Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
New York Rangers
Current Cap Hit: $72,103,969 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Morgan Barron (two years, $925K)
F Adam Fox (one year, $925K)
F Kaapo Kakko (one year, $925K)
F Vitali Kravtsov (one year, $925K)
F Alexis Lafreniere (one year, $925K)
D Nils Lundkvist (three years, $925K)
D K’Andre Miller (two years, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Barron: $850K
Fox: $850K
Kakko: $2.65MM
Kravtsov: $850K
Lafreniere: $2.85MM
Lundkvist: $850K
Miller: $350K
Total: $9.25MM
Kakko’s first two seasons haven’t gone particularly well as he hasn’t been able to produce with much consistency. That can certainly change but at this point, a shorter-term second contract seems likelier than a long-term pact while the bulk of those bonuses won’t be met. Lafreniere’s rookie campaign was similar to Kakko’s and he is one of New York’s big wild cards heading into this season. A strong sophomore year could put him in position to meet most of his ‘A’ bonuses at least, totaling $850K though the ‘B’ bonuses remain unlikely. Kravtsov had a good season in the KHL but was relatively quiet in his first taste of NHL action. Now only a year away from his second contract, a bridge deal should be forthcoming. Barron may wind up also seeing action in AHL Hartford but if he winds up being a regular, he’s likely not going to be able to hit most of his ‘A’ bonuses.
Fox, the Norris Trophy winner, is on quite the bargain of a contract. His sophomore season was a dominant one and it’s safe to say he’ll be using some of the recent contracts for Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen (eight years, $8.45MM AAV) and Colorado’s Cale Makar (six years, $9MM AAV) as comparables. As long as he stays healthy, he should hit all of his ‘A’ bonuses. Miller is likely to have a similar role on New York’s back end this season which should give him a shot at two or three of his ‘A’ bonuses while setting him up for a nice second contract though nowhere near what Fox’s will be. Lundkvist is expected to contend for a regular role but if they ease him in, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to hit most of his bonuses.
There’s more emphasis on bonuses here than usual for a reason. While the Rangers are more than $9MM under the cap, that doesn’t factor in bonuses. Knowing that several million of those bonuses are likely to be hit, their effective cap space is lower unless they want to face an overage penalty in 2022-23 which would not be a wise idea if it can be avoided.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
F Sammy Blais ($1.5MM, RFA)
F Julien Gauthier ($775K, RFA)
G Alexandar Georgiev ($2.425MM, RFA)
D Libor Hajek ($874K, RFA)
F Ryan Strome ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Mika Zibanejad ($5.35MM, UFA)
All eyes are on Zibanejad as what happens with him will greatly affect their plans moving forward. If they lock him up to a long-term extension which could cost upwards of $10MM based on his current asking price, it’s going to take them out of the mix for adding down the middle. On the flip side, if they don’t re-sign the 28-year-old, they’ll be entering next summer with a significant void down the middle to try to fill if they aren’t able to trade for a certain Buffalo center by then. For the time being, Zibanejad is a number one pivot that’s being paid like a number two center which is a great bargain for the Rangers but that is going to change before next season one way or the other.
New York reportedly gave consideration to non-tendering Strome in the 2020 offseason before signing him to this deal and he responded with a career year. Part of that is playing with a top winger but another showing like that will give him a lot more leverage than he’s accustomed to having as he enters the UFA market for the first time. Blais was brought in to give the team some more grit but he will need to produce more offensively if he wants to get much more than his $1.6MM qualifying offer. Gauthier managed to earn a spot on the fourth line for a good chunk of last season but will need to bring something offensively to the table. He has produced at the lower levels but two goals in 47 career games isn’t going to help his cause for a new deal.
Georgiev has seen his save percentage dip each season which is never a good sign while he is now firmly entrenched as the backup. His $2.65MM qualifying offer may be a bit high for what they’ll be able to afford next season so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in trade speculation again. With the going rate for a good backup, Georgiev’s next deal should come in only a bit higher than his qualifier unless he has a big platform year.
