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Alex Chiasson

Free Agent Profile: Alex Chiasson

August 19, 2022 at 8:26 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 1 Comment

A veteran of 631 NHL games spread over parts of 10 seasons, free agent forward Alex Chiasson once again finds himself in familiar territory: approaching training camp without a contract, after another solid NHL season. The veteran has signed three PTO’s thus far in his career, each of them resulting in an NHL contract, and all signs point to this offseason not being much of a change of pace. Chiasson spent last season as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, his first with the team, where he scored 13 goals to go with nine assists over 67 games, The winger’s 2021-22 doesn’t exactly match him up alongside the games greats, but it did represent another season of solid bottom-six play for a physical, two-way player, something he has brought to every team in his career thus far.

A second-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2009, Chiasson was a highly-regarded prospect when he spent three years at Boston University prior to turning pro at the end of 2011-12. The younger Chiasson wouldn’t wait too long to make his NHL debut either, dressing in seven games for Dallas during the 2012-13 season, registering an impressive six goals in the short sample. Since debuting with the Stars, Chiasson has played for six different franchises, including Dallas, the Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers and most recently Vancouver.

Despite the transition from team to team, Chiasson has made a name for himself as a reliable role-player everywhere he has gone, bringing a physical element while also chipping in on the penalty kill, and even contributing somewhere between 10 and 15 goals per season. Perhaps his most impressive season came not too long ago, when he scored a career-high 22 goals along with 16 assists for 38 points over 73 games as a member of the Edmonton Oilers in 2018-19. Turning 32 years of age just prior to opening night, it’s unlikely to expect Chiasson to take any step further with his game or even repeat the success he saw back in Edmonton, but he has been a model of consistency and hard work, two valuable assets to just about any team in the league. He’s likely headed for yet another PTO, but the chances of seeing him back in the NHL for the 2022-23 season still seem high given his track record.

Stats:

2021-22: 67 GP, 13-9-22, +4 rating, 24 PIMs, 98 shots, 56.3 CF%, 11:37 ATOI

Career: 631 GP, 114-110-224, -36 rating, 353 PIMs, 896 shots 52.6 CF%, 13:37 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

For his career, Chiasson seems to have a habit of latching on with relatively good teams, perhaps due to luck, but perhaps not. This past season saw the veteran’s Vancouver team struggle early, but make a tremendous push for a playoff position, just barely missing out. In the two seasons prior, his Edmonton Oilers made the playoffs, missing with 79 points in 2018-19, his career-year. Arguably the highlight of his career though was a Stanley Cup championship with the Washington Capitals in 2017-18. One would think, whether it’s a happy trend, Chiasson’s personal choice and analysis, or something in particular that he himself brings to the table, that whatever team he winds up with will at least be a strong contender for a playoff position.

But, over a month into free agency and not a star talent, at 32 years of age, what contender is in a position to sign Chiasson? The overwhelming majority of competitive teams not only have their rosters in place, but are so close, if not over the salary cap ceiling that even a league-minimum one-way contract would be impossible to fit in.

Two plausible options that come to mind would be the New York Islanders and Minnesota Wild. Although all the winger slots seem to be filled on Long Island, the team that has struggled to score goals could stand to add a dozen or so more as a depth option, and Chiasson’s style of play is in keeping with the preferences of Islanders’ GM Lou Lamoriello. Minnesota on the other hand is known to be looking to add another forward and while Chiasson of course doesn’t replace star winger Kevin Fiala, adding some punch to Minnesota’s bottom-six, especially after the departure of Nicolas Deslauriers, would make sense.

Another option for the Quebec native could be to head overseas. He had been connected to opportunities over in Switzerland back in late May, however his agent, Pat Morris, was sure to clarify that his client was looking for NHL opportunities, and was especially hoping for an opportunity to stay in Vancouver. But, Canucks GM Jim Rutherford indicated that they would not be making a decision on Chiasson until after their free agency wrapped up. Now that things are mostly quiet on the free agency front, especially with Vancouver, a return for Chiasson doesn’t look too good. However, not many PTO’s have been signed, and if that is indeed the route for the forward, then one might see his opportunities still upcoming.

