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Coyotes And Sharks Strike Minor Trade

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Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka is feeling lucky today. The Coyotes have announced their second trade of the evening, acquiring forward Adam Helewka from the division rival San Jose Sharks. In return, the Sharks land defenseman Kyle Wood from the ’Yotes. Arizona announced the deal with a team release.

While this is a minor trade, it is not inconsequential. Helewka, 22, was a fourth-round pick of the Sharks in 2015. Like Hudson Fasching, who the Coyotes acquired from the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the day, Helewka’s offensive totals as a younger player exceed what he has been able to produce so far as a pro. However, he too seems to be trending in the right direction with an AHL career-high 38 points this year and a strong albeit brief playoff showing. In one day, Chayka has added a lot of offensive upside to the Tuscon Roadrunners and may find that both of his acquisitions could be good depth pieces up front for the Coyotes.

As for the Sharks, they add impressive potential of their own in Wood. The 22-year-old blue liner was one of the top scoring defensemen and an All-Star in the AHL in 2016-17 with 43 points in 68 games. He was pegged as one of the favorites to fill the roster spot of Jakob Chychrun early this season while he was sidelined, but Wood too ran into injury issues which lost him an NHL chance and also cost him some games and production in the AHL. However, at full health he is a dangerous minor league asset. Although the Sharks are set for their seven starting defensemen going into next season, Wood is yet another strong young option for the San Jose Barracuda and it would be no surprise see him make his NHL debut next year. Wood is an impending restricted free agent though, and the Sharks GM Doug Wilson will first have to sign the young rearguard to a new deal.

Jeff Daniels Hired As Carolina Hurricanes Assistant Coach

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The Carolina Hurricanes are getting the band back together. The team announced today that Jeff Daniels has been hired as an assistant coach and will join Rod Brind’Amour behind the bench for the 2018-19 season. Daniels will be well known to Hurricanes fans that remember him from the coaching staff that won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 while Brind’Amour served as captain. GM Don Waddell included a statement in the announcement:

Jeff has served as a head coach in the American Hockey League, and of course won the ultimate prize as an assistant on the NHL level. Rod has played with and under Jeff, so he has a great understanding for the experience and knowledge that he brings to the table.

Daniels finished his playing career with the Hurricanes in 2003 and quickly transitioned to a coaching role, serving as an assistant for parts of four seasons. He was then given a head coaching job in the AHL where he spent the next seven seasons, guiding the Albany/Charlotte team to three playoff appearances. Known as a very knowledgeable offensive mind, he’ll join Brind’Amour and Steve Smith in trying to get the Hurricanes over the hump and back to the postseason.

Now that the coaching staff is filled out, all eyes in Carolina are fixated on Waddell and what he’ll do next with the roster. Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk, Noah Hanifin and many others have been rumored to be available for the right price, and the team still needs a solution in goal. With the draft less than two weeks away and Carolina holding the second-overall pick, things could get interesting very quickly.

Free Agent Focus: Florida Panthers

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Free agency opens exactly three weeks from today and teams are well on their way to evaluating both their own impending free agents and those likely to reach the open market. There are quite a few prominent players expected to be available as unrestricted free agents, while many key restricted free agents will be looking to sign new contracts with their current squads.  Here is a breakdown of the Florida Panthers’ free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: C Jared McCann – At age 22 and heading into his fourth NHL season, McCann is still a very raw talent. The 2014 first-round pick often thinks the game faster than he plays it and is prone to mistakes. He plays little special teams role for the Panthers and struggles with many of the defensive aspects of the game at the pro level. McCann is also well below average at the face-off dot. With all that said, his offensive upside is still tremendous. McCann set a career-high with 28 points in 68 games this year and for the first time was a plus player in the league. He has great vision, a strong skating game, and a good shot. When he is on his game he can be dominant; when he is off of it, it’s easy to see why the Vancouver Canucks didn’t hesitate to trade him late into his rookie year. McCann needs to find some consistency and pace to his game and he will flourish, but that still may take some time.

So how should Florida handle that contractually? McCann will understandably want a considerable raise from his entry-level contract, but he also has a fair amount of developmental concerns that he continues to deal with. McCann very well could turn out to be a long-term star for the Panthers, but this situation seems far more likely to warrant a short-term bridge deal for “show me” money. McCann needs to display far more of his impressive offensive ability and far fewer mental lapses and disappearing acts if he wants to command greater salary and term.

