Hurricanes Shopping Ethan Bear
Earlier this summer, Carolina gave Ethan Bear permission to speak to other teams heading into restricted free agency. At the time, it seemed like he was a candidate to be non-tendered but in the end, the Hurricanes qualified him and signed the 25-year-old to a one-year, $2.2MM deal. However, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that even with the new contract, Carolina is still trying to move the young defender.
Last season was a tough one for Bear. After being a regular in a top-four role for Edmonton back in 2019-20, he battled some injury issues the following season and dropped down the depth chart which helped contribute to him being traded to Carolina a few days after the draft in 2021. The hope was that he’d rebound but instead, history repeated itself. Bear was banged up at times last season and when he was in the lineup, he struggled. Overall, he had five goals and nine assists in 58 games with a career-low 16:05 ATOI. While he underwent a minor procedure after the playoffs, Bear was available to play if needed but was scratched for every contest.
In a recent appearance on CHEK (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Canucks are among the teams that have shown interest in Bear. There is a definite opening on the right side of their back end but making the money work could be tricky. They’re less than a million below their LTIR ceiling (with Micheal Ferland not playing again this season) which is considerably less space than Bear’s contract. Tucker Poolman’s availability for the start of the year is in question but he’s expected back at some point which takes the option of adding Bear to slide into Poolman’s vacated spot off the table as well.
Meanwhile, Carolina has no such cap concerns. With Max Pacioretty and Jake Gardiner LTIR-bound to start the season, they have the ability to find him in without an issue. However, Dylan Coghlan is also in the fold and could push for a spot on the third pairing which could have Bear on the fringes of the lineup once again; Brett Pesce and Brent Burns are clearly locked into the right-side spots on the top two pairings already. By qualifying him, the Hurricanes determined that there was still some value but if he sits a lot early on, that will change in a hurry.
Whether it’s Vancouver or another team, it looks like Bear is a candidate to be on the move over the coming weeks and with the situation he’ll likely be in with Carolina where he’ll be battling for a spot in the lineup, it might be a move that the Hurricanes will want to make sooner than later.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
New York Islanders
Current Cap Hit: $80,139,963 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Oliver Wahlstrom (one year, $894K)
Potential Bonuses
Wahlstrom: $537.5K
Wahlstrom was able to hold down a regular role in the lineup last season but he hasn’t been able to show the offensive upside he had which helped him become the 11th-overall pick in 2018. While a more offensive-oriented system from Lane Lambert should help him and give him a chance to hit one of his ‘A’ bonuses, it’s unlikely that he’ll take a big enough step to completely skip a bridge contract altogether. A two-year deal in the $1.5MM range is where his next deal currently would fall.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Mathew Barzal ($7MM, RFA)
F Kieffer Bellows ($1.2MM, RFA)
D Scott Mayfield ($1.45MM, UFA)
F Richard Panik ($1.375MM, UFA)*
F Zach Parise ($750K, UFA)
G Semyon Varlamov ($5MM, UFA)
*-Detroit is retaining an additional $1.375MM of Panik’s deal.
Potential Bonuses
Parise: $750K
Barzal took a long time to sign this deal two years ago and wound up with the ability to hold the hammer in negotiations this summer. The three-year term puts him in a spot where he’s one year away from unrestricted free agency if he simply accepts his qualifying offer (which checks in at $8.4MM). He’ll also have salary arbitration rights at that time. Statistically speaking, he has produced closer to the level of a $7MM player than a true top center so he’ll be someone that will be banking on having a big season under Lambert to show that he’s worthy of being the focal point of New York’s attack for years to come. If that happens, an extension might put them somewhere in the $9MM or more range.
Panik spent most of last season in the minors and it’s possible that he could be headed back that way as well although, with one year left on his contract instead of a multi-year commitment, that could bolster his value a little bit. At this point, he’s likely to be closer to the minimum on his next contract, however. Bellows was in and out of the lineup at times last season but showed a bit of offensive improvement while continuing to play with some physicality. He took a one-year deal with the hopes of having a more consistent role next season which would give him a decent-sized boost on his contract. Parise had a really slow start last year but was much better from January on. The bonuses are pretty easy to hit (he’ll max out at 20 games played) and after being on these types of deals the last two years, that may be what happens next year if he wants a 19th season.
