Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Tanner Jeannot
Back at the trade deadline, Tampa Bay paid a high price to land Tanner Jeannot from Nashville, sending five draft picks (one in each of the first five rounds over the next few years) along with defenseman Cal Foote to get him. The team confirmed that it will be a two-year, $5.33MM contract for Jeannot, paying him an AAV of $2.665MM per season. After they put Brent Seabrook on LTIR at the beginning of the season, Tampa Bay will have just under $300K in salary cap space.
Financial terms are not yet known but it’s worth noting that Jeannot’s qualifying offer was for just under $900K. He had filed for salary arbitration with a hearing scheduled for July 24th and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this deal check in for more than double that qualifier. A two-year term would give Tampa Bay one extra year of team control.
The 26-year-old had a breakout campaign in 2021-22 with the Predators. He put up 24 goals and 17 assists that year in 81 games while adding 130 penalty minutes and 318 hits. That was enough to land him in seventh place in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year and it appeared as if the Preds had a core power forward on their hands.
That wasn’t the case in 2022-23, however. Instead, Jeannot saw his production drop sharply with Nashville, down to five goals and nine helpers in 56 games along with 85 penalty minutes and 213 hits. Despite that, Tampa Bay felt that he could be a difference-maker for him down the stretch and in the playoffs with the hopes that they could then make him part of their future core.
That didn’t exactly happen. Playing through some injury woes, Jeannot was limited to just a goal and three assists in 20 games following the swap while he missed three of their six playoff games in their first-round loss to Toronto. And with this contract more or less amounting to a second bridge deal, he isn’t exactly going to be viewed as a long-term core piece now.
Despite that, there is still some room for optimism for Jeannot with the Lightning. He should slot in on their second or third line next season and with a full training camp under his belt in the fall along with a return to health, he should be in line for a stronger showing next season. In an Atlantic Division that has added some toughness this summer (Ryan Reaves, Milan Lucic, and Zack MacEwen have all entered the division), Tampa Bay will be relying on Jeannot to help them on that side of the table as well. His initial impression might not have been the most favorable but things should only be looking up from here for him.
Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the two sides agreed on a two-year deal.
PuckPedia was the first to report the financial details of the contract.
East Notes: Rangers, Sabres, Svechnikov
The cap situation for the Rangers has limited them for the most part this summer. Accordingly, Larry Brooks of the New York Post opines that the best chance they have to take a step forward next season might be to take a step back out of the gate and give their young trio of Alexis Lafreniere (still an unsigned restricted free agent), Kaapo Kakko, and Filip Chytil extended looks in offensive roles. With a forward group that skews older otherwise, New York’s best chance for offensive growth might very well be those three younger options taking a step forward in their development. The Rangers are certainly in win-now mode which might make it seem counter-intuitive to potentially have some early struggles while evaluating those players in those roles but if they can hit another gear offensively, they could certainly be dangerous offensively when the playoffs come around.
Elsewhere in the East:
- The Sabres have reached a new ECHL affiliation agreement for next season as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that Buffalo will be partnered up with Jacksonville, formerly an affiliate of the Rangers. Buffalo had been with Cincinnati since 2017 but needed a new one when the Rangers signed with that franchise; this move basically makes it a trade of affiliates. A press conference is scheduled for Monday to make it official.
- Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov returned to the ice on Friday as he works his way back from ACL surgery, notes team reporter Walt Ruff. The 23-year-old made his first All-Star appearance last season while picking up 23 goals and 32 assists in 64 games before suffering the injury in March. At the time, the procedure carried a recovery of six to nine months; October (when the season starts) is near the short end of that timeline so it’s not a guarantee that Svechnikov will be ready on opening night.
Capitals Confirm Evgeny Kuznetsov’s Earlier Trade Request
In recent months, there has been speculation that Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov had asked for a change of scenery. Yesterday, in an article on their team site from Mike Vogel, they confirmed that the middleman did indeed request to be traded.
The 31-year-old had one of his best offensive seasons in 2021-22, picking up 24 goals and 54 assists in 79 games. However, Kuznetsov wasn’t able to build on that last season as his goal total was cut in half while he still managed 43 helpers. A report out of Russia last month suggested that the relationship with the team wasn’t past the point of no return but that he was seeking more offensive freedom; it’s possible that new head coach Spencer Carbery could give him that freedom.
In his piece, Vogel notes that Washington typically tries to accommodate trade requests and that GM Brian MacLellan was looking to make a move that would make his top-six group a little younger in the process. Clearly, that didn’t come to fruition with Kuznetsov still being a member of the Capitals.
The struggles last season certainly didn’t help his trade value and neither does his contract. Kuznetsov still has two years left on his contract, one that carries an AAV of $7.8MM. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, moving expensive contracts has been difficult enough on its own let alone extracting full value. Look no further than Nashville’s trade of Ryan Johansen to Colorado, one that saw them hold back $4MM per season for two years for what amounted to no return. For a Washington team that still intends to compete next season, that type of move isn’t exactly palatable considering Kuznetsov is still their most reliable middleman (with Dylan Strome and Nicklas Backstrom also in the mix).
