Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Deryk Engelland

Snapshots: Dumoulin, NWHL, Engelland

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for a general manager after Jim Rutherford’s abrupt resignation yesterday, but perhaps more urgent is their search for an answer on defense. Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Brian Dumoulin will be out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury after exiting Tuesday’s game early. Newly signed defenseman Yannick Weber got caught in a snowstorm, meaning he won’t be available to the club until they travel to New York on the weekend, meaning things are awfully thin on the back end.

Kris Letang, John Marino, Cody Ceci, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Chad Ruhwedel, and Kevin Czuczman seem to be the only healthy options the team has with them at the moment, leaving quite a bit to be desired over their season-opening group. The organization doesn’t even have a lot of NHL-ready options in the minor leagues meaning if any other players go down tonight the Penguins might be forced to make a move.

  • The Metropolitan Riveters have withdrawn from the 2021 NWHL season after several members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19. The Riveters were taking part in the Lake Placid bubble, where the league’s six teams were playing out the regular season and playoffs. After being removed from a game yesterday, the Riveters will now be removed from the tournament completely and forfeit their bid for the Isobel Cup. All league games scheduled for today have been postponed and the NWHL will resume play on Saturday.
  • With the Henderson Silver Knights coaching staff filling in for the Vegas Golden Knights, recently retired defenseman Deryk Engelland stepped in to run the AHL practice today, according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Engelland announced his retirement last month but remained with the Golden Knights organization as a special assistant to the owner. In times like this, that apparently also means substitute practice coach.

Deryk Engelland Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 2 Comments

One of the most beloved players in Vegas Golden Knights (short) history has decided to hang up his skates. Deryk Engelland has retired from playing professional hockey after 11 seasons in the NHL. He will remain with the organization as Special Assistant to the Owner, Bill Foley, who released a statement:

Deryk Engelland epitomizes what it means to be a Golden Knight. A no-ego, selfless, hardworking player who has an unwavering commitment to protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Since he joined our organization in 2017, Deryk’s service to our community has been exemplary. On behalf of the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization, we would like to congratulate Deryk on an outstanding career. He has made an indelible mark on our city and we are excited for this next chapter, as he stays with the Golden Knights family and continues the outstanding work he has done in our community.

Engelland was never a top player in the NHL, but he had a special connection to Las Vegas that helped the franchise get off the ground immediately in 2017. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in 2000, he spent the first two seasons of his professional hockey career with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. After stops in Lowell, South Carolina, Hershey, Reading, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh, and Calgary, he made it back when he was picked in the expansion draft—though he had never really left in the first place. His familiarity with the city allowed him to help the new players feel comfortable as they went to the expansion franchise, but it was his words to a packed arena on October 10, 2017 that cemented him as a Vegas legend.

Nine days earlier, just before the season started, Las Vegas had been shaken by a mass shooting that killed 58 people. Engelland stood at center ice before the first home game in franchise history and delivered a short, emotional speech.

Like all of you, I’m proud to call Las Vegas home. I met my wife here. Our kids were born here. I know how special this city is. To all the brave first responders that have worked tirelessly and courageously through this whole tragedy, we thank you. To all the families and friends of the victims, we’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.

At 4:18 of the first period, Engelland scored the second goal on home ice in Golden Knights history. It was just the 23rd of his career.

Snapshots: Chara, Engelland, Virtanen

at CDT | by 3 Comments

While some players will need to act quickly to get a contract, that won’t be the case for veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara.  His agent Matt Keator told Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link) that the veteran defenseman will take his time to decide on his plans for next season and that several teams have already reached out to talk about a deal for 2020-21.  The 43-year-old isn’t the Norris-caliber player that he once was but still logged 21 minutes a night of ice time last season while chipping in with 14 points in 68 games.  He’s best suited for a more limited role at this stage of his career and would fit in nicely on the third pairing for quite a few teams if he’s open to leaving Boston.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Deryk Engelland’s time with the Golden Knights appears to have come to an end. GM Kelly McCrimmon told reporters, including Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that there probably won’t be an opportunity for the 38-year-old veteran to return to Vegas.  Engelland spent the last three seasons with them after being selected in the expansion draft but was relegated to a reserve role down the stretch and in the playoffs as he failed to suit up in any of their 20 postseason contests.
  • The deadline to file for arbitration is at 4:00 PM CT today but Jake Virtanen isn’t waiting that long as Sportsnet’s Irfaan Gaffar reports (Twitter link) that the Canucks winger has already filed. The 24-year-old had 18 goals and 18 assists in 69 games this season despite a drop in playing time but he was much quieter in the playoffs, tallying just twice with a lone assist in 16 contests while spending some time on their fourth line.  Virtanen was tendered a $1.4MM qualifying offer earlier this week and should come in considerably higher than that with or without his case going to a hearing.

