Latest On New York Islanders Offseason
It was no secret that in order to get better after last season’s disappointment, the New York Islanders needed to find a way to add scoring and get younger on the blueline. They managed to do one of those things, acquiring 22-year-old defenseman Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for their 2022 first-round pick. However, the team was unable to, at least so far, address its lackluster offense. The Islanders had been connected to star free agents Johnny Gaudreau, who ultimately signed with the division-rival Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nazem Kadri who recently signed with the Calgary Flames.
Today on NHL Network, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed the Islanders with Bill Pidto, saying that while he believes they were interested in Kadri, they were never able to create the cap space to make it work. Interestingly, the Islanders actually have the fourth most salary cap space available according to CapFriendly, with just under $11.2MM available. However, the team does need to re-sign the recently-acquired Romanov, forward Kieffer Bellows, and breakout defenseman Noah Dobson. Between those three, it could command a large portion of their space. Though it may not take all of it, it would most likely bring them below the $7MM needed to, at the very least, match the offer Kadri accepted in Calgary.
To create that space, Lou Lamoriello could have opted to try to move one, or both of, wingers Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. Though both are solid contributors on Long Island, moving their $5MM or $4.15MM cap hits, respectively, could have created the space necessary to sign a dynamic player like Kadri. Given the cost for Calgary to trade away Sean Monahan, who had just one year left at $6.375MM, the price for the Islanders to move one of their forwards may have been too steep to make it worthwhile. Another option could have been to move goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who carries a $5MM AAV, but is playing behind star netminder Ilya Sorokin. However, Lamoriello made clear his intention to keep the veteran netminder.
Also of note, Friedman added that he does believe deals with Romanov and Dobson are already done, saying he believes Dobson’s deal “is a big number.” Friedman also believes Romanov’s contract could come somewhere in the $3MM AAV range. Having the deals done, but not announced, is in keeping with Lamoriello’s previous dealings, including last summer’s rather late announcements, most notably of a Kyle Palmieri contract. Although Friedman didn’t mention Bellows as having an agreed-upon deal, it is worth noting the winger was arbitration-eligible, but neither him nor the Islanders filed. This surely doesn’t mean a deal is done, but would be a curious choice if nothing had been agreed upon (or could simply indicate very amicable talks between the two).
Free Agent Profile: Alex Chiasson
A veteran of 631 NHL games spread over parts of 10 seasons, free agent forward Alex Chiasson once again finds himself in familiar territory: approaching training camp without a contract, after another solid NHL season. The veteran has signed three PTO’s thus far in his career, each of them resulting in an NHL contract, and all signs point to this offseason not being much of a change of pace. Chiasson spent last season as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, his first with the team, where he scored 13 goals to go with nine assists over 67 games, The winger’s 2021-22 doesn’t exactly match him up alongside the games greats, but it did represent another season of solid bottom-six play for a physical, two-way player, something he has brought to every team in his career thus far.
A second-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2009, Chiasson was a highly-regarded prospect when he spent three years at Boston University prior to turning pro at the end of 2011-12. The younger Chiasson wouldn’t wait too long to make his NHL debut either, dressing in seven games for Dallas during the 2012-13 season, registering an impressive six goals in the short sample. Since debuting with the Stars, Chiasson has played for six different franchises, including Dallas, the Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers and most recently Vancouver.
Despite the transition from team to team, Chiasson has made a name for himself as a reliable role-player everywhere he has gone, bringing a physical element while also chipping in on the penalty kill, and even contributing somewhere between 10 and 15 goals per season. Perhaps his most impressive season came not too long ago, when he scored a career-high 22 goals along with 16 assists for 38 points over 73 games as a member of the Edmonton Oilers in 2018-19. Turning 32 years of age just prior to opening night, it’s unlikely to expect Chiasson to take any step further with his game or even repeat the success he saw back in Edmonton, but he has been a model of consistency and hard work, two valuable assets to just about any team in the league. He’s likely headed for yet another PTO, but the chances of seeing him back in the NHL for the 2022-23 season still seem high given his track record.