Two Years Remaining
F Filip Chytil ($2.3MM, RFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($1.75MM, UFA)
D Jarred Tinordi ($900K, UFA)
The Rangers drafted Chytil hoping that he would eventually fill a role down the middle. That could still happen but so far, he has primarily been on the wing while his production has largely been limited so far. Still just 22, that could change between now and 2023 where he’ll be owed a $2.6MM qualifying offer. He’ll need to improve his offensive output to have a shot at earning a bigger raise beyond his qualifier. Reaves is high-paid for the limited minutes he plays but players like him are always in demand. He’ll be 36 when his one-year extension is up and at that point, it seems unlikely that he’ll be looking at a raise.
Tinordi has taken a long time to get to the NHL but a good showing in the second half of last season allowed him to land a two-year, one-way commitment on the open market. If he can hold down a regular spot on the third pairing each season, he’ll have a shot at a bigger deal in 2023 but if he winds up being more of a depth player as he typically has been, this is about as high as his salary will get.
Three Years Remaining
D Ryan Lindgren ($3MM, RFA)
D Patrik Nemeth ($2.5MM, UFA)
Lindgren moved into a regular top-four role for the first time last season and handled the extra responsibility well, earning him this three-year bridge deal that allows both sides to reassess before he gets to the open market. Owed a $3.6MM qualifying offer (120% of the AAV is lower than the final-year salary), Lindgren will need to do more at the offensive end if he wants to get more than that. Stay-at-home defenders can provide value still but at a lower price point than more offensive counterparts. Nemeth is a good example of that. He was in Detroit’s top four for most of the last two seasons (plus a short stint on Colorado’s third pairing) but while he’s steady in his own end, his market value is capped by a lack of production.
Metropolitan Notes: Nyquist, Domi, Hajek, Jarvis
While Blue Jackets winger Gustav Nyquist has yet to suit up in the exhibition season, don’t interpret that as a setback in his return from a shoulder injury. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes that the veteran is cleared for contact and is on the second line in practice but clearly, they’re being cautious after the 32-year-old missed all of last season. Meanwhile, center Max Domi did some drills at practice on Friday as he works his way back from shoulder surgery of his own. He’s still expected to be out until November at the earliest but his participation in practice suggests his recovery could be on the shorter end of the five-to-six-month timeline.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Once viewed as one of the centerpieces of the trade return for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, Rangers defenseman Libor Hajek’s time with New York could be in jeopardy, suggests Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The 23-year-old has yet to lock down a full-time role and eventually settled for accepting his qualifying offer earlier this offseason. Hajek has to go through waivers if the Rangers try to send him down and with the potential he was viewed to have just a few years ago, it wouldn’t be surprising if another team put in a claim. That has him as a bubble player with a lot on the line the next week and a half as a result.
- With the Hurricanes not being able to send top prospect Seth Jarvis to the AHL due to his age, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer suggests that Carolina may opt to keep him with the big club to start the season. The 19-year-old could play up to nine NHL games before the first year of his entry-level deal would kick in while he wouldn’t accrue a season towards UFA eligibility until he was on the roster for 40 games. Going that route would allow them a bit more time to evaluate Jarvis’ readiness although the likeliest outcome at this time is an eventual return to Portland in the WHL which isn’t great from a development perspective considering how productive he has been there the last two years.
Montreal’s Sami Niku Suffers Concussion
Saturday: The Canadiens announced that Niku suffered a concussion on the play and is out indefinitely.
Friday: Newly signed Montreal Canadiens defenseman Sami Niku has left tonight’s preseason game against the Ottawa Senators and won’t return. The team reports he suffered an upper-body injury, leaving the game after a hit from Ottawa’s Josh Norris.
Niku signed a one-year, two-way deal with Montreal on September 24 after having his contract with the Winnipeg Jets mutually terminated. It was going to be the second year of a two-year deal for him with a cap hit of $725,000.
Drafted 198th overall in 2015, Niku’s stock rose steadily within the Winnipeg organization after his draft year. He had two impressive seasons with JYP in the Liiga in 2015-16 and 2016-17, tallying 38 points in 97 games while holding his own defensively in a professional league.