MacLellan acknowledged that he took an “aggressive” approach when it came to trying to find a trade fit for Kuznetsov but he hasn’t had success in terms of finding a swap that both sides are happy with. He added that some players they were pursuing haven’t been moved yet so speculatively, Kuznetsov could be a part of one of those swaps. Otherwise, he’ll at least need to start next season with Washington where a strong start in Carbery’s new system could help boost his value to the point where his value goes up and a trade can be reached if he still wants to be moved at that time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Philadelphia Flyers Waive Tony DeAngelo For Purposes Of Buyout
Saturday: DeAngelo has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports, paving the way for the buyout to be completed.
Friday: It appears the rumored trade between the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes won’t be happening after all. Today, the Flyers placed defenseman Tony DeAngelo on unconditional waivers, which CapFriendly initially clarified is for the purpose of contract termination. The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor later contradicted CapFriendly’s initial report, claiming DeAngelo’s waiver placement is for the purposes of a buyout, which was later confirmed.
After the Flyers acquired DeAngelo’s negotiating rights from the Hurricanes last summer and promptly signed him to a two-year, $10MM deal, his relationship with head coach John Tortorella became tenuous, culminating in a string of healthy scratches to end the season. Reporting suggested the Flyers and Hurricanes had worked out a deal to send DeAngelo back to Raleigh this offseason, which would have involved the Flyers retaining half of DeAngelo’s $5MM cap hit on the final season of his contract and receiving center prospect Massimo Rizzo in return. However, the league blocked the trade at the time, claiming it circumvented the salary cap, and didn’t permit the deal to go through until July 8, 2023, exactly one year after the initial trade, which sent DeAngelo’s rights to Philadelphia.
The trade never actually went through, though, and now DeAngelo will find himself free to sign with any team that will have him – including Carolina. The buyout option became available to the Flyers after settling with forward Noah Cates before his arbitration hearing.
The buyout will cost the Flyers $1.67MM against the cap for the next two seasons compared to a one-time $2.5MM cap hit next year via salary retention. While the team is in the throes of a rebuild and doesn’t anticipate spending to the salary cap, the decision to buy DeAngelo out rather than trade him does offer slightly more short-term financial relief.
DeAngelo is an elite offensive-minded defender but a rather significant defensive liability, which chiefly contributed to his fallout with Tortorella in Philadelphia. When taking into consideration he’s played on three teams in the past three seasons and has now been bought out twice in that time frame, it seems unlikely he’ll find any long-term commitments on the open market.
Moving on from DeAngelo will certainly shift more point-producing burden onto youngster Cam York, who looked quite capable last season with 20 points in 54 games. The 22-year-old signed a two-year, $3.2MM extension with the Flyers earlier this week.
DeAngelo, 27, led Flyers defensemen in scoring last season with 42 points in 70 games. It was his third straight full season posting more than 40 points – he played just six games in 2020-21 before getting involved in a post-game altercation with then-teammate Alexandar Georgiev, which resulted in a waiver placement and assignment to the team’s taxi squad for the remainder of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Golden Knights Sign David Edstrom
The Golden Knights have signed their top pick from last month’s draft, announcing the signing of center David Edstrom to a three-year, entry-level deal. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
The 18-year-old was the final selection of the first round, going 32nd overall to the Stanley Cup champs. Edstrom spent last season in Frolunda’s system, splitting time between their Under-18 team, Under-20 squad, and their SHL group. The bulk of his action came at the Under-20 level where he was productive, notching 15 goals and 13 assists in 28 games. Edstrom also didn’t look out of place in the pros, collecting two goals and two helpers in 11 contests while averaging just shy of eight minutes a night. Internationally, he represented Sweden at the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as well as the World Under-18s.
Edstrom is under contract in Sweden next season with Frolunda and it’s probable that he’ll be loaned back there where he’ll split time once again between the Under-20 team and the SHL squad. If that happens, his contract will slide a year and still have three years left on it this time next summer. He’s still likely a few years away from being NHL ready but Vegas feels that Edstrom should become a middle-six contributor for them down the road.
Raphael Lavoie Accepts Qualifying Offer
Today is the deadline for players to accept their qualifying offers. One player that has elected to take his is Oilers prospect Raphael Lavoie as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the winger has accepted his offer which carries a salary of $874,125 in the NHL and $70K in the minors.
The 22-year-old was a second-round pick by Edmonton back in 2019 (38th overall) and spent his entire entry-level deal at the AHL level with Bakersfield. He got off to a slow start but finished strong with 21 points in his final 24 games, giving him 25 goals and 20 assists on the year in 61 games.
A big winger standing 6’4, Lavoie figures to be a candidate to earn a spot on Edmonton’s roster next season. However, this contract might actually hurt those chances. With cap space at an absolute premium, the Oilers will likely want their depth pieces making the minimum of $775K; had Lavoie accepted that as an NHL salary in exchange for a higher AHL one, he could have guaranteed himself more money and given himself a better chance to make their roster.
