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Charlie McAvoy Signs Eight-Year Extension With Boston Bruins

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Defenseman Charlie McAvoy has signed an eight-year extension with the Boston Bruins, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The deal carries a cap hit of $9.5MM, taking him through the 2029-30 season. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports the details of the contract:

2022-23: $6.0MM salary + $3.25MM signing bonus
2023-24: $7.75MM salary + $3.25MM signing bonus
2024-25: $8.5MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
2025-26: $8.5MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
2026-27: $6.0MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
2027-28: $3.75MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
2028-29: $4.5MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
2029-30: $4.5MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus

The contract carries a full no-movement clause from 2025-26 to 2027-28, per Seravalli. The deal has a 10-team ’yes’ trade list in 2028-29 and a 10-team ’no’ trade list in 2029-30.

McAvoy was due to be a restricted free agent at the season’s end. He’s in the final season of a three-year, $14.7MM deal ($4.9MM cap hit) signed prior to the 2019-20 season.

This contract is the fourth big-money deal handed out to restricted free agent defensemen within the last few months, joining just Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen with an eight-year deal. McAvoy’s cap hit slots above Cale Makar’s $9.0MM and just below Zach Werenski’s $9.58MM, but he’s signed for more term than either of those players.

McAvoy has been a consistent top-flight two-way defenseman ever since his rookie season in 2017-18. While he’s yet to play a full 82-game season in his career, fighting injuries and the pandemic, he’s now finished top ten in Norris Trophy voting for two consecutive seasons. He’s scored between 28 and 32 points every season of his career, totalling 122 points in 235 contests. His ice time has steadily climbed from the 22:09 mark he logged in his rookie season, hitting 24:00 per night last season.

While McAvoy’s point totals may not come with the same ’wow’ factor as a Makar or Quinn Hughes, he’s become arguably a top-ten defenseman in the league due to his off-the-charts hockey IQ and two-way acumen. His lower point rates than his peers also shouldn’t be taken to say that McAvoy isn’t an elite offensive play driver – he is, seeing 52.4% of his career zone starts in the offensive zone. He can log legitimate zone time in the defensive end too, excelling just as well there. Over his career, McAvoy’s controlled 54.4% of Corsi at even strength. A capable penalty killer as well, McAvoy remains one of the best all-around packages in the league. At just 23, the potential is still tantalizing.

Few will complain about having a franchise stalwart locked up for eight years, but this deal offers a certain level of cap security for the Bruins as well. Per CapFriendly, the team enters next year with $13.1MM in cap space with just Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk as notable players to re-sign.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, CHL Rankings, Oilers

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie has come out of his semi-retirement to provide one of the most interesting lists of the year, releasing his preseason rankings for the 2022 NHL Draft. McKenzie polls ten active NHL scouts and Shane Wright, the Kingston Frontenacs superstar center, was a unanimous choice as the top player heading into this season. Not only that, but the scribe suggests that Wright probably would have been the top-ranked player in the 2021 draft had he been eligible.

That’s incredibly impressive, given that Wright isn’t a late-September birthday that just missed the cutoff. He won’t turn 18 until January, but already has teams drooling over his potential as a true first-line center. Granted exceptional status for the OHL, he scored 39 goals and 66 points in his first season of CHL hockey in 2019-20, but missed last season when his league failed to hold a season. Still, Wright dominated at the U18 Worlds with nine goals and 14 points in five games, taking home the gold medal with Canada.

  • The presence of Wright in Kingston makes the Frontenacs a team to feat this season, but that still didn’t put them at the top of the CHL rankings released today. That spot went to the Edmonton Oil Kings, who look like a powerhouse in the WHL with top draft picks Dylan Guenther and Sebastian Cossa leading the way. Jake Neighbours, who is still in camp with the St. Louis Blues, will also likely be returning to Edmonton where he could very well contend for the league scoring title. Neighbours has been the talk of camp in St. Louis, with Blues head coach Craig Berube calling him a “dog on a bone” this week and Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest suggesting that he could even join the NHL team at the end of the 2021-22 season.
  • The Edmonton Oilers sent cut several prominent prospects today, including Raphael Lavoie, who will have to wait for his chance at the NHL level. The 21-year-old forward had an outstanding first season of professional hockey in 2020-21, racking up 45 points in 51 games during a loan to Sweden and then returning with a strong performance for the Bakersfield Condors down the stretch. While there are several more experienced names in Oilers camp vying for the last few spots, it is somewhat surprising that he was already sent to the AHL with five more preseason games to go.

