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Erik Gudbranson Expected To Sign With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are adding some size and physicality to the backend, as they work out a deal with Erik Gudbranson according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Per various outlets, the deal carries a ten-team no-trade clause for the duration of the contract.

Last September, Gudbranson signed a one-year deal worth $1.95MM. Now, he gets a sizeable raise from Columbus, a team that was looking to add physicality and veteran leadership to their back end. They were reportedly interested in acquiring Ryan McDonagh before he headed to Nashville, and he now gets his defenseman in Gudbranson.

The 30-year-old Ottawa native had a bit of a career renaissance in Calgary, fitting like a glove next to Nikita Zadorov on the Flames’ bottom-pairing, providing Darryl Sutter’s squad with imposing physical play. He averaged 18:07 per night and played nearly three minutes per game on the penalty kill. The Flames had the sixth-best penalty kill in the league, and it’s clear that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is crediting a decent amount of that success to Gudbranson’s efforts.

At a $4MM cap hit with four-year term, it’s fair to question whether this signing is the shrewdest on Columbus’ part. While his locker room contributions are certainly valuable, and the Blue Jackets obviously believe he can be an impact player on their penalty kill, there are enough question marks in Gudbranson’s game to make this deal a controversial one. For example, did Gudbranson really play that much better in 2021-22 that he earns a new contract worth twice as much per year as his last deal? Also, if the Blue Jackets are paying Gudbranson for his physicality and grit, why did they give Gudbranson a four-year term, when his physical style could eventually take its toll on his body and make him age worse?

NHL history is littered with leadership-first, physical defensemen getting long-term contracts, only for those deals to age terribly. The Karl Alzner deal in Montreal is a perfect example. Gudbranson had a good season in 2021-22, nothing can take away from that. But for a team that’s done so much right over the past year, it’s fair for fans to be a bit confused at this signing, although its far from a certainty that it’ll age as poorly as the comparables that were mentioned.

Dallas Stars Sign Mason Marchment

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1:07 pm: The Dallas Stars have swooped in under the wire, inking Marchment to a four-year contract worth roughly $4.5MM per season, per a team announcement. Marchment is fresh off of a breakout season for the Florida Panthers, where he scored 47 points in 54 games on the Panthers’ high-powered attack.

Marchment, 27, is a risky investment for the Stars but one with significant upside potential. Marchment was brilliant in 2021-22, scoring at nearly a point-per-game rate and making his impact felt on both ends of the ice. Marchment got his 47 points with very little power play time, making his offensive numbers even more impressive. The biggest risk with Marchment is simply the fact that before this season, it was unthinkable that Marchment could make $4.5MM on a multi-year deal. The production is the production, and the Stars are absolutely not simply basing this deal off of Marchment’s numbers alone, but one has to wonder if he’ll be able to replicate the performance away from the Panthers’ offensive machine.

If he can, this deal will age very, very well. If he can’t, well, it won’t. There is obviously a middle ground here where Marchment settles into a middle-six role, and that is definitely a realistic possibility. But it’s also a possibility that Marchment can’t replicate the success he found in Florida. For a team that wants to continue competing in a difficult Central Division, it’s not a bad risk to take.

12:17 pm: The Carolina Hurricanes have lost a handful of forwards to free agency and trade but they are working to add someone new. The team is closing in on a four-year deal with Mason Marchment according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first on the news.

Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Brett Kulak

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After seeing what’s out there, Brett Kulak has decided to go back to the Edmonton Oilers after all. The depth defenseman has re-signed with the Oilers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports it will be a four-year deal worth $2.75MM per season.

It’s been a fast rise for Kulak, who came to Edmonton in a mid-season trade. There are some who questioned Oilers GM Ken Holland’s choice to part with a second-round pick in order to acquire Kulak, but he answered those questions with his play as an Oiler. Kulak, an analytics darling, was a reliable two-way defenseman for the Oilers during their run to the Western Conference Final, showing that he could be just as comfortable carrying the puck in transition as he was battling a forward for position in front of the net. Kulak’s versatile, all-situations game endeared him to both coach Jay Woodcroft and Edmonton fans and is likely what earned him this deal.

