Headlines

  • Avalanche Sign Jared Bednar To Contract Extension
  • Philadelphia Flyers Fire Chuck Fletcher
  • Boston Bruins Extend David Pastrnak
  • Boston Bruins Acquire Tyler Bertuzzi
  • Ottawa Senators Acquire Jakob Chychrun
  • Detroit Red Wings Extend Dylan Larkin
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Fedor Tyutin

Columbus Blue Jackets Hire Jared Boll, Fedor Tyutin

September 17, 2018 at 12:13 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets have brought back some familiar faces, hiring Jared Boll and Fedor Tyutin. Boll will serve as an assistant development coach for the club, while Tyutin joins the team’s scouting staff. Both players have long histories with the Blue Jackets, though ended their careers in the Western Conference with the Anaheim Ducks and Colorado Avalanche respectively. Amazingly, Tyutin is actually still on the Blue Jackets payroll as a player, earning nearly $1.5MM this season and next as part of the buyout he was given in 2016.

The Blue Jackets have invested a lot of resources into their management and coaching teams this summer, signing several people to contract extensions and bringing in some new faces. Boll is actually only barely removed from a playing career that saw him suit up for 10 games with the Ducks last season, while Tyutin was relatively effective for the Avalanche in 2016-17. The two played a combined 17 seasons with the Blue Jackets, and will now try to help the franchise take the next step towards a Stanley Cup.

Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Fedor Tyutin| Jared Boll

1 comment

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets

August 12, 2018 at 3:52 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

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.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Current Cap Hit: $73,890,832 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Zach Werenski (one year remaining, $925K)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (two years remaining, $894K)
F Sonny Milano (one year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Dubois: $2.5MM
Werenski: $800K
Milano: $400K

Total: $3.7MM

The Blue Jackets got a big boost from Dubois who should provide the team with a top center for quite a long time as the 20-year-old had a solid rookie campaign as he posted 20 goals and 48 points. Those numbers should exponentially increase as he gets older, bigger and more comfortable in the league. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him develop into a 60-70 point player this year already. And with two years remaining, he will continue to be a bargain for some time.

Werenski had a mixed bag of a season as he saw his points totals drop from his rookie season (47 points) to his second season (37 points). Yet his goal totals increased from his rookie season (10) to his sophomore season (16). However, Werenski underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that had been causing him pain since October, suggesting he played injured all season. A fully healthy Werenski could give the team one of the top young defensemen in the league.

Milano arrived with much fanfare, but he struggled finding a permanent place in the lineup, as he often received relatively few minutes on the third line due to his struggles on defense. However, Milano showed flashes of scoring ability as the 22-year-old posted 14 goals in 55 games. With a year under his belt, Milano might be able to take those numbers to a much bigger level if he can prove he can play a two-way game for coach John Tortorella.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Sergei Bobrovsky ($7.43MM, UFA)
F Artemi Panarin ($6MM, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($2.83MM, RFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($900K, RFA)
F Lukas Sedlak ($825K, RFA)
F Alex Broadhurst ($725K, RFA)
F Markus Hannikainen ($675K, RFA)
D Scott Harrington ($675K, RFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($650K, RFA)

The biggest news all offseason is the fact that Panarin has told Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen says he’s not ready to discuss an extension. Despite the GM’s attempt to speak to Panarin to convince him to stay, it looks like Panarin wants to head elsewhere once his contract expires at the end of the season and he becomes a unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old winger posted a career-high 82 points after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, but seems to be looking to play in a city with a more diverse market. While there have been rumors that Kekalainen has been looking into trading options, little has come from it. The team may opt to wait until the trade deadline, but that could also lessen the return.

Perhaps more concerning is the contract situation with Bobrovsky. The 30-year-old goaltender is also in the final year of his contract. While there is no talk of leaving Columbus, the Blue Jackets have to be somewhat concerned about the veteran goaltender’s asking price. He will be 32 years old when his next contract takes effect, but Bobrovsky wants term, the team could be paying him until he’s 40 years old and it’s extremely likely that the goalie will take less money than the $7.43MM he’s making on this contract. However, that’s a lot of money to be handing out to an aging goaltender. Bobrovsky’s numbers are still good as he posted a 2.42 GAA and an impressive .920 save percentage in 63 games. However, his struggles in the playoffs isn’t working for him either. Regardless, the team could find itself in quite the contract negotiations in the coming summer.

Duclair is another interesting player, who signed a one-year deal after disappointing in both Arizona and Chicago. The 22-year-old opted to sign a minimum “show me” contract to prove he belongs in the NHL, but he’s struggled to produce over the years after a successful season back in 2015-16 when he potted 20 goals. Since then, he’s managed to post just 16 goals in two seasons. If he can find his game in Columbus, the Blue Jackets could still retain him as he’s a restricted free agent.Read more

Two Years Remaining

F Josh Anderson ($1.85MM, RFA)
D Dean Kukan ($725K, RFA)

With two years remaining on his deal, the team likes what it sees in Anderson, but still hopes to see even more offense. The 24-year-old did collect 19 goals this year, two more goals than his previous season and in 15 less games, so he’s improving. He also has managed to almost cut in half his penalty minutes. However, the team will need to see more offense if he wants to stay on after two years for any significant salary. Kukan, on the other hand, might be ready to take a full-time role with Columbus after the 25-year-old split time between Columbus and Cleveland of the AHL.