Projected Contract:

Considering his track record both with on-ice production and previous deals, as well as where the offseason currently stands, Chiasson is almost certainly headed for another PTO. This option may be concerning for some players, and it may not be the most enjoyable position for Chiasson either, but he’s been here before and earned his keep when he has. Chiasson managed to sign an NHL contract after all three of those PTO’s, and what’s more is after the first, he went on to win a Stanley Cup, after his second, he was rewarded with a two-year, $4.3MM deal, and after his most recent, he found a place he appeared to feel very good about returning to in that of Vancouver

Whether he signs a PTO, then a contract, or receives a contract outright, it wouldn’t appear Chiasson will make any more than the league-minimum $750K salary for 2022-23 either. Not a perfect scenario, and far from the career-high $2.15MM salary he had with Edmonton from 2019-2021, an NHL contract would give Chiasson another year in the league and another chance at an early-in-free-agency deal like he signed with the Oilers in 2019.

 

Free Agency Alex Chiasson| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

1 comment

Snapshots: Zadorov, Rodrigues, Laine, Canucks

July 12, 2022 at 10:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

On top of Johnny Gaudreau opting to get the open market, defenseman Nikita Zadorov will also be doing so, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link).  The 27-year-old had a career-high 22 points last season but also averaged a career-low in ice time at 16:55 per game.  A veteran of over NHL games 500 games between the regular season and playoffs, Zadorov is a well-known commodity around the league and will have interest from teams looking to shore up the left side of their back end in free agency.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Pending UFA forward Evan Rodrigues has changed representation to Darren Ferris of Quartexx, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). After bouncing around the previous two seasons, the 28-year-old had a breakout year in 2021-22, collecting 43 points in 82 games with Pittsburgh while spending plenty of time in their top six.  After being on one-year deals the past three years, Rodrigues should be able to secure a multi-year commitment this time around.
  • While Patrik Laine is a year away from being eligible to test unrestricted free agency, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen told reporters including Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that there is mutual interest in getting a long-term extension done with the winger. Laine is coming off his first career point per game season, notching 26 goals and 30 assists in 56 games and received his $7.5MM qualifying offer.  He’s eligible to file for arbitration if an agreement can’t be worked out in the coming days.
  • Canucks president Jim Rutherford told CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal (Twitter link) that the team will not be looking to re-sign pending UFA forwards Alex Chiasson, Brad Richardson, and Brandon Sutter right away but could circle back at some point this summer. Chiasson had 13 goals in 67 games last season, a decent return on a league minimum deal while Richardson won over 58% of his faceoffs in 2021-22.  Sutter, meanwhile, missed all of last season with long COVID symptoms and there’s no word yet on whether or not he’ll be able to play in 2022-23.

Columbus Blue Jackets| Snapshots| Vancouver Canucks Alex Chiasson| Brad Richardson| Brandon Sutter| Evan Rodrigues| Nikita Zadorov| Patrik Laine

2 comments

Pacific Notes: Megna, Chiasson, Tanev

May 28, 2022 at 5:09 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Prior to their semi-final game against Finland today, the United States found themselves down another defenseman as it was revealed by Daily Faceoff’s Chris Peters (Twitter link) that Sharks defenseman Jaycob Megna had left the team to tend to a family emergency.  That left the Americans with just four healthy defensemen for the game while the team is out of available roster slots which meant they weren’t able to add Montreal blueliner Jordan Harris – who has skated with the team as an extra all tournament – to the roster.  Sam Lafferty and Riley Barber, both forwards, comprised the third pairing and will likely do so again on Sunday when they battle Czechia for the bronze while Finland and Canada go for gold.

