Vesey Update: 8/18/16
As reported earlier, free agent Jimmy Vesey met with seven teams today as he continues to deliberate where he will sign. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs have joined the Buffalo Sabres on the not-so-short short list of teams that Vesey is officially considering. ESPN’s Joe McDonald learned that no decision will be made today, as Vesey will sit down with agent Peter Fish and other representation, family members, and advisors tonight to discuss options. A decision is expected Friday or Saturday.
There is no clear clubhouse leader among the teams in consideration so far. As could be expected, all of Vesey’s meetings over the past few days were reportedly “great”. Teams can only sway the Hobey Baker winner with their pitches of play time, team success, organizational culture, and more, as Vesey’s contract will be locked in at an entry-level $925K plus bonuses no matter where he chooses to play.
McDonald reports that star power has been in full effect thus far, with Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Cory Schneider, and several Bruins among those in attendance at Vesey’s meetings in Boston. Sidney Crosby has also reportedly reached out, and friends of Vesey’s like Jack Eichel and brothers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes have likely been in his ear all summer.
Those with an inside source within the Vesey meetings and mullings have not been shy about reporting their thoughts. Sportsnet’s Howard Berger says not to be surprised if Vesey signs with the Maple Leafs, but also warns that Buffalo is very much still in the mix. Mike Grinnel of ESPN New Hampshire confirms the theory of colleague Jimmy Murphy that the New Jersey Devils are leading the chase. DJ Bean of Boston’s WEEI hears that the Bruins excelled in their meeting with Vesey and are still considered major contenders, counter to cross-town rival Joe Haggerty of CSN New England who said that Boston is all but out. Many have become skeptical of the Penguins ability to sign Vesey, having just re-signed Matt Cullen and reportedly having reached an agreement with another college free agent, Notre Dame’s Thomas DiPauli. All is quiet on the NYC front as well, with both the Islanders and Rangers considered strong contenders, but little chatter to support either’s position. Perhaps the most accurate “insider information” out there is the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Kruc’s take on Vesey and the Blackhawks, that they are just waiting for a decision from the Harvard star and that no known pecking order is in place.
With all of the noise out there about Jimmy Vesey and his destination, the best move for those following along with the storyline is to sit back and relax. A decision will come in the next couple of days, and no reports by Vesey’s sources (who have been all over the place thus far) will make any difference until the ink has dried on his first contract. In the end, one team will emerge triumphant, and our attention will turn to the seven who lost out and may look for additional scoring support before the start of the new season. Until then, #VeseyWatch rolls on.
Snapshots: Pavelski, Trouba, Orlov, DiPauli, Sobotka
According to CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is expected to be named captain of Team USA at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey. After being named San Jose’s captain last October, Pavelski led the Sharks to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sharks managed to do this despite whatever acrimony may have been caused by having two veteran stars, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who had previously been stripped of the captaincy. The captain of the last American Olympic team, Zach Parise, is expected to play in this tournament.
Pavelski, 32, is the second oldest American player at this tournament, two months younger than Boston’s David Backes. He has scored 116 goals over the last three seasons, second only to Alex Ovechkin in that time. He also led this year’s playoffs in goal scoring with 14. Pavelski has previously represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, as well as the 2009 IIHF World Championships.
Here are some more links from around the league.
- Being out of a contract won’t stop players from appearing at the World Cup. Kurt Overhardt, the agent for Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba confirmed today that his client will still suit up for Team North America. Mark Gandler, the agent for Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov, told the Washington Post that Orlov will still play for Russia.
- CBC’s Tim Wharnsby reports that the Penguins will sign free agent forward Thomas DiPauli from the University of Notre Dame. His agent, Peter Fish, called this report “a little premature,” adding that “nothing has been signed or agreed to yet.” DiPauli was a fourth round pick of the Capitals who, like Jimmy Vesey, went unsigned and became a free agent. DiPauli scored 14 goals, 32 points in 37 games for the Fighting Irish this year. He was, for two years, a teammate at Notre Dame of Penguins forward Bryan Rust.