Three Years Remaining

F Brandon Dubinsky ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($5.5MM, UFA)
D David Savard ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Riley Nash ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Oliver Bjorkstrand ($2.5MM, RFA)

While many feel that Dubinsky still has some gas left in the tank, it’s looking more and more like his contract could prove to be an anchor to the team’s long-term salary cap success. After posting at least 12 goals and 40 points for the previous four seasons, Dubinsky tallied just six goals and 10 assists and his productivity may be at an end for the 32 year old. Unfortunately, he has three more years at $5.85MM, which are numbers handed to a second-line center, not a fourth-liner. Another poor season could see Columbus try to dump his contract as quickly as possible. Foligno is in a similar boat as he had one of the worst seasons of his career as he posted just 15 goals and 33 points. The 30-year-old also could be in decline unless he can have a bounce-back season.

The hard-hitting Savard proved to have a solid season after being separated from long-time partner Jack Johnson, but found his game after being paired with trade deadline acquisition Ian Cole. While his offensive numbers decreased (23 points down to 16 points this year), the 6-foot-2, 227-pound Savard was a solid presence on the blue line and hopefully has a few more years left in the tank. Nash should provide some veteran depth on the team’s bottom-six.

Bjorkstrand finally was handed a full-time position with Columbus as he played 82 games last season, but the 23-year-old winger delivered, posting 11 goals and 40 points with the potential to be a breakout candidate.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Cam Atkinson ($5.88MM through 2024-25)
D Seth Jones ($5.4MM through 2021-22)
F Alexander Wennberg ($4.9MM through 2022-23)
F Boone Jenner ($3.75MM through 2021-22)
D Markus Nutivaara ($2.7MM through 2021-22)

Much of the success of Columbus and its future will fall on the shoulders of Atkinson, who had a breakout season in 2016-17 with 35 goals and 62 points and was rewarded with a seven-year, $41.13MM extension. He responded with a disappointing season as he tallied 24 goals and 46 points in 65 games. He did deal with multiple injuries that may have had an effect on that season, but Atkinson must step up and prove he was worthy of that contract which kicks in this year if Columbus has any chance to take that next step and go deeper into the playoffs.

Jenner is another player who has seen his numbers drop significantly after a big season. Jenner posted a 30-goal season back in 2015-16, but has been unable to duplicate that season. The 25-year-old has managed just 31 goals in the past two years combined, but provides much-needed physicality as he has posted more than 200 hits in each of the last four seasons. Wennberg is another center who struggled with injuries all season and had a down year. After posting a 59-point season in 2016-17, he managed just 35 points and found himself playing on the team’s third line for quite a while. However, if he can remain healthy, he could easily work his way back to the team’s No. 2 center position.

Jones had a breakout season for the Blue Jackets and could, along with Werenski, be two of the top defensemen in the league. The 23-year-old boasted career highs in goals (16), assists (41) and points (57) and he continues to improve and could find himself to be a Norris Trophy candidate as soon as next year if he keeps up his play.

 

 

Buyouts

D Fedor Tyutin ($1.46MM for 2018-19 and 2019-20)
F Scott Hartnell ($3MM in 2018-19 and $1.25MM in 2019-20 and 2020-21)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Jones
Worst Value: Dubinsky

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

Columbus’ biggest problems are right in front of them and the success of their franchise may come down to Panarin’s situation. If the team trades him, they need to walk away with a solid return, so the team can move forward. Obviously, if Kekalainen can convince him to re-sign with the franchise, that would be the best-case scenario, but the team should look to trade him as soon as possible otherwise they will find themselves in similar situations to that of Erik Karlsson in Ottawa or Max Pacioretty in Montreal, as both of their values continue to shrink daily.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Alexander Wennberg| Anthony Duclair| Artemi Panarin| Boone Jenner| Brandon Dubinsky| Cam Atkinson| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dean Kukan| Erik Karlsson| Fedor Tyutin| Ian Cole| Jack Johnson| John Tortorella| Joonas Korpisalo| Josh Anderson| Markus Hannikainen| Markus Nutivaara| Max Pacioretty| Nick Foligno| Oliver Bjorkstrand| Pierre-Luc Dubois| Salary Cap| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2018

1 comment

Detroit Trades Sheahan To Pittsburgh

October 21, 2017 at 4:51 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 15 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings completed a trade that will send center Riley Sheahan and a 2018 fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for wing Scott Wilson and a 2018 third-round pick, according to Cap Friendly. The deal was originally reported by TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

A move was expected after the Red Wings reached an agreement with winger Andreas Athanasiou yesterday. The team needed to make a corresponding roster move to get under the cap before the deal with Athanasiou becomes official and this trade accomplishes that. Sheahan is making $2.075MM this year, and will be a restricted free agent next year. However, by swapping Sheahan for Wilson, who makes just $650K, it will clear enough room for Athanasiou. According to CapFriendly, the trade gives Detroit $1,470,220 in LTIR salary relief.

As for Pittsburgh, the team finally gets its long coveted center it needs for its line. The Penguins, who have been rumored to be looking for a center to fill a hole on their third line, have been mentioned in multiple rumors since the team lost Nick Bonino to Nashville and Matt Cullen to Minnesota in the offseason, including earlier talks with Detroit about Sheahan, but the team finally got their center. In the meantime, the Penguins have been using Greg McKegg and Carter Rowney on the back two lines, but Sheahan should be an upgrade. McKegg has a goal and two assists in eight games, while Rowney has a goal and one assist.

