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Joe Pavelski

Evening Notes: Sharks Lineup, Gaudette, Johansson

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The San Jose Sharks had to cast off a number of forwards this offseason after they inked star defenseman Erik Karlsson to an eight-year, $92MM contract three weeks ago. The team let Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi off and there continue to be rumors that they may have to trade off Melker Karlsson later on this summer to free up more cap room.

Of course, San Jose is expected to re-sign Joe Thornton and are likely to also bring back Patrick Marleau. Yet, despite those signings, there are likely going to be some holes in their lineup. In fact, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that there could be a major change in the top-six. The scribe writes that San Jose might look to its prospect depth to fill one of the wing positions on the second line this season as Sasha Chmelevski and Ivan Chekovich could be the beneficiaries of that job.

Chmelevski, a sixth-round gem found in the 2017 draft, has scored 70 goals and 151 points in the past two seasons with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL. Chekovich, a seventh-round stud picked up in the 2017 draft as well, scored 43 goals and 105 points last season in the QMJHL, but also gotten some time in the AHL with three goals and seven points in nine AHL games. Kurz writes that the only way they would make the team is if one of them played on the second line. A spot on the bottom-six would make less sense, however, as they could get valuable minutes with the San Jose Barracuda instead.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have been quite active this offseason and have added quite a bit of depth to their team. However, Patrick Johnson of the Vancouver Sun writes that the team will have a significant roster jam at the forward position this fall. The team currently has 13 healthy forwards under NHL deals and still have to sign Nikolay Goldobin and Brock Boeser to deals. Throw in the injured Antoine Roussel, the team has a lot of forwards with only 12 spots. That could put the spot of Adam Gaudette, who many people feel deserves a spot as the team’s third-line center, in jeopardy as the 22-year-old is the only player on the team (minus Elias Pettersson and Boeser) who can be sent down without having to pass through waivers. Unless Gaudette can have a dominant camp and beat out some of the others like Brandon Sutter, he could find himself starting the year off in Utica of the AHL.
  • The two-year deal that winger Marcus Johansson signed Saturday with the Buffalo Sabres includes a modified no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly. Johansson has the ability to provide Buffalo with a list of 10 teams he cannot be traded to during both his seasons. That’s an improvement on his previous deal where for the past two years he could submit five teams he couldn’t be traded to.

Dallas Stars Add Tanner Kero, Re-Sign Reece Scarlett

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The Dallas Stars continue an impressive day that already includes adding decorated veterans Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, and Andrej Sekera by inking a pair of depth players. The team has announced a two-way contract with forward Tanner Kero, as well as defenseman Reece Scarlett. Both contracts carry a minimum NHL cap hit of $700K.

Kero, 26, has signed a two-year deal following a breakout season with the AHL’s Utica Comets. In 72 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Kero was primarily used in a bottom-six role and his offense was somewhat limited. After a move to the Vancouver Canucks, Kero spent the whole season in the minors, but rediscovered his offensive touch with 57 points in 67 games. A versatile player who can be a top AHL scorer, but able to slot in anywhere in the NHL lineup, Kero could be a valuable asset for Dallas.

Scarlett, 26, is entering his third season with the Stars organization, but it may not seem that way. Scarlett was acquired from the Florida Panthers in a 2017 trade and played in 44 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars that season. However, he failed to produce the same offensive numbers as he had in his previous AHL seasons. Then, after re-signing with the team last summer, an injury cost him all but one game last season. Despite seemingly having a lot to prove after two seasons with the Stars, Dallas clearly likes the potential that Scarlett can bring on the blue line.

Dallas Stars Sign Joe Pavelski

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The Dallas Stars have added one of the most well-respected leaders in the NHL, signing Joe Pavelski to a three-year, $21MM contract. Pavelski had been contacted by a ton of teams when the San Jose Sharks left him unsigned, but eventually decided to join the Stars and stay in the Western Conference.

The soon to be 35-year-old had spent his entire career with San Jose and is coming off one of his stronger seasons offensively.  He matched his career high in goals with 38 while averaging over 19 minutes per game for the sixth straight year.  He was also productive in the postseason, chipping in with nine points in 13 contests.

Pavelski leaves San Jose as one of their leading scorers in franchise history, sitting second in goals, third in assists, and third in points.  While there’s no doubt that the Sharks would have liked to have kept him around, their contract for defenseman Erik Karlsson significantly cut into their cap space while they have a pair of restricted free agents of note to re-sign in wingers Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc.

