Taylor Hall, David Krejci Not Looking To Maximize Salary On Next Deals
When the Boston Bruins held their end-of-season media interviews today, a few things stood out. First, several players including Tuukka Rask were dealing with serious injuries, but perhaps, more importantly, was the idea that many pending free agents hope to return to Boston. Taylor Hall was asked about his future and was quite clear he’d like to stay a part of the Bruins organization:
I see a fit. Hopefully they feel the same…hopefully we can make that happen.
I don’t even know what my value is at this point, I feel like I had two different seasons. I’m not looking to absolutely maximize my value at this point in my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to make some good money in this league and at this point it’s about more of a fit for me than money or a long-term thing. We want to find a home for the next few years here.
Hall was an excellent pickup for the Bruins at the deadline, acquired from the Buffalo Sabres after his dreadful first half. In 16 games down the stretch in Boston he had eight goals and 14 points, while adding another five points in 11 playoff matches. Coming off a one-year, $8MM contract from last summer, Hall has been clear in all of his interviews that he sees Boston as a good fit for the next part of his career. Whether the two sides can come together on a deal is still to be seen, but he is obviously willing to hear them out.
During his interview, Hall noted that there are some other players on the Bruins that have been around the team longer and will have to be sorted out first. One of those is his linemate David Krejci, who is coming off a six-year, $43.5MM deal with the team and is also a pending free agent. The difference perhaps is that Krejci is now 35, meaning a long-term deal is certainly out of the question. Similar to Hall though, the veteran forward isn’t looking to maximize his salary, explaining that his next deal “is not going to be based on money.” Krejci said he can’t see himself playing for another team, but also admitted he hasn’t made a firm decision on his future at this point.
Even though he is now in his mid-thirties, Krejci’s offensive production hasn’t really slowed down. He registered 44 points in 51 games this season and added another nine in 11 playoff games. The 35-year-old’s hands are still as silky as ever, even though his skating may not be quite as powerful as it once was. There’s a milestone to be had in Boston should he return, as Krejci is just 38 games away from 1,000 in his career, to this point entirely spent in a Bruins uniform.
As much as Hall, Krejci and Rask have all indicated they would be open to a return, Bruins GM Don Sweeney has made difficult decisions before when it comes to an aging free agent. Just last season he parted ways with franchise icon and longtime captain Zdeno Chara when it was clear the big defenseman’s role would be drastically diminished. With Charlie McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron needing new contracts after next season and David Pastrnak scheduled for unrestricted free agency a year after that, Sweeney and the Bruins front office will have to delicately balance the transition from the current core to the new one. It might come with some difficult decisions.
Buffalo Sabres Sign J-J Peterka
The Buffalo Sabres have inked another one of their prospects, signing J-J Peterka to a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward split this season between the German and Austrian leagues, while also starring for Germany at the World Juniors.
Peterka, 19, was the 34th overall pick last year and certainly disappoint in his first post-draft season. The German forward scored 20 points in 30 games for Munich of the DEL, 16 points in 12 games for Salzburg in the Austrian league, and added ten points in five games for his country at the World Juniors. In September of last year, before that strong season, this is what Scott Wheeler of The Athletic had to say about the newest Sabres prospect:
Peterka’s one of those players that just screams “complementary third-line forward.” Early on this season, he was one of my favourite prospects in the draft for his ability to play with strength and pace all over the ice. He’s a middle-lane driver who shoots a lot and works to get to the front of the net to finish off plays. He’s just naturally athletic and it fits well with his up-tempo, north-south game. As the season progressed, though, he never really showed me he had the tools to be more than that. There are times when I want to see him slow down, or he needs to survey the ice and use his teammates better. His play, role and minutes all went cold late in the season. It can look like he’s playing on instinct out there. That works for some players. It works for J.J. too but it may limit his upside.
