Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Chicago Blackhawks
Current Cap Hit: $74,008,045 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Nick Schmaltz (one year, $925K)
F Dylan Sikura (one year, $925K)
F Dominik Kahun (two years, $925K)
F David Kampf (one year, $925K)
F Victor Ejdsell (one year, $834K)
F Alex DeBrincat (two years, $778K)
Potential Bonuses:
Kahun: $2.85MM
Sikura: $925K
Schmaltz: $850K
DeBrincat: $133K
Total: $4,76MM
The team has a number of quality youngsters who will eventually cost them a good deal of money. However, the team has high expectations for Schmaltz, who had a breakout season and was one of the few bright spots in Chicago during a dismal season. Schmaltz, in his second year, scored 21 goals and added 52 points and is expected to be the team’s No. 2 center for a number of years in the future. The only key issue that Schmaltz continues to work on is his struggles in the face-off circle as he had just a 40.1 percent faceoff winning percentage last year, which is horrible.
The team’s other major bright spot was the play of DeBrincat. The 20-year-old made the team and then tallied 28 goals in his rookie campaign and looks to be another solid scorer for Chicago to work with in the top-six. The team hopes for a similar season from Sikura, who the team signed out of Northeastern University, where he posted 58 goals over four seasons there. The 23-year-old winger looks to have a solid chance of joining DeBrincat in the top six this season.
Two other interesting names, who could make an impact with the team are Ejdsell and Kahun. Ejdsell, who the team acquired in the Ryan Hartman trade at the deadline, has an opportunity to beat out Sikura for a top-six spot if he has a good training camp, while Kahun, signed to a two-year deal out of Germany, is another candidate to make the team and contribute immediately.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
G Cam Ward ($3MM, UFA)
F Marcus Kruger ($2.78MM, UFA)
D Jan Rutta ($2.3MM, UFA)
F Chris Kunitz ($1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Schroeder ($650K, UFA)
F Tyler Sikura ($650K, UFA)
While the Blackhawks offseason was relatively quiet, the team did make a splash in the goaltending market after the team went for much of the season last year without their starting goaltender. Because of their lack of depth, the team added Ward to help fill the backup role, who could also take over starting duties if needed. The 35-year-old Ward played 43 games for Carolina a year ago and posted a .906 save percentage along with two shutouts. While those numbers aren’t great, they are better than the goalies they carried a season ago.
The team also brought in some grit, bringing back Kruger as well as signing 38-year-old Kunitz. Both should fill significant roles in the bottom-six and hopefully boost the production of those lines. Kruger struggled since leaving Chicago. He posted just one goal and five assists in 48 games last season and was demoted to the AHL for 19 games. However, in the offseason, Kruger admitted he played the entire season with a hernia, which is what affected his play. Now, fully healthy, Kruger might be able to bounce back. Both are solid one-year options.
The 28-year-old Rutta showed some solid signs of progress in his rookie campaign. He averaged 19:15 of ATOI, scoring six goals and 20 points, as well as having a (minus) one plus/minus ratio. Another season could boost his production as a top-four defenseman.
Two Years Remaining
G Corey Crawford ($6MM, UFA)
D Brandon Manning ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($1.2MM, UFA)
F John Hayden ($750K, RFA)
The Blackhawks success will likely fall on Crawford, who missed most of the season last year with concussion-like symptoms and the 33-year-old netminder has already indicated that he likely won’t be ready for training camp and could miss part of the season next year.
With those issues, there isn’t necessarily a guarantee that he will bounce back and put up similar numbers from his 2015-16 season when he put up a .919 save percentage in 55 games. His numbers were actually even better in the 2017-18 season before he was injured, posting a .929 save percentage to go with two shutouts in 28 games.
