Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Elliotte Friedman

Trevor Lewis Signs With Calgary Flames

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Calgary Flames have signed Trevor Lewis to a one-year, $800K contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The veteran forward will be reunited with head coach Darryl Sutter, with whom he won two Stanley Cup championships during their time in Los Angeles.

If it wasn’t a Sutter roster before, the Flames are focused on making it one, acquiring bottom-six names like Lewis, Tyler Pitlick, and Blake Coleman in recent days. Even if Lewis isn’t the twenty-something that won those championships, he showed for the Winnipeg Jets last season that he can still be effective in a limited role. Though he scored just five goals and ten points, he happily welcomed tough defensive minutes and logged more penalty-killing time than all but two Jets forwards.

In the system that Sutter became famous for, the fourth-line isn’t there to contribute offensively. They slow the game down to a crawl and make sure nothing dangerous happens at either end. That’s all Lewis will be asked to do again in Calgary, and it’s a job he has done quite well over the years. Now that he’s 34 he might not be in the lineup for all 82 games, but for $800K it poses basically no risk to bring him aboard.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning will fill one of their bottom-six forward roles with a well-liked NHL veteran, signing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a two-year contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal is expected to carry an average annual value of $1MM.

Bellemare, 36, has played 51 postseason games over the past four years, filling a checking role with the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. Though his playing career is likely coming to an end relatively soon, he’ll give it at least one more go with the reigning Stanley Cup champions. With the Lightning forced to part with Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Johnson and Blake Coleman due to cap concerns, they needed to find some players to fill the third and fourth line for cheap. Bellemare is a strong candidate, though he’ll likely be lining up beside players more than ten years younger than him.

Undrafted, Bellemare took an interesting path to the NHL, spending several years in the French professional league back home before heading to Sweden for his formative professional years. By the time he debuted in the NHL in 2014, he was already nearly 30 years old. He has never been much of an offensive contributor at this level, but offers unending energy and slick defensive ability in the middle of the ice. The fact that he won more than 60% of his draws this season was surely not lost on the Lightning, whose best faceoff man is a part-time center in Steven Stamkos.

It’s unlikely that Bellemare will be able to replicate the production of any of those four players mentioned above, but the cap-strapped Lightning will have to make due. If they put him in the correct situations, he can still be a valuable addition to any playoff lineup.

San Jose Sharks, Arizona Coyotes Complete Minor Trade

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks have acquired Lane Pederson from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round selection. Quickly, the Sharks signed the young forward to a two-year contract. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the contract will be a two-way deal in 2021-22 with an NHL salary of $750K and a one-way deal in 2022-23 worth another $750K.

Pederson, 23, made his NHL debut this season with Arizona, playing in 15 games and registering three points. The undrafted forward has been a top performer over the past few seasons with the Tucson Roadrunners, scoring at a near point-per-game pace. In San Jose, he may receive an NHL opportunity given the team signed him for two years. Perhaps they see a breakout star that can step directly into a fourth-line role, or maybe he’s just meant to strengthen the San Jose Barracuda roster.

At the end of the deal, Pederson (who turns 24 in just a few days) will be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency if he fails to play 65 more NHL games.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Brock McGinn

at CDT | by 35 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Brock McGinn to a four-year deal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. It carries a cap hit of $2.75MM per season.

McGinn enters the Pittsburgh organization after nine years in the Carolina Hurricanes organization. A veteran of six NHL seasons now, McGinn tallied his 50th goal and 100th point in the NHL and also has a series-winning overtime goal under his belt. A reliable third-line winger, McGinn’s coming off a good year with 13 points in 37 games, more importantly, in a season that saw his defensive impacts skyrocket. He’ll likely slot in a third-line position again in Pittsburgh and could form part of a formidable two-way shutdown line if centered by Teddy Blueger.

What’s important in this deal is cost certainty for the Penguins. Signed through 2024-25 at a cap hit under $3.0MM, McGinn projects as being able to provide consistent performance for that dollar amount as he’ll enter his 30s at the end of the deal. It’s a solid deal for a dependable player and should help Pittsburgh navigate some uncertain salary-cap waters.