Snapshots: Palm Springs, Boughner, Engelland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When the Seattle Kraken enter the league for the 2021-22 season, they likely won’t have a primary AHL affiliate yet. That’s because the new Palm Springs franchise announced today that instead of a downtown arena they will now be building a location in the Coachella Valley which is scheduled to be ready for the 2022-23 season. For 2021-22, since the team will not have the full complement of minor leaguers, the most likely scenario will be finding places for them elsewhere.

The unnamed AHL franchise will play in a privately funded building owned by the Oak View Group and The H.N. & Frances C. Berger Foundation. Construction is set to break ground in 2021 and it will be a 10,000-plus seat venue.

  • The San Jose Sharks are expected to remove the interim tag from head coach Bob Boughner in the coming days, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Boughner led the Sharks to just a 14-20-3 record after replacing Peter DeBoer this season, but has a strong history with the front office from his multiple stints as an assistant coach. Boughner has plenty of experience behind the bench, having coached the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL for years and spending two seasons as head coach of the Florida Panthers.
  • Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon didn’t have a lot of answers regarding the goaltending situation for his team this summer and whether they would bring back Robin Lehner on a multi-year contract, but did shed some light on a different trade deadline discussion. Deryk Engelland, who has been a leader in Vegas since the franchise first joined the league, was offered a deal at the deadline to go to a team that wanted him. Engelland declined the opportunity, even though his lineup spot had disappeared and he wouldn’t be suiting up in the playoffs. McCrimmon told reporters including Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com that Engelland felt the Golden Knights had a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup and he accepted his role down the stretch. The 38-year-old defenseman played in 49 regular season games and is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

West Notes: Engelland, Canucks, Steen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights already have a roster full of defensemen, including six NHL players already under contract with another four defensemen in Nicolas Hague, Jimmy Schuldt, Dylan Coughlan and Jake Bischoff all waiting to get their chance to break out with the franchise.

That leaves a big question question mark for soon-to-be UFA and team leader Deryk Engelland. SinBin Vegas’ Ken Boehlke suggests that the writing is on the wall that the veteran defenseman’s time with the team could be over soon. The scribe points out that Engelland hasn’t been a favorite of new head coach Peter DeBoer since he took over on Jan. 16. He has only played in five games under the new coach and was scratched in the team’s last 12 games and 17 of the team’s previous 18 games.

DeBoer did recently praise Engelland’s dedication to the team:

To a man they all want to win the Stanley Cup, that’s their number one motivation,” said DeBoer. “They are willing to do whatever they have to do to be a part of it. I look at Deryk Engelland as an example of that. Tough situation, veteran guy, we had to scratch him some games here recently before the pause. The messaging to me was ‘I just want to be a part of this. When you need me, let me know, and I’ll be ready to go.’ You can’t have enough of that and that’s what makes groups like this special.”

However, it’s quite obvious that the team may be looking beyond Engelland in the future despite the veteran’s intent on continuing his playing career. He currently has a goal and six points in 49 games, while averaging his lowest ATOI (17:33) in his time with Vegas. With a number of blueliners waiting for their chance in the AHL, Vegas may have seen the last of him.