Chicago will rely on Gustafsson and Murphy to help man their defense. Both will need to improve quite a bit to improve their weakened defense. Gustafsson showed some promise after being recalled late in the season from Rockford of the AHL and he posted 16 points in 35 games. The defensive-minded Murphy, who came over in the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade was solid, if not unspectacular on defense. Both will be needed if the team wants to return to the playoffs next year.Read more
Panarin And Bobrovsky Not Guaranteed To Begin Season With Columbus
After extending their front office and reportedly being close on a new deal with head coach John Tortorella, many are wondering why the Columbus Blue Jackets haven’t placed the same focus on resolving the impending free agency of stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. Blue Jackets fans would prefer both sign long-term, but if they depart, the team must get something in return. GM Jarmo Kekalainen knows this and has to be open to moving either player if the right offer presents itself.
As such, Kekalainen told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that he couldn’t commit to either phenom being on the Opening Night roster next month:
I can’t. In this business, there’s always talks between the general managers whether you’ve got pending free agents or not. We talk regularly. Sometimes there’s trades. So I’m not speculating on them. I’m just saying we talk all the time, so I wouldn’t say about any player whether they’re a pending free agent or not that they’ll be on our team in October because anything can happen between now and Oct. 3… I think we have to make some decisions based on where it goes at the appropriate time. If we can’t work out a contract, then we’ll have to make some decisions. I wouldn’t say they’re just going to stay and ride out into the sunset… Where we’re at with our team, we have to make some decisions and we’re hopeful we can get contracts done. If not, we’ll have to make some decisions… We want to keep them and we haven’t been able to be successful yet in extending their contracts, but we’re still optimistic we can get things done and we feel they can be a huge part of our team in the future. We’re going to have a good team into the future and hopefully they want to be part of it. That’s our mindset right now, to keep working at it… We want to have them here as long as we can, both of them. They are huge parts of our team. I don’t think anybody understands how big a role they play on our team. It is what it is. They have that right within their contract to do that, so you can’t blame a guy for doing that. Hopefully our season doesn’t revolve around that. I think that would be a shame.
This may not be what Columbus fans were hoping to hear, especially before the season has even begun. The team has until next July 1st to sign both players, who will otherwise be highlights of the summer market, and has more than seven months until the NHL Trade Deadline to figure out a trade. While they may get a superior return early on, it’s hard to imagine that the team will be as successful in 2018-19 if either player was absent for the whole campaign.
Snapshots: Panarin, Forbort, Monahan, Montour
Although the Rangers and Blackhawks have linked as potential landing spots for Blue Jackets winger Artemi Panarin, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the Stars are also on Panarin’s shortlist of preferred destinations. Shapiro adds that the team believes that they could have the cap room long-term to have both Panarin and fellow pending UFA Tyler Seguin on long-term contracts but that there would likely need to be roster casualties to do so. Columbus has been fielding trade interest in the Russian winger but they have been receiving futures-based packages, something they don’t seem interested in doing at this time.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Kings defenseman Derek Forbort sustained a back injury over the summer, GM Rob Blake told reporters, including Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. The issue is unrelated to the knee injury he had last season but the team will need to evaluate him when he reports to training camp to determine if he’ll miss any time.
- Flames center Sean Monahan has fully recovered from the lengthy list of surgeries he underwent back in April, notes Aaron Vickers of NHL.com. The 23-year-old was shut down late last season and had wrist, groin and two hernia surgeries shortly thereafter. Fortunately for Calgary, he has been taking part in informal team skates in advance of training camp and they will need Monahan as his best as they hope that a bolstered top line will help them get back to the postseason.
- While the Ducks and defenseman Brandon Montour ultimately settled on a two-year bridge contract, they did discuss a long-term pact, Montour acknowledged to John Matisz of theScore. However, they weren’t able to find something that worked for both sides which isn’t particularly surprising as the 24-year-old only has one full NHL season under his belt so a short-term pact was the likeliest outcome. That will likely be the case as well for their last RFA in winger Nick Ritchie.