This deal is largely a positive one, but not without at least some risk. During his time in Montreal, Kulak would have stretches where he looked like a fit in the team’s top-four, and then have stretches where he didn’t even look like he belonged on the ice. The talent was there, but the consistency was missing. The success of Kulak’s tenure in Edmonton so far brings up the question: has Kulak become the consistently reliable defenseman he’s shown he’s talented enough to be? Or is this just another one of his “good” stretches, just one that he’s timed really well?

That’s the question Kulak will need to answer, but based on his play in Edmonton so far it’s hard to be anything but optimistic.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Frank Vatrano

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The Anaheim Ducks have added some proven goal-scoring, signing Frank Vatrano to a three-year contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal will carry an average annual value of $3.65MM. Vatrano comes to Anaheim fresh off a successful (and brief) tenure with the New York Rangers.

After being acquired from the Florida Panthers in a mid-season trade, Vatrano had a combined 26 points in 42 games as a Ranger, including 13 goals. That’s a 25-goal, 51-point pace, and Vatrano’s $3.65MM AAV is likely an indication of how his strong finish to the season heightened his leaguewide profile. Before he came to New York, Vatrano was only valuable enough to net the Panthers a fourth-round pick in a trade.

In Anaheim, Vatrano will bring speed, tenacity, and goal-scoring ability. Vatrano can fly and is the sort of player who benefits from the increased emphasis placed on speed in today’s NHL game. If Vatrano can provide 20 goals, 15 assists, and the type of shift-to-shift energy he’s provided throughout his NHL career, this will be a solid market-price signing for the Ducks and GM Pat Verbeek.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Ben Chiarot

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The Detroit Red Wings are going to add some size to their defense corps, as the team announced the signing of free agent defenseman Ben Chiarot. The deal will be for four years and will carry a whopping $4.75MM cap hit.

This deal will undoubtedly be controversial, as Chiarot the free agent signing is likely to split fan opinion just as Chiarot the trade asset did in the weeks leading up to the 2022 deadline did. But this signing is more than anything else an indication of how differently NHL front offices view Chiarot compared to public opinion. The Florida Panthers surrendered a coveted 2023 first-round pick and a prospect in Ty Smilanic to acquire Chiarot at the deadline, and now the Red Wings, led by GM Steve Yzerman, are giving Chiarot a $4.75MM AAV deal with a four-year term. Those two moves show that Chiarot’s public perception hasn’t quite caught up to his perception among NHL decision-makers.

Members of the public see Chiarot and see a player who is emblematic of the flaws in old-school hockey thinking. Chiarot is a big, mean, extremely physical defenseman who is perhaps best known for taking liberties with the rules against cross-checking in order to clear the blue paint. Chiarot’s reputation was massively enhanced by his play during the Montreal Canadiens’ 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final, as he paired with Shea Weber and formed a partnership that embodied the “hard to play against” identity so many teams strive to create. But does that reputation keep in line with the on-ice results?

That’s where things get complicated and where the public’s down opinion on Chiarot really comes from. By most public analytics models, Chiarot is an ineffective defensive defenseman whose teams often perform worse when he’s on the ice than when he’s off of it. The work by The Athletic’s Dom Luczyszyn assign’s Chiarot a per-season value of $700K, a far cry from the $4.75MM cap hit he’s earned today.

But Yzerman is an extremely accomplished GM. He laid the groundwork for the back-to-back Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cups, and is among the most widely respected executives in hockey. Clearly, there’s something this public perception is missing, or else Chiarot’s services wouldn’t be so in demand. Firstly, one has to assume that the private analytics Yzerman’s front office is working with are more kind to Chiarot than the public models. Secondly, there is a minority opinion on Chiarot that sees his game quite positively. They view his physical, crease-clearing play as extremely valuable, his locker room contributions to be important, and his abilities in transition and on offense to be underrated.

Whichever side on Chiarot is closer to the truth isn’t really relevant at this point. His contract is signed and finalized. He’ll be a Red Wing for the foreseeable future, and Red Wings fans simply have to have faith that Yzerman’s moves will work out as well for them as they did for fans in Tampa Bay.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the deal.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Ilya Lyubushkin, Eric Comrie

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The Buffalo Sabres have brought a defenseman down from Toronto, signing free agent Ilya Lyubushkin to a two-year deal according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.75MM.