Stats:
2021-22: 67 GP, 13-9-22, +4 rating, 24 PIMs, 98 shots, 56.3 CF%, 11:37 ATOI
Career: 631 GP, 114-110-224, -36 rating, 353 PIMs, 896 shots 52.6 CF%, 13:37 ATOI
Potential Suitors:
For his career, Chiasson seems to have a habit of latching on with relatively good teams, perhaps due to luck, but perhaps not. This past season saw the veteran’s Vancouver team struggle early, but make a tremendous push for a playoff position, just barely missing out. In the two seasons prior, his Edmonton Oilers made the playoffs, missing with 79 points in 2018-19, his career-year. Arguably the highlight of his career though was a Stanley Cup championship with the Washington Capitals in 2017-18. One would think, whether it’s a happy trend, Chiasson’s personal choice and analysis, or something in particular that he himself brings to the table, that whatever team he winds up with will at least be a strong contender for a playoff position.
But, over a month into free agency and not a star talent, at 32 years of age, what contender is in a position to sign Chiasson? The overwhelming majority of competitive teams not only have their rosters in place, but are so close, if not over the salary cap ceiling that even a league-minimum one-way contract would be impossible to fit in.
Two plausible options that come to mind would be the New York Islanders and Minnesota Wild. Although all the winger slots seem to be filled on Long Island, the team that has struggled to score goals could stand to add a dozen or so more as a depth option, and Chiasson’s style of play is in keeping with the preferences of Islanders’ GM Lou Lamoriello. Minnesota on the other hand is known to be looking to add another forward and while Chiasson of course doesn’t replace star winger Kevin Fiala, adding some punch to Minnesota’s bottom-six, especially after the departure of Nicolas Deslauriers, would make sense.
Another option for the Quebec native could be to head overseas. He had been connected to opportunities over in Switzerland back in late May, however his agent, Pat Morris, was sure to clarify that his client was looking for NHL opportunities, and was especially hoping for an opportunity to stay in Vancouver. But, Canucks GM Jim Rutherford indicated that they would not be making a decision on Chiasson until after their free agency wrapped up. Now that things are mostly quiet on the free agency front, especially with Vancouver, a return for Chiasson doesn’t look too good. However, not many PTO’s have been signed, and if that is indeed the route for the forward, then one might see his opportunities still upcoming.
Projected Contract:
Considering his track record both with on-ice production and previous deals, as well as where the offseason currently stands, Chiasson is almost certainly headed for another PTO. This option may be concerning for some players, and it may not be the most enjoyable position for Chiasson either, but he’s been here before and earned his keep when he has. Chiasson managed to sign an NHL contract after all three of those PTO’s, and what’s more is after the first, he went on to win a Stanley Cup, after his second, he was rewarded with a two-year, $4.3MM deal, and after his most recent, he found a place he appeared to feel very good about returning to in that of Vancouver
Whether he signs a PTO, then a contract, or receives a contract outright, it wouldn’t appear Chiasson will make any more than the league-minimum $750K salary for 2022-23 either. Not a perfect scenario, and far from the career-high $2.15MM salary he had with Edmonton from 2019-2021, an NHL contract would give Chiasson another year in the league and another chance at an early-in-free-agency deal like he signed with the Oilers in 2019.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
As most of the hockey world takes a vacation, the World Juniors in Edmonton are providing a nice change of pace for fans looking to get a glimpse of their future stars. Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish leads the tournament with six goals and ten points, sometimes looking like he is six or seven years older than the rest of his competition, while Luke Hughes continues to dominate as the tournament’s best defenseman. With the tournament coming to a close in just a few days, we’ll soon have to turn our attention back to the coming season.
With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR Mailbag.
Last time, the mailbag was broken into two parts. The first examined the risky situation in Toronto’s crease, Pierre-Luc Dubois‘ future in Winnipeg, and P.K. Subban‘s continued free agency. The second focused on some offer sheet candidates, the front office in Philadelphia, and some often-discussed trade targets.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
New York Rangers Hire Ari Vuori
As announced on Friday, the New York Rangers have added Ari Vuori to their front office as Director of European Scouting.
