Mikhail Grabovski

Expansion Primer: New York Islanders

June 22, 2021 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 12 Comments

Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here, while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.

In 2017, the New York Islanders were one of the few lucky teams not to lose a player in the Expansion Draft, as the Vegas Golden Knights selected free agent goaltender Jean-Francois Berube. They paid dearly for that privilege though, trading a first-round pick, second-round pick, and defenseman Jake Bischoff (as well as the contract of Mikhail Grabovski) in order for Vegas to take Berube. The team was also the only one to protect three forwards and five defensemen.

This time around, the Islanders are unlikely to pay a heavy price to keep their unprotected players from being selected in the NHL Expansion Draft and they are also expected to go with a more orthodox protection scheme. Will they lose a good player? Sure. However, two-time reigning GM of the Year winner Lou Lamoriello has left his team in decent shape as expansion approaches.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:
Josh Bailey, Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Kieffer Bellows, Cal Clutterbuck, Austin Czarnik, Michael Dal Colle, Jordan Eberle, Ross Johnston, Otto Koivula, Leo Komarov, Andrew Ladd, Anders Lee, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Dmytro Timashov

Defense:
Sebastian Aho, Thomas Hickey, Nick Leddy, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Parker Wotherspoon

Goalies:
Ken Appleby, Semyon Varlamov

Notable Unrestricted Free Agents

F Casey Cizikas, D Braydon Coburn, D Andy Greene, F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac

Notable Exemptions

D Johnny Boychuk (Inj.), D Samuel Bolduc, D Noah Dobson, D Robin Salo, G Jakub Skarek, G Ilya Sorokin, F Oliver Wahlstrom

Key Decisions

When you miss the playoffs or even exit early, it is easier to look toward the future when it comes to making difficult decisions in regards to the Expansion Draft (see: Philadelphia Flyers). However, when it comes to the Islanders, their current deep playoff run could make that difficult. The team faces several decisions in which they must choose between a top veteran or a younger future piece and must sort that out.

However, there are some no-brainers to start. In goal, the team specifically signed Appleby only to expose him, allowing them to protect starter Varlamov. On defense, the tongue-twisting top pair of Pelech and Pulock are locked in for protection. At forward, young core pieces Barzal and Beauvillier and captain Lee are also guarantees.

After that, things get difficult. The seemingly easy call is to protect their other top-scoring veteran forwards. Bailey, Nelson, Eberle, and Pageau are all key pieces to this season and playoff run and are all signed long-term. However, Bailey and Eberle will both turn 32 next season and carry expensive contracts for several more years, but have shown signs of decline in recent seasons. They will both certainly be contributors for another year or possibly longer, but are they worth losing another forward and missing out on using the cap space elsewhere?

If any of that core group of top-nine forwards is not protected, other candidates include reliable fourth liners Clutterbuck and Martin. However, the player who deserves the most consideration is young Bellows. The 23-year-old forward is a 2016 first-round pick who produced with the USNTDP, in the NCAA, the WHL, and most recently the AHL. His scoring has yet to translate to the NHL, but it seems like a safe bet. With more time and opportunity, Bellows could easily be a top goal-scorer for an NHL team. Do the Islanders risk that team being the Seattle Kraken?

One thing that is certain is that the depth up front will ensure the Islanders use the 7-3 protetion scheme. On defense, behind Pelech and Pulock, it may seem like top-scoring defenseman Leddy should be the final pick and he very well may be. After some down years, Leddy impressed this season and was invaluable to the Islanders’ success. He also plays a key leadership role as an experienced, long-time member of the team.

However, Leddy’s age and his expiring contract could make him a diminishing asset for the team. In his place, they could keep the younger, more affordable, and arguably equally valuable Mayfield. Initially more of a stay-at-home defenseman, Mayfield has rounded out his game in recent years and with that his role has increased. At $1.45MM for two more years, Mayfield is a bargain and would have a greater total impact on the team if Leddy leaves after next season, even if Leddy is the superior performer next season alone. Is that enough to make him the selection? Another outside-the-box candidate would be 22-year-old Aho, who showed potential last season but took a step back this year.

Projected Protection List

F Josh Bailey
F Mathew Barzal
F Anthony Beauvillier
F Jordan Eberle
F Anders Lee
F Brock Nelson
F Jean-Gabriel Pageau

D Nick Leddy
D Adam Pelech
D Ryan Pulock

G Semyon Varlamov

Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist

When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined. Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined. In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.

Forwards (3): Cal Clutterbuck, Leo Komarov, Matt Martin

Defensemen (1): Scott Mayfield

The Islanders’ current playoff run could very likely determine their approach to the Expansion Draft. If they feel strongly about their success in winning the East Division or if they are able to advance to the next round, they may feel that they are close enough to winning a Stanley Cup that they keep all of their top-performing veterans. Yet, if they win the Cup, perhaps that focus shifts back to the future and the emphasis becomes long-term assets. Either way, the Islanders will have to expose good players and after giving up a king’s ransom to Vegas in the last round of Expansion and already with a relatively shallow prospect pipeline and missing several draft picks, they are unlikely to make any side deals.

