Chicago Blackhawks Sign Jujhar Khaira
The Chicago Blackhawks have added some size and toughness to the bottom-six, signing Jujhar Khaira to a two-year contract. Khaira was recently let go by the Edmonton Oilers when they decided not to issue him a qualifying offer, but will land a $925K AAV in Chicago, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
Khaira was one of the most recognizable names not to receive a QO this season and the Blackhawks leapt at the chance to add the physical young forward to their lineup. However, expectations should be tempered for the big winger. Although Khaira flashed some scoring ability earlier in his career that hinted at power forward potential, his ice time has remained steady over the past four years in Edmonton but his production has decreased and his hits have increased. Khaira has settled into a grinder role rather than focusing on the skill development needed to keep contending for an offensive role.
That is not to say that Khaira isn’t good at what he does. The 6’4″, 212-pound forward checks hard and often and is a difficult match-up for opponents. He was particularly aggressive this past season, logging a career-high 151 hits despite only playing in 40 games. That’s nearly four hits per game and a full season pace over over 300 hits. Those are menacing numbers and make Khairia a rare and valuable asset, even without the offensive upside.
New York Rangers Bring Back Greg McKegg
After one year away in Boston, the New York Rangers have signed forward Greg McKegg for a second stint in the Big Apple. The contract is a one-year, two-way deal with the NHL minimum $750K salary and a $350K AHL salary, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. McKegg will return to his role as a dependable extra man on the roster or next man up in the minors.
McKegg, 29, seems like he has been around far longer than he actually has. The veteran forward has only played 190 NHL games over 10 seasons, but having spent time with seven different teams and played 40+ games with four of them, it seems like McKegg has been a key depth piece for a long time. In reality, he still has plenty of gas left in the tank and this will be far from his last NHL contract if he continues to bring value to his teams.
For the first time in his career, he is beginning a second stint with a team by returning to New York after suiting up for 53 games with the Rangers in 2019-20. Though used sparingly by the Boston Bruins this season, McKegg played well in his five games with a noticeable physical presence and a dominant face-off record. The Rangers will be looking for the same this year, as the team has a very young, skilled forward group and could look to McKegg to provide veteran presence and grit, either as an extra man or possibly even the anchor of the fourth line.
Carter Hutton Signs With Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes have signed goaltender Carter Hutton to a one-year, $750K contract according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. With Darcy Kuemper, Adin Hill, and Antti Raanta both gone, the Coyotes needed a goaltender with some NHL experience.
As it stands now, Hutton looks like the starter in the desert for next season unless another addition is made. This is very likely, but still a testament to the trust that the team has in him if no other moves pan out. Hutton, 35, had some hard times in Buffalo over the past three years. However, it was just before then that Hutton delivered an all-time NHL season, leading the league with a .931 save percentage and 2.09 GAA for the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18. Hutton may not be at the top of his game any more, but very well might have more in him than he was able to show in Buffalo over the past few years. The Coyotes look no better than the Sabres right now, but the system may be different enough that the veteran can benefit from a change of scenery.
However, Hutton’s best chance at success in Phoenix will be if the ‘Yotes add another netminder. Hutton’s top seasons of his NHL career have all been when he played under 40 games. With only untested Josef Korenar as another NHL option in net right now, that is not happening. The aging goalie needs someone to take at least half of the starts off his hands or the likelihood that he can stay fresh enough to excel seems slim.
Ottawa Senators Ink Deal With Michael Del Zotto
The Ottawa Senators announced today that they’ve signed defenseman Michael Del Zotto to a two-year deal. The contract is worth $4MM and pays him $2MM per season. Per CapFriendly, the contract is as follows:
2021-22: $1.75MM
2022-23: $2.25MM
Del Zotto turned a PTO with the Columbus Blue Jackets last fall into a contract and then quietly enjoyed a solid season as a physical presence and occasional offensive contributor for Columbus, outplaying his minimum contract. Now he’s cashed in this off-season, inking a multi-year deal and a decent pay raise with Ottawa. Just when it seemed like the days of “MDZ” being a well-compensated, top-four defenseman were over after over a decade as a reliable defender in the league, the Senators swooped in to reward him for a job well done.
While Ottawa was surely impressed by Del Zotto’s return to relevance last season, the most important piece for the rebuilding team may very well be his leadership and experience. It is the same reason why the Senators targeted Nick Holden in a trade today as well. The blue line suffered from a lack of veteran presence this past season and star Thomas Chabot could use some more support with a number of young defenseman in the mix. Del Zotto is a well-liked and well-respected defender who can help to lead and develop the Senators blue line over the next two years.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Josh Leivo
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Josh Leivo, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports. It is a minimum $750K on a one-year deal, adds TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
Leivo, 28, will be on his third new team in less than four years, jumping from Toronto to Vancouver to Calgary and now to Carolina. The winger has managed to play exclusively in the NHL, but not as a full-time player. The same fate likely awaits him in Raleigh, where a deep Hurricanes lineup could make him an extra man, especially since Leivo’s game does not lend itself to a checking line role.
With that said, Leivo showed two years ago that he can still have a sizeable impact in limited time. In 36 games with the Canucks in 2019-20, he recorded seven goals and 19 points – a full-season pace of 43 points. While he was unable to replicate those results in 38 games with the Flames this season, the team also did not give him much top-nine opportunity. Should the Hurricanes afford Leivo the chance to play with other skilled forwards, they could be happy with the results, especially at a minimum salary cost.
