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Jesper Bratt

Mid-Tier Restricted Free Agents Still Waiting On Contracts

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According to many of the reports that have surfaced over the past few days, an NHL season is expected to start on January 13. That means training camp is just a few weeks away and teams only have that time—which includes the holiday season—to get deals done with their restricted free agents. Sure, everyone knows about the negotiations with Mathew Barzal, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Anthony Cirelli, three players who have grown into NHL stars, but there are many other mid-tier RFAs that are still waiting on contracts too.

Dylan Strome should perhaps have more ink spilled over his ongoing negotiations, given he is a third-overall pick that has scored 89 points in 106 games since coming to the Chicago Blackhawks. For some reason—perhaps because of the stardom of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews or the up-and-coming status of Kirby Dach—Strome seems to get lost a bit when writing about the Blackhawks. That’s a mistake. The 6’3″ center is still only 23 years old could very well still become the difference-maker that many believe he would when he was picked so high in 2015. Even if he doesn’t ever reach that first-line role, Strome is still an extremely valuable player to the Blackhawks and needs a new deal.

Think back to the start of the 2017-18 season and remember, when a barely 19-year-old sixth-round pick made his entrance. Jesper Bratt, a late-round flier for the New Jersey Devils, played so well in training camp that he earned a roster spot and then scored six points in his first three NHL games. It’s a few unspectacular years later, but Bratt is still not one to be completely overlooked. Now just 22, he has 100 points in 185 career games including a strong 16-goal effort in 60 games last season. It’s not just Bratt either, the Devils also have Mackenzie Blackwood to sign, their goaltender of the future.

One of the more interesting mid-tier names to follow is Ethan Bear, who really stood out as a potential star on the Edmonton Oilers blueline last season. The 23-year-old doesn’t have a lot of leverage after playing just 89 games to this point in his career, but the Oilers would do well to lock him up before a true breakout. Of course, Edmonton doesn’t have any cap space at the moment and will need to make a transaction of some sort to even fit Bear in. Oscar Klefbom’s status likely has a lot to do with the holdup, as the veteran defenseman is expected to miss a good chunk of the season. Placing him on long-term injured reserve would give the Oilers room to sign Bear, but the team could be waiting for the mechanics of the cap in a shortened COVID-19 season to be sorted out before making any moves.

Perhaps most interesting (at least to this writer), is the situation with Casey Mittelstadt and the Buffalo Sabres. Picked eighth overall in 2017, this is a make-or-break year for the young forward, who hasn’t at all established himself at the NHL level to this point. Mittelstadt did play in 77 games during the 2018-19 season but was often overwhelmed by more experienced players at even-strength and ended up with just 25 points—ten of them on the powerplay. This year he split the season between the NHL and AHL, and though he did find some success in the minor leagues, he wasn’t the dominant playmaking force that many expected. Instead, he scored just 25 points in 36 games, finishing close to the very bottom of the roster at -15.

For a player like Mittelstadt, what is the answer here? The AHL isn’t even guaranteed to have a season at this point and a full year of taxi service—traveling but rarely playing with the improved Sabres—seems counterproductive for his development. It’s not often that a trip overseas is a good thing for a high draft pick three years into his professional career, but it’s easy to see how a full year playing abroad could have been more beneficial to Mittelstadt than whatever this season holds. Given his complete lack of leverage, you would expect him to be signed already, but alas, he’s now nine months from his last competitive game and it’s not clear when his next one will be.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

New Jersey Devils Issue Qualifying Offers

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The New Jersey Devils have issued qualifying offers to Mackenzie Blackwood, Jesper Bratt, Joey Anderson, Nick Merkley and Colton White, keeping them in the organization. The team did not qualify John Hayden or Mirco Mueller, meaning both players will become unrestricted free agents on Friday.

The five that were qualified don’t come as much of a surprise, but figuring out contract extensions with Blackwood and Bratt should be a priority for GM Tom Fitzgerald this offseason. The 23-year-old Blackwood has established himself as the team’s starting goaltender after posting a .916 save percentage across his first 70 appearances. Bratt meanwhile scored 16 goals this season, trailing only Kyle Palmieri and the departed Blake Coleman for the team lead.