  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that while many teams are against the NHL’s recent memo that is suggesting the league have the NHL Entry Draft in June, the Vancouver Canucks are a team that is likely going to be in favor of the deal. The Canucks traded their first-round pick last offseason to Tampa Bay (now owned by New Jersey) and would rather give the Devils a non-lottery pick this year, rather than an unprotected one for the 2021 draft. The Canucks are currently in the playoffs as of this moment. However, if play does resume with a October/November draft, the Canucks could slip out of the playoffs and be forced to move a lottery pick then.
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that while there is a lot of talk of the St. Louis Blues buying out veteran forward Alex Steen in the offseason next year in order to make room for UFA Alex Pietrangelo, the scribe believes that’s an unlikely scenario. The scribe says it’s more likely that Steen, one of the most popular players on the team and a leader as well, is more likely to retire at the end of this season. That could solve a tough issue of being forced to buy him out, which the team might hesitate to do after the years of service both on and off the ice.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vegas Golden Knights

at CDT | by 2 Comments

We’re in the home stretch in our thankful series where PHR will continue its look at what teams are thankful for as the second half of the season gets underway.  We’ll examine what has gone well in the first half and what each team may be looking for at the trade deadline.  Next up is the Vegas Golden Knights.

What are the Golden Knights most thankful for?

Considering the team’s inability to show any consistency throughout the year, Vegas should be thankful they remain at the top of a stacked Pacific Division. The team remains tied with the Arizona Coyotes with 54 points, and while that might make a competitive division on its own, there are several teams breathing right down their necks. Both the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames each are one point away from the divisional lead with 53 points, while the Vancouver Canucks round out the top five with 52 points, which should make for a exciting finish at the end of the season. However, that small lead in the standings now could be exactly what they need down the road.

Who are the Golden Knights most thankful for?

Max Pacioretty.

Many thought that the Golden Knights might have made a mistake when they traded Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick for Pacioretty last summer. However, the one forward that the Golden Knights have been able to count on this year is Pacioretty, who made the all-star team and is on pace to return to his 30-goal form from his Montreal days. The 31-year-old has 20 goals and 45 points in 47 games and has been one of the few consistent players on the squad.

What would the Golden Knights be even more thankful for?

Some wins at home.

One thing that Vegas could count on in the past is they were dominant at T-Mobile Arena. They had a 29-10-2 record in their inaugural season and a 24-12-5 record last season. That’s just 22 losses in two seasons. This year, the team has already accumulated nine losses through the first half of the season and have lost two straight at T-Mobile. The team needs to get that home mojo going once again if they want to stay at the top of the Pacific Division, something that the team has never really had a problem with.

What should be on the Golden Knights’ Wish List?

As reported earlier, the Golden Knights are on the lookout for defensive help. While the team is loaded on offense, it hasn’t gotten the same consistent defensive effort from their blueline as players like Nate Schmidt, Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore have been a little more inconsistent. Throw in a rookie in Nicolas Hague and an aging Deryk Engelland, the team could use a top-four caliber blueliner who can step in and help the team out. The problem, of course, is that the team has little cap room to work with and very few moveable pieces that it could move out, leaving the team budget hunting to fix the defense at the upcoming trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Updates: Golden Knights, Sekera, Red Wings, Hyman

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Golden Knights received some good news and bad news on the injury front on Monday.  David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes (Twitter link) that winger Alex Tuch, defenseman Nate Schmidt, and goalie Malcolm Subban were all full participants in practice today.  Tuch has missed all of the season with an upper-body injury, Schmidt has missed 12 straight games with a lower-body issue, and Subban has been out since October 10th due to a lower-body injury.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll all be ready to play in their next game on Thursday, it’s certainly a good sign that their returns are approaching.

However, as they near a return, defenseman Deryk Engelland is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Schoen mentions in a separate tweet.  Including Engelland, the Golden Knights are only carrying five healthy defensemen on the roster at the moment (with Schmidt on IR) so it’s likely that they will have to summon someone from AHL Chicago later this week.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • The Stars will be without defenseman Andrej Sekera for their game tomorrow against Minnesota, reports Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (Twitter link). He has not been ruled out for the weekend so his undisclosed injury appears to be a minor one.  With seven defensemen on the roster, Dallas doesn’t necessarily have to make a recall although they could dip into Martin Hanzal’s LTIR opening if they wanted to have an extra blueliner available.
  • Red Wings winger Adam Erne is close to returning from his upper-body injury and could suit up on Tuesday night, notes Dana Wakiji on Detroit’s team website. He has missed four straight games and five of the last six with the issue.  Meanwhile, winger Justin Abdelkader participated in practice after missing two straight with a lower-body issue but head coach Jeff Blashill indicated that he might not be ready to return for that game.
  • While the Maple Leafs will activate defenseman Travis Dermott off LTIR for Tuesday’s game against Washington, winger Zach Hyman hasn’t been cleared to return and could still be a week or two away from playing, suggests TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). Toronto will have to clear up some cap room to activate Dermott and will have to free up even more space to bring his $2.25MM AAV back onto the books.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vegas Golden Knights

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. 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 2019-20 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.

