Frans Nielsen Signs In Germany
After not catching on with an NHL team for training camp, Frans Nielsen has opted to head back overseas as Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL announced that they’ve inked the 37-year-old to a one-year deal.
Nielsen spent the last five seasons with the Red Wings after spending a decade as a member of the Islanders. When he first joined Detroit, he was a capable two-way center that gave them some extra depth in the top six. He wasn’t bad in the offensive end in his first two seasons there, notching 17 and 16 goals respectively but his production fell off sharply after that. Last season, Nielsen suited up in just 29 contests, scoring only once while chipping in with five assists in a little over 12 minutes a game on average.
That type of production is hardly worth the $5.25MM AAV he was carrying which resulted in Detroit buying him out this summer. The cumulative cap hit ($4.25MM this season, $500K next) is almost the same and the move only saved them $500K in actual money plus a contract slot but it was a move that still made sense for them with how far his stock had fallen.
Considering he didn’t have any takers for a PTO and will turn 38 in April, there’s a very high chance that this is the end of the line for Nielsen in the NHL. Assuming that is the case, he’ll finish up with 473 points in 925 games between New York and Detroit. Not a bad career for a late third-round pick (87th overall) back in 2002; Nielsen has the sixth-most points and the eighth-most games played of anyone from that draft class.
Zach Parise Signs With New York Islanders
October 10: Per CapFriendly, Parise’s deal is indeed for the league-minimum $750,000, receiving $750,000 in potential performance bonuses.
September 13: Though they still haven’t publicly acknowledged the signing, the Islanders introduced Parise at a press conference on Friday and confirmed he had agreed to terms with the team. Arthur Staple of The Athletic believes the deal will “very likely” be for a $750K base salary plus performance bonuses. Those bonuses, should the Islanders remain over the cap in LTIR this season, will be carried over to books for 2022-23.
September 1: As expected, Zach Parise will sign with the New York Islanders this offseason. He has already agreed to terms with the team, Parise confirmed to Michael Russo of The Athletic, but the contract has just not been registered yet with the NHL. No contract details have been revealed.
The Islanders finally announced four multi-year contracts earlier today, but Parise wasn’t among those who were formally introduced. Though those deals pushed the Islanders over the salary cap upper limit for the time being, the team will move Johnny Boychuk to long-term injured reserve as his playing career is over. In order to get the full relief of his $6MM cap hit, the Islanders need to be as close to the cap ceiling as possible when they make the LTIR transaction. A deal for Parise could potentially get them there when it is eventually filed.
The 37-year-old forward has spent the last nine years with the Minnesota Wild, but has a relationship with Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello that goes back to his draft in 2003. That’s when the New Jersey Devils–then led by Lamoriello–picked Parise 17th overall out of the University of North Dakota. He would become a star in New Jersey before inking a massive 13-year free agent contract with close friend Ryan Suter to go to Minnesota in 2012.
Those contracts were bought out earlier this summer, and speculation immediately emerged that had Parise going to Long Island. Suter signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Stars, but that kind of term is likely not available for Parise. While Suter is still a legitimate top-four defenseman, the veteran forward had fallen on hard times recently and was even healthy scratched several times by the Wild.
Parise had just seven goals and 18 points in 2020-21 for Minnesota, averaging fewer than 14 minutes a night. That may seem like a player destined for retirement, but it was just 2019-20 the last time Parise was a 25-goal scorer. Perhaps he can return to that kind of production–or at least something still valuable–in New York, where he’ll once again be able to chase a Stanley Cup that has thus far eluded him over a 1,060-game NHL career.
Zdeno Chara Signs With New York Islanders
October 10: Per CapFriendly, Chara’s one-year deal carries the league-minimum cap hit of $750,000. The deal contains an additional $750,000 in performance bonuses.
September 18: A future Hall of Famer is heading back to where it all began. As first reported by ESPN’s Kevin Weekes and then confirmed by the team, the New York Islanders have signed veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara to a one-year contract. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
Chara was of course drafted by the Islanders all the way back in 1996. He played his first four pro seasons with the club before being dealt to the Ottawa Senators in 2001 in the infamous Alexei Yashin trade. Since then, Chara has established himself as one of the best defensemen of his generation. A Stanley Cup champion, Norris Trophy winner, seven-time all-league defenseman, the NHL’s active leader in career plus/minus and penalty minutes, and an all-time captain, Chara has accomplished more than anyone could have expected when he last with the Islanders. However, he still wants to add another title to his trophy shelf and feels a return to New York could be the best fit.
