Teddy Blueger Re-Signs With Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed young forward Teddy Blueger to a two-year contract. The deal is one-way and will carry an average annual value of $750K. Assistant GM Bill Guerin released a statement:
Teddy is a perfect role model for younger players coming into the league. When you watch a guy with his work ethic, determination and ability to trust the process of going through the proper steps to get to the NHL, you have a great example for younger players. Teddy came to us with great expectations, and he’s worked hard to meet each one. He has great hockey sense, he loves to compete and he’s a true professional.
Blueger, 24, finally got his chance at the NHL level in 2018-19 after three seasons in the minor leagues where he was routinely one of the best offensive players on the ice. A second round pick from 2012 he finally made an impact for Pittsburgh, scoring ten points in 28 games during the regular season. With the Penguins’ attack set to look a little different this year after the departure of Phil Kessel, Blueger will still have to fight for playing time thanks to newcomers Alex Galchenyuk and Brandon Tanev. He’ll almost certainly be on the roster, but with so many legitimate NHL forwards the lineup could shake out in several different ways.
That’s nothing new for Blueger, who has had to work hard just to even get to this point. Grinding through four years at college and three more in the minor leagues just to earn a little over 11 minutes a night in the NHL has secured him some career security for the next two years, but there is still more work to do if he wants to become that integral part of a playoff team.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Adam Johnson
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed Adam Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract. Johnson had been eligible for arbitration but did not file. The contract carries a $700K salary at the NHL level. Assistant GM Bill Guerin released a short statement on the forward:
Adam has definitely put the work in. He’s a great skater, and has worked extremely hard to get to another level of strength and conditioning, which certainly helped him in his second pro season. I think he proved not only to us but also to himself that he can play in the National Hockey League.
The 25-year old Johnson is another one of the Penguins’ undrafted free agent signings out of the NCAA, though he hasn’t yet made quite the impact players like Conor Sheary and Zach Aston-Reese. In fact, Johnson has played just six games for Pittsburgh since signing out of Minnesota-Duluth in 2017, instead spending most of his professional career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. It’s there that the two-way forward has made his mark, scoring 74 points in 137 games.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton may be where Johnson is headed once again unless more changes are made in Pittsburgh this summer, since he is still waiver-exempt for now. If that happens and he doesn’t play in at least 74 NHL games this season he will qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency in 2020 and could take his talents elsewhere. It’ll be a difficult task for him to land a full-time role out of camp, but not impossible. If the Penguins decide to move on from another player like Nick Bjugstad or Bryan Rust they may have an opening for at least a 13th forward, something Johnson could have the inside track on given his waiver status and relative versatility.
Matt Cullen Announces Retirement
After 21 seasons in the NHL, Matt Cullen is finally calling it quits. The 42-year old forward has announced his retirement through a video essay posted on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Twitter account. In it, Cullen examines all of the “lasts” he experienced in his career, including the final season with the Penguins in 2018-19.
Beloved by nearly everyone he came in contact to throughout his career, Cullen will actually go down as one of the most successful American-born players in history. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Cullen trails only Chris Chelios in games played by Americans and ranks 19th overall with 1,516 regular season contests. He added another 132 playoff contests including those long title runs with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
While he was never a top offensive player, Cullen still made quite an impact on the game. A defensively responsible center, he still contributed at least 30 points in 14 of his seasons with a career-high of 49 in 2005-06. He finishes his career with 731 regular season points.
It’s been a long time coming for Cullen, who has flirted with retirement for the last several years. After a season that saw him record just 20 points and be limited to just fourth-line minutes, it was time to hang up the skates and move on to the next phase in his career.
Greg Johnson Passes Away At 48
Former NHLer Greg Johnson passed away on Monday at the far too young age of 48. USA Today’s Kevin Allen relays the news today from Johnson’s friend and former agent Tom Laidlaw, who says Johnson died at his home near Detroit, Michigan. No cause of death was provided, but Johnson was forced to retire early in 2006 due to an irregular heartbeat, making the cardiac ailment the likely cause.
Johnson played 785 games in the NHL, but will be remembered most for the 502 spent with the Nashville Predators. An inaugural member of the 1998 expansion Predators, Johnson led the team in points per game in its first year of existence with a career-best 50 points in 68 games. He would go on to captain the team for the final four years of his career as well. Laidlaw recalls that Johnson cherished his role with Nashville and took less money to stay with the Predators, while former teammate Chris Mason says that Johnson was “a big part of establishing the identity of the franchise.”