Vegas Golden Knights

Current Cap Hit: $80,474,999 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Zach Whitecloud (one year, $925K)
F Cody Glass (three years, $863K)
D Nicolas Hague (three years, $791K)

Potential Bonuses:

Whitecloud: $850K
Glass: $850K
Hague: $133K

While there is no guarantee that any of these three will be on the roster when the season begins, all three are expected to see time with the Golden Knights this season and could find themselves with significant roles depending on how things shake out. Glass, the team’s biggest prospect, is finally turning pro and while the organization has said in the past that Glass needs a full year of AHL work, he may have proved himself after his junior season ended last year. The sixth-overall pick from the 2017 draft, tallied five points in six AHL regualar season games, but was also one of the team’s top players throughout the AHL playoffs as he helped lead the team to the Calder Cup Finals. He tallied seven goals and 15 points in 22 playoff games. That play suggests that he might be ready and will compete for an immediate chance on the team’s third line.

Hague and Whitecloud are expected to challenge for a spot on one of the open spots in Vegas’ defense. Both players had impressive seasons with the Chicago Wolves last season and might be ready to make an impact. The 20-year-old Hague scored 13 goals in his rookie campaign, while the defensive Whitecloud showed off some offensive potential in his first full season in the AHL.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Cody Eakin ($3.85MM, UFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($2.78MM, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($2.2MM, UFA)
D Jonathon Merrill ($1.38MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($1MM, UFA)
G Malcolm Subban ($850K, RFA)
G Garret Sparks ($750K, RFA)
F Curtis McKenzie ($750K, UFA)
F William Carrier ($725K, RFA)
D Deryk Engelland ($700K, UFA)
F Valentin Zykov ($675K, RFA)

With their cap room extremely tight, there remains a legitimate possibility that the team may still make a trade and if that does happen, the player is likely to come from this list of players. Eakin, Reaves and Holden are not likely to return in a year and could be trade bait. Eakin is coming off a career-best season with 22 goals and 41 points, but assuming the team is healthier this year, will likely settle into a third-line center role this year unless Glass beats him out. However, with Eakin’s value at its highest, the team might be able to get the best return if they move him and his $3.85MM contract.

Reaves has become a fan favorite in Vegas, giving the team highlight reel hits and become a popular locker room presence. He also posted 305 hits for the Golden Knights. However, Reaves makes quite a bit of money for a player who produced nine goals and 20 points last season. With some young fourth-line players closing in on potentially replacing him, the team could find a taker in Reaves and his $2.78MM deal.

The team has been impressed with the development with Merrill, who was initially only looked at as an emergency defenseman, but really took that next step last season and has earned himself a full-time role with the possibility of even earning top-four minutes next season. Holden would be another option for the team free up cap room as the team signed him last summer to a two-year deal, but the veteran struggled to get consistent playing time and is on the outside looking in. The team might hope it can send Holden to a defense-needy team, but may be forced to bury him in the AHL if he can’t prove he belongs on the Golden Knights roster and with Engelland likely taking a lesser role at the bottom of the defense next season, it might be hard to win a spot.

The Golden Knights also have an interesting battle in net for the backup goalie spot after acquiring Sparks during the offseason from Toronto. While Subban is the likely candidate to keep the position, Sparks could provide some much needed depth in goal for the future if the Golden Knights managed to hold onto him. Sparks was a top prospect goaltender just a season ago, but struggled in his first full season in Toronto. However, the Golden Knights hope he can bounce back quickly.

Two Years Remaining

F Paul Stastny ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Brandon Pirri ($775K, UFA)

The team has been set up to provide a number of short-term deals at higher cost and Stastny is one of those who signed a three-year deal at a high AAV. Injuries limited the veteran to just 50 games last season, but when he played, he provided excellent playmaking on the team’s second line, scoring 13 goals and 42 points. If the 33-year-old can stay healthy this season, he could center one of the strongest lines in the league as he is one of the best playmakers who historically makes his line mates even better.