The idea of a complementary third-line player may not be very exciting for Sabres fans dying for some success, but this Peterka is exactly the kind of player that the team needs in order to build out the program. Without real tangible depth pieces behind star-level talent like Dylan Cozens, the team is always going to have a difficult time competing for the playoffs. That was the issue for several years behind Jack Eichel, as the Buffalo captain appeared to have to do everything himself.
If Paterka can become that third line, net-driving secondary scoring piece, he’ll be worth his high draft pick. That will still require some development though, and there is plenty of time. His three-year entry-level contract can still slide should he spend next season in Europe, or anywhere not in the Sabres lineup.
2021 Jack Adams Finalists Announced
The NHL continues to release the finalists for their major regular season award, this time naming the three men that are in contention for the Jack Adams Award, presented to the coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success.” Last year’s winner was Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins, but we’ll have a new name to engrave this time around.
The finalists for the 2020-21 season are Joel Quenneville of the Florida Panthers, Dean Evason of the Minnesota Wild and Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Quenneville, 62, certainly isn’t unfamiliar with the trophy but hasn’t held it in quite some time. The veteran NHL coach took home the award in 2000 with the St. Louis Blues and was the runner-up in 2013 with the Chicago Blackhawks. Just two finalist appearances is surprising for a man who is quickly closing in on 1,000 career wins. Quenneville sits second all-time behind only Scotty Bowman in the coaching ranks with 962 regular season wins and won the Stanley Cup three times in Chicago. He would be the Panthers’ first Jack Adams winner if he takes it home following the 37-14-5 season the team registered in 2020-21.
Evason will try to stand in his way despite having less than 82 games under his belt as an NHL head coach. The 56-year-old replaced Bruce Boudreau last season and now has a .669 winning percentage in his 68 games behind the Minnesota bench. While the addition of Kirill Kaprizov certainly helped, Evason turned the Wild into an exciting, competitive team that took the Vegas Golden Knights to seven games in the first round. Evason is only signed through next season but has quickly proven his worth as the answer in Minnesota.
Speaking of contracts, that’s all the buzz around Brind’Amour these days, even as he receives a nomination for the Jack Adams. The Hurricanes head coach isn’t signed for next season and this award is just another indication of how well he has done in his short tenure behind the Carolina bench. Since taking over in 2018, the Hurricanes have gone 120-66-20 in the regular season reached the playoffs all three years and the Conference Finals once. The 50-year-old is off to an outstanding start with his young group in Carolina and could be considered the favorite for this award.
Tuukka Rask Requires Surgery, Hopes To Return To Boston
The Boston Bruins met with the media today and several players explained that they were dealing with serious injuries as the playoffs wound down. Tuukka Rask in particular revealed that he has a torn labrum in his hip and will undergo surgery this month. The veteran goaltender will face a long recovery that is expected to keep him out until December or January, but that doesn’t mean his time in Boston is over if he has anything to say about it. Rask, an unrestricted free agent, hopes to return to play for the Bruins.
Even dealing with a hip injury all season–Rask said he first felt the injury during the playoff bubble last year–the 34-year-old netminder posted a .913 save percentage in 24 appearances. Those numbers actually improved in the playoffs, even if it was obvious that he was dealing with an injury of some sort in the Bruins second-round loss to the New York Islanders.
Both Rask and Jaroslav Halak are scheduled to become free agents this summer, but Rask explained that he only wants to play for the Bruins moving forward. What that means in terms of a contract extension isn’t clear, especially as the Boston front office considers a transition to young Jeremy Swayman as the team’s starting goaltender. Swayman had a .945 save percentage in ten games this season, but is obviously still an unproven commodity at the NHL level. The 22-year-old will be entering the second year of his entry-level contract in 2021-22, leaving plenty of cap room for the Bruins to insulate him with a veteran partner.
Though Rask’s season didn’t end the way he hoped, there’s no question how much he means to the Bruins franchise. Over a 14-year career he has posted a 306-163-66 record, registered a .921 save percentage, won the Vezina, the Jennings, and was even part of the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup team (though he did not play in the postseason). That .921 mark puts him third all-time behind only Dominik Hasek and Johnny Bower, while his win total ranks 32nd.