LW Frank Vatrano – It’s never an easy situation to sort out when a restricted free agent is acquired mid-season. Florida could not have asked for a better start from Vatrano, who came over from the Bruins at the trade deadline after falling out of favor in Boston. After putting up just two points in 25 games with the Bruins, Vatrano posted eight points in the final 16 games with the Panthers and seemed to fit in well in the team’s top six. Vatrano showed in his first pro season that he has a ton of scoring talent: the undrafted UMass product was the goal-scoring champ of the AHL with 36 goals in 36 games, put up another eight goals in 39 games in Boston, and even recorded eight points in ten games with Team USA at the World Championships. However, Vatrano lacks much depth to his game outside of having a knack for finding the back of the net. Injury and inconsistency over the past two years with the Bruins limited his scoring chances and exposed his lack of an all-around game. When playing with Florida’s finest, his scoring ability came back and those flaws faded into the background. However, Florida is now being asked to evaluate him on just those 16 games.

Like McCann, Vatrano has not earned a long-term deal. The Panthers hope that they get the player they saw down the stretch and gave up a third-round pick to acquire, but there is also the risk he will revert to the mistake-prone, one-track-mind player he was in Boston in recent seasons. Vatrano could be an important piece for Florida moving forward but he could also have a ceiling as an elite AHLer and nothing more. Only time will tell, but because of that risk, expect Vatrano to earn a relatively cheap, one-year deal (even if it has to come through arbitration).

Other RFAs: D Alex Petrovic, D MacKenzie Weegar, D Ed Wittchow, F Curtis Valk, F Gregory Chase, D Linus Hultsrom 

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: None. Congratulations to Florida on entering free agency with literally nothing to lose. The team has five impending free agents and one, veteran winger Radim Vrbata, has already announced his retirement. The other four played little role in the successes or failures of the Panthers in 2017-18 and would be unlikely to make much of an impact if they were to be re-signed. Connor Brickley is the most notable name, as he recorded 12 points in 44 games on the team’s fourth line. However, Brickley spent no additional time in the AHL, simply watching from the press box for the much of the season. The 26-year-old forward was a 2010 second-round pick, but seems to have developed into a checking winger with limited offensive upside, the exact type of player that is easy to replace. The loss of fellow 26-year-old forwards Chase Balisy (8 games) and Alexandre Grenier (0 games) would mean even less. Third-string goalie Harri Sateri, 28, returned from Europe to play for the Panthers this year and performed well enough in nine appearances, but with two high-end veteran goalies in the mix, Florida hardly needs to stress over their AHL starter. Young Sam Montembeault will likely be just fine if Sateri is not re-signed.

UFAs: Connor Brickley, Chase Balisy, Alexandre Grenier, Harri Sateri

Projected Cap Space: The trade-off of having no unrestricted free agents to worry about is that you don’t have much salary coming off the books either. When you have your top five forwards, your top four defenseman, and two starting-caliber goalies locked up long-term, things can get expensive. The Florida Panthers got off to a slow start last season and narrowly missed the playoffs, but don’t be fooled: this is a solid team without a ton of holes and their cap situation reflects that. The cap ceiling is expected to rise this off-season to somewhere between $78-$82MM. At the midpoint of $80MM, the Cats will have around $14MM in space to work with. While that is a decent amount, it still puts the team in the bottom third of the league in terms of flexibility.

Assume that McCann gets a substantial pay increase and Vatrano and potentially one or both of Petrovic and Weegar get a fair amount in their new contracts, and the Panthers will likely be operating the free agency market with around $8-$9MM or so in space. Is that enough to add the top-six forward that they desperately want and need? Probably, but they would strapped for cap space after that. Expect Florida to be players on the trade market this summer as a result.

Nichushkin Reaches Two-Year Deal With Dallas Stars

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While the rumor of his return has been out there for a while, the Dallas Stars and Valeri Nichushkin have agreed to a new two-year contract, according to R-Sport, a Russian news outlet (translation required). The deal cannot become official until July 1 and there is no word on the specifics of the contract.

Nichushkin, the team’s 10th overall pick back in 2013, played three years in Dallas after he was drafted and put up a solid rookie season of 14 goals and 34 points. However, after suffering a hip injury in 2014-15 that cost him all but eight games that season, he had trouble returning to form and wasn’t happy with the lack of playing time the following year when he averaged just 13:56 of ATOI. He tallied just nine goals and 20 assists in 2015-16.

He returned to Russia as a restricted free agent to continue his development with CSKA Moscow, playing two years in the KHL. He tallied 27 goals and 24 assists in those two years, including a 16-goal season this past year. The winger was expected to play for Russia during the Olympics, but was one of five players banned by the IOC and was forced to watch the games instead. Nichushkin, whose contract with CSKA Moscow expired on April 30, had always intended to return to Dallas and continue his NHL career.