New York Rangers Sign Jarred Tinordi

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the New York Rangers have signed defenseman Jarred Tinordi. The former Canadien, Predator, and Bruin was signed to a two-year deal making $900,000 per season.

Tinordi has long been a depth defender at the NHL level. He has never been deemed good enough for a regular role, having maxed at out at 28 games in a season as his career high to date. However, he has also been too good to clear waivers, as Nashville found out last season when he was claimed by Boston. The Rangers likely see Tinordi as a veteran No. 7 or 8 who can provide some guidance to the young blue line and some snarl as a spot starter, much in the way that the departed Brendan Smith did.

Tinordi is not an offensive threat and his skating leaves a lot to be desired. However, he positions himself well in the defensive end, is an effective and punishing checker, and is not afraid to drop the gloves. Tinordi is the type of stay-at-home checking threat that can be nice to have in a tight, physical game. It’s a value that is worth about what the Rangers gave him.

Keith Yandle To Sign With Philadelphia Flyers

at CDT | by 13 Comments

July 28: The Yandle contract has been officially announced, at the terms reported. The veteran defenseman released a statement:

Once I became a free agent, the first team that I looked at was the Philadelphia Flyers. Obviously, having AV before and playing with Kevin Hayes helped my decision. What Chuck (Fletcher) has done this off season bringing in guys and putting the team in a place where it gives us the opportunity to succeed is a big thing for me. I know for me, all I want to do is win and coming to the Flyers gives me the best chance for that.

July 27: After being bought out earlier this offseason, Keith Yandle has found a new home. The unrestricted free agent defenseman is expected to sign a one-year, $900K contract with the Philadelphia Flyers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Friedman adds that it will come with a no-trade clause.

Yandle, 34, is far from the top-pairing option he once was, but did still managed to rack up 27 points this season for the Florida Panthers. Almost all of that production came on the powerplay, a role he may be able to fill in Philadelphia–even if it is the second unit. Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault is familiar with what Yandle can bring from their time in New York with the Rangers, when the puck-moving defenseman tallied 47 points in the 2015-16 season. That total is actually one of the lower amounts in his career; Yandle has recorded more than 50 points in five different seasons.

In fact, at 600 points through 1,032 games, Yandle sits 42nd all-time among NHL defensemen in scoring. Though he likely won’t be seeing the Hall of Fame when it’s all said and done, the veteran has put together an exceptional career to this point. Included in that career is his current streak of 922 consecutive games played, dating back to early 2009. That’s good enough for second all-time behind Doug Jarvis’ 964-game streak, which Yandle could break this season if things go well.

That streak of course does put a little pressure on the Flyers to ice him every night, something that wasn’t going to continue in Florida at his previous cap hit. Philadelphia’s decision to sign him indicates that they may not be entirely comfortable handing over the third pairing role to prospect Cameron York, after restructuring almost their entire blueline this summer. Yandle joins Ryan Ellis and Rasmus Ristolainen as newcomers to the back end, giving the team an entirely different looking heading into 2021-22.

Patrik Laine Accepts Qualifying Offer, Signs With Blue Jackets

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Wednesday: Official now, Laine has accepted his one-year qualifying offer with Columbus. He will be a restricted free agent again in 2022.

Tuesday: The Columbus Blue Jackets recently extended a qualifying offer to Patrik Laine, as they would any other restricted free agent they wanted to keep in the organization. The difference was, because of the way his previous contract was structured, that qualifying offer came with a salary of $7.5MM. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Laine has accepted that offer, meaning he will sign a one-year deal worth $7.5MM for the 2021-22 season. The contract can’t technically be announced until Wednesday.

Still just 23, Laine has turned into something of an enigma in the NHL. Supremely talented, he scored 110 goals in his first three seasons, establishing himself as one of the league’s next great snipers. Some compared him to players like Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos because of his ability to hammer one-timers accurately into the net on the powerplay, giving the Winnipeg Jets a seemingly unstoppable weapon.

But then, things started to deteriorate, to the point where Laine was traded early this season to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was quickly put in the doghouse after a run-in with an assistant coach (one that turned out to be Brad Larsen, who is now the team’s head coach) and he ended up with just ten goals and 21 points in his 45 games with Columbus. There’s no doubting his offensive ability, but his commitment to the defensive side of the game and his sometimes questionable engagement have raised questions about his future.

