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Free Agent Profile: Paul Stastny

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The height of free agency ended a little less than a month ago and once again veteran center Paul Stastny finds himself without an NHL contract heading into next season. Unlike, most younger players Stastny probably isn’t too concerned about financial security as he has made nearly $85MM during his career (CapFriendly). Stastny has also been here before, having waited until August 23rd to sign last summer with the Carolina Hurricanes. Stastny may find himself unsigned late in the offseason once again but given that he is just a year removed from a 45-point season, there is reason to believe he will find an NHL job next year.

Stastny began his career as a perennial 70-point player on a talented but inconsistent Colorado Avalanche team that could never seem to get over the hump. He remained an important top-six piece as his career progressed, but as injuries started to impact his body, he began to descend into a 50–60-point scorer. By the time he signed a four-year $28MM contract as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues in 2014, he had settled in as a 40–50-point contributor that could post solid faceoff results and contribute in other ways. Stastny put up 40 or more points in each of his three and a half seasons with the Blues and was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline in 2018.

After a cup of coffee in Winnipeg, Stastny signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in the summer of 2018. He spent two years with the team and failed to meet the expectations that came with his three-year $19.5MM contract. Stastny put up 80 points in 121 games with Vegas, but his production didn’t live up to his $6.5MM cap hit and he was traded back to Winnipeg in the 2020 offseason.

Stastny remained a solid center option in his two seasons in Winnipeg and continued to be a consistent 40-point threat despite being in his mid-30’s. Last summer, Stastny was coming off the aforementioned 45-point season and seemed like a good bet to sign a decent one-year deal, but as the height of free agency came and went, Stastny was left without a dance partner and eventually signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes for $1.5MM. The deal was good value, although probably a tad below expectations for Carolina as Stastny centered both the third and fourth line at different points during the season.

At the end of the season, the Hurricanes opted to let Stastny go and that’s where we find the 37-year-old today, unsigned and coming off a season in which he put up nine goals and 13 assists in 73 games while averaging a career-low 11:52 of ice-time per game.

Stastny has had a terrific career up to this point, but he is still chasing that elusive Stanley Cup. He seems to have a knack for leaving organizations just as they are on the cusp of winning Lord Stanley as evidenced by his former clubs Colorado, St. Louis, and Vegas all winning championships shortly after his departure.

Now, the Quebec City, Quebec native is in the twilight of his career and is likely looking to sign with a contender. He showed last year that he could be a solid contributor on the bottom two lines and probably has more to give. Teams aren’t going to be lining up like they once were for Stastny’s services, but with two months left until opening night, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic that he will find a landing spot before the first week in October.

Stats

2022-23: 73 GP, 9-13-22, +4 rating, 16 PIMS, 80 shots, 57.6% faceoffs, 60.9% CF, 11:52 ATOI
Career: 1145 GP, 293-529-822, +43 rating, 500 PIMS, 2326 shots, 54.2% faceoffs, 52.2% CF, 18:27 ATOI

Potential Suitors

It seems that teams are always looking for help at center, which makes Stastny’s status a bit surprising this late in the offseason. While he is hardly the only pivot that is unsigned, he is probably the best of the leftovers. For Stastny, if he does choose to continue his career, he will be looking for a situation where he is a good fit. He never quite found a groove in Carolina, and despite playing on an excellent team, he did seem frustrated at times. He also fell out of favor with the coaching staff for brief periods, evidenced by his benching when the team opted to use Derek Stepan in his spot.

Let’s start in the East. The Buffalo Sabres have several players that are over the age of 35 and while Stastny isn’t going to push the team into the next stratosphere, he could be a nice stopgap for the team as they wait for more of their young prospects to develop into everyday NHLers. The Sabres also need to navigate the injury to Jack Quinn, and while this version of Stastny is no replacement for the youngster, he could be a part of a solution until he returns. Stastny would add a lot of experience and leadership to the Sabres dressing room and could also provide the team with a center who can win most of the draws he takes and will generally help his team control the play when he is on the ice.