At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, the 23-year-old should be able to step right into Dallas’ lineup to add both scoring and physicality to the team and should give the Stars another talented young player to build around. He will be given every chance to claim a spot on the team’s second line in training camp. The Stars have finished sixth in the Central Division three of the last four years and have made the playoffs just once in that span.

Montreal Canadiens Agree To Terms With Rinat Valiev

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Fans worried that Rinat Valiev would be heading overseas in 2018-19 have nothing to worry about anymore. The 22-year old defenseman has agreed to terms with the Montreal Canadiens on a one-year two-way contract that will pay him $650K at the NHL level. Valiev had been involved in KHL rumors for the last few weeks, but agent Dan Milstein even tweets that his client was never considering heading to Russia.

Valiev was acquired by the Canadiens earlier this season when they sent Tomas Plekanec and Kyle Baun to Toronto at the trade deadline. Though the deal was mostly about getting a second-round pick for a few months of Plekanec—the veteran center has been clear about his desire to return to Montreal this summer—Valiev and fellow prospect Kerby Rychel both could see time in Montreal next season.

The 23-year old defenseman was a third-round selection of the Maple Leafs back in 2014, but was given just 10 games in the NHL while with the Toronto organization. After being dealt to Montreal, Valiev suited up for two games at the end of the season and could be in line for a more prominent role next year. The Canadiens are desperately looking for help on their blue line, and a player like Valiev is handy depth to have sitting in the minor leagues. Should the team experience injuries or ineffectiveness like in this past season, they won’t hesitate to call-up their latest signing.

That said, Valiev is no long waiver-exempt and won’t be able to pop up and down like in previous years. It’s unlikely Montreal will want to expose him very often, meaning there is a chance he could break camp with the team as a sixth or seventh option. We’ll have to wait to see how it all shakes out, but currently there doesn’t seem to be room for him on the NHL roster.

Bettman And Daly Discuss Expansion, Salary Cap, Playoffs And More In State Of The League Address

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with the media today ahead of Game One of the Stanley Cup Final to address ongoing league issues. The pair answered questions for close to an hour combined and touched on many of the most important issues facing the NHL currently:

  • Bettman clarified the situation regarding Seattle and the next round of expansion in the NHL. He began by shooting down rumors that the Board of Governors would vote on Seattle’s expansion bid at next month’s meeting. Instead, Bettman offered meetings in September or December of this year as the likely voting date. Bettman stressed that there was never any timetable for this round of expansion, so there is no delay in evaluating Seattle’s situation, but instead said that “the train just hasn’t arrived at the station on time.” However, Bettman did add that there has been “no pushback whatsoever” from the owners on adding another team and using the same Expansion Draft rules that Vegas received, so it seems that the plan to add Seattle is full steam ahead.
  • Daly addressed the expansion possibilities in Houston, stating that there have been conversations with the new owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, Tilman Fertitta, about potential interest. Daly admits that Fertitta is interested and did not seem to care whether a Houston team would be added through expansion or relocation. However, Daly does not believe that any such move to Houston is imminent, as the Rockets ownership group is still adjusting to owning one team, nevertheless already looking to add another.
  • In regards to recent comments from Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who stated that the league did not want a team in Quebec City, Bettman refuted the claim and said only that Jacobs was speaking for himself and not all of his fellow owners. It does seem that Quebec City is solidly in third, at best, among potential NHL expansion cities, but Bettman does not want to alienate a key Canadian fan base by agreeing that the league will never return to the city.
  • Bettman also addressed the situation in Ottawa, making it clear that the Senators are not for sale. Bettman stood behind owner Eugene Melnyk, as he has in the past, calling him a “committed owner”. Many Sens fans and other around the league may disagree, but the league currently seems content to let things play out in Ottawa.
  • Both Bettman and Daly confirmed that the league did not suffer an adverse effects from not participating in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The league’s decision was highly criticized by fans, players, and corporate partners alike, but neither Bettman nor Daly expressed any regret. They said that no decision has been made about the 2022 Games in Beijing, China just yet.
  • In fact, the league must have enjoyed a strong season financially, as Daly estimates that the salary cap for the 2018-19 season will fall somewhere between $78MM and $82MM. The midpoint, $80MM, would represent a $5MM increase from this past season. Just that number would be the largest increase in the salary cap limit in a decade. This news, even just as an estimate, could drastically change the landscape of this upcoming off-season.
  • This increased profit also has Bettman optimistically talking collective bargaining. Bettman seemed pleased when discussing league finances and said he was ready to sit down and negotiate a new CBA with the players’ association at any time. The current CBA expires after the 2021-22 season, although both sides may opt out in September of 2019. Bettman seemed hopeful that the NHLPA would be ready to begin negotiations shortly to avoid any future work stoppage.
  • Bettman quickly addressed the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on legalized sports betting, saying that the NHL would prefer federal oversight and consistency rather than state-by-state unique betting structures. Unfortunately for him, that is unlikely given the court’s decision.
  • Bettman also briefly mentioned that the league is getting closer to having accurate player and puck tracking data readily available. This would provide a major boost to hockey analytics and player evaluation.
  • Daly added that third jerseys are on their way back to the NHL. Adidas did not make alternate jerseys this year in their first season as the NHL’s supplier, but will have them ready for next year. Daly revealed that nearly a third of the teams will have brand new third jerseys in 2018-19.
  • The most controversial comment of the night came from Daly, who said that the league feels that their current playoff format is the best ever and that no changes are on the horizon. This is totally counter to the general public sentiment this postseason.
  • Seemingly the only major topic that the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner did not touch on is concussions. Bettman fielded one such question by simply refusing to answer, saying “I’m not going to start another news cycle”. Daly added little more, saying that it’s not Bettman’s opinion, but so far there is not enough evidence from the league’s scientists that CTE and concussions are connected. Maybe that was the most controversial comment…

