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Philadelphia Re-Signs Brandon Manning

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Philadelphia Flyers have reached an agreement with their final arbitration-eligible player Brandon Manning on a two-year, $1.95MM deal. Tim Wharnsby of CBC breaks it down: 2016-17 $950K, 2017-18 $1MM.

After the Flyers got Brayden Schenn to sign a long-term deal, Manning was next on the docket and was headed to an arbitration hearing on August 2nd.

Manning made an impact on the Flyers lineup this season, getting into 56 games at the NHL level.  The 26-year old scored seven points and logged over 16 minutes a night in his first lengthy chance with the big club.

He’ll now head to camp looking to secure a bottom-pairing job and show that he’s advanced past the AHL level – where he has been spectacular, scoring 43 points in 60 games in 2014-15.

As with the Rangers, the Flyers will now receive a 48-hour buyout window after re-signing multiple arbitration cases. The team has under $500K left under the cap, but no one left to re-sign.

Metropolitan Notes: Buyouts, Mahoney, Schenn

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After finalizing the deal with Kevin Hayes this afternoon, the New York Rangers have come to terms with each of the four players who filed for salary arbitration this summer (Hayes, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller and Dylan McIlrath) before any of them had a hearing. With it, comes an additional buyout window that will start on Monday and last for 48 hours.

In this window, the team may perform a buyout on a player who fulfills certain criteria. Many speculated during the last window that the team could buy out defenseman Dan Girardi, and as the Rangers move closer to the cap, this remains a possibility.  Girardi’s play has deteriorated over the past few seasons, and he carries a cap hit of $5.5MM for the next four years.

If the team were to buy out Girardi, they’d be paying him $10MM total, spread over eight years.  His cap hits would be as follows (via General Fanager):

2016-17 – $1.75MM
2017-18 – $2.75MM
2018-19 – $3.75MM
2019-20 – $3.75MM
2020-21 – $1.25MM
2021-22 – $1.25MM
2022-23 – $1.25MM
2023-24 – $1.25MM.

There has been no word from Rangers camp that Girardi is headed for a buyout, but we’ll keep an eye on the situation as it unfolds.  Here are some more notes from the Metropolitan division:

  • While there has been relatively little news out of Las Vegas since the city was granted an expansion franchise, Elliotte Friedman is hearing that the team is after Washington Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney, and has asked the club for it’s permission to interview him.  While there hasn’t been any response from the Capitals, Mahoney worked with new Las Vegas GM George McPhee for over a decade in Washington and may see it as a new opportunity.
  • The last thing we heard about Brayden Schenn is that there has been “no progress of any kind” on a new contract, and the young forward is getting closer and closer to his arbitration hearing.  Each player so far that has been scheduled before Schenn’s July 25th hearing has come to an agreement, but so far it doesn’t sound like there is any movement from either camp.  The Philadelphia centerman is coming off his best year as a pro, one that saw him score 26 goals and 59 points in 80 games. His continued development will be a discussion point in arbitration, as the former fifth-overall pick has increased his point total each season of his career.

Maple Leafs Waive Peter Holland

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Elliotte Friedman tweets that the Toronto Maple Leafs have waived forward Peter Holland. He is set for an arbitration hearing next Monday July 25.  James Mirtle posted a number of different tweets regarding the Leafs’ reason for making the move.  Mirtle does not believe Holland will return to the Leafs and believes he will be claimed or moved following the hearing.

Last season, Holland had 27 points (9-18) in 65 games. A season prior, he registered 25 points (11-14) in 62 games.

Holland becomes the second player waived prior to an arbitration hearing. On Tuesday,  Jordan Schroeder was waived by the Minnesota Wild.

New York Rangers Sign Michael Grabner, Nathan Gerbe

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According to the team, the New York Rangers have agreed to terms with free agent forward Michael Grabner.  Elliotte Friedman reports that the deal is worth $1.65MM per season for the former Islander and Maple Leaf.

The team has also announced that they’ve signed Nathan Gerbe, after playing last season in Carolina. Darren Dreger gives us the breakdown: it’s a one-year deal worth $600K.

Grabner, 28, played last season with Toronto after coming over in a trade last summer. Often suiting up on the top-line alongside Nazem Kadri, the former 30-goal man continued to prove that his offensive days are behind him. Only scoring nine goals and 18 points, his biggest contribution was on the penalty kill, where his speed and agility still offer big upside.

In New York, he won’t be asked for much more than that, slotting into the bottom six behind a crop of young forwards. Mats Zuccarello, and Jesper Fast project to skate on the right side of the top two lines, but Grabner will provide at least some depth at the position if J.T. Miller continues to be deployed down the middle.

Gerbe, one of the smallest players to ever play in the NHL at 5’5″, returns to the state he made his debut in. After being drafted by the Sabres in 2005, Gerbe put up 16 goals and 31 points in his first full season with the club. While he didn’t have a very productive 2015-16, he still adds a lot of energy and speed to the bottom six.