Panthers, Carter Verhaeghe Sign Contract Extension
12:35pm: The three-year contract has been officially announced by the team. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $4.167MM. GM Bill Zito released a short statement on the deal:
Carter emerged as one of the best possession forwards in hockey last season, elevating his game to fill an important role on our team. His effort, speed and creativity are infectious on and off the ice.
6:45am: Carter Verhaeghe‘s first season with the Panthers was a successful one and he’s about to be rewarded for his efforts. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are closing in on a three-year extension worth a little over $4MM per season.
The 25-year-old signed with Florida back in the fall after playing a limited role with Tampa Bay in his first NHL season. As a result, the Panthers were able to sign Verhaeghe for $1MM per year on a two-year contract. That deal has certainly turned into quite the bargain since then.
Last season, Verhaeghe got an opportunity to play in the top six and made the most of it as he very quietly finished third on the team in goals (18) and points (36) despite not seeing a lot of time on Florida’s top power play unit. He also logged 17:44 per game, a number that jumped slightly higher in the playoffs during their first-round loss to Tampa Bay. All that for a price tag of $1MM made him one of the better bargains in the league last season.
They’ll get to benefit from that low price tag for next year as well before that deal kicks in. This reported new contract will buy out the remaining two years of arbitration rights and his first season of UFA eligibility. It almost works like a bridge deal as this price tag could still wind up being below market if Verhaeghe can maintain this level of production over the life of the contract while allowing him to reach the open market in his prime earning years.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Sven Baertschi
After spending almost all of the past two season buried in the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks, Sven Baertschi is looking for a fresh start and a shot at an NHL lineup spot. He has found a taker in a Canucks division rival, the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has announced a one-year, two-way contract worth the minimum $750K. While unassuming at first glance, Baertschi’s natural skill combined with Vegas’ limited cap space makes this a fascinating reclamation project to follow.
Once an up-and-coming NHL scorer with 92 points in 190 games over a three-year span with the Canucks, Baertschi’s play began to slip two years ago and Vancouver did not hesitate to bury his contract in the minors. However, there is still a chance that he can re-discover his scoring touch on a talented Golden Knights team and hold on to a roster spot. At a minimum salary, the could make him a dangerous discount player for the team.
If not, Baertschi will at least be a veteran leader in the AHL for Vegas and a call-up option. Simply staying in North America despite interest back overseas is a testament to Baertschi’s commitment to continue playing at the highest level, even if an NHL role is not guaranteed.
Tampa Bay Lightning Announce Several Minor Contracts
The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced several minor signings to fill out their organizational depth. Gabriel Dumont, Charles Hudon, Darren Raddysh, Andrej Sustr and Maxime Lagace have all signed one-year, two-way contracts today worth the minimum $750K in the NHL.
Raddysh should be a familiar name to Bolts fans, as brother Taylor Raddysh is a Tampa draft pick and budding NHLer. Darren, like Taylor, has not played in the NHL just yet, but has been a productive AHLer. The two could both find themselves in the Tampa Bay lineup this season as the team will be looking for affordable support.
Sustr is another name well-known by Tampa. The veteran defenseman spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the team before spending a year with the Anaheim Ducks and the past two season in the KHL with the Kunlun Red Star. He returns to the Lightning to play a depth role, likely as no more than a stay-at-home bottom-pair option.
Dumont is yet another former Bolt, having spent parts of two seasons with the team, including a career high 39 NHL games in 2016-17. Dumont and Hudon are both small, shifty forwards with NHL experience and plenty of AHL success and will be good veterans for Tampa in the minors.
Lagace, though largely an AHL netminder, played a significant role for the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural season and could do so again if called upon. In his one start for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, Lagace recorded a 29-save shutout. Likely to be Tampa’s No. 3 in net, the 28-year-old is not a bad depth option for the Lightning.
Minnesota Wild Sign Frederick Gaudreau
The Minnesota Wild announced today that they’ve signed free agent center Frederick Gaudreau. It’s a two-year contract for the former Pittsburgh Penguin, paying him $1.2MM per season.
After years in Nashville without making much of an impact, Gaudreau broke out in Pittsburgh – as much as he could in 19 games. Gaudreau recorded 10 points, was strong at the face-off dot, and played 13:04 per game, far more than in year prior. Even in a limited sample size, it was enough to impress many around the league, including the Wild it seems.
Gaudreau, 28, works hard and is especially skilled at winning puck battles and stripping the puck from the opposition. He also showed this season that his offensive ability is more than it might have seemed. The Wild gave Gaudreau a nice raise from his previous minimal deals, but could still get nice value out of a player who showed this past season that he has a lot to offer.
Nate Thompson Signs With Philadelphia Flyers
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers are signing free-agent forward Nate Thompson. CapFriendly reports that is it a one-year, one-way deal worth $800K.
This will be Thompson’s second stint with the Flyers after he wrapped up the 2019-20 season with the team before joining the Winnipeg Jets last year. A veteran of over 800 games with nine different teams, the journeyman center doesn’t offer much in the way of offense but is a good two-way forward. Thompson is especially adept at the face-off dot and on the forecheck.
With that said, it will be interesting to see how the Flyers choose to utilize the 36-year-old. Thompson played less than 10 minutes per game with Winnipeg last season and failed to produce shots on goal. Philadelphia is deep up front and Thompson may struggle to break the starting lineup, especially if he is limited in how many minutes he is able to play. Thompson may end up being a veteran presence and part-time player, but at $800K could still prove to be a valuable asset.