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Senators Sign Cameron Crotty, Jan Jenik To Two-Way Deals

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The Senators announced this morning they’ve signed depth defenseman Cameron Crotty and Jan Jeník to two-way deals. Crotty’s is a two-year commitment, while Jeník’s is just for one. The pair will now vie for positioning on Ottawa’s depth chart during training camp.

Crotty, 26, only has a pair of NHL appearances to his name. Originally a third-round pick by the Coyotes in 2017, he made his NHL debut for them in 2023-24 before getting into a game with the Wild last year. The Boston University product is a 6’3″, 212-lb stay-at-home righty and captained Minnesota’s AHL affiliate in Iowa last season, recording 10 assists with 56 PIMs and a -7 rating in 64 appearances. He logged just 5:08 of ice time in his lone NHL appearance for the Wild, their penultimate game of the regular season against the Canucks.

With Crotty being at least 25 years old and having at least three seasons of professional experience with fewer than 80 NHL games played, he qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency for the second straight summer after completing his two-way deal with the Wild. The two sides did not agree on a reunion, and he’ll now take his talents north of the border to serve as a capable call-up option if the Sens need some defensive muscle.

While Ottawa has seen some turnover among its complement of depth defensemen this offseason, that’s unlikely to produce the opportunity for Crotty to capture a roster spot in camp. Even with fellow righty Nick Jensen potentially on the shelf to start the season after undergoing a lower-body surgery, the Sens would have Artem Zub, Jordan Spence, and Nikolas Matinpalo as their top three righties, with 2024 No. 7 overall pick Carter Yakemchuk also expected to compete for a job. Even among their depth options already in the system, like Max Guenette and 2019 first-rounder Lassi Thomson, would presumably receive priority over Crotty.

As for Jeník, the soon-to-be 25-year-old was under Ottawa’s control as a restricted free agent. He got into a pair of midseason games for the Sens in 2024-25, going pointless with two hits and a -1 rating. It was his first season in the organization after the club acquired his rights from Utah last offseason and promptly re-signed him.

The 6’2″, 200-lb winger was also an Arizona third-round pick, one year after Crotty in 2018. He has the leg up on his former Coyotes teammate in NHL experience, though, recording a 4-2–6 scoring line in 24 appearances dating back to the 2020-21 campaign. He had an underwhelming performance in the scoring department for AHL Belleville last year, with 29 points in 52 games and will now look to build on that as he looks for more NHL opportunities.

Jeník should qualify for Group VI status next summer as long as he stays under 80 career NHL games, which would require him to log 56 appearances in the upcoming season.

Assessing The Curious Case Of Matt Grzelcyk

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It’s rare for an NHLer to sign a “prove it” deal in free agency, have a career year offensively, and then remain unsigned just a few weeks before training camps start. Whether this is unprecedented or not, it perfectly describes defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who is still without a contract for the upcoming season despite posting his best offensive season last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Charlestown, Massachusetts native recorded one goal and 39 assists over 82 games last year. While his numbers were somewhat boosted by his position in the Penguins’ lineup, he had a solid season when it mattered most, and it’s surprising to see him still in limbo so late into the summer.

Regardless of projections or past performance, the reality is that Grzelcyk doesn’t have a spot for next season after nearly two months of being available in free agency for little more than cap space and cash. With the rising salary cap and team needs for offense, his situation remains unusual.

Regarding those projections, PHR predicted that the 31-year-old would sign a three-year deal this offseason with an AAV of $3.67MM. While that figure looks different now, AFP Analytics was even more optimistic about Grzelcyk’s contract chances, estimating a three-year deal at $3.77MM per season.

It’s easy to look back at those numbers now and scoff, but there haven’t been many cases like this where a player comes off a “show me” contract, performs better than expected, and remains in free agency.

It’s not as though Grzelcyk lacks upside; he can operate on the second power-play unit, handles the puck well, and is quite active in transition. He averaged a career-high 20:37 per game, which should have boosted his stock this summer, along with his offensive output. So, why hasn’t Grzelcyk signed?