Pirri is an interesting addition. The 28-year-old showed off his scoring touch after being called up midway through the season. In just 31 games, he tallied 12 goals and 18 points, including a string of goals. Most expected the UFA to find a team that could offer him more playing time this summer. Instead he opted to remain and may get that playing time after the team decided to move KHL star Nikita Gusev to New Jersey this summer. Gusev had been penciled into the third line which now could fall to Pirri, who the team hopes can continue his scoring ways.

Three Years Remaining

G Marc-Andre Fleury ($7MM, UFA)
F Reilly Smith ($5MM, UFA)
D Brayden McNabb ($2.5MM, UFA)

While Fleury has been a stud since arriving from Pittsburgh in the expansion draft, the veteran goaltender is now 34 years old and has three years remaining on his deal. The Golden Knights have to hope that Fleury can continue playing at a high level for that time as they do not have a suitable replacement in the system at all yet and could find themselves in trouble in a few years if they can’t find a suitable player to step in and help take the burden from the netminder. With little faith early in the season in Subban, Fleury played in 61 regular-season games last season, his highest total since 2014-15. Subban did improve somewhat and played better in the second half, but it’s likely that Fleury will take on another significant load this season as well.

While 53 points may not be the type of numbers the team was hoping for from Smith, the Golden Knights know that Smith has proven to be a valuable commodity who is a key on the team’s penalty kill and is an excellent playmaker, especially when playing with the top line. McNabb has also been a key player under a cap-friendly deal who is playing solid minutes in the top-four, while providing excellent defense along with 200 hits last year.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Mark Stone ($9.5MM through 2026-27)
F Max Pacioretty ($7MM through 2022-23)
D Nate Schmidt ($5.95MM through 2025-26)
F William Karlsson ($5.9MM through 2026-27)
D Shea Theodore ($5.2MM through 2025-26)
F Jon Marchessault ($5MM through 2023-24)
F Alex Tuch ($4.75MM through 2025-26)

It’s hard to believe, but after just two years, the team has its core in tact and locked up for a long time and should be Stanley Cup contenders for the next few years. Stone’s value has only increased in the last year as he completed the team’s quest to have two dominant lines. While the Golden Knights could alter their lines this season, Stone is expected to be a big piece and eventually the face of the franchise in Vegas after being acquired from Ottawa at the trade deadline and then signing a eight-year extension immediately after the trade and at $9.5MM, he may prove a bargain as the 28-year-old posted 33 goals and 73 points during the regular season, but really took off in the playoffs, putting up six goals and 12 points in seven playoff games.

While all the long-term deals look solid, if there is one to scrutinize even closer, it’s the four-year extension that Vegas signed Pacioretty to a year ago. That extension is kicking in this year, but the 30-year-old didn’t bounce back to his 30-goal ways that he had in Montreal in previous seasons. Pacioretty, who scored 30 goals five times in six straight years in Montreal, scored just 22 goals and 40 points in his first year in Vegas, but the team hopes they can get more out of him this year. He did show off more offense in the playoffs as well as he tallied five goals and 11 points in seven games.

The Golden Knights finally locked up Karlsson to a long-term deal, something both sides were hoping for and getting the forward to sign for under $6MM is impressive for the franchise. While the 24-year-old Karlsson saw his goal totals drop from 43 to 24 last season, a drop off was expected and the team believes that with two impressive lines, Karlsson should get more chances to score with less pressure from just top-line defenders.

Schmidt and Theodore should continue to develop and provide top-four defense for many years to come. Theodore in particular is only 24 years old and could break out and develop into a dominant defenseman in the next few years. Tuch took a solid step in his development, scoring 20 goals and 52 points in his second year and if the 23-year-old keeps improving, could be quite the bargain under $5MM in the future.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

F Tomas Tatar ($500K through 2020-21)

Salary Cap Recapture

None

Still To Sign

D Jimmy Schuldt (RFA)

The team might have to free up just a little extra to finally get Schuldt locked up for a number of years, but the top collegiate free-agent this offseason opted to sign with Vegas and could begin his career immediately. With attention from 29 of the 31 teams, many believe that Schuldt will get every opportunity to win a spot on the Golden Knights’ defense and could make his impact right away. After four years at St. Cloud State, he still will have to prove that he can beat out Whitecloud and Hague, but once the RFA signs, he could end up being a big piece to the team’s defensive outlook.