Mayfield has been a reliable defensive defenseman for several seasons now while making what a typical depth player gets. He’ll be 30 on his next contract and as a right-shot player, he plays the side that is generally in the highest demand. At a minimum, he’ll be able to double his current AAV and might be able to get something in the $3.5MM range on a longer-term deal on the open market.
Varlamov has basically become a high-priced insurance policy which isn’t the role he expected when he signed with them three years ago. It’s unlikely that he’ll be able to command this much in free agency next summer unless he gets back to being a starter. Barring injury or a trade, that’s unlikely to happen.
Signed Through 2023-24
D Sebastian Aho ($825K, UFA)
F Josh Bailey ($5MM, UFA)
F Anthony Beauvillier ($4.15MM, UFA)
F Cal Clutterbuck ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Matt Martin ($1.5MM, UFA)
G Ilya Sorokin ($4MM, UFA)
Bailey has been with the Islanders for 14 seasons now and still is looking for his first 20-goal campaign. While he was a higher-end playmaker a few years ago, his production has dipped a bit since then. By the time the 2024-25 campaign starts, he’ll be 35 and Bailey will be looking at having to take a bit less at that time. Beauvillier has shown some offensive upside in the past but is coming off a particularly quiet year. He’s a top-six winger for now and if he can hold down that spot and produce a bit more, he might be able to get this much in 2024 on his next deal. Clutterbuck and Martin’s contracts are largely for their longevity with the organization. Both are capable fourth liners still but are certainly on above-market deals for what they can provide.
Aho was in and out of the lineup last season but should have a chance to lock down a spot on the third pairing this time around. If he can become a regular, even with somewhat limited minutes, that should be enough to push him past the $1MM mark on his next contract.
Sorokin has quickly established himself as the starter for the Isles and is basically playing on his bridge deal, one that takes him to free agency. We’ve seen starters sign in the $5.5MM to $6MM range the last couple of seasons and Sorokin’s deal should come in close to that, perhaps a bit higher if the jump in the salary cap comes by then.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Noah Dobson ($4MM, RFA)
F Brock Nelson ($6MM, UFA)
F Kyle Palmieri ($5MM, UFA)
D Alexander Romanov ($2.5MM, RFA)
Nelson is coming off a career season that saw him score 37 goals. That’s well above average for a second center and as long as he can stay around the 50-point range (even with a dip in goals closer to his career average in the mid-20s), they’ll get a decent return on this deal. That said, he’ll be hard-pressed to beat this contract on the open market. Palmieri’s first full season with the Isles was a rough one. He is getting paid like a second-line winger but his production hasn’t been at that level the last couple of years which will likely have his contract considerably lower than this one.
Dobson had a breakout season last year, establishing himself as an impact defender while somewhat quietly becoming their top offensive rearguard as well. While that seemingly positioned him for a long-term contract, he had to settle for a bridge, but again, it takes him to a year away from UFA eligibility which gives him a lot more leverage that time around. If he stays at this level, that next deal could double this one. Romanov was their one notable offseason acquisition from Montreal but also got a three-year bridge contract. His limited production will limit his future earnings upside unless he can unlock that part of his game with his new team.
East Notes: Samsonov, Dubas, Fedotov
When the Maple Leafs signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year deal in free agency, both the team, the term, and the money raised some eyebrows. However, GM Kyle Dubas told Postmedia’s Steve Simmons that the 25-year-old insisted on signing a one-year deal, likely with the hopes of rebuilding his value. Samsonov was non-tendered by Washington earlier this offseason instead of offering him $2MM with arbitration rights on the heels of a season that saw him post a 3.02 GAA and a .896 SV% in 43 games. Getting less than that in free agency was a bit of a surprise given the market for backup goaltenders but clearly, he feels Toronto was the right fit to have a bounce-back year. He will once again be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
Elsewhere around the East:
- Still with Toronto, GM Kyle Dubas told reporters including Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link) that he was informed that no offer of a contract extension would be coming his way at this time. Dubas is entering the final year of his deal, his fifth at the helm of the Maple Leafs and at first glance, it seems fair to wonder if how they perform in the playoffs will go a long way to determining if he’ll be around for a sixth season.
- Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov has dropped his appeal on charges of evading his Russian military obligations, notes team reporter Bill Meltzer (Twitter link). The decision means that the 25-year-old will not be permitted to join Philadelphia this season. The team will have the ability to toll the contract, meaning that they can roll over the one-year, $925K agreement to the 2023-24 season.
Snapshots: Hague, Pastrnak, Jets
When Vegas Golden Knights training camp opens tomorrow morning, defenseman Nicolas Hague won’t be there as he awaits a new contract. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that he isn’t expected to be on the ice with his teammates Thursday morning at City National Arena, the team’s practice facility.
Hague is one of the few remaining restricted free agents in the NHL, alongside Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin and Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson as the marquee names. Granger expertly notes that Hague missing camp is more detrimental than in previous seasons, as new head coach Bruce Cassidy will be installing a completely foreign defensive system from what the Knights have been used to in past seasons. Hague, the 34th overall pick in 2017, had 14 points in 52 games last season.
- Speaking today during preseason media availability, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney says it’s a priority for him to get pending free agent winger David Pastrnak signed as soon as possible. Pastrnak, while he’s expressed a strong desire to stay in Boston, hasn’t shared the same urgency in negotiations in previous reporting. Pastrnak, who’s notched 40 or more goals in his last two full seasons, will be in line for a substantial raise, and it may behoove Sweeney to get a deal done before his value rises even further.
- The Winnipeg Jets have made three scouting hires, including the first woman scout in team history, Sydney Daniels. Daniels joins the team as an NCAA scout, having previously served as the assistant coach for the women’s team at Harvard. The team also brought on Jari Kekalainen, brother of Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, as a European scout, and former Toronto Maple Leafs scout Tony Martino as a USHL scout.
Anaheim Ducks Issue Injury Updates On Sam Carrick, John Moore
With the team releasing their training camp roster today, the Anaheim Ducks released injury updates on forward Sam Carrick and defenseman John Moore. Carrick underwent previously unreported left hip surgery to repair a torn labrum back in May, and he won’t be expected to rejoin the team until November. The Ducks also confirmed that Moore remains injured following his acquisition from the Boston Bruins in February when Moore was on injured reserve dealing with a concussion.
Carrick signed a multi-year extension this offseason after the minor-league veteran put up a solid, impressive performance in a fourth-line role for Anaheim this season. He had 11 goals and 19 points last season in 64 games, marking his first time eclipsing the ten-goal mark at the NHL level. In his absence, the Ducks will likely try out younger players in NHL roles such as Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Jacob Perreault.
Moore, 31, is in the final year of a five-year, $2.75MM cap hit contract that’s spent a solid amount of time buried in the AHL over the past few seasons. In fact, he’s played just 36 NHL games over the last three seasons combined, largely due to a combination of injuries and poor play. With Anaheim having strong organizational depth at defense and acquiring players like Colton White and Olli Juolevi (and Nathan Beaulieu on a PTO), there isn’t much of a spot for Moore within the organization when healthy anyways.
Calgary Flames Sign Brett Ritchie
Sep 21, 3:59 pm: The Flames have made Ritchie’s signing official, bringing him back to Calgary for his third season with the team. The contract is a one-year, one-way deal with a cap hit of $750,000.
Sep 21, 10:00 am: Ritchie appears on the Flames training camp roster, though the team has not officially announced the deal yet.
Sep 19: Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports that the Calgary Flames are close to bringing back winger Brett Ritchie on a one-year deal.
Ritchie will return to the Flames for a third straight season. This time, though, he won’t have to work his way in on a PTO as he did last season.
