Markus Granlund Signs In Switzerland
After two excellent years in the KHL, there’s no North American comeback on the table for Markus Granlund. The veteran forward has signed a new contract with HC Lugano in Switzerland for the upcoming season.
He’ll join countryman Mikko Koskinen, who is also joining Lugano this season, as part of an impressive foreign contingent, especially after how well he took to playing in the KHL. Over two seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Granlund scored 91 points in 91 games, not to mention winning Olympic gold with Finland earlier this year.
Still just 29, it appears as though an NHL return might never happen for the younger brother of Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund. The last time he appeared in an NHL game was during the 2019-20 season for the Edmonton Oilers, and after spending a good chunk of that year in the minor leagues, he bolted for the bigger opportunities overseas.
Over 335 NHL games, Granlund scored 58 goals and 101 points, reaching a career-high of 19 and 32 in the 2016-17 season with the Vancouver Canucks. He’ll now take his talents to Switzerland, where he should continue to be a dynamic offensive presence.
Evening Notes: Dubois, Kadri, Nill
As today’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for teams to file for club-elected player salary arbitration came and went, the Winnipeg Jets apparently chose not to file for arbitration with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, says Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription required). The decision didn’t appear as much of a surprise given Dubois’ and the Jets’ situation, and allows both sides to continue discussing a long-term extension or perhaps explore different trade scenarios as has been speculated. Winnipeg had previously issued a $6.65MM qualifying-offer to Dubois in order to retain his rights and give both sides the ability to file for arbitration.
There are several reasons as to why the Jets may have decided not to file for arbitration with Dubois. Firstly, if contract discussions have been amicable and progressive, electing for arbitration and forcing a decision, either through negotiation or arbitration, may have served to disrupt a positive situation. Another reason could be, given the $6.65MM qualifying-offer, Winnipeg would have to file, at minimum, at that number in arbitration with the strong possibility Dubois could be awarded even more. Lastly, because Dubois is two years removed from unrestricted free agency, it was also possible an arbitrator would award the 24-year-old with a two-year contract that would carry him directly to the UFA market in 2024, something not only Winnipeg would want to avoid, but perhaps also the team they could trade him to, if they elected to go down that road.
- According to Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, who spoke to several sources today, a return of Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche seems less likely than it had previously appeared. One of the market’s most desired players this offseason, Kadri is among the few notable UFAs who has yet to sign, with some speculating that he would like to go to a true contender, and thus those teams would have to work on making room under their salary cap, Colorado included. It’s unclear what, if anything, transpired today to shake Dater’s belief that Kadri could come back to Colorado, but it could mean that the tires are beginning to move on Kadri here on day six of free agency.
- In a lengthy interview with The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf (subscription required), Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi touched on a number of topics concerning the state of the franchise, including what he expects from the team going forward and why new head coach Pete DeBoer was the right fit for the club. Another name that came up was that of longtime Stars GM Jim Nill, who has been in his position for over nine years now. Nill’s contract is set to expire after this season, leading to some apparent uncertainty about what is to come. Gaglardi was sure to quash that uncertainty, telling Yousuf that Nill was going to be extended. The Stars owner cautioned that what the extension looks like depends on several factors which he couldn’t discuss just yet, but was clear about what he intended for his GM. Of note, Yousuf writes that DeBoer did ask Gaglardi in his interview this summer about Nill’s future with the organization, Gaglardi providing DeBoer with the same assurances on Nill’s future. Still, an extension is a two-way street, and Nill, 64, recently mentioned that he’s “not going to do this forever.”
Latest On Anaheim Ducks Offseason
A little under three months remain until the start of the 2022-23 NHL regular season, but with the conclusion of the NHL Entry Draft and the first few days of free agency, things feel as though they’re mostly wrapped-up for many teams. At this point, signing some RFA contracts, evaluating what happened at development camp, and making a few more behind-the-scenes hires are all that is left for many organizations. However, as Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek made clear to Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register, his team is not done with their offseason additions (link).
Verbeek mentioned that he would like to add another forward and defenseman to the organization, but before doing so, he wants to make sure the players he brings in are a good fit. Whoever the Ducks add, if anyone, wouldn’t be the first of this offseason, the team making a splash on the opening day of free agency, signing forwards Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome to three and five year contracts respectively. Signing the two veterans seems to mark a turning point for Anaheim, who has been pretty clearly categorized as a rebuilder for the better part of the previous four seasons, last making the playoffs in 2017-18.
Regardless of whether Verbeek wants to add more talent, the Ducks are going to have to look to add salary considering they currently sit just under $9.3MM below the salary cap floor. Anaheim’s cap situation is not for a matter of trying, considering their signings of Vatrano and Strome, but they will have to find additional salary to take on. before the start of the season. Many of the most prized UFAs on the market have since signed, but two, who will command a significant salary, remain: forward Nazem Kadri and defenseman John Klingberg. However, neither has been connected to Anaheim thus far.