- Despite reports out of Russia to the contrary, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong says that he spoke with the agent for forward Vladimir Sobotka yesterday, and that he has been assured of Sobotka’s return to the team for this coming season. Sobotka has played the last two seasons in the KHL for Avangard Omsk, but has committed to returning to the NHL this season. Sobotka had nine goals, 33 points in 61 games for the Blues in 2014, his last season in the NHL.
Vesey Sweepstakes Reportedly Down To Seven Teams
Update (4:30pm): Make that eight teams. Obviously the Buffalo Sabres are still very much in the mix, but were omitted from the original report because they were not one of the seven teams who met with Vesey today. The Sabres have had months to negotiate with the Hobey Baker winner, after acquiring his rights from the Nashville Predators, but Vesey’s plan has always been to test free agency and hear the pitches of other interested teams. This does not mean that Buffalo is out of the running as a possible destination, only that Vesey has heard their pitch many times and is now considering what other teams have to say as well. It’s eight teams right now, which is hardly narrowing it down, but the next 24 hours should be telling as #VeseyWatch continues.
ESPN’s Joe McDonald reports that the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes are down to seven finalists. The Blackhawks, Bruins, Devils, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Penguins, and Rangers are all listed as having a shot at the highly sought after winger from Harvard. Five of these teams were previously listed among our own speculative favorites for Vesey, with the Penguins and Islanders making a recent push.
This report would seem to suggest that other teams rumored to have interest, such as the Red Wings, Flyers, Hurricanes, and Blue Jackets, were unable to convince Vesey to join them.
With the exception of the Blackhawks, these are all Eastern Conference teams. Fully half the Metropolitan Division, whose pitches we discussed here, are among the seven finalists. While our above linked preview of Vesey’s free agency discussed what some teams have to offer, the Penguins and Islanders are certainly attractive situations themselves. The Islanders would likely give Vesey an opportunity to play with John Tavares, while beginning his career in New York City. Vesey’s agent, Peter Fish, has spoken positively about the lure of playing in New York. The Penguins on the other hand are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and would give Vesey a very high likelihood of playing regularly with one of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. It’s never a bad thing to get to start your career on a line with a veteran superstar.
The Vesey camp says that a decision will not come today.
Metro Notes: Vesey, Lambert, Penguins, Flyers
The Metropolitan Division seems like ground zero for the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes. The free agent forward out of Harvard has reportedly received interest from the Devils, Penguins, Islanders, Rangers, Blue Jackets, Hurricanes, and Flyers. Reading through the links, you’ll see that the Flyers and Blue Jackets are not believed to be serious contenders for Vesey, while the Penguins in particular made a strong impression. The Devils have long been considered one of the favorites to sign him, while the Islanders brought along captain John Tavares for the recruitment.
Vesey is said to be holding out until at least Friday to make his final decision. Other teams reportedly pushing for Vesey include the Maple Leafs, Bruins, and Blackhawks. For all our coverage on Vesey’s decision, click here. For more notes from around the Metropolitan Division, keep reading here.
- Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that Capitals assistant coach Lane Lambert is among the candidates to take over the Colorado Avalanche head coaching job. Lambert has spent the last two years in Washington under head coach Barry Trotz, and was previously his assistant for four years in Nasvhille.
- The Wheeling Nailers have signed on for two more years as the Penguins’ ECHL affiliate. The Nailers, based out of West Virginia, appeared in last year’s Kelly Cup Finals, before losing in six games to the Allen Americans. Strangely enough, the Americans are affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, who the Penguins beat in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.
- The Flyers have hired Dr. Ben Peterson as their Director of Sports Science. SB Nation’s Flyers site has a rundown of Peterson’s credentials, as obtained from his Linkedin page. It’s some pretty heavy stuff, and given his experience, he appears to go far beyond the data-based analysis that’s easily found online.