Johnson was also well known for being both the captain and star forward of the University of North Dakota in the early 90’s. He had been drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round in 1989 after a near-100 point season in the USHL and quickly proved he was the real deal, recording 272 points in 155 games in his NCAA career. Johnson broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and also spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. He accumulated 224 in 785 games in his NHL career and became known for his two-way play and work ethic.
Most importantly though, Johnson is remembered as a great teammate. Allen writes that Johnson was a soft-spoken and caring type of captain, who prioritized taking care of his team. Mason calls Johnson “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” and “the kind of guy that Predators wanted their other players to be like on or off the ice.” The Predators themselves released a statement calling their former captain ” a consummate professional and terrific teammate who was an integral part of our community and in developing the Predators culture that we experience today.”
Everyone at PHR wishes the best for the family and friends of Johnson at this time.
Dustin Tokarski Signs AHL Deal
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have added another experienced goaltender, signing Dustin Tokarski to an AHL contract for the 2019-20 season. While adding depth at any position is hardly newsworthy, the Penguins already had three minor league goaltenders under contract including Tristan Jarry, who has been included in trade speculation for some time. In fact, Jarry found himself among the most likely to be traded by The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) recently, alongside Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust.
Tokarski, 29 comes to the organization with a decade of professional experience, including 39 NHL appearances and even five games in the playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens in 2014. The last several years however he has been limited to almost entirely minor league action. Last year, Tokarski split the season between the Hartford Wolf Pack and Charlotte Checkers, winning the Calder Cup (the second of his career) with the latter.
It seems unlikely that Tokarski would be signed to play in the ECHL, though he could serve as a backup for Jarry in the AHL if the team feels comfortable sending their other young goaltenders to the low minors. Otherwise, his presence could mean another trade is coming in Pittsburgh sooner or later.
Penguins May Have To Make Another Cap-Clearing Trade
The Penguins have already made a pair of trades this offseason to free up some cap space. Defenseman Olli Maatta was sent to Chicago for winger Dominik Kahun to free up more than $3MM in room while winger Phil Kessel was shipped to Arizona for forward Alex Galchenyuk and defense prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph which freed up roughly $2MM more. Despite that, GM Jim Rutherford may still have to make another cost-cutting trade in the weeks to come.
Right now, Pittsburgh has just under $1.6MM in cap room on a projected 21-man roster for next season, per CapFriendly. They have a handful of restricted free agents to re-sign as well. That list is highlighted by defenseman Marcus Pettersson who made a sizable impact after being acquired early in the season, averaging nearly 18 minutes a night with the Penguins while putting up 19 points in 57 games. Even though he isn’t arbitration-eligible, the 23-year-old should be able to command the rest of Pittsburgh’s cap space on his own.
Up front, there are pair of forwards that need new deals in center Zach Aston-Reese (who filed for arbitration) and winger Teddy Bleuger (who didn’t). Aston-Reese has done enough to earn a small raise on the $925K he made last season after putting up 17 points In just 43 games with Pittsburgh so his new deal will take up a big portion of their remaining cap room. Blueger, meanwhile, had 10 points in 28 games but the fact he spent so much time in the minors will likely keep his AAV closer to the league minimum of $700K.
Even if the Penguins carry a roster that’s smaller than the maximum of 23 players (which will be tricky considering none of the players projected to make the team are waiver-exempt), they will have some difficulty getting Pettersson and Aston-Reese signed while staying below the Upper Limit of $81.5MM. Accordingly, expect Rutherford to be looking to make a small move to give the team some extra flexibility to re-sign their remaining free agents and leave some wiggle room for in-season movement and recalls. There has been some change already in Pittsburgh and there may still be a bit more to come.
Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Mike Sullivan
The Pittsburgh Penguins have decided to reward their head coach with an extension, inking Mike Sullivan for another four years. The deal will start at the end of the 2019-20 season and take him through 2023-24. GM Jim Rutherford issued a statement on his coach:
Mike has done a great job delivering four, 100-plus point seasons with our team. To win back-to-back Stanley Cups in this era speaks volumes of him as a coach. His instincts in managing the inter-workings of our team both on and off the ice has been impressive.
Sullivan was named head coach of the Penguins in 2015 after the team moved on from Mike Johnston mid-season, only to immediately lead them to a Stanley Cup after going 33-16-5 down the stretch. He’d come back the next season with an even more impressive performance, leading the Penguins to a 50-21-11 record in the regular season and a second consecutive championship. In all four years with Sullivan as head coach for at least part of the season, the Penguins have finished with at least 100 points.
