Senators Notes: Defense, Brannstrom, Tryouts
Senators GM Pierre Dorion spoke with TSN 1200 (audio link) on Friday to discuss the upcoming season. While the team has been active in their additions (forwards Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat plus goalie Cam Talbot), the same can’t be said for the back end. Dorion indicated they’re still hoping to add a top-four defenseman but are comfortable going into training camp with what they have and seeing if a youngster like Lassi Thomson or Jacob Bernard-Docker is ready after spending last season with AHL Belleville or Jake Sanderson can make the jump right from college.
To that end, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Ottawa has held trade discussions with the Coyotes regarding Jakob Chychrun. However, the reported asking price of two first-rounders plus a top prospect is one that no one is willing to meet just yet. Chychrun would certainly fit within the Sens’ core group in terms of age and with three years left at a below-market $4.6MM, he’d help on the financial side of things as well as their top players start to get more expensive. Of course, that’s a big part of the reason why Arizona’s asking price is so high so Dorion will have to decide whether it’s one he’s going to be okay paying before too long.
More from Ottawa:
- One of the remaining RFAs that they need to re-sign is blueliner Erik Brannstrom. Garrioch reports that part of the holdup has been that the youngster’s camp has been seeking a deal with some term instead of a typical bridge contract. He has 116 career NHL contests under his belt but has also been in the AHL in each of his first four professional seasons which would make a longer-term deal a little trickier to hammer out. The 22-year-old had 14 assists in 53 games last season while averaging just shy of 20 minutes a night of ice time.
- While their forward group seems pretty full already (especially once RFA Alex Formenton re-signs), Dorion indicated that he has been in discussions with some agents for players that are looking to come to camp on PTO agreements but no decisions have been made on that front yet. He did, however, indicate that if one is brought in, it will be someone with a legitimate chance to make the team. While that might sound a little obvious at first glance, teams often being veterans in on PTOs simply to ensure they can meet the veteran minimum requirements for the early preseason games to allow their own veterans to skip some early action.
Mike Babcock Retiring From Coaching
A day after the news broke that Mike Babcock had resigned as the Head Coach of the University of Saskatchewan’s men’s hockey team, Babcock himself is providing some more clarity as to why he made that decision. In an interview today on 650 CKOM radio in Saskatchewan, Babcock discussed his decision and his future plans. When asked if he would seek an NHL opportunity if a team approached, Babcock said “[n]o, that’s sure not the plan.”
The former NHL bench boss elaborated, saying he had discussed his plans with his wife, noting that they had decided to retire when they both turned 60, and with Mike at age 59, “[b]asically, that’s what it is.” While Babcock reiterated that future opportunities for him are not in his family plans, he didn’t close the door with absolute certainty, adding “[i]f things change, I guess they change, but surely that’s not the plan.” Babcock’s tenure with Saskatchewan was brief, albeit successful, coaching the Huskies to a playoff berth. A Saskatchewan native, Babcock said the opportunity to be close to home and family was “a spectacular experience.”
Considered one of the premier head coaches of his generation, Babcock amassed a record of 700-418-19-164 over 1,301 career regular season NHL games between the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Perhaps most impressive, all but three of Babcock’s teams made it to the playoffs under his watch, leading to a 90-74 record in those playoffs, including three appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals and a championship with the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings. Babcock last coached in the NHL during the 2019-20 season before he was let go by the Maple Leafs after a 9-10-4 start to the season. As recently as the 2020 offseason, he had been a candidate of interest for available NHL head coaching positions. If this is indeed the end of the road for Babcock, Hall of Fame debates are very likely part of his near future.
Free Agent Profile: Riley Nash
Back in 2007, the Edmonton Oilers found themselves in the enviable position of having three first-round picks: number six, number fifteen, and number twenty-one overall. With the first of those picks, they took current UFA forward Sam Gagner. With the second of those, they took defenseman Alex Plante, who played in just ten NHL games for Edmonton. With the third and final first-round selections that year, they selected BCHL star Riley Nash.