It hasn’t gone nearly as smoothly for Niku in the NHL, though, struggling to land a full-time spot with the team. Niku spent the majority of 2020-21 on the taxi squad, getting into just six games with Winnipeg and no AHL time whatsoever. Over a four-year career in Winnipeg, Niku’s gotten into 54 games, scoring two goals and eight assists for 10 points.
Niku was hoping a change of scenery and an uncertain defense in Montreal could translate into a consistent lineup spot this season. With Shea Weber missing the entire year and Alexander Romanov possibly moving into a top-four role, there’s space to fight for on the bottom pairing. Without a more extended internal scouting of their newly acquired talent, though, Niku’s opportunities to enter the lineup could be more limited than otherwise. He’ll be fighting for games played with more experienced talents like Brett Kulak and Chris Wideman. It’s not at all a guarantee that Niku is able to translate this one-year deal into a full-time role.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/21
It should be another busy day on the training camp cut front as teams continue to whittle down their rosters in advance of opening night. We’ll keep track of the cuts here.
Boston Bruins (via team release)
G Callum Booth (to Providence, AHL)
G Jeremy Brodeur (to Providence, AHL)
D Jack Dougherty (to Providence, AHL)
F Ian McKinnon (to Providence, AHL)
D Andrew Peski (to Providence, AHL)
F Eduards Tralmaks (to Providence, AHL)
F Alex-Olivier Voyer (to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)
D Nick Boka (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Matthew Cairns (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Mitch Eliot (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Dominic Franco (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Michael Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Mat Robson (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Ryan Scarfo (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Josh Teves (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Peter Tischke (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
F Dominik Bokk (to Chicago, AHL)
F David Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)
F Blake Murray (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jesper Sellgren (to Chicago, AHL)
G Eetu Makiniemi (to Chicago, AHL)
G Beck Warm (to Chicago, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via Mark Lazerus of The Athletic)
G Tom Aubrun (to Rockford, AHL)
F D.J. Busdeker (to Rockford, AHL)
F Liam Folkes (to Rockford, AHL)
F Carson Gicewicz (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kale Howarth (to Rockford, AHL)
F Riley McKay (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dylan McLaughlin (to Rockford, AHL)
F Garrett Mitchell (to Rockford, AHL)
G Cale Morris (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ryan Stanton (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
F Chris Wilkie (to Rockford, AHL)
F Chad Yetman (to Rockford, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team release)
F Jeremy Gregoire (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Anthony Louis (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
D Max Martin (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Josh Melnick (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
G Colton Point (to Texas, AHL)
G Adam Scheel (to Texas, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (via team release)
F Adam Cracknell (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Vincent Desharnais (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Luke Esposito (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F James Hamblin (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Philip Kemp (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Michael Kesselring (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Brad Malone (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Markus Niemelainen (to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Olivier Rodrigue (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Florida Panthers (via team release)
F Karen Bachman (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Henry Bowlby (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Grigori Denisenko (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Max Gildon (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Aleksi Heponiemi (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Logan Hutsko (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Justin Nachbaur (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Serron Noel (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Cole Schwindt (to Charlotte, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Brayden Burke (to Ontario, AHL)
*D Kale Clague (to Ontario, AHL)
F Jacob Doty (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Aidan Dudas (to Ontario, AHL)
D Sean Durzi (to Ontario, AHL)
F Samuel Fagemo (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Martin Frk (to Ontario, AHL)
D Cameron Gaunce (released from PTO to Ontario, AHL)
D Helge Grans (to Ontario, AHL)
G Jacob Ingham (to Ontario, AHL)
F Adam Johnson (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Arthur Kaliyev (to Ontario, AHL)
F Brett Kemp (released from ATO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
