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Kris Versteeg

Kris Versteeg Signs AHL Contract

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Kris Versteeg is back. The veteran forward has signed a one-year contract with the Rockford IceHogs for 2019-20 to play in the AHL. Versteeg spent the 2018-19 season in the KHL and Sweden after failing to get an NHL contract, but will return to North America to continue his professional career.

Now 32, Versteeg has seen it all in his hockey career. Originally selected in the fifth round by the Boston Bruins in 2004, he would eventually battle for the Calder Trophy in 2008-09 after scoring 22 goals and 53 points as a rookie for the Chicago Blackhawks. Versteeg would win the first of two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks the following year, but found himself on the trade block for basically the next decade.

Spending time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames in addition to two stints with the Blackhawks, the veteran has long been a solid if unspectacular offensive contributor. The fact that he will be rejoining the Blackhawks organization is a coming home of sorts, and should give the AHL squad a bit of a scoring punch for next season.

While an AHL contract doesn’t actually mean Versteeg is part of the Chicago roster, it could potentially lead to an NHL deal if he proves capable. We’ve seen other veterans take similar deals, though they often play on professional tryouts instead of full blown AHL contracts. Lee Stempniak for instance spent time with the Providence Bruins this season before eventually signing a contract with Boston just before the trade deadline in order to be eligible for playoffs. Versteeg could be in a similar situation for 2019-20.

Kris Versteeg Signs In SHL

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The hockey journey continues for journeyman Kris Versteeg, this time signing with the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League. Versteeg had played 11 games for Avangard Omsk in the KHL this season, but will now finish out the year in Sweden.

Versteeg, 32, has had one of the most interesting playing careers in recent memory, bouncing around the NHL on a yearly basis. Spending time in Chicago, Toronto, Philadelphia, Florida, Chicago (again), Carolina, Los Angeles and finally Calgary, he was without an NHL job this summer when he decided to take his talents overseas. Injury forced him out of North America, but perhaps there is a chance he could make a return next season.

If the veteran forward can have a good showing in the SHL, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t at least be a depth option in the NHL if he’s willing to suit up in the minor leagues. Versteeg hasn’t played a game in the AHL since the 2007-08 season, but unless he finds a fit overseas it might be his only chance. In 643 games he scored 358 points and won the Stanley Cup twice with the Blackhawks.

Snapshots: Schmidt, Versteeg, Wolski

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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt is still weeks away from making his season debut, but he’s taking his first step toward returning to normality. Schmidt, who was suspended 20 games for testing positive for a banned substance in violation of the NHL’s PED policy, opted to spend the early season in Europe. Schmidt has been practicing with the Vienna Capitals of Austria’s EBEL this month, but is now wrapping up his time with the team. Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt reports that Schmidt plans to return to North America in the next week as the month of October comes to an end. With close to a month still remaining before his 20 games are up and he can return to game action with Vegas, Schmidt will not go right back to his current squad. Instead, Prewitt adds that he will join his former team at the University of Minnesota as a practice participant for a short period of time. However, Prewitt notes that the CBA allows Schmidt to join the Golden Knights in a limited capacity beginning on November 8th. At that time, he can join in team meetings and practices. November 18th, a road game against the Edmonton Oilers, will mark Schmidt’s official return to the team. While the defense has held up in Schmidt’s absence, the defending Western Conference champs are only a .500 team through eight games and the third-worst offense in the league. Schmidt, who was second among defensemen and ninth overall in points for Vegas last year, will be a welcome addition to a team that needs a spark early this season.

  • Kris Versteeg’s season overseas was short-lived. The veteran winger was unable to find NHL employment this off-season and ended up signing with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk in early September. However, NHL.com’s European insider Igor Eronko reports that Versteeg is leaving the team to return to North America. Eronko did not have any more information on the reasoning behind Versteeg’s early exit, but this isn’t the first time that the 32-year-old forward has backed out of an opportunity abroad. Versteeg signed in Switzerland back in the summer of 2016, only to terminate his contract before ever playing with the club, the NLA’s SC Bern, allegedly due to medical insurance issues. He soon after committed to a PTO with the Edmonton Oilers that turned into a contract with the Calgary Flames. Perhaps Versteeg again senses an opportunity back in the NHL and has found a way out of his KHL obligations. For his part, TSN’s Darren Dreger states that Versteeg has been sick with shingles and proffers this could be the primary reason for the departure. One way or another, Versteeg’s time with Avangard is over after just 11 games and we will soon know about about his immediate plans.
  • One player not returning to the NHL, despite some speculation, is forward Wojtek Wolski. Wolski recently terminated his contract with KHL club Mettalurg Magnitogorsk and was seeking a new place to play. That appears to be limited to either remaining in the KHL or moving to the NLA in Switzerland, rather than a return to North America, per a report from a Swiss news source. A return to the NHL for the 32-year-old Wolski, now six years separated from his last action at the highest level, was always a stretch, but many fans would not have minded seeing the Polish-Canadian star try his hand at a comeback.