Columbus Blue Jackets Have Received Offers Of Prospects, Picks For Artemi Panarin
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on this offseason, after reports surfaced months ago regarding Artemi Panarin and his reluctance to negotiate a long-term extension. That pushed the star forward—at least speculatively—onto the trade market, and made him one of the biggest stories of the summer. In his State of the Franchise column for The Athletic (subscription required), Blue Jackets insider Aaron Portzline reports that Columbus has received trade offers for Panarin but that they’ve been for prospects and “high-round draft picks.” The Blue Jackets obviously haven’t accepted these packages, and Portzline notes that they wouldn’t help “ease the absence” of the star winger for the upcoming season.
Columbus is still expected to compete for the Metropolitan Division title this season with the roster as currently constructed, but losing Panarin (and possibly Sergei Bobrovsky) to free agency in the summer of 2019 is a tough pill to swallow at this point. With no Stanley Cup success guaranteed in 2018-19, it would be tough for GM Jarmo Kekalainen to just allow the season to progress without a deal in place. Portzline reports that a list of “preferred destinations” for Panarin—which is headlined by the New York Rangers and also includes New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars—is still applicable, though agent Dan Milstein has downplayed the accurary of any list and said that nothing had been provided (at that point) to the Blue Jackets.
Training camp starts in just two weeks for Columbus, and the Panarin situation was supposed to be resolved by then one way or another. If that’s a true deadline from Panarin’s perspective on negotiating an extension, the team may have to settle for one of the packages offered and hope the rest of the roster can take them to the playoffs on their own. After all, the team does have a good young core of players in Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois and others and could likely secure a big package of future assets for Panarin’s services. That could set the team up for even more long-term success, despite it coming with a decline in performance for the 2018-19 season.
Blue Jackets Notes: Panarin, Bobrovsky, Nash
Even in a relatively quiet summer for the Blue Jackets, in which the team has only added Riley Nash as a bona fide piece of their roster and taken fliers on Anthony Duclair, Adam Clendening, and Ryan MacInnis, Columbus has nevertheless been one of the more talked-about teams this off-season. With two of the biggest potential 2019 free agents currently employed as well as the most prominent remaining 2018 free agent possibly considering a comeback, the Blue Jackets could still make headlines before the season begins. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline addresses these issues and more in his latest article:
- Portzline writes that there is no traction on extensions for either Artemi Panarin or Sergei Bobrovsky as they enter the final year of their respective contracts. The duo will almost certainly enter the season without a new deal, as has been expected for Panarin, and where things go from there remains unclear. It has already been noted that the team is not actively in talks with Bobrovsky, and that could partly be due to Portzline’s assertion that he is looking for “Carey Price money”; the Canadiens’ star goaltender signed an eight-year, $84MM extension last summer. However, given the almost immediate regret felt by Montreal over that contract, the Blue Jackets may be content to ride the season out with Bobrovsky and see whether his performance and health dictate similar terms. Although Bobrovsky is an elite goaltender, he would share next summer’s market with Pekka Rinne, Mike Smith, Semyon Varlamov, Cam Talbot, Jimmy Howard, and more and may land his biggest payday if he sticks with Columbus.
- Meanwhile, Portzline also adds that the likelihood of a Panarin trade prior to the season is as equally unlikely as an extension. Despite talks all off-season long, it seems like no offers got past what he describes as the “futures” stage, while the contender-quality Blue Jackets would prefer immediate help in any Paranin deal. A trade could still happen at some point during the season, and even seems likely, but it won’t be anytime soon. Panarin has not even supplied GM Jarmo Kekalainen with his list of preferred destinations yet. Although, Portzline suggests the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and Florida Panthers could top that hypothetical list, while Panarin was previously linked to the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks.
