Snapshots: Weegar, Nash, Keith
Last week, we covered reports on the Calgary Flames’ attempts to sign defenseman Mackenzie Weegar to an extension. Now, we have some more details on the deal being discussed. Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the “general area” that the Flames are “looking at” with a Weegar extension is eight years, $6.5MM AAV, which some might remember as the parameters of Hampus Lindholm‘s contract extension with the Boston Bruins.
For the Flames, an extension at around that number would represent solid value, especially when the potential rise of the salary cap in the near future is factored in. Weegar, who will turn 29 in January, had 44 points in 80 games last season and has blossomed into a top-pairing defenseman. If we consider the costs of comparable defensemen, such as Darnell Nurse ($9.25MM) or Jacob Trouba ($8MM), a cap hit at around $6.5MM would represent solid value for the Flames, especially since it could be argued that Weegar is a better defenseman than either Nurse or Trouba. If this deal indeed gets signed at around this number, it will be another big move in what could go down as a summer for the ages for Flames GM Brad Treliving.
Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:
- Veteran forward Riley Nash has signed a two-year AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers, per a team announcement. Nash, 33, saw time with three different NHL teams last season, and he also played 17 games for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. In his 17 games with the Crunch, Nash scored 10 goals and 18 points, and should add some experience and veteran leadership to the Checkers’ top-six.
- Per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, legendary defenseman Duncan Keith is joining the Oilers’ hockey operations department in a player development role. Keith recently ended his NHL career and will bring his over 1,200 games of NHL experience to the table as he helps develop the Oilers’ promising crop of young players.
Extension For Nathan MacKinnon “Pretty Close”
The Colorado Avalanche and Nathan MacKinnon are “pretty close” to an extension, according to the superstar forward who spoke with reporters including John Matisz of theScore at today’s NHL Player Media Tour. MacKinnon explained that the deal will be fair but “not going to be a single digit.”
One can only assume he means the average annual value will be at least $10MM, though even that would be a discount for the Stanley Cup champion.
MacKinnon, who just turned 27 two weeks ago, is headed into the final season of a seven-year, $44.1MM contract signed in 2016 that has become one of the league’s biggest bargains. For $6.3MM against the cap, the Avalanche have received a three-time Hart Trophy finalist, Lady Byng winner, and one of the most dominant two-way centers in the league.
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have outscored MacKinnon’s 442 points, and both of them have played more games than the Colorado phenom. His 167 goals during that stretch put him seventh in the league, while his +88 rating (seventh-highest over that span) gives a glimpse of just how dominant the Avalanche have been whenever he is on the ice.
There’s a real chance that MacKinnon – if he chooses to – could become the highest-paid player in the league on his next contract. That title currently goes to McDavid and his $12.5MM cap hit. At the very least, one would expect MacKinnon to join the select group of players that earns at least $11MM per season, which includes McDavid, Artemi Panarin, Auston Matthews, Erik Karlsson, John Tavares, and Drew Doughty for 2022-23 season.
Amazingly, the Avalanche do currently project to have the room to keep him, even at a price that high. The team has set up many of their contracts to expire at the end of this season, with Erik Johnson, J.T. Compher, Evan Rodrigues, Andrew Cogliano, and Darren Helm all coming off the books (if they choose to let them go). While there are other players – like star defenseman Devon Toews – to re-sign in the coming years, MacKinnon’s contract will certainly take precedence.
In fact, it has been somewhat surprising that an extension hasn’t been announced already, given he has been eligible for more than two months. Perhaps the team was allowing him and the rest of the Avalanche time to enjoy their celebratory offseason after finally breaking through and winning the Stanley Cup.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Edmonton Oilers Sign Jason Demers To PTO
The Edmonton Oilers will be bringing some veteran depth to training camp, signing Jason Demers to a professional tryout according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman. The team is also “discussing the idea” of offering Brett Ritchie a PTO, while they are no longer in on Jake Virtanen, according to Nugent-Bowman.
Demers, 34, played a handful of games in the KHL last season and played for Canada at the Olympics, but hasn’t been a regular in the NHL in over a year. His last action at that level was with the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21, when he registered just four points in 41 games.