Even with all that success however, there was some speculation over Sullivan’s future with the team. Reported clashes with start players like Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin along with an embarrassing exit in this year’s playoffs—the Penguins were swept out of the first round by the New York Islanders—led reporters to ask GM Jim Rutherford about his coach’s performance and future. Speaking with Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required) Rutherford came to the defense of Sullivan immediately:
Personally. I believe this was the best coaching job Mike Sullivan has done since he’s been with the Penguins. The dynamic of the team this season, it was difficult for him to deal with. This team never came together. It just never did. I don’t want to get into all of the details. But Mike had to deal with a lot of different circumstances this year. He had to keep things under control. It’s impressive that he still pulled off a 100-point season.
Even with that support, Sullivan had just one year left on his contract and when the team brought in famed minor league coach Mike Vellucci recently there was talk that he might be on the hot seat. No more, as Sullivan will now have job security and a chance to take the Penguins back to the playoffs again with a different looking lineup next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Oilers, Penguins, Williams
The Edmonton Oilers added a little bit of depth after free agency opened, signing forwards Markus Granlund and Tomas Jurco while also bringing back Alex Chiasson on a two-year deal. That doesn’t mean they’re finished though, as GM Ken Holland told David Staples of the Edmonton Journal. The Oilers would still like to find some more scoring for the wing and a legitimate third-line center, but whether that will come through free agency or trade isn’t clear.
It’s not like Edmonton has a ton of room to go after a free agent, even following the recent buyout of defenseman Andrej Sekera. The Oilers currently project to have over $77.5MM in cap hits committed to next season—including more than $4.1MM in various buyouts—though that is already for a 22-man roster. There is still plenty of talent left on the market, but as Holland told Staples he’s “been a manager for 22 years. [He knows] when it’s time to pay and when it’s time not to pay.”
- The Pittsburgh Penguins might be another team looking to clear some cap room with a trade, as Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required) examines in his latest piece. Yohe believes at least one more trade is coming before the end of the summer given the current salary situation the Penguins are facing, sitting with just under $1.6MM in cap space with restricted free agents Teddy Blueger, Zach Aston-Reese and Marcus Pettersson still to be signed. In his breakdown of the roster and the likelihood of each player being traded, he lists three “favorites” which includes relative newcomer Nick Bjugstad. The 26-year old has two years at a $4.1MM cap hit remaining on his current deal but scored just 36 points last year in a down season.
- Justin Williams is still deciding whether to play or not next season, but the Carolina Hurricanes are optimistic that he’ll come back for at least one more year. Carolina GM Don Waddell told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that if Williams does come back, he’s confident the veteran winger will sign with the Hurricanes. Williams shared the same sentiment, explaining that he’d rather not move his family again. Even though he will turn 38 at the beginning of the season, Williams is still a capable offensive piece that put up 23 goals and 53 points last season.
Penguins Re-Sign Joseph Blandisi
Joseph Blandisi will extend his stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquired mid-season from the Anaheim Ducks, Blandisi played in only six games with the Penguins and was held off the score sheet, but did enough to earn a new contract anyway. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Pittsburgh has signed Blandisi to a one-year, two-way deal with a minimum $700K salary at the NHL level.
Blandisi is likely happy to have some certainty heading into next season after being traded in each of the past two seasons. A former New Jersey Devils prospect, Blandisi played well as a rookie, recording 17 points in 41 games to go with a near point-per-game AHL campaign, but was moved to Anaheim in 2017-18 after his numbers failed to improve the year before. However, Blandisi was held scoreless in the three games apiece in each of his two seasons with the Ducks, prompting another trade to Pittsburgh. While his NHL production did not improve with the Penguins, his AHL scoring remained consistent.
Blandisi is not especially big, but plays an aggressive, hard-nosed game. With minor league production that hints at an ability to score – even if the NHL numbers don’t match just yet – and a physical style that can work well in a checking role, the 24-year-old is a nice depth piece and will push for play time in Pittsburgh next season.
Panthers Sign Defensemen Tommy Cross And Ethan Prow
The Florida Panthers are re-tooling their blue line and that goes beyond simply adding Anton Stralman. The team also needs more talent among their depth options and have accomplished that by adding a pair of capable AHL defenders. The Panthers announced that Tommy Cross and Ethan Prow have both agreed to two-year, two-way contracts. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Cross, 29, was a Boston College standout and long-time Boston Bruins prospect before signing a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer. Cross plays a sound defensive game, which allowed him to be a capable emergency option for Boston on a few occasions, but has mostly made his name on being a very offensively productive minor league defenseman for many years.
Prow, 26, enjoyed a breakout season at the right time, as he entered a contract year having yet to establish himself as a pro. In 74 AHL games last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he recorded 50 points and showed that he can be an effective puck-mover at the pro level. He’s turned that into a nice opportunity to fight for NHL appearances with Florida.