Colorado Avalanche Sign Valeri Nichushkin To Eight-Year Extension
The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche are retaining winger Valeri Nichushkin with an eight-year extension. Nichushkin was one of the most valuable two-way wingers hitting unrestricted free agency this offseason. The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reports the contract is worth $49MM in total, or $6.125MM per season through 2029-30.
PuckPedia has the details of the massive extension for Nichushkin:
2022-23: $6MM base, full NMC
2023-24: $7.5MM base, full NMC
2024-25: $8MM base, full NMC
2025-26: $7.3MM base, 12-team NTC
2026-27: $4.8MM base, $1MM SB, 12-team NTC
2027-28: $4.8MM base, 12-team NTC
2028-29: $2.8MM base, $2MM SB, 12-team NTC
2029-30: $2.8MM base, $2MM SB, 12-team NTC
Nichushkin, 27, has spent the last three seasons in Colorado growing into one of the game’s most underrated commodities. Bought out by the Dallas Stars after a goalless 2018-19 season, the 2013 10th overall pick saw his defensive game get recognition with the Avalanche before finally exploding offensively in 2021-22. Nichushkin scored 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points in 62 games this season, with all of those offensive numbers being career highs.
He’s received Selke Trophy votes each of the past three seasons, a true compliment to just how good he’s been on both sides of the puck since joining Colorado. He really just got a top-six role in earnest for the first time this season, though, averaging 19:02 per game. Nichushkin had never averaged above 15 minutes per night in his career. It’s one of the best career turnaround stories in the league, making the eight-year extension one of the feel-good stories of the offseason.
It’s a monster raise for Nichushkin, who was coming off a two-year deal with just a $2.5MM cap hit. If his 15 points in 20 playoff games is a sign that this level of production from him is sustainable over the next few years, he’ll be well worth the money — especially when considering his defensive prowess.
Next, Colorado and brand-new general manager Chris MacFarland will have to navigate what to do with Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. While Burakovsky is expected to hit the open market on Wednesday, the certainty of Nichushkin’s cap hit now allows Colorado to try and grind out an extension with Kadri. CapFriendly has Colorado with just under $15MM in projected cap space after the Nichushkin extension.
Evgeni Malkin Expected To Test Free Agency
Earlier today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic had tweeted that there was some progress in the last 24 hours between Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins, but it now appears talks have broken down. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the superstar center will test free agency on Wednesday. Dreger tweets that Malkin “wants to see what his options are,” given that he has never been a free agent previously.
From the beginning, things had appeared fractured between the Penguins and Malkin. Rob Rossi of The Athletic relayed a text from the Russian star over the weekend, that simply asked “do they want me?” The negotiations have been very public, with offer details leaking every few days, and quotes from Malkin himself being part of the reporting out of Pittsburgh.
Still, it seemed as though the two sides would inevitably get together, given their long history together and the fact that Kris Letang was re-signed for less money than he likely could have gotten on a short-term deal. The team could certainly fit Malkin under the cap at the moment, as they sit with more than $15MM in space.
Previous management groups have called Malkin a legacy player and suggested that there was no way he would pull on another team’s sweater before he retired, something the player himself has reiterated publicly. With new ownership and a front office that doesn’t have the same long-term ties to him though, things never progressed as quickly as expected.
If the 35-year-old center does hit the open market, it will be interesting to see what kind of contracts will be waiting for him. Without that built-in franchise connection, it’s hard to see the four-year deal that Malkin wants, or even maybe a three-year pact given his age and oft-injured status. Still, rival teams are likely pre-dialing his agent in hopes of snatching away a player that has been so good against them for so long. Contenders across the league would be wise to try and add him on a short-term deal if it is possible.
When he’s healthy, Malkin can still be quite effective. He scored 20 goals and 42 points in 41 games this season for the Penguins, and was still a weapon on the powerplay. In the past, a motivated Malkin has been a dominant force; it’s easy to understand how being cut loose by the only team he’s ever known could fuel a resurgent season, even if a multi-year deal might still be a bit of a risk.
