62 points the year before and 34 as a rookie. He was only slightly older than Pastrnak when he agreed to an extension, but had far greater production in his first two seasons when compared to Pastrnak’s back-to-back mid-20’s performances. Scheifele also had a similar season to Pastrnak’s last year with 61 points in 71 games, but he too outperformed the young Czech the prior two seasons – and was two years older – when inking his eight-year mega deal. Like Monahan, Forsberg had consecutive 60+-point seasons before earning his new deal.
The Monahan, Scheifele, and Forsberg comparison works far better for Draisaitl. Now in his third NHL season, but still just 21, Draisaitl leads all impending RFA’s with 70 points on the year, following up his breakout 51-point campaign in 2015-16. With back-to-back strong seasons, like the previously described trio, Draisaitl should be comfortably within the $6-6.5MM annual range for his upcoming contract. The Oilers will have to keep in mind the possible record-setting deal awaiting them in Connor McDavid next year, but will not hesitate to pay Draisaitl, who is already one the best #2 centers in the NHL. While a very different player, Draisaitl’s early career arc closely resembles that of Gaudreau, and “Johnny Hockey” signed on for six more years in Calgary at $6.75 per, so don’t be surprised if Draisaitl actually ends up exceeding the $6-6.5MM annual range in his new deal or agrees to seven or eight years as compensation for a lower yearly value.
So what of Pastrnak? No one doubts that he will continue producing at a high level, especially with Boston’s top offensive stars like Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and David Backes signed long-term and in influx of promising talent on it’s way. However, with just one – albeit unbelievable – high-scoring season under his belt, Pastrnak may not be able to crack that $6MM per year mark. Some may point to MacKinnon, the youngest and arguably most talented RFA to re-sign last year, and say that Pastrnak should get the same seven-year contract worth $6.3MM annually. However, MacKinnon was a #1 overall pick and had established himself as a top-line center with a 63-point rookie season in 2013-14, far ahead of where Pastrnak was at that point, which cancels out some of his more recent struggles. Instead, a better comparison is likely Panthers scorers Trocheck and Huberdeau. Like Pastrnak, Trocheck and Huberdeau found only middling success in their first two NHL seasons. Trocheck had a big breakout last year, jumping to 53 points in 76 games, and was rewarded with a six-year deal worth $4.75MM per year. Huberdeau had his breakout in 2014-15 with 54 points and then backed it up 59 points last season, before inking a six-year extension worth $5.9MM annually. What Pastrnak has done this year clearly surpasses anything that the Florida duo have yet to put up and Trocheck and Huberdeau were also two years older than Pastrnak will be when they re-signed, but they set up a more accurate range for what the Bruins wunderkind should expect this summer. Taking likely cap inflation into consideration, Pastrnak is looking at a six-year extension worth $5-6MM per season. Given the Bruins recent issues with retaining young talent, it’s a fair assumption that they won’t play hardball with the young sniper, so expecting the upper side of that scale is perfectly reasonable.
Calgary Flames Sign Dillon Dube To Three-Year ELC
The Calgary Flames have put pen to paper with one of their top prospects, inking Dillon Dube to a three-year, entry-level contract. The financials of the deal have not been released, and with Dube’s Kelowna Rockets still in the WHL playoffs, it’s unclear if he’ll head to the AHL on an ATO at all this year. 
Selected 56th overall in last summer’s draft, Dube put in another good season for Kelowna this year, scoring 55 points in 40 games. He was limited at the beginning of the season with a lower-body injury, but healed enough to play for Canada in the World Juniors where he scored three points in seven games and helped Canada to a silver medal.
Incredibly dangerous off the rush, Dube uses his elite quickness and edge work to fly around defenders through the neutral zone but sometimes has trouble engaging physically on the forecheck. Though he looks small at times on the ice, he actually is quite solid (5’11” 192-lbs) and has shown bursts of ability to use his strength to defend the puck and create havoc below the hash marks. He needs to do that more often, or he’ll never be able to create offense on a consistent basis in the professional ranks.
