Free Agent Focus: Los Angeles Kings
Free agency is now less than a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Kings.
Key Restricted Free Agents:
F Brendan Lemieux – After being traded three times in his career, first from the Buffalo Sabres to the Winnipeg Jets, then to the New York Rangers, and finally to the Kings, the known agitator seems to have finally settled in with Los Angeles in a role that fits him. Despite being out of playoff contention in 2020-21, the Kings made the move to acquire Lemieux from the Rangers ahead of the trade deadline, using him to protect their young players and get under the skin of their opponents. Not necessarily known for his scoring, Lemieux has just 60 points in 230 career games, 13 points and 50 games coming this past season, but does carry 410 career penalty minutes, 97 of which came in 2021-22. Coming off a two-year deal that carried a $1.55MM AAV, Lemieux’s next contract may not look much different, but with what he’s brought to the Kings, he presumably won’t have to worry much about getting another NHL deal.
F Adrian Kempe – Besides finding a way to help the organization take the next step in its accelerated rebuild, perhaps the biggest agenda item for Kings’ GM Rob Blake this offseason will be a new contract for the All Star forward. Kempe, who will turn 26 in September, had a sensational breakout season for Los Angeles, finding the back of the net 35 times, adding 19 assists for 54 points in 78 games. Before his breakout, Kempe was most likely going to see a raise over the $2MM AAV he carried the past three seasons, given his average of 31 points per 82 games over the life of that contract. However, by eclipsing that average point total just in goals scored this season, being relatively close to UFA status, and his arbitration eligibility, Kempe could see a major bump in salary this offseason, especially if the Kings are looking at a long-term agreement.
D Sean Durzi – Originally a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 and later traded for defenseman Jake Muzzin, Durzi took some time to make it to the NHL, but has now established himself as a piece of the Kings future on the blueline. The 23-year-old made his NHL debut on November 24th against the team that drafted him, skating in all of the Kings’ final 64 games, recording 27 points and averaging 19:36 in time-on-ice, good for sixth amongst Kings’ skaters. Given his experience, Durzi isn’t yet arbitration eligible, but he could still wind up with a rather significant contract extension due to his age and his emergence as a building block in Los Angeles.
Other RFA’s: F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, F Lias Andersson, F Carl Grundstrom, F Johan Sodergran, F Vladimir Tkachev, F Gabriel Vilardi, D Frederic Allard, D Michael Anderson, G Matt Villalta
Key Unrestricted Free Agents:
F Andreas Athanasiou – The soon-to-be 28-year-old had the unfortunate luck of dealing with injuries throughout his walk-year, playing in just 28 games this season. On the bright side for Athanasiou, he did manage 17 points in that span, the second-highest points-per-game total of his career. After being allowed to leave the Edmonton Oilers following the 2019-20 season, Athanasiou signed a one-year, $1.2MM contract for the shortened 2020-21 season, where he impressed with 23 points n 47 games, earning a one-year, $2.7MM contract for this season. Athanasiou may have been due a higher salary and perhaps additional term this time around, but given his injury issues this season, that may not be the case. Still, given his production when he is in the lineup, the Kings could realistically bring Athanasiou back, and supplement his spot in the lineup with some of their younger players if the injuries persist.
D Alexander Edler – Once seen as a lifetime member of the Vancouver Canucks, Edler wasn’t brought back to Vancouver after the 2020-21 season and ultimately signed a one-year contract worth $3.5MM with Los Angeles. Edler had a solid bounce-back season with the Kings, albeit in limited action, recording 19 points in 41 games, including an impressive plus-18 rating. The 36-year-old defenseman probably won’t be offered the career-high $6MM AAV he carried in 2019-20 and 2020-21, but did show this season that he absolutely still belongs in the NHL if he wants to stay. What Edler chooses to do is still up in the air, as he may not want to venture too far from the west coast where he has spent his entire NHL career, but options may be more limited for an older defenseman who could command at least $3.5MM next year, if not more.