Sheahan, a former 2010 first-round pick, has been in the league for many years, but at 25, has never been able to break out like Detroit had expected. In his third full season last year, Sheahan managed just two goals and 11 assists in 80 games. His best season was in 2014-15, when he put up 13 goals and 36 points. Sheahan has zero points in eight games this season. The young center has struggled with the speed of the game, but the general belief is that the center just needs to continue to develop his offensive game.

Wilson, a fan favorite, hasn’t cracked the lineup in Pittsburgh much as he’s played in just three games so far this year with the Penguins, but is coming off a 2016-17 season in which he scored eight goals and 18 assists. As he was often a healthy scratch, the general belief is that he would eventually have to be placed on waivers with the eventual promotion of prospect Daniel Sprong.

 

 

 

Andreas Athanasiou| Bob McKenzie| Carter Rowney| Daniel Sprong| Detroit Red Wings| Fedor Tyutin| Greg McKegg| Matt Cullen| Pittsburgh Penguins| Riley Sheahan| Transactions

15 comments

The PTO Market: Defensemen

September 4, 2017 at 11:24 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With training camps now less than two weeks away, the tryout market is about to really get active.  With that in mind, here are some names to watch for and a few teams that will likely be looking to add a PTO or two on the back end in the days to come.

Players

Cody Franson – Franson is coming off of a down year with Buffalo and after overpricing himself in free agency two years ago, it’s fair to wonder if that has happened again.  If he has to go the PTO route, it’s likely he’ll look for a team that can give him the most playing time.  Chicago has been reported in the past as a team that would have interest in bringing him to camp.

John-Michael Liles – His time with Boston didn’t go as well as either side hoped for but Liles is still someone who can help with the man advantage.  He may be best suited as a 6/7 that’s in and out of the lineup which is exactly the type of player that a lot of teams sign to PTO deals at this time.

Roman Polak – The former Maple Leaf is recovering well from leg surgery and has started to skate again.  He can still play regular minutes on a third pairing and penalty kill which should have a few teams kicking the tires.

Fedor Tyutin – He didn’t have a great year with Colorado but to be fair, that can be said for a lot of Avalanche players last season.  He’s not that far removed from being a second pairing player but in the right system, he should still be able to play on a bottom pairing and contribute.

Dennis Wideman – While he’s not likely to put up 56 points again like he did two years ago, Wideman could still be a contributor on the power play while being capable of eating more minutes than others on this list.

Teams

Arizona

With Jakob Chychrun out of the lineup indefinitely (he hasn’t resumed skating yet), there’s a hole on the back end for the Coyotes.  Their top internal candidates are Joel Hanley and Andrew Campbell, players who have seen NHL action in the past but haven’t fared all that well when given the opportunity.  Alternatively, they could look to try to sign someone to a two-way contract with the hopes of sending that player to the minors when Chychrun is ready to return.

Chicago

There are likely to be a couple of spots up for grabs at training camp with prospects Gustav Forsling, Ville Pokka, and international free agent signing Jan Rutta the likely candidates vying for those positions at the moment.  As a team that has brought in veterans to try to fill out their defensive corps in recent years, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them bring someone in to compete with the youngsters and give them a bit more depth at the position.

Colorado

This one is pretty obvious.  As things stand, they have all of three regular blueliners under contract and one of those, Mark Barberio, cleared waivers at the beginning of last season (the Avs plucked him off waivers midseason).  If they can reach a deal with Nikita Zadorov, that will certainly help and youngsters like Andrei Mironov and Chris Bigras will push for spots but there is certainly room for a tryout or two…or three.

Los Angeles

The Kings have already added one PTO blueliner in Chris Lee so far but they have some unproven players that are projected to fill out their bottom couple of spots.  If they want a prospect like Paul Ladue to spend more time in the minors, they’d be a team that would want to bring a veteran in to compete for a spot.

Washington

The Capitals have lost three notable blueliners this summer in Karl Alzner, Nate Schmidt, and Kevin Shattenkirk and haven’t replaced them with any experienced players.  As things stand, they have only five rearguards with any sort of notable NHL playing time under their belts with prospects such as Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos, among others likely to push for a roster spot.  It would make sense for Washington to hedge against their prospects not being quite ready by bringing in a veteran or two.  However, there would need to be some sort of agreement in place that they’d play for close to the league minimum of $650K considering their current cap situation.

Cody Franson| Dennis Wideman| Fedor Tyutin| John-Michael Liles| Roman Polak

0 comments

Jakob Chychrun “Progressing Well”, Expected Back This Season

August 29, 2017 at 8:40 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

When young Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun underwent knee surgery earlier this month, the timeline for his return was “indefinite” and there was fear that he could miss the entire 2017-18 season. Even when new head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that Chychrun was sure to return this season, there was still skepticism. Now, Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan has heard from GM John Chayka that the sophomore rearguard’s injury is “definitely not season-ending”.

In speaking with Chayka, Morgan reports that Chychrun is “progressing really well” and that his high-end strength and conditioning has made for an expedited rehab and recovery period. Chayka did not give any details on the nature of the injury, but did day that it is very unlikely that Chychrun would be ready for the beginning of the season. It would be more like a miracle, given the extensiveness of the surgery mere weeks ago, but Chayka seemed optimistic that Chychrun would return much earlier than in most cases.