Snapshots: Doughty, Nylander, Altybarmakyan

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The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up landing the biggest fish of free agency in John Tavares, but long before the Tavares sweepstakes even began, the team was linked to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Doughty, a Toronto area native, ended up signing an eight-year, $88MM extension early this off-season, ending any thoughts that he might be a free agent in the summer of 2019. So where did the homecoming rumors come from? Doughty has now admitted, via TSN, that he never seriously considered moving on from L.A. Instead, he floated the idea of departing the Kings for the Maple Leafs as a negotiation tactic. Doughty negotiated his latest deal without an agent and, in order to ensure he wasn’t taken advantage of, made sure he had some leverage on his side. The rumors that he might leave if able to test the free agent market surely encouraged the Kings to give him what he wanted on his latest extension, the largest contract for a defenseman in NHL history.

  • Another player who has no interest in signing with the Maple Leafs, at least not at their current offer, is restricted free agent forward William Nylander. Toronto and their young forward seem to be at an impasse in contract negotiations and the December 1st deadline, after which Nylander would be prohibited from playing in the NHL this season, is starting to look like a real possibility. Should that come to fruition, Nylander would likely turn to the KHL for his paycheck this season. Nylander’s rights are held by Avangard Omsk, currently led by former NHL head coach Bob Hartley, who recently spoke to TSN about his excitement about the possibility of having Nylander on the roster this season. Avangard already added Cody Franson, Alexei Emelin, David Desharnais, and Kris Versteeg this off-season and could really make waves in the KHL by adding Nylander to the mix. Nylander is currently skating in his native Sweden and could make the short trip over to Russia rather than the trip back across the Atlantic this season, if talks continue to go poorly with the Maple Leafs.
  • Staying in the KHL, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Andrei Altybarmakyan is on the move. The 20-year-old winger was traded today, swapped by SKA St. Petersburg to HK Sochi for fellow young forward Ivan Larichev, the league reports. Both Altybarmakyan and Larichev are fringe KHLers with limited experience at the highest level, but Sochi appears to be the long-term winner in this deal, acquiring the 2017 third-round pick. There has been no indication that Altybarmakyan is heading over to North America any time soon and could continue to develop into a bona fide starter for Sochi down the road.

Alexei Emelin Signs Three-Year Pact With KHL’s Avangard Omsk

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Long-time Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin agreed to terms this morning with Avangard Omsk, one day after the KHL team signed Kris Versteeg. The 32-year-old Emelin, who played six years in Montreal and then finished out his contract last year with the Nashville Predators, was having trouble finding work in the NHL, but opted to return to the KHL where he played parts of eight seasons.

Emelin arrived in the NHL at age 25, but almost immediately stepped into the Canadiens’ top-four and averaged close to 20 minutes a night throughout most of his NHL career. However, Montreal opted to expose Emelin and his $4.1MM contract in the expansion draft last year and Vegas took the bait, selecting him and then flipping him to Nashville for a third-round pick in the 2019 draft. The Predators brought the veteran defenseman on board to provide top-four depth while Ryan Ellis sat out for the first three months of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Emelin did that, but saw his minutes decrease significantly once Ellis returned as he was forced into the team’s third-line pairing.

Once a free agent, the 32-year-old struggled finding work as his lack of speed worked against him in a league where teams are looking to get faster. Emelin, however, showed he still has value as he managed to register 181 hits as well as blocking 109 shots last season, suggesting he should continue to fare well in the KHL. While Emelin will join Versteeg, he will also join up with two former Habs as well, including Alexander Perezhogin and David Desharnais.

