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Carolina Hurricanes Place Michael Fora On Unconditional Waivers

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The Carolina Hurricanes are set to open another roster spot, as they’ve placed Michael Fora on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Fora had signed with the team just this past June, but failed to make the NHL roster and only played one game for the Charlotte Checkers. The other three players on waivers from yesterday, David Ullstrom, Eric Gryba and Brian Lashoff, have all cleared.

Fora, 22, was a lottery ticket signed out of Switzerland this summer after posting an excellent season for Ambri-Piotta. The young defenseman recorded 27 points in 50 games, but had been a healthy scratch for the last few contests in Charlotte. Instead of sitting in the press box in North America, it’s likely that Fora will return to Switzerland or another European professional league.

Terminating his contract technically makes Fora available for any other team to sign, and even if he does return to Switzerland this season he’s a player to keep an eye on over the next few years. Right-shot defensemen that can move the puck effectively and have some size are in high demand in the NHL, and if he can take a few more steps in his development there will be plenty of interest.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. 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 2018-19 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.

Edmonton Oilers

Current Cap Hit: $75,521,166 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jesse Puljujarvi (one year, $925K)
F Kailer Yamamoto (three years, $894K)
D Ethan Bear (two years, $798K)

Potential Bonuses

Yamamoto: $230K
Puljujarvi: $2.5MM
Bear: $70K

Total: $2.8MM

One major need is for the Oilers to get some help from their young players. Perhaps the most intruiging prospect is Puljujarvi, the team’s fourth-overall pick in 2016. After struggling in his rookie season, Puljujarvi showed some promise last year, scoring 12 goals in 65 games, but the 20-year-old still hasn’t proved that he can be a top-six winger yet. Regardless, the Oilers have resisted trading the prospect as they have received quite a bit of attention from other teams. Yamamoto also struggled in a early-season tryout last season as he played in nine games (tallying just three assists) before being sent back to juniors. However, after scoring 21 goals in 40 games with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, the speedy Yamamoto might be ready to claim a spot on Edmonton’s roster this season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Cam Talbot ($4.17MM, UFA)
G Mikko Koskinen ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Tobias Rieder ($2MM, RFA)
G Al Montoya ($1.03MM, UFA)
D Jakub Jerabek ($1MM, UFA)
F Ty Rattie ($800K, RFA)
D Kevin Gravel ($700K, UFA)
F Jujhar Khaira ($675K, RFA)
F Pontus Aberg ($650K, RFA)

The team has many decisions to make with their goaltending next season. All three goaltenders are on one-year deals and will have to prove their value to the franchise for a new contract. Talbot will be the chief goaltender who must prove that last year’s disappointing season was a fluke as the 21-year-old went from a 2.39 GAA in 2016-17 to a dismal 3.02 GAA last year. His .919 save percentage in the 2016-17 season dropped to a .908. So which is he? If Talbot can rebound and show that he’s closer to the 2016-17 season, the team will likely lock him up for several more years, but if not the team may look elsewhere for goaltending help.

Another factor could be Koskinen’s presence. Brought over from the KHL, the 30-year-old veteran has been one of the top goalies in the KHL for the past six seasons, but whether he can make the conversion to the NHL is a whole new question. However, a good showing could change the way Edmonton looks at Talbot and his contract in one year. If neither is capable of locking down the No. 1 job, the team should find quite a few interesting names in the free agent market next season.

The team does have hopes that they can properly develop the speedy Rieder, who signed a one-year “prove it” deal, which could turn into a two-year deal considering that he’ll still be a restricted free agent next year. The 25-year-old has scored 12 or more goals for four seasons, but has never been able to take his game to another level and now is on his third organization in one year, which suggests that two organizations have given up on him. However, with his speed, he could be the perfect complement to the team’s top speed line.