Nash, who had played just two BCHL games prior to the 2006-07 season, broke out in a big way in his first full season with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, posting 84 points in 55 games, boosting his draft stock to a first-round selection. The next season, Nash would head to Cornell University to play college hockey, becoming a powerhouse two-way forward. After three seasons at Cornell, Nash was dealt by the Oilers, without ever having played a game for them, to the Carolina Hurricanes. The forward then turned pro, spending the 2010-11 season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. He would spend the following two seasons splitting time between Charlotte in the AHL and the NHL with Carolina, becoming a full-time NHLer for the 2013-14 season.
Once Nash had become an NHL regular, he established himself as one of the league’s better bottom-six, two-way centers, spending time on the penalty kill and contributing somewhere around 25 points each season. In 2016, Nash hit the free agent market and signed with the Boston Bruins on a two-year, $1.8MM contract. The second year of that contract, 2017-18, Nash had a career-year, scoring 15 goals to go with 26 assists and 41 points, all career-highs. That performance vaulted Nash’s value heading back onto the UFA market, signing a three-year, $8.25MM contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Unfortunately, the deal didn’t work out as either side hoped, Nash averaging just 11 points per season over the three years, eventually being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the final year, where he played in just two playoff games overall. Once again, the now-veteran forward found himself a free agent and signed a one-year, $750K deal with the Winnipeg Jets. The 2021-22 season was a whirlwind to say the least, Nash starting the season with Winnipeg, then claimed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning in December. Barely a month into his tenure with the Lightning, Nash was again claimed on waivers, this time by the Arizona Coyotes, where he remained until the trade deadline, when he was traded back to Tampa Bay. The forward wouldn’t join the Lightning however, but was instead sent to the Syracuse Crunch, their AHL affiliate, finishing out the regular season. At that point it seemed as though Nash’s season was over, but with injuries mounting on the NHL club, Nash was pressed into action, playing in eight contests between the Eastern Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals.
Stats:
2021-22: 49 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 pts, -5 rating, 10 PIMs, 36 shots, 11:26 ATOI
Career: 627 GP, 63 G, 113 A, 176 pts, -11 rating, 144 PIMs, 751 shots, 13:09 ATOI
Potential Suitors:
Nash’s struggles since that 2017-18 career-year do raise some legitimate concern over an NHL team giving him a role at this level next season, as other options with a more recent track record of success are still available (names such as Tyler Motte, Evan Rodrigues, Jimmy Vesey, Alex Chiasson, among others). However, Nash, like many other players, does bring something unique that not all others do. For one, it’s almost certain that he will not only be signed at the NHL minimum if he is, but that the deal could very well be a two-way contract, something maybe not found in other viable free agent options. In addition to that, Nash is a legitimate center who can play on the wing; this versatility is not only helpful for building a lineup each night, but also for a coach to trust he can handle his position without any additional work. Finally, Nash played through plenty of adversity this year, claimed on waivers twice, traded, and finally sent to the minors, but winding up playing a role in the Stanley Cup Finals, where he didn’t necessarily shine, but wasn’t a liability either.
Given Nash’s experience, both in games played and playoffs, as well as the ups and downs of his career, he could stand to serve as a mentor to a team’s young players, making him a fit on a young team looking to give chances to its up-and-coming stars, but wanting to nonetheless surround them with veteran leaders. This could be a team like the Anaheim Ducks or the Detroit Red Wings. He could also be a fit on a cap-strapped team who needs to add role-players on a budget, especially players who have experience in the games they hope to play in, like the Cup Finals.