It’s Hayden and Mueller that may raise some eyebrows, as both were regulars for the Devils this year. Hayden, a third-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, suited up 43 times for the Devils this year but scored just three goals. He was arbitration-eligible and could have secured a bigger deal than his qualifying offer, but with only 11 goals and 26 points in 156 games it is not like he was going to break the bank.

Mueller meanwhile was a first-round pick back in 2013 by the San Jose Sharks and has spent the last three seasons with the Devils. In 2019-20 he played 50 games for the team on a one-year $1.4MM contract, meaning his qualifying offer would have cost them the same amount.

Perhaps the team is just ready to move on, or perhaps this is another example of finances playing a part in the team’s decisions this offseason. Most have expected a few extra names to go unqualified, adding to a big free agent pool.

Metropolitan Notes: Andersson, Crosby, Devils Injuries, Farabee

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New York Rangers team president John Davidson emphasized to reporters Friday that the team has not begun divorce proceedings with prospect Lias Andersson, who has been suspended after requesting a trade on Dec. 21 and leaving the team, and now is sitting in Sweden. In fact Davidson said he wants to speak to him one-on-one to see what the real issue is that he opted to leave the team, according to Newsday’s Denis Gorman.

“It’s a really hard one to figure out until you really end up talking to Lias,” Davidson said before practice at the MSG Training Facility on Friday. “I’ve gone and done a lot of research. I can’t figure out exactly what the issue is other than disappointment.”

Davidson said he has already tried to reach out to Andersson personally, but the prospect has chosen to allow his agents to handle things and he has failed to speak to him up until now. He hopes to get an opportunity to talk to him soon, but also noted that a trip to Sweden won’t be happening any time soon.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins may be playing well, but the team might be getting a big boost as star Sidney Crosby could be ready to go on Sunday against Arizona, although it still remains up in the air, according to TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh. Crosby practiced Saturday without limitations and participated in line rushes alongside right wing Patric Hornqvist and both Jared McCann and Dominik Simon on the left wing. He also practiced on the top power play unit. Crosby, however, was noncommittal about returning on Sunday. “I haven’t ruled out anything,” Crosby said. “But I haven’t really discussed it that much. I just got off the ice here.” Crosby has been out since Nov. 9 after having core muscle surgery.
  • NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, who isn’t starting Saturday due to an upper-body injury, shouldn’t be out long-term, according to head coach Alain Nasreddine. “We don’t have a concern that it will be long term,” Nasreddine said. “So it’s just precautionary and is getting evaluated.” The team also hopes that rookie Jack Hughes is skating again, but isn’t just ready to return, meaning he will miss his fifth-straight game Saturday with an upper-body injury. However, Ryan adds that forward Jesper Bratt, who has missed three games after blocking a shot with his foot, is ready to return Saturday.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said that while rookie forward Joel Farabee has struggled for a while now, it doesn’t look like the team intends to return the 19-year-old to the AHL any time soon. Farabee, who has tallied just one goal in his last 27 games and has been demoted to the fourth line, will likely stay due to his penalty killing abilities. “I’d like him to score [more] and get a little more confidence, but he’s got a lot of attributes,” Vigneault said. “There are a lot of things he does with the puck and without the puck that we like, so we’re going to stick with him.”

Leafs’ Ilya Mikheyev Out At Least Three Months Following Wrist Laceration

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4:57 PM — CapFriendly reports that the Maple Leafs did not have cap space to recall both Kenny Agostino and Timothy Liljegren earlier today. In fact, the team was $558,816 short of getting both under the cap, which forced them to place Mikheyev on long-term injured reserve, giving Toronto an extra $925K to work with.

9:27 AM — Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev suffered a scary injury on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils when the skate of Jesper Bratt sliced his right wrist. Mikheyev skated off the ice under his own power, but left a trail of blood in his wake. He was immediately transported to a local Newark hospital for treatment, where he still remains. While Mikheyev was stable by the end of the night, there was no immediate word on the extent of his injury.