Penguins Re-Sign Matt Cullen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed veteran center Matt Cullen to a one-year deal worth $1MM, as reported on the team’s website. As of last week, Cullen was believed to be entertaining offers from at least four teams but evidently chose to remain with the club with whom he just won the Stanley Cup championship.
A veteran of 18 NHL campaigns, Cullen had a resurgent year for Pittsburgh, scoring 16 goals and 32 points while appearing in all 82 games. He was also a key contributor during the Penguins Cup run, netting another four goals and six points in the postseason. Cullen provided tremendous value after converting a PTO into a one-year, $800K deal with the Penguins.
It’s likely Cullen will again reprise his role in the club’s bottom-six, providing a fair amount of offense while also serving time on the penalty kill and taking critical, defensive zone draws. Last season, Cullen led all Penguins forwards averaging 2:32 of shorthanded ice time per contest. He also won an impressive 55.7% of his faceoffs, a figure good enough for 16th overall among players who took at least 500 draws.
The signing does appear to put the Penguins even further over the cap than they already were which suggests GM Jim Rutherford will have some work to do to get the club cap compliant before the regular season begins.
Vesey Updates: 8/16/2016
4:00pm: Teams not considered major contenders for Jimmy Vesey will nonetheless reach out to the representatives of the college star. Even if there is only the slightest chance that Vesey will even meet with the team, it is still worth it to inquire about this unique situation. Two such teams in this position are the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, though more will surely be calling.
12:32pm: The Boston Bruins are set up to make the final pitch to Vesey, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. This may or may not give the Bruins an advantage over the competition but it can’t hurt Boston to have the final word as they work to recruit the hometown kid.
12:00pm: Even though they haven’t been linked previously as a contender for his services, we can nonetheless now count the Detroit Red Wings out of the Vesey sweepstakes. Ansar Kan of MLive reports that the Wings did indeed make a pitch to Vesey’s camp, focusing on the team’s depth and potential playing time, but according to assistant general manager Ryan Martin, the club was told that Vesey “preferred to play closer to home.” This news might potentially impact the Blackhawks odds of landing the coveted forward since Chicago also is not geographically close to Vesey’s hometown of Boston.
10:36am: Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News confirms the probability that Vesey will also meet with Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers, “as soon as Wednesday,” before making his final decision by week’s end.
Jimmy Vesey, and speculation surrounding with whom the former Harvard star would sign his first pro contract, has dominated NHL headlines for weeks seemingly. With time having run out on Buffalo’s window of exclusivity to get the young forward under contract, any other club interested in bringing Vesey into the fold can officially begin negotiating with his representation as of 12:01am today. Even though it’s been reported Vesey will likely not sign until later this week, Pro Hockey Rumors will continue to monitor the latest news today using this post with updates appearing at the top of this post.
According to Mark Divver of The Providence Journal, Vesey is set to meet with the Isles, Penguins, Leafs and Devils today. While it was expected that essentially every NHL club would express at least some interest in adding Vesey to their ranks, the Penguins have rarely been listed among the top suitors up to this point. But the opportunity to play with two of the world’s best players – Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – and for a team fresh off a Stanley Cup win has to be enticing so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise Vesey would at least meet with the Pittsburgh contingent as he weighs his options.
It’s likely that Vesey and his reps will also take meetings with other teams throughout the week before making his decision. Chicago has often been listed as a potential front-runner in the sweepstakes and Boston is Vesey’s hometown team so expect both of those clubs to also get a shot to woo him in person.
Off-Season To Date: Metropolitan Division
The NHL has entered its seasonal lull where teams are done signing free agents and will wait until training camp to make major roster moves. We have already documented the off-season moves of Atlantic Division teams, and now we take a quick look at the Metropolitan Division.
