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Penguins, Dumoulin $2.4MM Apart In Arbitration Submissions

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Penguins GM Jim Rutherford has already stated that he expected to go to arbitration with restricted free agent defenseman Brian Dumoulin.  Based on their arbitration filings, it’s reasonable to understand why.  According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link), Pittsburgh has submitted a one-year proposal at $1.95MM while Dumoulin’s camp came in at $4.35MM.

Dumoulin has seen his role increase steadily over the past two seasons and has become a reliable stay-at-home player for the Penguins.  In 2016-17, he played in 70 games, scoring once and added 14 assists while logging a career best 20:33 per game.

While the fact that he has become a reliable top four defender will help his case, what will work against Dumoulin in the arbitration hearing is his lack of offensive production and a fairly small track record overall as he only has two full NHL seasons under his belt.  The traditional offensive statistics that often play a role in the hearings aren’t particularly strong and judging by the $2.4MM gap in the filings, it’s clear that the Penguins are banking on the lack of production being a factor.

Shero May Not Be Done Dealing

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The New Jersey Devils have had a phenomenal off-season by every measure. They lucked into the 1st overall pick and locked up Nico Hischier. They acquired Marcus Johansson for pennies on the dollar. They’ve shed salaries and ditched older, under-performing players. They bought out Mike Cammalleri and Devante Smith-Pelly for measly penalties and are embracing a full rebuild. About the only thing that could have gone better is if Ilya Kovalchuk’s rights were dealt for a king’s ransom.

According to Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe, GM Ray Shero may not be done in trying to improve his team. Obviously, he needs to round out his depth, as there are only 34 contracts locked up, and the bottom lines and AHL need filling out. He also needs to re-sign RFAs Damon Severson, Stefan Noesen, Joseph Blandisi, and 6 others. Still, his team will find itself in the bottom 5 teams in cap expenditure, with $19.42 MM in space before any of these lesser signings. That leaves the management plenty of room to manuever.

Shinzawa suggests that Shero may utilize his relationship with Nashville GM David Poile to secure some extra scoring, considering the hefty sums they will need to hand out to RFAs Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen. While this is a possibility, it’s hard to see which contract Nashville would be willing to move. It’s perhaps more likely that Shero pursues a young defenseman. Anaheim still has a wealth of talent, and if they wanted to go the more aged route, Detroit is in a financial bind on the backend. Another name which might confuse some but who has a long relationship with Shero is Penguins’ D Olli Maatta. Maatta has vastly underperformed since signing his contract extension in Pittsburgh, and for the right price could be available. Vegas is still very willing to negotiate hockey deals, and their promising defenseman include the likes of Colin Miller and Shea Theodore.

Shero’s best ally right now is the cap crunch other teams are feeling. A productive forward could be sniped from Toronto on the cheap, and Chicago still needs to shed money somewhere along the line if the Marian Hossa LTIR situation goes south. He’s known primarily for his trade prowess which helped solidify the 2009 championship team in Pittsburgh, and it wouldn’t be out of character for him to again heavily work the phones. Hischier will need some sort of support, as the roster as it stands, while better than last year, is still incredibly lean.

Penguins’ 3rd-Line Center Options

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With the loss of Nick Bonino to Nashville via free agency, the reigning champion Pittsburgh Penguins have a gaping hole down the middle. For the first time in over a decade, the center position is now one of relative weakness. It’s always a possibility that Matt Cullen decides to re-sign for one more year, but he will not be able to carry the load of a typical 3rd-line center. Cullen showed signs of slowing down toward the tail-end of the team’s playoff run, and he was only averaging 13:55 a game through the regular season. At 41 years old, he simply won’t be a viable long-term option. The Penguins likely have high hopes for Zach Aston-Reese to make a push in training camp, but he is an unknown quantity at the NHL level. GM Jim Rutherford had 5 potential trade options in the works prior to July 1st, according to the very reliable Josh Yohe of DKPittsburghSports. Talks either fizzled or were put on the back-burner, but one might imagine the number of available targets is far fewer now. With Dallas’ three-year signing of Radek Faksa, there is one fewer name left for consideration. Vegas seems to be content with merely flipping defensemen from here on in, although names such as Cody Eakin and William Karlsson shouldn’t be thrown out entirely. Erik Haula is likely a pipe-dream, but he’s another possible target. Matt Duchene was linked for a time, but between the high cost and the stubbornness of Colorado GM Joe Sakic to make a move, he seems incredibly unlikely.

Who are the safest bets for an off-season move? Or will Pittsburgh enter the season with someone unproven slotting behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin?