With the talk of Anaheim needing to add salary, failing to give qualifying offers to forwards Sonny Milano and Sam Steel would seem to be a counter-intuitive decision. However, Verbeek told Teaford, “It boiled down to role. What role would they play and did it make sense with the dollars?” The GM added that their individual mixed results also played a role in his decision. Both former first-round picks, Steel finished this season with six goals and 14 assists in 68 games, while Milano had a somewhat of a breakout season, tallying 14 goals and 20 assists in 66 games.
Finally, Verbeek discussed his hiring of Craig Johnson as an assistant coach, noting that he felt Johnson would be a key piece in developing their players. As Verbeek said, “I don’t subscribe to the idea that once you’ve made the NHL that development time is over.” That sentiment is of course very relevant for Anaheim as they work their way out of this rebuild, expecting to be lead by a young core including Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, and Jamie Drysdale.
Calgary Flames File For Salary Arbitration With Matthew Tkachuk
The Calgary Flames announced via Twitter this evening that they have filed for salary arbitration with star forward and current RFA Matthew Tkachuk ahead of today’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for club-elected salary arbitration. Tkachuk had declined to file for salary arbitration prior to yesterday’s deadline for player-elected arbitration, with many expecting the Flames would decline to do so as well. Now, the two sides will have until Tkachuk’s hearing to negotiate an agreement on a new contract, otherwise the matter will be put in the hands of an arbitrator.
The decision to elect arbitration is an interesting one from Calgary’s perspective, but could realistically provide them with advantages in the negotiation process with Tkachuk. The main advantages for Calgary, as cited by PuckPedia, are to eliminate the possibility of an offer-sheet and to prevent Tkachuk from unilaterally accepting the $9MM qualifying-offer the Flames previously made in order to retain the forward’s rights. Though an offer-sheet could conceivably solve the negotiation issues for both sides were Calgary to match, it could also come in the form of a deal the Flames would strongly prefer not to make, but still not worth declining and taking the applicable draft picks. Removing Tkachuk’s ability to accept the qualifying offer also provides the Flames with leverage by preventing Tkachuk from simply ending the negotiation with a one-year deal that would take him straight to the UFA market next summer. Now, Calgary can continue negotiations with Tkachuk without the looming threat of another team forcing an offer on them or Tkachuk unilaterally ending it by accepting the qualifying-offer.
Although he elected not to pursue arbitration, there is still benefit to arbitration for Tkachuk. Now, Calgary must file, at the very least, at the $9MM qualifying-offer. Tkachuk will of course file at a higher number and while the arbitrator may rule in his favor, or for Calgary, or at some number in between, he will be guaranteed at least the same $9MM salary next season.
With the departure of fellow star winger Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk a UFA after this upcoming season, the Flames have been left in a difficult position with their future. The organization will need to decide if it wishes to continue as a contender and work to replace Gaudreau, or lean towards a rebuild, and if so, what that means for Tkachuk. At the same time, it forces the difficult decision onto Tkachuk, who must decide if he wants to commit to Calgary for the long haul or if he, like Gaudreau, wants to move on. Presumably, negotiations have been taking place and even if they have been amicable, the two sides may have hit an impasse where progress seems impossible. By filing for arbitration, both parties now have a hard and relatively immediate deadline to come to an agreement, which may move the needle.
No date and time is yet known for any specific arbitration hearings, but a schedule is expected shortly. Hearings will run between July 27th and August 11th. Thus, Tkachuk’s 2022-23 contract will be certain no later than August 12th.
Andrej Sekera Retires From NHL
After 16 seasons, one of the best Slovak defensemen to ever lace them up is calling it a career. Andrej Sekera told a Slovak-language newspaper today that he’s stepping back from the NHL.
A 2004 third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, Sekera carved out a quite long, underrated NHL career with the Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars, where he spent the last three years and 135 games of his career.
His peak season, interestingly enough, came during his only full season with Carolina, notching 11 goals and 44 points in 74 games while averaging a career-high 23:41 per game.
Sekera was one of the more overlooked pieces that helped the Edmonton Oilers return to relevancy with Connor McDavid at the helm. He was the team’s most important defensive player in the 2016-17 season that saw them make the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, but a torn ACL during the second round in 2017 really hurt his career. He never played more than 57 games in a season after that and never averaged higher than 18 minutes per game after consistently averaging 20 or more for a number of seasons prior.
Sekera retired third all-time in games played amongst Slovak defensemen, trailing the obvious (Zdeno Chara) and Lubomir Visnovsky.
Arizona Coyotes Give Conor Geekie Entry-Level Contract
2022 NHL Draft picks are continuing to fly off the “unsigned” board. Today, the Arizona Coyotes signed 11th overall pick Conor Geekie to his three-year entry-level contract, per general manager Bill Armstrong. Presumably, the contract will carry a max entry-level cap hit of $950K.
Geekie was ranked all over the map in the first round by public scouts, and although he wasn’t a consensus top-ten pick at the end of the season like he was at the beginning, Arizona still snatched him up just outside of that range. Playing second fiddle on the WHL’s Winnipeg ICE to ninth overall pick Matthew Savoie, Geekie notched 70 points in 63 games.