Auston Matthews, who was compared to him immediately because they went with the first two spots in the 2016 draft, signed a huge long-term contract out of his entry-level deal that made him one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. Laine was given a two-year bridge and traded in the middle of it. Instead of negotiating a long-term deal, he’ll now return to Columbus on just a one-year contract, though one that rewards him handsomely. Next year, he’ll be an RFA again and will need the same qualifying offer, but perhaps things will have changed.

With a new head coach in Columbus and a fresh start that doesn’t have a trade and quarantine involved, Laine could very well get back to dominating the league with that wicked shot. But now just two years away from free agency, it’s hard to know just how long he’ll be with the Blue Jackets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Martin Jones

at CDT | by 7 Comments

After being bought out by the San Jose Sharks, Martin Jones has quickly found a new home. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Jones will be joining the Philadelphia Flyers. The deal is expected to be a one-year contract at $2MM.

It is easy to dismiss Jones as a player not worth getting excited about. The past three seasons in San Jose have been nothing short of horrendous four the veteran netminder, especially compared to his lofty contract. However, Jones was carrying a heavy load as the unchallenged starter for the Sharks, playing a workhorse schedule despite his struggles. The expectation is entirely different in Philadelphia. Carter Hart is coming off a difficult campaign of his own, but the talented young keeper should rebound and will be given every opportunity to hold on to the starting job. Jones meanwhile will be looked upon to mentor Hart and provide competent play at the backup position. With far less pressure, he could very well return to form.

With that said, the Flyers’ choice of Jones as their No. 2 at this salary is intriguing. Philly has only $8MM in cap space with Hart and Travis Sanheim in need of new contracts and two other roster sports to fill and could have benefited from a more affordable backup. If they were going to give out a substantial contract to a keeper, it likely should have been someone they trusted as the starter if Hart continued to struggle. The past few years have not supported the idea that Jones can still be that player. So he instead is a pricey backup, which is not ideal for the Flyers.

Brian Elliott Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning will bring in a new veteran backup for Andrei Vasilevskiy, signing Brian Elliott according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The one-year deal is worth $900K according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest.

Elliott, 36, is coming off of a difficult season in Philadelphia in which he was asked to do more than expected behind a struggling Carter Hart and faltered, recording an .889 save percentage and 3.06 GAA. However, there is reason to believe that things will be much different for the veteran in Tampa. He will have a much more reduced role for the Bolts behind workhorse Andrei Vasilevskiy, arguably the best goaltender in the NHL right now. He will also be playing behind a stout Tampa defense that just won back-to-back Stanley Cups. With less responsibility and more protection, Elliott could return to form. A veteran of 502 NHL games over 14 years, Elliott has a career save percentage of .910 and GAA of 2.53.

The value of this deal works out nicely for the cap-strapped Lightning. Barring an injury to Vasilevskiy, the Lightning do not need to ask much of their backup, yet were paying Curtis McElhinney $1.3MM for numbers that were no better than Elliott’s. Filling his vacancy with a respected vet for under $1MM is a savvy move for the team, especially when backup goalies have had high price tags today.

Jordan Martinook Re-Signs With The Carolina Hurricanes

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that versatile forward Jordan Martinook will be staying in Carolina. The deal is reported to be three years at $1.8MM. Per PuckPedia, the deal’s structure is as follows:

2021-22: $900,000
2022-23: $1,800,000
2023-24: $2,700,000

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise after it was believed that the Hurricanes and Martinook would be parting ways. However, with the departure of Warren Foegele, it seems that Carolina has reversed course. Martinook is a considered a glue guy in the locker room and with plenty of turnover already in Raleigh this off-season, it will benefit team morale to keep him around, especially on a mult-year deal.

On the ice, Martinook is likely to make that $1.8MM AAV look like a value as well. The two-way forward recorded 25 points in his first (and only) full season with Carolina and in the past two shortened seasons has scored at a similar rate. Add in his work ethic and defensive ability and you have a reliable bottom-six player making a relatively small amount. As the ’Canes continue to push for a Cup, they will likely be happy that they kept Martinook in the fold.

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

scroll to top