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Lou Lamoriello Facing Familiar Deadline Dilemma

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When the New York Islanders watched their captain and franchise player leave for his hometown in a shocking free agent decision, many immediately wrote them off and expected struggles in 2018-19. Long-time NHL executive Lou Lamoriello, who had just taken over General Manager duties from Garth Snow, was not one of those people. Instead of throwing in the towel and trading away anything that wasn’t tied down, Lamoriello instead signed and traded for several players he was familiar with and began installing the elusive “winning culture” that organizations seek constantly. Barry Trotz, who was fresh off a Stanley Cup victory with the Washington Capitals was brought in to make sure there would be more structure on the ice, and veterans like Leo Komarov and Valtteri Filppula were given contracts to surround young Mathew Barzal and company with some more veteran experience.

Now, as the middle of the season approaches for the Islanders they have already shown naysayers that they won’t roll over and die. The team came into action tonight sitting fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 22-13-4 record and a five-game winning streak. Barzal has found his groove once again and new captain Anders Lee has proven that he was not just a product of Tavares. That success is obviously a great thing for an organization that is still waiting to move into their new permanent home, and one that could have folded after experiencing what many considered a public betrayal by their franchise player.

The success also brings with it a critical decision. What to do at the trade deadline this season?

The Islanders are in one of the most interesting situations in the league, given their high profile talent on expiring contracts. Jordan Eberle, Brock Nelson, Robin Lehner, Filppula and the aforementioned Lee are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, which could obviously make them attractive trade chips for the New York front office. If they aren’t going to re-sign these players, perhaps they would be moved for more assets to help out down the line.

That decision though, of whether or not to cash in on an expiring asset or keep them for a potential playoff run is not one that Lamoriello is unfamiliar with. Last season as the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lamoriello was in a very similar situation. James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Komarov were all pending unrestricted free agents and unlikely to be re-signed given Toronto’s upcoming cap crunch. There was interest, but fitting in a deal like the one van Riemsdyk eventually got with Philadelphia was just impossible for the team.

Lamoriello could have traded away these free agents, especially given the deep forward group that was already in the Maple Leafs system, but instead he decided to hold onto all three as “own rentals” at the deadline. The Maple Leafs would qualify for the playoffs, but were immediately ousted by the Boston Bruins in the first round, leaving the forward trio without any playoff success or contracts. It’s hard to say that it was the wrong decision giving the unpredictability of the postseason but this year’s choice is extremely similar.

If the Islanders aren’t planning on re-signing any of their impact forwards, there would certainly be interest at the deadline. There has been discussions with each of them on new contracts but it is not clear where those talks sit at this point. Lee is perhaps the most unlikely to leave given that he was named captain just a few months ago, but a player like Eberle is exactly the type that is moved at the deadline, if healthy at least. The Islanders will have to make a decision on these forwards soon, but at least it’s not one that Lamoriello is unprepared for.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 12/29/18

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Saturday is an extremely busy day on the NHL calendar as there are the maximum 15 games on the slate with only Columbus getting the day off.  With that in mind, there is bound to be a lot of roster movement.  We’ll keep tabs of those moves here.