In the West, the Edmonton Oilers still need a solid fourth-line center. The club does currently have a few options that they can slot into the lineup in a pinch, but ideally, they would have a pivot that can bring similar skills to that of Stastny. The Oilers don’t need a player that will drive the offense, but they do need capable bottom six players who can play a responsible brand of hockey and dictate play when they are on the ice. Stastny fits the bill having won 57% of his faceoffs last season, and having terrific possession numbers as Carolina controlled the puck 60% of the time Stastny was on the ice. His offense dried up last season, but Edmonton doesn’t need an offensive juggernaut, they need smart bottom six players that can chip in on offense from time to time.

Projected Contract

Many of the remaining unrestricted free agents are likely going be forced to take contracts that are around the league minimum of $775K, however, I don’t believe that will be the fate for Stastny. As mentioned earlier, he waited until the end of August last year and still secured a seven-figure AAV on a one-year deal. This year is different for Stastny though as he is coming off his lowest offensive output in his 17-year career, so a contract approaching what he made last season might be off the table. I would venture a guess that Stastny will get a one-year deal in the range of $1MM to $1.25MM which could also include a small bonus. Several teams have utilized bonuses for players over 35 years of age signing one-year contracts and Stastny could be the next in line to receive it. Regardless of where he winds up, he will likely be able to give the team that acquires him good value on a short-term deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Slafkovsky, Nichushkin, Lyubushkin, Stepan, Capitals

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Some good news is abound tonight for Montreal Canadiens fans, as 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky is returning to the lineup tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Slafkovsky had not played in nine days.

The Slovak phenom suffered the injury after getting hit hard by Arizona Coyotes defenseman Josh Brown, but then immediately proceeded to score his first NHL goal, leading to what was an intense stare during his goal celebration. It was then reported earlier this week that Slafkovsky was undergoing tests on an upper-body issue, but they appear to have concluded that it was nothing major. The goal is his lone NHL point so far through five games.

  • Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will miss his second straight game tonight with a lower-body injury, per The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Nichushkin remains day-to-day and the team’s “hope” is that he rejoins the squad for their first practice in Finland, ahead of their Global Series matchup next week against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Tampere. Despite missing a game already, Nichushkin still holds the team lead in goals (seven) and points (12).
  • Half of the Buffalo Sabres blueline is out of game action now. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that Ilya Lyubushkin is not playing tonight due to a lower-body injury, with Lawrence Pilut drawing back into the lineup in his place. Lyubushkin missed a game earlier in the season with a lower-body injury, and it’s unclear whether the two are related. He has one assist in six games to begin his Sabres career.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced tonight that forward Derek Stepan would not return to their game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Per the team, Stepan suffered an upper-body injury. We will likely receive more information on the nature of Stepan’s absence tomorrow.
  • The Washington Capitals have issued two injury updates of their own. Per a team announcement, both John Carlson and T.J. Oshie are doubtful to return to tonight’s contest against the Nashville Predators due to lower-body injuries. Like with Stepan, we will likely get more information on these injuries tomorrow.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Derek Stepan

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As expected, Derek Stepan has managed to convert his PTO into an NHL contract. The Carolina Hurricanes have signed the veteran forward to a one-year, $750K deal. General manager Don Waddell explained exactly why:

Having Derek in Carolina last season, we know what he brings to the table and what he adds to our team. He gives us additional forward depth and provides us with yet another veteran presence in the locker room.

The move suggests that the Hurricanes have moved Max Pacioretty to long-term injured reserve to make room for the additional cap space required for Stepan’s new deal.

Now 32, Stepan is coming off a solid season with the Hurricanes that saw him rack up nine goals and 19 points in 58 games, despiting averaging fewer than 11 minutes a night. Playing the veteran mentor to many of the team’s younger players, he once again will return as valuable depth for a club with Stanley Cup aspirations.