Grzelcyk’s stats are probably inflated because he was often paired with Erik Karlsson, and despite Karlsson’s flaws, he has a track record of making his teammates better, significantly better. Sure, Grzelcyk has a history of posting solid underlying numbers, but he didn’t show that last year, even though he spent a lot of time with Karlsson. His possession numbers weren’t significant in Pittsburgh, and in the years before his move there, many of Grzelcyk’s numbers were starting to decline, as shown by data from Top Down Hockey.

Numerous other significant issues are working against Grzelcyk. He is undersized, over 30, and there seems to be a trend among NHL general managers to move away from smaller defensemen, following the successful Florida Panthers model.

Grzelcyk specifically struggled during the playoffs and was a healthy scratch for the Boston Bruins on several occasions. Any team in its competitive window would be concerned about Grzelcyk’s poor playoff performance and likely deterred by his age and size.

Also, regarding Grzelcyk’s play, he is most effective on the power play (with 15 points last season), but he isn’t quite at the level to secure a spot on a top power-play unit. Most teams aren’t interested in bringing in a depth defenseman to run the second power-play unit.

That said, some teams might consider it, but most top NHL teams already have multiple defenseman who can do this role, or they might deploy four forwards on their power plays. Grzelcyk clearly provides value on the power play, but that role is probably better suited to a weaker team. Those teams usually aren’t in the market for an undersized defenseman who doesn’t excel defensively and is over 30.

Grzelcyk’s move through free agency might surprise some, but it feels like the signs were there well before July 1. The Penguins signed Grzelcyk last summer, and it seemed they were aiming to trade him at the NHL Trade Deadline for future assets.

After all, they did the same with Cody Glass and Anthony Beauvillier, but for some reason, Pittsburgh couldn’t pull the trigger on a trade for Grzelcyk. Maybe the Penguins didn’t want to move him, or perhaps they couldn’t get the fair value they deemed appropriate, but, strangely, a team with no playoff hopes and no reason to keep Grzelcyk past the deadline chose not to move him.

Finally, we come to Grzelcyk and what he was seeking this summer. No doubt, he was aiming for a raise from the $2.75MM he earned last season and was likely eyeing that three-year deal outlets projected for him.

However, the market never materialized for Grzelcyk, leaving him without a seat as the music nears its end. This isn’t the first time a player’s perceived value exceeds the market—it has happened many times across professional sports, including with former Penguins players like Evan Rodrigues in 2022, who had to wait until nearly mid-September to sign a one-year deal with Colorado after reportedly turning down better offers earlier in the summer.

Regardless of the reason for Grzelcyk’s current situation, one thing is likely clear: he will need to sign another one-year deal for the next season if he wants to stay in the NHL. A team could benefit from him if they put him in the proper role.

It’s unlikely to be Pittsburgh again, since they have around 14 defensemen of different skill levels who could play in the NHL this season. However, many other teams still need a puck-moving defenseman who can contribute at a low cost. Grzelcyk could fill that role, although he’s probably not joining a top contender given his limited playoff success.

Photo by Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Zach Sanford Signs With NL’s HC Lugano

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HC Lugano of the Swiss National League announced today that they’ve signed former NHL winger Zach Sanford to a one-year deal.

Sanford, 31 in November, was a second-round pick by the Capitals back in 2013. He started his career with the Caps in 2016 but played only briefly for Washington, splitting the first part of the season between the NHL and AHL rosters before he was traded to the Blues in the Kevin Shattenkirk headliner at the 2017 deadline.

He remained in the minors for an injury-plagued 2017-18 campaign but got much more of a crack at NHL minutes the following year. Sanford was among the Blues’ better fourth-line options in the regular season, totaling 20 points in 60 games, and appeared in eight playoff games as the franchise marched to its first Stanley Cup win.

The post-Cup bump was real and immediate. While he began 2019-20 on the fringes of the St. Louis lineup, he worked his way into regular top-nine minutes by the time November rolled around and carried some shooting luck to a career year. He clicked at a 17.8% rate in 58 appearances before COVID ended the season in March, scoring 16 goals and 30 points to finish seventh on the team in scoring while also finishing fourth with 109 hits.

That quality production helped the Blues along to their first division title in five years and got him penciled into the opening-night lineup when play resumed the following season in January 2021. Unfortunately, that breakout wasn’t sustainable. Despite still shooting at an above-average 14.9% rate, Sanford only managed 16 points in 52 games in his follow-up year despite averaging 14:53 of ice time per game, more than a full minute over his 2019-20 deployment.