G John Lethemon (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Tyler Madden (to Ontario, AHL)
*D Jacob Moverare (to Ontario, AHL)
G Lukas Parik (to Ontario, AHL)
F Nikita Pavlychev (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
D Markus Phillips (to Ontario, AHL)
F Johan Sodergran (to Ontario, AHL)
*G Garret Sparks (to Ontario, AHL)
D Jordan Spence (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Brett Sutter (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)
*F T.J. Tynan (to Ontario, AHL)
G Matt Villalta (to Ontario, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (via team Twitter)
F Danick Martel (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
G Kevin Poulin (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
D Jeremy Groleau (to Utica, AHL)
G Mareks Mitens (to Utica, AHL)
F Ryan Schmelzer (to Utica, AHL)
D Michael Vukojevic (to Utica, AHL)
New York Rangers (via The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello)
*D Mason Geertsen (to Hartford, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team Twitter)
D Xavier Bernard (to Belleville, AHL)
F Philippe Daoust (to Belleville, AHL)
F Tyrell Goulbourne (to Belleville, AHL)
F Roby Jarventie (to Belleville, AHL)
D Zac Leslie (to Belleville, AHL)
D Vincent Sevigny (to Belleville, AHL)
G Mads Sogaard (to Belleville, AHL)
F Matthew Wedman (to Belleville, AHL)
D Colby Williams (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia)
D Quinn Schmiemann (released from ATO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Kirill Ustimenko (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Jackson van de Leest (released from ATO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
D Niclas Almari (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Raivis Ansons (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Matt Bartkowski (released from PTO)
F Jordy Bellerive (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jonathan Gruden (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Cam Lee (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Filip Lindberg (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Kyle Olson (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Will Reilly (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Felix Robert (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team release)
F Joel Kellman (to San Jose, AHL)
D Artemi Kniazev (to San Jose, AHL)
F John Leonard (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Jose, AHL)
G Alexei Melnichuk (to San Jose, AHL)
F Nicholas Merkley (to San Jose, AHL)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to San Jose, AHL)
D Brinson Pasichnuk (to San Jose, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
*G Antoine Bibeau (SEA)
*D Connor Carrick (SEA)
*D Cale Fleury (SEA)
F Luke Henman (to Charlotte, AHL)
*D Gustav Olofsson (SEA)
F Scott Wilson (released from PTO)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
F Zach Bolduc (to Quebec, QMJHL)
G Will Cranley (to Ottawa, OHL)
D Tyson Galloway (to Calgary, WHL)
*F Tanner Kaspick (to Springfield, AHL)
F Mathias Laferriere (to Springfield, AHL)
D Griffin Luce (to Springfield, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Springfield, AHL)
*F Matthew Peca (to Springfield, AHL)
*F Nolan Stevens (to Springfield, AHL)
F Nathan Todd (to Springfield, AHL)
F Alexei Toropchenko (to Springfield, AHL)
F Keean Washkurak (to Springfield, AHL)
D Josh Wesley (to Springfield, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via team release)
F Paul Cotter (to Henderson, AHL)
F Daniel D’Amato (to Henderson, AHL)
D Peter DiLiberatore (to Henderson, AHL)
F Pavel Dorofeyev (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jack Dugan (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lucas Elvenes (to Henderson, AHL)
G Dylan Ferguson (to Henderson, AHL)
D Zack Hayes (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Jones (to Henderson, AHL)
D Kaedan Korczak (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jake Leschyshyn (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jermaine Loewen (to Henderson, AHL)
F Maxim Marushev (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lynden McCallum (to Henderson, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (released from PTO, to Henderson, AHL)
D Daniil Miromanov (to Henderson, AHL)
D Brayden Pachal (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jiri Patera (to Henderson, AHL)
D Derrick Pouliot (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mason Primeau (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jonas Rondbjerg (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Thomson (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team Twitter)
F Kody Clark (to Hershey, AHL)
*D Cody Franson (to Hershey, AHL)
*F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
F Kale Kessy (to Hershey, AHL)
*D Dylan McIlrath (to Hershey, AHL)
F Mason Morelli (to Hershey, AHL)
G Hunter Shepard (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Eddie Wittchow (to Hershey, AHL)
*-pending the player clearing waivers
No Players Expected To Opt Out Of 2021-22 Season
NHL insider Chris Johnston reports that no NHL players are expected to opt-out of the 2021-22 season before tonight’s midnight ET deadline. This is the second straight regular season in which opting out has been an option available to players.