More from the Pacific:

  • Earlier this week, a report surfaced that Canucks winger Alex Chiasson would be heading to Switzerland for next season. However, his agent Pat Morris told Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic (Twitter link) that the pending UFA has no intention of signing in Switzerland and intends to pursue an NHL contract this season with his first choice being to re-sign with Vancouver.  Chiasson will have to wait a while for that option to present itself as team president Jim Rutherford recently indicated that they won’t decide on whether or not to keep the 31-year-old until after free agency.  Chiasson had 13 goals and nine assists in 67 games this season.
  • On Friday, the extent of the injuries for Flames defenseman Chris Tanev was revealed – including a torn labrum and a dislocated shoulder. Today, the veteran told reporters, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link) that the recovery time for the labrum surgery he’ll be undergoing next week carries a recovery time of four to six months.  If things go well, the 32-year-old would be ready around the start of training camp but if the recovery time is towards the back end of that range, he could miss more than a month of the regular season.

Calgary Flames| San Jose Sharks| Vancouver Canucks Alex Chiasson| Chris Tanev| Jaycob Megna

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Snapshots: PWHPA, Kane, Chiasson

May 25, 2022 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 8 Comments

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association has entered into a relationship with Billie Jean King Enterprises and The Mark Walter Group according to Hailey Salvian of The Athletic, with the purpose of exploring the launch of a new professional league. The list of “foundational pieces” needed for a new league are as follows:

  • A six-team league with 23-player rosters and three coaches
  • A 32-game schedule played from January to April
  • A four-team playoff with three best-of-five series to determine the league’s champion
  • A minimum salary of $35,000 and a league-average salary of $55,000

The PWHPA recently met with the PHF–currently the only pro women’s league in North America–along with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Ties were cut soon after and as Salvian reports, the PWHPA board unanimously voted to end discussions of collaboration between the two sides.

  • Evander Kane did not travel with the rest of the Edmonton Oilers, as he was away for the birth of his son. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic tweets that there is not yet an update on whether Kane will be available for game five tomorrow. The 30-year-old winger has been outstanding for the Oilers in the playoffs, scoring 12 goals in 11 games to lead the entire league. He also leads in shots, as Edmonton’s top line continues to dominate play whenever on the ice.
  • With rumors circling that Alex Chiasson may be on his way to Switzerland last season, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reached out to Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford. The executive explained that the team “will not make a decision on him until after free agency,” presumably meaning following the frenzy of early July. Chiasson, 31, ended with 13 goals and 22 points in 67 games after signing a one-year, $750K contract on the first day of the season.

Edmonton Oilers| PHF| PWHPA| Snapshots Alex Chiasson| Evander Kane

8 comments

Vancouver Canucks Sign Alex Chiasson

October 12, 2021 at 1:22 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have reached an agreement with veteran forward Alex Chiasson on a one-year contract. The deal will carry a salary of $750K. Chiasson was in Canucks camp on a professional tryout but did enough to earn a contract with the team. GM Jim Benning explained exactly how:

Alex is an established veteran who plays a physical game and brings a valuable net-front presence to our team, particularly on the power play. He’s a bigger player that doesn’t shy away from the tough areas of the ice and has fit in well with the rest of our forward group so far.

This isn’t the first time Chiasson has earned his way onto a roster through a PTO. In 2017 he joined Washington Capitals training camp on a tryout basis and quickly landed a contract, and in 2018 did the same with the Edmonton Oilers. A versatile player that set a career-high with 22 goals and 38 points in 2018-19, he actually could step directly into a pretty substantial role with the Canucks, at least at the start of the season.

In fact, he’s been skating next to Elias Pettersson in recent days, suggesting that he very well may start the season there when the Canucks kick things off tomorrow night. He’ll be in a familiar stomping ground, as Vancouver travels to Edmonton where Chiasson has spent the last three seasons.