Sanford was an RFA the following offseason and signed a one-year, $2MM deal to remain with the Blues, but he never played another game for St. Louis. They traded him to the Senators before the 2021-22 season began and had similar offensive struggles in extended minutes before getting flipped to the Jets at the trade deadline. Despite the move, he did play a career-high 80 games that year, recording a 9-12–21 scoring line with a career-high 169 hits.

The 6’4″, 206-lb winger has only logged 45 NHL appearances since then, though, and saw no usage last season. After seeing some action for the Predators, Coyotes, and Blackhawks in the past few years, he spent last year with Chicago on a two-way deal and recorded 19 goals and 43 points in 70 games for AHL Rockford.

Now headed to Switzerland, he should help replace some of the offensive production Lugano lost when high-end minor-league scorer Daniel Carr departed the club earlier this summer to make a return to North America. He brings Lugano’s roster’s tally of NHL experience to over 1,500 games, joining names like Connor Carrick, Rasmus Kupari, and Brendan Perlini, among a few others. If he lights up the Swiss circuit this year, a return to the NHL wouldn’t be out of the question for 2026-27.

Jan Rutta Signs Two-Year Deal With Switzerland’s Geneve-Servette HC

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Aug. 25: Rutta has signed on with Geneve-Servette on a two-year contract, the Swiss team announced.

Aug. 23: Last season was a tough one for veteran defenseman Jan Rutta.  He dealt with some lower-body injuries, and when he was in the lineup for San Jose, he was often on the third pairing.  That has certainly contributed to his going unsigned through the first seven weeks of free agency, but that might be coming to an end soon.  Earlier this week, Blick’s Gregory Beaud reported that the blueliner is expected to sign with Geneve-Servette in Switzerland.

Rutta played in 54 games for the Sharks last season, picking up just three goals and six assists in a little over 17 minutes a night of playing time.  However, he took a regular turn on their penalty kill and played some tough defensive minutes.  Speculatively, NHL teams could be eyeing him as a PTO candidate to fill a sixth or seventh role if things went well in training camp, but clearly, a complete contract offer has yet to materialize, and at some point, a guaranteed deal overseas could be viewed as a better option than trying to earn a contract off a tryout.

Rutta debuted relatively late in the NHL, with his first season coming at the age of 27 with Chicago.  Since then, he has suited up in 417 regular-season games between four different clubs, putting up 23 goals and 75 assists along with 479 blocked shots.  He also has a pair of Stanley Cup rings from his time with Tampa Bay.

Assuming Rutta eventually agrees to a deal with Geneve-Servette, he will be the third veteran NHL player to join that team this offseason.  Previously, they signed wingers Jesse Puljujarvi and Jimmy Vesey and have one import slot remaining that it appears they want to use to bring in a veteran defender.

Tyson Barrie Announces Retirement

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Amid his participation in yesterday’s Avalanche alumni game, defenseman Tyson Barrie confirmed to Nathan Rudolph of the DNVR Avalanche podcast that he’s retired.

A third-round pick of the Avalanche in 2009, Barrie was a highly intriguing offensive option out of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets and quickly looked like he could be something of a steal. He led the league in assists by a defenseman in his post-draft year and was named the WHL’s top defenseman as a result, but concerns about the righty’s size and defensive acumen meant he returned for a fourth and final season of junior hockey before making the jump to the pro ranks in 2011-12. Even then, he spent most of that year in the minors and only received 10 NHL games.

He slowly worked his way up the Avs’ depth chart, seeing less and less AHL time each season before earning his final recall in November 2013, early in his age-22 season. While he checked in as a fringe top-four option at even strength, he overtook Erik Johnson as Colorado’s top power-play quarterback and ended up recording a 13-25–38 scoring line in 64 games over the balance of the campaign. Those 0.59 points per game placed him inside the top-15 among NHL rearguards that year.

The 2014-15 campaign marked Barrie’s true coming of age. He broke the 50-point plateau – the first of four times he’d end up doing so in his career – while serving as Colorado’s de facto No. 1 option for a good portion of the season with Johnson injured. He would continue averaging north of 21 minutes per game for the remainder of his Colorado tenure, twice earning fringe votes for year-end All-Star honors.