Since he doesn’t turn 19 until this summer, he will undoubtedly go back to Kelowna for his final year of junior, where he should be expected to improve on his numbers. If he’s healthy, he’ll hopefully push towards 80+ points and be a big part of the World Junior team in a more advanced role. Flames fans should be excited, as at worst he projects as an energy forward capable of moving up and down a lineup.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Boston Bruins Sign Ryan Fitzgerald, Emil Johansson
The Boston Bruins have announced the signings of two of their past draft picks, inking Ryan Fitzgerald and Emil Johansson to two and three-year entry level contracts respectively. Both have also signed amateur tryouts for the remainder of this season, and will immediately join the Providence Bruins.
Fitzgerald, 22, was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 entry draft before heading to Boston College for four seasons. Scoring 132 points in 152 games in his college career, he showed that his small stature won’t stop him. Fitzgerald stands at just 5’10” 177-lbs, but has always played on the edge and will do anything to win a puck battle. His time at BC has only improved his game, and he should be a candidate to secure an NHL job down the line if he can bring the same energy and work ethic to professional hockey.
We wrote about Johansson earlier this week when it was reported he may join the P-Bruins before the weekend. Logging over 20 minutes a night in Sweden this season, he proved he can play at the professional level against men much older than him. The 20-year old, seventh-round draft pick will try to prove the same thing as Fitzgerald: size doesn’t matter. Standing 5’11” 194-lbs, Johansson isn’t that far off what the average NHL defenseman is, and with his puck moving ability and excellent skating, he should find success in the North American game.
While neither Fitzgerald or Johansson should be considered front-runners for NHL jobs next fall, both will be pushing up from the AHL for 2017-18 call-ups. With their development floors likely being successful AHL players, each will try to make enough of an impact to warrant a look at the top level while building on what has made them successful so far.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Tanner Kero To Two-Year Extension
The Chicago Blackhawks have decided Tanner Kero has done enough to stick around, as they have signed him to a two-year extension that will run through 2018-19. The 24-year old was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and would have been eligible for salary arbitration. The financials of the extension haven’t been released, though Chicago will likely get him at a reasonable price given his production this season. 
A former Michigan Tech Huskies standout, Kero scored 46 points as a senior before signing with the Blackhawks in 2015. Since then he’s made an impact in the AHL level with 64 points in 94 games and established himself enough to earn a full-time role on the NHL team. Usually centering the third line between Ryan Hartman and whoever happens to not be playing with Jonathan Toews at the time, Kero has 12 points in 38 games this season. With over 13 minutes a night he has been a legitimate part of the Blackhawks Western Conference-leading season, if not an offensive force.
There is still upside in Kero, who doesn’t necessarily need to be deployed as a defensive center. His playmaking ability is actually quite good, and will likely reward the Blackhawks with another relatively cheap middle-six option for the next few years. Chicago has been excellent at taking players from the college ranks and using them almost right away to insulate their core forwards, like they have most recently with John Hayden and Nick Schmaltz. While those two were previous draft picks of the team, Kero cost them nothing but money when he graduated from Michigan Tech. He’s an example of one of the only ways to sustain a contending run like the Blackhawks have for the past decade.
The Hawks now have just a handful of restricted free agents to sign this summer, which is a good thing because of their cap situation. After the signing of Kero the team will have between $5-7MM to work with depending on what the final salary cap number is, with a back up goaltender and at least one defenseman still to bring in after the RFAs. They could go to their system and install Jeff Glass and Ville Pokka into the NHL team full-time, but that would seem to be a step backwards on both fronts. Richard Panik remains their most important RFA after finding excellent chemistry with Jonathan Toews this season for a 20-goal campaign. The 25-year old might be the next victim of the Chicago cap crunch, with players like Schmaltz and Hartman looking ready to step into a bigger role.
Rasmus Ristolainen Suspended Three Games For Interference
The Department of Player Safety has suspended their second player of the day, handing down a three-game ban to Buffalo Sabres’ defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. It’s the first time the league has suspended Ristolainen in his four years in the NHL, and thus seems a bit excessive.
Ristolainen lined up Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel as the Penguin forward was heading out of his own zone and ready to receive a pass. As Sidney Crosby tried to send him the puck, Zemgus Girgensons picked it off inside the blueline and Ristolainen hit Guentzel anyway with his head down. The Pittsburgh forward was bloodied and suffered a concussion on the play, while Ristolainen was thrown out of the game just a few minutes in.
While it was clearly interference and therefor an illegal check, a three-game suspension seems high mostly because of the two-game ban given out to Brandon Manning earlier this year. In that play—coincidentally also against Guentzel—Manning threw a check long after the puck had been sent forward and even had “substantial head contact”.