However, Lavoie appears to be betting on himself here, believing that he can outright earn a spot in Edmonton’s lineup which would bank him nearly an extra $100K in the process. He’ll once again be a restricted free agent next summer where the NHL portion of his qualifying offer will be just under $918K.
Penguins Re-Sign Ty Smith
The Penguins have taken care of one of their restricted free agents, announcing the re-signing of defenseman Ty Smith to a one-year contract. It’s a one-way agreement worth the NHL minimum of $775K meaning that the blueliner took less than his qualifying offer to get a guaranteed salary.
Smith’s stock certainly dipped last season. After being a regular with New Jersey in 2021-22, he was moved to Pittsburgh last summer in the John Marino trade. However, he was still waiver-exempt last season, resulting in him spending most of the year in the minors with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The 23-year-old played in 39 contests in the minors in 2022-23, picking up seven goals and 17 assists. It was his first taste of AHL action as he had exclusively been on New Jersey’s roster in his first two professional seasons. Smith did get into nine games with Pittsburgh where he was relatively productive with a goal and three assists while logging over 20 minutes a night.
Now waiver-eligible, Smith should be a full-timer on Pittsburgh’s roster for the upcoming season as it’s quite unlikely that he would get through waivers. However, with six regulars returning plus the addition of Ryan Graves, locking down a full-time spot in the lineup could be a challenge for Smith early on.
The Penguins have three remaining restricted free agents although two of those (Filip Lindberg and Filip Hallander) have already signed overseas. The other one is forward Drew O’Connor whose salary arbitration hearing is scheduled for August 4th.
West Notes: Damiani, Groulx, Calgary
The Dallas Stars have signed restricted free agent forward, Riley Damiani, to a one-year, $775K contract according to Cap Friendly (Tweet Link). Although a decrease in pay at the NHL level, Damiani will see his pay go from $70K to $117.5K at the AHL level.
Drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Damiani has done much better than expected, earning a chance at the NHL level at 22 years old last season. Playing seven games, Damiani scored one goal and one assist, playing in a very limited role for Dallas.
The situation has been much different for Damiani at the AHL level with the Texas Stars, regularly featuring in the team’s top nine. Playing in 151 games thus far with the baby Stars, Damiani has 37 goals and 66 assists, regularly finishing in the top 10 among forwards in points.
Other notes:
- Much like Damiani, the Anaheim Ducks signed a similar restricted free agent forward today, securing a one-year, two-way deal with Benoit-Olivier Groulx. Drafted 54th overall in the same year as Damiani, Groulx has more experience at the NHL level, scoring three points in 20 total games. Having spent much of his time at the AHL level, Groulx has 39 goals and 51 assists in 145 games played for the San Diego Gulls.
- Ryan Pike of Flames Nation announced today that the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL have parted ways with their General Manager, Jeff Chynoweth. Chynoweth had previously been the team’s GM since the 2017-18 season, making the playoffs a total of four times in six seasons. Before his time with the Hitmen, Chynoweth spent the better part of 15 seasons serving as General Manager of the now-defunct Kootenay Ice, becoming President of the team after the 2010-11 season.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Jakub Dvorak
In a press release this afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings announced they have signed 54th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Jakub Dvorak, to an entry-level contract. It will be a typical three-year contract, paying the young defenseman an AAV of $900K per season.
Dvorak is not much of a point scorer but relies primarily on his large frame. Standing at 6’5″, Dvorak uses his body substantially as a hard-hitting defenseman and uses solid body positioning to gain control of the puck.
In his draft year, Dvorak played for Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga, tallying two assists in 24 games. The team played well, finishing with a record of 19-10-10, losing in the playoff quarterfinals to Mountfield Hokejový Klub in five games. Dvorak surely benefited from the wisdom of the former NHL talent on his team, including forwards Tomas Plekanec and Marko Dano.
In all likelihood, Dvorak will start the year on Liberec, as Los Angeles is steadfast in competing for the Stanley Cup this season, and will likely be seeking more NHL-ready talent on the blue line. Even if the Kings did not consider themselves to be in contention for the sport’s top prize, it would be rare to see a second-round pick play a season after their draft.
Red Wings Sign Wyatt Newpower
Signing back with the only organization he has known, defenseman Wyatt Newpower has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Detroit Red Wings for the 2023-24 NHL season. The deal will pay Newpower a total of $775K at the NHL level.
Capping off a four-year career in the NCAA with the University of Connecticut, Newpower finished his senior year on a solid run, scoring three goals and 19 assists in 34 games. During the 2020-21 season, which was shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Newpower joined the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on an amateur tryout agreement, scoring three goals and seven assists in 24 games.
His year with the Monsters was enough to entice the Red Wings, who gave Newpower a two-year, $1.6MM agreement before the start of the 2021-22 campaign. Over the last two years with Detroit’s AHL team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, Newpower has been a stable defenseman, playing a total of 114 games, scoring five goals and 12 assists overall.
It will be highly unlikely to ever see the Minnesota native ever see action in the NHL, but at the AHL level, Newpower has become a serviceable defenseman to eat minutes. With a prospect cupboard full of young talent on the blue line, Newpower will be relied upon to show Detroit’s younger players the ropes in the minor leagues.