Nashville Predators Sign David Rittich

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Nashville Predators have signed netminder David Rittich to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $1.25MM, a drop-off of over 50% from Rittich’s previous deal. The netminder hopes the “show me” pact will lead to a more lucrative contract next summer, while the Predators hope the former Flames starter can be an affordable and more importantly effective backup to Juuse Saros in the post-Pekka Rinne era.

Rittich, 28, is not long removed from looking like the long-term starter in Calgary. A well-regarded prospect that blossomed into a competent pro, Rittich seized the Flames starting job in 2018-19 with a .911 save percentage and 2.61 GAA in 45 games – not elite but enough to get the job done. However, when his numbers declined the following season, the Flames decided to sign Jacob Markstrom and Rittich’s future became muddied. A trade to Toronto this season didn’t help his stock, as he struggled in four games with the team. Rittich entered the free agent market as one of more intriguing and unpredictable netminders available.

The Predators watched as a number of other teams with vacancies in net through substantial contracts at goalies, some of whom are older and had worse numbers than Rittich. The team likely believes they got a steal then for Rittich at $1.25MM. If he does return to form, it will be a great deal indeed. If he doesn’t, the team has a great faith in Saros as a workhorse and has a strong fallback option in AHLer Connor Ingram. The deal seems like a win-win from Nashville’s perspective.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Michael Bunting

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have come to an agreement with forward Michael Bunting. It’s a two-year deal with a cap hit of $900,000 for the Toronto area native.

Bunting, 25, timed his late-season breakout with the Arizona Coyotes nicely with his impending Group 6 free agency, turning it into a contract with his hometown team. Bunting recorded a whopping 10 goals and 13 points in just 21 games with the ’Yotes once cracking the lineup. While it seemed that Arizona was intent on re-signing him, other teams took notice including the Maple Leafs and Bunting decided to move on.

His contract is still reflective of his limited NHL experience, Bunting has the chance to turn this short-term pact with Toronto into a substantial raise the next time around. The cap-strapped Leafs will very likely insert the young scorer into their top-nine where he can benefit from playing alongside some of their superstar forwards to put up big numbers.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Louis Belpedio, Cedric Paquette, Jean-Sebastien Dea

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The Montreal Canadiens have snatched up another depth defenseman, signing Louis Belpedio to a one-year two-way contract according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $225K and a minor league guarantee of $300K. Belpedio was a Group VI unrestricted free agent. Not to be forgotten is the bottom of the forward group, which has also added Cedric Paquette on a one-year contract. Paquette will earn $950K according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Jean-Sebastien Dea has also been signed to a two-way deal according to Renaud Lavoir of TVA Sports.

Of the three, Paquette is the name likely to be seen in the Montreal lineup most often. The physical forward is a good fourth line checker and can hold his own at the face-off dot as well. A veteran of 424 NHL games, Pacquette has logged over 1,000 hits and a +38 turnover differential as a disruptive defensive presence.

Dea, 27, is a journeyman forward who is capable of contributing as an NHL substitute, but has spent the majority of each of his pro seasons in the AHL. Dea is a well-rounded offensive player, but lack high-end skill and upside, making him an experienced minor league option, but not a player that should be pegged for a regular NHL role.

Belpedio, 25, was once a highly-regarded prospect defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, but has not panned out. The 2014 third-round pick and Miami University standout has only played in four NHL games over four pro seasons. His AHL production has left a lot to be desired as well. Montreal hopes that a move to a new organization could help to jumpstart his career.

Marc Staal Re-Signs With Detroit Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings are bringing back an experienced veteran, re-signing Marc Staal to a one-year contract. Staal was scheduled for unrestricted free agency on Wednesday. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the deal is worth $2MM and includes a full no-movement clause.

Staal, 34, ended up in Detroit as part of a camp dump by the New York Rangers last fall, arriving along with a second-round pick for nothing more than future considerations. While the veteran defenseman wasn’t worth his full $5.7MM cap hit, he had a quietly strong season for the Red Wings. Now at 948 games played for his career, Staal should get over the 1,000-game mark next season, joining older brother Eric Staal and younger brother Jordan Staal. There have been a few more injuries along the way for the 6’4″ defenseman, and he may not get quite as many accolades as his brothers, but it’s still been a remarkable career.

Perhaps his most memorable moments came in New York during the 2012 and 2014 playoffs, when he reached the Conference and then Stanley Cup Finals with the Rangers. Part of an incredibly tough trio of defensemen with Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi, Staal was relied on for heavy minutes every night. Over his career, that’s been his calling card, as the offensive side never did really materialize. In 948 career games, Staal has recorded 198 points.