Jim Benning| Vancouver Canucks Alex Chiasson

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Alex Chiasson Signs PTO With Vancouver Canucks

September 22, 2021 at 4:59 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

With Tyler Motte on the sideline recovering from surgery, the Vancouver Canucks have brought in a little more competition for the bottom-six. Alex Chiasson has signed a professional tryout with the team.

The 30-year-old Chiasson has played 564 regular season games in the NHL, including 183 over the last three years with the Edmonton Oilers. While he scored 22 goals during his first full year in Edmonton, that’s not the kind of offensive presence that Chiasson usually brings. Instead, he has averaged 13 goals per 82 games in the other seven seasons of his career, a number that still represents a useful bottom-six option.

The fact that he is an effective possession payer and has some special teams versatility makes him a worthwhile PTO candidate for a team that is looking to get back to the playoffs. In fact, this move represents the opposite of so much of the criticism Canucks GM Jim Benning has taken over the years. While in previous offseasons he has committed multi-year contracts to bottom-six players, this is a no-risk move for Vancouver that could result in a useful player.

Of course, that’s if Chiasson signs a deal with Vancouver at all. Tryouts are showcases for the entire league, meaning he could very well catch on somewhere else if an opportunity presents itself.

Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV broke the news earlier today, after originally reporting earlier this week that the team was talking to Chiasson. 

Vancouver Canucks Alex Chiasson

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Poll: Best Available PTO Candidate

September 14, 2021 at 9:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 13 Comments

There were some hints that the PTO market was about to open up. Within the first week of September, the Colorado Avalanche penciled in Artem Anisimov and Jack Johnson and the Pittsburgh Penguins brought in local product Matt Bartkowski. However, with the New Jersey Devils announcing three PTO’s today, including two forwards who played in 45+ games this season in Jimmy Vesey and Mark Jankowski, the floodgates have officially opened on the tryout market. Once the PTO ball starts rolling, it usually only picks up steam. With plenty of talent still available among unsigned unrestricted free agents, this season should be no different. Rather than who will be next to sign, as many names could shortly come off the market (at least temporarily), who would you want your favorite team to bring to camp?

What makes a PTO different than a signing is the lack of commitment. Sure, a low-salary contract that can be buried in the minors is reasonably similar, but even that is a commitment to using up a limited number of roster slots and taking play time from prospects in the AHL. A PTO is merely a training camp invitation to see whether an available player could be a fit for your team. Perhaps it is a veteran who may have gas left in the tank – or may not. Or perhaps it is a young player who has hit a rough patch in his development but just needs a chance to show his upside. It could also be a role player in his prime who just needs a chance to prove he can be useful to the organization.

It’s hard to ignore some of the future Hall of Famers who fit the first description. 44-year-old Zdeno Chara, 41-year-old Patrick Marleau, and 36-year-old Eric Staal each played more games this past season than any other player still available. The question is, can they do it again? Fortunately, a PTO doesn’t require that question to be answered without getting an early look. All three of Chara, Marleau, and Staal have seemingly done more than enough in their respective careers to earn a contract if they want one, but after each had a down year entering a tight, flat-cap market, could they settle for a PTO? Travis Zajac may not be headed for the Hall, but the respected veteran is coming off of a better year than anyone else still unsigned and was expected to command a contract. Could he too end up on a tryout?

Other veterans who might be more likely to take a tryout to extend their careers could include Jason Demers, Bobby Ryan, James Neal, Frans Nielsen, or Devan Dubnyk. Demers and Dubnyk are both arguably the best players still available at their respective position, but that isn’t saying much for an early-September market. It still may not hurt for a team to try to lock up that security on a PTO in case depth is needed. Ryan was playing very well with the Red Wings last season before his season was derailed by injury. At 34, coming back from a long-term ailment could be difficult, but a PTO would allow teams to check on his health. Neal and Nielsen have fallen far from their spots as elite NHLers in the past few years, but could they still have a resurgence left?