The long-time Bruins captain, Chara left Boston after the 2019-20 season as the team was looking to move on with a younger core of defensemen and only offered Chara a depth role. The Washington Capitals took him on as an affordable, one-year rental and he provided solid stay-at-home defense all year. Yes, it was a career-low in ice time and a drop-off in most statistical categories, but at 44 years old that is to be expected. The skating and skill are largely gone from his game, but Chara was still a plus player who contributed physically and was not a liability on the back end. Having see up-close what Chara can do, the Islanders have signed him away from the division rival Capitals and will likely use him in a similar fashion. However, given their far more conservative system than Washington’s and the presence of several other dependable defensive blue liners such as Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, and fellow veteran Andy Greene, Chara will be under less pressure. This could serve to keep him well-rested and even more effective defensively late in the season and into the playoffs of his 24th NHL campaign.
Chara wanted to stay on the east coast near his family in Boston while still landing with a team that could give him one last shot at the Stanley Cup. It is safe to say that the reigning “East Division” champs have as good a shot as anyone who fits that description. Add in a homecoming to the team who started his illustrious career and the pairing of the Chara and the Islanders seems to be an excellent fit.
Austin Watson Out Four Weeks For Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith confirmed today that forward Austin Watson will be out of the lineup for four weeks. The veteran winger sustained an ankle injury during the preseason.
Things are turning sour quickly for the Senators, who’ll now be without both Watson and Colin White, as well as potentially Brady Tkachuk, for their season opener. They’ll play their first game of the 2021-22 season at home on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Watson, largely brought into Ottawa for his grit and fighting ability, has been a remarkably consistent bottom-six player over the past few seasons. He made his impact felt during his first season in Ottawa last year, tallying three goals and 10 points in 34 games while adding on 40 penalty minutes.
Now 29 years old, the Ann Arbor, Michigan native spent eight years in the Nashville Predators organizations before moving to Ottawa prior to last season. He was a first-round pick of the Predators in 2010, drafted 18th overall. Watson has 39 goals and 87 points in 340 career games.
If Ottawa needs a physical presence while Watson is on the shelf, they could look to Scott Sabourin as an internal replacement. Largely a career AHLer, Sabourin got into 35 games with the Sens back in 2019-20 and could reprise his role as an enforcer again.
Florida Panthers Acquire Olli Juolevi From The Vancouver Canucks
Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that the Florida Panthers are acquiring defenseman Olli Juolevi from the Vancouver Canucks. The move comes just two days ahead of the start of the regular season. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports that Vancouver will receive forward Juho Lammikko and defenseman Noah Juulsen in return.
Drafted fifth overall in 2016, the 23-year-old Finn has failed to secure an NHL role up to this point in his career and made his NHL debut just last season. He’ll now look for a bigger role and a different, potentially more favorable system under coach Joel Quenneville in Florida. General manager Bill Zito spoke about the acquisition today:
We are excited to welcome another young defenseman like Olli to our organization. We look forward to Olli developing with our club as he joins our deepening core on the blueline.
Juolevi tallied just two goals and an assist in 23 games with Vancouver this season, averaging 13:13 per game. With Florida, it’s possible that he resumes a seventh defenseman role while he’s given more time to work with coaching staff.
When he is ready to enter the NHL lineup in South Florida, he’ll have to likely knock off one of Markus Nutivaara or Brandon Montour for a spot in the lineup. It won’t be an easy task, but it is possible if Juolevi begins to realize his top-ten pick potential.
Juolevi had been productive in the AHL over the past few seasons, tallying 38 points in 63 games with the Utica Comets from 2018-2020. If given more of a role in Florida, it’s likely that his offensive and defensive play would improve.
14 Players Clear Waivers
Sunday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that all 14 names from yesterday have cleared waivers.
Saturday: As expected, it’s another busy day on the waiver wire with opening rosters being submitted to the NHL on Monday. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star and TSN reports (Twitter links) that the following 14 players are on waivers today:
D John Moore (BOS)
F Chris Wagner (BOS)
F Byron Froese (CGY)
F Justin Kirkland (CGY)
G Calvin Pickard (DET)
D Thomas Hickey (NYI)
F Richard Panik (NYI)
F Anthony Angello (PIT)
F Dylan Gambrell (SJ)
F Logan Brown (STL)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (STL)
D Alex Biega (TOR)
F Kurtis Gabriel (TOR)
D Michal Kempny (WSH)
As expected, today’s list is a little more interesting as teams get closer to making their final cuts with more notable players. Several veterans are on the wire today, headlined by Kempny and Moore on the back end. Both players are coming off injury-plagued seasons (Achilles for Kempny, hip for Moore) and could benefit from some regular action in the minors to get back into playing shape. If they clear, Washington and Boston would only receive $1.125MM in cap relief; Kempny carries a $2.5MM AAV for this season while Moore is at $2.75MM for the next two seasons.
