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.
Dallas Stars Bring In Alexander Petrovic
The Dallas Stars tweeted today that they’ve signed defenseman Alexander Petrovic to a one-year, two-way deal. CapFriendly reports that the contract will pay Petrovic the minimum $750K in the NHL and $325K in the AHL.
Petrovic, 29, has not played in an NHL game since 2018-19, though he has produced in the AHL in the meantime. Once a highly-regarded defenseman with the Florida Panthers, Petrovic combines size, skating, and offensive ability, but not to the level of an everyday NHL defenseman. The Stars likely see him as a strong AHL depth option should they suffer a streak of injuries.
Dallas is deep on defense, especially after the addition of Ryan Suter, and has no shortage of size or skill. However, where they are weak is on the right side. On paper, Petrovic would technically be the second-best right-handed defenseman on the roster behind John Klingberg.
Jonathan Bernier Signs With New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have signed Jonathan Bernier to a two-year contract according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the contract will carry an average annual value of $4.125MM. Bernier’s rights were recently traded from the Detroit Red Wings to the Carolina Hurricanes, but decided to test the market instead of signing with his new team. He’ll now land in New Jersey where he can be a veteran partner for young Mackenzie Blackwood.
It is an interesting move for New Jersey, who gave Bernier the fourth-highest AAV of the day among goaltenders behind younger keepers Philipp Grubauer and Linus Ullmark as well as Frederik Andersen, all of whom will be asked to take on starting roles whereas Bernier will be, at best, splitting time with young cornerstone Mackenzie Blackwood. Blackwood himself is also making just $2.8MM over the next two years, well below Bernier. While the Devils do not have cap problems, they also don’t seem like a team that needed to spend a lot of money for another goaltender, especially when other veteran options went for less.
Yet, financial details aside, Bernier is an experienced, accomplished goaltender who should serve as a good mentor to Blackwood, what the Devils were hoping for out of Corey Crawford last off-season. Bernier is also coming off of a solid season in Detroit in which he managed a .914 save percentage and 2.99 GAA despite playing in front of a porous team defense.
Chris Wideman Returns To NHL, Signs With Montreal Canadiens
TVA’s Renaud Lavoie has reported that the Montreal Canadiens inked defenseman Chris Wideman to a one-year deal. It’s a league-minimum contract at a $750,000 cap hit. Wideman returns to the NHL after a season abroad in the KHL.
Wideman is one of the lucky few who left the NHL hoping that his accomplishments in Europe would earn him a second look back home, only for it to work out exactly that way. After two solid seasons with the Ottawa Senators to begin his pro career, Wideman had lost his footing in the NHL, bouncing around to several clubs – including the AHL – without much success. He turned to Russia this past season, signing on with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod for one year, and made the most of it. Wideman recorded 41 points in 59 games, leading the entire KHL in defensive scoring. The Canadiens, and surely others, took notice and now Wideman is back in North America.
While Wideman will likely still have to battle for starts, if not a roster spot, his scoring prowess last season showed that he is capable of making a difference. The 31-year-old brings experience to the table as well with 181 NHL games and 280 AHL games. This should position him to be one of the top options to replace any Habs defenders in case of injury or slump.
New York Rangers Sign Jarred Tinordi
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the New York Rangers have signed defenseman Jarred Tinordi. The former Canadien, Predator, and Bruin was signed to a two-year deal making $900,000 per season.
Tinordi has long been a depth defender at the NHL level. He has never been deemed good enough for a regular role, having maxed at out at 28 games in a season as his career high to date. However, he has also been too good to clear waivers, as Nashville found out last season when he was claimed by Boston. The Rangers likely see Tinordi as a veteran No. 7 or 8 who can provide some guidance to the young blue line and some snarl as a spot starter, much in the way that the departed Brendan Smith did.
Tinordi is not an offensive threat and his skating leaves a lot to be desired. However, he positions himself well in the defensive end, is an effective and punishing checker, and is not afraid to drop the gloves. Tinordi is the type of stay-at-home checking threat that can be nice to have in a tight, physical game. It’s a value that is worth about what the Rangers gave him.
San Jose Sharks Sign James Reimer
The San Jose Sharks have brought back a familiar face to their goalie situation. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that they’ve inked former netminder James Reimer to serve with new acquisition Adin Hill. It’s a three-year deal paying him $2.25MM per season.
Just like that, it’s a new day in net for the Sharks. Gone are the days of struggling starter Martin Jones and a series of backups unable to push him. The goal now belongs to young Hill and reliable veteran backup Reimer. Reimer will push for starts against the former Coyote, who himself has only even been a backup. The competition, which has been missing in San Jose of later, could spur both keepers to play at the top of their games.
For those who have forgotten, Reimer was nothing short of amazing in his first stint with the Sharks, recording a .938 save percentage and 1.62 GAA in 2015-16 after coming over from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline. Considerable time has passed since then, but Reimer has been a very solid backup for the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes in the years since, playing far more than a typical backup as well, and should continue to provide reliable play in San Jose.
Keith Yandle To Sign With Philadelphia Flyers
July 28: The Yandle contract has been officially announced, at the terms reported. The veteran defenseman released a statement:
Once I became a free agent, the first team that I looked at was the Philadelphia Flyers. Obviously, having AV before and playing with Kevin Hayes helped my decision. What Chuck (Fletcher) has done this off season bringing in guys and putting the team in a place where it gives us the opportunity to succeed is a big thing for me. I know for me, all I want to do is win and coming to the Flyers gives me the best chance for that.