Colorado didn’t have a ton of team success during Barrie’s six-year run as a full-timer there, though, only making the playoffs three times and winning a round once. His struggles away from the puck played a significant role in that. Only once, his final season in Denver, did Barrie manage to record a positive expected rating based on shot quality generated and allowed when he was on the ice at even strength. He posted a negative actual plus/minus rating in his last four years for Colorado, including a league-worst -34 mark in the Avs’ disastrous 22-win season in 2016-17.

Entering the 2019-20 season, Barrie was a pending unrestricted free agent and had been made redundant with Cale Makar’s emergence in the preceding postseason. That kicked off the latter journeyman phase of his career, beginning with a July 1 blockbuster that sent him to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Nazem Kadri. It didn’t work out all that well for Barrie or Toronto. He was no longer his club’s top power play option, sitting behind Morgan Rielly on the Leafs’ power play pyramid, and his offensive output declined to a more pedestrian 5-34–39 scoring line in 70 games as a result.

With Barrie’s point production his only real calling card, the fit in Toronto obviously wasn’t going to be a long-term one. They let him become a free agent during the COVID-laced 2020 offseason, and he proceeded to land a one-year, $3.75MM “prove-it” deal with the Oilers.

Barrie was plopped onto a top power-play unit in Edmonton with the two-headed monster of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid – the league’s two leading scorers in the shortened 2021 season – and responded with the best campaign of his career. He recorded 48 points in the truncated 56-game schedule, leading the NHL in scoring among defenders. His defensive deficiencies remained quite visible, though. He only managed a +5 rating compared to regular partner Darnell Nurse’s +27 mark, and as Edmonton was swept in the first round of the playoffs, Barrie became the first defenseman in league history to lead the position in scoring while not receiving a single Norris Trophy vote.

While Barrie remained a fine puck-mover for the Oilers, his production never quite found that gear again. His minutes began to drop back below the 20-minute mark, and at the 2023 deadline, he was sent to the Predators in the deal that landed Edmonton two-way dynamo Mattias Ekholm.

Nashville marked the last real turning point in Barrie’s career, and it wasn’t for the better. While he was still quite effective for the Preds down the stretch after the trade, recording 12 points in 24 games, that didn’t last very long. In 2023-24 – the final year of a three-year, $13.5MM extension he signed with Edmonton – Barrie tumbled down Nashville’s depth chart and ended up becoming a routine healthy scratch by the time the season ended. As such, he was limited to just one goal and 15 points in 41 games and only drew into the Preds’ playoff lineup once in their first-round loss to the Canucks.

Ahead of his age-33 season and with his value at an all-time low, Barrie ended up needing to settle for a professional tryout with the Flames to participate in an NHL training camp last fall. He did convert that into a $1.25MM contract in early October, but the fit wasn’t quite what Calgary hoped for. He only logged 13 appearances for the club and even ended up on waivers and cleared, seeing his first AHL action in over a decade with the Calgary Wranglers.

Barrie was a free agent this summer, and there was no reported interest in him on the open market. He hangs up his skates with 822 games played in 14 seasons, 23rd among his rather stacked draft class. He scored 110 goals and added 398 assists for 508 points, 10th in the league among defensemen since he debuted back in the 2011-12 season. He averaged just over 21 minutes per night for his career and made $47.85MM in estimated total earnings, per PuckPedia.

All of us at PHR congratulate Barrie on his fine career and wish him the best in his next steps.

Image courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.

Five Key Stories: 8/18/25 – 8/24/25

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With training camps inching closer, there is still some work to do in terms of roster building with several players in need of new contracts.  A couple of those files were closed off over the past seven days and are among the key stories of the week.

Olofsson To Avalanche: It took longer than expected but winger Victor Olofsson has found his next team after signing a one-year, $1.575MM contract with Colorado.  The 30-year-old is only two years removed from a career-best 28 goals but has seen his production drop since then.  Last year, Olofsson notched 15 goals and 14 assists in 56 games in Vegas despite not seeing a lot of playing time in their top six.  That should be particularly appealing to an Avalanche roster that has had some challenges getting production from their bottom six forward group.  The deal eats up a little more than half of the cap space they had and with Logan O’Connor out to start the season, this could be it for them beyond potentially adding a player at the minimum salary around training camp.