Players must notify their team in writing prior to the deadline in order to opt-out of the season. If any player had decided to opt-out, the rules, which carry over the same from last season, are as follows, per NHL documents:
Upon the provision of such notice, the Player will be under no further obligation to participate during the 2021-22 Season, the Club shall have no further obligations to pay such Player’s Salary and Bonuses for the 2021-22 Season, and the Player’s SPC will be considered tolled for the duration of that Season and all provisions of the SPC shall remain applicable upon the commencement of the 2022-23 Season.
The Sabres’ Casey Nelson was the only player to opt-out of the 2020-21 campaign, subsequently retiring from hockey.
This option, without the contract stipulations, was given to players ahead of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and Return to Play. Multiple players took advantage of this opportunity, including Travis Hamonic, Mike Green, and Roman Polak.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Braeden Kressler To Entry-Level Contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 18-year-old center Braeden Kressler to a three-year entry-level contract, announced by agent Dan Milstein on Twitter. Kressler was eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft but was not selected. PuckPedia reports the structure of the $835,000 cap hit deal as follows:
2021-22: $750,000 salary, $75,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary
2022-23: $750,000 salary, $75,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary
2023-24: $775,000 salary, $80,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary
Kressler attended Toronto’s training camp as an undrafted free agent, playing his way into an entry-level contract. It’s the second undrafted free agent signing we’ve seen from the 2021 class, following up Philadelphia’s signing of Jon-Randall Avon.
One of the players seriously affected by the lost 2020-21 season in the OHL, Kressler will be returning to the Flint Firebirds next season as the first year of his entry-level contract will slide, in all likelihood. A prototypical two-way center, Kressler tallied 18 points in 46 games as a rookie for Flint in 2019-20. He’s set to resume a much more important role in Flint this year, meaning his point totals will likely see a sharp uptick.
The 2003-born forward is likely a few seasons away from playing professional hockey for the Leafs, but it’s a no-risk move that carries potential upside years down the line for this Toronto organization.
Seattle Kraken Sign ECHL Affiliation Agreement With Allen Americans
The Seattle Kraken announced today that they’ve signed an affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. It marks the second minor-league affiliation Seattle’s signed, supplementing their one-year pact with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Terms of the agreement have yet to be disclosed.
Needless to say, this agreement marks Seattle’s first foray into ECHL affiliation. Allen, located just to the north of Dallas, TX, was not affiliated with an NHL team last season.
While the Kraken don’t have a full roster by any means in terms of players under NHL contracts, Allen could still prove valuable to the organization this season. There’s expected to be a logjam for playing time in Charlotte, as they’re sharing an affiliate for this season only with the Florida Panthers. It could mean that a player like Luke Henman, who was the first to sign a contract with the Kraken this summer, is assigned there to have a more everyday role. The same could go for one of Seattle’s two goalies designated for the minors, most likely Antoine Bibeau as he’ll be preceded by Joey Daccord on the depth chart.
Regardless, it’s not exactly common that one sees an ECHL player called up for NHL action. While it’s usually only seen for goalies under emergency situations (see Michael Houser), the ECHL can still serve as a valuable step in the developmental path for prospects. While the Kraken won’t be able to fully stock those cupboards for a year or two, it could be a sign of a long-standing agreement.
Atlantic Notes: Eichel, Ennis, Barkov
For the majority of the prolonged Jack Eichel trade negotiations, the Sabres hadn’t been sharing medical information with other teams. However, as TSN’s Darren Dreger noted in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, that has now changed and interested teams are now receiving Eichel’s medical information as it’s collected. It’s a small step as the stalemate continues with Eichel’s camp wanting artificial disc replacement surgery with Buffalo insisting on fusion surgery and the Sabres have the final say on the matter. It’s unknown if the exchanging of medical info will make other teams suddenly increase their offers for the disgruntled center but at least they’ll have updated information to work off of.