Carolina Hurricanes
Key Additions: Lee Stempniak, Teuvo Teravainen, Viktor Stalberg, Bryan Bickell
Key Departures: Riley Nash, Nathan Gerbe, James Wisniewski
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $16,736,667
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: Carolina got paid Teravainen to take Bickell’s contract by Chicago this summer, and added a top-ten free agent in Stempniak. The offense improved, but the defense remains an issue outside of Justin Faulk. In a stacked Metropolitan, the Hurricanes did not appear to do enough to challenge for a playoff spot.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Key Additions: Sam Gagner
Key Departures: Jared Boll, Fedor Tyutin, Justin Falk
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,817,857
Projected Roster Size: 20
Notes: Despite finishing last in the Metropolitan, the Blue Jackets are up tight against the cap, and did little to alleviate their situation. The cap situation prevented the Blue Jackets from making any major additions, but the team was expected to deal some higher-paid underperformers. Without any major changes, Columbus seems destimed to miss the playoffs once again.
New Jersey Devils
Key Additions: Taylor Hall, Beau Bennett, Vernon Fiddler, Ben Lovejoy, Marc Savard
Key Departures: Adam Larsson, Jiri Tlusty, Patrik Elias, Tuomo Ruutu, David Schlemko
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $12,319,404
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Devils made a blockbuster trade this offseason, landing Taylor Hall in exchange for Defenseman Adam Larsson. They also added two ex-Penguins in an effort to stay competitive in the Metropolitan. Elias is still deciding whether to retire, but if he returns, he says it will only be for the Devils.
New York Islanders
Key Additions: Andrew Ladd, P.A. Parenteau, Jason Chimera
Key Departures: Frans Nielson, Kyle Okposo, Matt Martin, Marek Zidlicky
Unsigned RFAs: Ryan Strome, Christopher Gibson
Cap Space: $3,658,524
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Isles’ forward corp received a shakeup this offseason, with their 2nd and 3rd leading scorers signing elsewhere as free agents. The team signed Ladd and Chimera to plug those holes, but only time will tell if those additions allow the Islanders to build off of their rare playoff success.
New York Rangers
Key Additions: Mika Zibanejad, Nathan Gerbe, Michael Grabner, Josh Jooris, Nick Holden, Adam Clendening, Maxim Lapierre (PTO)
Key Departures: Derick Brassard, Eric Staal, Viktor Stalberg, Keith Yandle, Dominic Moore, Dan Boyle
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,425,000
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Rangers let Yandle and Staal walk this summer but did not make any signing splashes of their own. They acquired Zibanejad from the Senators in a deal for Derick Brassard, a trade many view as a slight downgrade. New York’s window with Lundqvist is closing as he gets older, so it was a surprise to see the Rangers abstain from any big acquisitions this summer.
Philadelphia Flyers
Key Additions: Boyd Gordon, Dale Weise
Key Departures: Ryan White, Sam Gagner, R.J. Umberger
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $413,334
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Flyers are right up against the Cap and could not make any major additions this summer. It’ll be up to GM Ron Hextall to find creative solutions for improving the team if the Flyers make a playoff push.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Key Additions: None
Key Departures: Beau Bennett, Matt Cullen, Ben Lovejoy, Jeff Zatkoff
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: -$2,757,499.
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Penguins could not do much after winning the Stanley Cup given that they are over the cap by almost $3MM. Pittsburgh will alleviate some of that pressure by putting Pascal Dupuis on LTIR once the season starts, but the cap is harsh to Stanley Cup winners. The Penguins will have get used to shedding salary and picking up new parts on the cheap—something the Chicago Blackhawks have experienced more than once.
Washington Capitals
Key Additions: Lars Eller, Brett Connolly
Key Departures: Jason Chimera, Mike Richards
Unsigned RFAs: Dmitry Orlov
Cap Space: $3,454,871
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Caps tweaked their roster after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the 2nd round. They added Eller in exchange for draft picks, and let Chimera and Richards walk so that the team had cap room for Orlov. Orlov still isn’t signed, and a strong showing at the World Cup of Hockey for the Russian defenseman could force the Capitals to pay more than they expected.