D Olli Maatta – Not the player he was when he burst onto the scene with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013-14, Maatta has revived his career to an extent, showing he can be a reliable player on an NHL team. Though recording just eight points in 60 games with the Kings this season, Maatta did show promise with his plus-17 rating in 18:17 of average time-on-ice. The six-year, $24.5MM contract he just finished is likely not something he will find as a UFA this offseason, but Maatta should be an intriguing option for a number of teams, now marketed as a steady veteran defenseman.
Other UFA’s: F Martin Frk, D Nelson Nogier, D Troy Stecher, D Austin Strand, D Christian Wolanin, G Garret Sparks
Projected Cap Space:
Los Angeles projects to have just under $20MM in cap space this offseason, $19.863MM to be exact, with only a few semi-expensive moves to make. For one, they will have to give Kempe his predictably large raise and while they may be able to bring Durzi back on a team-friendly cap hit, they may be better off inking the defenseman long-term given his age, but that may create a larger cap hit than necessary for next season. Although $20MM may seem a bit low for a team that is still coming off of a rebuild, when factoring in the fact that the Kings have a bulk of their core signed for multiple seasons, including Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, and Drew Doughty who are all already signed long-term, the number feels more understandable and workable.
With the remaining space, the King will likely look to add a few pieces to help round out a team that wasn’t necessarily expected to make the playoffs this season, let alone take the Oilers to seven games in the first round, especially considering they got just 39 games total from Doughty, a franchise cornerstone. If the organization wants to create additional cap space, they could look to trade goaltender Jonathan Quick, who carries a $5.8MM cap hit next season, and move onto Calvin Petersen full-time.
Snapshots: Point, Husso, Hague
The Tampa Bay Lightning need to win two straight games in order to defend their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, including a pivotal Game Six tonight. Today, Lightning coach Jon Cooper told the media that the Lightning would be without star center Brayden Point, just as they were for their Game Five victory. Cooper called Point’s injury “severe,” but did not rule him out for Game Seven, should the Lightning manage to keep their season alive.
Point was originally injured in Game Seven of the Lightning’s first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Point has only gotten into two games since his injury, both in the Cup Final. He has one assist since the injury and five total points in his nine playoff games this year. Point is an elite center (he had 58 points in 66 games) but it’s clear he’s been operating at a significantly diminished level since the injury. Winning the Stanley Cup is obviously the first priority for the Lightning, but looking ahead to next season one can only hope that the attempts to re-integrate Point into the lineup don’t in any way set back his recovery. The Lightning have shown they can still win without Point, as they did against the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, but his absence could ultimately come with a cost if the Lightning do end up narrowly losing the Stanley Cup to the Avalanche.
Now for some other notes from across the league:
- Earlier today, Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell was the pending UFA of focus, and now we have some news on another netminder set to headline this summer’s open market: Ville Husso. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest reports that the Blues will “make a real effort” to re-sign Husso, specifically mentioning Husso’s “great relationship” with Jordan Binnington as a factor at play in negotiations. Husso is coming off of a breakout season where he posted a 25-7-6 record, .919 save percentage, and 2.56 goals-against-average. The Helsinki native even got some down-ballot Vezina consideration and is expected to have multiple suitors on the open market as a 27-year-old free agent. Strickland reports that the Blues will attempt to get him back, although it’s difficult to imagine they’ll be able to offer him the sort of long-term deal he may be able to get from elsewhere. The Blues already have Binnington under contract at a $6MM cap hit, and with important extensions for Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas needing to be inked next offseason, it’s not likely that the Blues will be able to give Husso a huge extension. What is possible, though, is Husso taking a short extension in St. Louis with the hopes of having another similar season to this past year in order to secure an even bigger free agent contract in the summer of 2023, when he would theoretically have that extra season’s worth of starts to pad out his currently thin NHL resume.
- The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy reported today that “at least two Eastern Conference teams are seriously interested in acquiring Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague.” The Golden Knights are facing a major cap crunch this offseason and the signing of Reilly Smith to an extension didn’t help matters on that front. Hague, 23, was the 34th overall pick in 2017 and has come into his own at the NHL level. His size (he stands six-foot-six and weighs 230 pounds) combined with his reliable, physical style (he averaged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game in 2021-22) make him an intriguing defenseman for teams to target. Hague is out of a contract and is a restricted free agent, and as uncommon as it may be he is the exact sort of player that could be targeted by an offer sheet in the second-round compensation range. Dealing Hague could help the Golden Knights solve their salary cap woes, and if that’s the route they choose to take it seems, per Kennedy, that they will have some teams interested in acquiring the blueliner.
