- Canada has added several players to their team for the upcoming World Championships. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter links) that Maple Leafs center John Tavares, Golden Knights winger, and Penguins goalie Matt Murray have all agreed to participate. Meanwhile, Sportsnet 650’s Rick Dhaliwal adds (Twitter link) that Canucks defenseman Troy Stecher will also be taking part in the tournament which gets underway on May 10th.
Penguins Rumors
Filip Hallander Expected To Play With Lulea Next Season
- Penguins prospect Filip Hallander is expected to be loaned to Lulea of the SHL for the 2019-20 season according to a report from Hans Abrahamsson and Tomas Ros of Aftonbladet. The forward spent this past season with Timra where he recorded a respectable 21 points (7-14-21) in 45 games while also suiting up for Sweden at the World Juniors. Pittsburgh already has Hallander, their second-round pick last June, under contract but the deal contains a European Assignment Clause.
Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Joseph Cramarossa
Saturday: The Penguins have confirmed the contract.
Friday: The Pittsburgh Penguins have reached a one-year extension with Joseph Cramarossa, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The two-way contract is worth $700K at the NHL level. Cramarossa was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Now 26, Cramarossa hasn’t played in the NHL since 2016-17 when he split time between the Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks. Originally a third-round pick, the former OHL forward has taken on a depth role in the minor leagues with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and will serve as injury insurance next season. In 56 games with the AHL Penguins this season he had 16 points, but racked up 116 penalty minutes.
Changes are coming for the Penguins this summer after a frustrating first-round exit, but some of their depth forwards will likely be re-signed to contracts like this. The team still has Adam Johnson, Joseph Blandisi, Zach Aston-Reese and Teddy Blueger as pending restricted free agent forwards, all four of which are eligible for arbitration.
Poll: Who Is The Stanley Cup Favorite Now?
If you had asked a crowd of hockey fans before the playoffs began to put down a bet on who would win the Stanley Cup, there would likely have been one resounding favorite. The Tampa Bay Lightning had just completed a historic 62-win season and had everything you would want in a team. Top scorers, including potential Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov who led the league with 128 points this season. Shutdown defenders like Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh, both playoff-tested from years of postseason play. One of the best goaltenders in the world in Andrei Vasilevskiy, a Vezina finalist for the second consecutive season.
None of that mattered though, after the Columbus Blue Jackets erased a 3-0 first period lead in game one and never looked back. Tampa Bay was swept out of the first round, and weren’t the only favorite to be overcome. All four division leaders were knocked out this season, the first time that has happened in the history of the NHL. The Calgary Flames (107 points), Washington Capitals (104) and Nashville Predators (100) all saw their playoff run end early. Even other 100-point teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins were ousted, though this time by even better regular season teams that were forced to face higher seeds than in playoff formats of the past.
The second round started last night, with the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues taking early series leads. Are they now the default favorites to go all the way? What about the upstart wild card teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes who have more young talent than they know what to do with?
If that same crowd were asked today to name a favorite, it might not be as easy. Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section!
Who is the Stanley Cup favorite now?
Boston Bruins
34.61%
(661 votes)
St. Louis Blues
23.35%
(446 votes)
San Jose Sharks
14.14%
(270 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets
8.06%
(154 votes)
New York Islanders
6.23%
(119 votes)
Colorado Avalanche
5.71%
(109 votes)
Carolina Hurricanes
5.24%
(100 votes)
Dallas Stars
2.67%
(51 votes)
Total Votes: 1,910
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Mitch Marner Contract Negotiations “Priority One” For Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs cleaned out their lockers today and held their final media availability of the season after losing their first round series against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. The team has now been ousted in the first round for three straight years and some tough questions are going to raised about how they can improve in the future while still paying top dollar for players like John Tavares and Auston Matthews. Another one of their expensive forwards will soon be Mitch Marner, who is heading into a contract negotiation this summer as a restricted free agent for the first time. GM Kyle Dubas today called the Marner contract “priority one” when speaking with reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, noting that he is going to do everything possible to try and get it done before July 1st.
That is when Marner’s current deal would officially end, and potentially when he could sign an offer sheet with another team to drive his price up. It also is when the Maple Leafs could start their unrestricted free agent shopping if there is any to do, something that would be extremely difficult without knowing how much Marner will cost next season. Toronto is set to be one of the teams closest to the salary cap ceiling next year given their expensive core, and could very well need to move out some contracts to make room for Marner and the other restricted free agents—a group that includes Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson.
The team went through a disastrous negotiation with William Nylander last year that resulted in him missing a good chunk of season, something that Dubas and his front office will avoid at all costs this time around. Nylander never really did get his game back after sitting out for so long, and finished with just seven goals and 27 points in 54 games.