The Stars have had a dominant front line over the past couple of seasons with Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Alexander Radulov but their secondary scoring had been a concern.  This addition should go a long way towards fixing that as Pavelski has averaged 34 goals per season since the lockout-shortened 2013-14 season.  For perspective, their next highest goal getter last year beyond that top line was Radek Faksa who had 15 goals.

Dreger notes that the Stars are in the market for another veteran forward to help deepen their attack.  He listed veteran Corey Perry as an option after he was bought out by Anaheim earlier this month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Timo Meier Signs Extension With San Jose Sharks

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The San Jose Sharks might not be huge players in the unrestricted free agent market this year, but they are keeping another one of their excellent young players. Timo Meier has signed a four-year contract extension with the Sharks that will carry a $6MM average annual value. Meier will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal, and will be eligible for salary arbitration. GM Doug Wilson released a statement on his young forward:

Timo is one of only a few young, dominant power forwards in the NHL and we’re extremely pleased that he stepped forward to make this commitment to the Sharks. Timo has elevated himself into a core part of our hockey team and his play last season was a huge part of our success. We feel that his best hockey is still ahead of him.

With numbers rolling around for some of the top restricted free agents that sometimes approaches eight digits, the Sharks look like they got a steal of a deal with Meier. The 22-year-old had a breakout season and keeps showing marked improvement in each year, which the team was hoping for when they made him the ninth-overall pick in 2015. Meier tallied three goals and six points in 34 games during his rookie season, but took that to a new level in his sophomore campaign when he tallied 21 goals and 36 points. While solid, Meier took his game to a whole new level this year as he became a major component to the Sharks’ offense, scoring 30 goals and 66 points.

With a better than expected $6MM deal, the Sharks should have some extra money to add depth to their team. The team has lost a number of key players from last season as they recently allowed captain Joe Pavelski as well as winger Joonas Donskoi to walk away in free agency. The team also traded away defenseman Justin Braun on defense and have quite a few holes to fill.

Latest On Joe Pavelski’s Pending Free Agency

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Saturday: It looks like the Dallas Stars have become the leading candidates to be Pavelski’s new home as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Stars have been in negotiations with Pavelski. With the team’s buyout of Valeri Nichushkin, the team should now have more than $10MM to spend on free agents and Pavelski would be the perfect complement on the team’s second line. With negotiations with Mats Zuccarello having fell apart, the team has made it clear they want a veteran scorer to join the team.

Friday: Two years ago the San Jose Sharks watched a franchise icon walk out the door. Patrick Marleau, a former captain who had suited up 1,670 times for the Sharks, was left unsigned on July 1, 2017 and the next day signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sharks, it has been reported, were not willing to give Marleau that third year, which now looks prescient given his recent buyout. Now Sharks GM Doug Wilson may be preparing for the same thing to happen again. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that after a conversation with the agent of Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, the “overwhelming sense” is that the pending free agent forward will be moving on to another team. Kurz calls it “the end of an era” and it is, even if Pavelski doesn’t have quite the tenure Marleau did two summers ago.

Set to turn 35 in two weeks, Pavelski has played his entire career with the San Jose organization. Debuting in November of 2006, Pavelski would score in his very first game—coincidentally on a goal assisted by Marleau—and basically never look back. The seventh-round pick from the 2003 draft would light the lamp 13 more times that season in just 46 games, and show that he would be beating goaltenders for a long time. In fact he has scored 355 goals in his Sharks career, more than anyone other than Marleau. His 406 assists trail just Marleau and long-time teammate Joe Thornton, as do his 761 points. He has served as captain for the last four seasons, including 2018-19 when he recorded 38 goals and 64 points.

So why are the Sharks letting him go? Perhaps because of the same reasoning that sent Marleau to Toronto. San Jose is facing a cap crunch after signing Erik Karlsson to an eight-year, $92MM deal that made him the highest-paid defenseman in the league. They have breakout power forward Timo Meier and powerplay dynamo Kevin Labanc to sign, as well as other unrestricted free agents potentially including Thornton and trade deadline acquisition Gustav Nyquist. The team has close to $15MM in cap space to play with, but has only seven forwards signed to one-way contracts at the moment and work to do to build their team back up to a contender. Pavelski simply might be pricing himself out of their market, given Craig Custance of The Athletic’s report (subscription required) that the number of teams making contact with him this week is “well into the double-digits.”