While we’re now several years removed from Stepan’s prime when he was a locked-and-loaded 50-point center, there’s still plenty of value in adding him to the group. Not only can he bring a bit of depth scoring but he posted a 55.9% faceoff percentage last season, destroying his career total.

If he can keep that up, there actually may be even more situations when head coach Rod Brind’Amour relies on him. Remember, the Hurricanes lost Vincent Trocheck in the offseason, their only other right-handed center. While Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas do have some experience there, the veteran Stepan will likely be relied on in certain defensive situations.

Snapshots: Stepan, Foley, Zegras

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Not every player who signs a PTO with a team for the preseason turns that PTO into a full contract offer, but it seems we can count Derek Stepan as one of this year’s players who managed to do just that. Don Waddell told the media today, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that he “thinks” Stepan will be signed to a full contract, and that the hold-up on a deal as of right now is just a matter of the team “figuring out the roster” and salary cap for the start of the regular season.

Stepan, 32, is a veteran of over 800 NHL games and spent last season with the Hurricanes. In 58 games for Carolina, he scored 19 points and is likely being signed to function as a depth center in case any member of their current center corps faces injury issues. While Stepan isn’t the reliable 55-point top-six center he once was, he’s a capable veteran who provides the Hurricanes with the sort of depth contending clubs need to survive the rigors of the NHL season.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley is generally regarded as one of the more hands-on team governors in the sport, and under his watch the Golden Knights have experienced a period of success that is unprecedented for an expansion franchise. As of today, Foley has reportedly expanded his sports ownership portfolio. As reported by Matt Slater and Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic, Foley has entered into a verbal agreement to purchase a majority stake in AFC Bournemouth, a club participating in the Premier League, the top level of the English soccer pyramid. While the implications of this move on the Golden Knights are not immediately clear, it is fair to wonder if acquiring Bournemouth will lead Foley to be less extensively involved in the Golden Knights’ day-to-day operations.
  • Anaheim Ducks superstar forward Trevor Zegras has been injured in recent days thanks to an upper-body injury. Today, Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins told NHL Network Radio on Sirius XM that Zegras is expected to join the team for a full practice tomorrow. Zegras, who scored 61 points in 75 games, is a crucial part of the Ducks’ offense and getting him back to full health will be important if the team wants to see success early in the 2022-23 campaign.

Derek Stepan Signs Professional Tryout

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The Carolina Hurricanes are bringing Derek Stepan back but not on an NHL contract (yet). According to CapFriendly, the veteran forward has agreed to a professional tryout with the Hurricanes, where he spent last season.

Stepan is still only 32, but now has 12 full seasons and more than 800 regular season games under his belt. The 2008 second-round pick quickly made it to the NHL with the New York Rangers and was a dynamic two-way center from day one, scoring 21 goals and 45 points as a rookie. While his production has declined in recent years, he was still rather effective for the Hurricanes this season. Despite averaging fewer than 11 minutes a night, he scored nine goals and 19 points in 58 games, while offering an outstanding 56% faceoff rate, easily the best of his career.

None of those points came on the powerplay, and even in his limited minutes the team didn’t shelter Stepan with easy deployment.  With that in mind, it was surprising to see him passed over when free agency started, as there’s obviously still some value in the veteran forward even after so many years.

Still, perhaps he wants to give Carolina every chance to sign him, and since the team is currently over the cap ceiling they have an agreement worked out for down the road. Once the season begins (or in the days just prior), the Hurricanes can place Max Pacioretty on long-term injured reserve to free up some cap flexibility and then ink Stepan to a new deal.

We’ve seen similar things happen in the past, though there is no guarantee it happens in this case. A camp invitation at least will allow Stepan to show the league that he’s healthy and ready to go for his 13th season, wherever that may be.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Veteran Derek Stepan

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The Carolina Hurricanes announced today they’ve signed Derek Stepan to a one-year contract. It’ll pay him $1.35MM and give Stepan at least one more try at a championship in the NHL.