  • With winger Alex Chiasson headed for injured reserve, the Oilers announced the recall of winger Kailer Yamamoto from AHL Bakersfield. The 20-year-old has had some success in his first stint in the minors, collecting four goals and four assists in 11 games since being sent down last month.  Meanwhile, the loss of Chiasson certainly stings as his 16 goals place him third on the team in that department behind only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
  • The Stars have brought back winger Roope Hintz per a team release. The rookie has split the season between Dallas and Texas of the AHL and has had a fair bit of success offensively in the minors, posting 19 points in 17 games.  He has held his own in the NHL as well, logging 11:41 per night in 14 contests while picking up a pair of goals and an assist.
  • The Sabres announced the recall of goaltender Scott Wedgewood from AHL Rochester. He’s taking the place of goalie Linus Ullmark who missed practice on Friday due to illness.  Wedgewood does have some NHL experience under his belt after playing 20 games with Arizona last year and four with New Jersey before that but Buffalo will likely call on Carter Hutton to play in Ullmark’s absence.
  • Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen is day-to-day with a groin injury. Accordingly, Toronto announced the recall of goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo on an emergency basis from the AHLs Marlies.  The 25-year-old has struggled this season, posting a 4.12 GAA with a .866 SV% in 11 games thus far.
  • Two weeks ago, the Lightning weren’t planning to send defenseman Slater Koekkoek on a conditioning stint. They’ve had a change of heart as he has now been loaned to AHL Syracuse.  The 24-year-old last played on November 19th and has been a healthy scratch since then.  Koekkoek’s conditioning stint can last for up to two weeks.
  • Following the injury to Thomas Chabot on Friday, the Senators announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defensemen Stefan Elliott and Christian Wolanin from AHL Belleville.  Ottawa had two vacant roster spots so no corresponding move needs to be made.  Elliott was acquired from Pittsburgh earlier this month and has already played in two games with the Sens but has spent most of the year at the minor league level.  Meanwhile, Wolanin has been quite productive in the minors with 18 points in 26 games while getting into one game with Ottawa back in late October. The Senators have also recalled forward Jack Rodewald, although it is unclear if he will play tonight. Rodewald has been a frequent call-up this season, but to this point has played in just one game for Ottawa.
  • The Islanders announced (via Twitter) that winger Michael Dal Colle has been recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL.  He takes the place of winger Jordan Eberle who was placed on IR retroactive to December 23rd.  The 22-year-old didn’t fare too well in his first NHL stint but he has been quite productive with the Sound Tigers, averaging a point per game over 28 appearances.
  • Dillon Dube is on his way back up to Calgary, as the Flames have recalled the impressive first-year pro from the AHL’s Stockton Heat. Dube began the season with the Flames, recording five points in 20 games, but since a late-November reassignment to the Heat, Dube has been a point-per-game player in the minors. Dube is expected to slot into the starting lineup right away tonight, taking the place of Michael Frolik.
  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled free agent addition Matt Bartkowski for the first time this season, as the veteran defenseman will finally get back to the highest level. Bartkowski has made double-digit NHL appearances in each of the past six seasons, including an 80-game effort with the Vancouver Canucks in 2015-16. However, Bartkowski was very much a part-time player for the Calgary Flames the past two years and has even struggled to make much of a difference for the AHL’s Iowa Wild this season. However, with Nick Seeler presently sidelined, Minnesota opted to go with the experienced 30-year-old rather than one of their younger defensive options.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have assigned forward Michael Bunting to the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL, according to AZ Sports’ Matt Layman. Bunting was recalled on Thursday and played against Los Angeles, playing 9:36 on the ice, registering only one hit. He will return to Tucscon where he has six goals and 18 points in 20 games there. Bunting was expendable with the return of Vinnie Hinostroza.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have assigned forward Adam Gaudette to the Utica Comets of the AHL, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal. Gaudette was recalled on Oct. 15 due to injuries and managed to stay with the team even when those players returned in a bottom-line role. The 2018 Hobey Baker award winner was averaging just 10:09 of ATOI this season and had just two goals and six points. A return to the AHL where he can get more significant ice time would be better for the young forward in his development.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have swapped out defenseman, recalling defenseman Andy Welinski from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, while assigning Andrej Sustr there at the same time. Welinski last played for the Ducks in November where he played 11 games for Anaheim, posting one assist, while averaging 15:09 of ATOI. Sustr has only appeared in five games for the Ducks this season. CapFriendly adds that the Ducks also returned goaltender Kevin Boyle to San Diego. He was recalled Friday to fill in as an emergency backup while John Gibson and Ryan Miller dealt with injuries. His demotion suggests that one of them is ready to return to the active roster.

Injury Notes: Senators, Miller, Marchand, Eberle

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The blue line of the Ottawa Senators is going to have a different look for the next few weeks. Speaking with the media today, head coach Guy Boucher confirmed that both Thomas Chabot and Christian Jaros are out long-term with injuries suffered in the team’s match-up with the New York Islanders on Friday night. Jaros, who fought the Isles’ Ross Johnston in the games, suffered a broken finger and will be out up to a month. Chabot, who took a big hit from Matt Martin, left the game and did not return. His ailment is being deemed an upper-body injury and is expected to keep him out three weeks. Chabot had played in all 38 of the Senators’ games to this point and is second on the team in scoring with an equal 38 points. He also leads the team in average time on ice by a substantial margin. Chabot’s absence will be crippling to an already-struggling Senators team. Jaros has also played a surprisingly large role for Ottawa, skating in 28 games and providing consistency in his own end. The corresponding call-ups of Christian Wolanin and Stefan Elliott will be hard-pressed to replace Chabot and Jaros by any means, making the outlook for the next month a bleak one for Ottawa. More short-term, Boucher also mentioned that Magnus Paajarvi is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and Marcus Hogberg will make his NHL debut in net tonight with Craig Anderson still sidelined with a concussion.

  • Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois held a press conference today to discuss many aspects of the team and it was overwhelmingly positive, as one would expect from the team with an impressive lead over all their competitors in the league. However, one negative note was BriseBois’ update on forward J.T. Miller. The GM stated that Miller is out “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury and will be placed on injured reserve. He is not expected to be re-evaluated for at least another week. Miller is tied for fifth on the Lightning in scoring and also provides a physical presence to the team’s top-six, which will be sorely missed. Fortunately for Tampa, they have more than enough scoring to go around to make up for Miller’s absence from the score sheet.
  • The Boston Bruins may have gotten Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller, and Jake DeBrusk back from injury for their last game, but they lost Charlie McAvoy (IR – lower body) and David Backes (suspension). Add another name to that list, as head coach Bruce Cassidy announced that Brad Marchand will also be absent from the line-up tonight when the Bruins take on the Buffalo Sabres. While the team did not disclose the nature of the injury, it is reportedly an upper-body issue. For at least one game, the Bruins will have to make do without the dynamic winger and his team-leading 29 assists. Luckily, Cassidy left open the possibility that both Marchand and McAvoy could return to the team in time for the Winter Classic, which would be as close to full health as Boston has had all season long.
  • As the New York Islanders get set to visit John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, they will do so without star forward Jordan Eberle. Eberle missed the team’s last game with an undisclosed injury, but the Isles have now officially placed him on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. A difficult campaign continues for Eberle, who has struggled to score – 17 points in 35 games – and now finds himself sidelined for an indefinite amount of time. The Isles hope that recall Michael Dal Colle can help to offset Eberle’s absence, given that his presence has not been overwhelming so far this year anyway.
  • Zemgus Girgensons is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, the Buffalo Sabres announced, and the team will have to find a replacement to anchor their fourth line. The exact nature of the injury is unclear, as is when it occurred, but the Sabres need to address the absence in short order with the Boston Bruins on the docket tonight. Girgensons leads all Buffalo forwards in hits and has been a dependable defensive forward all season long, posting some of the best possession numbers of his career.

Trade Rumors: Senators, Blackhawks, Avalanche

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With leading scorer Matt Duchene on injured reserve and expected out for “weeks”, what little chances the Ottawa Senators had of making the playoffs this season are likely to slip away. This was always the expected result of the 2018-19 season for Ottawa, but their efforts thus far to stay out of the basement of the NHL have surprised many and inspired some. However, as reality now begins to finally set in, the team must decide what they want to do with Duchene and fellow impending free agents Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. As Ken Warren of the Ottawa Sun writes, Duchene – currently tied for ninth in the league in scoring – will likely ask for an eight-year deal in the ballpark of $60-70MM to remain in Ottawa, reflective of the salary he will likely command on the open market. Stone will be in the same neighborhood, with Dzingel significantly lower albeit not cheap by any means, but the Senators cannot even begin negotiations with the pair until the new year, per the rules pertaining to their recent salary arbitration decisions. As such, the team is dealing with three high-quality expiring assets without any guarantee that they will be re-sign or if the team will be willing to meet their salary demands. In a season in which Ottawa could finish with one of the worst records in the league but lacks their first-round pick – given to the Colorado  Avalanche in the deal that landed Duchene – it stands to reason that GM Pierre Dorion will strongly consider recouping as much trade capital as possible if extensions are not in place by the trade deadline. Given the uncertainly surrounding the ownership status of Eugene Melnyk, whose tactics thus far leave much to be desired anyway, Warren believes that Duchene, Stone, and Dzingel, as well as any other free agent in the coming off-season, will think twice about a future in Ottawa. All things considered, it’s beginning to look like the trio stand a better chance to all be traded away in the coming months than any of them do of signing a long-term extension.