Coming off an eight-year, $56MM contract, Rask will obviously have to settle for a pay cut on his next deal. Still, if he can get healthy enough to contribute and wants to return to Boston, an extension makes sense for both sides.
Offseason Checklist: Chicago Blackhawks
The offseason has arrived with roughly half of the league missing the playoffs and several more having since been eliminated. It’s time to examine what those teams need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Chicago.
The Blackhawks were one of the early-season surprises this season. Despite losing Jonathan Toews for the season (the hope is that he returns next year) and a very unproven goaltending trio (which appears likely to remain next season), they were in the playoff race for most of the year before falling out late. Considering they weren’t expected by many to be in postseason contention heading into the season, being in the race as long as they were is a small victory but GM Stan Bowman will need to take some more strides towards improving the roster for 2021-22. On top of that, some important decisions need to be made regarding a pair of players who are on the fringes of the core.
Utilize LTIR Flexibility
While there is some uncertainly with Toews’ availability for the start of next season, there isn’t any with Brent Seabrook ($6.875MM) and Andrew Shaw ($3.9MM). Both players have effectively retired, announcing they won’t be able to play again due to their respective injuries, a hip issue for Seabrook and lingering concussion trouble for Shaw. This past season, they were among several Blackhawks on LTIR and Bowman will have that option once again.
On the one hand, it’s possible that both go there in the summer, giving them some room to spend in free agency but Bowman has been hesitant to go that route in the past. Whether they do it early or closer to the start of the season though, they have the ability to add a player or two, either adding to their roster or adding a future asset or two for taking on a contract as they did with Brett Connolly near the trade deadline. With the team having to proceed as if Toews will be available, this will likely be their biggest source of cap space this summer.
Avoid Arbitration With Zadorov
The flat salary cap has already created some restrictions on the ‘middle-class’ earners in the league and that’s likely to be the case for a while. Accordingly, that has increased the pressure for teams to work out early contracts with some of their pending restricted free agents that have arbitration eligibility where they fear the award would be too low to walk away from but too high to fit in their salary structure. Chicago has one of those players in defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
The 26-year-old was acquired last fall from Colorado as part of the trade that saw Brandon Saad head to the Avalanche and provided his usual brand of physical play, albeit with some shaky play at times in his own end and limited offensive upside. However, he logged over 19 minutes a night and at 6’6, few blueliners can match his size. The 16th pick in 2013 has shown enough flashes to warrant keeping around but only at the right price tag. After signing a one-year, $3.2MM contract upon being acquired, that number now represents his qualifying offer. But he also has arbitration eligibility where his 411 career NHL contests could push an award higher than Chicago is willing to pay.
There have been mutual expressions of interest in getting something done between the Blackhawks and Zadorov but this also feels like a situation where the team isn’t going to give the blueliner a chance to get it to a hearing and risk a reward that they don’t want to pay; the minimum award to qualify for walkaway rights was $4.539MM and it’s unlikely Zadorov would go above that in a hearing. Accordingly, that makes July 26th the date to watch for as that’s the deadline to tender a qualifying offer.
Strome Decision
When the Blackhawks acquired Dylan Strome from Arizona back in 2018, he made an immediate impact and it looked like he was quickly becoming a core player for the future. His numbers dipped in 2019-20 but he did well enough to earn a two-year, $6MM bridge contract, getting a longer look in the process.
Unfortunately, that longer look did not go well. Strome struggled offensively, did not adjust well to playing on the wing at times, and when it mattered most down the stretch when they were trying to stay alive in the playoff hunt, he was a healthy scratch. Forget about him being a core player for years to come. Is he even part of the plans for next season now?
Strome feels like a viable change of scenery candidate this summer. Toews could be back as will Kirby Dach and those two should reclaim their spots down the middle while Pius Suter held his own in his rookie season. Knowing that Strome isn’t particularly comfortable on the wing, he could be the odd man out. However, with a $3.6MM salary, that’s a bit pricey for someone that could be viewed as a potential reclamation project which will limit his market. Bowman will have to decide if taking a lesser return is worth it or if they’re better off holding on to him to see if he rebounds in a contract year.