Two Years Remaining

F Ryan Strome ($3.1MM, RFA)
F Zack Kassian ($1.95MM, UFA)
D Matt Benning ($1.9MM, RFA)
F Drake Caggiula ($1.5MM, RFA)
F Kyle Brodziak ($1.15MM, UFA)
D Keegan Lowe ($675K, UFA)

Strome was the key piece in the Jordan Eberle deal last offseason, but while he posted moderate numbers, he hasn’t yet proven that he will be a significant part of the future of the Oilers. The forward’s production continues to decline. The 25-year-old posted 13 goals, the same he did a year ago, but he also played a full season this year, as opposed to just 69 games in 2016-17. However, no one is quite sure what his role will be going forward although the team has two years to figure it out. Is he a top-six winger, who can put up a large number of goals or a bottom-six center? Caggiula has a similar issue. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of North Dakota, Caggiula has improved, posting 13 goals himself last year, but hasn’t been able to provide the breakout season the Oilers are looking for out of their youth. The 24-year-old struggled with consistency throughout the year as he had several significant streaks where he didn’t even register a point and disappeared on the ice, but again, the team has two more years to figure out what it has in him.

The team did add Brodziak to its roster to provide veteran depth to their roster. The 34-year-old center had a impressive year last year, posting 10 goals and 33 points, his best season since the 2011-12 season. In just his second season, Benning received a significant uptick in minutes played after several teammates went down with injuries. The 24-year-old blueliner, known for his big checks, played well, but is not likely ready for a top-four role as yet. However, with injuries already mounting, that may become inevitable.Read more

Minor Transactions: 7/15/18

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As the off-season wears on, players are feeling the pressure to make a decision. Restricted free agents have until 4pm CT tonight to accept their qualifying offers, while veterans are also beginning to feel like they should take the best offer on the table. Keep up with all of the action here:

  • CapFriendly reports that New Jersey Devils defenseman Michael Kapla has accepted his qualifying offer of a one-year, two-way deal worth $874,125 at the NHL level and $70K at the AHL level. Kapla originally signed a two-year deal with the Devils back in 2017 at the end of the NCAA season. The UMass-Lowell captain even suited up for five games with New Jersey down the stretch. However, Kapla did not make an NHL appearance last season, playing the entire campaign with the Binghamton Devils. Even in the AHL, he was overshadowed by the likes of Steven Santini and Jacob MacDonald. With MacDonald signing elsewhere and Santini likely to be full-time in New Jersey – once he signs his own contract – Kapla could be the top minor league option on the blue line for the Devils, but newcomers Eric Gryba and John Ramage may have other plans.
  • One defenseman who won’t be in the mix for any NHL teams is Evgeny Medvedev. The Russian rearguard has re-signed with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk, per a team release.  Medvedev is coming off the best season of his KHL career; the Avangard captain led the team in average time on ice and recorded a career-high 30 points in 54 games. There was some speculation that, at 35 years old, this performance might spike some interest from Medvedev in taking one last shot at the NHL. He previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015-16, but underwhelmed with just 12 points in 45 games. Whether the interest was lacking from Medvedev or the NHL market, it seems he opted to just return to Omsk and – assuming he can’t top last season as he enters the twilight of his career – is likely done with the NHL for good.

Eric Gryba, John Ramage, Kurtis Gabriel Sign With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have signed Eric Gryba to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a $700K cap hit at the NHL level. Gryba was recently bought out by the Edmonton Oilers, and will receive a salary of $300K from them in each of the next two seasons. The team has also signed defenseman John Ramage and Kurtis Gabriel to one-year, two-way contracts worth $650K at the NHL level.

Eric Gryba Expected To Sign With New Jersey

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Although he was bought out by the Oilers last month, defenseman Eric Gryba isn’t going to be out of a job for long.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (Twitter link) that the blueliner is close to signing with New Jersey.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 30-year-old split last season between Edmonton and their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.  In 21 games with the Oilers, he picked up two assists along with 31 penalty minutes while averaging 14:44 per night.  Meanwhile, in the minors, he was held off the scoresheet in 24 contests while spending 27 minutes in the penalty box.

Gryba, a veteran of 279 career NHL games between Ottawa and Edmonton, will likely battle for a spot at the back of New Jersey’s back end.  If he fails to land a spot, he’d then likely served as a top call-up option when injuries strike during the season, similar to the role he had with the Oilers in 2017-18.