Tyler Bozak

Bozak has made tons of sense since his name was first mentioned. A lot has been made of his relationship with Phil Kessel. When they played on a line together in Toronto, Kessel saw some of his best career production. More than that however – the Leafs are in a bit of cap pinch as they will look to free up dollars for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander in the next two seasons. They certainly aren’t in any hurry to drop underneath the ceiling due to LTIR intricacies, but moving out Bozak’s $4.2 MM for this next season would be a forward looking move. If he’s due a raise, it’s likely they’ll lose him for far less, as his contract expires at the end of 2017-18. The move makes sense for Pittsburgh because of the Kessel relationship, but also because he fits the mold of the Pittsburgh squad. He’s a solid skater, sees the ice well, and hustles back into his own zone. His playmaking abilities would be a wonderful fit on the cheap to aid the high-powered offense, and the player would be a positive possession asset to remove the stress from the bigger guns. Bozak does have a modified no-trade clause, but it’s hard to see Pittsburgh being included on his list of non-tradeable teams.

Jordan Staal

Staal saw a lot of success in Pittsburgh before he was traded away to Carolina at the 2012 draft. Jordan was traded to that team in particular due to his desire to player with his older brother Eric Staal. Seeing as Eric is no longer in the picture, it would make sense that Staal might be open to a Pittsburgh reunion. Staal is one of the better defensive centers in the league, and has been forced to take a more uncomfortably offensive role in Carolina. Staal’s biggest downside is that he isn’t the most agile skater, but he’s not any slower than Nick Bonino was. That said, he can play the shutdown role and be a total nuisance for top opponents. Rutherford loves the player, as he was the GM of Carolina when they initially acquired the player, for a hefty sum of Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and a 1st-round pick (which became Derrick Pouilot). According to Yohe, Staal is apparently open to a return, and the nostalgic element of the team’s fanbase is clamoring for this to happen. Rutherford stated on a local radio segment with Ron Cook that “to his knowledge he (Staal) isn’t available”, but he’s played coy with the media in the past.

Out Of Left-Field

Rutherford has been known to throw the hockey world for a loop with some of his trades. The James Neal–Patric Hornqvist trade shocked just about everyone, and the Phil Kessel trade is still being discussed to this day. If there’s one thing we should expect from him, it’s the unexpected. There are a few lesser options out there for Rutherford to explore, and management may want to have the Conor Sheary and Brian Dumoulin contracts put to paper before making any sort of transaction. It seems unlikely that anything will happen until those deals get done. Rutherford told Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette that there are “hundreds of names on (his list)”, and that it’s “a patient process”. Could Detroit be willing to move Andreas Athanasiou? Could Bryan Little be pried from Winnipeg for a young defenseman? It’s hard to speculate as to where exactly management have set their sights, but Rutherford is generally willing to overpay to “get his man”. There is the slight likelihood that they enter the season with that hole left unfilled, but it’s hard to imagine. Until more dominoes fall, Rutherford is likely to bide his team and search for the correct deal.

Penguins Don’t Anticipate Trading Phil Kessel

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While the departure of former Pittsburgh assistant coach Rick Tocchet to Arizona as their new bench boss has fueled some speculation that the Penguins could trade Phil Kessel, GM Jim Rutherford poured some cold water on that theory.  Speaking with 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday (transcription via Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review), Rutherford made it clear that they don’t anticipate moving him as things currently stand:

“He’s an important part. I don’t want to sit here and say that a certain player’s not going to get traded at some point in his career. I mean, Phil already did. But that’s not something that I foresee happening right now.”

Tocchet was known to have a strong relationship with Kessel, whose streaky tendencies have irked head coach Mike Sullivan at times.  However, despite that, the 29-year-old remains one of the higher scoring wingers in the NHL so there is plenty of incentive to hold on to him, particularly since the Maple Leafs are already paying 15% of his contract.

It’s at least worth noting that Kessel’s goal production has taken a tumble in recent years even if it hasn’t come at the expense of his point totals.  In 2013-14, he had a career-best 37 goals but has only surpassed the 25 goal mark once since then; his 23 tallies this past season was his lowest in a full campaign since his sophomore year back in 2007-08.  However, he’s also not the focal point of Pittsburgh’s attack like he was in Toronto either.  Put it all together and it’s hard to come up with a compelling case for them to move Kessel at this time.

Still with the Penguins, in that same interview, Rutherford briefly discussed Carolina center Jordan Staal, noting that to his knowledge, he’s not available in a trade.  Pittsburgh is still on the lookout for a third line center and they’re certainly familiar with Staal, who they drafted second overall in 2006.  However, with a $6MM cap hit, he’d be rather pricey for someone who would be earmarked for a bottom six role.