The DoPS says that it will release a video explaining the Ristolainen outcome later today, which will likely claim that it would have been a dangerous hit whether Guentzel received the pass or not.
Roman Polak Suspended Two Games For Illegal Check
The Department of Player Safety has handed out a two-game suspension to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak for his hit from behind on Oliver Bjorkstrand last night. This is the first time in over 600 NHL games that Polak has ever received supplementary discipline—suspensions or fines—from the league, despite playing a physical style for his entire career. He’ll miss games against New Jersey and Buffalo before being eligible to return on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.
Polak has had an up-and-down calendar year to say the least, after being traded from the Leafs to the San Jose Sharks at the 2016 trade deadline. He was celebrated for his tough play in the Western Conference playoffs before being exposed in the Finals by Pittsburgh’s speed and skill. When put up against other physical players he can often hold his own, but trying to shut down speedy forwards like Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel was impossible. He re-signed with the Leafs in the offseason and has heard cries for his head all year from fans hoping to see “Hunlack” (a pairing with Matt Hunwick) jettisoned as soon as possible. His coach, Mike Babcock, has continually come to his defense, praising his penalty killing ability most of all.
It’s ironic then, that the Maple Leafs would kill off an almost seven minute powerplay allowing just one shot after Polak was ejected last night. Even though his teammates stepped up and battled through that kill, Polak will be missed. Even analytically, as James Mirtle of The Athletic points out, Polak has been playing much better of late and is part of the reason the Maple Leafs have tightened defensively in recent weeks. He’ll be replaced by Alexey Marchenko for the time being as Toronto continues its playoff drive.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Janne Kuokkanen To Three-Year Contract
The Carolina Hurricanes have locked up their 2016 second-round pick, agreeing to a three-year deal with Janne Kuokkanen that will kick in next season. The deal will see the young forward earn $700K, $750K, and $800K in each year. He will not be joining the Charlotte Checkers just yet, as the London Knights are still currently in the playoffs.
In his rookie season in North America, Kuokkanen has exceeded all expectations. Playing with the always powerful London Knights, he has put up 62 points in 60 games ranking fourth on the team in scoring. An excellent playmaker, he’s been encouraged to shoot more this season and it has resulted in 26 goals. That distributing nature still remains though and he should eventually make the jump to an NHL top-six. Waiting for him in Carolina is former teammate Sebastian Aho, who also came up through the Karpat development program in Finland.
With enough size to play the professional game and skill to score anywhere he goes, ‘Canes fans should be counting the days until Kuokkanen heads to professional hockey. It could be as soon as next season despite the fact that Kuokkanen is only 18-years old; like Alex Nylander this year, because Kuokannen is actually on loan from his Finnish team he could jump right into the AHL at 19. If London has an early exit from the OHL playoffs, he could even make his AHL debut this season. The Checkers are battling for a playoff spot, and could use a player of his caliber.
Jaroslav Halak Recalled From Bridgeport
The New York Islanders have recalled Jaroslav Halak from the AHL in time for their game against Pittsburgh tomorrow night. Halak has been playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers since the beginning of 2017, after clearing waivers on New Year’s Eve. 
In the AHL the veteran netminder has proven he can still perform, going 17-7-1 with a .925 save percentage. While he’ll likely never again be the 2010 Halak that carried the Montreal Canadiens all the way to the Conference Finals, he should still be more effective than Jean-Francois Berube in a backup role.
The Islanders are in the thick of the playoff race after winning last night against the New York Rangers. After seeing the Maple Leafs leapfrog Boston yesterday, New York is now chasing the Bruins and find themselves two points back with a game in hand. They will face the Bruins on Saturday in an all important matchup, the second half of a back-to-back. Whether Halak starts in one of the two is still yet to be decided (or at least announced) but it does seem to coincide with the call-up.
Halak was part of a three goaltender rotation earlier in the year, but the Isles had buried him in the minors to save almost a million dollars (pro-rated for the length of his stay in the AHL) in cap space. After trying to move him at the deadline, the team instead kept him around for exactly this scenario. Now he can try to help them into the playoffs and once there, maybe work some of his magic. The 31-year old has a career .924 save percentage in the postseason.
Arthur Staple of Newsday was first to announce a recall was imminent.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.