- Portzline also writes that the team has stayed in contact with Rick Nash throughout this off-season and even made an offer soon after the market opened. They have also had face-to-face meetings with the former Blue Jackets superstar about returning to Columbus. While Nash asked teams for space this summer as he decides on his playing future, being careful to consider his mounting injuries, if he does choose to keep playing it would be for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins continue to be the most likely destinations.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets Not In Active Negotiations
One of the more interesting teams to watch this offseason has been the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have two of the biggest 2019 unrestricted free agents heading into their final season under contract. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are both elite talents still in their prime, but after the former told the Blue Jackets that he both wasn’t ready to negotiate an extension and wanted all business matters resolved by September 13th, it seemed like the team would be forced to move on from at least one of them. Bobrovsky meanwhile was silent on any potential extension, though fans clasped clammy hands together with anxiety over the future of their starting goaltender, knowing that it would likely take a huge contract to keep him in Columbus.
In Aaron Portzline’s latest piece for The Athletic (subscription required), the venerable Blue Jackets insider gives updates on both situations, including reporting that the Blue Jackets and Bobrovsky’s agent “have not actively negotiated for some time now.” The 29-year old goaltender is expected to be demanding something approaching or eclipsing Carey Price‘s eight-year $84MM contract with the Montreal Canadiens, which would put the Blue Jackets right at the top of the list of team spending in net. It’s not clear if they’re willing to do something like that, especially if they want any chance at bringing Panarin back into the fold.
Bobrovsky though isn’t as easy to trade if he can’t be signed, as not only does he have a full no-movement clause in his contract but the Blue Jackets would be punting the goaltending position almost entirely. Though Joonas Korpisalo has shown potential in his short career, he also recorded just an .897 save percentage last season in 18 games and is by no means a guarantee to post even average numbers in a starting role. For a team looking to contend for the Stanley Cup in 2018-19, trading away a goaltender of Bobrovsky’s stature—especially for a return that would be limited because of his clause—is almost impossible.
That puts Columbus in a very difficult situation though if there is no contact between the two sides, and one that doesn’t look like it has an easy way out. For now, we’ll have to wait and see how the team navigates the next few months knowing two of their best players could be in their final season with the organization. Do they load up for one last run, or move out expiring pieces to try and build around the core of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Zach Werenski and Seth Jones?
Poll: Early Hart Trophy Favorite?
It may be the slowest stretch of the off-season, but the odds-makers at Bovada are staying busy. As Sports Illustrated’s Michael Blinn writes, the first odds for the NHL’s MVP Award, the Hart Trophy, for the 2018-19 season are out. Very few could have predicted that the New Jersey Devils’ Taylor Hall would have taken home the title this past season at this point last year. Is next year’s winner even on the board? Or will it be one of the heavy favorites?
To no surprise, Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid has the best odds to win the Hart for the second time in three years after being crowned in 2017. McDavid has 10/3 odds to win the award and those are actually pretty fair odds. Even last season, when McDavid was not even a finalist for the Hart, he nevertheless was the league’s leading scorer with 108 points, six more than the next-best player. It was the second season in a row that McDavid won the scoring title and that trend seems unlikely to change if he remains healthy. However, there are some who will say that McDavid’s Hart chances are tied to the success of the Oilers. The argument this past season was that he could not truly be the most valuable player in the league when his contributions still left Edmonton far from a playoff spot. With a roster that has been largely unimproved this off-season, another regular season disappointment for the Oilers could make it hard for McDavid to get back on top.
Next up is two-time Hart winner Sidney Crosby at 13/5. The face of the Pittsburgh Penguins dynasty has long been considered the best player on the planet. Yet, one would think that Crosby might actually have more than two MVP titles. Crosby has scored between 84 and 120 points in every healthy season of his career, but his impressive supporting cast detracts from the impact of those unbelievable numbers. Especially last season, when Crosby was narrowly outscored by both Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, it would have been close to impossible for him to win the Hart. Malkin (18/1 odds) and Kessel (75/1 odds) are still Penguins and barring injuries to one or both, Crosby would have to take his game to an even higher level to get back into Hart consideration.
