Western Notes: Niederreiter, Dumba, Golden Knights, Gusev
The Minnesota Wild were expected to shake things up after another disappointing playoff run and made that clear when they replaced general manager Chuck Fletcher with Paul Fenton. One forgets that Fenton as the assistant to David Poile in Nashville for the past 20 years, has been involved in many blockbuster trades in that time. So, don’t be surprised to see the team make several big moves this offseason.
The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required) delves into several potential trade candidates and what the chances are that Fenton might move them. At the top of the list is winger Nino Niederreiter, who might be the perfect trade candidate. After three 20-goal seasons, Niederreiter came up two goals short this year, but also missed 19 games this year with a high ankle sprain and a broken fibula. Unfortunately, Niederreiter also has struggled in the playoffs recently combining for just one assist in 10 playoff games over the past two seasons. However, the fact that he’s 25 years old and is locked in for another four years at $5.25MM AAV could make him the team’s biggest trade chip. Throw in the fact that Jason Zucker and Zach Parise are listed as the top two left wings on the team, he is expendable.
While he analyzes a number of trade candidates in the article, Russo suggests that despite going well out of their way to protect Mathew Dumba at the expansion draft last season (that cost them Erik Haula and Alex Tuch), Dumba rewarded the team with a career highs in goals and assists with 14 goals and 36 assists. Now a restricted free agent, the team must decide whether Dumba is worth a long-term deal and if not, the Wild might want to move him while his value is high.
- With the team’s success this year, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee refers to their 2017 first-round picks, Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom as “long shots” to making the team next season, according to SinBinVegas. If one of those picks were to make the Golden Knights roster out of training camp, they would have to be “really, really good.” McPhee also said he doesn’t believe teenagers belong in the NHL and the team must take more responsibility to develop their prospects properly. “Smartest thing we can do is take our time and develop them,” McPhee said.
- Sticking with the Vegas Golden Knights, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that McPhee said the team continues to pursue Russian winger Nikita Gusev, who the team acquired in an expansion-day deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. The 25-year-old has scored 46 goals and tallied 133 points over the past two seasons in the KHL. He still has one more year remaining on a two-year deal he signed last summer, so the Golden Knights have to wait a while longer. “He’s got another year on his deal and then we’ll see what we can do. He’s a talented guy and we’ll do what we can to get him here. We’ve talked to him, and we’ll continue to talk to him,” McPhee said.
Offseason Keys: Philadelphia Flyers
With just two teams still playing, the rest have already started their offseason planning. What storylines lie ahead around the league? Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Philadelphia Flyers.
2017-18 was an interesting year for the Flyers. They once again had extreme highs and lows when it came to their streakiness, something that seems to be becoming a trend under Dave Hakstol. They got a resurgent season from Claude Giroux and despite more issues between the pipes, gave the Penguins a good run in the first round before being ousted in six. Now, GM Ron Hextall has some salary cap room to work with this summer which gives him a lot of flexibility to reshape his team. Here are some things to watch for this offseason.
Extension Talks For Simmonds
Winger Wayne Simmonds has been a key cog for the Flyers over the past seven seasons. He has become one of the top power forwards in the league and has surpassed the 20-goal mark in six of those years; the one he didn’t was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.
The 29-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract and will undoubtedly be seeking a significant raise on the $3.975MM AAV he has had since 2013-14. There is always a demand for power forwards and ones with the type of offensive consistency he has are even harder to find.
However, because of that style he plays, Simmonds is also somewhat of a risk on a long-term contract. Players like him don’t tend to age well and there’s a good chance he’ll be battling the injury bug more frequently in years to come. Accordingly, the last few years of a long-term deal could be a cap anchor.
There’s no denying his importance in Philly and even with those risks, Hextall will likely make a run at locking him up sooner than later. If they can’t come to terms, however, he’ll be an interesting trade candidate at some point next season.