  • The Athletic’s Graeme Nichols wonders if yet another Senator is prime trade bait right now as well. With veteran goaltender Craig Anderson playing his best hockey of the season so far, Nichols opines that Ottawa would be best-served to try moving their starter while his stock is high. While the recent home-and-home series with the Montreal Canadiens did not go so well, Anderson did look very good in wins over the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks prior, recording 63 saves on 65 shots over the two contests. Anderson also made 48 saves against the Dallas Stars last month and notched wins over the Tampa Bay Lighting and Pittsburgh Penguins. Admittedly, even as this best, Anderson is still a 37-year-old replacement-level goaltender at this point in his career and won’t command much of a return. However, the Senators’ season is sinking and they should get what they can while his value is potentially at its peak. The knock on moving Anderson this season has been that Ottawa has no suitable replacement – backups Mike Condon and Mike McKenna have performed very poorly in limited appearances – and thus trading Anderson means giving up on the season. Yet, with Duchene out long-term, any postseason hopes will fade and moving Anderson will begin to make more sense. As Nichols recalls, Anderson himself also alluded to a desire to move on from Ottawa this summer, so making a deal seems to be in the best interest of all parties. There are plenty of teams out there who would be intrigued by adding an established veteran in net this year and Anderson could soon fill that role.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks made it known yesterday that they are looking to move out some of their defensive depth, but NBC Sports’ James O’Brien asks if they are focused on the wrong players. Rather than try to flip the likes of Brandon Manning or Jan Rutta, for which they would receive relatively little, O’Brien believes that the team’s long-term needs would be better served by trading away a mainstay like Duncan Keith or Brent Seabrook. This is not so cut-and-dry, as O’Brien admits, but would be worth looking into. Both players carry no-trade clauses that Chicago GM Stan Bowman would first need to ask them to waive. Even if Seabrook was to agree, it seems very unlikely that Bowman would find a taker for the depreciating defenseman and his albatross of a contract. If by some chance he does, it would be a small return similar to Manning or Rutta, but with a far greater salary cap relief. Keith is another matter; while not what he once was, the 35-year-old is still a very capable defenseman who would play in the top four for nearly every team in the NHL, at least for now. The worry is that Keith will continue to age and his ability will fall off, while the Blackhawks continue to pay him more than $5.5MM per year and rely on him for top minutes. Removing that crutch (and cap hit) now, in what appears to be another lost season for the team, would give Chicago a strong return that they could use to begin rebuilding the team. The alternative, which also appears to be the current plan, of waiting for the current roster to turn things around, will only increase the risk of injury or drop-off from Keith while damaging his market value as he ages. A move now would be painful to the fan base in the short term, but the right move looking toward the future.
  • One team who could be a dangerous player at the trade deadline this season are the Colorado Avalanche. Per CapFriendly, the Avs are currently projected to have more than $56MM in cap space available at the deadline, or in other words have no limit to the amount of talent they can bring in if they so choose. Colorado is currently tied for the lead in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators and could even emerge as President’s Trophy threats this season. Armed with the best line in the NHL, including the top two scorers in the league, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon, and the best power play as well, the Avalanche are second in goals for per game among all teams. They also play well in their own end, seventh in goals against per game behind the efforts of Semyon Varlamov. Yet, the Avalanche are not without fault and could stand to add a contributor or two both on defense and up front. The team was expected to add top prospect Cale Makar to their blue line by the end of the regular season, but with his college squad, the UMass Minutemen, ranked No. 1 in the nation, Makar could be occupied through the Frozen Four tournament in mid-April. A capable puck-moving defenseman should thus be at the top of the list for Colorado, followed by an injection of offensive ability and two-way accountability among the forward corps, where their secondary scoring and penalty kill could both use work. While the matter of cost in trade capital is another question entirely, the Avalanche will have the cap space to hypothetically address their needs by adding the likes of Jordan Eberle, Kevin Hayes, and Jay Bouwmeester for example. That’s a dangerous premise for other contenders to consider as Colorado continues to excel this season.

Oilers, Rangers Swap Ryan Strome And Ryan Spooner

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The New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers have decided to shake things up by exchanging centers. The Rangers were the first to announce the deal, which sees them send Ryan Spooner to the Oilers for Ryan Strome. This is is a one-for-one swap, although TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Rangers have retained $900K of Spooner’s contract to make it an even salary exchange.