Stepan, a veteran of 11 seasons and 759 NHL games, will now head to his fourth team in the NHL. After previous stints with the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, and Ottawa Senators, the veteran center attempts to win his first Stanley Cup Championship at age 31 this season. He’s struggled with injuries and declining play in recent seasons, scoring just six points in 20 games in his only season with Ottawa last year. It also marked the lowest ice-time average of his career at 15:04 per night.

Even with a refreshed roster, Stepan likely won’t see any more usage than that with Carolina, who looks to take the next step towards becoming a contender next season. It’ll be a harder sell without defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the fold, but they’re a still a deep team that should be competitive all year long. Stepan likely slots in immediately as the team’s fourth-line center, serving behind Sebastian Aho, Vincent Trocheck, and Jordan Staal. If he can’t rebound offensively this season, or if he faces additional injury issues, it could be his last in the NHL.

North Notes: Mete, Ottawa Veterans, Edler, Weber

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Among what was a busy day for the Senators yesterday with GM Pierre Dorion’s end-of-season media availability, he told reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that they are now working on a new deal for defenseman Victor Mete.  The pending restricted free agent was claimed off waivers from Montreal at the trade deadline and while his playing time was limited to just over 12 minutes a game over his first five games with them, a good showing plus injuries on the back end saw that number jump to over 23 minutes per contest in their final five games.  Mete is owed a qualifying offer of just over $770K but has salary arbitration eligibility which could come into play if they can’t get a deal done between now and the start of free agency in late July.

More from the North:

  • Also from Garrioch’s piece, he reports that the Senators has informed veteran center Artem Anisimov that they will not be bringing him back next season but that they will talk to center Derek Stepan and winger Ryan Dzingel. Stepan was expected to help stabilize their forward group before being moved at the trade deadline but a torn labrum ended those plans quickly.  Dzingel was brought in from Carolina midseason but wasn’t overly productive with six goals and three assists in 29 games.  As for Anisimov, he cleared waivers during the year, suiting up just 19 times along the way although he managed nine points in those contests.  Given his limited usage though, it’s certainly understandable that he won’t be back, especially with a young group of forwards that are pushing for roster spots.
  • There haven’t been any extension talks yet between the Canucks and defenseman Alex Edler, notes Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. The 35-year-old has spent his entire 15-year career in Vancouver and in the past, he has expressed a desire to stay there until he’s ready to retire.  However, with the team already tight to the cap for next season; while they have nearly $16MM in room per CapFriendly, most of that will be going to restricted free agents Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson.  Unless Jim Benning can free up some wiggle room, they may not be able to afford to bring Edler back unless he’s open to a substantial cut from his current $6MM price tag.
  • Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber did not participate in practice today but instead skated on his own, relays TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The veteran is dealing with an upper-body injury that’s believed to be a thumb issue but Dominique Ducharme expressed optimism that Weber will be able to rejoin the team later in the week and suit up for Thursday’s opener against Toronto.

Derek Stepan To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Ottawa Senators have announced that Derek Stepan will not return this season from the shoulder injury he suffered last month. The full statement from GM Pierre Dorion:

Following a review and assessment by the team’s medical staff, it has been determined that Derek requires a surgical procedure to repair a damaged labrum that he incurred in dislocating his left shoulder. A procedure is scheduled to take place later this week which will see him miss the remainder of our season but it is expected that he be fully recovered ahead of next season. Our medical staff will remain in regular contact with Derek and his doctors as he continues his recovery.

The veteran center had been working with the team on a potential trade that would take him closer to his family, but clearly this wasn’t the way he wanted to be taken out of the Senators lineup. Stepan will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and though Dorion explains he is expected to be fully recovered, this certainly won’t help him at the negotiation table.

Acquired just before the season began, Stepan scored six points in 20 games with the Senators. It appears as though his time with the club will appear as an odd footnote on his career unless they decide to bring back the 30-year-old center in the offseason. That wouldn’t make a lot of sense for a team bursting with young forward prospects, but Stepan has always been respected as a leader and support piece in the locker room. More likely he’s headed to his next destination after a few disappointing seasons, ready to prove his career isn’t over.