Clear Forward Logjam
One thing that Bowman has done in recent years is improve their depth up front. He has hit on recent international additions in Suter, Dominik Kubalik, and Philipp Kurashev. Prospects Mackenzie Entwistle (trade), Brandon Hagel, Reese Johnson, and Mike Hardman (undrafted free agent signings) have shown some upside and all saw NHL action this season. Even if none of them turn into stars, cost-controllable depth is great to have.
But they seem to quickly be reaching the point where they may have a bit too much. Dach will be back next year, as will Alexander Nylander. Toews could be back. Trade deadline acquisitions Connolly (two years remaining) and Adam Gaudette (pending RFA) should still be around. Plus, for good measure, Henrik Borgstrom has a two-year, one-way deal while one of their top prospects Lukas Reichel just signed and could make the jump quickly.
A quick look at their depth chart yields around 20 forwards who could potentially be ready for NHL action to start next season without even factoring in who could potentially be brought in using their LTIR space. Yes, some of those are waiver-exempt and can start in the minors and there could be injuries in training camp but on the surface, it appears as if they have some expendable depth. With affordable NHL players being of increasing importance, Bowman may want to turn some of that depth into some future pieces in the form of draft picks or prospects to keep the system well-stocked.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Oilers Forward Gaetan Haas Signs In Switzerland
Edmonton center Gaetan Haas has decided to head back home. After spending the last two years with the Oilers, EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve signed Haas to a five-year contract.
The 29-year-old decided to try his hand in North America in 2019 following a pair of strong offensive seasons with SC Bern in Switzerland. However, while Haas was a capable checker in Edmonton, he didn’t produce much offensively in his first NHL season, notching just five goals and five assists in 58 games. Still, he did enough to earn a second chance, inking a one-year, $915K one-way contract back in April.
But things didn’t go any better this past season. While he got to spend some time in Bern where his offensive production returned, it failed to carry over when he returned to Edmonton. As a result, he managed only two goals and one assist in 34 games in 2020-21 despite averaging over 11 minutes a game in ice time.
While Haas could have returned to the open market and tried his hand at catching on somewhere else, this seems like the wiser course of action for him as he now returns to his hometown team. In the meantime, the Oilers will be looking for cheap depth to round out their roster and could look to free agency to find a replacement although Ryan McLeod has certainly made a case for a full-time roster spot next season and could slide into Haas’ role to start with an eye on quickly moving up the depth chart.
Expansion Primer: Winnipeg Jets
Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.
The Jets had a bit of an up-and-down season as they went from battling for the top spot in the North Division to backing into the playoffs. Then they went from sweeping Edmonton in the first round to being swept by Montreal in the second round. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will have some decisions to make this summer as a result including a couple of calls to make in terms of their expansion planning. In the Vegas draft, they traded down 11 spots in the first round to secure the protections of Marko Dano and Toby Enstrom. Will they need to make another protection trade this time around?
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Mason Appleton, Kyle Connor, Andrew Copp, Marko Dano, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jansen Harkins, Bryan Little, Adam Lowry, Skyler McKenzie, Mark Scheifele, Ivan Telegin, Blake Wheeler (NMC)
Defense:
Nathan Beaulieu, Dylan DeMelo, Luke Green, Josh Morrissey, Sami Niku, Nelson Nogier, Neal Pionk, Logan Stanley
Goalies:
Mikhail Berdin, Connor Hellebuyck, Cole Kehler
Notable Unrestricted Free Agents
D Jordie Benn, G Laurent Brossoit, D Derek Forbort, F Mathieu Perreault, D Tucker Poolman, F Paul Stastny, F Nate Thompson, F Dominic Toninato
Notable Exemptions
F David Gustafsson, D Ville Heinola, F Cole Perfetti, D Dylan Samberg, F Kristian Vesalainen
Key Decisions
There is some intrigue on the back end for Winnipeg. There are certainly more than three players worthy of protection but at the same time, there is no case to make to shift from the typical 7 F/3 D/1 G strategy to eight skaters and a goalie.