Vuori, 60, is an esteemed name in NHL circles with plenty of relevant and successful experience. Getting his start as a European Scout with the Los Angeles Kings in 1996-97, he stayed with the team all the way until 2007, partially responsible for drafting star Europeans such as Olli Jokinen (1997), Lubomir Visnovsky (2000), and most notably Anze Kopitar (2005).
That success continued during a stint with the Detroit Red Wings from 2008-2015, but Vuori has most recently served as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Director of European Scouting since then. Over the past few seasons, the Maple Leafs have consistently been one of the most active teams in bringing over European free agents and sometimes making solid impacts, most notably Ilya Mikheyev.
With Vuori in the fold, the Rangers immediately have an upgraded front office. He’ll undoubtedly steer the teams’ assessments of European talent in the right direction and provide a valuable liaison with incoming European free agents.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Tyson Kozak
The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward prospect Tyson Kozak to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release Friday. Per CapFriendly, the contract carries a cap hit of $850K with a rather unique signing bonus structure.
The Sabres drafted Kozak in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the 193rd overall pick. The 19-year-old center had 32 goals, 37 assists, and 69 points in 66 games last season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. Barring a massive unforeseen development in which Kozak makes the Sabres out of camp, he’ll return there next season as well.
Buffalo director of player development, Adam Mair, called 2021-22 “an excellent year” for Kozak, while Rochester Americans assistant coach Michael Peca also spoke highly of the player during development camp in July:
Watching him out there, you’d think he went in the top three rounds, to be honest with you. The kid’s impressive. He’s quiet, he’s unassuming, but he’s a real hockey player. He does everything right on the ice.
Kozak is a solid member of what seems to be a promising 2021 draft class for the Sabres. He’ll join his peers in Josh Bloom (Saginaw, OHL) and Olivier Nadeau (Gatineau, QMJHL) as 2021 Sabres draftees returning to the CHL next season.
His strengths rely on his two-way game, as alluded to by Peca. He’s a smart offensive player who shows good instincts away from the puck and has a surprisingly physical play style given his 5′ 11″, 165 lb frame.
Minor Transactions: 08/19/22
Now that Nazem Kadri has signed, some dominoes may fall over the next few weeks in terms of the remaining free agents. But even before that, there will be minor moves to continue fleshing out AHL rosters and the like. As always, we’ll keep track of those notable moves right here.
- Koletrane Wilson is joining the Rockford IceHogs for the upcoming season, signing a one-year AHL contract. The Chicago Blackhawks continue to put an emphasis on the depth in the minor leagues, and Wilson was a big contributor for the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL last season. The 22-year-old defenseman had 16 points in 57 games while racking up 73 penalty minutes.
- Matt Cairns, a third-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers that never signed and thus became an unrestricted free agent, is back with the Cincinnati Cyclones for another year. The 24-year-old defenseman had 16 points in 65 games with the ECHL club last season, while also getting into two matches with the Rochester Americans.
- Alessio Beglieri, a Swiss netminder that went undrafted this year, will have a chance to give NHL scouts a more up-close performance this time around. He’s agreed to come to play for the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, after being selected 38th overall in the CHL Import Draft. He’ll be joined by Swiss forward Valdemar Hull, the team’s other import selection, who won’t be eligible for the draft until next year.
- Per a team release, the Henderson Silver Knights have signed forward Alex Swetlikoff to a two-year AHL contract. Swetlikoff earned the contract in the Vegas Golden Knights organization after participating in their development camp in July. In his final WHL season with the Everett Silvertips last year, Swetlikoff posted 33 goals and 84 points in 68 games.
This page will be updated throughout the day
San Jose Sharks Announce Several Hires
After Brian Wiseman was originally announced as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders for the upcoming season, the team eventually decided that he would not be joining the team. Now, the veteran coach has found a new gig, as he will join David Quinn’s staff with the San Jose Sharks as an assistant.