Kris Versteeg Signs With Avangard Omsk Of The KHL

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September 1: Versteeg has officially inked a one-year deal with Avangard Omsk, the KHL team announced (link in Russian).

August 17: The market for veteran NHL players hasn’t really materialized, and several have found their way overseas already. Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma both signed in Switzerland, Toby Enstrom is eyeing a return to Sweden and Paul Postma ended up in the KHL. Well, Postma looks like he’ll get some company in the Russia-based league, as Kris Versteeg is set to sign with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. Player agent Aljosa Pilko first reported that Versteeg was headed to the KHL, and Igor Eronko of Sport-Express passed on news that it will be Avangard that signs him. There has not yet been an official announcement, but this likely signals the end of any NHL dreams for Versteeg this season.

If you looked up “journeyman” in the NHL dictionary, you might find a picture of Versteeg smiling back at you. After being drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2004, Versteeg would play for three AHL organizations before making his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008. A few years and one Stanley Cup later, he’d find himself on the Toronto Maple Leafs and then Philadelphia Flyers during the 2010-11 season. Less than three years with the Florida Panthers and he was back with Chicago to win another Stanley Cup, before splitting the 2015-16 season between the Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings. Finally, he settled in with the Edmonton Oilers on a professional tryout—before immediately signing with the Calgary Flames and playing there for the last two seasons.

It’s not that Versteeg isn’t a good player and couldn’t find success at each stop, much the opposite. The versatile forward scored at least 0.41 points per game at each stop save the 14 games he played for the Kings, and leaves the NHL with 358 points in 643 games. That includes four 20-goal seasons, and generally positive possession statistics throughout his career. Unfortunately, injuries stole most of his 2017-18 season and now it looks as though it might be the end of the line in the NHL. Versteeg turned 32 in May, and might not get many more chances to play in North America unless he’s willing to take a minor league contract.

Flames Notes: Hanifin, Goaltending, Smith, Valimaki

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After the Calgary Flames traded defenseman Dougie Hamilton to Carolina for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, don’t be surprised if Calgary fans compare Hamilton and Hanifin for years to come. That could put a lot of pressure on the 21-year-old Hanifin as the restricted free agent will try to acclimate himself to the Flames this season, according to NBC Sports’ James O’Brien.

Regardless, it’s far too early to compare the two players. While Hanifin had a breakout season last year, he still has the potential to take his game up another level. While his numbers inched a bit last year from 29 points to 32, a deeper look into his numbers suggests that he’s become more comfortable on offense as he more than doubled his goal total from the year before with 10 goals last year.

However, much of the comparisons could come down to whatever salary that Hanifin walks away with after he signs. If he signs a deal for $3MM per year, then everyone will look at the swap for Hamilton, who makes $5.75MM, as a better deal. However, if Hanifin walks away with an even bigger deal that might compare to Hamilton’s deal, then expectations for the blueliner will only increase.

  • Flames beat writer Ryan Pike suggests the team could have some cap trouble with its long-term plans, especially at the goaltending position. The team will have 13 players under contract in 2019-20 that make $5MM or more. With 36-year-old Mike Smith likely moving on after his contract runs out next season, the team may not have much cap room left to sign a respectable goalie. The team may hope that its goaltending pipeline of David Rittich, Jon Gillies and Tyler Parsons might help them out, but could be forced to look for another veteran in a year if none of them is ready to take over as a starter.
  • Another big question asked by NHL.com’s Aaron Vickers is what type of performance will the Flames get from Smith. The veteran started the season well for Calgary, posting a 2.39 GAA and 20 victories in the first half of the season. Unfortunately, Smith went down with a groin injury and missed 13 games in January and February and looked a shell of himself after that, putting up a 2-6 record in his final eight appearances with a 3.44 GAA. Assuming he’s fully healthy, however, the question even then remains whether Smith can hold up for another full season.
  • In another article, Vickers looks at the team’s top prospects and suggests that top prospect Juuso Valimaki has a good chance to win a roster spot out of training camp. Valimaki, the team’s 2017 first-round pick, had a solid season with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, but really stepped up his game in the playoffs when he tallied four goals and 17 points in 12 games. He has a tough road ahead of them, but if Calgary feels that he is better than third-pairing players like Brett Kulak and Michael Stone, Valimaki could bump either of them.
  • Pike also adds that with the buyout of Troy Brouwer, the Calgary Flames have now removed eight players from their 2017-18 opening roster, including Brouwer, Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski, Eddie Lack, Micheal Ferland, Freddie Hamilton, Matt Stajan and Kris Versteeg. While some of those moves came mid-season, the Flames needed some roster overhaul after their disastrous second half of the season.