Since the 2020-21 season, Ritchie’s had seven goals, five assists, and 12 points in 73 games in a Flames uniform. The 29-year-old forward has a total of 72 points in 341 career games since debuting in 2014-15 as a member of the Dallas Stars.
He’s played sparingly in Calgary, but he’s the type of fourth-line energy forward that head coach Darryl Sutter loves. While he likely won’t be playing for more than 45 games per season, that’s fine given his very limited ice time. He’ll be competing for a bottom-six role shared by Trevor Lewis and PTO invite Cody Eakin.
For the Flames, it continues to show they’re not quite ready to have young players make the next step. They also brought Sonny Milano into camp on a PTO today, who should earn a spot in their top-nine forward group to add to their excellent depth. For players like Jakob Pelletier and Matthew Phillips, though, it’s likely another season of conditioning in the AHL.
Buffalo Sabres Give GM Kevyn Adams Multi-Year Extension
The Buffalo Sabres have signed general manager Kevyn Adams to a multi-year extension, the team announced Wednesday. Terms of the contract have not been reported or released.
Adams is entering his third season as general manager and 14th season with the organization overall as an executive. First joining the Sabres as a development coach in 2009-10 after announcing his retirement in early 2009, Adams made the jump to the NHL bench after just two seasons. Named an assistant coach for the 2011-12 season, he was behind the bench for the first two seasons of the team’s current 11-season playoff drought. At that point, he was named a director of the team for 2013-14, whose responsibilities included overseeing Buffalo’s youth hockey program.
For the 2019-20 season, Adams made the jump to senior vice president of business administration, taking on a role working much closer with owners Kim and Terry Pegula. With Buffalo firing Jason Botterill prior to the 2020-21 season, the Sabres named Adams general manager in what was a surprising move at the time.
It’s a move that has worked out well, though, as Buffalo’s finally seemed to solidify an upward trajectory in their years-long rebuild. With Adams being dealt a tough hand early in being forced to trade superstar center Jack Eichel, he received a package that so far includes Sabres top-six forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, as well as 2022 16th overall pick Noah Östlund. The Sabres also still have a 2023 second-round selection courtesy of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Adams has also had to lock down a good portion of Buffalo’s core, and it’s been so far, so good. He signed All-Star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to a three-year bridge deal in September of 2021 and got Tage Thompson under contract for seven years a few weeks ago, although the jury remains out on that massive contract.
Owner Terry Pegula gave a statement on the hiring:
Kevyn’s leadership and vision over the past two seasons has proven to be invaluable, and I am confident in his ability to continue to move us forward as an organization. He is respected by players, coaches, staff, and peers around the league alike due to the poise with which he carries himself and the respect he reciprocates to every individual he encounters. He has grown in different roles throughout the organization, providing him unique perspectives that help him perform at the highest level as general manager.
More On Jakob Chychrun Trade Speculation
One of the ongoing talking points this summer when it comes to the Arizona Coyotes has been the future of Jakob Chychrun. A trade has been expected for some time now, yet with training camp opening this week, the defenseman is still a part of the organization that drafted him 16th overall in 2016. Recently, general manager Bill Armstrong discussed the situation and called Chychrun a “pro’s pro” in regard to how he has handled all of the speculation.
Today, Chychrun spoke directly with the media, including PHNX Sports, about what has happened so far. The team approached him at the beginning of last season about whether he wanted a trade to a more competitive situation, and Chychrun (after discussing it with his family) decided to take them up on the offer.
I don’t want these years to keep going by, and be ten, twelve years in the league not having a real good chance or shot at, not only at the playoffs, but winning the Stanley Cup…
…I think the team understands that mutual position right now for me to get moved on to a situation with a chance to win, a team that is fighting for the Stanley Cup. And for them here to get assets. I understand how rebuilds work, and I think it could be mutually beneficial.
The candid nature of Chychrun today was surprising, yet it wasn’t much of a shock to hear that he is looking for a more competitive atmosphere. The Coyotes have leaned heavily into a rebuild, trading away nearly all of their successful players from recent years, and now look set to ice a roster mostly made up of NHL cast-offs or reclamation projects. The likes of Andrew Ladd, Zack Kassian, Nick Ritchie, Nick Bjugstad, Patrik Nemeth, and Shayne Gostisbehere are all expected to be regulars, not exactly the Stanley Cup contender that Chychrun mentions.