Stepan’s contract technically still could be traded, if a team feels it could glean some cap flexibility by placing him on long-term injured reserve. But he won’t play again this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Derek Stepan May Miss The Rest Of The Season

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The news doesn’t appear to be good for Senators center Derek Stepan.  While the team is waiting for official word and have currently classified him as week-to-week, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the expectation is that the veteran will be out for six months and will need surgery to repair a separated shoulder.  That would put an end to his season and with it, their plans to trade him back to an American-based team.

The 30-year-old was brought in by Ottawa back in December from Arizona in exchange for a second-round pick.  At that point, the bulk of his salary already paid via signing bonus as he was owed just $2MM while still carrying a $6.5MM AAV, giving the Sens a bit of flexibility to stay over the cap floor while keeping their costs down.  They were also hoping that he’d be a capable veteran to help some of their blossoming young talent although his on-ice performance didn’t quite live up to that goal.

Prior to the injury which was sustained back on Tuesday against Montreal, Stepan had just a goal and five assists in 20 games.  He’s also averaging a career-low in ice time at just over 15 minutes per game.  While he was certainly hopeful that he’d be able to rebound from a tough year with the Coyotes in 2019-20 that saw him put up career lows in goals (10), assists (18), and points (28), clearly things were going in the opposite direction.

Between that and the injury, Stepan isn’t going to be hitting the UFA market in an ideal situation.  Garrioch adds that Ottawa has no interest in retaining his services which takes one option off the table. With 2020-21 going the way it did for Stepan, he may have to look for a one-year deal where he can try to build back some value and hope to hit what could be a slightly less financially restrictive free agent market in 2022.

Derek Stepan Addresses Trade Speculation

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One player whose name has been in the rumor mill as of late is Senators center Derek Stepan amidst reports that Ottawa is trying to move him.  However, GM Pierre Dorion was quick to clarify on TSN 1200 (audio link) that the veteran hasn’t asked for a deal:

No, he hasn’t indicated anything along that line to us.  We can tell with our conversations that I’ve had with him that I think it’s only human that … when you only see your newborn for a day or two that it can be difficult on any type of human being.

Meanwhile, Stepan himself was recently asked about his situation and while he acknowledged to reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that the prospect of being away from his family for the entire season is far from ideal, he was looking forward to this opportunity with the Sens:

I’m doing to the best I can to stay focused on Ottawa Senators’ hockey. That’s really all I can control right now is focusing on helping this group the way I wanted to and the way I planned to when I first got traded here.

I believed that I was going to be able to come in and make a bigger impact right away with my play. No training camp and the situation just kind of piled up. I knew it was going to be difficult and when it happened, I knew the hockey part was going to be a lot of fun.

But, the more difficult part would be the family stuff and so I was aware of it. As I continue to battle through this thing, I’ve got to keep my head going forward and stay focused in on a game at a time. I know it’s cliche and you guys probably hate it, but that’s all I can really do right now.

The 30-year-old was surprisingly acquired by Ottawa for a second-round pick just after Christmas from Arizona in exchange for a second-round pick in a deal that gave the Coyotes some much-needed salary cap relief.  While Stepan was hoping to make that bigger impact, it hasn’t quite materialized yet.  He has just a single goal with three assists in 14 games this season while his ice time has actually dipped by more than two minutes per night to just 15:31 per game.

Nonetheless, the veteran would be a desirable addition to the bottom six group of a contending team although the salary cap will certainly affect things.  He has a $6.5MM AAV (though just a prorated $2MM is owed in salary with his signing bonus already paid) which most teams can’t afford.  Even if Ottawa retained the maximum 50%, they’d still likely need to take a contract back to facilitate a move.  Although the Senators certainly appear to be trying to do Stepan a favor by moving him back to the United States where he can be reunited with his family, it’s one that may have to take a while to accomplish.

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