East Notes: Blue Jackets Draft, Sanderson, Burke
While no team can quite match the draft pick stockpile the Arizona Coyotes have amassed for next month’s draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets might be the team best positioned for the first round specifically. The Blue Jackets hold the sixth and twelfth-overall selections, and according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, that might not be where they end up picking. (subscription link) Portzline makes it clear that the Blue Jackets will be “keeping their options open” with regard to the two picks, specifically pointing to the Blue Jackets potentially using their two selections to climb higher on the draft board.
Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is notoriously private about his strategy leading into drafts, so it’s unlikely that we’ll know exactly what the team decides to do until the night of the draft itself. That possibility is made especially true due to the uncertainty at the number-one slot. The Montreal Canadiens, who not only host the draft but also hold the number-one pick, could possibly pass on Kingston Frontenacs center Shane Wright in favor of Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky, whose momentum has been building in recent weeks. If the Canadiens end up doing just that, it brings up an extremely intriguing trade possibility with the Blue Jackets and Devils. The Devils are already set at center — having two number-one picks in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes on the roster will do that — and there are few teams that could match the Jackets’ offer should Kekalainen dangle both of his first-rounders. While we’re obviously a ways away from any sort of wildly entertaining scenario such as that one from actually taking place, it seems like there are definitely the pieces in place to make this year’s draft one of the more memorable in recent history, especially thanks to the mystery surrounding the Blue Jackets and their two top picks.
Now, for some other notes regarding the league’s Eastern Conference teams:
- While Columbus holding the sixth and twelfth picks at the 2022 draft is certainly an enviable situation for many teams, few clubs have been able to replicate the sort of high-end draft capital the Ottawa Senators were able to amass in 2020. The team held two top-five picks, and with their second they selected American defenseman Jake Sanderson. Sanderson’s debut has been highly anticipated since he signed from the University of North Dakota, but injuries kept him from getting into NHL games this past season. Per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, by the time the season starts in the fall, those injury woes will be behind Sanderson and he’ll be ready to be a full contributor with the Senators, assuming he makes the team out of training camp as he’s widely expected to. Sanderson is a dynamic defenseman who has the potential to transform the makeup of the Senators’ blueline corps. His full recovery coming in time for the start of next season is not only a win for the Senators, it’s a win for hockey fans in general.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins were a single goal in Game Seven away from advancing to the second round for the first time since 2018, but ultimately their injuries and inability to finish off the New York Rangers doomed their season. That has left the team with an offseason of major uncertainty, and that uncertainty may not involve just their two big-name franchise pillars that are out of a contract. According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Fenway Sports Group, the new Penguins owners, “may not be so enamored with Brian Burke keeping his post as president of hockey ops after a second straight first-round flameout.” Burke was hired in tandem with GM Ron Hextall last February, and under their stewardship, the Penguins have had a points percentage above .600, albeit with two first-round losses as Brooks mentions. Burke is a highly experienced hockey executive who is widely respected across the league, and the Penguins parting with him so early in his tenure would certainly be a surprise. While a summer front office shakeup is not something many had on their radar for the Penguins, especially given the high-stakes negotiations the team is currently engaged in, it now looks like it’s a possibility that cannot be ruled out.
Latest On New Jersey Devils Goaltending
The New Jersey Devils were once again in the league’s basement in 2021-22, finishing fourth-to-last in the NHL standings with a 27-46-9 record. Perhaps the single biggest reason for the Devils’ struggles this past season was their goaltending. The team had a combined .881 save percentage, which was second-worst in the NHL, only ahead of the expansion Seattle Kraken. No Devils goalie managed to get into more than 25 games, and significant injury woes to the team’s two main goalies, Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier, meant the Devils needed to use seven different goalies just to make it through the year. That group of seven included promising 21-year-old 2020 draft pick Nico Daws, a player the Devils undoubtedly would have rather let develop peacefully at the AHL level. So, with that nightmare season behind them, the Devils’ have set forth in this offseason with the intention of stabilizing their situation in net. With significant cap space to spare, many have speculated on what direction the Devils could go in their crease.