Projected Contract:
Nash spent the 2021-22 season on a $750K contract and if he is to secure another NHL deal, chances are it will be at this same number, which also happens to be the league minimum. The likelihood for Nash would seem to be a PTO to show teams where his specific skills currently sit. He isn’t coming off a serious injury or a long absence, but hasn’t been the same player he was in the first half of his career as he’s been in the second. He won’t need to show he’s that 41-point player when on a PTO, but instead demonstrate his ability to do the right things and hopefully capitalize when he is given an offensive chance. A successful PTO may still land him with a two-way contract, but is likely the only available path towards a one-way agreement if that is his ultimate goal.
Minor Transactions 08/26/22
We’re inching closer to the opening of NHL training camps, and most teams have finalized their offseason work. That being said, there are still some players looking for a spot for next season, especially in minor leagues and in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- Remi Elie, a forward with 107 NHL games under his belt, has made the choice to continue his career overseas. Today reigning Swedish champions Farjestad BK announced the signing of Elie on a one-year deal. Elie played last season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, scoring 29 points in 48 games. The 27-year-old was the 40th overall pick at the 2013 draft and appeared in one NHL game last season for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- The 176th overall pick at the 2015 draft, Liam Dunda, is heading to Sweden to begin his pro career. Amals SK, a club in Sweden’s fourth-tier HockeyTvaan, announced the signing of Dunda today. The big 24-year-old winger most recently played for Queens University in Canadian college hockey and played for four OHL teams in his five-year major junior career.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Tampa Bay Lightning Extend Philippe Myers
Before he’s even skated in a single game with them, the Lightning have decided to give Philippe Myers a one-year, $1.4MM contract extension. Myers was acquired by the Lightning as part of the Ryan McDonagh trade from earlier this summer. Myers’ current deal is at a $2.55MM cap hit and expires after this upcoming season.
Myers is actually an extremely interesting case going into this season, and now his situation is made even more interesting thanks to this contract extension. Once the Lightning acquired Myers, many assumed that the team would choose to buy him out. At the cost of some cap space next season, the Lightning, by buying out Myers, would actually have gotten a cap credit for this season, which is something most believed the ever cap-crunched Lightning could use this summer.
But with major extensions for Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, and Anthony Cirelli set to kick in next summer, it seems Lightning GM Julien Brisebois has decided to prioritize saving as much cap space for next summer as possible.
That’s where this extension for Myers fits in. Myers is a smooth-skating defenseman who originally earned the relatively lucrative extension he’s currently playing on from the Philadelphia Flyers. Myers was once believed to be a core part of the team’s future on the blueline, but the hopes for Myers’ future never materialized into highly competent play. Myers, now 25, struggled to stay healthy, wasn’t as productive as many had hoped, and even had to, at times, play as a fourth-line winger to stay in the lineup.
The Lightning, though, seem to believe that they have value in Myers that no other organization has been able to unlock. That belief is evidenced not only by the fact that they didn’t take the cap credit and buy him out this summer, but also now by this contract extension before he’s even played a game for them.
The Athletic’s Joe Smith went into great detail in a story covering why the Lightning are betting on Myers. (subscription link) In essence, the Lightning believe that their track record as one of the NHL’s best developers of talent puts them in a unique position to help Myers, a player they believe has “all the tools” to become a strong NHL-er but simply hasn’t yet put those tools together.
Quite honestly, it’s very difficult to be a naysayer when the Lightning make a move like this. Tampa has appeared in each of the past three Stanley Cup Finals and has won two of them. The Lightning have developed mid-to-late-round draft picks such as Brayden Point, Cirelli, Cernak, and Nikita Kucherov into impactful NHLers. They have been a veritable talent factory for the rest of the NHL, so when they show this level of confidence in their ability to turn around a player’s career, it’s difficult not to trust them.
Still, whether this contract and Brisebois’ faith in his development process is rewarded is ultimately down to Myers himself. If he can be what the Lightning believe he can be, this contract will be a steal and this move will be seen as another stroke of genius by one of the NHL’s most savvy front offices.