Among young players looking for another chance is Alex Galchenyuk, 27, who had the makings of a breakout season brewing after a move to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season and could be ready to build on that momentum. Galchenyuk can be a tough system fit, but a PTO would allow for a team to test his abilities with their personnel. At just 25, Michael Dal Colle may actually be the best young hidden gem among unsigned players. In fact, it is surprising to 2014 top-five pick still available, especially given that he showed signs of improvement in 2019-20 before the Islanders’ depth forced him to take a back seat role last season. Dal Colle could be worth the look, but could a team glean enough in camp without much NHL experience to rely upon as supporting evidence. The same could be said for Frederik Gauthier. One of the biggest forwards in the NHL and good defensive forward, Gauthier’s played sparingly last season within the Coyotes organization and was limited exclusively to fourth line minutes prior in Toronto. Could a brief training camp appearance prove to a team that he is not one-dimensional?

As for those players in their prime who don’t have to prove that they can play in the NHL or can still play in the NHL, it is more about showing that they possess the tools to fill a specific role for a team. Those looking for some stability and minutes on the blue line should show interest in Sami Vatanen, Erik Gustafsson, or Ben Hutton, who have both shown that they can still play. However, are they a better option than what most teams already have on their bottom pair or waiting for opportunity in the AHL? Up front, a team in need of skill could eye Nikita Gusev or Alex Chiasson while those seeking defense have options such as Colton Sceviour and Tobias Rieder. Like the defensemen, all of these forwards surely could play in the NHL this season, but are they superior options to what teams already have? And can a PTO prove otherwise?

There are strengths and weaknesses to all of these players, as well as to what they would be able to prove on a training camp tryout. At the end of the day, at this point in the season value is subjective based on what each team feels could be an area of need in the coming season and who they feel could prove themselves worthy of a contract with just a short PTO. So what say you? Who would you most like to see your favorite team bring in on a PTO?

[mobile users vote here]

Polls Alex Chiasson| Alex Galchenyuk| Ben Hutton| Bobby Ryan| Colton Sceviour| Devan Dubnyk| Eric Staal| Erik Gustafsson| Frans Nielsen| James Neal| Jason Demers| Michael Dal Colle| Nikita Gusev| Patrick Marleau

13 comments

Poll: How Many Top Unsigned Free Agents Will Play In NHL This Season?

August 20, 2021 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

Following a massive first day of free agency late last month, not to mention several more signings since, it may seem that there aren’t many big-name free agents left on the market. Yet, quietly there is still and abundance of quality players left unsigned. This includes ten of PHR’s Top 50 UFA’s i.e. 20% of the players that we believed were the best available. It also includes another 13 players who played in 40+ games out of 56 this past season. There’s also Bobby Ryan, who was on pace for 22 points in 53 games before season-ending injury, which would have made him the highest scoring player still unsigned, and Artem Anisimov, whose nine points in 19 games is the second-best per-game mark among remaining UFA’s. With a nice round number of 25 top players still unsigned, which still ignores plenty of other capable NHLers, how many of these can be expected to play in the NHL next season? Time is running out and so are roster spots. Late-offseason signings are not impossible and a fair number of PTO’s are expected in camp this year, but realistically how many of these players will be able to land an NHL deal?

The top available name may also be the hardest to predict because his market is just one team and he isn’t ready to play. Future Hall of Fame goaltender Tuukka Rask (No. 14) remains a free agent and at 34 and recovering from major surgery it is fair to be skeptical that he will ever play again. The career Bruin reportedly will only play in Boston and recent comments by some of his teammates suggest that they expect him to do so at some point this year. But with Linus Ullmark signing a substantial contract to play alongside rookie sensation Jeremy Swayman, do the Bruins need Rask, especially coming in cold mid-season?