Maple Leafs centers John Tavares and Auston Matthews both have 10/1 odds to win the Hart, as the odds-makers clearly expect there to be plenty of offense to go around in Toronto next season. Injuries held Matthews to 63 points last season, outside the top 50 in scoring, while a healthy Tavares only managed to tie for sixteenth with 84 points for the New York Islanders. Both players will greatly need to improve their production to be Hart – and it is certainly possible now that they are playing together – yet an improvement by both could land them in Crosby/Malkin territory where they cancel each other out in the Hart race.
Reigning Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, and Maurice Richard winner Alex Ovechkin also has 10/1 odds to take home the Hart. Ovechkin has done it three times before, more than any other active player in the league. However, Ovechkin’s 49 goals last year only came with 38 assists, as his 87 points kept him outside the top ten in scoring. At 33 years old this season, the Washington Capitals captain will have to fight both the aging process and a potential Cup hangover to improve his production if he wants a fourth Hart. Ovechkin’s 10/1 odds seem like a stretch.
At 15/1 are both the 2018 winner Hall and finalist Nathan MacKinnon, as well as Nikita Kucherov and Mark Scheifele. This is where the value lies in these early odds. The former duo greatly benefited from both excellent seasons – 97 points for MacKinnon and 93 points for Hall – but also being far and away the best players on the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche respectively. Both should again lead the way for their clubs and if they match their previous output and again sneak into the postseason, it would be no surprise to see them both back in consideration next year. As for Kucherov, he was the favorite to win the Hart for a long stretch last season as he led the league in scoring. Although his production tailed off as the season closed out, the dynamic Tampa Bay Lightning winger still managed to finish third with 100 points. Tampa will be top contenders again and promise to light up the score board with Kucherov leading the way. Perhaps this time he can seal the deal on the Hart. Scheifele is a dark horse candidate who could be the breakout star of the coming season like Hall and MacKinnon last year. The Winnipeg Jets franchise center played in only 60 games last year, but scored 60 points and continues to show flashes of brilliance. He could be a savvy pick to take home the hardware.
Among the rest of the field are some very interesting options. Los Angeles Kings star Anze Kopitar, a Hart finalist last season, has 18/1 odds and new weapon to play with in Ilya Kovalchuk (50/1 odds). Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux has 25/1 odds despite finishing second only to McDavid at the top of the scoring charts last season with 102 points. Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand, also 25/1 odds, was arguably the most dangerous scorer in the league last season when on the ice, finishing 13th overall in scoring with 85 points in just 68 games – the only player in the top 50 to play in less than 70 games. Bargain odds belong to Artemi Panarin at 50/1. The Columbus Blue Jackets dynamo gets better each year since coming over to the NHL and could toy with 100 points in his second year with the team. That would make for an interesting off-season, as Panarin is slated for free agency next summer.
What do you think? Does Bovada have the right names at the top? Or will the Hart winner be another unpredictable upset like Hall?
Who Is The Early Favorite To Win The 2019 Hart Trophy?
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Connor McDavid 32% (273)
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Sidney Crosby 12% (102)
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The Field - comment below 11% (96)
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Nathan MacKinnon 11% (94)
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Nikita Kucherov 8% (64)
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John Tavares 7% (58)
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Taylor Hall 5% (43)
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Mark Scheifele 5% (43)
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Auston Matthews 5% (40)
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Alex Ovechkin 4% (31)
Total votes: 844
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Current Cap Hit: $73,890,832 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Zach Werenski (one year remaining, $925K)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (two years remaining, $894K)
F Sonny Milano (one year remaining, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Dubois: $2.5MM
Werenski: $800K
Milano: $400K
Total: $3.7MM
The Blue Jackets got a big boost from Dubois who should provide the team with a top center for quite a long time as the 20-year-old had a solid rookie campaign as he posted 20 goals and 48 points. Those numbers should exponentially increase as he gets older, bigger and more comfortable in the league. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him develop into a 60-70 point player this year already. And with two years remaining, he will continue to be a bargain for some time.