Buyout Decisions
Because of their salary cap situation (more on that later), Philadelphia isn’t in a situation where they’ll be forced to buy out a player or two to free up some short-term flexibility. However, they still have a couple of forwards where they should at least consider the possibility of doing so.
The change of scenery that center Jori Lehtera received as part of the Brayden Schenn trade back at the draft did not help get him going. In fact, his play worsened and he found himself frequently on the fourth line when he wasn’t in the press box. With another year left on his deal at $4.7MM, he would normally be almost a no-brainer to be bought out but at least for now, it doesn’t sound like they’ll go that way. Yes, they could replace his eight points in 62 games with a cheaper option but the $1.67MM cap hit in 2019-20 that would be there in a buyout may deter them from doing so. A trade with retention may be something they wind up exploring.
In his first two seasons with Philly, winger Dale Weise has not produced anywhere close to the level he did with Montreal. He was brought in to be an energetic third-line winger that could chip in with double-digit goals but that hasn’t happened. He has also been a frequent scratch and has largely been confined to fourth line ice time. He still has two years remaining on his deal at a $2.35MM cap charge which is pricey for someone in that role. Again, the 2019-20 charge ($1.28MM) may act as a bit of a deterrent although the price in the other three seasons (2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22) would be more manageable at just over $683K. For most teams, Weise would find himself as a prime buyout candidate this summer and the Flyers will need to decide if he is for them as well.
Spend Wisely
Lately, Philadelphia hasn’t been big spenders on the open market because they’ve had limited room with which to work with. That’s not the case heading into this offseason as they have roughly $58MM committed to 17 players per CapFriendly without a lot of prominent players to re-sign. Basically, they can add multiple impact players in free agency but is that the best play to make?
On top of Simmonds needing a new deal next summer, so too does defenseman Ivan Provorov. As a number one blueliner already, he’s going to get a contract that is well beyond his $894K base salary. Winger Travis Konecny is in a similar situation. He’s not going to get the type of raise Provorov will get but it will still be significant. Projecting a $10MM increase in payroll for these three a year from now isn’t unrealistic so that will have to be kept in mind when spending this summer. Accordingly, some of their activity in free agency and trades should probably be focused on short-term contracts.
Even with that in mind, Hextall and the Flyers have more than enough room to make a splash this summer and add at least one prominent player. Given their prospects on the back end and the dearth of impact players in free agency, it’s likely that their addition(s) will come up front. It has been a while since they’ve been heard from on the open market but that won’t be the case a month from now.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Valtteri Filppula Expected To Seek Multi-Year Deal In Free Agency
Flyers center Valtteri Filppula is expected to seek a multi-year contract in free agency, reports John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia. While he’s coming off a fairly quiet season offensively, he’s only one year away from being tagged with 35+ status which carries more risk for teams. As a result, he may be willing to take a bit less on the open market this time around to get more security over going year-to-year. In either case, he is going to be asked to take a considerable pay cut compared to the $5MM cap hit he has carried for the last five seasons.
Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Draft Picks Expire
The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players—the same total as last year—will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2018 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. Adam Mascherin is the highest picked player among those who will be headed back into the draft, selected 38th overall by the Florida Panthers two years ago. Below is the full list of players:
Anaheim Ducks:
F Tyler Soy (7th round, 2016)
Arizona Coyotes:
F Anton Karlsson (3rd round, 2014)
D David Westlund (6th round, 2014)
Buffalo Sabres:
D Vojtech Budik (5th round, 2016)
F Brandon Hagel (6th round, 2016)
D Austin Osmanski (7th round, 2016)
Calgary Flames:
D Adam Ollas Mattsson (6th round, 2014)
Carolina Hurricanes:
C Hudson Elynuik (3rd round, 2016)
D Noah Carroll (6th round, 2016)
Chicago Blackhawks:
D Andreas Soderberg (5th round, 2014)
Colorado Avalanche:
G Maximilian Pajpach (6th round, 2014)
Dallas Stars:
D Miro Karjalainen (5th round, 2014)
Detroit Red Wings:
D Jordan Sambrook (5th round, 2016)
F Julius Vahatalo (6th round, 2014)
Florida Panthers:
G Hugo Fagerblom (7th round, 2014)
C Adam Mascherin (2nd round, 2016)
Los Angeles Kings:
D Jacob Friend (7th round, 2016)
Minnesota Wild:
D Pontus Sjalin (6th round, 2014)
D Brayden Chizen (7th round, 2016)
New Jersey Devils:
G Evan Cormier (4th round, 2016)
Philadelphia Flyers:
C Anthony Salinitri (6th round, 2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Connor Hall (3rd round, 2016)
San Jose Sharks:
D Mark Shoemaker (6th round, 2016)
Tampa Bay Lightning:
C Christopher Paquette (5th round, 2016)
Toronto Maple Leafs:
D Keaton Middleton (4th rond, 2016)
F J.J. Piccinich (4th round, 2014)
D Nicolas Mattinen (6th round, 2016)
Vancouver Canucks:
D Cole Candella (5th round, 2016)
F Jakob Stukel (6th round, 2016)
C Brett McKenzie (7th round, 2016)
Washington Capitals:
F Kevin Elgestal (7th round, 2014)
D Dmitri Zaitsev (7th round, 2016)
Winnipeg Jets:
C Jordan Stallard (5th round, 2016)
Philadelphia Flyers See Value In Goaltending Like Vegas Does
The emergence in the last couple of years of prospect Carter Hart, who won the CHL Goaltender of the Year award Saturday for the second straight year is the only hope the Philadelphia Flyers have to filling the one major gap on their roster — goaltending. With the team locked into another year with the tandem of average goalies Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth, the team has to hope that Hart, who will join the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms next year, can live up to the hype and lead the Flyers to that next level in a year.
Only 19 years old, Hart has put up three dominant seasons with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. In the 2015-16 season as a 17-year old, Hart posted a 2.14 GAA and a .918 save percentage. The Flyers drafted him in the second round after that season. He followed that year up with a 1.99 GAA and a .927 save percentage in the 2016-17 season to capture his first CHL Goaltender of the Year award. It only got better. Despite a respite in December to represent Team Canada at the World Juniors, he tallied a 1.60 GAA and a .947 save percentage for one of the best junior seasons for a goalie ever.
He joined Lehigh Valley for their playoff run recently, but didn’t get into a game. That job should be handed to him next season, although Hart is looking to make the rare jump straight to the Flyers.
“I want to be (in the NHL) next season,” he said to the Courier-Post. “That’s my goal for the summer is to get bigger, faster and stronger so I’m prepared for training camp. That’s really all I’m focused on right now is that this summer is huge for me. I’m excited to go home, whenever that is, and get my training started and get ready for next season.”
Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi finds himself comparing this year’s Flyers team to that of the Golden Knights squad that sits four wins away from a Stanley Cup title. The one big difference that the scribe notes between the two teams is that Vegas hit the jackpot when they got Marc-Andre Fleury in the expansion draft from the Pittsburgh Penguins. That move is the key factor that the Flyers lacked this year. When Elliott was not hurt, he put up decent numbers with a 2.66 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 43 games, but that isn’t good enough for a team to take that next step in the playoffs. Neuvirth wasn’t much better with a 2.60 GAA and a .915 save percentage in 22 games.
The scribe points out that what Fleury has done is shown the other 30 general managers in the league that goaltending is the most important position of the game. The Flyers only hope is that Hart is as good as advertised once he reaches the professional ranks. The hope is that one year in the AHL will hopefully prove he’s ready to be that goaltender of the future in Philadelphia. Of course, the Flyers may have learned this lesson several years ago and have their own pipeline with promising Swedish goaltender Felix Sandstrom expected to come over to the U.S. to join Hart in Lehigh Valley next season.