Comeback Attempt: Veteran winger Milan Lucic is hoping to return to the NHL this season after inking a tryout deal with St. Louis.  He last played in the NHL back in October 2023 but while on injured reserve, he was charged with assault and battery for a domestic incident though those charges were later dropped.  However, he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program but has now been cleared.  In his prime, the 37-year-old was a feared power forward with 30-goal offensive production but over his last few seasons of action, he was more of a fourth liner.  Now nearly two years removed from playing, it’s fair to suggest that he’ll be playing a similar role if he’s able to secure a full-season contract from the Blues.

Seven For Nazar: Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar has just 56 career NHL games under his belt after spending the first two months of last season in the minors.  However, Chicago has seen enough to make a long-term commitment to him as the two sides worked out a seven-year, $46.13MM extension that will begin in the 2026-27 campaign.  Drafted in the first round in 2022 with the pick acquired for Kirby Dach, Nazar spent two years at the University of Michigan before turning pro at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.  Last season, he notched 24 points in 21 games with AHL Rockford before putting up 12 goals and 14 assists in 53 games with the Blackhawks.  They clearly feel he has another level or two to get to offensively and if he does, this could become a team-friendly deal before too long.

Surgery For Tkachuk: While Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk had hoped to avoid needing surgery, that isn’t the case as he underwent surgery to repair the adductor injury that he sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off.  Despite playing through the injury in the playoffs, he was quite productive with 23 points in as many games to help them win their second straight Stanley Cup.  Tkachuk, who is now LTIR-eligible, could be out until January.  Florida will place him on LTIR, ending any short-term speculation about them needing to clear salary in the process.  The Panthers wasted little time filling his spot on the roster in the short term, signing veteran forward Luke Kunin to a one-year, $775K contract.  Kunin won’t be able to replace Tkachuk’s production but he’ll add further grit to a lineup that already has a lot of it.

Rossi Gets A Bridge Deal: For months, the word was that center Marco Rossi wanted a long-term contract but the Wild wanted a bridge deal.  In the end, the team got their way as the two sides worked out a three-year, $15MM contract.  The agreement is notably backloaded, securing Rossi a $6MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in 2028, his final year of RFA eligibility.  Rossi’s second full NHL season was a strong one as he noted 24 goals and 36 assists in 82 games while logging over 18 minutes a night as a full-time top-six forward.  However, his usage was dropped to barely 11 minutes per contest in their first-round loss to Vegas, fueling speculation about his future.  But after all sorts of trade scenarios and even talk of an offer sheet, Rossi will stick around with the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2020.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Snapshots: Panthers, Clara, Malmstrom

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Last season, the Panthers used the LTIR flexibility from Matthew Tkachuk to add big at the trade deadline.  Adam Proteau of The Hockey News argues that Florida should take the same approach and use the savings to add a rental player before the season starts.  While that would only increase the amount of cap space they’d need to open up when he returns midseason (barring further long-term injuries), it would also give them a boost in the first half.  While the Panthers came on strong in the playoffs, they struggled a bit down the stretch with Tkachuk out of the lineup and a slower start this season could complicate things in a tight Atlantic Division.  Accordingly, the idea of pre-renting a player makes some sense in theory with an eye on fortifying their roster for the first half but the need to open up room to welcome Tkachuk back later on would only be intensified, rarely an ideal position to be in midseason.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • After a season that saw him play at four different levels plus internationally for Italy, Ducks prospect Damian Clara is hoping for more stability this season. He has already been loaned to SHL Brynas and as he told Gefle Dagblad’s Daniel Sandstrom, both he and Anaheim were in agreement that returning to Brynas (where he played in 2023-24) was the only viable option for him.  The Ducks have already signed him to an entry-level contract but with three other prospect netminders signed who need playing time, keeping him in Sweden made sense.  Clara had a 3.19 GAA and a .879 SV% in 21 SHL games last season with Farjestad.  He has already been named to Italy’s roster for the upcoming Olympics as well.
  • After being non-tendered by St. Louis back in June, defenseman Anton Malmstrom signed a one-year deal in Sweden. However, he indicated to HockeySverige’s Robin Olausson that he did have offers to remain in North America although he didn’t indicate if they were NHL two-way offers or merely minor-league pacts.  The 25-year-old signed with St. Louis as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and split his time since then between the AHL and ECHL levels.