Overall, the veteran defenseman has had quite an effective career, racking up 214 points in 699 regular season games while averaging just over 19 minutes a night. The right-shot option has played for the Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, and Florida Panthers over his 12-year career, filling in on both the powerplay and penalty kill at various points.
After the Oilers brought in Ryan Murray on a one-year deal recently, there isn’t much room left on the blueline for a player like Demers, though camp injuries are always a possibility. More likely, he is taking an opportunity to showcase himself for the whole league to try and land one last NHL deal before his career comes to an end. So far removed from the league, there’s no telling how effective Demers could be, though his experience and previous success may lead to a team giving him a chance if he’s healthy enough to compete.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Sean Durzi
With training camp just a few days away, the Los Angeles Kings have finished up some pressing business. Sean Durzi has signed a new two-year contract with the club that carries an average annual value of $1.7MM. The restricted free agent did not have arbitration rights this season.
Durzi, 23, burst onto the scene in his rookie year with 27 points in 64 games, while averaging close to 20 minutes a night for the Kings. Despite that strong performance, he stayed relatively under the radar, not earning a single vote in the Calder Trophy discussion and seemingly surprising the entire hockey world when he and the Kings pushed the Edmonton Oilers to seven games in the first round.
Fans in Los Angeles certainly weren’t shocked though, as Durzi had made great strides in the minor leagues over the last few seasons and stepped into the NHL as a polished offensive option.
Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Jake Muzzin trade (that also netted the Kings Carl Grundstrom and Tobias Bjornfot), Durzi had 50 points in 91 games for the Ontario Reign of the AHL, somewhere he doesn’t project to play for quite a while. His performance in the playoffs, when he logged more than 21 minutes a night in the first-round series, along with his youth and offensive upside, make him a pretty attractive piece for the team to build around.
Along with Bjornfot, Michael Anderson, and Jordan Spence, the Kings actually have quite the impressive group of young defensemen ready to lead the way this year, not to mention Brandt Clarke and Helge Grans on their way as top prospects.
A contract like this, which will leave Durzi a restricted free agent again at its expiry, comes with the potential for huge surplus value if he can continue to improve. A $1.7MM cap hit is very affordable, and if Durzi steps into a regular top-four role with powerplay time, he will almost certainly outperform the deal right away.
As with every bridge deal, however, the team may have to pay for that bargain later, if Durzi is deserving of a long-term contract down the road. His next deal will certainly be buying out UFA seasons, meaning the price tag will go higher. He will also have the benefit of arbitration rights, an important factor for defensemen who rack up points like the smooth-skating youngster.
No matter what, for the next two years Durzi will be locked in as an inexpensive option for the team while Matt Roy and Sean Walker‘s remain on the books. After the 2023-24 season both of those players are scheduled for unrestricted free agency, which will give the team a chance to reassess the financial situation.
The Kings have now completed their RFA negotiations for the summer and will focus on training camp later this month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jean-Francois Berube Expected To Be In Panthers Camp
Given that Andrew Hammond is likely no longer attending Florida Panthers training camp on a PTO, with the veteran netminder expected to sign overseas, the team needed another goaltender. George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports that it will be Jean-Francois Berube, who will now be in camp on a tryout basis, competing for a spot in the organization.
Berube, 31, has bounced around the league as a depth option for years now, playing for a number of organizations but rarely seeing much NHL playing time. In 2021-22 he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets, appearing six times and posting a .900 save percentage. In 19 appearances with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL he actually fared worse, but despite middling minor league performances, Berube continues to be a trusted option for NHL clubs trying to add experience.
A PTO is about as much as he can hope for at this point, though it is important to remember that this doesn’t lock him into a deal with the Panthers. Berube can showcase himself in the preseason for the entire league and hope to land somewhere once injuries start to pile up.
For his career, Berube has appeared in 40 regular season games and owns a .898 save percentage with a 12-12-4 record.