For the Red Wings, he can provide a steady hand to put in the lineup every night, insulating the young options that will still be developing. The team now has three veteran options in Staal, Nick Leddy and Danny DeKeyser, each signed only through the 2021-22 season. Should they want to, the Red Wings could likely find a contender for each of them at the deadline, and recoup even more future assets for the rebuild.

Bob McKenzie of TSN came out of retirement to break the news on Twitter.

Los Angeles Kings Willing To Move Top Draft Pick

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Want to get into the top-10 at this year’s draft? Call the Los Angeles Kings. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Kings are “open for business” in regards to the eighth overall selection in the upcoming draft.

The Kings, who haven’t made it past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, have amassed a huge number of picks over the last few years, making their prospect list longer than most. In 2020, they had five picks in the first three rounds including second-overall Quinton Byfield. In 2019, they had another five picks in the top three rounds, including fifth-overall Alex Turcotte. Now, with the team trying to move closer to contention, it seems they are ready to sacrifice some futures for current help.

To get an idea of what that eighth overall selection may represent, Luke Hughes occupied the spot in yesterday’s final draft ranking from Bob McKenzie of TSN. That ranking is based on polling of current NHL scouts, meaning there is a real chance someone as talented as Hughes is still available at that spot. Even if it’s not him, there is enough talent at the top of this draft to make the eighth pick pretty appealing.

Draft picks in the top five are rarely moved in the NHL, but trades involving picks 5-10 are a little more common. In 2011, Columbus sent Philadelphia the eighth overall pick in the Jakub Voracek–Jeff Carter deal. It ended up being Sean Couturier. At the 2012 draft, the Penguins received the eighth overall pick in a package for Jordan Staal and ended up selecting Derrick Pouliot. In 2013, it was the ninth pick heading from New Jersey to Vancouver for Cory Schneider, eventually leading to the Canucks selecting their captain, Bo Horvat. In 2017, the Rangers ended up with Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, using it to pick Lias Andersson.

The results have been mixed, and almost always come down to the player that the team ends up picking. Even in the Pouliot and Andersson years, there were several NHL stars still on the board. Though late-round firsts have a much lower probability of success, the eighth overall pick carries plenty of value even in this uncertain draft year. If the Kings are really entertaining offers, they should be able to command a hefty price.

League Notes: Realignment, Canceled Events, ESPN

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Though the NHL approved the plan all the way back in December 2018, not long after accepting Seattle’s expansion bid, it has been a long time since realignment plans have been reiterated. In fact, since the last update on the league’s post-expansion structure, there was a complete overhaul of the league’s conferences and divisions for the 2020-21 season. However, everything will return to normal next year with the unchanged Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions making up the Eastern Conference and finally an equal 16 teams in the Western Conference with the Central and Pacific Divisions. Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed today that the plan remains for the only team to move to be the Arizona Coyotes. Although Phoenix is more closely located to four Pacific cities than any Central cities, it is also closer to those Central cities than any other Pacific city, including newcomer Seattle. The Coyotes may be the odd man out, but a change of scenery can’t hurt for a team that has struggled to make the playoffs out of the Pacific for the better part of a decade.

  • When the NHL announced a number of events for the 2021-22 season earlier today, there were a couple of curious absences. The league revealed a Stadium Series game in Nashville and that All-Star Weekend will belong to Vegas, thereby skipping over the hosts for those canceled 2020-21 events. The Carolina Hurricanes were set to host an outdoor game this year, but now have no such event planned. However, Bettman did specifically mention that Raleigh will get it’s Stadium Series (or perhaps Winter Classic) game in the near future. There is not as much clarity for the Florida Panthers. The 2021 All-Star Game was supposed to take place in Sunrise, but now it will be on the other side of the country and there has been no explanation by the league as to why nor as to future plans for the Panthers to host. George Richards of Florida Hockey Now surmises that the potential for the All-Star Game to lead into the Olympic break, if the NHL attends, made a move west, where flights to China would be far shorter than from Florida, a sensible move. However, he also notes that Florida team president Matt Caldwell was certain the All-Star game would belong to the Panthers, so there is some confusion. In all likelihood, Florida will play host to the All-Star game in the near future, just as Carolina will host an outdoor game, but until there is an official announcement that is only speculation.
  • Another surprise reveal this evening is that NBC’s contract with the NHL will officially come to an end following the Stanley Cup Final. The network was expected to host the NHL Entry Draft, if not also the NHL Expansion Draft, later this month. However, ESPN has now been announced as the host of both. TSN’s Bob McKenzie, an NBC contributor, notes that this has less to do with the new television rights agreement and more to do with unfortunate timing. McKenzie believes that NBC informed the NHL well before the new TV deal that they would be unable to host the Entry Draft due to conflicts with the Summer Olympics. As a result, ESPN will begin its NHL coverage with two major events in the span of just three days – the Expansion Draft on Wednesday, July 21 and the first round of the Entry Draft on Friday, July 23. Although, McKenzie believes they will use the Sportsnet feed for the latter, if not both. With Mark Messier and most recently Chris Chelios joining ESPN, the network will have more than enough talent to start producing their own material sooner rather than later.