In the meantime, Chayka mentioned that 2016 AHL All-Star Kyle Wood is the early favorite for Chychrun’s roster spot and would likely fill the seventh defenseman role. This seemingly confirms that off-season addition Adam Clendening will be made a starter to begin the campaign. Chayka also mentioned that AHL veterans Joel Hanley and Andrew Campbell would be given a look and that the team is actively looking into securing a professional tryout with one or two available blue liners. Dennis Wideman, John-Michael Liles, and Fedor Tyutin lead the list of capable veteran defenseman who may be intrigued by a PTO with Arizona. The Coyotes are swimming in forward depth with many promising prospects ready to make the jump, but the same cannot be said on defense. Even with the additions of Clendening and Niklas Hjalmarsson and the eventual return of Chychrun, a PTO could turn into a major role for the right player.

Adam Clendening| Arizona Coyotes| Dennis Wideman| Fedor Tyutin| Injury| Jakob Chychrun| John Chayka| John-Michael Liles| Niklas Hjalmarsson| Rick Tocchet

1 comment

Colorado’s Holes On The Blue Line

August 6, 2017 at 11:28 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that many people expect the Colorado Avalanche to be the worst team in the NHL again next year. Those who don’t generally put them just ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights, and fighting to be better than an expansion team in their inaugural season is not exactly a great spot for a franchise. However, there was not really much that GM Joe Sakic and the Avs could do this off-season, with so few veteran players on their roster who would have value on the trade market and an understandable reluctance to trade away young talent. In a weak free agent and trade market, no one could have drastically turned the team around either. The rebuild is ongoing in Colorado and they need to take their time with it an do it right so that a 48-point season never happens again.

With that said, it still doesn’t hurt, even for a rebuilding team, to try to be more competitive by adding a veteran player or two. Sakic understands that. He has gone out and added Jonathan Bernier, one of top goalies available, to back up Semyon Varlamov following the expansion selection of Calvin Pickard. He then traded for forward Colin Wilson from the Nashville Predators for a fourth-round pick, a relative bargain but a draft pick from a rebuilding team all the same. If the team had decided to tank this season, and accept everyone’s expectations of them, they could have just handed those jobs to underwhelming prospects Spencer Martin and Rocco Grimaldi.

Why then does the Avalanche blue line look the way it does then? Even assuming that restricted free agent defenseman Nikita Zadorov re-signs with Colorado as anticipated, that would still give the team just four defenseman on one-way contracts. Zadorov, a 6’5″, 230-lb. behemoth, is just 22 and the centerpiece of the Avs defense, while Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson are talented veterans on long-term contracts. Yet, Johnson is injury-prone and Barrie often struggles in his own end. The fourth man is Mark Barberio, who was claimed off of waivers from the Montreal Canadiens last season and is penciled into a top-four role next season despite regularly playing bottom-pair minutes before arriving in Colorado. Beyond those four, not the most inspiring blue line corps in the NHL by any means, the bottom pair would likely be occupied by AHL veterans Anton Lindholm and Duncan Siemens, who were -10 with zero points in a combined 15 games last year. Other options include Chris Bigras, who has just one NHL game under his belt, first-year pro Andrei Mironov, and free agent addition David Warsofsky. 

Sakic was willing to solidify his net and his forward corps and needs to do the same for his blue line. Zadorov, Barrie, and Johnson are fine for a top three, though each have their issues, and Barberio is a suitable starter. No one will blame the Avs for moving on from aging and ineffective veterans Francois Beauchemin and Fedor Tyutin, but might the team at least look into bringing back one of Eric Gelinas or Cody Goloubef, who both remain unsigned? Even that may not be enough. The obvious top choice would have to be Cody Franson, the top free agent defenseman left on the market. Franson may be a right-handed shot like Barrie and Johnson, but no doubt could help this team and play a major role. Franson could be especially helpful in re-booting an Avs power play that ranked dead last in 2016-17. Another player who could help in that department and with moving the puck could be Dennis Wideman. The veteran rearguard was once a prominent possession defenseman like Barrie and could give a boost to a Colorado offense that is often stagnant. If the Avalanche are shying away from older players like Wideman, they could take a chance on the oft-injured, but talented Simon Despres or on the unproven Jyrki Jokipakka instead. A big move that could be in play if they wanted to take the risk: an offer sheet to young New Jersey Devils puck-mover Damon Severson. Severson had a breakout year last season and looks to be a bona fide top-four offensive defenseman. The Devils are in a similarly rough shape on their blue line and would likely match any deal offered, but it could be worth a shot for the Avalanche, who could desperately use a promising young defender, even with future star Cale Makar coming down the road.

There are many options open to Sakic and the Avalanche and hopefully they find an avenue they like and take it. No one is expecting a rebuilding team to sell off pieces for a premiere defenseman, but they do expect Colorado to at least make an effort to field an NHL-caliber defense. At this point in time, the Avs don’t have that. No one wants to see another 48-point season in Denver. It’s time for Sakic to take action.

AHL| Cale Makar| Cody Franson| Cody Goloubef| Colin Wilson| Colorado Avalanche| Damon Severson| Dennis Wideman| Eric Gelinas| Erik Johnson| Fedor Tyutin| Francois Beauchemin| Injury| Joe Sakic| Jonathan Bernier| Jyrki Jokipakka| Mark Barberio| New Jersey Devils| Nikita Zadorov| Prospects

0 comments

Dead Space: Bought-Out, Buried, And Retained Salaries For Every Team

July 24, 2017 at 7:13 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 3 Comments

It’s something that often goes unnoticed, but with the cap showing minimal growth the last few years, teams are starting to feel the crunch more than ever. Buyouts have become more common, especially with players with under three remaining years on their contracts. And it’s not just the big name busts that have seen the ax lately – we’ve seen lesser names at lesser money take the fall for their respective teams, then needing to scramble for work elsewhere in the league. Additionally, salary retention in trades has become a more utilized tactic as of late. Teams with “unmovable” contracts have offered to retain part of a poor contract in order to entice a team into giving them some relief.