Free Agent Profile: Kris Versteeg

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Kris Versteeg has been a quietly productive secondary scorer in recent years but has had difficulty securing contracts on the open market for the most part.  That happens to be the case again this time around as more than a month into free agency, he’s still looking for a deal.

Interestingly enough, last summer was the lone time he was able to sign early, inking an extension to stay with Calgary.  The one-year, $1.75MM deal seemed to make plenty of sense as he was coming off a season that saw him produce 15 goals and 22 assists in just 69 games in 2016-17.

Unfortunately for Versteeg and the Flames, last season didn’t go quite as swimmingly.  He picked up a respectable eight points through the first 22 games before suffering a hip injury.  He underwent surgery which kept him out of the lineup until mid-March.  After that, he got into two games and then was sat down for the remainder of the year as the hip problems continued.

When healthy, Versteeg can help add some production from the middle six and he has been an effective player on the man advantage quite recently.  However, questions about his health certainly isn’t helping his cause this offseason.

Potential Suitors

There are a few scenarios that make sense for Versteeg.  A contending team that’s tight to the salary cap may have interest in him as extra depth or injury insurance.  It also helps that he’s eligible for a one-year deal with performance bonuses as he spent 104 days on IR last season and has over 400 games of NHL experience.  Rebuilding teams may also have interest in him as a buffer player to allow a prospect some more time to develop in the minors before trying to flip Versteeg closer to the trade deadline.

In the first group, the Penguins, Lightning, and Capitals fit as teams expected to contend that have limited cap space.  Pittsburgh’s depth is at center and it’s likely that at least one of their bottom-six options will go to the wing so they may not be a great fit.  Tampa and Washington have several cheap forwards rounding out their roster and a healthy Versteeg could represent an upgrade. As for rebuilding teams that could use him early and flip him later, the Senators and Rangers come to mind if they want some insurance for one of their youngsters (or even simply want some competition in training camp).

Projected Contract

Versteeg was ranked 47th on our Top 50 UFA list with a projected one-year, $1MM contract.  There’s still a good chance he gets a deal around that mark although he may have to take some of that in the form of performance bonuses, likely games played related.  A training camp PTO could be a reasonable outcome as well as teams may want to wait until they have a better idea if he has fully recovered from his hip troubles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Market Quiet For Veteran Defensemen

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Over one hundred free agents have signed a contract with a new team already this off-season. Of that group, just three of those signings are defenseman over the age of 30: the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jack Johnson, the Vegas Golden Knights’ Nick Holden, and the Dallas Stars’ Roman Polak. While veteran goaltenders and forwards continue to garner major interest on the open market and land substantial contracts, it seems defenders of the same age and experience are not being valued similarly across the league. With the NHL trending more toward a speed and finesse game, older blue liners who depend on positional awareness and seasoned checking ability may no longer be able to compete for jobs with younger players at the position with fresh legs and an open mind.

Of PHR’s Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents, only nine remain unsigned. Two of those nine players – Rick Nash and Kris Versteeg – may not return to playing pro hockey. Of the seven remaining players, three are defenseman over the age of 30: Dan Hamhuis (#24), Toby Enstrom (#37), and Alexei Emelin (#42).  Good veteran defensemen are out there and make up some of the best available players, but are simply not drawing the interest that was expected. Other unsigned names include Brooks Orpik, Johnny Oduya, Kevin Bieksa, Dennis Seidenberg, Kyle Quincey, Paul Martin, Josh Gorges, and Jason Garrison, none of whom have made considerable noise on the rumor mill. 32-year-old Taylor Chorney even moved on to Switzerland due to a stagnant market for older defensemen.

Will several of these names sign an NHL contract prior to next season? Yes, however it’s unlikely that the majority will find meaningful employment if they haven’t already at this point in the summer. Of the remaining names, the most likely to land jobs are those closer to 30 without as much wear and tear on their bodies. The three players who have already found jobs – Johnson, Holden, and Polak – are all 32 or under. Emelin and Quincey at 32 have good odds, as do Enstrom and Gorges at 33. It would also be a major surprise if 35-year-old Hamhuis went unsigned. However, it would not be a shock to see only those five land a deal. This is a free agent market saturated in experienced, capable veteran defensemen, but few who can keep up with the NHL’s current pace of play. As a result, the supply greatly outweighs the demand and the free agent market for older blue liners could continue to remain quiet.

Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames

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Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Calgary’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Mark Jankowski – Heading into the 2017-18 season, there’s no question that fans were frustrated with waiting for Jankowski. He had just turned 23 and was more than five years from being drafted with just a single NHL game under his belt. Sure, he’d impressed in his first full season in the AHL but after waiting so long Flames fans wanted impact, and they wanted it now.

After starting in the minor leagues once again he was given a chance with the NHL club and didn’t look back, recording 17 goals and 25 points in 72 games. Those numbers were inflated some by the four-goal game he had at the very end of the season, but regardless Jankowski has found a full-time roll on the club going forward. The question is how much is that role worth, as the first-round pick heads into free agency for the first time. With less than a full season of games under his belt there isn’t a ton of leverage from his side, but they may not want to lock him into a long-term deal before really showing what he’s capable of. It seems like a one or two-year bridge deal is in order here, limiting the risk on both sides.

G Jon Gillies/David Rittich – The Flames have to make a decision on who their backup goaltender is going to be next season, and it might as well be one of Gillies or Rittich. Both were inconsistent when given the chance to help out at the NHL level, and have Tyler Parsons and other goaltending prospects chasing them down from behind. With Mike Smith set to come back as the starter, we’ll get a good indication of who will be behind him from the contracts that Gillies and Rittich receive. Both would become Group VI unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019 if not given an NHL opportunity this year.

Other RFAs: F Nick Shore, F Garnet Hathaway, D Brett Kulak, F Hunter Shinkaruk, F Austin Carroll, F Morgan Klimchuk, F Hunter Smith, F Emile Poirier

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Kris Versteeg – The Flames lucked out when Versteeg decided to sign with them in the fall of 2016 despite being in training camp with the Edmonton Oilers, and were rewarded with a 37-point season. That earned the journeyman forward another contract for the most recent season worth $1.75MM, but he was unfortunately limited to just 24 games because of injury.

Even if Versteeg were willing to come back for a reduced price, it’s not clear if the Flames have room for him any longer. With the emergence of young players like Jankowski, Hathaway and Curtis Lazar, there might not be any reason to re-sign the 32-year old winger. Still, depending on what happens this summer they may bring him back as a veteran option to fill out their top-nine and give them a little more secondary scoring, provided he’s healthy enough to contribute.

F Matt Stajan – It’s amazing that Stajan is still just 34, despite seeming to have been in the league for two decades. The veteran pivot celebrated his 1,000th game in the NHL this season, but is clearly slowing down as he enters his mid-thirties. With just 12 points in 68 games, Stajan put up the worst offensive numbers of his career and saw the ice for fewer than 11 minutes a night. Though he’s still a positive veteran presence on a team that needs a bounce-back season, there likely isn’t much room on the roster going forward.

Whether Stajan gets another shot elsewhere in the NHL is still very much in doubt. Unfortunately he’s just slightly too young to qualify for a contract that includes performance bonuses, meaning he’ll likely be looking at offers near the league minimum. If that’s acceptable, perhaps he continues his career as a part-time fourth-line center for a contender. If it’s the end, he’ll have a long successful career to look back on even if he didn’t get to the playoffs very often.

Other UFAs: F Tanner Glass, F Chris Stewart, F Marek Hrivik, D Matt Bartkowski, F Luke Gazdic, D Tyler Wotherspoon, D Cody Goloubef, D Dalton Prout

Projected Cap Space: The Flames project to have around $17MM in cap space this summer, depending on where the upper limit lands, and without any premiere restricted free agents could go after some big fish on the free agent market. They do have to worry about extensions for Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk past this season, but still should have some room to play with if they want to add.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the team let all of their unrestricted free agents go, as none of them figure to be long-term contributors to the Flames success. Even if they do sign some of the minor ones, the biggest impact this summer will likely come through trade or big ticket shopping. Calgary struggled this season and doesn’t have a pick in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft. Things have to change, and they have to change fast for them to see any success in the near future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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