Blue Jackets Open Contract Talks With Sam Gagner And Alexander Wennberg
The Blue Jackets have opened up preliminary contract negotiations with pending free agent centers Sam Gagner and Alexander Wennberg, reports Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. Gagner is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st while Wennberg will become a restricted free agent with his entry level contract now complete.
Gagner was a late addition to Columbus last offseason and there’s a strong case to be made that he was the biggest bargain in free agency. Despite being only able to garner a contract of $650K, the 27 year old set a career high in points with 50 (18-32-50) in 81 games played, also a career best. Gagner noted that he’s certainly open to returning to the team:
“It’s a team that’s on the rise and as the year went on I felt like more and more a part of things and a big part of things. Yeah, I’d like to come back, but we’ll see where things go.”
Wennberg also set career bests across the board with 13 goals and 46 assists in 80 games; his 59 points were just three behind winger Cam Atkinson for the team lead while his assist total led the team. Reed notes that the 22 year old recently hired a new agent in Pat Brisson while Wennberg himself emphasized that there’s no rush to get a new deal done.
The Blue Jackets already have $70MM committed in contracts for next season per CapFriendly though that amount will come down by $5.25MM when David Clarkson returns to long-term injury reserve. Accordingly, they don’t have a ton of wiggle room to work with, especially since the team has a few other free agents to either re-sign or replace. Trade deadline acquisitions Lauri Korpikoski and Kyle Quincey are also set to become unrestricted free agents while right winger Josh Anderson as well as goaltenders Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo will become restricted free agents.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Morning Notes: Draft, RFAs, Galchenyuk
Craig Button of TSN updated his rankings for the NHL Entry Draft, and there is big movement among the first round. After Timothy Liljegren has remained in the conversation for top-3 for so long, Button has now dropped him to eighth, as he struggles to find ice time in Sweden. Martin Necas slides into the spot following Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, as Button compares the Czech center to a young Claude Giroux.
Cale Makar from the AJHL has made his way into the top five, an impressive feat for someone playing in a “lesser league”. Button doesn’t consider this a problem, as he is focused on evaluating where they will be at the next level, not their current competition. Makar has 75 points in 54 games as a defenseman, and has received many comparisons to Erik Karlsson in the way that he handles the puck.
- Columbus extended three restricted free agents yesterday when they inked Markus Hannikainen, Lukas Sedlak and Scott Harrington to two-year deals. The team still has three RFAs left for this summer, and according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch the Blue Jackets aren’t worried about signing them. Alexander Wennberg, Josh Anderson and Joonas Korpisalo all require new deals, and the Jackets are going to be tight on money once again. Depending on who is taken at the expansion draft, they may have to consider some sort of salary dump—like Scott Hartnell, who will be scratched tonight in favor of Sedlak—in order to keep their cap structure in tact.
- The Montreal Canadiens experienced a heartbreaking loss last night to one of the worst teams in the conference when they fell 2-1 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings. Again their expected top line of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov was broken up in the third period, something that has become far too common. Eric Engels of Sportsnet writes about how Galchenyuk in particular had a rough night, and doesn’t seem to mesh well with Radulov in terms of play style. The young forward had a breakout 30-goal campaign last season, but has struggled all year with his consistency and defensive play. With just nine games remaining until the playoffs, most first-place teams don’t have the kind of doubt Montreal is feeling with their #1 centerman.
Metropolitan Notes: Islanders Arena, Wennberg, Strome, Rangers
While there has been talk that the Islanders would be forced to find a new home following the 2018-19 season with Barclays Center ownership preferring to host other events, the two sides are in discussions regarding a short-term extension that would keep the team in Brooklyn a bit longer, reports Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos (video link).
A report back in September suggested that the current deal can only be renegotiated up until January 1st, 2018. The current contract allows the Islanders to opt out as early as the end of next season but with no firm plan in place for a new arena, that wouldn’t be feasible. On the other side, arena ownership currently has the ability to opt out following 2018-19.
While any temporary arrangement would reduce the immediate need to find another place to play within the area, it certainly doesn’t look like the Islanders will be playing in Brooklyn anywhere near the 25 year term of the original agreement.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- The Blue Jackets held out center Alexander Wennberg from their game against the Devils this afternoon, one in which they became only the third team in NHL history to score two penalty shot goals in the same game. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch notes (via Twitter) that the 22 year old is dealing with a stiff neck and was held out for precautionary reasons. Wennberg leads Columbus in assists with 42 on the season in 70 contests.
- In a separate tweet, Portzline notes that Islanders center Ryan Strome will not be suspended for the hit that caused Wennberg to be out of the lineup. The league felt Strome’s push wasn’t an overly aggressive one. No penalty was assessed on the play.
- Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and defenseman Kevin Klein both skated in advance of Saturday’s game against the Wild, the team announced via Twitter. Lundqvist last played March 7th and is dealing with a hip injury. The team has been targeting a return sometime during New York’s California trip which kicks off March 25th. As for Klein, he has been dealing with back spasms for the better part of a month and there is no timetable for him to return to game action.