July 27: After being bought out earlier this offseason, Keith Yandle has found a new home. The unrestricted free agent defenseman is expected to sign a one-year, $900K contract with the Philadelphia Flyers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Friedman adds that it will come with a no-trade clause.
Yandle, 34, is far from the top-pairing option he once was, but did still managed to rack up 27 points this season for the Florida Panthers. Almost all of that production came on the powerplay, a role he may be able to fill in Philadelphia–even if it is the second unit. Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault is familiar with what Yandle can bring from their time in New York with the Rangers, when the puck-moving defenseman tallied 47 points in the 2015-16 season. That total is actually one of the lower amounts in his career; Yandle has recorded more than 50 points in five different seasons.
In fact, at 600 points through 1,032 games, Yandle sits 42nd all-time among NHL defensemen in scoring. Though he likely won’t be seeing the Hall of Fame when it’s all said and done, the veteran has put together an exceptional career to this point. Included in that career is his current streak of 922 consecutive games played, dating back to early 2009. That’s good enough for second all-time behind Doug Jarvis‘ 964-game streak, which Yandle could break this season if things go well.
That streak of course does put a little pressure on the Flyers to ice him every night, something that wasn’t going to continue in Florida at his previous cap hit. Philadelphia’s decision to sign him indicates that they may not be entirely comfortable handing over the third pairing role to prospect Cameron York, after restructuring almost their entire blueline this summer. Yandle joins Ryan Ellis and Rasmus Ristolainen as newcomers to the back end, giving the team an entirely different looking heading into 2021-22.
Edmonton Oilers To Sign Cody Ceci
As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have added Cody Ceci to the mix according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The veteran defenseman has signed a four-year deal that will carry an average annual value of $3.25MM. The Oilers moved out Ethan Bear earlier today to make room for Ceci and the re-signed Tyson Barrie.
The Oilers are hoping that having Barrie and Ceci lead the right side of their defense works out better than it did for the Toronto Maple Leafs not long ago. Obviously, the team is already familiar with Barrie, but they are taking a risk on Ceci. Edmonton is banking on Ceci playing like he did this past season in Pittsburgh for the next four years and not like how he played in Toronto and Ottawa before that. The Penguins succeeded with Ceci in not asking him to do too much and letting him focus on just playing competent defense in limited minutes and against less difficult match-ups. At $3.25MM and on a longer term deal than any other Edmonton defense, it does not seem like the Oilers plan to let Ceci sit back and play a depth role. They risk poor results if they push him into too great a role, trying to replace the departed Adam Larsson, which could make this a difficult contract for the team.
Ceci, 27, may have learned enough from his season in Pittsburgh that he can try again at serving in a top-four role. Ceci averaged 21:25 per game through his first six full NHL seasons, during which time he was a combined -48 rating. This year, he played just 18:31 per game and earned a +18 rating. While moving the puck will likely never be a strength of Ceci’s, perhaps he is ready to take on more of a shutdown approach if handed more minutes. How the Oilers choose to use Ceci will almost certainly dictate whether he is able to succeed in Edmonton.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Michael Bunting
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have come to an agreement with forward Michael Bunting. It’s a two-year deal with a cap hit of $900,000 for the Toronto area native.
Bunting, 25, timed his late-season breakout with the Arizona Coyotes nicely with his impending Group 6 free agency, turning it into a contract with his hometown team. Bunting recorded a whopping 10 goals and 13 points in just 21 games with the ‘Yotes once cracking the lineup. While it seemed that Arizona was intent on re-signing him, other teams took notice including the Maple Leafs and Bunting decided to move on.
His contract is still reflective of his limited NHL experience, Bunting has the chance to turn this short-term pact with Toronto into a substantial raise the next time around. The cap-strapped Leafs will very likely insert the young scorer into their top-nine where he can benefit from playing alongside some of their superstar forwards to put up big numbers.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Louis Belpedio, Cedric Paquette, Jean-Sebastien Dea
The Montreal Canadiens have snatched up another depth defenseman, signing Louis Belpedio to a one-year two-way contract according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $225K and a minor league guarantee of $300K. Belpedio was a Group VI unrestricted free agent. Not to be forgotten is the bottom of the forward group, which has also added Cedric Paquette on a one-year contract. Paquette will earn $950K according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Jean-Sebastien Dea has also been signed to a two-way deal according to Renaud Lavoir of TVA Sports.
Of the three, Paquette is the name likely to be seen in the Montreal lineup most often. The physical forward is a good fourth line checker and can hold his own at the face-off dot as well. A veteran of 424 NHL games, Pacquette has logged over 1,000 hits and a +38 turnover differential as a disruptive defensive presence.
Dea, 27, is a journeyman forward who is capable of contributing as an NHL substitute, but has spent the majority of each of his pro seasons in the AHL. Dea is a well-rounded offensive player, but lack high-end skill and upside, making him an experienced minor league option, but not a player that should be pegged for a regular NHL role.
Belpedio, 25, was once a highly-regarded prospect defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, but has not panned out. The 2014 third-round pick and Miami University standout has only played in four NHL games over four pro seasons. His AHL production has left a lot to be desired as well. Montreal hopes that a move to a new organization could help to jumpstart his career.