Retained Salary in 2016-17: Metropolitan Division
As a new season fast approaches, it’s always nice to look back and reminisce on years and players gone by. Unfortunately for most NHL teams, those feelings of nostalgia are usually cut short by the realization that some of those past players are still on the team’s payroll. Retained salary is a fact of life in the National Hockey League, as buyouts have become commonplace and retaining a portion of an outgoing player’s cap hit is often a deal-breaker in many trades. Retained salary can last long past the playing days of a former player (see Rick DiPietro) or can simply be for just one year. One way or another nearly every NHL team has at least one guy who’s still being paid without having to perform. Below is a list of all the retained salary in the Metropolitan Division in 2016-17:
Carolina Hurricanes
- Alexander Semin ($2.33MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2020-21): The Hurricanes first signed Semin in the summer of 2012 to a one-year, $7MM “show me” deal. While they were paying Semin a good amount of money, they were not prepared to commit long-term to a player know to be one-dimensional and streaky. However, Semin responded with a point-per-game campaign in 44 contests. The Hurricanes bought in, renewing Semin’s $7MM price tag with a five-year, $35MM extension. Semin put up another 40+ point season in 2013-14 season, but then, inexplicably, the wheels fell off. In 57 games in 2014-15, Semin only managed to score 19 points while contributing little else for Carolina. The Canes had no choice but to get rid of him, and the only route was through a buyout. With $21MM over three years left on his contract, they were saddled with a six-year, $14MM settlement, and still have five years left to go.
- James Wisniewski ($3.5MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1MM in 2017-18): Carolina did not have much better luck with Wisniewski. After trading Anton Khudobin to the Anaheim Ducks last summer to get the puck-moving defenseman, the Hurricanes got to watch him skate for just 47 seconds in the regular season opener before he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the year. Wisniewski had one year remaining on a six-year, $33MM deal he signed in Columbus in 2011, but faced with the prospect of a $5.5MM cap hit for a defenseman coming off a serious knee injury, Carolina decided instead to cut and run. While the buyout hit of $3.5MM in 2016-17 is tough, it’s already better to pay Wisniewski that for not playing this season since they already payed him $5.5MM for less than a minute last season. Recent events imply that the Hurricanes may have been correct to distance themselves from Wisniewski, as the once top-pair defenseman had enough trouble locking down a guaranteed contract that he committed to a professional tryout deal with Tampa Bay last week.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- Fedor Tyutin ($1.2MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1.96 in 2017-18, $1.46MM in 2018-19 and 2019-20): Dissapointed in the sharp decline of long-time defenseman Tyutin, the Blue Jackets made the tough call to cut ties with the 33-year-old this off-season rather than continue paying him $4.5MM over the next two seasons. Tyutin failed to make much of a difference for Columbus last season, and though paying him into retirement is not favorable, the Jackets could not afford another three-point season frought with defensive lapses at that price. Things have turned out alright for Tyutin though; he signed a one-year, $2MM pact with the Colorado Avalanche and is set to continue his NHL career.
- Jared Boll ($567K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Like Tyutin, the rebuilding Blue Jackets did not see a future with Boll and bought out the final year of his contract this summer. A grinder without much offensive upside who struggled with injuries in 2015-16, Boll didn’t fit with the young and fast core being built in Columbus, and at $1.7MM was simply an inconvenience. Unlike Tyutin, who had been a solid presence on the Blue Jackets’ blue line for a long time, Boll’s presence will likely not be missed and the sub-$1MM buyout hit won’t make much of a difference for Columbus. Boll has moved on anyways, signing a two-year $1.8MM deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
New Jersey Devils
- Ilya Kovalchuk ($250K cap hit from 2016-17 to 2024-25): In one of the more outrageous contracts in NHL history, Kovalchuk hit the open market for the first time in 2010 and the Devils signed him to a 15-year, $100MM contract. The league initially rejected the offer for too obviously circumventing the salary cap, but even after it was fixed, it was still ridiculous. The contract, which would have had the Russian star playing in New Jersey until he was 42, held only a $6.67MM cap hit. However, Kovalchuk was to be paid over $11MM in salary in years three through eight. After that, the salaries began to plummet. In fact, over the course of the 15-year deal, the salary ranged in value from a mere $1MM to a whopping $11.8MM (ironically in 2016-17). Thus, the Devils knew that the contract carried a very big threat of recapture penalties if Kovalchuk retired early. As we all know, Kovalchuk retired very early, heading home to Russia following the 2012-13 season. In a weird twist, the Devils were actually saved by Kovalchuk retiring very early, before the front-loaded salaries started to pile up. Had he retired nine or ten years into the deal instead of just three, New Jersey could have been facing over $4MM in recapture penalties each year, instead of just $250K. While having a chunk of cap space taken off each year for 12 years is a harsh reminder of a rogue superstar, Kovalchuk’s departure may have been a blessing in disguise for New Jersey.