Edmonton Trades Taylor Hall To New Jersey

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First reported by Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils have completed a deal that will see winger Taylor Hall change teams. In return, the Devils will send Adam Larsson the other way.  It is a one-for-one deal, only including the two young stars.

The Oilers have been long rumored to be chasing a long-term defensive piece, and Elliotte Friedman adds that there was talk of a Hall for Larsson deal at the draft last weekend. Of course, when Jesse Puljujarvi fell to the Oilers with the fourth selection, they couldn’t convince themselves to draft a defenseman.

With the glut of young forwards that Edmonton now has they would be wise to deal one of them, however Hall looks like perhaps the best one not named McDavid. His 65 point 2015-16 season was excellent, and he’s now put up 328 points in 381 games.

In Larsson, the Oilers get an excellent young blueliner that is still locked up long-term. The 23-year old is signed through the 2020-21 season at a reasonable $4.17MM rate. While he’s not quite the shutdown number one guy many people thought that Hall would command, he is a young top-pairing defenseman who the Oilers so desperately needed.  This may lend more credence to the idea that Milan Lucic has already agreed to a contract, as the Oilers completed this deal quickly after his Monday visit.

For the Devils, they get another young powerhouse talent to add to their forward group alongside Adam Henrique, Kyle Palmieri and Pavel Zacha. With a young corps of defensemen still under contract, Larsson was deemed expendable in order to get this kind of talent. First impressions are an absolute robbery by the Devils, who have more than enough room to add a top talent on a $6MM/year deal.

Latest Buyouts: Raymond, Nystrom, Stuart

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With the buyout deadline of 4pm CST fast approaching, the league has started churning out names that will see their contracts terminated.  Here is the latest:

  • Elliotte Friedman reports that Calgary winger Mason Raymond has been placed on waivers and will be bought out. The 30-year old had a single season at $3.15MM left on his deal and will incur a $1.05MM cap-hit for next year.
  • Also from Friedman, the Predators have decided to buyout Eric Nystrom, the 33-year old winger who scored just 7 points in 46 games for the club last season. His contract was set to expire after next season and had $2.5MM left on it. The Preds will take the $500K cap hit this year, and deal with the $1MM left next season.
  • As reported two days ago, Brad Stuart was placed on waivers for the purpose of buying him out. Friedman and Bob McKenzie tell us that he’s now cleared them and will indeed be bought out today.
  • The Blue Jackets have announced that they have bought out the final two seasons of Fedor Tyutin’s deal that was worth almost $9MM. For a team desperate for salary relief, this will give them close to $3.3MM in cap room for 2016-17.

Minnesota Re-Signs Zucker, Close With Graovac

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12:00 PM: Russo tweets that the deal for Zucker is indeed two-years for a total of $4MM. He’ll earn $2MM in each season.

10:55 AM: According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the Wild are close to deals with upcoming RFAs Jason Zucker and Tyler Graovac. Elliotte Friedman chimes in with a report that would see Zucker earn around $2MM per season on the bridge deal that Russo originally stated.

The 24-year old Zucker scored 13 goals and 23 points this season, after breaking out in 2014-15 with 21 goals. The former second-round pick from California has shown some promise the last couple of seasons and will continue to work his way into the top-six in Minnesota. His versatility as both a scoring winger and penalty killer gives the Wild a valuable player for a reasonable price.

Graovac is a monster centerman that Minnesota drafted in the seventh round and had seen steady development at the AHL level until an injury plagued 2015-16 saw him post just 16 points in 39 games. He’ll still be hard pressed to make it to the NHL, but with his 6’5″ frame perhaps he’ll be a late-bloomer.

Blue Jackets Agree To Contract With Seth Jones

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With rumors swirling last night about a possible Jacob Trouba offer sheet, the Columbus Blue Jackets have reportedly taken that option off the table with Seth Jones, their own high-prized RFA defenceman, says Darren Dreger of TSN and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.  Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tells us that it’s worth $5.4MM per season, for six seasons.  Cap Friendly also tells us that the deal includes a limited no-trade clause in years five and six. Jones will submit a list of 10 teams he cannot be traded to.

Last week we speculated on the possibility of Jones receiving an offer-sheet because of the tight cap situation that the Blue Jackets are in, combined with his elite potential as a top-pairing shutdown defender. While GM Jarmo Kekalainen came out to say that they would match any offer sheet submitted, it would have been extremely difficult for the team to do so without having plans to move some contracts out.

If they truly have come to an agreement, it must mean that the Jackets have figured out at least a plan for what they’re to do this offseason. Currently less than $6MM from the cap (before the Jones hit), they have been trying to move out bad contracts desperately and had conversations with Edmonton on the draft floor. David Clarkson, Scott Hartnell and Fedor Tyutin all have big money left on their contracts and have performed terribly in recent years.

For Jones, this represents the first big money deal of his career after going fourth overall in the 2013 draft.  While he was hidden down an outstanding depth chart in Nashville, a mid-season trade brought him to Columbus where he is expected to take over on the top pairing with either Ryan Murray or Jack Johnson. Suddenly, the Blue Jacket blueline looks mighty intimidating with David Savard and Dalton Prout rounding out the group.