Up front, Panik and Wagner are a pair of veterans that have considerable NHL experience. Panik split last season between the Capitals and Red Wings, picking up 13 points in 48 games. Detroit is retaining half of his $2.75MM AAV, meaning that if he was claimed, the team that picks him up would only be carrying him at $1.375MM. Wagner is in the second season of a three-year deal with a $1.35MM AAV and while his production tumbled last season to just five points in 41 games with the Bruins, he has been one of the more physical players in the league in recent years. Again, if they clear, those teams would only get $1.125MM in cap space.
Brown’s stint with his hometown team didn’t go particularly well evidently with him being on waivers so quickly. As part of the trade from Ottawa, the Senators will send a fourth-round pick to the Blues if the 2016 first-round pick doesn’t play in 30 games with St. Louis. All of a sudden, that pick looks a lot likelier to transfer.
Among the other forwards, Angello and Gambrell are somewhat interesting as well. Angello played in 19 games on the fourth line with the Penguins last season, picking up four points along with 51 hits and actually carries a cap hit that’s $25K below the league minimum which could be appealing to cap-strapped teams. As for Gambrell, he has played in 99 games with the Sharks over the last two seasons and logged over 16 minutes a game for them last season. He was a highly-speculated candidate to be selected by Seattle in expansion although they went with Alexander True instead. Gambrell makes $1.1MM this season and is controllable through arbitration through 2024.
New Jersey Devils Sign Jimmy Vesey
The New Jersey Devils signed forward Jimmy Vesey to a one-year, $800,000 deal on Sunday, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The Devils, like recent addition Frederik Gauthier, signed Vesey after bringing him to training camp on a professional tryout contract.
Vesey, a 28-year-old Boston native, will suit up for his fifth NHL team in just six NHL seasons. He’s failed to meet expectations since winning the Hobey Baker trophy for the best player in college hockey and signing as a free agent with the New York Rangers prior to the 2016-17 campaign.
The left wing began his career with consistent scoring production, potting 16, 17, and 17 goals in his first three seasons, all with the Rangers. However, a move to Buffalo prior to 2019-20 derailed his production, posting just nine goals and 20 points in 64 games. He scored only 10 points in 50 games in 2020-21, splitting the season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks after being waived mid-season.
Vesey figures to slot into a bottom-six role when in the lineup in New Jersey. He’ll bottle for a spot in the lineup with younger players like Marian Studenic and Jesper Boqvist. In all likelihood, he remains in a depth role as the 13th forward and can be a fine replacement if injuries strike.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/10/21
A variety of final or close-to-final cuts will be made to rosters today, as opening-night rosters are due tomorrow. Here are today’s training camp cuts:
Buffalo Sabres (via team Tweet):
F Brandon Biro (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Fitzgerald (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian):
F Walker Duehr (to Stockton, AHL)
F Byron Froese (to Stockton, AHL)
F Justin Kirkland (to Stockton, AHL)
D Connor Mackey (to Stockton, AHL)
G Adam Werner (to Stockton, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release):
D Joey Keane (to Chicago, AHL)
G Alex Lyon (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ryan Suzuki (to Chicago, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via NBC Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis):
F Alexander Nylander (to Rockford, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release):
D Gavin Bayreuther (to Cleveland, AHL)
*D Gabriel Carlsson (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Danforth (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (to Cleveland, AHL)
*D Mikko Lehtonen (to Cleveland, AHL)
*F Kevin Stenlund (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Daniil Tarasov (to Cleveland, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team release):
D Dawson Barteaux (to Texas, AHL)
F Mavrik Bourque (to Shawinigan, QMJHL)
D Joseph Cecconi (to Texas, AHL)
F Tye Felhaber (to Texas, AHL)
D Thomas Harley (to Texas, AHL)
F Jordan Kawaguchi (to Texas, AHL)
D Ryan Shea (to Texas, AHL)
F Riley Tufte (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (via team Tweet):
G Calvin Pickard (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (via team release):
G Stuart Skinner (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via team Tweet):
F Egor Afanasyev (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Jeremy Davies (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (via The Athletic’s Corey Masisak):
F Jesper Boqvist (to Utica, AHL)
*F Frederik Gauthier (to Utica, AHL)
G Akira Schmid (to Utica, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team Tweet):
G Filip Gustavsson (to Belleville, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team Tweet):
F Dylan Gambrell (to San Jose, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford):
F Logan Brown (to Springfield, AHL)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (to Springfield, AHL)
Vancouver Canucks (via team release):
*F Justin Bailey (to Abbotsford, AHL)
*D Madison Bowey (to Abbotsford, AHL)
*F Phillip Di Giuseppe (to Abbotsford, AHL)
*D Travis Hamonic (to Abbotsford, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team Tweet):
*G Zach Fucale (to Hershey, AHL)
*F Garrett Pilon (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release):
F David Gustafsson (to Manitoba, AHL)
*D Nelson Nogier (to Manitoba, AHL)
*F Dominic Toninato (to Manitoba, AHL)
* – Player must clear waivers prior to assignment
Jack Johnson Signs One-Year Deal With Colorado
The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a one-year, $750,000 deal Sunday per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Johnson was previously with the team on a professional tryout contract.