This trade is simple case of two players who didn’t work out in new locations and needed a change of scenery. If Spooner’s and Strome’s names look familiar in a trade context, it is because both were just shipped off last season. In the 2017 off-season, the Oilers sent Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders straight up for Strome. The move was panned initially, then Strome gained some support over the course of the season, but after recording just two points through 18 games to begin the new campaign, he was again drawing the ire of executives and fans alike. Spooner was included in the package that the Boston Bruins sent to the New York Rangers in exchange for Rick Nash at last season’s trade deadline, but hardly seemed like the centerpiece in a deal that also featured a first-round pick and defensive prospect Ryan Lindgren. Although Spooner played very well for the Rangers down the stretch, he too has just two points to show for his efforts this season, a disappointment to those who felt he could play a top-six role for the team moving forward.

It will be difficult to determine a winner in this trade for some time. Both players carry a cap hit of $3.1MM through the 2019-20 season. Spooner, 26, and Strome, 25, are almost dead even in career points, although Spooner has 160 points in 289 games whereas Strome has 162 points in 358 games, close to a season more. Both are power play assets who can be too passive offensively at even strength and are known for streaky play. The only main difference between the pair is in style; Spooner is an elite passer and a quicker player with very little patience for the defensive aspects of the game, while Strome is two-way forward with penalty-killing prowess, superior possession numbers and more goal-driven production.

Back with the man who drafted him in Boston, GM Peter Chiarelli, Spooner likely stands the best chance of a rebound. The Oilers have been looking to improve their team speed and Spooner certainly brings that element to his game. Edmonton’s usage of Spooner will bear watching, as the team could use a high-end play-maker on the wing more than they really need a third-line center, but historically Spooner has fit better down the middle and the loss of Strome does vacate a spot. Meanwhile, Strome joins a center-heavy lineup in New York and will likely have to earn a spot down the middle. The Rangers could use his scoring touch, if he can find it, but also need more two-way accountability, which Strome can bring.The Rangers’ brass watched Strome play with the Islanders for years and know what they’re getting in this deal. Both players have struggled to fit in in previous NHL situations; the Oilers and Rangers hope this time they can get it right.

Anders Lee Discussing Long-Term Extension With Islanders

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The New York Islanders have had their fill of priority free agents walking away, after John Tavares abandoned the team this off-season. New GM Lou Lamoriello and the Isles seem to want to get ahead of the situation with their next core player whose eligible to depart. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Islanders have had recent and ongoing negotiations with homegrown forward Anders Lee about a long-term extension.

Lee, 28, is one of a trio of key forwards set to hit the open market next summer. He, Jordan Eberle, and Brock Nelson could all walk after the season, but Lee and Eberle have stressed that their focus is on this year and they both appear open to extensions. Now, those talks are moving forward with Lee at least. Pagnotta states that a new deal is not imminent, but that Lee’s agent, Neil Sheehy, has been frequently talking to Lamoriello with positive results.

Lee led the Islanders in goal scoring last year with a career-high 40 tallies and 62 total points. He has been a consistent top-six contributor for the team in each of his four full NHL seasons and has shown no signs of slowing down. The 6’3″, 230-lb. winger is one of the most lethal power forwards in the league and would draw considerable interest if he was to reach free agency. As a result, the rebuilding Islanders won’t be likely to land a hometown discount, as Pagnotta indicates that Lee could earn upwards of $7MM per year on a long-term contract. Lee’s play this season, in the absence of Tavares, will likely determine his value to the Islanders moving forward. A hot start will give Lamoriello all the more reason to lock him up before it’s too late.

Free Agency Notes: Blue Jackets, Islanders, Edler

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Even if the Columbus Blue Jackets are the best team in the NHL this season – something some analytics pundits don’t think is outside the realm of possibility – the recurring story line all season will be the impending free agency of stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. Much has been made about the futures of these two all-world players, but now that training camp has arrived, the question is whether their fates have already been decided.

As The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes, Paranin did set a deadline of September 13th for all contract negotiations to be completed, stating that he would not continue negotiations in-season. That deadline has now passed. However, Portzline also notes that this ultimatum was issued not long after Panarin rejected an extension offer from the Blue Jackets. Perhaps Panarin’s deadline was more about pressuring Columbus to trade him prior to the beginning of the season than it was to come together on a new contract. Yet, GM Jarmo Kekalainen does not see it that way: “There’s no such deadline in my book. It’s July 1, 2019″.” The team clearly believes that their best plan of action is to enter the season with Panarin and see how things go, continually pushing for an extension up to or through the trade deadline.