PHR Mailbag: Robertsons, Kings, Bruins, Hockey Canada

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The Robertson brothers get plenty of attention in this edition of the PHR Mailbag.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s column while we have one more to run from our latest call for questions.

bottlesup: As a Stars fan, I would prefer to keep Robertson under any circumstance; if things took a turn for the worst, though, what do you think a theoretical trade package would look like in return?

I know Jason Robertson’s name was out there in trade speculation but that felt more like a speculative way to fix a cap problem that only would have been created had they made a big splash in free agency.  And given that there were very few core players who made it to the open market, I think the idea of trading him was more hypothetical than realistic.  That is, for now at least.

If we look ahead a year, Dallas is still going to be tight to the cap ceiling.  Yes, nearly $28MM in cap space per PuckPedia for 2026-27 sounds great but with Robertson and potentially Thomas Harley heading for double-digit AAV contracts, things are going to get pretty tight pretty quickly.  But that’s a ‘problem’ they can kick down the road to next summer when he’ll be a restricted free agent so I wouldn’t be worried about a trade just yet.

Now, as to your hypothetical, that could go a few different ways.  If they want a top-line forward back that just makes a bit less money, it could be close to a one-for-one swap.  I think that would be their Plan A.  Plan B would be a second-line winger making around half of Robertson’s projected cost (so the player would be in the $5MM to $6MM range), a top prospect who is nearly NHL ready (think someone around Mavrik Bourque’s readiness as of a year ago), and some help on the right side of the defense that would take up most of the rest of the savings.  Basically, fill two important roster spots for the price of one with near-term help coming from the prospect as well.  There’s always a futures-based return but they’d have to have something in place to replace Robertson before they could do that.

Having said all that, I think they find a way to keep Robertson in the fold long-term unless things don’t go as planned this coming season and GM Jim Nill decides a roster shakeup is needed.

bigalval: What are the chances that the Kings could bring Jason Robertson back home? I know they have interest in him and Dallas is near the cap. What would it take to get him?

Let’s address the cap stuff first.  There is a relatively easy way for Dallas to open up the year with a bit of flexibility on the cap and that’s with not carrying a full roster.  If they carry just 22 skaters, they should easily start with a little over $1MM in flexibility, barring any injuries in training camp.  They can shuttle Lian Bichsel down on off days with paper transactions (they’re still legal this season before the restrictions come for 2026-27) as well so I don’t think they’re in a spot where they have to move money right now.

As for the Kings, they’ve burned up most of their cap space this summer from GM Ken Holland’s spending frenzy in free agency where he brought in a bunch of extra depth.  Per PuckPedia, they have less than $3MM in cap room while Robertson makes $7.75MM.  They’d have to send out a good chunk of money to make a move.  That makes adding him without taking away a core piece extremely difficult.

If we look at the scenarios above, I think we can rule out a futures-based return simply because Dallas probably can’t acquire a Robertson-level replacement elsewhere at this time of the offseason.  But let’s see if there’s a fit in the other two scenarios.

First, the player-for-player type of swap.  Kevin Fiala makes slightly more than Robertson this season but he has three more years left on his contract which would be appealing to Dallas.  But there’s a notable drop-off in production between the two so Dallas would want more.  The hope is that Quinton Byfield is on the way up development-wise but one-for-one, he’s not going to cut it for the Stars either.  Up front, there isn’t anyone else worth even considering in a one-for-one swap; Adrian Kempe had more points than either of them but as a pending UFA, he could be commanding something not far off what Robertson could get next summer in restricted free agency.  Unless Los Angeles adds something substantial to either Fiala or Byfield, it’s probably not a great fit.