Johnson likely stands as a seventh defenseman and/or a waiver candidate later in the year, especially on a team as deep as Colorado. But as the team deals with an injury to Devon Toews early on in the season, Johnson is a candidate to slot into the team’s opening night lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
A veteran of 15 NHL seasons and 950 games, Johnson does bring some veteran experience to a blueline that’s headed by a set of younger names in Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, and Bowen Byram. It’ll be Johnson’s first time playing for a Western Conference team since he was traded away from the Los Angeles Kings midway through the 2011-12 season.
After averaging over 20 minutes a night for the 11 seasons of his career, Johnson’s seen his ice time dwindle progressively down to that of a third-pairing or seventh defenseman in recent years. Johnson appeared in only 13 games with the New York Rangers last season, scoring one goal.
Over his entire NHL career, Johnson’s lit the lamp 71 times and scored 303 points.
New York Rangers Extend Mika Zibanejad
The New York Rangers announced Sunday morning that they’ve extended center Mika Zibanejad. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks reports an eight-year deal with a cap hit in the $8.5MM range. Per CapFriendly, the contract breakdown is as follows:
2022-23: $1MM salary + $7MM signing bonus
2023-24: $1MM salary + $9MM signing bonus
2024-25: $1MM salary + $9.5MM signing bonus
2025-26: $1MM salary + $9MM signing bonus
2026-27: $1MM salary + $7.5MM signing bonus
2027-28: $1MM salary + $6.75MM signing bonus
2028-29: $1MM salary + $5.75MM signing bonus
2029-30: $1MM salary + $5.5MM signing bonus
CapFriendly also adds that the deal contains a full no-move clause through the first seven years of the deal plus most of the eighth year. In 2030, that clause will drop to a 21-team no-trade clause seven days before the trade deadline.
Zibanejad’s extension will begin in the 2022-23 season, taking him through 2029-30 — his age 37 season. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this campaign.
With Zibanejad’s $8.5MM reported cap hit, it’s an increase of a little over $3MM on his previous $5.35MM cap hit. The center is coming off a five-year, $26.75MM deal he signed with the Rangers prior to the 2017-18 season.
The contract has immediate salary cap ramifications for the Rangers, who’ll have a busy and challenging offseason ahead of them at the conclusion of this season. The team is projected to have $20.2MM in space next year with the cap increasing to $82.5MM. That space is all they have to re-sign Adam Fox, Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov, Sammy Blais, and Alexandar Georgiev, as well as filling out the rest of their roster. They’re handicapped by a $3.4MM cap penalty from the combined buyouts of Kevin Shattenkirk, Dan Girardi, and Anthony DeAngelo.
Throughout his 604-game NHL career, Zibanejad’s scored 200 goals, 234 assists, and 434 points. He’s averaged over 20 minutes a game for the Rangers for three consecutive seasons, cementing his role as a bonafide top-line center. He scored 24 goals and 50 points during last season’s shortened 56-game campaign.
Drafted sixth overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2011, he’s done his best work away from the team that drafted him after Ottawa shipped him away to the Rangers in 2016 in exchange for Derick Brassard. He’s scored 283 points in 323 games as a Ranger.
Theoretically, this deal also had a direct impact on another New York squad. The Rangers have long been linked as a possible destination for former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel via trade. Yet an eight-year commitment of this magnitude to a player that’s served as their first-line center for years now would suggest that the Rangers have placed their bets in-house on a center that can take them to a Stanley Cup.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Images.
All salary cap figures courtesy of CapFriendly.