Meanwhile, Portzline notes that Bobrovsky has spent much of his off-season alongside Panarin and there is a chance that he has rubbed off on the veteran goaltender. Negotiations with Bobrovsky have reportedly been ongoing and there is no reason to think that they won’t continue. Of course, the Blue Jackets have no plans to trade Bobrovsky and may not all year. However, Portzline also writes that Bobrovsky’s mood when speaking with the media yesterday implied that he may also be ready to walk at season’s end. Bobrovsky said “After last season, I told the situation to the management of the Blue Jackets, so they know everything. They know my plans for the season. They know my plans for the future. They know everything.” When asked if that meant that this season would be his last in Columbus, he added “We’ll see. You have to ask them.” Portzline even says that Bobrovsky briefly spoke in the past tense about his time with the team and seemed like a person whose mind was made up. It wasn’t exactly the positive note that the team and its fans wanted to begin the season with, but then again success can be the solution to many problems. A strong start to the season, and especially a strong end to the season, could convince either player to re-sign and keep the Blue Jackets trending toward being Stanley Cup contenders.

  • Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle don’t foresee their impending free agency as a similar situation to that of former teammate John Tavares. Rather, both players expressed their happiness with playing for the New York Islanders when speaking with Newsday’s Andrew Gross. They also agreed that they didn’t want their contracts to be a distraction to them or the team and only hoped for a strong start to the season. Lee, 28, is a career Islander coming of the best season of his career and may be a player that new GM Lou Lamoriello and company see as a core piece moving forward. The same could go for Eberle, 28, who excelled last season after coming over from the Edmonton Oilers. Given the Islanders’ enviable salary cap flexibility and prospect depth, the team can afford to give both Lee and Eberle the contracts they want, likely long-term at $6.5MM+ AAV, if they are happy in New York. The same can’t be said for fellow impending UFA Brock Nelson, who also talked with Gross. Nelson has a long way to go to prove he is worthy of a long-term commitment from the Isles and will be given a chance to prove that. Short of a career year for the two-way center, he is likely a trade casualty in the coming season.
  • Despite being included in trade rumors for the past two or three seasons now, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alex Edler might not be going anywhere. The Athletic’s Jason Brough reports that Edler would like to re-sign with the team this season before the final year of his contract expires. He tells Brough that, were it up to him, he would never play for another NHL team. “If something can be worked out, I would love to stay here,” Edler said, “Even though we’ve had some tough years, this is kind of an exciting thing to go through. There’s change and a lot of young guys are coming in. You see how they are developing. There’s nothing now, but we’ll see. We’ll see what happens.” The veteran seems more than happy to go through the rebuild process with the Canucks and continue to be a leader in the locker room and on the blue line. In that same vein, Brough doubts that Edler will be willing to waive his full No-Trade Clause if Vancouver does look to move him for picks and prospects this year. Edler dodged a question on the subject and continued on about how much he would like to remain with the team. The 32-year-old still has plenty of gas left in the tank and perhaps refusing a trade would really prove his loyalty and earn him a short-term extension. That remains to be seen, but the status of Edler, like any prominent impending free agent, is not a story line that is going to go away this season.

No Extension Talks Between Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders experienced what it was like to lose a big name to free agency this summer when they were spurned by John Tavares and his decision to join the Toronto Maple Leafs. That doesn’t mean that new GM Lou Lamoriello is rushing into any other extension talks. Speaking with reporters including Brian Compton of NHL.com, Jordan Eberle indicated that he hadn’t yet spoken to the Islanders about a potential extension as he enters the final season of his current contract:

To be honest I haven’t had any conversations with anybody. Going into the summer I was trying to focus on me and being the best I can be, and come into the camp the best I can be. Once that happens you start trying to fill a role and try to make this team as good as it can be.

Eberle, 28, has been an extremely consistent offensive performer through his career and recorded 25 goals and 59 points last season for the Islanders. After coming over in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers, the talented winger posted his fifth consecutive 20+ goal season and earned his $6MM cap hit. Still, as he heads into the last year of his deal he has a lot to prove about whether he can be a part of a playoff contender. During his seven years in Edmonton, Eberle reached the postseason just once and was held goalless in 13 games. After missing the postseason tournament again last season with the Islanders, there will be some who doubt his worth as a top-six player in the league.