If it doesn’t work, the Lightning will likely suffer next season when they are extremely hard-pressed for cap space. But even if that’s the case, this is a relatively low-risk bet and exactly the sort of move a team like the Lightning should make to maximize the value it mines from its coaching and player development staff.
Pictures courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Detroit Red Wings Sign Filip Zadina
The Red Wings have taken care of their last remaining restricted free agent, signing winger Filip Zadina to a three-year contract. Per the team announcement, the contract carries a $1.825MM cap hit. Zadina will be a restricted free agent once again when the deal expires.
The narrative around Zadina’s career thus far has largely been centered around how he’s failed to live up to the lofty expectations that were placed on him as a prospect. Drafted sixth overall at the 2018 draft, many outlets had Zadina ranked even higher, with quite a few considering him the best prospect outside of the clearly-defined top two players, Rasmus Dahlin and Andrei Svechnikov.
Zadina was coming off of a monster draft year in the QMJHL, a season where he torched junior defenses to the tune of 44 goals and 82 points in 57 games. After he was drafted, the Red Wings made the somewhat unconventional choice to send him to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids rather than send him for another year of junior hockey. At the AHL level, Zadina impressed, scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 59 games.
Zadina scored well at the AHL level the next season, with 16 points in 21 games, but at the NHL level offensive success has eluded him. The talent is there with Zadina, he has a good shot, and he can generate some scoring chances from the wing. But the consistency NHL coaches expect on a night-to-night basis has been missing. While Zadina’s defensive issues would not be cause for issue at lower levels, at the NHL level his inability to round out his two-way game has cost him opportunities to play higher in the lineup and with more talented linemates.
If Zadina can learn to rely less on a perimeter-style offensive game and improve his two-way hockey, he can quickly make this three-year contract extension look very wise on the part of Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman. But the quality of play he’s put forth so far in the NHL has been so underwhelming that there’s a legitimate chance that he does not finish this contract in Detroit.
The Red Wings have made significant additions this offseason with the idea of moving back into the hunt for a playoff spot. With Jakub Vrana finally healthy, David Perron and Dominik Kubalik now in the fold, and a new coach to prove himself to, it’s possible that Zadina will need to play better than he ever has before in order to get prime offensive opportunities in this new-look Red Wings squad. If nothing else, his leash will likely be shorter than it has ever been before in his NHL career.
This contract gives Zadina some runway to determine who he wants to be in the NHL. Does he want to take full advantage of his tools and become an impact scorer, or does he want to remain mired in the issues that have plagued him so far as an NHLer? That’s a question only Zadina can decide, and with this contract, he’ll now have the opportunity to answer it.
Picture courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Senators RFAs, PHF, Robidas
The Ottawa Senators still have two relatively significant names left to sign this offseason in defenseman Erik Brannstrom and Alex Formenton. In an interview today on TSN 1200, as relayed by Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators GM Pierre Dorion says that he’s “still talking” to Brannstrom and Formenton’s agents and that he expects both to be signed before training camp begins next month.
Getting both Brannstrom and Formenton under contract soon would be ideal, as teams typically don’t want outstanding contract negotiations to cast a shadow over their preparations for an upcoming season. Brannstrom, 22, is coming off of a disappointing season where, despite solid opportunities, he failed to make the major impact he was projected to make as a 2017 first-round pick. Formenton, 22, broke into the NHL last season and scored 18 goals and 32 points. The speedy Formenton is likely to get a larger deal than Brannstrom based on his production alone, but both are likely to receive entry-level deals as the Senators look to enter their first truly competitive phase since making a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017.
Now, for some other notes from around the hockey world:
- The PHF has had a pretty significant offseason, inking a two-year broadcasting extension with ESPN and announcing the addition of an expansion franchise in the Montreal market. Now, the league looks set to announce another big move. Per Hailey Salvian of The Athletic, the PHF will add legendary American forward Brianna Decker to the league’s front office in a part-time advisory role. The PHF has been battling to establish itself as the home of the world’s best women’s hockey players, and since the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association has seen some of its top talent depart the league. Adding Decker, albeit not as a player, could go a long way in helping the PHF continue to grow their league and mend their relationship with the PWHPA.