All this said, some teams have been better with foresight than others. Some teams have shown a track record of being entirely unable of handing out poor contracts over the past five or so seasons. Considering many teams showed some progress in being more frugal this off-season, it seems a wise time to review the dead space every team has accumulated, either due to poor management decisions or poor luck.

Colorado Avalanche – $4.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Francois Beauchemin buyout; Cody McLeod retained

Arizona Coyotes – $4.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Mike Smith retained; Mike Ribeiro, Antoine Vermette buyouts

Columbus Blue Jackets – $4.025 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Fedor Tyutin, Jared Boll, Scott Hartnell buyouts

Carolina Hurricanes – $3.71 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Eddie Lack retained; Alexander Semin, James Wisniewski buyouts

Toronto Maple Leafs – $3.28 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Tim Gleason, Jared Cowen buyouts; Phil Kessel retained

Nashville Predators – $2.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom, Barret Jackman buyouts

Boston Bruins – $2.73 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved 2019-20 – Dennis Seidenberg, Jimmy Hayes buyouts

New York Rangers – $2.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2022-23 – Dan Girardi buyout

Minnesota Wild – $2.5 MM in 2017-17, issues resolved after current year – Thomas Vanek buyout

Los Angeles Kings – $2.4 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Matt Greene buyout; Mike Richards termination/recapture

Edmonton Oilers – $2.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Lauri Korpikoski, Benoit Pouliot buyouts

Anaheim Ducks – $2.21 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mark Fistric, Simon Despres buyouts; Patrick Maroon retained

Vancouver Canucks – $2.13 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Roberto Luongo, Jannik Hansen retained; Chris Higgins buyout

New Jersey Devils – $2.09 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mike Cammalleri, Devante Smith-Pelly buyouts; Ilya Kovalchuk recapture

Tampa Bay Lightning – $1.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2019-20 – Matt Carle buyout

Calgary Flames – $1.82 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mason Raymond, Lance Bouma, Ryan Murphy buyouts

Detroit Red Wings – $1.67 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Stephen Weiss buyout

Dallas Stars – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19- Antti Niemi buyout

Philadelphia Flyers – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – R.J. Umberger buyout

Winnipeg Jets – $1.46 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mark Stuart buyout

Florida Panthers – $1.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Jussi Jokinen buyout

Las Vegas Golden Knights – $1.1 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Alexei Emelin retained

Ottawa Senators – $350,000 in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Andrew Hammond buried

Buffalo Sabres – Minimal in 2017-18, increased issues ($791,00) resolved after 2022-23 – Cody Hodgson buyout

 

 

Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks,  Montreal Canadiens – No dead cap space

After compiling the list, it became clear that utilizing these options isn’t a complete hindrance to competing in the NHL. In fact, most clubs have between $1 MM and $3 MM in dead space. That said, of the teams that have not needed to utilize the buyout or retention options, there has been a great deal of success. And among the five worst offenders, the Leafs, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Avalanche, and Coyotes, none has moved past the first-round in multiple years. It’s hard to draw massive conclusions without taking the context of each individual situation into account, but there is something to be said for making every dollar of cap space count. Perhaps this is merely a byproduct of past success rather than an indicator of future success, but considering how amenable many managers have become to the option, it bears consideration.

(All totals courtesy of the fantastic CapFriendly.com)

Alexei Emelin| Anaheim Ducks| Andrew Hammond| Antoine Vermette| Antti Niemi| Arizona Coyotes| Barret Jackman| Benoit Pouliot| Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Chicago Blackhawks| Chris Higgins| Cody McLeod| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Dan Girardi| Dennis Seidenberg| Detroit Red Wings| Devante Smith-Pelly| Eddie Lack| Edmonton Oilers| Eric Nystrom| Fedor Tyutin| Florida Panthers| Francois Beauchemin| Ilya Kovalchuk| James Wisniewski| Jannik Hansen| Jared Boll| Jared Cowen| Jimmy Hayes| Jussi Jokinen| Lance Bouma| Las Vegas| Lauri Korpikoski| Los Angeles Kings| Mason Raymond| Matt Carle| Matt Greene| Mike Cammalleri| Mike Ribeiro| Mike Richards| Mike Smith| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| NHL| Ottawa Senators| Patrick Maroon| Phil Kessel| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| San Jose Sharks| St. Louis Blues| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals| Winnipeg Jets

3 comments

Colorado Has Room To Fill Out Organization, Take Risks

July 23, 2017 at 4:57 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche are at a bit of a crossroads, one that could play out in a number of different ways. As of this date in late July, the Avs only have 35 players locked into organizational contracts, with only 3 RFAs left to sign. Those players are Matt Nieto (who filed for arbitration, scheduled on July 31), Nikita Zadorov, and Rocco Grimaldi. Assuming they do sign all three, they are 12 players beneath the maximum 50 allowable contracts. For a team that completely lost the rails last season in the worst post-lockout season yet, this might be a cause for alarm. But it’s also an opportunity.