At any rate, the fact that he’s not re-signing will add an extra wrinkle to the festivities on Wednesday, where he’ll join plenty of other high-impact forwards on the open market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dallas Stars Extend Marian Studenic
A waiver claim from this past season is sticking with his new team. The Dallas Stars announced Monday afternoon that the team has signed forward Marian Studenic to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Financial terms are currently unavailable.
The Slovak forward was a fifth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils just five years ago, but he’s already got a handful of NHL experience under his belt at 23. That experience caused him to lose his waiver exemption this season, and after just one goal in 17 games in New Jersey (but 10 points in 13 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets), the Devils lost him on waivers to Dallas when attempting to return him to Utica in February.
Studenic fared better in Texas, scoring a goal and two assists in 16 regular-season games and six points in four games spent in AHL Texas on a conditioning stint. He played in four of Dallas’ seven first-round playoff games as well without registering a point.
Whether Studenic actually plays for Dallas on this contract remains to be seen. The two-way nature of the deal shows a lack of confidence for him to play consistently in an NHL role. If Studenic fails to lock down a spot in training camp or disappoints early in the season, he’ll find himself right back on waivers where another team could pick him up.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Alex Nylander
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed minor league forward Alexander Nylander to a one-year, two-way contract for 2022-23. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K, and keep him from reaching restricted free agency. CapFriendly reports that the deal will pay $300K in the AHL.
No longer a top prospect, the 24-year-old Nylander hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2019-20 season and is now on his third team since being the eighth-overall pick in 2016. Acquired for Sam Lafferty in early 2022, he did somewhat find his stride after joining the Penguins organization, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 44 AHL games.
Talented but inconsistent, the young forward has just 84 regular season games at the NHL level since debuting five years ago. Signing him to a deal like this poses no risk for the Penguins but time is running out on Nylander if he’s ever going to become an impact player at the NHL level. One thing in his favor is the fact that he now must clear waivers in order to be sent to the minor leagues, meaning even if he can’t latch on in Pittsburgh, he’ll have a chance to go somewhere else and test his mettle at the NHL level–if someone wants to take that chance, at least.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Michael Pezzetta
It’s been an impressive rise through the ranks for Michael Pezzetta, and today he was rewarded with a new one-year, one-way contract. The Montreal Canadiens have signed the depth forward for a $750K salary, avoiding any restricted free agent negotiations this summer.
Pezzetta, 24, was a sixth-round pick of the Canadiens in 2016 and spent several years playing limited minutes in the minor leagues, including time with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. This season, he became a regular in the Montreal lineup and actually produced at a reasonable pace, scoring five goals and 11 points in 51 appearances.
He’ll never be known for his offense but Pezzetta adds a bit of fire and toughness to the Canadiens’ fourth line, as he racked up 156 hits and 81 penalty minutes in those 51 games. That included five fighting majors, easily the most on the club in 2021-22.
This deal will represent the first one-way contract of his career, and sets him up for a full-time role with the team next season. It will leave him as an RFA again in 2023, as long as he avoids Group VI UFA status by playing in a minimum of 29 games.
Latest On David Krejci
After spending a year playing overseas, it appears as though David Krejci may be on his way back to Boston. Multiple reports have emerged today including from Kevin Weekes of ESPN that Krejci is currently in negotiations with the Bruins to re-join the team for 2022-23. General manager Don Sweeney admitted he had been in touch with the veteran forward a few days ago but wouldn’t go so far as to say contract negotiations were underway at that point.
Krejci, 36, spent this past season playing in his native Czechia, where he racked up 46 points in 51 games. It was at the World Championship where the itch to return to Boston might really have started, as he rediscovered that instant chemistry with former teammate David Pastrnak en route to a bronze medal finish.