Goaltender Interference Decisions Staying In Toronto’s Situation Room

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The NHL and NHLPA’s Competition Committee met today in New York, and as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet report, much of their decisions will be to maintain the status quo. Though new chest protectors for goaltenders will be implemented finally, the committee will suggest that goaltender interference reviews will stay in the Toronto Situation Room for next season. LeBrun also mentions that there was plenty of discussion about Rule 48—hits to the head—but doesn’t suggest any potential decisions one way or the other.

Interference calls were a point of huge contention this year, as referees on the ice routinely made a decision that confused coaches and players. The lack of any real consistency was the complaint of most, who just wanted to clearly know what constituted interference on a goal. That debate settled down a bit after the league made an in-season decision to put the power into the hands of those in Toronto, who hired a select group retired officials to be on hand every night.

Hits to the head looks like it will be the next battlefield for the NHL, though it’s unclear who is fighting on which side. Obviously players as a whole would like to see their members suffer fewer concussions, but there doesn’t seem to be a real thirst to reduce the amount of physical play in the league. Owners on the other hand could be forgiven if they want their biggest assets (players) protected, but also don’t want to remove any excitement from the game. It’s not hard to understand why then they would have long discussions but few decisions on the rule, with it likely coming down to a stricter hand by the Department of Player Safety next season. Already we’ve seen the DoPS release videos trying to explain their decision making process more thoroughly, and that should only continue into next season.

The Impact On The NHL Of The U.S. Supreme Court Decision On Legalized Gambling

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In perhaps the most influential decision regarding sports in recent memory, the U.S. Supreme Court today held that prohibiting the states from deciding for themselves on whether or not to legalize sports gambling was an unconstitutional practice. Until now, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) had limited legalized sports betting to just four grandfathered states – Delaware, Montana, Oregon, and of course Nevada – under a federal ban. However, the decision in Murphy v. NCAA now empowers each state to move forward with sports gambling legislation if they so choose. It is a monumental shift in the spectator sports paradigm and not a decision that came easily. As Sports Illustrated’s Michael McCann writes, the Supreme Court was split 7-2 in the decision and even in the majority opinion Justice Samuel Alito states that this the issue of sports gambling is and will continue to be a topic that is up to the individual to decide on and the Supreme Court’s decision does not condone gambling, so much as it acknowledges the states’ rights to allow it. It was the court’s belief that the U.S. Constitution gave the federal government no specific power in this area and that PAPSA operated to command the state governments on how they must function, also known as commandeering, which is not allowed.

So what impact will this decision have on the NHL? The NHL, as well as the other three major North American sports leagues and even the Department of Justice, joined the NCAA in this case against the state of New Jersey. All of these parties are likely reeling after this decision, which had previously been found in their favor at both the district court and appeals court levels. The main argument in defense of PAPSA is to protect the integrity of sport based on the belief that an increased access to sports gambling could hurt the product or at least its image due to corruption. However, the other side of that specific argument is that legalized gambling – controlled, safeguarded, and monitored by the states – may actually serve to remove many illegal, behind-the-scenes gambling influences.