Ottawa Senators Sign Derick Brassard, Michael Dal Colle To PTOs
The momentum behind the Ottawa Senators continues, this time with two veteran forwards joining the group for training camp. General manager Pierre Dorion told reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that Derick Brassard and Michael Dal Colle will both be with the Senators in camp on professional tryouts.
Brassard, 34, is a familiar face for Ottawa fans, having played parts of two seasons with the team in the past. While his time there was relatively successful, many will remember him only as the piece that the Senators received for a young Mika Zibanejad from the New York Rangers in 2016. While Zibanejad is now a star, Brassard has bounced around, playing for seemingly every team in the league to this point.
After starting with the Columbus Blue Jackets and then going through New York and Ottawa, the veteran forward has played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Edmonton Oilers. Last year saw him record 19 points in 46 games and now he is just searching for a place to play.
Dal Colle, meanwhile, is finally getting a chance with a different organization after spending his entire career to this point with the Islanders. The fifth-overall pick in 2014, he has played just 112 regular season NHL games to this point in his career and has just eight goals. Even his minor league totals haven’t been off-the-charts, though perhaps a fresh start will breathe life back into his career.
Still just 26, Dal Colle has never been able to use his size – 6’3″ – to his advantage, regularly acting like a small perimeter player instead of the power forward that some believed he could be. Now with a chance to showcase what he can do outside of the Islanders system, he’ll have to do more than he has to this point if he wants another NHL deal.
Snapshots: Allen, Tanev, Andrae, Guay
It appears that the key sticking point in extension discussions between the Canadiens and goaltender Jake Allen revolve around term, Arpon Basu and Marc-Antoine Godin of The Athletic report (subscription link). To this point, Montreal is only comfortable offering a two-year deal and it appears that Allen’s camp is looking for more. The 32-year-old is entering the final season of his contract that carries a $2.875MM cap hit and should be able to land a bit more than that on an extension. However, while the Canadiens appear to want Allen to be a bridge to whoever their goalie of the future will be (whether that player is currently in the organization or is brought in via trade or free agency), their preference is to use him only as a short-term bridge, not someone that will be around for the foreseeable future.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Flames defenseman Chris Tanev should be ready to participate in training camp after undergoing labrum surgery in May, relays Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson. The estimated timeline for recovery was up to six months so it’s clear that the 32-year-old is progressing a little ahead of schedule. Tanev has logged over 20 minutes a night on Calgary’s back end in a key shutdown role so even with him expected to get a clean bill of health during medicals next week, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the veteran have a limited role in the preseason to ensure he’ll be fully ready for opening night.
- Flyers prospect defenseman Emil Andrae was taken to the hospital after taking a puck to the face in an SHL preseason game today, notes HockeyNews’ Mattias Ek in Sweden. The 20-year-old had a strong showing at the World Juniors and should have an opportunity for a big season with HV71 in 2022-23 before coming to North America. His availability for Saturday’s regular season opener is in question.
- The Golden Knights have signed Patrick Guay to a two-year AHL contract per an announcement from their farm team in Henderson. The 20-year-old was selected in the fifth round back in July (145th overall) after a 104-point season and was expected to return to the QMJHL where his rights were traded to Blainville-Boisbriand back in July. Instead, Vegas will get a look at them in their system. The two-year term coincides with how long they have to sign him to an NHL deal as he’ll have to sign by June 1, 2024 or Guay will become an unrestricted free agent.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes
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.