While Rask stands out as the only high-end goalie left available, the same cannot be said for forwards. Kyle Palmieri (No. 16), Tyler Bozak (No. 35), Casey Cizikas (No. 36), Zach Parise (No. 37), Nikita Gusev (No. 41), Alex Chiasson (No. 47), and Eric Staal (No. 48), as well as the aforementioned Ryan and Anisimov are all unsigned. Several of these names – Palmieri, Cizikas, Parise – have been linked to the New York Islanders, but no deals have been announced. All three have seemingly done enough to earn new contracts, but are still waiting. Bozak, meanwhile, was arguably the best of the players still available last season, with the top points per game mark even in a season plagued by injury. Gusev is a unique talent that has the chance to excel in the right system, Chiasson is a hard-working, consistent contributor, and Staal is one of the most respected veterans in the game. Ryan and Anisimov each showed that they still have gas left in the tank. It is hard to envision any of these players not playing this season, unless it is their own decision. Yet, none have signed on yet.

On the blue line, top talent is more scarce. Only Sami Vatanen (No. 43) and Erik Gustafsson (No. 44) remain from the Top 50 list and while each brings considerable strengths, they also have major weaknesses. With that said, each has been a regular in the NHL and are perhaps even more valuable as a depth option. Will Vatanen and Gustafsson find the right spot once more this season?

Among the players who were regulars in 2020-21 even though they may not come to mind as top options is a mix of aging veterans, versatile depth players, and discarded youngsters. Legends Patrick Marleau and Zdeno Chara lead the way as players who should be able to find a home if they want to keep playing just purely based on their Hall of Fame pedigrees, but lack the impact they once had. Other veterans still searching for work include Derick Brassard, Travis Zajac, and Jason Demers. Capable bottom-six forwards like Riley Sheahan, Colton Sceviour, Mark Jankowski, and Tobias Rieder are still available, as it stay-at-home defender Erik Gudbranson. Finally, formerly promising prospects Ryan Donato, Jimmy Vesey, and Dominik Kahun are all still looking for another chance.

Each player brings their own case for why or why not they should be employed in the NHL this season. All have been impact players in the league, but in a game progressively more dominated by younger players, history is no longer enough on its own to win a job. The supply of talent in the NHL currently seems to be greater than the demand, even with the expansion to 32 teams. Is there enough room for these 25 top players to find a new team this summer?

[mobile users click here to vote]

Expansion| Free Agency| Polls Alex Chiasson| Artem Anisimov| Bobby Ryan| Casey Cizikas| Colton Sceviour| Eric Staal| Erik Gudbranson| Erik Gustafsson| Free Agent Focus| Hall of Fame| Jason Demers| Jimmy Vesey| Kyle Palmieri| Linus Ullmark| Mark Jankowski| Nikita Gusev| Patrick Marleau

4 comments

Free Agent Profile: Alex Chiasson

August 10, 2021 at 8:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

Two years ago, Alex Chiasson entered free agency in an ideal situation.  He was coming off his first season with Edmonton and had a career year which gave him considerably more leverage than he had the year before when he hit the open market.  That landed him a two-year deal to stay with the Oilers but things haven’t gone as well since then so the veteran has hit free agency in a different situation than he had last time.

After his first season with the Oilers, it looked as if the 30-year-old was finally living up to the potential he had shown in flashes in his previous stops.  22 goals in 73 games is certainly decent for someone who had largely been a role player up to that point but unfortunately for him and the Oilers, Chiasson was only able to manage 20 goals over the last two seasons combined, spanning 110 contests.

Still, Chiasson stands 6’3 and has shown a bit of a scoring touch with the man advantage, tallying 19 goals over his three seasons with Edmonton.  While he certainly wasn’t a play driver on their power play, he still filled a useful role on it.  Between the size and power play ability, he’s an intriguing depth option for teams even if he doesn’t fill the prototypical style that many teams covet in their bottom six (physical with an ability to kill penalties).