Edmonton Oilers To Buy Out Eric Gryba

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We have our first buyout of the offseason, as the Edmonton Oilers have placed Eric Gryba on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. Gryba has just one year remaining on his deal worth $900K, meaning the Oilers will incur a cap charge of just $300K for each of the next two seasons. This move does bring a bit of confusion though, as playing in the minor leagues would take Gryba’s cap hit completely off the books as anything under $1.025MM is buried.

This move does save the Oilers $300K in real cash and opens up a contract spot, but is likely more of a favor to a player to allow him to pursue other opportunities. The team sent Gryba to the minor leagues last season where he spent much of the year, and it did not appear he was in their plans for this season. The 30-year old defenseman has 279 NHL games under his belt and could be an option for another team as a depth defenseman who can provide some physicality and penalty killing. There’s not a lot of upside to his game though, and it will be hard to find a full-time opportunity anywhere in the league.

The Oilers now have just over $1.6MM in cap charges from buyouts on the roster, following the expulsion of Benoit Pouliot last season. Though that’s not a debilitating amount, Edmonton is a team that needs every dollar it can get as they deal with the mega contracts for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Though this move does have some benefits, the team must be careful with their remaining cap space.

Arizona Places Emerson Etem On Unconditional Waivers

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The Arizona Coyotes have placed winger Emerson Etem on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract, according to Elliotte Friedman. The 25-year-old was signed by the Coyotes this summer, but did not make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers back on Sept. 27. He was recalled for one game this season on Oct. 11, but was a healthy scratch and was sent back down two days later. He played 16 games for the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and has had four goals and an assist.

A former first-round pick back in 2010, Etem has struggled, especially recently. He has played 173 games, but has never played what constitutes a full NHL season to date. The most NHL games he’s played in a season was back in the 2015-16 season when he played 19 games for the New York Rangers and then traded at midseason to the Vancouver Canucks, where he played another 39 games. He combined for seven goals and 15 points that year, his best in the NHL. Vancouver had hoped he would become a regular from that point on, but Etem failed to earn a spot in their lineup the following season and was placed on waivers. He was picked up by Anaheim last year, but only saw three NHL games.

Friedman also says that Edmonton Oilers defenseman Eric Gryba, who was placed on waivers Saturday, cleared. He will likely be assigned to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL unless the team finds a trade partner.

Pacific Notes: Gryba, Martin, Hjalmarsson, Goldobin

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Although the Oilers placed defenseman Eric Gryba on waivers on Friday, Postmedia’s Jim Matheson reports that the team did receive some trade interest in the veteran blueliner.  However, the teams that had interest are tight to the 50-contract limit and wanted to send a player under contract back to Edmonton.  Unfortunately for the Oilers, they’re pretty tight to the limit as well (48) and would undoubtedly prefer to either clear the contract off the books entirely via a waiver claim from elsewhere or keep him as injury insurance over accepting a minor league player of nominal value in return.  Because his waivers non-roster designation came after Friday’s waiver dispatch, he officially goes on the wire today with an announcement on whether or not he cleared coming on Sunday.

More from the Pacific:

  • Sharks blueliner Paul Martin has been a healthy scratch since being cleared to return to the lineup and head coach Peter DeBoer told Paul Gackle of the Mercury News that this will continue for the time being. San Jose is carrying eight defensemen for the time being and the expectation is that they will try to utilize all eight of them but barring injury, Martin appears to be on the outside looking in at their top-six.  With another year remaining on his contract at $4.85MM, he’s someone that they could look to try to include in a trade in the coming weeks although his lack of playing time and age (36) will make that a harder move to make.
  • Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is slated to rejoin the team for practice on Saturday, notes Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. The veteran has been out of the lineup since sustaining an upper-body injury November 28th.  One of Arizona’s key veteran acquisitions this offseason, Hjalmarsson has only played in 17 games so far in 2017-18.
  • Although the Canucks have lost a pair of Russian players back to the KHL over the last little while in Alexander Burmistrov and Nikita Tryamkin, don’t expect winger Nikolay Goldobin to follow suit. He told reporters, including Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston, that he has no plans to go back home, saying “I don’t want to go now, I’m in the NHL right now”.  Goldobin was acquired as part of the Jannik Hansen trade back near the last trade deadline and has split his time between the AHL (19 points in 18 games) and the NHL (one goal and two assists in nine contests) so far this season.