According to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks, “multiple industry sources” indicate that the Devils “will be in on impending Toronto free agent goaltender Jack Campbell if he hits the open market on July 13.” Additionally, Brooks adds that the Devils might even attempt to acquire Campbell’s signing rights in order to get a head start on the process. Along with Campbell, Brooks also reports that the Devils “could have interest” in Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev, if Georgiev is not issued his $2.65MM qualifying offer.
Targeting Campbell would certainly make a lot of sense for New Jersey. The American netminder had a brilliant 2020-21 campaign, unseating Frederik Andersen as the Maple Leafs’ starter on the back of his 17-3-2 record and .922 save percentage. In his first full year as the Maple Leafs’ number-one goalie in 2021-22, Campbell weathered some mid-season struggles to post a 31-9-6 record and .914 save percentage. While the playoffs were not kind to him, Campbell, 30, is likely to be considered the second-best goalie on the UFA market behind Avalanche starter Darcy Kuemper, who could win the Stanley Cup tonight. The Devils landing Campbell would be a clear indication of the front office’s intention to transition from their rebuild into a more competitive phase, an intention they signaled with their signing of Dougie Hamilton last summer.
The Devils’ reported interest in Georgiev is a bit more curious. While the Georgiev from 2017-18 to 2019-20 would certainly be an improvement from the Devils’ current crop of goalies, Georgiev’s recent form does not make him a slam-dunk upgrade over someone like Blackwood. Georgiev had a .898 save percentage this past year while playing behind a very strong Rangers squad. Perhaps the Devils are confident that Georgiev can revert back to playing as well as he did a few years ago, but relying on that would be risky. Brooks did clarify that the Devils’ interest in Georgiev would be as part of a tandem rather than as a true number-one, however.
While we don’t know exactly which goaltender the Devils will ultimately choose, we do know that goaltending will be a top priority for the them this offseason. The Devils have a strong young core centered around Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and other emerging stars. Armed with the number-two overall pick at the draft, the Devils clearly want to be in the hunt for a playoff spot next season. In order to get there, they’ll need significantly improved goaltending, and targeting a top free agent like Campbell is perhaps their clearest path to stability in the crease.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Chicago Wolves Win 2022 Calder Cup
The Chicago Wolves have won the 2022 Calder Cup, winning their series against the Springfield Thunderbirds in five games. This is the first Calder Cup to be won since the Charlotte Checkers captured the honor in 2019. The Wolves are the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, making the Hurricanes the first team to have their affiliate win back-to-back Calder Cups since the Washington Capitals’ affiliate, the Hershey Bears, won in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
The Wolves were a high-scoring, high-flying machine for most of this season. They went 50-16-10, and led the AHL with 110 points. The Wolves are an independently owned team that prioritizes winning above all else in a league where player development is for many the number-one goal. That strategy has led them to success this year, and it’s their veterans that have led the way for them.
Forward Andrew Poturalski, the Wolves’ captain, won the Calder Cup with the Checkers in 2019 and led the Wolves in scoring with 101 points. Former New Jersey Devil Stefan Noesen potted 48 goals in the regular season and Josh Leivo, a veteran of 214 NHL games, scored 15 goals in the Wolves’ playoff run to capture the Jack Butterfield Trophy for AHL playoff MVP.
This victory over the Thunderbirds undoubtedly puts Wolves coach Ryan Warsofsky in the spotlight, as he’s now won two Calder Cups since becoming an AHL coach in 2019. He won his first as an assistant on the Checkers’ 2019 staff. Warsofsky has a 105-47-10 record as an AHL head coach and a 88-44-12 record as an ECHL coach. While it’s unlikely that he gets one of the current head coaching vacancies, he’s definitely a candidate to keep an eye on for next year’s cycle.
This is the Wolves’ third Calder Cup. They last won in 2008 and also captured the 2001-02 Calder Cup.