More from the Atlantic:
- While things can change, the current expectation is that veteran Tyler Ennis will be able to land a contract and a roster spot off of his PTO with the Senators, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 31-year-old had a tough year last season with Edmonton where he had just nine points in 30 games but in 2019-20, Ennis spent most of the year with Ottawa and head coach D.J. Smith where he collected 33 points in 61 contests. At this point, a contract would be at or close to the league minimum and Ennis would give the Sens another capable veteran after just adding Zach Sanford over the weekend.
- The Panthers are engaged in extension talks with captain Aleksander Barkov, report David Dwork of WPLG and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The 26-year-old is entering the final year of what has been a very team-friendly deal that carries an AAV of $5.9MM and he will be eyeing a substantial raise – potentially past the $10MM mark. Both Dwork and Pagnotta peg the discussions as progressing very slowly so it appears there’s still a lot of work to be done before Florida can get their franchise forward to put pen to paper on a new contract.
Blue Jackets Will Not Assign Zac Rinaldo To An Affiliated Team
After clearing waivers earlier today, it was expected that Blue Jackets winger Zac Rinaldo would be assigned to Columbus’ AHL team in Cleveland. The veteran wasn’t invited to training camp after declining to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. However, GM Jarmo Kekalainen released the following statement, announcing that Rinaldo will not be going there after all:
Our position has been very clear that our organization is committed to doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and fans. Given the impact COVID-19 continues to have in our communities, we believe the best course of action given Zac’s vaccination status is to not have him report to Cleveland at this time. While we respect an individual’s right to make a personal choice with regards to being vaccinated or not, we have a responsibility to do what we believe is best for our organization. We will honor Zac’s contract, but if he wants to pursue any other opportunities to play this season we will allow him to do so.
Rinaldo’s contract calls for an AHL salary of $275K and contains a guaranteed payment of $300K which the Blue Jackets will be on the hook for regardless of whether or not he plays anywhere this season. In the meantime, Rinaldo’s camp may be on the lookout to try to find the 31-year-old a place to play outside the Columbus organization. Now that he has cleared waivers, Columbus could loan him to an unaffiliated team overseas, for example. Rinaldo had spent the last two seasons in Calgary’s system, suiting up in 23 games for the Flames in that time.
Injury Updates: Lehner, Canadiens, Zamula, Athanasiou, De Haan
While Robin Lehner left Thursday’s game after two periods due to injury, Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters, including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that the decision to pull him was more precautionary than a sign of a significant injury. Lehner will be counted to carry on a much bigger workload this season with Laurent Brossoit now the backup for the Golden Knights so it’s certainly understandable that DeBoer erred on the side of caution in Lehner’s first appearance of the preseason.
Other injury news and notes from around the NHL:
- After stopping on-ice workouts for defenseman Joel Edmundson and goaltender Carey Price, both Canadiens are expected to resume those next week, mentions TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). Edmundson was listed as day-to-day entering training camp while Price’s availability for the start of the season remains in question following offseason surgery. Winger Cole Caufield is also close to returning after being shut down following a minor injury during the warmup of an intrasquad game.
- Flyers defenseman Yegor Zamula will miss the next three to four weeks due to a strain in his hip/groin area, relays Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The 21-year-old is one of Philadelphia’s more promising prospects and made his NHL debut with a pair of games last season. While he had an outside shot at breaking camp with the team, this will basically put an end to that possibility.
- Kings winger Andreas Athanasiou sustained an undisclosed injury in practice earlier this week but at this point, he’s unlikely to miss the start of the regular season, notes Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. The 27-year-old had 23 points in 47 games last season, earning him a $2.7MM contract to avoid salary arbitration.
- Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan revealed to reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that he played the second half of last season with a fractured tibia. The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his contract that carries a $4.45MM cap hit and will need a much better showing this season to have a shot at coming close to that AAV next summer. Being healthy now is certainly a step in the right direction on that front.