Carolina Hurricanes
Current Cap Hit: $85,116,917 (over the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Seth Jarvis (two years, $894K)
Potential Bonuses
Jarvis: $500K
Jarvis had a nice rookie season in 2021-22 with 40 points in 68 games, good for eighth in team scoring. Three of the seven ahead of him have since moved on so there should be an opportunity for him to take on a bigger role in his sophomore year. Notably, he barely achieved $100K of his bonuses last season so Carolina shouldn’t automatically expect him to hit the $500K this time around. A sizable jump in production over the next couple of years could have him in line for a longer-term deal that bypasses a bridge contract; a deal like that could push into the $6MM range if he can get closer to the 60-point mark.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
G Frederik Andersen ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Ethan Bear ($2.2MM, RFA)
D Dylan Coghlan ($762.5K, UFA)
F Jesper Fast ($2MM, UFA)
D Jake Gardiner ($4.05MM, UFA)
F Ondrej Kase ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Max Pacioretty ($7MM, UFA)
F Lane Pederson ($750K, RFA)
G Antti Raanta ($2MM, UFA)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM, UFA)
F Paul Stastny ($1.5MM, UFA)
Potential Bonuses
Stastny: $500K
Carolina acquired Pacioretty with the hopes he’d help replace some of the lost scoring from the departures of Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter. Unfortunately for them, he then tore his Achilles in training and will miss most of the regular season. He’ll be 34 when his next contract starts and missing this much time in 2022-23 doesn’t bode well for his next deal. If he gets a multi-year agreement, it’ll be at a discount. A one-year deal with some performance bonuses will also be an option since he’ll have missed enough time to qualify. Staal is in the final season of his 10-year deal and while the captain is still a key defensive player, his production has fallen off lately. He’ll be 35 on his next contract and could be a year-to-year player with bonuses while a two-year agreement could check in closer to the $3.75MM range.
Fast has fit in quite well with Carolina as a secondary scorer and even with a weakened market for wingers, he should be in line for at least a small raise on this price tag. That said, it felt like he signed an under-market contract last time around. Kase, when healthy, can be a capable top-six forward but staying healthy has proven to be difficult which has led to two straight non-tenders. Even if he stays away from concussion trouble this coming season, his market shouldn’t improve by much. Stastny took a little less to go to a contender with his bonuses only being payable if Carolina wins the Stanley Cup. His market value is closer to the $3.5MM range if he was to prioritize salary on his next contract. Pederson comes over from San Jose and should be a regular on the fourth line but should still check in under $1MM on his next contract.
Gardiner missed all of last season due to injuries and while he’s hoping to return this season, there’s still no guaranteed roster spot for him. Carolina can waive him and free up $1.125MM in cap space while his market value next summer might be closer to the $1MM mark. Bear was speculated to be a non-tender candidate after being a frequent scratch down the stretch but the Hurricanes will give him one more look. If he’s still only able to hold down a spot on the third pairing, he won’t be in position to command much more than this. Coghlan was the prize for Carolina absorbing Pacioretty’s contract and could push his way past the $1MM mark if he’s able to lock down a regular spot on the third pairing.
Andersen didn’t sign with the Hurricanes when they drafted him but 11 years later, he joined them in free agency on a short-term deal with the hopes of rebuilding some value. One year in and it’s so far, so good. He turned in a career year, finishing fourth in Vezina Trophy voting. Even so, Carolina’s system is good at supressing shots so even a repeat performance isn’t going to drastically boost his value. A small jump is achievable while he might be able to get an extra year or two as well. Raanta had a nice bounce-back after a tough year in Arizona. Frequent injuries are going to continue to limit the 33-year-old to a second-string role although he might be able to get closer to the $3MM mark next summer.
Signed Through 2023-24
F Sebastian Aho ($8.46MM, UFA)
D Jalen Chatfield ($762.5K, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($1.8MM, UFA)
F Martin Necas ($3MM, RFA)
D Brett Pesce ($4..025MM, UFA)
D Brady Skjei ($5.25MM, UFA)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM, UFA)
Aho’s contract, you may recall, came from an offer sheet from Montreal back in 2019, one that Carolina wasted little time matching. He has blossomed into a star two-way center and because of the offer sheet, he has positioned himself to reach the open market before his age-27 season where a max-term, big-money offer certainly awaits. $10MM or more is certainly attainable if he continues to hover around the point per game mark.
Teravainen has picked up 60 or more points in four of the last five seasons, making him a very reliable top-six winger. His two-way game is also strong so even with wingers feeling the squeeze a bit in recent years, he should be an exception to that as he should be able to command something in the $7MM range. Necas will begin his bridge deal with a chance to really lock down a full-time spot in the top six. He has ranged between 36 and 41 points the last three years and will need to boost the high end of that if he wants to get significantly more than his $3.5MM qualifying offer in 2024. Martinook has been a reliable checker on the fourth line over his tenure with the Hurricanes although this contract is an above-market one in terms of that role. He’ll likely come in a bit lower on his next deal.