He isn’t the only one joining the Sharks today though. The team has also named Stephane Leblanc its director of CHL scouting, and added Tommy Wingels and Luca Sbisa as development coaches.
Wingels, 34, played parts of seven seasons with the Sharks to start his NHL career, after working his way up from the sixth round of the 2008 draft. The hard-working forward managed to set a career-high with 16 goals and 38 points in 2013-14, though that kind of production wouldn’t last long. His last season in the NHL was 2017-18, before playing a pair of years overseas.
Sbisa meanwhile never did play for the Sharks, but he certainly faced them many times. A veteran of 549 regular season games, most of them in the Pacific Division, the 32-year-old saw just one game in the 2020-21 season before failing to play at all in 2021-22. Retirement will bring him to the Sharks staff, where he can pass on some of the tricks that made him a first-round pick in 2008.
Dmitri Ovchinnikov Heading To KHL
The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t have Dmitri Ovchinnikov in North America this season. After the young forward signed his entry-level contract in February and made his AHL debut with the Toronto Marlies at the end of the year, he has now signed a new one-year deal with Sibir Novosibirsk and will transfer to the club for the upcoming season.
This loan does not cancel Ovchinnikov’s contract with the Maple Leafs, only delays his debut as a full-time member of the AHL club. The talented 20-year-old forward scored twice in his seven games with the team this spring, after rarely seeing the ice in his 17 KHL appearances.
Hopefully, he’ll be able to claw out a bigger role for his Russian club and start contributing as he has at the MHL level, where Ovchinnikov has been better than a point-per-game player the last three seasons. The fifth-round pick is under contract with the Maple Leafs for two more seasons.
Matthew Virgilio Signs With Soo Greyhounds
The Soo Greyhounds announced a player signing today, getting Matthew Virgilio to commit and sign a standard OHL player agreement. No big deal, one might think, given the fact that Virgilio was a fourth-round pick in this year’s OHL draft.
But it’s not that simple. Virgilio, at the time, was committed to the University of Michigan and had signed a tender in the USHL to play for the Tri-City Storm. Had that commitment not been in place, he easily would have gone in the first round of the OHL draft, quite near the top as one of the best defensemen in his age group.
The 16-year-old is considered a top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft and will now get to show off his skills in the Soo for the next several years. General manager Kyle Raftis explained:
Matthew is a very polished defenseman who has the ability to move pucks efficiently, control play in all three zones, and also bring a physical edge and intensity to his game on the defensive side of the puck. The way he plays the game shows a high-level of maturity and poise that are rare traits to find with a player at his age.
The Greyhounds now list him at 6’0 183-lbs in their release, despite him only turning 16 a few months ago. For prospect watchers and draft gurus, he’ll be one to watch.
Morning Notes: Price, Monahan, McMorrow
The Montreal Canadiens would like a healthy Carey Price to be leading them onto the ice every night. But since that’s not a possibility right now, taking the entire year (and perhaps the rest of his career) off might actually be the best option for the team. Eric Engels’ latest column for Sportsnet examines the Price situation, his current injury status, and how his absence actually might benefit the team in the long run, thanks to the salary cap system.
In it, he also suggests that the Canadiens’ competitive window likely won’t be until 2025, at which point even a healthy Price would be 38. Even if it happened sooner than that, the veteran goaltender’s time leading Montreal is all but over.
- With Sean Monahan undergoing his own hip surgery earlier this year, Canadiens fans were wondering whether he would even be ready for the start of the season, after acquiring him yesterday. The veteran center is hoping so and told the media that he’s already back on the ice four times a week preparing for the season. He feels healthy and ready to “play hockey again at a high level.” While the Canadiens landed a first-round pick for Monahan already, if he can reclaim any sort of semblance of his former self, they may be able to flip him for even more.
- The Denver Pioneers are having a good week, and it continues with the commitment of top prospect Brendan McMorrow. The 16-year-old will be joining the U.S. National Team Development Program this year, with his sights set on the 2024 draft and a freshman season at DU in 2024-25. So much for the second-round pick that the Spokane Chiefs used on the young forward in the 2021 WHL US Prospects draft.