Bruins Could Re-Sign Tuukka Rask And Jaroslav Halak

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The Boston Bruins have one of the better goalie tandems in the NHL right now and have for several years in the veteran duo of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. The defending Jennings Trophy winners have shown no signs of slowing down either; Rask finished second in Vezina Trophy voting last season while leading the league in goals against average and Halak currently has a sub-2.40 GAA of his own for his third straight season in Boston. Yet, when the 2020-21 season comes to a close, the Bruins will no longer have either under contract as the tandem are slated for unrestricted free agency. That is unless they re-sign one or both during the season. Appearing on NBC Sports, Bob McKenzie reported that the Bruins are open to extending both Rask and Halak and would considering doing so in-season as well, “if they get the sense from the goaltenders that’s what they want to do.”

Breaking down McKenzie’s report into two pieces, it certainly makes sense that the Bruins would entertain re-signing Rask and/or Halak. Rask, 33, is the player McKenzie acknowledges as the “key” to the future in net in Boston. The Bruins starter is quietly on his way to a Hall of Fame career with a top-five all-time mark in save percentage and the leading save percentage and GAA among all active goalies. Yet, even more important to this conversation is that he is still among the best in the game. While Rask has received criticism throughout his career, he remains one of the more difficult goalies in the NHL to replace. Even with names like Jordan Binnington, Frederik Andersen, and Petr Mrazek potentially available on the open market this off-season, there is no sure thing that the Bruins could confidently replace the play of Rask. Fortunately, Rask is not much of a threat to follow the money to another club. Well-compensated throughout his career and having previously stated that he does not want to play anywhere but Boston, it seems that if Rask wants to keep playing the Bruins will re-sign him.

As for Halak, 35, he may be more valuable to Boston than any other team in the NHL. There is a strong correlation between proper rest and elite performance in Rask’s career and having a dependable backup behind him in Halak these past few years has been an incredible asset for the Bruins. The team’s trust in the aging but productive net minder may just lead to another contract. With plenty of cap space, Boston can afford to pay for a top-dollar backup for another year or two. Of course, the counter-argument to a Halak return is that it would be easier for the Bruins to find another reliable backup in free agency than and they could potentially save money in looking elsewhere. Bringing back such a proven commodity in Halak will also once again block top goalie prospects Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman, who each rank in the top ten in the AHL in save percentage so far this season. As the Bruins continue to inject youth into their lineup, the question becomes whether they can give opportunity to the prospects and still provide sound play from the backup position or if the safer route is to simply stick with the tandem that has worked so well.

As for McKenzie’s statement that the Bruins could re-sign Rask or Halak during the season, there is more reason to be more skeptical of that assertion. With Rask and Halak both on expiring contracts, there is no need to protect either in the impending NHL Expansion Draft. Especially given the number of attractive options on the Boston roster available to the Seattle Kraken, the team would not select a UFA goalie. In their current contract state, the Bruins can instead protect Vladar from Seattle while exposing impending RFA fifth-string Callum Booth. Vladar, 23, would otherwise become a potential selection risk if Rask or Halak are re-signed and thus require protection. The young goaltender is enjoying another elite season in the AHL and could very well be the Bruins’ goalie of the future if he can outplay Swayman. Why would the Bruins leave Vladar exposed when they don’t need to?

Well, as McKenzie points out, if there is pressure from Rask or Halak to sign a new deal before the end of the season then that could change the status quo. Additionally, Vladar will drop his waiver exemption next season, meaning that the Bruins could lose him anyway if he is not ready for the NHL. (This is exactly what happened with Malcolm Subban and the Vegas Golden Knights following the last Expansion Draft.) The Bruins may also look at Vladar as worthwhile bait for Seattle to take over one of their many established roster players at forward and defense who will also be exposed. In that case, there is no reason to hold off on an extension for Rask or Halak if the plan would be to protect them as a UFA anyhow in order to expose Vladar.