Pavelski has definitely visited with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, but that doesn’t mean his market ends there. He could have the choice of many teams around the league, though it will be interesting to see how long he eventually signs for. Thanks to his birthday falling in July, he won’t be constrained to the 35+ contract restrictions which may allow teams to be a little more frivolous with the term of the deal. For now, it sounds like that won’t be the Sharks—the end of an era indeed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pavelski, Duchene Visit Potential Landing Spots

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The UFA interview period has been open for several days, and though not every free agent wants to jet around the continent meeting with potential teams some want to see what they would be getting themselves into first hand. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) gives some updates on a pair of top names today, reporting that Matt Duchene met with the Montreal Canadiens yesterday and the Nashville Predators today, while Joe Pavelski spent Wednesday meeting with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. Pavelski was again spotted by reddit user Boltsfan91 at the team’s development camp alongside head coach Jon Cooper.

While obviously visits don’t necessarily mean a player will end up in that city when the dust settles on July 1, it does at least indicate some level of interest from the hosting club. Tampa Bay is especially interesting because of their own financial issues related to restricted free agent Brayden Point, who should be eating up a substantial amount of their $10.6MM in cap space. The Lightning do have some flexibility after Ryan Callahan was ruled out with degenerative disc disease allowing them to place his $5.8MM on long-term injured reserve, but signing a player like Pavelski would be difficult without moving another contract out.

Duchene has been linked to the Predators for years, but LeBrun notes that he grew up a Canadiens fan thanks to his family’s support of the team and GM Marc Bergevin did inquire on his price at the trade deadline before he eventually landed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. There are still several days before free agency officially opens on July 1, and anything could still happen with these top names.

Pacific Notes: Heed, Coyotes, Gennaro

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Defenseman Tim Heed is an impending unrestricted free agent that has received little media attention so far, and it sounds like he won’t be getting much more outside of his current market. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that Heed is expected to re-sign with the San Jose Sharks rather than test the market. Initially looking like the odd man out on San Jose’s blue line, the team has since traded Justin Braun and opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Joakim Ryan, opening up space for Heed’s return. The Sharks already have $66.7MM committed to just 15 players next season, with new contracts in store for RFA’s Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, and Dylan Gambrell and decisions to make on UFA’s Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, and more. Heed would be an affordable addition who is already familiar with the team and can act as a capable bottom-pair defender. Kurz points out that the right-shot Heed would be an ideal replacement in old spot. After playing in a career-high 37 games last year, Heed has likely earned the trust of the San Jose staff to at least begin the year as a starter while a number of promising blue line prospects continue to develop.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have announced several changes to their front office, the most notable of which is poaching Scott Walker from the division rival Vancouver Canucks. Walker, a former OHL coach, spent the past four years as the Canucks’ Director of Player Development, but has now been hired by Arizona as Special Assistant to the General Manager. Internally, three other executives have been promoted: Jake Goldberg has been named Assistant to the General Manager; Phil McRae has been named the Director of North American Amateur Scouting; and Bryan Stewart has been named the Coyotes’ Director of Pro Scouting.
  • The ’Yotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tuscon Roadrunners, have re-signed forward Matteo Gennaro to a one-year contract. Gennaro, a former Winnipeg Jets prospect, just wrapped up his first pro season with Tuscon. The 22-year-old center was a force in his junior days in the WHL, but got off to a slow start to the next stage of his career with just 12 points in 58 games. However, Gennaro has always been considered a raw prospect and should continue to grow and round out at the pro level. The Roadrunners hope Gennaro can get closer to the 80-point seasons he put up at the end of his junior career, but they’ll settle for steady improvement in his sophomore season.

Joe Pavelski To Meet With Several Teams

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The San Jose Sharks have already done some heavy lifting this offseason, re-signing Erik Karlsson to a huge contract and dealing Justin Braun to the Philadelphia Flyers. Several more deals took place on the second day of the draft to get San Jose the picks and prospects they were after, but there is plenty more work to be done in the coming days. Timo Meier’s next contract may be the most important, but Joe Pavelski will be the focus for many fans that don’t want to see their captain walk out the door after an incredible playoff performance.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that Pavelski and agent Dan Plante have several visits set up with potential teams this week in the unrestricted free agent interview period. While none of those teams are confirmed, LeBrun suggests that the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning may bring Pavelski in for a meeting, while the Buffalo Sabres called but do not have a visit scheduled. Craig Morgan of The Athletic also indicated the Arizona Coyotes’ interest in his latest piece.

It’s not hard to understand why teams would be calling on the veteran forward. Even at 34 Pavelski was a dominant player once again for the Sharks, recording 38 goals and 64 points in 75 games before a playoffs that saw him return from several major injuries. The heart and soul forward is one of the most well respected leaders in the league and now has 100 points in 134 career playoff games including 12 game-winning goals. While he doesn’t have any individual trophies, Pavelski has long been a Selke candidate as one of the best defensive forwards in the game and is one of the best net-front players in the league.