Snapshots: Cullen, Brown, Panthers

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Pittsburgh forward and 20-year veteran Matt Cullen announced that he will be back for another season. Elliotte Friedman tweeted that the Penguins hope to keep him. Dave Molinari reports that the Penguins do indeed want to re-sign him and that Cullen, who made $800,000 last season, shouldn’t expect a raise if he returned to Pittsburgh. because of the lack of cap room. Cullen had 32 points (16-16) during the regular season and 6 points (4-2) in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes re-signed forward Patrick Brown to a one-year, $650,000 contract. The 24-year-old Brown is the son of former NHL player Doug Brown.  Brown spent time between the big club and AHL affiliate Charlotte in 2015-16. With the Checkers, Brown had 25 points (13-12) and was fifth in team scoring. During the 14 games with Carolina, Brown had 2 points (1-1).
  • The Florida Panthers have announced the hiring of Leo Luongo as the goalies coach for AHL affiliate Springfield. The 31-year-old was the goaltending coach of HC Lugano in the Swiss League for the past three seasons. He is also the younger brother of current Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo.

Offer Sheet Candidates: Jones, Trouba, Lindholm

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Offer sheets are an interesting wrinkle in the NHL’s free agency period; a rarely used but powerful tool to try and steal away young talent from rival clubs. Though we may not see any this season – the last one to be signed was by Ryan O’Reilly in 2013 – there are a few interesting names out there that could possibly draw interest from other teams.  Let’s take a quick look at some of the offer sheet rules for this season:

  1. Teams can submit offer sheets to restricted free agents as of July 1st at 11:00 am central time. Players can choose to sign them at any point after that.
  2. If a player signs an offer sheet, his original team has seven days in which to match the deal or else accept the compensation.  During this time they cannot be traded.
  3. Compensation is as follows (according to Elliotte Friedman):
    Less than $1.239MM (average annual value of contract) – Nothing;
    $1.239-$1.878MM – Third-round pick;
    $1.878-$3.755MM – Second-round pick;
    $3.755-$5.633MM – First and third-round picks;
    $5.633-$7.510MM – First, second and third-round picks;
    $7.510-$9.388MM – Two first, a second and third-round picks;
    Over $9.388MM – Four first-round picks.
  4. Teams must have the picks available before signing the player, or else the offer sheet will be considered null and void.

Some hefty prices to pay if a team goes after a big name to be sure, but sometimes deemed worth it; the Flyers would have faced stiff compensation penalties had Nashville not decided to match their 14-year, $110MM offer to Shea Weber in 2012 (one that would no longer be allowed under the seven-year contract limit). Here are some names that might just be worth the risk:

D Seth Jones – The Columbus Blue Jackets have huge cap issues at the moment and are desperately trying to rid themselves of some of their bad deals.  After trading young star Ryan Johansen for Jones mid-season, they now need to find a way to re-sign the former fourth overall pick.

Jones is just 21, and has performed admirably in his first three seasons in the league, racking up 83 points in 240 games. If someone were to sign Jones to a long-term deal, the Blue Jackets would have a very difficult time matching it without finding a taker for some of their cap-hits. The team is already just $5MM under the cap, with close to $20MM committed to their blueline.

Whether Jones actually recieves any offers, or it’s just used as a negotiating tactic in order to pry some value out of the Blue Jackets in future trades, his name will surely come up in many talks this summer.

D Jacob Trouba – Another top-10 pick who is part of a deep defensive corps Trouba is considered available this summer on the trade market, and should be considered an offer sheet risk as well. While the Jets have much more cap room available, they already have three defencemen signed for over $5MM per season and might not be able to commit to a fourth.

Trouba has put up 72 points in 211 career games, and is considered a potential top-pairing blueliner in the future. Many teams could add him to their back end and thrust him into the spotlight in his fourth season. A long-term deal could be had, buying out free agent years and pushing that AAV up into un-matchable territory.

The Jets also have to worry about next year’s expansion draft, where they’ll be in danger of losing one of their young defencemen. Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom both have no-movement clauses that ensure their protection, leaving just one protection slot for both of Tyler Myers and Trouba (unless they choose the 8 skater option and risk some young forwards instead).

D Hampus Lindholm – The best player listed here, Lindholm has turned into an excellent defender for the Anaheim Ducks over the last few years. His case is one of worry for them as he could easily be offered a seven-year deal from teams around the league.

After signing Sami Vatanen last week, the Ducks now have five blueliners under contract for more than $3MM per season and adding a big deal that pushes $50MM could prove too pricey. If a team believes that Lindholm is the number 1 defenceman that he seems, they could decide to give up the picks in order to pry him away.

The Ducks have already dealt Frederik Andersen to save cap room and avoid losing him in the expansion draft, and they still have work to do before next summer. With Cam Fowler said to be on the market, perhaps he’ll be the victim of a looming Lindholm offer sheet.

 

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