With the Bruins also expected to bring back Patrice Bergeron for at least one more year, it appears as though the team is trying to give it one more kick with the old core–a group that had so much success for so many years. Krejci himself had 730 points in 962 regular season games, all with the Bruins, and led all players in scoring during both 2011 and 2013 trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
One of the most cerebral playmakers of his generation, Krejci has never relied on speed to produce at a high level, instead creating space for himself and his teammates with ultra-quick decisions and awareness. His presence behind Bergeron down the middle of the Bruins lineup gave the team a one-two punch that was hard to beat, and fans in Boston will likely be excited to see them reunited, should both contract negotiations end positively.
With so many players on expiring deals, there will be a chance for Boston to embrace a true retool next summer. For now, it appears as though they’re trying to get the band back together.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Kings Sign Carl Grundstrom, Lias Andersson
Who needs qualifying offers anyway? The Los Angeles Kings have signed Carl Grundstrom and Lias Andersson to contract extensions today, avoiding restricted free agency with the young Swedish forwards. Grundstrom’s two-year deal will carry an average annual value of $1.3MM, while Andersson has agreed to a one-year, $750K contract for 2022-23.
The 24-year-old Grundstrom came into his own this season, finding his niche as an uber-physical forechecker that could chip in a bit of offense when given the chance. He scored nine goals in 54 regular season games and then lit the lamp three more times in six postseason contests, as the Kings pushed the heavily favored Edmonton Oilers to seven games. The dogged puck pursuit from players like Grundstrom has made the Kings a tough team to play against, and this two-year deal rewards that effort with a cap hit that suggests he’ll be in the lineup every day moving forward.
Andersson meanwhile hasn’t had quite the same impact and remains an enigma, now five years removed from being the seventh overall pick in 2017. The 23-year-old forward had just two points in 20 games with the Kings during the regular season and now has just 17 in 109 career NHL contests.
At $750K there is basically no risk in bringing him back but it’s hard to see a future where Andersson becomes an impact player for the Kings. Interestingly enough, that NHL salary is lower than what he would have been owed as a qualifying offer, though because that would have been a two-way contract, this might ultimately result in more money for the young forward, should he bounce between the AHL and NHL once again.
List Of Players Not Receiving A 2022 Qualifying Offer
The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents is today at 4pm CT, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer:
(this list will be updated as reports continue to come in)
Anaheim Ducks
Sam Steel, Sonny Milano, Jack Badini, Roman Durny, Lucas Elvenes, Brendan Guhle, Jacob Larsson
Arizona Coyotes
Cole Hults, Christian Fischer, Cam Dineen, Kyle Capobianco
Boston Bruins
(none)
Buffalo Sabres
(none)
Calgary Flames
Johannes Kinnvall, Tyler Parsons
Carolina Hurricanes
David Cotton, Jack LaFontaine, Beck Warm
Chicago Blackhawks
Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome, Andrei Altybarmakyan, Wyatt Kalynuk, Cale Morris, Cameron Morrison
Colorado Avalanche
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Andreas Wingerli, Nicholas Henry
Columbus Blue Jackets
Kevin Stenlund, Gabriel Carlsson
Dallas Stars
Colton Point, Alexey Lipanov, Jordan Kawaguchi
Detroit Red Wings
Filip Larsson, Olli Juolevi, Mitchell Stephens, Kaden Fulcher
Edmonton Oilers
Filip Berglund, Ostap Safin, Brendan Perlini
Florida Panthers
German Rubtsov, Evan Fitzpatrick, Jonas Johansson
Los Angeles Kings
Brendan Lemieux, Johan Sodergran, Vladimir Tkachev
Minnesota Wild
Fedor Gordeev, Dereck Baribeau
Montreal Canadiens
Josh Brook, Kale Clague, Rem Pitlick
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
(none)
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ty Ronning, Tyler Wall, Justin Richards, Jacob Elmer
Ottawa Senators
Adam Gaudette, Victor Mete, Michael McNiven
Philadelphia Flyers
Matthew Strome, Maksim Sushko, Kirill Ustimenko
Pittsburgh Penguins
Danton Heinen, Justin Almeida, Jordy Bellerive, Jan Drozg, Niclas Almari, Cam Lee, Will Reilly, Alex D’Orio
San Jose Sharks
Joachim Blichfeld, Jonathan Dahlen, Zach Gallant, Jake McGrew, Nicolas Meloche, Antoine Morand, Brinson Paschinuk, Zach Sawchenko
Seattle Kraken
Haydn Fleury, Dennis Cholowski, Ryan Donato, Daniel Sprong
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tye Felhaber, Odeen Tufto, Alex Green
Toronto Maple Leafs
Ondrej Kase, Chad Krys, Ian Scott, Kristians Rubins, Joseph Duszak
Vancouver Canucks
Justin Bailey, Matthew Highmore, Juho Lammikko
Vegas Golden Knights
Ben Jones, Brett Howden, Dylan Ferguson, Jack Dugan
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets
Philadelphia Flyers Acquire Tony DeAngelo
July 11: The Flyers have officially announced the two-year extension, which will carry an average annual value of $5MM exactly. DeAngelo will be scheduled for unrestricted free agency following the 2023-24 season.