Ron Burkle Opens Up About Penguins Ownership

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the most successful sports franchises in the world the last decade, at least in terms of on-ice performance. Much of that has to do with bringing in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but some credit has to go to silent owner Ron Burkle, the financial rock behind Mario Lemieux’s ownership group. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sat down with Burkle for an incredibly fascinating—and incredibly rare—piece, one that stretches from Beverly Hills to Mar-a-Lago (with stops at the White House and a few Pittsburgh parades) and provides some insight into how the organization works. It’s a must-read for any hockey fan, but Penguins’ fanatics should click right away to learn more about their out-of-the-spotlight investor.

Sheary And Dumoulin Likely To Go To Arbitration

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The Penguins have made no progress in discussions with restricted free agents Brian Dumoulin and Conor Sheary, GM Jim Rutherford told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  He added that he expects both to “probably” go through the arbitration process.  Both players are coming off contracts that paid them below $1MM and will likely at least triple their previous contracts when they sign their next deal.  Pittsburgh has money to work with still as they have a little more than $10MM in cap space per CapFriendly at the moment.

Penguins Re-Sign Derrick Pouliot And Josh Archibald

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The Penguins put pen to paper with a pair of their restricted free agents on Wednesday as they announced the re-signings of defenseman Derrick Pouliot and forward Josh Archibald.  Pouliot receives a one-year contract worth $800K while Archibald inks a two-year pact with a cap hit of $675K.  Both players received one-way deals.

Pouliot spent the bulk of this past season with Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, playing in a career-high 46 games with the Baby Pens.  He collected 23 points in that span, matching his output from 2015-16 but he only needed 37 games to reach that mark that season.  The 23-year-old battled a lower-body injury that cost him 21 games in the NHL and as a result, he saw action in just 11 contests with the Penguins, all in the regular season.  In 67 career NHL games spanning three seasons (all with Pittsburgh), Pouliot has two goals and 12 assists.

Archibald collected a career-best 29 points in 61 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season while picking up his first ever NHL points, tallying a trio of goals in 10 games with Pittsburgh in the regular season.  He also saw action in four playoff contests and is a candidate to lock down a more permanent roster spot in 2017-18.

Pittsburgh has three remaining restricted free agents this offseason, forwards Jean-Sebastien Dea and Conor Sheary as well as defenseman Brian Dumoulin.

Penguins Hire Sergei Gonchar As Assistant Coach

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  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another former player to their coaching staff full-time, bringing Sergei Gonchar in as an assistant. Gonchar had already been working as a part-time development coach for the club, but will join Mark Recchi and Jacques Martin as assistants next year. Even after losing Rick Tocchet to the Arizona Coyotes, the Penguins have an extremely experienced staff that should be able to fill the roles quite well. Gonchar, 43, is only a few years removed from an outstanding playing career that saw him suit up for over 1300 games.

Flyers Sign Scott Laughton To Two-Year Extension

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The Philadelphia Flyers have agreed to terms on a new deal with an important albeit under-performing depth piece, inking young forward Scott Laughton to a two-year, one-way extension. According to Flyers beat writer Dave Isaac, the contract pays Laughton $875K for 2017-18 and $1.05MM for 2018-19. That comes out to a cap hit of $962.5 for the length of the deal.

Laughton, 23, has been somewhat of an enigmatic player for the Flyers since being drafted 20th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. Laughton has played in 109 NHL games in his four pro seasons, but skated in just two NHL games last season. Unlike the progression of most young players, Laughton’s role and production increased in the first three years of his career, culminating in a career-best 71 games and 21 points in 2015-16, and then he lost his roster spot entirely last season. Laughton seemed to be developing into a stable bottom six center, but coach Dave Hakstol and the Flyers seemed to quit on him last year. Yet, he has signed a two-year deal that is one-way no less and appears to have his job back.

Even when he was a regular for the Flyers, Laughton was still only given a modest 11 minutes of ice time on average. When sent down to the AHL, Laughton scored at a greater clip, but still nothing overly impressive or anywhere near his junior totals. It’s clear that Laughton is far from the first-round caliber player the Flyers though he was, at least at this point in time. Yet, GM Ron Hextall and company must have a plan for the young center; one that allows him to get NHL ice time and experience while playing in a lineup that has also added well-rounded veteran centers Valtteri Filppula and Jori Lehtera in recent months. Where Laughton thrives is in the two-way checking game and on the penalty kill. If this new contract is going to work out for either side, it seems Laughton will have to embrace his best attributes and dominate as a fourth-line skater and short-hand specialist, or else he could be facing waivers.

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