The problem is that their Plan B scenario that I mentioned earlier is an even lesser fit.  Players like Trevor Moore or Alex Laferriere are the players making around half of what Robertson is now and they barely hit 40 points last year.  That’s too steep a drop-off.  In terms of a prospect who’s near-ready, there’s not a lot that fit the bill.  Brandt Clarke is a little past that but he might be the closest that would be palatable.  And as for proven RD help (not just prospect RD help like Clarke), they just lost Cody Ceci so they’re probably not trading back for him and Drew Doughty isn’t going anywhere.  Basically, if I were Nill, I’d ask for Clarke as the add-on in a Fiala or Byfield swap and keep it simple.  And that’s a steep price for the Kings to pay.  Robertson would certainly help Los Angeles but I think there are some other teams whose rosters might better align with what Dallas might be looking for if they do move him.

Spaced-Cowboy: I’m more curious about a different Robertson but my Leafs bias is showing.

Let’s give the other Robertson some attention now.  Nicholas Robertson recently signed a one-year deal worth $1.825MM to avoid salary arbitration.  But it doesn’t do a whole lot to avoid any of the speculation surrounding his future with Toronto.  He still doesn’t really fit the roster, especially the direction that GM Brad Treliving appears to be taking it.

On the other hand, trading him would have been easier a year ago than it is now.  Last season, he made $875K, barely above the league minimum and an amount that could be buried in the minors if things didn’t go well and he cleared waivers.  But $1.825MM isn’t as easy to get off the books.  Fewer teams have that type of flexibility to absorb the deal in full while if they’re making a swap of young players in need of a change of scenery, expectations will be higher since the other team is parting with someone of at least some value.  Robertson only has 56 points in his NHL career thus far and while he has shown a quality shot, he doesn’t do enough to play in the top six and the rest of his game makes him an iffier fit in the bottom six.  How many teams out there have a top-six spot for him where he could potentially thrive?  Do any of them?

With that in mind, while the fit isn’t great and Robertson probably wouldn’t mind being moved, I don’t see anything changing for him in the future.  For better or worse, he’s probably staying on Toronto’s roster and hoping to get some top-nine minutes.  In that scenario, I expect this season will be a lot like the last two and we’ll be speculating about the potential of trade again before too long.

VonBrewski: Don Sweeney is selling a “Bridge Year”??? More like a flaming bag of dog crap….Will they be a top-10 pick? I think yes.

Is he really selling a bridge year?  I think his public statements are more along the lines of intending to be a playoff team while a bridge year would be one where they actually took a step back and looked toward the future.  Basically, something like they did at the deadline last season but over a full year this time around.

Frankly, I think a bridge year would have made more sense for them over what they did this summer.  In a vacuum, most of the contracts they signed made sense beyond Tanner Jeannot but they put a lot of time, effort, and money into making their team tougher to play against when that wasn’t the reason that they missed the playoffs last season.  They missed the playoffs last year because of their struggles to score offensively, coupled with a subpar showing from Jeremy Swayman.  Viktor Arvidsson could help with the offence but adding more fourth-line depth in Sean Kuraly and Michael Eyssimont over more scoring help felt like patching a weakness that wasn’t really there.

I do think they will have a top-ten pick although it will be closer to tenth than first.  Getting Hampus Lindholm back and having a full season from Charlie McAvoy will help and I expect Jeremy Swayman to bounce back.  That will raise the floor of this group above the other bottom feeders.  But it’s hard to see the Bruins scoring enough to win consistently.  They’ll get some 3-2 victories along the way, sure, but teams near the bottom of the league in goals generally don’t make the playoffs and I suspect they’re going to be near the bottom of the league in that regard.

Gmm8811: Now that the Hockey Canada trial is over…how long do you think Bettman will make the players wait to be reinstated? I’d like to see them allowed back now. They’ve paid a fair penalty already for being found not guilty. Do any of their former teams still hold their rights?

There was actually a notable event earlier this week on that front with TSN’s Rick Westhead reporting that the not guilty verdict for the players wouldn’t be appealed.  Theoretically, had there been an appeal, that could have been enough for the league to say they were still ineligible pending the outcome of that appeal.  But that won’t happen now.

Having said that, I don’t think Gary Bettman has much appetite to reinstate those players anytime soon.  The statement released by the league indicates that they have concerns over the conduct of those players.  To quickly turn around and clear them to play after that statement would be surprising.