GM Joe Sakic has drawn lots of fire from around the league on his handling of the Matt Duchene trade sweepstakes. Many believe he has asked for too much in return or has been unrealistic about the player’s worth. That said, he still has a highly dynamic center on a reasonable contract who has every possibility of recouping some of his value come September. Ultimately, however, we might judge Sakic by his reluctance to re-sign aging players and to move on from veteran names. Although scoring will almost certainly take a hit, when in the midst of a dismal rebuild, it’s generally unwise to block roster positions from prospects.

Sakic let Francois Beauchemin (37), Rene Bourque (35), Fedor Tyutin (34), and John Mitchell (32) all walk, in addition to 8 other players. He unloaded Jarome Iginla (40) at the trade deadline for a pick, and sniped up David Warsofsky, Jonathan Bernier, and Nail Yakupov to relatively cheap deals this off-season. While none of these moves is particularly shocking, it shows that management is on the correct page when it comes to getting younger and embracing the inevitable tank. It will undoubtedly be a tough season again in Denver, but there does seem to be a plan starting to finally coalesce.

Perhaps what is most imperative from here forward, is that after figuratively clearing the deck, the organization fills the gaps with players that make long-term sense. Sakic should make a serious endeavor to fill remaining roster contracts to players on the right side of 30, preferably those who will provide solid production at the AHL level, who might have some chance of eventually becoming contributors. If he’s particularly sensible, Sakic would seek out as many young, undrafted college and overseas players with upside as he can. Conor Sheary type players are difficult to find, but every season it seems one or two players comes out of nowhere. Sakic should be beating the bushes for unknown quantities to fill out San Antonio. The Rampage finished with only 27 wins last season, which only made the defeated fanbase’s outlook bleaker. With the Avalanche looking primed to find themselves in the Central’s basement once again, it would be wise to build a competent squad down in the minors and hope that a winning mindset floats upward.

Notably, the Avalanche are thin on defense. They’ll need to rely upon unproven youngsters on the bottom pairing, as Zadorov, Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie, and Mark Barberio, and Warsofsky are the only players with over 100 NHL games played. None inspires a ton of confidence. Anton Lindholm has 12 games experience, Duncan Siemens has 4, and Chris Bigras has 31. Andrei Mironov, 22 and coming over from Dynamo Moscow, will have a solid crack at a spot, but it’s too early to tell how well he’ll adapt to the North American game. If Sakic were to add another NHL body, it would almost surely be on the left side.

An important component of any franchise which can go unnoticed is the depth signings at the AHL level, in addition to drafting and scouting. Sakic has given himself the leeway to build a supporting cast as he sees fit, and now we will merely need to wait and see what path he decides to take.

AHL| Arbitration| Colorado Avalanche| Erik Johnson| Fedor Tyutin| Francois Beauchemin| Jarome Iginla| John Mitchell| Jonathan Bernier| Mark Barberio| Matt Duchene| Matt Nieto| Nail Yakupov| NHL| Players| Prospects| RFA| Schedule

0 comments

Course Adjustment For Colorado

May 7, 2017 at 4:27 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 2 Comments

Colorado needs to determine the road ahead for its franchise. The unexpected plummet to the 4th overall pick in the draft lottery did not help matters, to be sure, but the Avalanche need more than a Nolan Patrick to catapult them back into contention. The team has lacked identity for years and a team philosophy is hard to isolate. The team finished a league worst 22 wins, good for an embarrassingly bad 48 points. They were not expected to be serious cup contenders coming into the year, but this is a team that had veteran scorers and a decent goaltending duo to back up their young forward core. Yet they finished in dead last in both offensive and defensive categories – 1.74 goals for per 60, and 2.93 goals against. With such an incredible disparity it’s actually impressive they won as many contests as they did.

GM Joe Sakic needs to determine which pieces of his core (if any) are worth keeping. It seems probable that the team could consider trading away its captain in Gabriel Landeskog, and the case for doing so is strong. He potted only 18 goals and 15 assists this season, his 5th full campaign – at the exorbitant price of $5.5 MM (which will become $6 MM next season). The center has never developed into the offensive threat the franchise had hoped when he was selected 2nd overall in 2011. His point totals have dropped for the second season in a row. However, his Corsi For % was actually his career best at 52.8, and on a team that bled goals and chances, he performed admirably in his own end. Whether he is worth his deal is certainly a less pressing issue than stopping the bleeding. Unless an over-payment comes along the Avalanche would be wise to stick out at least another season with the still-promising left wing.

Speedy forward Matt Duchene is two years older, and fared only marginally better, with 18 goals and 23 assists. Duchene is not physically imposing a 5’11”, and he is more effective on the rush. His speed and versatility are his greatest assets. Duchene’s skating can burn defenders and his skating is among the tops in the league. When considering that the quick and fleet-footed Nathan MacKinnon is also on the team, it seems that Colorado might want to double down on the speed aspect of their negligible identity. Duchene would almost certainly draw more interest than Landeskog, as the forward did pot 30 goals just the previous season. Although the talk seems distant now, there was considerable conversation following the 2009 draft that the Islanders would have done better to draft Duchene than John Tavares. This is a player who can make a meaningful difference on the playmaking side of things, but saw a drastic drop off in play. Trading Duchene seems the most logical option, but his departure will only leave the center ice position more lackluster.

The Avalanche could toy with moving RFA center Mikhail Grigorenko, or RFA defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, but the returns after last season would be marginal at best. One can only assume that Sakicc attempted to unload forwards like Blake Comeau ($2.5 MM), and now UFA defenseman Fedor Tyutin to no avail. Thankfully the well-worn Jarome Iginla was shipped off to Los Angeles and there are indeed older players coming off the books. The 35 year-old Rene Bourque and 32 year-old John Mitchell will both be UFAs and will have difficulty finding work next season in the league.