CHL Announces Top Players Awards for 2017-18
The CHL announced their top player awards Saturday with Alex Barre-Boulet garnering the Sportsnet Player of the Year Award. The 21-year-old who played for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL, tallied 53 goals and 116 points to capture the award, beating out Everett Silvertips goaltender Carter Hart and the Sarnia Stings forward Jordan Kyrou. The 5-foot-9 Barre-Boulet, who went undrafted, signed an entry level contract in March with the Tampa Bay Lightning and will likely report to their AHL franchise next year.
While Hart fell short of winning the Player of the Year award, he didn’t walk away without one as the Philadelphia Flyers prospect won the Vaughn Goaltending of the Year award for the second time. The 19-year-old who starred for Team Canada at the World Juniors as well, blew the competition away with a 1.60 GAA in 41 games and putting up an impressive .947 save percentage. He beat out Windsor Spitfires Michael DiPietro and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies’ Samuel Harvey.
The Vegas Golden Knights picked up another award as prospect Nicolas Hague won the Superstore Defenseman of the Year award. The second-round pick in 2017 from the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads totaled 35 goals and 78 points in 67 games last season. He beat out Moose Jaw Warriors Kale Clague and Acadie-Bathurst Titan’s Olivier Galipeau.
Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts won the Sherwin Williams Top Prospect Award as the Barrie Colts winger put up 40 goals in his rookie year in the OHL. Svenchikov is considered by many to be the second player to come off the board in the 2018 NHL Draft. He beat out Spokane Chiefs defenseman Ty Smith and Halifax Mooseheads Filip Zadina.
Here is a list of all the CHL award winners:
Player of the Year: Alex Barre-Boulet
Defenseman of the Year: Nicolas Hague
Goaltender of the Year: Carter Hart
Rookie of the Year: Alex Lafreniere
Coach of the Year: Drew Bannister
Scholastic Player of the Year: Alexandre Alain
Humanitarian of the Year: Garrett McFadden
Sportsman of the Year: Aleksi Heponiemi
Top Scorer: Jayden Halbegwachs
Top Prospect of Year: Andrei Svechnikov
Samuel Morin Out Until February With Torn ACL
Though it had already been reported that Philadelphia Flyers prospect Samuel Morin would be out at least six months with a knee injury, Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post is now reporting that it will be even longer than that. Morin is now expected to be out until February of 2019, essentially robbing him of most of the 2018-19 season. Morin was expected to compete for and perhaps win a full-time job with the Flyers next season, but will obviously have to wait to make his way back to the NHL.
Morin, 22, was Philadelphia’s first-round pick in 2013 but has failed to crack the lineup for more than a handful of games. The 6’6″ defenseman missed most of this season with various injuries, only to fall victim to his latest ailment after returning for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the playoffs. Obviously there is still time for him to fulfill his promise as a two-way shutdown defender, but after turning 23 this summer with only three NHL games under his belt, he’s wasted a lot of time.
The Flyers meanwhile have already said they won’t be re-signing Brandon Manning or Johnny Oduya, leaving them with several openings on the blue line for their young defense crop. Travis Sanheim, Philippe Myers and Morin were all expected to compete for playing time with the big club, of which there should be plenty. Now with Morin out of the picture the other two have even better chances of lasting in the NHL next season.
Interestingly, Morin is also a restricted free agent this summer. After missing most of this year and not making an impact yet, it’s likely the two sides agree on a very short-term deal as a sort of “prove it” contract. Morin won’t want to give up many years of control for the low salary guarantee a two-way deal comes with, while Phildelphia still doesn’t know exactly what they have with their hulking defenseman. They could be right back in the same situation next summer, after a very short 2018-19 season.