Jets Notes: Dubois, Scheifele, Coaching Search
Ever since it was reported earlier this week that Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois had informed his team of his intentions to test free agency in 2024, it seemed likely that the Dubois storyline would be a major one for this offseason. Now, we have some additional details on Dubois’ choice regarding his future. Murat Ates of The Athletic believes that Dubois “quite sincerely” wants to test free agency, and has “not been shy” about communicating that desire to the team, as well as a desire to play in Montreal “in the long run” specifically. (subscription link)
Ates specifically mentioning Montreal confirms what many had believed about Dubois, that he had his eyes on playing in his home province. Dubois actually was almost drafted by the Canadiens at the 2016 draft, but the Blue Jackets took him third overall, which scuttled that possibility. Now, Dubois could be attempting to finally find his way to the Canadiens. The Canadiens have the opportunity to solidify a Nick Suzuki and Shane Wright one-two punch down the middle at the draft next month, so it’s fair to wonder if the Canadiens’ choice at number-one overall at the draft will ultimately have an impact on Dubois’ future in Winnipeg.
Now, for some other notes about the Jets:
- One other situation worth monitoring in Winnipeg is the situation of first-line center Mark Scheifele. Ates reports that Scheifele’s name has “made it into preliminary trade conversations,” and further adds on that a contentious exit meeting between the forward and the Jets front office could broaden the fracture between the Jets and their other star center. Centers who can score at above a point-per-game rate, as Scheifele has for the past half-decade, are rarely made available on the trade market or in free agency. Teams looking for center help this offseason could add Scheifele’s name to their possible options, and any deal with him involved is sure to have a major impact on the futures of both the acquiring team and the Jets.
- In the midst of news on Dubois, Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler, the ongoing Jets coaching search may have taken a bit of a back seat in the minds of Jets fans. It has become clear that widely reported number-one choice Barry Trotz won’t be an option, and that has left the Jets to sort through the remaining candidates to find their next bench boss. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the following coaches are on the Jets’ radar for the job: two former Manitoba Moose head coaches in Scott Arniel and Pascal Vincent and two former NHL head coaches in Rick Tocchet and Jim Montgomery.
Free Agent Focus: Minnesota Wild
Free agency is now less than a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Wild.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Kevin Fiala — Fiala might be the most high-profile casualty of GM Bill Guerin’s decision to buy out both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise last offseason. The Wild are facing a $6.3MM cap penalty from each of Parise and Suter’s buyouts for next season, and that figure rises to $7.3MM for the next two seasons after 2022-23. So, that has meant that the Wild have essentially acknowledged their reality with Fiala, that they can’t afford the long-term deal he could get from elsewhere and that the best option for both the team and player is a trade this offseason. So, for the Wild, Fiala’s restricted free agency isn’t about what his next contract will look like but is instead about what the return for him will be in a trade. Fiala had 85 points in 82 games this past year and drove the Wild’s second line. Fiala will face questions about his game, namely regarding his playoff woes, as he had only one playoff goal over the past two seasons. Additionally, there is the fair question of how a Fiala-led line would produce outside of an environment where they have another top line to absorb the opposing team’s toughest defensive matchups, as the Kirill Kaprizov line did in Minnesota. But even with those questions, Fiala is in line to be paid this summer, especially when one considers the additional leverage he will hold over any team that acquires him via trade.
D Jacob Middleton — The Wild made a slew of trade deadline additions in order to bolster their squad, and one of their lower-profile pickups was acquiring Middleton from the San Jose Sharks. The Wild surrendered goalie Kaapo Kahkonen in the deal, someone who was once considered to be the Wild’s “goalie of the future.” Guerin’s willingness to part with Kahkonen to get Middleton is an indication of how firmly he believed in Middleton’s fit in Minnesota. Middleton, 26, was brought to the Wild because of his physicality and overall defensive game. He averaged just under 18 minutes per night as a member of the Wild and also featured on their penalty kill. The Wild clearly like what Middleton brings, meaning an extension with some term attached can’t be ruled out. The presence of the buyouts obviously complicates things, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Middleton gets a contract between $2MM-3MM to stay in Minnesota, contracts similar to the ones other defense-first blueliners such as Tucker Poolman, Dylan DeMelo and Derek Forbort received.