Ultimately, the problem for the Avalanche wasn’t that their stars didn’t produce, although that certainly didn’t help their goal totals. Their team was filled with washed-up veterans and outside of the big 3 on offense there was really no threat to score. On the backend, once Erik Johnson went down, the rest of the defense was not nearly good enough to keep up. Tyson Barrie is the only player who should feel remotely safe, and the young RFA Nikita Zadorov is likely to hang around. Francois Beauchemin is not the defender he was even two seasons ago, and if he could somehow be traded it would help performance substantially.

Trading away the #4 selection is usually an unthinkable notion with a team at this stage of a rebuild, but if they can move it for substantial help on defense or on the wing, it should be considered. Especially considering how mediocre this draft class is, it might turn out to be a prudent maneuver. One of Landeskog or Duchene seems likely to depart, but without a king’s ransom coming back, it’s not likely to alter long-term prospects for the franchise. Colorado simply needs to draft better, develop better, and find a coach with the structure that a young, struggling squad will need. If they could make a serious pitch to Karl Alzner this off-season, or perhaps even Thomas Vanek on the wing, they would be in a better position to compete on a nightly basis. Their offensive stars are unlikely to be quite as dreadful in points production yet again. Perhaps the most positive aspect of the upcoming season will be the infusion of youth from the minor leagues, and the ditching of dead weight up and down the lineup. Sakic will need to provide stability for the franchise and perhaps even display some patience rather than dumping a slumping offensive talent for a lackluster package. Although fans may wish for change at any cost, ditching their core players for scraps is not likely the best way forward. Whatever course Colorado decides to take, fans around the league will be watching with interest this summer.

Blake Comeau| Colorado Avalanche| Erik Johnson| Fedor Tyutin| Francois Beauchemin| Gabriel Landeskog| Jarome Iginla| Joe Sakic| Joe Sakic| John Mitchell| John Tavares| Karl Alzner| Matt Duchene| Mikhail Grigorenko| Nathan MacKinnon| Nolan Patrick| Patrick Wiercioch| Players| Prospects| Rene Bourque| RFA| Thomas Vanek| Tyson Barrie

2 comments

Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Central Division

March 1, 2017 at 8:28 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and while it wasn’t the most exciting deadline day in recent memory, there were quite a few notable moves. Here are the winners and losers of the “wild” Central Division:

Winners

Chicago Blackhawks:

  • Acquired Tomas Jurco from Detroit Red Wings for 2017 third-round pick
  • Acquired Johnny Oduya from Dallas Stars for conditional 2018 fourth-round pick and Mark McNeill

Of course the Blackhawks are winners on deadline day. Did you expect any less? Although they didn’t make any major moves, Chicago brought in two players via trade that can help them immediately. Oduya, a former Blackhawk, is still familiar with the system and has played with many of the current players. Oduya should be able to step in right away, play major minutes, and form a shutdown pair with Niklas Hjalmarsson (when he’s healthy). Just like the good ’ol days. Meanwhile, like nearly any forward, Jurco has a skill set that will fit in well with Chicago’s star forwards and for just the cost of a third-rounder, could represent a long-term fit with the Blackhawks.

Dallas Stars:

  • Acquired conditional 2017 second-round pick from Anaheim Ducks for Patrick Eaves
  • Acquired 2017 fourth-round pick and Greg Pateryn from Montreal Canadiens for Jordie Benn
  • Acquired conditional 2018 fourth-round pick and Mark McNeill from Chicago Blackhawks for Johnny Oduya
  • Acquired Dillon Heatherington from Columbus Blue Jackets for Lauri Korpikoski

The Stars are a tough team to place at the 2017 deadline. They are in the midst of an unforeseen epic collapse of a season and have done well to trade their impending free agents. If Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, and Adam Cracknell weren’t all hurt, Dallas would be a deadline loser for not moving them. As it stands, they did hold on to Jiri Hudler, but traded their three other healthy upcoming UFAs. Eaves earned them great value in return and Korpikoski, a late off-season addition, nets a promising young defenseman in Heatherington. Even McNeill and a fourth-rounder for Oduya is a pretty good deal. So for those three moves anyway, GM Jim Nill did well. With that said, the Benn trade was ill-timed and doesn’t make your team better. Benn still had term on his contract and was the team’s best defensive defenseman and, of course, captain Jamie Benn’s older brother. Dallas will likely regret that move. The Stars are teetering on the edge of winner and loser, but they’ve been through enough this season, so we’ll call them winners.

Read more

Minnesota Wild:

  • Acquired Martin Hanzal, Ryan White, and a 2017 fourth-round pick from Arizona Coyotes for 2017 first-round pick, 2018 second-round pick, conditional 2019 fourth-round pick, and Grayson Downing
  • Acquired “future considerations” from Arizona Coyotes for Teemu Pulkkinen

The Wild did give up a lot to get the big Coyotes pivot Hanzal. This trade could even turn out to be a disaster. For now though, Minnesota has to be a winner for going out and getting the top forward on the trade block. Many expected the Wild to be quiet at the deadline and instead they swooped in and stole Hanzal right out from underneath several other hungry contenders. The move gives Minnesota undeniable depth down the middle for the stretch run and postseason and may just make all the difference in the playoffs this time around. If the Wild win the Stanley Cup in 2017, no one will be that worried about losing three years of high picks.