Skjei arguably had a career year in 2021-22 and has become a key part of Carolina’s top four on the back end. He’ll be 30 when his contract is up and while he shouldn’t be able to command top-pair money, he should be in a position to add a million or so on his next deal while perhaps landing his second straight six-year agreement. Pesce continues to be a high-end defensive defender that has chipped in with some quality secondary scoring. Between that and the fact he’s a right-shot player, he could surpass the $6MM mark as well on his next contract, one that could be close to a max-term agreement if he makes it to the open market.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Brent Burns ($5.28MM, UFA)*
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM, UFA)
* – San Jose is retaining another $2.72MM on Burns’ deal
Slavin has always been a high-end defensive defender but last season, he found a way to contribute more offensively as well, setting career-highs in assists (38) and points (42), a scoring rate he maintained in the playoffs. If he’s able to keep this up, he’ll be even more of a bargain while setting himself up for a big raise in 2025. When it comes to Carolina’s defensemen, being on team-friendly deals is a common factor. With the Sharks holding back so much of Burns’ deal, the same could be said for him as well. Even at 37, he logged more than 26 minutes a game last season while recording 54 points. If he can maintain that with Carolina, that’s number one production for number three money. He’ll be 40 at the end of this deal and it will be interesting to see if he extends his career past this point.
Coyotes, Blue Jackets Sign Players To PTOs
7:52 PM: The Coyotes have confirmed Chiasson’s invitation while also noting that goaltender Christopher Gibson has also inked a PTO. The 29-year-old spent last season with AHL Charlotte, posting a 2.80 GAA and a .907 SV% in 14 games. Gibson has 16 career NHL appearances between the Islanders and Lightning.
5:33 PM: Per CapFriendly, the Arizona Coyotes have signed forward Alex Chiasson to a PTO, while the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Victor Rask and defenseman Ben Harpur to PTOs.
Chiasson, now 31, has a legit shot at not only getting a contract, but playing a top-nine role if things go well. With far more offensive upside than players currently slated to play top-nine roles in Arizona like Nick Ritchie and Christian Fischer, he could get a decent amount of playing time on the power play as well and provide solid value on a cheap contract for Arizona. Playing just 11:37 per game last season with the Vancouver Canucks, Chiasson scored 13 goals in 67 games, six of which came on the power play. He’s not exactly an impact player at both ends of the ice, but he’s been a solid depth scoring option now for multiple seasons. With Arizona simply needing more NHL players in their lineup, signing Chiasson should be a no-brainer.
The opposite is true for the Blue Jackets, who have a bit of a logjam at the bottom of both their forward and defense depth charts. Harpur would be a solid addition to the top-four in AHL Cleveland if he does get a deal, but Rask will have much more competition for a roster spot amongst Columbus’ young forwards. With players like Kirill Marchenko, Yegor Chinakhov, Kent Johnson, and others poised to be full-time NHLers next season, Rask will really need to have a strong camp in order to earn a deal (if he wants an NHL role, that is).
Roman Polak Retires, Joins Columbus As A Scout
Long-time NHL defenseman Roman Polak has decided to call it a career but he will be sticking around the game as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the Blue Jackets have hired him as a European scout. Polak will replace Milan Tichy who has joined Edmonton’s scouting department.
The 36-year-old spent the last two seasons playing back home with Vitkovice of the Czech Extraliga where he was the team captain. He had a limited role in 2021-22 and evidently decided that the time was right to hang up his skates rather than pursue another season on the ice.
Polak played in parts of 14 NHL seasons, spanning 806 career games between St. Louis, Toronto, San Jose, and Dallas. His offensive numbers were quite limited – just 26 goals and 114 assists – but he was best known for playing a physical defensive game. He had over 1,400 blocked shots and nearly 2,000 hits which helped him to earn seven contracts and over $24MM in his career before heading back overseas. Now, he will begin his second NHL stint working under GM Jarmo Kekalainen, the then-scout who played a big role in him being drafted by St. Louis back in 2004.