Still, with Blake Wheeler signing an extension today the crop of talented 2019 UFA forwards got a little smaller. Artemi Panarin and Tyler Seguin are still the big headliners of the group of pending free agents, but Eberle could find himself near the top of the heap after a few more extensions this season. For one thing he’ll still be just 29 when he is scheduled to hit the open market, and has shown a 30-goal ability in the past. James van Riemsdyk, who has just 11 more career goals than Eberle in 21 more games, received a five-year $35MM deal from the Philadelphia Flyers when he reached free agency this summer at age-29. A contract like that is certainly possible, but the Islanders forward would do himself a world of help if he dragged New York to the playoffs this season.

The Islanders do have a few big decisions to make up front, given that Eberle, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee will all be unrestricted free agents next summer. With long-term deals handed out to Andrew Ladd, Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck and Leo Komarov, the Islanders are already somewhat locked into this group being the one that has to take them to the next level. Handing out extensions may not be the most prudent thing to do at the moment even if Eberle and Lee are key parts of the offensive attack.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Edmonton Oilers

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

Entry-Level Contracts

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

Potential Bonuses

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

Total: $2.8MM

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

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

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

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

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

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

Two Years Remaining

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

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

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

Islanders Must Focus On Moving Forward After Tavares

at CDT | by 4 Comments

When the New York Islanders lost John Tavares, the franchise found itself in a worse situation than it had hoped. The team that struggled a year ago on defense and in goal now lost their top scorer and seem to lack identity (except in the front office). The team will likely make Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal the new face of the franchise, but without Tavares, there remains a significant hole in their lineup.

While it seems likely Barzal will replace Tavares as the team’s top center, the real question is who will take over as the team’s No. 2 center? One positive note for New York is that the team has almost $20MM in available cap space after Tavares opted to go to Toronto and that’s after the signings of Valtteri Filppula, Leo Komarov, Robin Lehner and Tom Kuhnhackl as well as trading for Matt Martin. Regardless, none of those players are candidates to fill that No. 2 center position. The team does have restricted free agent Brock Nelson as a candidate to fill that role, but his status is up in the air.

The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman (subscription required) suggests if the Islanders want to make some type of impact move to suggest to their fan base that they are ready to move on (because bringing in Filppula, Komorov, Kuhnhackl, Lehner and Martin didn’t accomplish that), they must look to the trade market where there are a number of interesting names that the team could look to acquire, especially at the center position to show they are moving forward.

The top name is interesting enough as Goldman suggests that New York looks at the Ottawa Senators who are looking to cast off players left and right. Already having moved on from Mike Hoffman and in current trade talks with Erik Karlsson, the scribe writes the Islanders could attempt to make an offer to pry centers Matt Duchene or Jean-Gabriel Pageau away.

While Duchene would probably cost the Islanders quite a bit, he could potentially be a reasonable replacement for Tavares. Even though Ottawa gave up a lot to acquire Duchene less than a year ago, they may be ready to move on from him as he will be a free agent after this season and he might not want to return after having to endure the many problems that Ottawa has dealt with in the past year. However in New York, the team could match him with players like Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle or Josh Bailey and get solid production from him and the team would have the cap room to lock him up. The only downside to acquiring Duchene (despite the likely high cost) would be the team would have to sign him as well as Lee and Eberle next season as all three would be unrestricted free agents for the 2019-20 season. Pageau would be a much cheaper option, but lacks much upside if they want to use him as a second-line center.

One other option would be to pry Tyler Johnson away from the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially with the team attempting to clear out cap space to accommodate Karlsson. Johnson would provide significant value as a second-line center as well, but is locked up for six years at $5MM AAV, so they would be able to hold onto him for a long time.

While finding a replacement for Tavares, the team must also attempt to fix their other issues as they’ve done little to address their defense or goaltending. Adding Robin Lehner helps a little, but after the 26-year-old suffered through a disastrous season (3.01 GAA and a .908 save percentage), a Lehner-Thomas Greiss combination doesn’t sound particularly thrilling. The defense also needs help. The team lost Calvin de Haan to Carolina, although they did bring back Thomas Hickey. Although the team has high hopes that Ryan Pulock is ready to move into a top-four role immediately, his defense has always been suspect, so he isn’t likely to improve the Islanders defensive deficiencies. Andrew Gross of Newsday writes that the team should consider looking into acquiring Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes as he would provide that stability and would look good as the No. 1 piece along with Hickey, Pulock, Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy.

Regardless, with few quality options available to them on the free agent market, the team likely has little choice to make a deal.

 

 

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