St. Louis Blues:

  • Acquired 2017 first-round pick, conditional 2019 draft pick, Zach Sanford, and Brad Malone from Washington Capitals for Kevin Shattenkirk and Pheonix Copley

The hardest thing for a GM to do is to trade an impending free agent star in the middle of a playoff race. Doug Armstrong deserves a lot of credit for having the guts to move Shattenkirk with the Blues in the thick of the Western Conference wild card race. Could he have gotten more for Shattenkirk this summer or even earlier this season? Yes. However, the return he ended up getting is a strong one, especially considering the Capitals see Shattenkirk as a rental instead of a long-term investment. The 2017 pick and Sanford will help St. Louis to rebuild on the fly. After moving Shattenkirk, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see the Blues target some extra help on the blue line or use the cap space on a rental scorer, but neither of those players would put St. Louis over the top as a contender this season, so no use wasting capital.

Losers

Colorado Avalanche:

  • Acquired Brendan Ranford from Arizona Coyotes for Joe Whitney
  • Acquired conditional 2018 fourth-round pick from Los Angeles Kings for Jarome Iginla
  • Acquired Sven Andrighetto from the Montreal Canadiens for Andreas Martinsen

If you’re looking for the trade deadline’s biggest loser look no further; not because they held on to Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog – those are more of off-season deals – but because they held on to almost everyone else. When you’re the worst team in the league (by a mile) what reason do you have to not trade any impending free agent that has any value at all? Joe Sakic succeeded in moving Iginla, to his credit, but sat on his hands regarding a multitude of other pieces. It’s hard to believe that no one made a suitable offer for any of Blake Comeau, Joe Colborne, John Mitchell, Rene Bourque, Fedor Tyutin, or Patrick Wiercioch. If any of those players could have been moved for picks or prospects, it would have benefited the franchise. Instead, a team with just 37 points on the year will head into the 2017 NHL Draft with just seven picks.

Nashville Predators:

  • Acquired P.A. Parenteau from New Jersey Devils for 2017 sixth-round pick

Parenteau is a nice player and GM David Poile got him on sale due to his injury in giving away just a sixth-rounder. Nashville simply needed more at the deadline. The team has won four in a row and is playing perhaps their best hockey of the season right now. However, many expected them to be much better than their current pace. In it’s current composition, the Predators would likely be a long-shot to knock off the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs, and that’s if they can hold off the St. Louis Blues for that divisional spot. Scoring is an issue in Nashville and the team needed a bona fide top-six scorer, which Parenteau (and his 27 points) is not. If anyone was going to make a big play for an Evander Kane, Tyler Johnson, or one of Colorado’s two stars, it would have been Nashville. Instead, Poile decided to play it safe and it could come back to bite him.

Winnipeg Jets:

  • Acquired conditional sixth-round pick from Boston Bruins for Drew Stafford

Luckily, the Jets at least made one move at the last minute, or they would have been even bigger losers. Winnipeg is out of the playoff race and should have been all-out sellers. They don’t have much in the way of trade capital, but they certainly have more than just Stafford. Did they offer up impending UFA forward Chris Thorburn? How about cast-off goalie Ondrej Pavelec? Did they dangle Shawn Matthias? Did they push Mathieu Perreault or Toby Enstrom? It was all quiet on the Winnipeg front today. No team was less involved in the deadline than the Jets, at least until half an hour or so after it was over. It’s unclear what GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s plan was today, but hopefully this wasn’t it.

Adam Cracknell| Ales Hemsky| Andreas Martinsen| Blake Comeau| Brendan Ranford| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Dallas Stars| David Poile| Drew Stafford| Fedor Tyutin| Gabriel Landeskog| Jamie Benn| Jarome Iginla| Jim Nill| Jiri Hudler| Joe Sakic| Joe Whitney| John Mitchell| Johnny Oduya| Jordie Benn| Kevin Shattenkirk| Lauri Korpikoski| Mark McNeill| Martin Hanzal| Mathieu Perreault| Matt Duchene| Minnesota Wild| Nashville Predators| Niklas Hjalmarsson| Ondrej Pavelec| Patrick Eaves| Patrick Sharp| Patrick Wiercioch| Pheonix Copley| St. Louis Blues| Winnipeg Jets

4 comments
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Avalanche Sign Jared Bednar To Contract Extension

    Philadelphia Flyers Fire Chuck Fletcher

    Boston Bruins Extend David Pastrnak

    Boston Bruins Acquire Tyler Bertuzzi

    Ottawa Senators Acquire Jakob Chychrun

    Detroit Red Wings Extend Dylan Larkin

    New York Rangers Acquire Patrick Kane

    Edmonton Oilers Acquire Mattias Ekholm

    Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty

    New Jersey Devils Acquire Timo Meier

    Recent

    Detroit Red Wings Sign William Wallinder

    Nashville Predators Place Jordan Gross On Waivers

    Philadelphia Flyers Sign Emil Andrae

    Snapshots: Three Stars, Scott, Potential GMs/Coaches

    Penguins Notes: Jarry, Petry, Bonino

    Columbus Blue Jackets Issue Injury Updates

    St. Louis Blues Reassign Joel Hofer

    East Injury Notes: Sabres, Bastian, Aho, Joseph

    Florida Panthers Extend Zac Dalpe

    Five Key Stories: 3/20/23 – 3/26/23

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Coyotes Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

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

    scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version