Werenski had a mixed bag of a season as he saw his points totals drop from his rookie season (47 points) to his second season (37 points). Yet his goal totals increased from his rookie season (10) to his sophomore season (16). However, Werenski underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that had been causing him pain since October, suggesting he played injured all season. A fully healthy Werenski could give the team one of the top young defensemen in the league.
Milano arrived with much fanfare, but he struggled finding a permanent place in the lineup, as he often received relatively few minutes on the third line due to his struggles on defense. However, Milano showed flashes of scoring ability as the 22-year-old posted 14 goals in 55 games. With a year under his belt, Milano might be able to take those numbers to a much bigger level if he can prove he can play a two-way game for coach John Tortorella.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
G Sergei Bobrovsky ($7.43MM, UFA)
F Artemi Panarin ($6MM, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($2.83MM, RFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($900K, RFA)
F Lukas Sedlak ($825K, RFA)
F Alex Broadhurst ($725K, RFA)
F Markus Hannikainen ($675K, RFA)
D Scott Harrington ($675K, RFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($650K, RFA)
The biggest news all offseason is the fact that Panarin has told Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen says he’s not ready to discuss an extension. Despite the GM’s attempt to speak to Panarin to convince him to stay, it looks like Panarin wants to head elsewhere once his contract expires at the end of the season and he becomes a unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old winger posted a career-high 82 points after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, but seems to be looking to play in a city with a more diverse market. While there have been rumors that Kekalainen has been looking into trading options, little has come from it. The team may opt to wait until the trade deadline, but that could also lessen the return.
Perhaps more concerning is the contract situation with Bobrovsky. The 30-year-old goaltender is also in the final year of his contract. While there is no talk of leaving Columbus, the Blue Jackets have to be somewhat concerned about the veteran goaltender’s asking price. He will be 32 years old when his next contract takes effect, but Bobrovsky wants term, the team could be paying him until he’s 40 years old and it’s extremely likely that the goalie will take less money than the $7.43MM he’s making on this contract. However, that’s a lot of money to be handing out to an aging goaltender. Bobrovsky’s numbers are still good as he posted a 2.42 GAA and an impressive .920 save percentage in 63 games. However, his struggles in the playoffs isn’t working for him either. Regardless, the team could find itself in quite the contract negotiations in the coming summer.
Duclair is another interesting player, who signed a one-year deal after disappointing in both Arizona and Chicago. The 22-year-old opted to sign a minimum “show me” contract to prove he belongs in the NHL, but he’s struggled to produce over the years after a successful season back in 2015-16 when he potted 20 goals. Since then, he’s managed to post just 16 goals in two seasons. If he can find his game in Columbus, the Blue Jackets could still retain him as he’s a restricted free agent.Read more
Latest On Artemi Panarin
September 13th, the day that training camp opens for the Columbus Blue Jackets, is coming quickly. That’s also the date set by star forward Artemi Panarin to have all “business matters” pertaining to his next contract dealt with, leaving the Blue Jackets with just over a month to convince him to sign a long-term extension. Panarin isn’t even willing to negotiate at the moment, which puts GM Jarmo Kekalainen in a very tough position and could eventually force him to trade his best offensive weapon. The 26-year old forward is heading into the final year of his current contract, and could choose his landing spot as an unrestricted free agent next summer. As Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) reports, Panarin would seriously consider the Chicago Blackhawks as that landing spot, returning to the place that gave him his first NHL opportunity.
Chicago traded Panarin a year ago in a blockbuster deal that brought Brandon Saad back, but could end up with both if they were to convince the former to sign again in the summer of 2019. The Blackhawks were the team who first convinced Panarin to come to North America, signing him out of the KHL after he recorded 62 points for SKA St. Petersburg in 2014-15. That SKA team also included Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Dadonov, who have both found their ways back to the NHL in Los Angeles and Florida respectively. Both might be considered contenders for Panarin’s services should he hit the open market, but it’s Chicago’s interest that makes the most sense.