July 8: The Philadelphia Flyers have added some offense to their blue line, acquiring Tony DeAngelo from the Carolina Hurricanes for pick No. 101 today, a third-round pick in 2023 (the lowest of the three they own), and a second-round pick in 2024. The Flyers will also receive pick No. 220 today.
Philadelphia general manager Chuck Fletcher released the following:
We’re very happy to add Tony to our team and I know he is very excited to join the Flyers. We did our due diligence and we strongly believe in Tony and his ability to help our team. He is a right-handed shot who moves the puck extremely well and will drive offense from the back end for us.
Because DeAngelo is a restricted free agent, the Flyers also needed to work out an extension with him. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the deal will be for two years, while Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic adds that it will carry an average annual value of about $5MM.
After being exiled from the New York Rangers locker room and bought out at the end of the 2020-21 season, DeAngelo arrived in Carolina to try and re-establish himself as a premier offensive defenseman in the league. He did just that, scoring 51 points in 64 games, while generally staying out of the spotlight.
Still, the Hurricanes decided to move on before they had to, as the 26-year-old defenseman could have been kept through the arbitration process. Instead, he was given permission to speak with other teams about a potential trade and extension.
They found a taker in Philadelphia, who give up a good amount of draft capital for the right to sign DeAngelo to a relatively expensive contract. The Flyers have made it very clear that they have no interest in a rebuild, and this shows they are committed to trying to compete in 2022-23.
It also might point to the uncertainty surrounding the health of Ryan Ellis, who may not be ready for the start of the season. DeAngelo can run the powerplay and log minutes on the right side, though he doesn’t exactly have the same defensive chops.
For Carolina, who is also expected to move Ethan Bear at some point this offseason, there are some holes to fill on the back end. Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce can cover up a lack of depth to a point but it will be interesting to see how aggressive they are in free agency next week.
Colorado Avalanche Promote Joe Sakic, Chris MacFarland
The Colorado Avalanche are making some front office changes after winning the Stanley Cup. Joe Sakic, who was recently given the Jim Gregory award as GM of the year, will be promoted to president of hockey operations, while Chris MacFarland will become the team’s new general manager.
A move like this was necessary if the team was going to keep MacFarland in the picture, as he had drawn plenty of interest from around the league. The long-time executive has been with the Avalanche since 2015, coming over that year from the Columbus Blue Jackets where he had served for more than a decade. There was always going to be a time when he was given the keys to a team of his own, and when he wasn’t included in some of the other recent general manager searches, it appeared as though a promotion in Colorado was imminent.
In this case, he’ll get the opportunity to run a team with the support of a manager that is not only a franchise icon but an extremely successful executive in his own right. Sakic will be able to take a lot of the pressure off of MacFarland with the press and help him to continue the excellent work that the front office has done over the last several years.
It is interesting to see this move happen just ahead of free agency, and it only strengthens the idea that MacFarland was already doing a lot of the heavy lifting for the organization. He’ll now have control of the ship, even if Sakic is still standing over his shoulder guiding him across uncharted waters.