Stats

2020-21: 45 GP, 9-7-16, -10 rating, 33 PIMS, 65 shots, 45.6 CF%, 12:29 ATOI
Career: 564 GP, 101-101-202, -40 rating, 329 PIMS, 798 shots, 48.1 CF%, 13:51 ATOI

Potential Suitors

How much Chiasson wants will largely dictate his market.  If he’s willing to back to playing for close to the league minimum, he becomes an intriguing pickup for some cap-strapped teams that are looking for an incremental boost.  Otherwise, his options will be limited to teams that project to have ample cap space that could also be open to taking a flyer on him rediscovering that scoring touch from two years ago.  For this exercise, we’ll look at the teams with cap space and assume that a cheap deal isn’t on the table just yet.

In the East, the Devils have been quite active already this summer but someone like Chiasson would add some more offensive upside to their depth forwards and they still have plenty of cap space to bring him in.  The Blue Jackets don’t have a lot of firepower in their bottom six and also have ample cap room for the winger.  One of his former teams in the Senators could have a use for Chiasson if they want a younger forward to get some more development time with AHL Belleville as well.

Out West, the Wild should still have enough cap room by the time they re-sign their two big RFAs to add Chiasson in a depth role.  The Predators are currently projected to have some inexperienced players in their bottom six and could use Chiasson as a piece to allow someone to spend more time in the minors.  The Avalanche didn’t really replace Joonas Donskoi and while Chiasson is at a lower level than he is, he’s someone that can move up into the top six at times if needed and Colorado still has a bit of wiggle room with their cap.

Projected Contract

Chiasson ranked 47th on our Top 50 UFA list with a projected two-year, $3.2MM contract.  At this point, landing that contract seems unlikely as at this point of free agency, teams are bargain shopping and won’t be swayed by that 22-goal campaign.  A one-year pact that’s closer to $1MM may be more realistic now and considering his power play production with Edmonton, he could be an interesting pickup for several teams at that price point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Alex Chiasson| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

2 comments

Snapshots: Sharks, Killorn, Neal, Chiasson

July 10, 2021 at 2:52 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

With the pre-expansion trade freeze now just a week away, trade talk will be picking up around the league.  Kevin Kurz of The Athletic notes (subscription link) that the Sharks are a team that is active in those discussions with winger Kevin Labanc, defenseman Radim Simek, and center Dylan Gambrell at the forefront of those discussions.  Labanc underwhelmed in the first season of a four-year, $18.9MM deal with 12 goals in 55 games, Simek is on the expensive side for a third-pairing defenseman with a $2.25MM price tag, while Gambrell, a pending RFA, didn’t produce much this season – just 12 points in 49 games despite averaging over 16 minutes a game.  Kurz adds that San Jose’s preference is to make a player for player swap; speculatively speaking, any deal involving the first two players would be seeking to bring in a cheaper replacement to give them some more financial flexibility.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Lightning winger Alex Killorn should be fully recovered for training camp, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran fractured his fibula blocking a point shot in the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final and has already undergone surgery.  While he was hoping to get back into the lineup later in the series had it gone that far, the recovery time for this injury is closer to three to four weeks.
  • After Edmonton was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Oilers GM Ken Holland strongly suggested a buyout or two was in the cards for his roster. However, his agent Kent Morris told Postmedia’s Jim Matheson that he hasn’t received a notification from the team yet about veteran winger James Neal heading down that path.  A buyout of the final two years remaining on the contract for the 33-year-old is likely with Neal notching just five goals and five assists in 29 games this season but such a move may not come until after expansion.
  • Morris also spoke about another Oilers client, telling Matheson in that same column that pending UFA winger Alex Chiasson would like to stay and that the team hasn’t yet shut a door on his return. Having said that, it seems likely that they’ll look at their options in free agency before potentially circling back to the 30-year-old who has managed just 20 goals over the last two seasons combined after scoring 22 times in his first season with the team.

Edmonton Oilers| San Jose Sharks| Snapshots| Tampa Bay Lightning Alex Chiasson| Alex Killorn| Dylan Gambrell| James Neal| Kevin Labanc

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