Panarin found instant chemistry with Patrick Kane upon arriving in North America, resulting in Kane’s best two offensive seasons of his career. In 2015-16 Kane scored 106 points and won the Hart and Art Ross trophies, a level that the Blackhawks are dying to get him back to as they try to contend with their current core. Last season without Panarin on his wing, Kane reverted to 27 goals and 76 points, numbers very similar to what he’d put up before the two were put together. While those are still outstanding totals for the talented winger, bringing the pair back in 2019 would obviously be an attractive proposition.
In 2017-18 though, Panarin proved he could drive a line all by himself. Scoring a career-high 82 points, the 26-year old winger found a nice match with young center Pierre-Luc Dubois who was barely even expected to make the Blue Jackets roster. Instead, Dubois finished second among all Blue Jackets forwards with 48 points and eighth in Calder Trophy voting as one of the league’s best rookies. While Dubois looks like he’ll be a top option for the Blue Jackets for a long time, taking Panarin off his wing for this season could lead to disastrous results for the 20-year old center. That, and the fact that the team relied so heavily on Panarin’s offensive creativity, make it quite a difficult decision for Kekalainen. With the Blue Jackets expecting to compete for the playoffs once again, does he remove his best forward in order to get some future assets, or does he roll the dice and hope he can convince him to stay after the year is over?
For now, Blackhawks fans should just be happy that there isn’t any bad blood between Chicago and Panarin. An incredibly well-liked player for the franchise would at least consider a return if he ends up on the open market, though there would still be work to do in order to fit in what could be a huge cap hit. Panarin will likely be demanding somewhere around an $8-10MM salary, if not more depending on how this season goes. As one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive players, he’ll be fighting off suitors during the free agent interview period.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dallas Stars Still Scouring Trade Market
It has been a quiet off-season for trades to this point, with the last major deal being the St. Louis Blues’ acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly for a package of three players and two picks back on July 1st. It has also been close to a month since the Dallas Stars were named the front runners for superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson – or any legitimate Karlsson rumors for that matter. Yet, the Stars still remain active on the trade market, according to Dallas beat writer Mark Stepenski. Could they be the team that makes the next big trade?
Stepenski recently spoke with Stars GM Jim Nill about the off-season. While their discussion mostly centered on a Tyler Seguin extension, Martin Hanzal‘s recovery progress, and the restricted free agency situations of Mattias Janmark and Gemel Smith, the two also talked about bringing in players not currently on the roster. Nill admitted that the team was still interested in making additions this summer, saying:
“I can’t name things, but there is still lots out there. We’re talking to teams. There is still a lot of movement happening within the business. I can’t say there is anything happening overnight, but there is a lot of dialogue still.”
The Stars are clearly interested in adding another big-name defenseman to add to defense that already sports John Klingberg and a now-healthy Marc Methot among others. Karlsson is obviously the top available defenseman, but the Ottawa Senators’ asking price was reportedly too high. The team could also look at the likes of Justin Faulk, Chris Tanev, or perhaps even disgruntled Jacob Trouba. However, the team actually performed better at preventing goals than they did scoring them last season. Despite impressive forward depth on paper, the Stars tied for 18th in the league in goals for and a scoring drought was one of the main factors behind the late-season collapse that cost them a playoff spot. While the team has already re-added Valeri Nichushkin and signed Blake Comeau and Erik Condra, it wouldn’t be surprise if the “lots out there” that Nill is looking into are forwards. Artemi Panarin, Max Pacioretty, Jeff Skinner, and Mathieu Perreault have all been considered likely to move at one point this summer and now New York Rangers’ center Kevin Hayes can be added to that list as well.
It does seem that Nill is right that there are a lot of talented players available and he is no doubt talking to teams, but the question remains whether he can actually put together a big trade to help his team this off-season. Dallas has more than $6MM in cap space and many intriguing young players and prospects. They certainly seems like a team that could make a splash at some point this summer.