Other RFA’s: F Mitchell Chaffee, F Nick Swaney, D Fedor Gordeev, G Dereck Baribeau
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
G Marc-Andre Fleury — The Wild acquired the 2021 Vezina Trophy winner at the trade deadline and alternated between him and Cam Talbot for the rest of 2021-22. The Wild are interested in a return for that tandem, but Fleury may be able to earn a larger contract from elsewhere. Fleury did not play to Vezina Trophy form last year, but he was still solid, especially after his trade to the Wild. He didn’t have a great playoffs, but few on the Wild did, and Fleury is at the point in his career where a small dip in performance isn’t likely to tank his earning potential anyway. Fleury is still widely viewed as a starting-caliber goalie, so while he’ll turn 38 later this year a retirement doesn’t seem to be in the cards just yet. What Fleury makes on the open market this offseason will likely depend on if he prioritizes fit over cost on his next contract and therefore whether he is willing to take a smaller contract in order to sign with the team he prefers.
F Nicolas Deslauriers — While the NHL is about speed and skill more than ever before, there is still room in the league for players like Deslauriers and his trip to unrestricted free agency will likely reflect that. The Wild acquired Deslauriers near the deadline to add some grit to their team, and Deslauriers did just that. He didn’t do very much else, with only three goals and zero assists in his 25 total games with the Wild, but that’s what’s about expected from Deslauriers, given that he has only 85 points in over 500 career games. Some fans might scoff at the idea of their team bringing Deslauriers in as a free agent, but he’s clearly valued by the league’s decision-makers and liked by his coaches. A return to Minnesota is definitely possible, although they could prefer to divert as many cap dollars as possible to scoring help in order to compensate for the expected loss of Fiala, which would then push Deslauriers out.
F Nick Bjugstad — Bjugstad, a Minneapolis native, is no longer the player that scored nearly 50 points on Aleksander Barkov‘s wing in Florida. Major injury woes have taken their toll on Bjugstad’s play, and since scoring 49 points in 2017-18 Bjugstad hasn’t crossed the 20-point mark since. In Minnesota, Bjugstad has stabilized his career and become a semi-regular face in the Wild’s bottom-six. He didn’t play well enough this past year to earn a spot in the Wild’s postseason lineup, and despite his bottom-six role he has not featured on the Wild’s penalty kill. Bjugstad played on a $900k cap hit last season and, if Minnesota is interested, should be available to them at a similar number for next season.
Other UFA’s: D Jordie Benn, F Brandon Baddock, F Kyle Rau, F Nolan Stevens, F Dominic Turgeon, D Jon Lizotte, G Zane McIntyre
Projected Salary Cap Space
This is the area where the Wild face their greatest challenge. The previously mentioned buyouts of Suter and Parise have left Guerin and the Wild’s front office operating with a significantly lower effective salary cap than other clubs. The buyouts will cost the team nearly $13MM in cap space this offseason and $15MM for the next two after this summer. As a result, the Wild have only $6.5MM in projected cap space this summer. Trading defensemen with only one year left on their deals such as Dmitry Kulikov or even Matt Dumba could give them some more room, but whatever way you cut it the Wild will find it difficult to make major additions in the next few offseasons without some real creativity involved.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Snapshots: Ovechkin, Schmiemann, Puljujarvi
In the past, there has been an expectation that Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin would finish up his career with Dynamo Moscow in Russia. On Friday, the veteran did indeed sign a contract with them, just not the Dynamo Moscow you might be thinking of. Instead, Dynamo’s soccer team announced the signing of the 36-year-old to a one-game contract, naming him the captain for the match as well. That game was played on Saturday with Ovechkin actually scoring the game-winner against Amkal in a 5-0 victory. Fittingly, given how many of his goals have been scored in the NHL, it came on a one-timer from the left side, the clip of which can be seen here.
More from around the hockey world:
- The Canucks have added some defensive depth at the AHL level as their farm team in Abbotsford announced the signing of Quinn Schmiemann to a two-year deal. The 20-year-old was actually a sixth-round pick of Tampa Bay back in 2019 but wound up not signing and remained in the WHL this season where he picked up 14 goals and 40 assists in 58 games during the regular season while finishing third in scoring for the Blazers in the playoffs with 18 points in 17 contests.