The Sabres aren’t finished there, as they have also signed goaltender Eric Comrie to a two-year deal worth $1.8MM per season according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

The first signing, Lyubushkin, is relatively straightforward. The Sabres had an extremely encouraging finish to their 2021-22 season, and the team is in a more positive place than it has been in years. GM Kevyn Adams and coach Don Granato have done a brilliant job so far in turning the downtrodden Sabres around, and they look towards next season with the hope of at least being in the conversation for a playoff spot next spring.

Lyubushkin will help them get there, as he’s the sort of proven, NHL-caliber defenseman that any team could see themselves adding. Lyubushkin, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, is a big, physical, crease-clearing defenseman. He featured sporadically on the Maple Leafs’ penalty kill, averaging 55 seconds per game there, and should see time on the Sabres’ penalty kill next season. This deal will take Lyubushkin until he’s thirty, meaning there’s no significant regression risk, and the cap hit, while a bit pricey at $2.75MM, isn’t really an issue given the wealth of cap space the Sabres have had.

While some might not like the cost, this is a sensible, entirely reasonable addition for the Sabres to make as they attempt to end the NHL’s longest playoff drought.

In Comrie, the Sabres add a 27-year-old goalie who had an extremely successful limited run of NHL action last year. In 19 games Comrie posted a .920 save percentage, going 10-5-1 on a largely dysfunctional Sabres team. Prior to this year, Comrie had proven himself as a capable AHL starter, and should now see the first regular NHL gig in his career.

The Sabres have an uncertain future in the net, with 41-year-old Craig Anderson currently slated to be their starter. With Comrie in the mix, the Sabres have added a goalie who has a shot to make their $1.8MM per year investment look really, really good.

Calgary Flames Expected To Sign Kevin Rooney

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Per Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Calgary Flames are signing forward Kevin Rooney to a two-year contract worth $1.3MM per season. Rooney spent the last two seasons on the New York Rangers, operating as the team’s fourth-line center for most of his tenure there.

Rooney’s signing in Calgary likely signals last season’s fourth-line pivot, Trevor Lewis, could be returning to the wing, where he has spent most of his career. In New York, Rooney was an effective fourth-line center who provided defense-first play and not much in the way of offense. Rooney’s six goals and six assists certainly won’t excite any Flames fans still reeling from the loss of Johnny Gaudreau, but his 2:07 average time-on-ice short-handed should excite coach Darryl Sutter very much. As a penalty-killing defensive specialist, Rooney should help the Flames on that area of special teams as well as give them around 10-12 minutes of even-strength ice time they won’t need to worry about.

This will be a major offseason for the Flames, but not every move has to be one of extreme significance. Rooney will need to improve his work at the faceoff dot, as his career 46.3% win rate is underwhelming for a defensive center, but otherwise, he’s a reasonable, sensible acquisition for a GM facing a ton of pressure. He’ll likely become a favorite of Darryl Sutter and should be someone Flames fans come to admire for his work on their penalty kill.

Senators, Sabres Discussed Matt Murray Trade

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12:15pm: Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the deal would have included the Senators retaining some of the salary, and Buffalo moving up from No. 16 to No. 7 in today’s first round.

11:10am: With the shallow free agent goaltending market this year, teams are trying to get a bit more creative. One name that has popped up a few times is Matt Murray, the Ottawa Senators netminder who fell out of favor with the team and spent a good chunk of last season in the minor leagues. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Senators and Buffalo Sabres were “deep into conversations” about Murray.

Unfortunately for both teams, Murray has Buffalo on his 10-team no-trade list and, as Friedman puts it, “stuck to his list.” That would suggest the talks got far enough along to ask him about whether he would waive, as the Senators try to rid themselves of his contract. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia notes that Ottawa wouldn’t face the same issue with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are also “in the mix”, as Murray would agree to a move there.

It’s easy to understand why the Senators want to move on. Not only does Murray have a $6.25MM cap hit, but the actual salary owed is higher in the last two years of his deal, with a $7MM salary in 2022-23 and $8MM in 2023-24. Combine those escalating costs with inconsistent play and a handful of exciting goaltending prospects, and you have a player that needs to be shipped out of town.

The Sabres are looking for a veteran goaltender to help Craig Anderson carry the NHL load while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen continues to develop in the minor leagues, and given Murray’s experience–two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins–he certainly fits that bill, despite being just 28. For Buffalo, taking on a cap hit like that wouldn’t be an issue (the same can’t be said for Toronto), meaning they could likely have landed another asset along with Murray from the Senators.