The leagues also stand to benefit substantially from “integrity fees”, writes McCann in a second piece. Practicing some gambling of their own, the leagues hedged their bet on the result of the case by developing the plan to demand fees from betting operations for the use of their product and information. These fees would help to make up for the risk the league’s feel is associated with an increase in gambling. While McCann opines that some operations and even some states are likely to fight these fees, the legislative process to get legalized gambling up and running in each state will be arduous enough that the fees will likely be paid to avoid yet another roadblock. These fees will then need to be incorporated into each league’s revenue-sharing scheme to divvy up the proceeds between owners and players alike.

So, while Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall believes that today’s decision will not affect NHL players, per beat writer Sam Carchidi, it seems likely that the rise of legalized gambling will actually serve to benefit the players. Where Hextall is correct is that it is unlikely to have much of an effect on the integrity of the game or how players handle themselves due to the aforementioned shift of gambling from out of the shadows and into a controlled environment. Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who also owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, said something to the same effect, as Carchidi writes that Leonsis feels legalized gambling ensures “integrity can be guaranteed and consumers can be better protected.” Leonsis adds that the decision will “change the face of sports fandom for the better” and “bring fans closer to the game”. The increase in revenue from “integrity fees” and an increase in attention paid to hockey by gambling accessibility appears primed to actually benefit players and teams alike, despite the league’s stance in opposition.

For their part, the NHL has stated that “the Supreme Court’s decision today paves the way to an entirely different landscape – one in which we have not previously operated. We will review our current practices and policies and decide whether adjustments are needed… (there will be) no immediate impact on existing league rules relating to sports wagering, and particularly, wagering involving NHL games.” The league will have to be flexible in dealing with the rise of sports gambling, especially in each of the 16 states that house NHL teams and do not already have sports betting laws in place (all except Nevada (VGK) and New Jersey (NJD)), but it seems that in all likelihood this decision could be good for the league. As Justice Alito wrote in the decision, gambling is at its essence a personal decision and opinions vary greatly, but a controlled, legalized gambling system is on its way in the U.S. states and the NHL appears to be a potential beneficiary.

 

Tyler Boucher, Sasha Pastujov Announce College Commitments

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With the college game continuing to soar in popularity and participation, commitments from players not even old enough to play junior hockey have become far more frequent. The latest in that trend are two promising young players with hockey bloodlines joining a pair of the top programs in the NCAA.

Tyler Boucher, son of former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher, is headed to Boston University. The New England Hockey Journal’s Jeff Cox was the first to report the commitment. The Terriers have been one of the top producers of pro talent in recent years and Boucher hopes to continue that trend. Cox describes him as a tough, heavy scorer – and that’s the scouting report at just 15 years old. Boucher will play at Avon Old Farms for the next few years before joining BU for the 2021-22 season and in that time will undoubtedly get better, especially as he fills out his frame and becomes a more dangerous power forward. His father Brian, a Rhode Island native, chose the Canadian major junior route for his development, but Tyler is staying stateside and looking like a player to watch in the New England hockey scene for the foreseeable future.

A more controversial commitment came from young Sasha Pastujov this week. The 14-year-old announced that he will be joining Notre Dame University, beginning in 2021-22. However, many will recognize his last name from his brothers Nick and Michael, two-thirds of the second line for the University of Michigan. Not only do the older brothers play for a Big Ten Conference rival of Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish are also the team that knocked the Wolverines out in the Frozen Four this season. While neither Nick, a 2016 draft pick of the New York Islanders, nor Michael, draft-eligible this year with a mid-round grade, will likely still be at Michigan by the time their younger brother enrolls at Notre Dame, that bad blood is unlikely to go away. There is surely to be some sibling rivalry in the future for this talented Florida family.

Mathias Bau Signs With Washington Capitals

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After a solid season in the AHL, Mathias Bau has earned himself an NHL contract. The 24-year old forward has signed a one-year two-way contact with the Washington Capitals that carries a $700K cap hit.

Standing a monstrous 6’7″, Bau had played this season on an AHL contract after signing out of Denmark last summer. In his rookie season in North America, he recorded 23 points in 58 games and took substantial steps forward in his overall game.

Though it’s unclear if he’ll ever make it to the NHL—at 25 to start next season, he doesn’t have a huge amount of development left even if large power forwards often taking longer to reach their peak—he’s done enough to secure a spot with Hershey next season. He also marks the fifth contract the Capitals have signed since May 1st, even as they continue on their current playoff run. Washington isn’t just focused on success in the NHL this season, but long-term success for the whole organization.

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