- Sportsnet’s Mark Spector posits that an arbitrator could award pending RFA winger Jesse Puljujarvi a contract in the $3.5MM to $4MM range this summer. That would certainly be a big blow to the Oilers who simply couldn’t afford to carry that type of contract on their books. The 24-year-old has been more impactful since coming back to North America at the start of last season but despite some impressive underlying numbers, he still managed just 14 goals and 22 assists in 2021-22. If that is indeed in the range of where Puljujarvi’s camp sees him landing in an arbitration hearing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Ken Holland shopping him over the coming weeks.
Offseason Checklist: Pittsburgh Penguins
With the offseason in full swing aside from the two teams in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s time to examine what each squad will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at the Penguins.
Despite some key injuries in the playoffs, the Penguins nearly got past the Rangers in the opening round which gave GM Ron Hextall a tough choice to either run it back with this same core with Sidney Crosby still a high-end center or to start a rebuilding phase. Considering their stated intention is to keep their win-now window open, their summer checklist reflects that.
Get Goaltending Stability
Tristan Jarry was once viewed as Pittsburgh’s goalie of the future following a stellar junior career. When Matt Murray was traded to Ottawa two drafts ago, he became their goalie of the present. However, it’s now fair to wonder whether or not he’s their goalie of the future beyond next season. The 27-year-old is coming off a strong regular season that saw him post a GAA of 2.49 and a.919 SV% but 159 games into his NHL career, there are still some questions about whether or not he should be their long-term starter. If management is sold on Jarry, then working out a long-term extension with an AAV starting with a five would be worthwhile and that move can be made as of July 13th.
But what if they don’t feel that way or want to see what 2022-23 brings before making that type of commitment? That’s when things start to get a bit dicey. There is no Jarry-like prospect in the minors that’s a year or two away from being NHL-ready. There isn’t even an NHL-caliber backup under contract with Casey DeSmith set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and journeyman Louis Domingue (their starter for most of the playoffs) also hitting the open market. In an ideal world, they would add a quality backup on a multi-year deal and give themselves a short-term upgrade at that second spot and a bit of longer-term stability.
Of course, an ideal world implies that they have the cap space to do this and accomplish their other summer objectives. As we’ll get to shortly, the only way something like this could happen is if things don’t go well on those other fronts. A short-term low-cost deal might be all they can afford and if they head into next season with Jarry on an expiring deal and a short-term backup, that’s not an ideal situation to have for a very important position.
Keep Or Replace Veteran Stars
Now, let’s get to the obvious. Right now, Pittsburgh has over $23MM in cap space which sounds wonderful without context. That context is that two of their long-time veteran stars, center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang, will become unrestricted free agents next month. Accordingly, most (if not all) of their offseason planning will revolve around this duo in terms of trying to keep them or finding a way to replace them.
When healthy, Malkin remains a high-end NHL center and has averaged less than a point per game just once in the last decade. However, there’s one other key thing that has happened just once in the last decade and that’s the 36-year-old playing at least 70 games in a season. Malkin has had long run-ins with injury trouble and this past season was no exception which really complicates things from a valuation standpoint. When Malkin is in the lineup and producing at a point-per-game rate, his market value isn’t that far off from the $9.5MM AAV of his soon-to-expire contract. But since he can’t stay in the lineup consistently, it’s also a huge risk to give him that type of money. The only way the Penguins can make part of his pay based on staying healthy is with a one-year deal and Malkin has no reason to accept that as he can likely land a three-year or four-year commitment next month. While a pay cut is likely, it probably won’t be a substantial one.
Then there’s Letang. Over the last four seasons, only three blueliners have more points than the 35-year-old. The low-end in terms of AAV for those three players is $7.875MM (Victor Hedman who left money on the table to stay in Tampa Bay) and the high end is $9.059MM (Nashville’s Roman Josi). You can be sure that Letang’s representatives will be pointing that out in negotiations. Letang isn’t a stalwart defensive defender but he has killed penalties for the Penguins and while he has had injury issues of his own in the past, he has been healthier in recent years. While Pittsburgh would love to try to get Letang for less than his expiring $7.25MM cap hit, he could very easily get more if he gets to the open market. The length of the contract is a priority though so if the Penguins are willing to go with a longer deal than they might prefer, it should yield a lower AAV than he’d get otherwise.