He’s still a few years out from being an NHL impact player, in all likelihood. But Arizona is still getting a high-end prospect that mainly excels as a two-way center that’s tough to play against both at even strength and on the penalty kill. He’s got size teams and scouts dream of at 6′ 4″ and 200+ pounds, and he still boasts decent offensive upside (although maybe not as much as teams hoped pre-season).
San Jose Sharks Sign Luke Kunin, Kaapo Kahkonen
The San Jose Sharks have signed Luke Kunin to a two-year contract, according to PuckPedia. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.75MM. Kunin was eligible for salary arbitration this summer but chose not to file. Sharks general manager Mike Grier also announced Monday afternoon that the team has signed goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to a two-year contract. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the deal carries a cap hit of $2.75MM.
Kunin, 24, was acquired from the Nashville Predators this offseason in exchange for John Leonard (who also signed today) and a third-round pick. The young forward has changed his game in recent years to lean into his physicality, and after racking up a whopping 223 in 2021-22, he offers something new to the San Jose bottom six.
There’s also a bit of offensive skill in the 2016 first-round pick, who has double-digit goals in each of his last three seasons, all of them coming at even-strength or while short-handed. That kind of scoring upside will come in handy as the Sharks start to tear apart the old core and rebuild it under new general manager Mike Grier.
Notably, it will leave Kunin as a restricted free agent at its expiry, giving the Sharks a chance to re-assess whether he can be a long-term solution. He will once again be up for arbitration at that point.
Kahkonen excelled after San Jose acquired him at the Trade Deadline from the Minnesota Wild. The 2020 AHL Goalie of the Year had just a 2-6-1 record, but that was no fault of his own, posting a more-than-respectable .916 save percentage in 11 games played (10 starts). Kahkonen has a career .908 save percentage through 65 NHL games, 54 of which came with the Wild. He’ll join a crowded crease in San Jose next year that also includes James Reimer and Adin Hill.
The 25-year-old Finn will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 when his new contract expires.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Sam Montembeault
Today, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes announced that the team has agreed to terms on a two-year, one-way contract with goalie Sam Montembeault. The contract will take him to his first eligible year of unrestricted free agency in 2024. The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin reports the deal is worth $1MM per season.
Montembeault found his way to Montreal at the beginning of 2021-22 when the team claimed him off waivers from the Florida Panthers. With Carey Price‘s nagging knee injury keeping him out for the vast majority of 2021-22, Montembeault played in 38 games for Montreal this year, more than doubling his previous total of 25 with Florida. Serving as the backup to Jake Allen and the starter for brief periods when Allen was injured, Montembeault had a season to forget with an 8-18-6 record, .891 save percentage, and 3.77 goals against average along with one shutout.
The 2015 third-round pick is still relatively young in goalie years at 25, though, and there may be a small bit of untapped potential in the Quebec native. He’s yet to show it at the NHL level, though, as his save percentage hasn’t hit .900 in any of the three seasons he’s appeared in.
Montembeault’s role this season will once again depend entirely on the health of Price, barring a trade in the Montreal crease. If Price is able to battle back from what’s become an increasingly serious knee ailment to start the 2022-23 season on time, Montembeault and his seven-figure price tag would almost certainly pass through waivers unclaimed.
Minor Transactions: 07/18/22
The NHL free agent frenzy has slowed down considerably as we head toward the end of the month but there are still lots of spots to fill in the AHL. While we head into the summer, we’ll be keeping track of all the notable minor moves around the hockey world.
- The Utica Comets have signed Filip Bratt, Dylan Blujus, Xavier Parent, and Nolan Stevens to AHL contracts. Bratt, the younger brother of New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt, joins the organization after going undrafted and will try to work his way up to his brother’s level. His deal is a two-way minor league contract, meaning he’ll earn even less if he ends up in the ECHL.
- The Providence Bruins have signed Fedor Gordeev to a one-year AHL deal, potentially giving the big defenseman a chance to play in the AHL after spending 2021-22 in the ECHL with the Iowa Heartlanders. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017, he was eventually traded to the Minnesota Wild, where he signed his entry-level deal. This summer he was not issued a qualifying offer, making him a free agent and able to sign wherever he wanted.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Nashville Predators Sign Tommy Novak
After finishing up John Leonard‘s deal earlier today, the Nashville Predators have put the finishing touches on another restricted free agent contract. Tommy Novak has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.
Novak, 25, made his NHL debut this season with the Predators, playing in 27 games for the team and recording seven points. That’s a heck of a rise for a player who had to settle for an AHL contract coming out of college.
Originally a third-round selection of the Predators in 2015, he technically became an unrestricted free agent in 2019 after four years at the University of Minnesota, though had already agreed to an AHL deal with the Milwaukee Admirals by that point. He hit the ground running in the AHL, scoring 42 points as a rookie in 2019-20, and then was even better with the Chicago Wolves the following season, as the Predators shared an affiliate.
With a new deal, his focus will be on making a more regular appearance at the NHL level, and showing he belongs there as a full-time member of the roster. With strong puck skills and advanced playmaking ability, he could fit in as a player who plays limited even-strength minutes but contributes to the powerplay. Whether the Predators are open to something like that on a regular basis remains to be seen, but they now have the player to do it locked up on a league-minimum deal.