While these aren’t direct comparisons, I think back to how things were handled with Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman.  Some time elapsed and then as a team wanted to at least seriously consider hiring them, the reinstatement process was handled very quietly behind the scenes.  When he was still with Montreal, Logan Mailloux went through a similar process where he was ineligible to play and then when he was entering a season where it looked like he could be a recall candidate, he went through the approval process and all of that was done without an announcement.  I’m sure their preference is to follow a similar process here, let some time pass by and then consider reinstatement if and when a team indicates to the league that they’d like to consider signing one of them.  I’m not sure the NHLPA will let that much time go by but I don’t expect Bettman and the NHL to willingly reinstate the five players quickly.

As for the rights question, all five players were non-tendered by their now former organizations at the expiration of their contracts, making them unrestricted free agents.  They’ll remain UFAs until they’re reinstated which I don’t expect will be anytime soon.

Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.

Connor McDavid, Oilers Still Talking Extension

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Despite being one of the biggest storylines of the offseason, superstar Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have yet to reach an agreement on a contract extension. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes there’s a clear window where both sides could come together to get a deal done.

With one year remaining on his deal, McDavid would be set for unrestricted free agency next offseason if an extension with the Oilers cannot be worked out. But on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman noted his belief that the two sides can come together following Team Canada’s Olympic Camp (Aug. 26-28) and before Oilers training camp kicks off.

“At the start of camp, I could see it. I just think everyone wants to get it done,” said Friedman, who added his belief that both sides would be motivated to get it done before training camp to avoid any potential distractions. “I would expect between Olympic camp and training camp that they sit down and say, ’How’s this going?'”

While talks have dragged on longer than the Oilers might prefer, a departure has always seemed unlikely for the four-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner. GM Stan Bowman further removed doubt in late July when he noted that extension talks were ongoing and heading in a positive direction. At the time, Bowman said he was “very encouraged” by his early conversations with McDavid’s agent, Judd Moldaver.

The real question isn’t if the extension will get worked out, but when and for how much annually. McDavid’s current contract carries a $12.5MM AAV, and it’s conceivable he’ll aim for the highest annual salary in the league — a mark currently held by teammate Leon Draisaitl, whose new deal carries a $14MM AAV over the next five seasons.

McDavid tallied 26 goals and 100 points in 67 games last season, notching the seventh 100-point campaign of his already remarkable career. He followed that up with a league-leading 33 points in the playoffs.

Pacific Notes: Wolf, Zary, Kraken

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While last season was a successful one for Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, he is setting a high bar for his encore season and has playoff aspirations heading into the new campaign, per NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest.

The 24-year-old netminder, who is currently holding extension discussions with the team, posted a 29-16-8 record to go along with a .910 save percentage last season. Those numbers earned him a second-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting, as well as a respectable seventh place in Veniza voting. Interestingly, he also finished second among all NHL goaltenders in Hart Memorial votes, behind only winner Connor Hellebuyck.

Despite being undersized, Wolf flashed the potential that the Flames were hoping for. However, he isn’t satisfied with simply repeating last year’s performance — either individually or as a team.

“Your objective is to come to the next season, have a good summer and be better. I think the term I like to use right now is, ‘not to be complacent.’ I’m still super young, trying to learn my way around the League,” he said. “I have one full year under my belt, but that means absolutely nothing. I want to come in here with a chip on my shoulder. We have a lot to prove as a team.”

Elsewhere around the Pacific Division:

  • Sticking with the Flames, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is hearing the team and restricted free agent Connor Zary continue to remain apart on an extension. Speaking on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said that while he believes the two sides will eventually reach a deal, both term and annual salary remain sticking points. “I don’t think this is a situation where the Flames don’t like the player, or the player doesn’t like the Flames,” Friedman said. “And the good news is the market is picking up.” In 54 games last season, Zary posted 13 goals and 27 points.
  • The Seattle Kraken are coming off a down season where many things didn’t go according to plan, including special teams play. The Kraken finished 23rd in the league on the power play with an 18.9 percent success rate and 21st on the penalty kill at 77.2 percent. It’s an issue general manager Jason Botterill is looking to shore up this season, per NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley. “We certainly have opportunity for growth in both those categories, and we have to show improvement to have success,” said Botterill. To that end, forward Mason Marchment was acquired via trade in June, partly to support Seattle’s power play. On the PK, Botterill noted that younger players will be expected to step up, specifically mentioning Matty Beniers and Ryker Evans as key contributors.

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