Snapshots: Campbell, Kuemper, Johnson

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The Coachella Valley Firebirds have hired Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach, making her the first woman to hold that role at the AHL level. She joins Dan Bylsma’s staff after a year of coaching in Germany with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL. Campbell also served as an assistant coach for Germany at the recent men’s IIHF World Championship and medaled for Team Canada at the women’s tournament during her playing days.

Campbell and Bylsma will take the reins of a new AHL franchise in its first year, one that still has plenty of spots to fill. Because they are so new to the league, the Seattle Kraken have yet to populate the system with many draft picks and actually have just 23 players signed to NHL contracts in the entire organization. That’s obviously not enough to give the Firebirds a fighting chance, meaning plenty of work will be needed by Ron Francis and company in the coming weeks and months.

  • The Colorado Avalanche might not be looking for a new goaltender after all. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes that the Avalanche are working on extensions for Darcy Kuemper and Valeri Nichushkin, noting that there is a “decent chance” the netminder sticks around. If Kuemper does sign with Colorado, it would thin out a very shallow free agent goaltending pool even further, and potentially put even more pressure on the teams without legitimate starting options.
  • Friedman also notes that the idea Erik Johnson could retire to create some additional cap room won’t be happening. Peter Baugh of The Athletic even asked the veteran defenseman directly, who explained that he wants to play for a “lot longer.” The Stanley Cup champion is heading into the last season of his seven-year, $42MM deal and carries a cap hit of $6MM for 2022-23.

Los Angeles Kings Acquire, Extend Kevin Fiala

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June 30: The team has now officially announced the seven-year extension, which will carry a cap hit of $7.875MM. CapFriendly reported yesterday that the contract includes a no-movement clause in years 2-4 and a limited no-trade clause in years 5-7.

June 29: The Los Angeles Kings have acquired the restricted free agent rights to winger Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for their 2022 first-round selection and defense prospect Brock Faber, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Fiala heading to Southern California.

As confirmed by the league just hours earlier, the Los Angeles selection that the Wild are acquiring will be the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Wild now own picks 19 and 24 in the first round.

It’s important to note an extension between the Kings and Fiala still needs to be worked out, but with the Kings having nearly $20MM in projected cap space this summer per CapFriendly (and Fiala having arbitration rights), the contract itself is an eventuality, with TSN’s Chris Johnston reporting there’s a long-term extension in place. Friedman is reporting a cap hit of $7.9MM, and Johnston is reporting a seven-year term.

It’s hard to think that Fiala won’t become a spectacular fit within the Kings organization. The 25-year-old’s 85 points in 2021-22 would have led the Kings by 18, with Anze Kopitar leading them in scoring with 67 points. It’s also hard to think that Fiala won’t join a line with Kopitar (and likely 2022 All-Star Adrian Kempe) as the Kings’ top unit. Suddenly, with a support group behind them that includes Phillip Danault, Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Iafallo, and up-and-comers like Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev, Los Angeles looks poised to build on last year’s playoff appearance and solidify themselves as real players in the Western Conference. Of note, it’s also a reunion between Fiala and Arvidsson, who both were developed and got their starts with the Nashville Predators.

While it’s no top-five pick like some expected, the Wild get two quality pieces in return for Fiala as well. Faber, a Minnesota native, exploded onto the scene this year as one of the premier two-way defense prospects in the game, notching 14 points in 32 games with the University of Minnesota and getting the call to the United States Olympic team. Just 19 years old, Faber was the 45th overall selection in the 2020 draft by the Kings. The Wild are also likely to receive a high-upside prospect with the 19th overall pick. Some potential selections, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s rankings based on NHL scout surveys, are another Minnesota native in Jimmy Snuggerud (ranked 17th), Czech utility forward Jiri Kulich (ranked 18th), Russian sniper (and cancer survivor) Ivan Miroschnichenko (ranked 19th), sniper and University of Minnesota-Duluth commit Isaac Howard (ranked 20th), or Swedish forwards Liam Ohgren and Noah Ostlund (ranked 21st and 22nd). While none of those likely have the offensive upside of Fiala, combined with the addition of Faber, it seems to be close to fair value at first impression.

Expect this deal to open the floodgates for moves and deals ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft next week.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo was the first to report the full details of the trade.

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