In terms of the obvious ones to protect, it’s Pionk and Morrissey. Those two logged heavy minutes all season while contributing a good chunk of their offensive production. Morrissey is already signed long-term through 2028 and it seems likely at this point that Cheveldayoff will try to get Pionk, who is arbitration-eligible for the first time, locked up to a long-term deal as well. That leaves one spot for everyone else.
DeMelo’s absence was certainly felt after exiting the series quickly against the Canadiens. While he doesn’t put up many points or even log a lot of minutes, he is a stabilizing defensive presence and penalty killer on a defense corps that is often shaky in their own zone. That’s why they handed him a four-year, $12MM contract last fall and it’s unlikely their opinion of him has changed much in the last nine months; he’s clearly someone that they want around for a while. But having said that, in this cap environment, would a $3MM AAV for someone who typically plays third-pairing minutes be enough to scare Seattle off to the point where not protecting him could be viable?
That question is what they will be considering when it comes to Stanley. The 23-year-old just made his NHL debut this season but he has been on an NHL contract for three years, making him eligible for selection. The 2016 first-round pick (16th overall) had a limited role but blueliners often develop slower than forwards and given his size, the learning curve was a bit steeper. If they believe he’s capable of playing himself into a more prominent role over the next couple of years, it would be tough to risk losing him for nothing. And from Kraken GM Ron Francis’ perspective, Stanley is exactly the type of young player to either take a flyer on to develop or to flip in another trade.
Beaulieu and Niku are also worth a mention. Beaulieu has been serviceable on the third pairing for the last few years and with a $1.25MM cap hit, he’s someone that could be picked and flipped. Niku dominated in the AHL in 2017-18 with 54 points in 76 games and was productive in shorter stints the last couple of years. However, he hasn’t had much of an NHL opportunity yet and is someone that has been a prime change of scenery candidate for a while. His $725K cap hit will also be below the NHL minimum salary next season ($750K) which could also be appealing.
Up front, Little looked like someone who would likely be protected just a couple of years ago but he hasn’t played since suffering a perforated eardrum back in November of 2019. While his injury hasn’t been confirmed to be career-ending, that could still change which could render him exempt from selection.
Their other top-six forwards that are under contract should be locks for protection and after Lowry inked a five-year, $16.25MM extension back in April, it’s a safe assumption that one of the remaining slots will be his. That leaves one spot left and a couple of viable options in Lowry’s linemates on Winnipeg’s third line.
Copp had shown flashes of offensive improvement over the previous few seasons but took that to another level this year, setting career highs in goals (15), assists (24), points (39), and ATOI (18:15). Whenever injuries struck, Copp was often the one to move up in the lineup while playing the wing or down the middle when needed. That type of versatile player is critical for teams to have and while he’s set to earn a raise from his $2.3MM qualifying offer in restricted free agency this summer in his final season of arbitration eligibility, it’s a price that Winnipeg (or Seattle, if he’s ultimately made available) would happily be willing to pay.
The other part of that third trio is Appleton whose track record isn’t quite as long. The 25-year-old was a full-time NHL player for the first time this season and he was fairly productive in a limited role, notching 12 goals and 13 assists in 56 games. Of those 25 points, all but one came at even strength (and the one special teams point was a power play assist). Five-on-five scoring is always highly coveted and the early indication is that Appleton is a capable contributor in that regard. He also only has a $900K cap hit through next season and productive low-cost depth is hard to come by. Being only able to protect one of Copp or Appleton will hurt.
Projected Protection List
F Kyle Connor
F Andrew Copp
F Pierre-Luc Dubois
F Nikolaj Ehlers
F Adam Lowry
F Mark Scheifele
F Blake Wheeler (NMC)
D Dylan DeMelo
D Josh Morrissey
D Neal Pionk
Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist
When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined. Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined. In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.