That word has come down this morning from agent Dan Milstein, echoed by Toronto, and it is a worst-case scenario for the Leafs. Milstein revealed that Mikheyev not only suffered damage to the artery in his wrist, but also the tendons. He underwent surgery to repair both and is expected to make a full recovery. However, Milstein states that he will not be re-evaluated for 90 days, at which time the Maple Leafs will be able to reveal a more accurate timeline. The earliest that the talented winger can return would potentially be late March, but it is more likely that he is done for at least the regular season, if not longer.

Mikheyev, 25, is in his first season in the NHL after leaving the KHL behind to sign a one-year, entry-level contract with Toronto. At a price point of just $925K, Mikheyev had already proven to be a bargain addition for the Leafs, recording 23 points in his first 39 games. The team will have to find a way to replace the production of a player on pace for nearly 50 points on the year.

 

Morning Notes: Three Stars, Sabourin, Gusev

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and at the top of the heap is the reigning Calder Trophy winner. Elias Pettersson had nine points in four games for the Vancouver Canucks—one of which he was held scoreless entirely—and now sits sixth in the entire league in scoring. The 21-year old is a huge part of the turnaround in Vancouver that has the Canucks sitting in third place in the Western Conference with a 9-3-2 record.

Second and third went to Jakub Vrana and Mike Smith respectively, an impressive resurgence for the 37-year old goaltender especially. Smith struggled last season with the Calgary Flames but has found new life with their rival Edmonton Oilers, posting a .931 save percentage through his first nine games. The Oilers are one of the only teams ahead of the Canucks in the west, thanks in large part to the goaltending tandem that has been excellent so far.

  • There is more good news for Scott Sabourin, who has been released from hospital and is now back in Ottawa recuperating. The 27-year old appears to have avoided major injury after a scary collision with Boston Bruins’ forward David Backes on Saturday night that left him unconscious for several minutes on the ice.
  • Nikita Gusev is expected to return to the lineup for the New Jersey Devils when they take on the Winnipeg Jets tonight, but is still someone to keep an eye on as the season progresses. Gusev was made a healthy scratch the last three games by head coach John Hynes, but will now get a chance to play thanks to an injury to Jesper Bratt. Bratt will not be traveling with the team to Winnipeg according to team reporter Amanda Stein, but could join them later on their Western Canada road trip.

Rangers, Islanders, Devils Interested In Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba

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While there are rumored to be many teams that have expressed interest in Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba, the New York area could be his eventual destination as the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils have been the most aggressive teams in pursuit of the young defenseman, according to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks.

Each team could truly use the 25-year-old Trouba, who hasn’t expressed any desire to sign a long-term deal with the Jets, and with him being one year away from unrestricted free agency, the Jets are expected to move the talented blueliner. However, Brooks writes that he’s heard from multiple sources that Winnipeg has not given permission to inquiring clubs to speak with Trouba’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, about a long-term contract, which could run as high as seven years and $7.5MM.

All three teams, however, would have the cap room to make a commitment to Trouba with all three teams having the assets to make a deal happen, although the price is expected to be costly. The Jets are reportedly asking for a first-round pick and two top prospects or two young NHL players, likely signed to low-cost contracts. That is likely to be exactly what they’ll get as Trouba, a 6-foot-3, 202-pound blueliner had a breakout season offensively with a career high 50 points last season, including 42 assists, which was ninth in the league for defensemen.

The Rangers already have the Jets’ first-round pick in next week’s draft (#20 overall), acquired in the Kevin Hayes trade, and could offer a significant package, according to Brooks, including restricted free agent Pavel Buchnevich and a prospect. However, that might not be enough as both the Islanders and Devils have quite a few prospects in their own system. That brings to question whether the Rangers might consider including Lias Andersson as part of their package to acquire Trouba. Would the Islanders consider moving defensie prospect Noah Dobson or would the Devils include Jesper Boqvist or Jesper Bratt in a deal?

 

Morning Notes: Smith-Pelly, Boychuk, Sweden

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The Washington Capitals have recalled Devante Smith-Pelly ahead of their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes. T.J. Oshie “won’t be playing any time soon” according to head coach Todd Reirden after the forward was run into the boards by Carolina’s Warren Foegele last night. Foegele will not receive any disciplinary action from the league for the hit, but the Capitals will still have to find a way forward without one of their leaders up front.