It remains to be seen what exactly will happen to Boston’s situation in goal, but timing aside it is a safe bet that Rask will be back between the pipes for the Bruins next season and beyond and Halak could be right there with him. If one or both don’t return, it will make for an intriguing off-season in Boston.

Trade Rumors: Pearson, Flames, Capitals, Bruins

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As the Vancouver Canucks’ season descends further and further into an inescapable disappointment, TSN’s Darren Dreger states on “Insider Trading” this evening that no impending free agent in Vancouver is off limits to suitors. However, that doesn’t mean that all current impending free agents will remain as such through the trade deadline in just over five weeks. Dreger notes that the Canucks would prefer to re-sign forward Tanner Pearson, who is coming off a career year in 2019-20. Negotiations on a new contract have not yet begun, but GM Jim Benning would like to start talks as soon as possible in order to have a clear picture ahead of the deadline. If there is no meeting of the minds on a potential extension and seemingly little chance of progress ahead of the deadline, the Canucks will have to trade Pearson. The two-way winger is their most valuable rental trade chip, as depth options Brandon Sutter, Sven Baertschi, and Jordie Benn have lofty cap hits relative to their value and veteran defensemen Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic have No-Movement Clauses that they may not be eager to waive. If the Canucks can’t re-sign Pearson before the deadline, or at least get a handshake agreement in place, trading him to a contender is their best chance of leaving the deadline with a nice haul of picks or prospects without having to move a term player.

  • The rival Calgary Flames are currently buyers and their biggest need is a winger, but Pearson doesn’t meet their most important criteria. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Calgary GM Brad Treliving is on the hunt for a right winger and, more specifically, a natural right-handed shooting right winger. The Flames’ best right-shot forward is Elias Lindholm and, while he has played on the wing many times before, the team prefers his fit at center. Unfortunately, that leaves the club with a lack of top-six caliber righties to put on the wing. Josh Leivo, Brett Ritchie, and the recently-waived Dominik Simon (a lefty) have not been the answer. The team also prefers to keep top-nine lefties like Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube on the left side if possible and certainly do not want both on their off side. As a result, Calgary is seeking a trade partner. Seravalli does not address whether the Flames are only seeking rentals or if, seeing as the righty problem isn’t going away, they are looking at all options. The team already faces some difficult Expansion Draft decisions in regards to its deep forward corps, so a term acquisition could prove problematic. Among rentals, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev or Detroit’s Bobby Ryan stand out as the few top available options at a shallow position on the market.
  • Seravalli notes that another team with a very specific need could be the Washington Capitals. While Washington has received a stellar performance in net from rookie Vitek Vanecek, pressed into the starting role temporarily while Ilya Samsonov was sidelined, both Samsonov and Vanecek lack a crucial component to playoff success: experience. Seravalli wonders if the Capitals trust the young tandem enough to ride them into the playoffs, with veteran Craig Anderson as the third-string, or if the team needs to make a trade. Bob McKenzie echoed this same concern on NBC Sports on Wednesday. Experienced rental options include Devan Dubnyk, Antti Raanta, Jonathan Bernier, and possibly Pekka Rinne. But the question becomes whether or not any of these older goalies are an upgrade to Vanecek based only on experience, as only Rinne has outplayed him this season.
  • While it should come as no surprise to anyone who has reviewed their salary cap status, Bob McKenzie appeared on NBC Sports’ broadcast on Wednesday night and essentially stated that the Boston Bruins have the cap flexibility to do whatever they want at the trade deadline. He added that the team is in this situation “by design” and that GM Don Sweeney is open to any and all possibilities. The Bruins have dealt with injuries on defense and at forward and have experience concerns on the back end and scoring issues up front, so fans were happy to hear McKenzie say they could add a prominent defenseman or forward, “or both”. Currently pressed by injuries, the Bruins have just under $3.5MM in cap space which still prorates to nearly $8.7MM at the deadline, per CapFriendly. However, the Bruins banked cap space earlier this season when they had fewer injuries and could still get healthier before the trade deadline. With no one on the injured reserve eating up cap space at the deadline, CapFriendly estimates that Boston could have upwards of $12.7MM in prorated cap space. For context, that could be enough to add top-priced rental Taylor Hall and a defenseman like Ryan Murray while staying under the cap. The Bruins will be a team to watch over the next five weeks.

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