- Anton Volchenkov (no cap hit): Following the negotiation of the past NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, in both 2013 and 2014 all teams were able to use a “compliance buyout” on contracts signed prior to the 2012-13 season. The compliance buyouts would still be used to make payments to players, but it would not count against the salary cap. The Devils used such a buyout on Volchenkov in 2013, who was no longer worth anywhere near the value of the six-year, $25.5MM deal he had signed with the team in 2010. Rather than keep him and his $4.25MM cap hit for the three years remaining or buy him out and face six years worth of buyout hits, the Devils took the opportunity for a “do-over” and used their compliance buyout. The teams still pays Volchenkov over $1.4MM every year, but it has no effect on the rest of the team. Volchenkov played one season in Nashville after departing the Devils, but had similar results and has been out of the NHL since.
New York Islanders
- Rick DiPietro (no cap hit): In the most obvious compliance buyout of all-time, the Islanders were able to rid themselves of Rick DiPietro’s infamous 15-year contract. Signed in 2006 after the 24-year-old goalie had shown signs of potential stardom, it was the longest NHL contract to date and carried a combined cap hit of 67.5MM. While 4.5MM per year for the entire career of a star goalie sounds pretty good, DiPietro had one more good year in him and then started to decline drastically and struggle year in and year out with injuries. In the five years leading up to his buyout, he played in 50 games total and had a save percentage under .900. Armed with the unique chance to avoid eight more years of the same without having to pay the price in cap space, the Isles jumped at the chance for a compliance buyout. Though they still pay the steep price of $1.5MM to DiPietro every year, and must do so until 2029, it has no effect on the current team and can be more or less forgotten.
New York Rangers
- Brad Richards (no cap hit): Not to the same extent of their cross-town rivals and their “franchise goalie”, but the Rangers were also very happy to get a chance at a compliance buyout when it came to Richards. While Richards would go on to have a couple of successful seasons with the Blackhawks and Red Wings after leaving New York, his production was not really worthy of what the Rangers would have paid him. In 2011, Richards was the “must-have” free agent of the summer, coming off back-to-back seasons of over a point-per-game with the Dallas Stars. The Rangers won the bidding, giving him a nine-year $60MM contract. The deal, like many long-term deals at that time, was very front loaded. It paid Richards $12MM in each of the first two seasons and only $1MM in each of the last three. The cap hit of $6.67MM was manageable for the Rangers at first, as Richards put up good numbers, but he was also showing decline and the threat of a big cap hit for an aging player and monstrous recapture penalties led to decision to use a compliance buyout on Richards. In retrospect, it was very smart, as Richards announced his retirement earlier this summer after two more years of declining production. New York paid Richards over $3MM each of the past two years in accordance with the buyout settlement and are set to pay a little more than $5MM in 2016-17 before settling in to a payment of just north of $1MM each year until 2025-16. Luckily for them, none of it touches the salary cap for a team that is constantly in a cap crunch.
Philadelphia Flyers
- Ilya Bryzgalov (no cap hit): The Flyers make a trio of Metro teams that used their compliance buyouts wisely, as Philadelphia was able to escape from a nine-year, $51MM contract they gave to the eccentric Russian goalie Bryzgalov. After back-to-back stellar seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Flyers jumped on Bryzgalov in free agency in 2011, giving him a monster contract. However, as it so often goes in Philadelphia, the goalie didn’t work out and after just two years, the Flyers were ready to dump his $4.65MM cap hit. Though a 14-year buyout plan with annual payments of $1.64MM is not fun, the Flyers were able to move forward with new goalies and no negative impact on the salary cap.