Already committed to around $75MM for next season, the Maple Leafs will also likely not be able to afford to bring back Jake Gardiner. The veteran defenseman has played his entire professional career for the Maple Leafs organization after a trade brought his rights over from the Anaheim Ducks in 2011. As an unrestricted free agent Gardiner will likely draw plenty of interest from around the league despite his notoriety for turning the puck over at times (including one stark example in Tuesday’s elimination game), given his status as a top point producer. Gardiner has registered at least 30 points in a season on six different occasions, including a career-high of 52 in 2017-18.
The biggest focus will be on Marner though, who just finished a 94-point season to put himself into the top echelon of forwards in the NHL. The fourth-overall pick from 2015 has 224 points in 241 regular season games and found immediate chemistry with John Tavares this year. He was also used in a penalty killing role for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, only adding to his versatility and value in the upcoming negotiations.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Kings, Checkers, Hornqvist
In 2017-18, the Los Angeles Kings finished with 98 points, were a playoff team and had both a Norris Trophy and Hart Trophy finalist (and Selke winner) on their roster. Dustin Brown had found his edge again and recorded a 60-point season, while Jonathan Quick took home the Jennings Trophy as the goaltender for the team with the lowest goals against average in the NHL. Then, it all came crashing down. The club finished 30th in the NHL in 2018-19, fired their coach and traded away several assets. Things looked grim.
As Todd McLellan comes in to try and turn the team around, he spoke with Mark Spector of Sportsnet and was clear that it won’t be a quick process. The Kings aren’t expecting to be back competing for the Stanley Cup next season, and are just “at the beginning of the process.” The question now becomes what happens with the other veteran assets on Los Angeles, as names like Brown, Quick, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter aren’t getting any younger. If “it’s not going to be an overnight thing” as McLellan says, where does that leave the aging stars?
- The Charlotte Checkers will be without two key defenders for their next game, as both Trevor Carrick and Bobby Sanguinetti have been given suspensions. While Sanguinetti will serve just a single game for a check to the head, Carrick is out for three games after leaving the bench to join an on-ice altercation. The Checkers are tied 1-1 in their first-round series against the Providence Bruins, and will need to find a way to win without two of their veteran blue liners.
- Patric Hornqvist will suit up for Sweden at the upcoming IIHF World Championship, continuing his season after a disappointing exit with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hornqvist joins a squad that needed some help up front, and could very well find himself skating beside rookie sensation Elias Pettersson. The 32-year old winger won a gold medal with Sweden last year, scoring two goals in five games. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that teammate Marcus Pettersson will be an alternate for the Swedish squad.
Pittsburgh Penguins Will Likely Trade A Defenseman
The Pittsburgh Penguins were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the New York Islanders, opening the door to plenty of questions surrounding the roster composition moving forward. The team made a few big trades during the season to change the look of their group, sending out names like Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Daniel Sprong, Carl Hagelin and Tanner Pearson at various times. While that ended up with a deep group of defense with plenty of talent, it also now may lead to more deals having to be made this summer.
Speaking with Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford admitted that the team will likely have to trade a defenseman this summer. In fact, Rutherford told Mackey:
“But it will be difficult to keep all of our defensemen and keep them happy. I’m sure with the amount of teams who are looking for defensemen, we’ll have to move at least one.”
That may not come as a surprise, given the state of the blue line right now. Six players are currently under one-way contracts for next season, all of them with cap hits of at least Jack Johnson’s $3.25MM. That makes for an expensive group, especially when you consider the fact that Marcus Pettersson, a restricted free agent, deserves a substantial raise after becoming one of the team’s more reliable options.
Mackey suggests that the one skating for a new team come 2019-20 may well be Olli Maatta, who ended up a healthy scratch for three games after his -2 performance in game one. This certainly isn’t the first time that Maatta has been considered a potential trade candidate, in fact his name has surfaced on a consistent basis since signing his six-year, $24.5MM contract in 2016. While the 24-year old defenseman is not a liability, he also hasn’t taken the necessary steps to make him an untouchable on the Pittsburgh roster.
That’s not to say that there wouldn’t be interest in him even with three years and more than $12MM still left on his contract. As Rutherford says, there will be plenty of teams looking for defensive upgrades this summer and he is still a potential top-four option on many of them. His cost certainty may actually be an attractive component to any trade, given his relative youth and the soaring costs of restricted free agents.
The question then becomes whether the Penguins group of defensemen is good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup next season without any other additions. Rutherford seemed to think so when he told reporters including Josh Yohe of The Athletic that this was the best blue line the team has had since he joined them. Rutherford of course joined the Penguins before the 2014-15 season, and won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. Maatta, Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin and Justin Schultz were part of both titles, while Johnson, Pettersson and Erik Gudbranson were all added in the past year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Oula Palve
Monday: The Penguins have officially announced the contract.
Saturday: The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a splash on the European free agent market. CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that Pittsburgh has signed center Oula Palve to a one-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $700K (the league minimum) as well as a maximum $92.5K signing bonus and games played incentives of up to $132.5K.