Best Value: Karlsson
Worst Value: Pacioretty

Looking Ahead

The Golden Knights general manager combo of George McPhee and Brad McCrimmon have done an amazing job of putting a team together quickly that is ready to compete immediately and have a chance to compete for many years. At the moment, the team has done a good job of locking up its core and while the team is right up against the cap, it does have a number of players making quite a bit of money while on short-term deals, which could allow the team to continue to upgrade to the team after those deals expire. Throw in a number of younger players who are getting closer and closer to being able to contribute, the team should be in solid shape for quite a while.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: De Haan, Engelland, Capitals

at CDT | by 1 Comment

While defenseman Calvin de Haan was deemed as likely to miss the start of next season after undergoing shoulder surgery back in May, he told reporters, including Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link) that he’s hopeful to be ready to go when the puck drops in October.  The initial timeline for recovery was four-to-six months so if he does get the green light to play to start the season, he’ll be pretty close to the best-case scenario.  The Blackhawks acquired the 28-year-old earlier this summer from Carolina and with them starting the season in the Czech Republic, it’s certainly possible that they could hold him out of their opener and give him nearly an extra week to further recover.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • While many expected that veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland would end up staying with the Golden Knights, he told Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he still received one-year offers from other teams this summer. However, he ultimately waited for Vegas to clear out David Clarkson’s contract before signing a one-year, bonus-laden deal to stick around.  While he’ll be 38 by the end of next season, Engelland admitted that he’s not viewing the upcoming campaign as his final year and that he anticipates playing another season beyond this one, preferably in Vegas.
  • Although the Capitals need to clear up a bit of salary cap space over the next couple of months, that’s not going to be their only priority the rest of this offseason. Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic notes (subscription required) that GM Brian MacLellan plans to sit down with center Nicklas Backstrom and goaltender Braden Holtby next month to begin the process of discussing their futures with the team beyond 2019-20.  Both players are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer and will be looking for raises on their current deals ($6.7MM for Backstrom, $6.1MM for Holtby).  With Washington’s tight salary cap situation, they may not be able to afford to give both the pay increases they may be seeking.

West Notes: Engelland, Hutton, Eriksson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The bonus structure for Deryk Engelland’s new contract has been reported by PuckPedia, and there are certainly some achievable milestones for the veteran defenseman. Engelland will receive a $300K bonus for playing in ten games, and an additional $100K at the 20 and 30 game thresholds. He’ll also get an additional $100K if he finishes the season in the top-five on the Vegas Golden Knights in ice time, an $100K for making the playoffs, and $25K for each successful round.

The relatively easy bonuses are another reason why the Golden Knights didn’t want to be using long-term injured reserve if they can avoid it, hence the trade of David Clarkson’s contract earlier this week. If they were using LTIR and Engelland reached the bonuses, they would be applied as a cap overage in 2020-21 giving the team even less room for additional spending. Obviously $800K in overages isn’t the end of the world, but for a team like Vegas who is expected to be cap-strapped for some time they can make a difference.

  • Ben Hutton’s agent Andy Scott of Octagon Hockey spoke to Rick Dhaliwal on Sportsnet radio, and explained that he has no doubt the free agent defenseman will be signed before the year starts. Hutton has “plenty of offers” according to Scott, though nothing has been worked out so far. Scott also gave his take on the Brock Boeser situation (who is represented by fellow Octagon agent Ben Hankinson) explaining that “everyone is taking it slow” in the market right now. Boeser is one of a huge number of star restricted free agents still without contracts as August nears.
  • The conversation around Vancouver Canucks forward Loui Eriksson continues, this time with Harman Dayal of The Athletic (subscription required) exploring potential trade options in the form of LTIR contracts coming back. The most eye-popping suggestion is one that revolves around Ryan Kesler, who is a polarizing figure in Vancouver. The veteran center heard boos for his entire career with the Anaheim Ducks whenever they traveled to Vancouver after forcing his way out of the Canucks organization in 2014, but is not expected to ever play again after debilitating hip injuries and multiple surgeries. Eriksson still has three years remaining on his contract which carries a $6MM cap hit.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top