Winnipeg Unlikely To Buyout Steve Mason
It was about as bad a first season in Winnipeg as it could have been for goaltender Steve Mason. After signing a two-year deal with the Jets last summer that carried the presumption that he would at least share the starting job, injuries and poor play plagued the veteran net minder all season. The lone bright spot for Mason – he still made his $4.1MM. Many have speculated – now that Vezina Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck has more than solidified his position as the starter moving forward – that Mason could be cut by the Jets this off-season to avoid another hefty cap hit next year. However, speaking with the media today, Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff stated that he did not anticipate going the buyout route with his experienced albeit overpaid backup (video). Instead, Cheveldayoff spoke to Mason’s ability and integrity and his desire to have a capable backup next season.
Mason, who will be 30 next season, joined the Jets last summer after parts of five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers during which he struggled to transcend to that elite, true #1 goaltender level. Nevertheless, Winnipeg handed the 2009 Calder Trophy winner an $8.2MM contract that was immediately panned. Unfortunately for the Jets, the critics proved to be right. Admittedly, Mason struggled with several injuries – including multiple concussions – during the year, however when he did play the results were underwhelming. Mason finished the season with a .906 save percentage and 3.24 GAA in a career-low 13 appearances. It was easily his worst performance since his later seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and paved the way for Hellebuyck to take over full control of the starter’s job, as he dominated starts even when Mason was healthy.
Yet, a buyout of Mason’s final season – while understandable on a results basis – would not make much of a difference to Winnipeg. Yes, the team would save over $2.7MM next year, but would incur a penalty of around $1.4MM the following year. For a team that doesn’t struggle with salary cap compliance, those savings mean relatively little. Without Mason and with Michael Hutchinson headed for unrestricted free agency, the Jets would then be forced to find an experienced backup this off-season anyway. While it may not be popular among fans who were disappointed by his first season, if Cheveldayoff does retain Mason this off-season, there are plenty of reasons why it makes sense for the Jets.
Samuel Morin To Undergo Knee Surgery
The Philadelphia Flyers have several promising young defenseman expected to push for full-time roles on the team next season. One of them however has a long summer ahead of him just to get healthy enough to contribute. Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Samuel Morin‘s season is over due to a knee injury that will require surgery. Carchidi adds on Twitter that it is unknown whether Morin will be ready for training camp in September.
Morin lost nearly the entire season to injury this year, dealing with an apparent groin injury for several months. According to Carchidi, he sustained the knee in the Phantoms’ recent five-overtime marathon game against the Charlotte Checkers. That’s a tough blow for the huge defender who suited up just twice for the Flyers this season, but was still expected to compete for a role next season.
Selected 11th-overall in 2013, the 22-year old Morin is considered to have the entire package on defense and should be a capable player for the Flyers down the road. A good first pass, size and solid skating ability makes him an asset at both ends of the rink, and his nasty streak and physical play remind many of the previous generation of NHL defenders. That said, he’ll have to get healthy and show that this injury-plagued season wasn’t a trend in his career before taking over as a full-time player on Philadelphia’s blue line.
Morgan Frost, Carter Hart To Join Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Though they’re both not expected to get into the lineup at this point, Morgan Frost and Carter Hart will be joining the Lehigh Valley Phantoms during their Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Toronto Marlies. Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Frost will join them on the road, while Hart will meet the team when they return for game three.
Frost, 19, was the Flyers’ first-round pick last summer and put up an incredible 112-point season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. His club barely missed out on an opportunity to go to the Memorial Cup, but he’ll get some more high-level experience by just being around the Phantoms during their Calder Cup run. The two-way center has propelled himself into the conversation as one of the best prospects in the entire league with his play this season, especially following his 29-point postseason run. Frost only turned 19 two days ago, and is likely headed back to the CHL next season.
Hart on the other hand has been among the best—if not the best—goaltending prospects in the world for the last few years, and was selected 48th overall in 2016. The 19-year old won his third consecutive Goaltender of the Year award in the WHL, while also taking home league MVP honors after an incredible season with the Everett Silvertips. Hart posted a 31-6-3 record and .947 save percentage this season, and took Everett all the way to the finals before losing to the Swift Current Broncos. Hart will likely enter professional hockey next season, leaving junior hockey as arguably one of the best WHL goaltenders of all-time.