The 27-year-old had a strong first full season with TPS Turku in the Finnish sm-Liiga, leading the team in scoring with 16 goals and 35 assists in 53 games. His 51 points were a career high and ranked tied for sixth overall in league scoring. He’s a bit of a late bloomer as only three years ago, he was a regular in the Mestis, Finland’s second division and was the top scorer in that league back in 2015-16.
This will be Palve’s first foray into North America and he will be going to a team whose fourth line has been in flux over the last couple of years. Veteran Matt Cullen isn’t expected to return which creates a vacancy down the middle that Palve will likely have a chance to fill. If he doesn’t make the team, he will be waiver-exempt for the 2019-20 season and regardless of what happens, he will once again be an unrestricted free agent in the 2020 offseason.
Penguins Have Few Untouchables Heading Into The Offseason
After a quick exit at the hands of the Islanders in the first round, changes are expected in Pittsburgh. With that in mind, Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that the Penguins only consider centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as the only untouchable players in a trade though others like winger Jake Guentzel would be extremely hard to acquire.
Of course, the focus will immediately shift to winger Phil Kessel. He’s no stranger to trade speculation and there were reports earlier in the season that suggested that they had held trade discussions regarding the 31-year-old last offseason although clearly, nothing came of it.
Kessel has three years remaining on his contract with a $6.8MM cap hit (Toronto is covering the other $1.2MM as part of the trade from 2015) and while he is one of the streakier wingers in the league, he’s also quite productive. He had 82 points in 82 games this season and 96 in 82 contests the year before while he hasn’t missed a game since 2009-10. For teams that are looking for a scoring upgrade on the wing, Kessel will certainly be one of the top options available. It’s worth noting that he has an eight-team no-trade clause.
One other player that could be on the outside looking in is defenseman Olli Maatta, who actually was a healthy scratch for three of their four playoff contests. While he’s only 24, he already has six NHL seasons under his belt and a manageable contract for someone that may be viewed by some around the league as a top-four defender at just under $4.1MM for three more years. However, the acquisitions of Jack Johnson in the summer, as well as Marcus Pettersson via trade from Anaheim earlier this season, have put him in a situation where he looks to be the odd man out.
Meanwhile, Rossi notes that Pittsburgh’s top priority this summer is signing goaltender Matt Murray to a long-term contract extension which would put him on the extremely unlikely to be dealt list as well. The 24-year-old has one year left on his current contract which means he isn’t eligible to actually sign an extension until July 1st. While Murray was inconsistent this season, he’s still in line to garner a sizable raise on his current $3.75MM AAV as the price for a starting goaltender has gone up considerably in recent years.
It’s certainly possible that GM Jim Rutherford’s impetus for wanting to get a Murray deal done quickly is to have a better understanding of how much salary will eventually have to be cleared off the roster. The Penguins have been a team right up against the Upper Limit and with at least $59.7MM in commitments for each of the next three seasons on the book already, they project to be so for the foreseeable future as well. Between that and an early postseason exit, change certainly appears to be on the horizon in Pittsburgh.
Metropolitan Notes: Eberle, Nash, McCann
With his success on the ice in the New York Islanders’ first two playoff games, Jordan Eberle is only helping his stock this summer. The 28-year-old has scored in each of the team’s victories against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs, including the game-winner Friday. And with Eberle’s contract about to end, the skilled winger is getting more and more interested parties looking to sign him this summer, according to the New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis. Eberle spoke briefly about the situation:
“It’s not like I’m going on the ice thinking about my contract. I don’t think about it at all, to be honest. You kind of just let things happen as they do. I think the biggest thing is when you’re a kid, you dream of playing in the playoffs, and that chance is here. The farther you go as a team, the better it is for the individual.”
Eberle, who racked up 34 goals back in the 2011-12 season and has since been a consistent 20-goal scorer since, saw his stock declining this year. Considering that he will be 29 when he signs his next contract and a disappointing 2018-19 season in which he’s put up just 19 goals this season, his lowest output since the 2012-13 season, there were many who believed that Eberle’s value would be at an all-time low this summer. Instead a fast start in the playoffs could force him out of the Islanders’ price range.
- After Rick Nash announced his retirement, it was predicted he might find work in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ front office. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that Nash has been seen watching recent games with Columbus management, including president of hockey operations John Davidson, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and assistant general manager Bill Zito, suggesting that he could soon join the team’s management in the near future. “Jarmo’s been doing a lot of chatting with Rick about learning the management aspects of the game,” Davidson said. “They’re just feeling it all out and seeing where it goes. There’s nothing in stone yet.”
- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jared McCann practiced Saturday after being injured in Game 1 of the team’s first-round series against the Islanders. The 22-year-old suffered an upper-body injury and was forced to sit out of Game 2 Friday. However, the forward is optimistic that he should be ready to return to the lineup for Game 3 on Sunday, according to TribLive’s Joe Rutter. “I’m feeling really good,” McCann said. “The last day there didn’t feel great, and I wasn’t comfortable. Today is a different story. I feel good, and we’ll see where we go from there.”