- Carolina Hurricanes prospect Justin Robidas, the son of former NHLer Stephane Robidas, will reportedly be traded when the QMJHL’s mid-season trade window opens, from his current QMJHL club, the Val-d’Or Foreurs to the Quebec Ramparts, according to Le Soleil de Quebec’s Mikael Lalancette. Robidas, a 2021 fifth-round pick and a player who is among the better prospects in the Hurricanes’ system will join a Quebec side that won 51 games last season but was unable to take home a championship.
Latest On J.T. Miller, Bo Horvat
As things currently stand, two of the Vancouver Canucks’ most important players are slated to hit unrestricted free agency. One of them, Bo Horvat, is the Canucks’ captain and heart-and-soul two-way center. The other is J.T. Miller, the Canucks’ leading scorer by a large margin and most accomplished offensive player.
The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal issued updates on the situations of both players today. (subscription link) For Horvat, the landscape is relatively simple. The team wants to retain its captain, and Horvat by all accounts wants to remain with the only NHL franchise he has ever played for. Drance and Dhaliwal report that there was a “sense of optimism” earlier this summer that an extension between Horvat and the Canucks would be completed relatively quickly, but that hasn’t happened yet. Now, it seems there is “somewhat less optimism than there had been in late June” that a deal will be reached shortly.
It still remains the overwhelming probability that Horvat re-signs in Vancouver, but the lack of any news on positive progress towards a new deal is notable. Horvat, 27, is an accomplished two-way center who scored a career-high 31 goals last season. If Horvat looks at Kevin Hayes‘ long-term contract with the Flyers, a deal that costs over $7MM per year, and the twin $8MM AAV deals the San Jose Sharks are paying Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, he may decide that a deal at or around $7MM AAV is what he wants on his next contract.
With many major contracts already on their books and a looming extension for Elias Pettersson due in two years’ time, it would be understandable if the Canucks are hesitant to go that far for Horvat, a great player but not a franchise centerpiece. That being said, a loss of Horvat would leave a significant hole in the Canucks’ roster, especially if the team is set on playing Pettersson as a winger moving forward.
Much of what happens with Horvat, then, could depend on the fate of Miller. With a 99-point season under his belt, Miller is in an extremely strong negotiating position. He’s been a truly elite talent as a Canuck, and likely wants to be compensated with a contract that reflects the value he’s put forth these past few seasons.
The challenge with Miller for the Canucks, then, is if he’s worth the massive contract he’s earned and, more importantly, if giving him such a lucrative extension that covers his thirties is appropriate for a team whose core base of talent is still in their early-to-mid twenties.
Drance and Dhaliwal report that the Canucks privately “continue to insist that retaining Miller is their preference.” Even so, Miller’s own preferences could throw a wrench in the possibility of him remaining in Vancouver. Miller’s agent, Brian Bartlett, told The Athletic that Miller’s camp will “opt to cut off all discussions on a new contract once the regular season commences.” Such a stance might look familiar to some fans, as it’s the route Johnny Gaudreau took this past season while negotiating with the Calgary Flames.
Gaudreau eventually left the Flames and signed elsewhere, and that could be the position the Canucks are in a year from now if they stay the current course with Miller.
So, that brings up the question that will likely serve as the major storyline for the Canucks’ season, at least until a resolution is found. Do the Canucks settle on trading Miller if an extension isn’t reached by the start of the season? Would the Canucks, who still haven’t gone through a full season with their new front office and coaching staff, keep an unextended Miller past the deadline in the hopes that he’ll boost their competitive chances?