Forwards (2): Mason Appleton, Jansen Harkins
Defensemen (2): Nathan Beaulieu, Logan Stanley
While some teams will be losing veteran talent, it certainly feels like Winnipeg will be losing one of their younger regulars as their roster currently stands. Appleton looks like a promising late-bloomer and after being viewed as a potential bust, Stanley took an important step forward in his development this season and should be part of their future plans now. Is that enough for Cheveldayoff to make another side deal? He has roughly six weeks to make that decision.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 06/10/21
Click here to read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.
Columbus Blue Jackets Hire Brad Larsen As Head Coach
The Columbus Blue Jackets conducted multiple interviews with both Gerard Gallant and Rick Tocchet as they looked for John Tortorella‘s replacement as head coach, but in the end, the job went to someone they are much more familiar with. Brad Larsen, an assistant with the Blue Jackets since 2014-15, has officially been named head coach, receiving a three-year contract. GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement on the hire:
We underwent an exhaustive process in which we looked very closely at a number of outstanding candidates to be the next coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the one individual we kept coming back to throughout was Brad Larsen. Brad was one of the top young coaches in the American Hockey League when he joined our club as an assistant coach and over the past seven years has earned the respect of our players, staff and organization with his work ethic, hockey acumen and the way he treats people, and we couldn’t be more pleased to introduce him as our next head coach.
Even before he joined the Blue Jackets bench, Larsen was part of the Columbus organization. He served as an assistant and then head coach of the Springfield Falcons almost immediately after his playing career ended. His final season on the ice was as captain of the Portland Pirates, playing alongside current NHL talents like Tyler Ennis, Paul Byron, and even current Blue Jacket Nathan Gerbe. Before he ended up wearing a “C” in Portland though, Larsen played more than 300 total games in the NHL, even winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001 (though he did not suit up in the playoffs that season).
It is interesting to note that one of the other assistants on Tortorella’s staff, Brad Shaw, has a much longer track record in the NHL but parted ways and took a similar role with the Vancouver Canucks instead of interviewing for the Columbus job.
The Blue Jackets are facing a difficult offseason after it has become clear that Seth Jones will not sign an extension with the team at this point. Kekalainen may have to consider trading the star defenseman this summer or risk losing him for nothing at the end of next season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Patrik Laine, the team’s big acquisition this year, is also in need of a new contract as a restricted free agent. Max Domi, last summer’s big name, has just one year left before he reaches UFA status as well, and will miss several months following recent surgery. Both Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo will hit the open market in a year, and Zach Werenski also needs a new contract after 2021-22.
With all that in mind, combined with the fact that the Blue Jackets just finished last in the division, it very well could be a rebuild for the Blue Jackets. If that’s the case, Larsen–who made the best impression between his previous time with the team and his two interviews–will have a difficult task ahead of him to turn things around.
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic was the first to peg Larson as the frontrunner for the job earlier in the day.
Casey DeSmith Undergoes Surgery
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that backup goaltender Casey DeSmith has undergone bilateral core muscle surgery today. The procedure comes with a recovery period of six to eight weeks, meaning DeSmith should be ready for training camp next season.
The 29-year-old DeSmith played in 20 games for the Penguins this season, posting a strong .912 save percentage and two shutouts. Unfortunately, his injury made him unable to help Pittsburgh in their first-round match against the New York Islanders as Tristan Jarry struggled immensely. Even in the deciding sixth game, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was forced to stay with Jarry even after allowing five goals through the first two periods, the last three coming in quick succession and essentially ending any hope of a comeback.
In DeSmith, the Penguins have a reliable backup signed for just $1.25MM through 2021-22. If he can return from this injury at full strength and no other changes are made in the crease, it will be interesting to see if he gets even more opportunity next season. Core surgery is notorious for affecting a player’s performance for much longer than the original recovery period, so hopefully, DeSmith can get back up to speed by the time the regular season schedule begins.