Both players have been franchise stalwarts for the last 16 years but with everything else that Hextall needs to go this summer, it will be difficult to keep (or replace) both at market value and still have money left to fill their other needs. But with how important those two are, they’re certainly going to try to find a way to make it work.
Create Cap Flexibility
If Hextall is going to be able to keep both of his veteran stars, keep some of the other notable pending UFAs (including wingers Rickard Rakell and Evan Rodrigues), find a quality backup goalie, and leave some wiggle room for in-season movement, something has to give. Some tough decisions are going to need to be made on some impact players.
One of those is winger Kasperi Kapanen. The team has twice used a first-round pick on him, first to draft him and then another to re-acquire him back in 2020 but the return on their reinvestment wasn’t great in 2021-22. After an impressive shortened campaign, the 25-year-old struggled this past season, notching just 11 goals and 21 assists in 32 games while chipping in with three assists in their seven-game loss to the Rangers. That’s not a terrible return on a $3.2MM cap hit but it’s safe to say they were hoping for more. If they tender him a qualifying offer this summer (technically speaking, that offer is only worth $840K based on the structure of his expiring deal), Kapanen will be arbitration-eligible where his prior years could push his value closer to $4MM which is below the walkaway threshold. His trade value won’t be overly high because of this situation so a non-tender is a definite possibility. While that would create some extra flexibility, it’d also create another impact roster spot to be filled.
Then there’s Jason Zucker, another winger. Former Penguins GM Jim Rutherford paid a sizable price to bring him in as well but he hasn’t been able to play at the level he did with Minnesota. When he has been healthy (and that has been a struggle the last couple of seasons), he has been more of a secondary producer which isn’t great for someone with a $5.5MM price tag. A buyout would give them a little less than $3.5MM in cap space for next season while adding $1.733MM to 2023-24’s cap but also would create another spot to fill. Alternatively, a trade with some retention that yields less relief next season but carries no penalty for the following year is an option while they could also add a draft pick or prospect to try to get a team to take the contract in full. None of these are desirable but carrying him on the books next season could cost them the ability to retain a more impactful player.
There are also some candidates to move on the back end. Marcus Pettersson hasn’t lived up to his inflated contract, one that carries an AAV of just over $4MM for three more years. Flipping him for someone that makes less money is something that can be considered. John Marino ($4.4MM for five more years) has been in trade speculation going back to during the season and a similar idea could be done with him, especially if they’re able to bring Letang back. It’s unlikely they can clear the full contracts but moving one of them could give them a little more financial flexibility. Even with $23MM in cap room for the time being, the Penguins certainly are going to need all the financial flexibility they can get.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Central Notes: Burakovsky, Raffl, Blackhawks
Colorado could get some help for Sunday’s sixth game against the Lightning. Speaking with reporters today including NHL.com’s Tracey Myers, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that winger Andre Burakovsky will accompany the Avalanche to Tampa Bay and is a possibility to play in that contest. The 27-year-old suffered what is believed to be a hand injury in the second game of the series, taking away one of their key secondary scorers. After recording 61 points in the regular season, Burakovsky has eight in a dozen playoff contests so far. Officially, he remains listed as day-to-day.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- Stars GM Jim Nill recently told reporters, including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News, that they tendered a contract offer to pending UFA winger Michael Raffl although it clearly hasn’t been accepted. The 33-year-old managed just 16 points in 76 games this season despite averaging 14:32 per game of ice time so it’s likely that offer came in below the $1.1MM he made in 2021-22. As a depth player, it’s possible he could have an eye on returning overseas to finish off his playing career.
- While some have speculated about the possibility of the Blackhawks moving one or both of franchise stalwarts Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews this summer, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the veterans aren’t being shopped and if they do wind up going elsewhere, it will be at their request. The idea of discussing extensions with them hasn’t been ruled out either although that isn’t expected to happen this summer as all sides want to see how things go in what’s expected to be a rebuilding year in Chicago. Kane and Toews are each under contract through next season at a $10.5MM cap hit.