Obviously the Stars, Lightning, Sabres and Coyotes won’t be the only teams interested, but a return to San Jose is still possible. GM Doug Wilson watched career-Shark Patrick Marleau chase a third year two summers ago, and will have a similar tough decision to make on Pavelski, who will surely draw multi-year offers even at his age. The team doesn’t have a ton of cap space to throw around given the need to re-sign Meier and Kevin Labanc, not to mention Joe Thornton and Gustav Nyquist who are also unrestricted free agents.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Notes: Salary Cap, Marner, Gusev, Duchene, Dillon

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With rumors of the 2019-20 salary cap possibly being lower than the $83MM that teams initially expected, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that an NHLPA spokesperson told him that there should be an announcement on the salary cap this evening.

With talks that the salary cap could be as low as $81.5MM, LeBrun writes that the NHLPA is taking their time to weigh that number. That number is expected to have a significant effect on teams, especially on those that are tight to the cap as that leaves them even less room to work with and could force teams to dump salaries even more than ever.

  • LeBrun also tweets that the agent for Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, Darren Ferris, is expecting to hear from other teams on Wednesday, the day the RFA speaking period begins. With plenty of talks of high demands and a suggested willingness to sign an offer sheet, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has his hands full. Dubas and Ferris did not meet this week in Vancouver and Ferris is expected to leave the draft for home, although there is plenty of time for both Dubas and Ferris to meet next week.
  • While many fans of the Vegas Golden Knights have been looking forward to seeing KHL star forward Nikita Gusev play this season, TSN’s Darren Dreger suggests that the restricted free-agent may not end up getting the chance. With plenty of cap concerns, Vegas may not have enough money to sign the 26-year-old winger, and the Golden Knights may opt to trade him to relieve some of those cap issues. Dreger adds that multiple teams have inquired about Gusev, who currently would be penciled in on their third line and could be expendable for the right price. Gusev signed a one-year deal, $925K in April of this year, but he didn’t appear in a game for the Golden Knights. He won the KHL MVP award in 2018 and has scored 63 goals in the last three season for SKA St. Petersburg.
  • The Athletic’s Craig Custance reports that he has heard there won’t be any deal between the Columbus Blue Jackets and unrestricted free agent center Matt Duchene before the speaking period opens on Sunday. While that isn’t a major surprise, of all the Blue Jackets’ big-named free agents, Duchene was their best hope to re-signing. However, especially after the recent P.K. Subban deal, it is believed that Nashville has become the front-runner for Duchene’s services.
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that the San Jose Sharks would be open to moving defenseman Brendan Dillon for the right price. Dillon, who is currently slated to play on the top defensive pairing next to Brent Burns is making $3.27MM, but with significant cap issues coming this offseason, the team could use the extra cap room to try and make sure it can sign all of its top free agents, including restricted free agent Timo Meier, as well as unrestricted free agents Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Joonas Donskoi and Gustav Nyquist, although the latter two are less likely to return.

Joe Thornton To Play In 2019-20, Possibly Longer

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Speaking at the NHL Awards media availability today, future Hall of Famer Joe Thornton made it clear that he is not yet ready to hang up his skates. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relays word from Thornton that the veteran center is feeling good and is ready to return for the 2019-20 season. Thornton even added that he is thinking beyond next season so long as he can stay healthy and continue playing at a high level.

At 39, soon to be 40, many wondered if “Jumbo Joe” had played his final game in the NHL. Thornton battled injuries over the last few years and left many wondering if he could keep going. Yet, Thornton returned to full strength this past season and proved doubters wrong, playing in 73 games and recording 51 points. Even at an advanced age, Thornton continues to be one of the top play-makers in the league, as well as a two-way force. If he can indeed stay healthy and continue playing at this level, Thornton can play as long as he likes.

The question now is who will he play for? Thornton has been with the San Jose Shark since 2006, skating in over 1,000 games with the club, and seemed optimistic about a return. However, San Jose is limited for cap space this summer, following the extension of defenseman Erik Karlsson, which costs the team $11.5MM against the cap. The move left the Sharks with just over $16MM in cap space – following the trade of Justin Braun – but the team must re-sign restricted free agents Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, and Joakim Ryan among others. Even after that, is Thornton, easily worth $4-5MM, a priority over captain Joe Pavelski? Or adding another prime free agent forward? Or upgrading their goalie situation? Thornton may want to keep playing, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll keep playing in San Jose unless some sacrifices are made.

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