That said, it’s hard to know exactly when a deal will be reached. This situation is similar to one that played out in Colorado a few years ago, when Matt Duchene had made it clear that he didn’t want to go through another season with the Avalanche like the 22-win 2016-17 campaign. There were rumors all summer about where he would go but when training camp arrived, he showed up and went about his work. Duchene played 14 games for the Avalanche before a deal was worked out with the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators, one that ended up bringing back Samuel Girard and several other pieces (including one that became Bowen Byram).
That’s the mutually beneficial part, as a trade of Chychrun is likely to collect several important assets for the Coyotes, ones that can help them more down the road than he will be able to–despite still being just 24. With three years (including this one) on his deal, the team should be able to demand quite a haul of futures.
One complicating factor may be Chychrun’s health, which, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports, is still a question mark. The defenseman had bone spurs removed from his ankle in the summer in addition to wrist surgery, and there is not yet a timeline for getting back on the ice.
New York Islanders Sign Nikita Soshnikov, Cory Schneider, Parker Wotherspoon
Nikita Soshnikov is coming back to North America after spending the last three seasons in the KHL. The 28-year-old forward has signed a one-year deal with the New York Islanders, according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that the one-way deal is worth $750K.
The team has also confirmed one-year contracts for Cory Schneider and Parker Wotherspoon, though did not include any financial details. CapFriendly notes that Schneider’s one-year, two-way contract is worth $750K in the NHL and $400K in the minor leagues while PuckPedia adds that Wotherspoon’s deal will pay $750K in the NHL, $175K in the minors, and carries a guarantee of $225K.
Lou Lamoriello, of course, has experience with Soshnikov from his time as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will now give the talented forward a chance to compete for another NHL opportunity.
In 33 games last season split between CSKA Moscow and Avangard Omsk, Soshnikov scored just 16 points. That production improved in the playoffs though, where he posted five goals and eight points in just 13 games. With a history of success in the KHL and 87 games of NHL experience, it seems a worthwhile gamble for an organization that needs some secondary scoring.
Schneider and Wotherspoon meanwhile will be headed to the minor leagues, as Lamoriello indicated recently. The veteran netminder played well with the Bridgeport Islanders last year, posting a .921 in 30 appearances.
Wotherspoon, 25, was one of the final unsigned RFAs and had 24 points in 57 games last year, while also racking up 127 penalty minutes.
Injury Notes: Copp, Caamano, Ostapchuk
The Detroit Red Wings will be without Andrew Copp for training camp, announcing today that the big free agent signing underwent abdominal surgery in the offseason. Copp is expected back the first week of the regular season, when he’ll start to try and live up to the five-year, $28.125MM contract he signed this offseason.
It’s a tough start for the Red Wings, who also confirmed some timelines on other previously-reported injuries. Jake Walman will be back at some point in November, while Robby Fabbri and Mark Pysyk are out until early 2023. Chase Pearson, who made his NHL debut last season with Detroit, is away from the team indefinitely due to personal matters.
- It was back surgery for Nicholas Caamano, according to general manager Jim Nill, who told reporters including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that the young forward will miss three months. Caamano, 24, played in 36 games for the Stars between 2019-2021 before spending all of last year in the minor leagues. Anton Khudobin has not yet been cleared for games but will be on the ice for training camp. The team signed Scott Wedgewood to a two-year deal this offseason after he played well down the stretch, suggesting that Khudobin is ticketed for the minor leagues once again.
- Zack Ostapchuk, the 39th overall pick in 2021, is out a few weeks for the Ottawa Senators and will be sent back to junior after he’s healthy enough according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. That ends any possibility that he could make the team out of camp after his outstanding playoff run for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. The 19-year-old is not yet eligible for the AHL and instead will go back and try to carry over that postseason success for an entire year.