- R.J. Umberger ($1.6MM in 2016-17 and 2017-18): A recent buyout victim, Umberger simply stopped producing. After starting his career off strongly in Philadelphia, Umberger was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became a star. The Jackets rewarded him with a five-year, $23MM deal in 2012, but then watched his number gradually decrease each year. With three years left on his contract, he was traded back to the Flyers, but the homecoming did not lead to many points. After two brutal seasons, Philadelphia decided to let Umberger and his $4.6MM cap hit go before the final year of his contract. They’ll pay for it over the next two seasons with significant cap hits, but it’s worth it considering their tight cap space entering 2016-17. Meanwhile, Umberger’s career appears likely to be over.
Pittsburgh Penguins
- Rob Scuderi ($1.125MM in 2016-17): In one of the funnier circumstances of the 2015-16 season, the Penguins held on to one third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for fellow underperforming defenseman Trevor Daley. Then, the Blackhawks held on to another third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for yet another underperforming defenseman, Christian Ehrhoff. Now going into 2016-17, the final year of four-year $13.5MM deal he signed when he returned to Pittsburgh, the Penguins, Hawks, and Kings will all pay $1.125MM of his contract. Maybe Scuderi will return to form this season and at least avoid being traded more than once.
Washington Capitals
- NONE. Right? The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners will not pay anyone this season who isn’t on the ice for them. Cap efficiency, that’s the key to NHL success.
Roster Crunch: Metropolitan Division
We’ve taken a look at three out of the four divisions now, and the decisions they’ll have to make come training camp. The Pacific’s depth on defense, the changes coming up front in the Central, and the mass of young talent set to break through in the Atlantic. Now, we’ll take a look at the what many considered the best division in hockey last year, with four 100-point teams and both the President’s Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champions.
Washington Capitals – There is probably no team with fewer uncertainties going into the season than the Washington Capitals. After running away with the regular season points lead, the Capitals couldn’t even make it to the Stanley Cup final, but they’ll head into next season with largely the same group. They brought in Lars Eller, whose possession numbers should help the third line, and allowed Jason Chimera and Mike Richards to walk (though the latter remains unsigned). Basically the only battle in camp will be for a fourth line or 13th forward spot; can Brett Connolly do enough to make the squad over Stanislav Galiev? Exciting stuff.
Snapshots: Weber, Fleury, Forbort
Prized off-season acquisition Shea Weber is in Montreal to get acquainted with his new city. Weber took part in a workout, photoshoot, and on-ice session in his new jersey, which includes an “A” sewn on the front. In a feature on Habs TV, Weber told his new fans that he feels very fortunate to be a part of a tight-knit family. He called Montreal the Mecca of hockey, adding it gives him “chills” to be a member of the Canadiens. Weber told Habs TV that “three or four people came up to me [in the airport] and welcomed me to Montreal”.
Here’s some other news from around the NHL:
- After Matt Murray backstopped the Penguins to their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history, Marc-Andre Fleury is in tough to win back his old job, despite posting career-best numbers. However, as Jared Clinton of The Hockey News writes, it may be impossible for Fleury to regain the starting role thanks to his age, injury history, and next summer’s expansion draft. Because Fleury has a no-trade clause, he has to be protected. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Penguins keep Fleury and allow Murray to be selected by Las Vegas.
- According to LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Derek Forbort will be healthy for training camp after undergoing surgery in late June. The 15th overall pick in 2010 needs to have a big camp to make the Kings, as he’s one of six defenseman who will be battling for three NHL jobs this fall. Forbort is waiver-eligible, so if the club wants to assign him to their AHL affiliate Ontario, he’ll need to clear waivers first. Forbort appeared in 14 games with the big club last year, scoring a goal and adding 2 assists.