In comes Smith-Pelly, who spent a good chunk of the year in the minor leagues after being waived by the team earlier this year. The 2018 playoff hero had 14 points in 20 games for the Hershey Bears, but will now try to prove that he still belongs on the NHL team. In 48 career playoff games, Smith-Pelly has 13 goals—just one off the highest regular season total of his career.

Depleted Devils Missing Several Players

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The New Jersey Devils have lost four straight games and are firmly positioned at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. That lack of success has only been furthered by injury lately, as the team is missing a huge chunk of their regular skaters. Team reporter Amanda Stein details all those who are missing practice today as the team prepares for their trip to Washington. Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Miles Wood, Kevin Rooney, Nathan Bastian, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha, Will Butcher and Mirco Mueller are all absent. John Quenneville and Kyle Palmieri who have missed games recently due to injury both took part.

The Devils will take on the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers in a back-to-back situation over the next two days, and very well could find themselves slipping even further down the standings over the next month. With so many injuries and other key players shipped out at the deadline, it appears as though New Jersey might have another good shot at the draft lottery this season. They are currently ahead of just Ottawa, Detroit and Los Angeles in the “Lose for Hughes” race.

Hall’s absence is the most notable obviously, as the reigning Hart Trophy winner continues his rehab from minor knee surgery. With just a single season left on his current contract, many have wondered about Hall’s future in New Jersey. GM Ray Shero unequivocally told Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) that he did not consider trading his offensive star at the deadline, and that he will approach Hall this summer to try and work out a contract extension.

Miles Wood Out Four Weeks With Broken Ankle

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The New Jersey Devils issued an update on several injured players today, highlighted by the news that Miles Wood will be out for four weeks with a fractured ankle. The injury will not require surgery. Kyle Palmieri is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, Jesper Bratt is day-to-day and Pavel Zacha has resumed skating but is still avoiding contact. Taylor Hall, who hasn’t played since before Christmas, was still not skating today.

It’s not entirely bad news, as the Devils are expected to get Sami Vatanen back in the lineup after missing the last 14 games with a concussion. The team has also recalled both Nick Lappin and Blake Pietila from the minor leagues, though Egor Yakovlev is expected to skate as a forward in tonight’s game.

Minor Transactions: 11/09/18

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The NHL is unusually active for a Friday night, with six games on the schedule including the Hall of Fame game in Toronto. The New Jersey Devils will take part in the game honoring the new inductees which include Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, Willie O’Ree, Alexander Yakushev, Jayna Hefford and Gary Bettman. As the league prepares to induct some of the greatest to play the game, we’ll keep track on all the more minor moves around the league.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Cameron Gaunce to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL after almost two weeks with the team. Gaunce never did suit up for the Lightning, and will now try to get back into game shape with the Crunch. The 28-year old defenseman will likely be the extra man called up several times this season, though his playing time is expected to be restricted to mostly the minor leagues.
  • Given John Klingberg’s injury, the Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Joel Hanley from the minor leagues. They’ve also moved both Klingberg and Alexander Radulov to injured reserve, though the latter’s stint is retroactive to October 30th. Hanley has five points in 11 AHL games this season, and will try to force his way into the NHL lineup now that they’re missing a big part of their blue line for at least a month.
  • The Ottawa Senators have returned Erik Burgdoerfer to the minor leagues, even as they start their short two-game road trip in Florida. Burgdoerfer has played in just a single game with Ottawa this season, and will spend most of the year in the minor leagues.
  • Jesper Bratt has been officially activated by the Devils and should be in the lineup tonight, a move that needed no corresponding transaction given that Eddie Lack cleared waivers and can remain in the minor leagues. Lack had been on conditioning loan to the Binghamton Devils and will now stay there on assignment. The Devils have sent Kurtis Gabriel back to the AHL though, in order to activate Stefan Noesen for tonight’s game.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned a pair of young players to the AHL. The team announced that forward Sam Carrick and defenseman Andy Welinski have been reassigned to the San Diego Gulls. Both players have logged considerable time in the minors already this season, but have only suited up for eight games total for the Ducks.

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