Those are the major questions facing the Canucks so far, and the first domino could fall if an extension for Horvat is finalized before the start of the season. Whichever route the Canucks opt to go down, it’s likely that the 2022-23 season will be one of great consequence for the Canucks’ organization.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Wade Allison, Linus Hogberg
The Philadelphia Flyers have finalized contracts with two of their restricted free agents, per a team announcement. The Flyers have signed winger Wade Allison to a two-year deal with a $785K AAV, and defenseman Linus Hogberg to a one-year, two-way $750K deal. Allison’s deal is a two-way deal next season and a one-way deal in 2023-24. These two deals leave Hayden Hodgson as their final RFA left to sign.
Allison, who will be 25 this upcoming season, was one of three Flyers second-round picks at the 2016 NHL draft, being selected by Philadelphia in that round alongside teammate Carter Hart and current ECHLer Pascal Laberge. Allison took a bit of a long route to the NHL, playing a four-year collegiate career at Western Michigan University before turning pro during the 2020-21 season. Last year Allison saw the most game action with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring 17 points in 28 games.
Allison has struggled to stay healthy so far in his pro career, but when he’s played he’s shown promise. He plays a powerful game and has shown goal-scoring ability at every level he’s played at. On a Flyers team in desperate need of young players who can step up and become meaningful NHLers, Allison’s new deal gives him a chance to become a fixture in Philadelphia.
Hogberg, 23, was a fifth-rounder at the 2015 entry draft. Hogberg was an everyday defenseman in the SHL for the Vaxjo Lakers from 2016-2020, and came to North America to play with AHL Lehigh Valley in 2020-21. Hogberg made his NHL debut last season, skating in five games for the Flyers, and getting just over 17 minutes a night.
Hogberg’s eight points in 58 AHL games last season indicate that he’s not much of a scorer, but with this one-year deal he’ll have a chance to prove he can take the next step in his game and become an NHL option for the Flyers and new coach John Tortorella.
West Notes: Canucks Defense, Stars RFAs, Kessel
The bulk of the Vancouver Canucks’ offseason work looks complete. A few new faces have been brought in, some players have departed, and a few major pending free agent situations still loom large, unlikely to be solved in the near future. But even though they’re largely ready for next season, the Canucks’ new regime led by Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin isn’t done looking to make tweaks to their roster, even as we near the end of August.
Per Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, the Canucks are “still listening on the trade market and kicking some tires on some of the unrestricted free agent talent” that’s still on the market. (subscription link) The two report that the Canucks are “among a small group of teams still in the mix” for unrestricted free agent defenseman Calvin de Haan, and that the team has made adding some extra support to its blueline the priority at this stage of the offseason. With defender Tucker Poolman‘s health status uncertain, adding a proven veteran defenseman such as de Haan would be a sensible move for a Vancouver side that wants to pick up where they left off last season under coach Bruce Boudreau.
Now, for some more news from the Western Conference:
- Two of the Dallas Stars’ best players, Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson, are still without a contract for next season. The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf issued an update on the contract situations of the two players today, reporting that contract talks continue to “move at a snail’s pace.” (subscription link) The negotiations have reportedly played out like a “staring contest” between the players’ camps and the Stars, and Yousuf attributes the lack of any competitive pressure (possibility of an offer sheet, the looming start of training camp) to the slow pace of the deals. Oettinger and Robertson are still overwhelmingly likely to have deals in place before training camp, but it seems recently there hasn’t been any momentum towards actually getting those contracts ironed out.
- The Vegas Golden Knights and Phil Kessel signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract earlier this week, a deal that looks sensible for both sides. According to Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Golden Knights weren’t the only “win-now” team in the mix for Kessel’s services. Per Friedman, Kessel was a name that came up regarding the Flames’ desire for another forward, perhaps even to play with new acquisition Nazem Kadri and breakout winger Andrew Mangiapane. We previously covered how the Flames were connected to free agent winger Evan Rodrigues, so their reported interest in Kessel certainly checks out.