Edmonton Oilers Activate Klefbom, Place Gryba On Waivers

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The Edmonton Oilers have activated Oscar Klefbom off injured reserve, and to make room have waived Eric Gryba. Gryba wasn’t on waivers when they were reported earlier today, which means he’ll likely have to wait until Sunday to clear and be assigned to the minor leagues.

It’s a tough break for Gryba, who hasn’t suited up in the AHL since 2012-13. The 29-year old defenseman has played 21 games for the Oilers this year, and could be an option for another team around the league. Making just $900K this year and next, a big-bodied veteran could be of use for another team dealing with defensive injuries.

Getting Klefbom back is a step in the right direction for the Oilers, who still find themselves near the bottom of the Pacific Division despite better play of late. For a team that was expected to compete for the Stanley Cup, they’re in danger of dropping right out of the playoff race if they don’t get back on track quickly.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. 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 2017-18 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.

Edmonton Oilers

Current Cap Hit: $65,647,000 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Matt Benning (One year remaining, $925K)
F Drake Caggiula (One year remaining, $925K)
F Connor McDavid (One year remaining, $925K)
F Jesse Puljujarvi (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Anton Slepyshev (One year remaining, $925K)
F Kailer Yamamoto (Three years remaining, $925K)
D Darnell Nurse (One year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

McDavid: $2.85MM
Puljujarvi: $2.5MM
Nurse: $850K
Slepyshev: $600K
Caggiula: $425K
Benning: $300K
Yamamoto: $230K

Total: $7.755MM

Believe it or not, McDavid is still on the list as the Art Ross Trophy winner, Hart Memorial Trophy winner, and Ted Lindsay Award winner is on the last year of his entry-level deal. McDavid will also be listed later in the story under four year and more as McDavid signed his eight year, $100MM extension this summer and will be locked up long term regardless. More on him later …

The Oilers have high expectations for both Benning and Nurse to take that next step. With injuries mounting, both should be vaulted into bigger roles than they were last year. The 23-year-old Benning played in 62 games last year and played solidly while filling in for injured players. The 22-year-old Nurse also had a solid showing in 44 games this year. Both may be asked to jump onto top-four pairings on defense throughout the year.

Slepyshev, who suffered an ankle injury in the offseason looks close to being ready. He had 10 points in 41 games a year ago, but also scored three goals in the playoffs for Edmonton last year and many feel the 23-year-old is ready to take that next step. Caggiula, a big college player from the University of North Dakota, had seven goals and 18 points in 60 games a year ago in his first year with Edmonton and is also thought to be a player ready to make a jump.

Both Yamamoto and Puljujarvi (Edmonton’s 2017 and 2016 first-round picks, respectively) went head-to-head and battled it out for a final roster spot this training camp with Yamamoto getting the edge and Puljujarvi getting sent to Bakersfield, but don’t be surprised if Puljujarvi is back up at some point during the season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Mark Fayne ($2.6MM, UFA – team saved $1.025MM in cap relief by sending him to AHL)
F Ryan Strome ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Mark Letestu ($1.8MM, UFA)
F Patrick Maroon ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Jussi Jokinen ($1.1MM, UFA)
G Laurent Brossoit ($750K, RFA)
F Iiro Pakarinen ($725K, RFA)

Connor McDavidPerhaps the most interesting player the team must focus on will be Maroon, who had a breakout year playing next to McDavid. The 29-year-old wing scored 27 goals and has proven to be one guy who seems to play well next to McDavid. He is a presence in front of the net and a physical force for the team.

Letestu, is another player the team will have to consider. Likely to be the team’s fourth-line center, Letestu put up 16 goals last year, although that was a career high and he’s already 32 years old. Jokinen, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, put up 11 goals last year in Florida, but at 34 years old is likely not a priority to the team.

As for restricted free agents, the team will take a long look at Strome, who the team acquired in the Jordan Eberle deal. The 24-year-old center has had an inconsistent career with the New York Islanders, but put up 13 goals and 30 points last year. The Oilers hope he can keep improving on those numbers. Brossoit will get his first chance to be Talbot’s backup. The 24-year-old looked promising in eight appearances last year.

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