If available, a top veteran like Leddy, Bailey, or Eberle would be an easy pick for Seattle. However, assuming they are protected, Mayfield does stick out as the top option. The only issue there could be that there will be many teams who expose solid defensemen and don’t have any quality forwards available. A young, high-upside forward like Bellows may be hard to pass up. The Kraken will have plenty of options and the Islanders will lose a good player – likely their No. 4 defenseman or top forward prospect – but they will survive.

Snapshots: Edler, Hiller, Grabovski

June 19, 2019 at 1:47 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks may not be parting ways with Alexander Edler after all. Several reports including Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet have surfaced today that the two sides are making positive progress on a new deal, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the biggest hurdle has been resolved. That would be Edler’s availability for the upcoming expansion draft, something that was a major sticking point in early talks. The Canucks previously had not wanted to give Edler a no-movement clause that would make him automatically protected in the draft, through Friedman doesn’t go into detail on how the two sides have resolved the problem.

Edler, 33, is coming off a six-year, $30MM deal with the Canucks and is still arguably their most important defenseman. While that may change soon with the emergence of Quinn Hughes, losing him would create a huge 24-minute-a-night hole on their blue line. Even in a season limited by injury Edler still managed to record 34 points in 56 games and would be a top option on the free agent market if left unsigned.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be bringing back either of their assistant coaches this season, as Friedman tweets that Jim Hiller is heading to re-join Lou Lamoriello with the New York Islanders. The team had already watched D.J. Smith take the head coaching position with the Ottawa Senators, meaning Mike Babcock will need to find a few new faces to join him behind the bench in 2019-20. Hiller ran the Maple Leafs’ powerplay which despite ranking eighth in the entire league at 21.8%, was still seen as a relative disappointment given the talent they had to offer. Still, he’s a very experienced coach that joins another excellent staff under Barry Trotz in New York.
Though Mikhail Grabovski hasn’t suited up for a professional game since the 2015-16 season, only today did he officially announce his retirement. The 35-year old was forced out of the game due to concussion issues, but was actually still under contract through the 2017-18 season. In fact, Grabovski will still earn a paycheck for the next two years from a 2013 buyout at the hands of the Maple Leafs. In 534 career games, the shifty center recorded 296 points playing for the Maple Leafs, Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vegas Golden Knights

September 17, 2017 at 4:57 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

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

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 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.

Vegas Golden Knights

Current Cap Hit: $69,375,832 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alex Tuch (Two years remaining, $925K)
D Shea Theodore (One year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Tuch: $425K

While the brand-new franchise is focused on building up a powerhouse team over the next five years, which means draft picks and more draft picks, which will create a revolving door at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, there should be at least one constant who is already locked in for the future in Theodore. The just-turned 22-year-old is considered to be a long-term piece and despite the team’s overwhelming defensive logjam, the hope is Theodore is on the team’s opening day roster. Theodore shined last year during Anaheim’s playoff run when he along with several other defenseman had to step in for injured players and fared well. Theodore, a offensive defenseman, was a first-round pick of the Ducks in 2013 and despite having just nine points in 39 regular season games last year, he put up eight goals in 14 playoff games.

Tuch, a talented forward acquired near the expansion draft in a side deal with the Minnesota Wild, has a chance to immediately make the team out of training camp. The 21-year-old wing was a first-round pick in 2014 and scored 18 goals for the AHL’s Iowa Wild last year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F James Neal ($5MM, UFA)
F Mikhail Grabovski ($5MM, UFA)
D Jason Garrison ($4.6MM, UFA)
F David Perron ($3.75MM, UFA)
D Luca Sbisa ($3.6MM, UFA)
D Clayton Stoner ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Brayden McNabb ($1.7MM, UFA)
D Jonathon Merrill ($1.14MM, RFA)
F William Karlsson ($1MM, RFA)
D Colin Miller ($1MM, RFA)
D Deryk Engelland ($1MM, UFA)
G Calvin Pickard ($1MM, RFA)
F Jon Marchessault ($750K, UFA)
F Teemu Pulkkinen ($700K, RFA)

The Golden Knights will be looking to move as many of their players at the trade deadline as they can. Neal should be their biggest trade bait as many teams wouldn’t mind adding a goal-scorer right in time for the playoffs. The 30-year-old wing is coming off a 23-goal season in Nashville and has scored 165 goals in the last six seasons combined. The team hopes that playing on a top line should keep his scoring numbers up high so that his price increases at the perfect time, but a recent report that a wrist injury suffered during the playoffs last year is still affecting Neal and he will miss two to four weeks is concerning. The team also has high hopes it can move Perron. After putting up a career-high 28 goals in 2013-14, he has struggled with injuries but rebounded last year with an 18 goal season. If he can stay healthy and produce similar numbers, he might be worth a mid to late pick.

One key decision the team will have to make is what to do with Marchessault, who is coming off a 30-goal season a year ago in Florida. At $750K, he is a bargain for the next year, but if he can duplicate his numbers from last year, he would be in line for a big payday. Complicating the situation is that Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant is a big fan of the 26-year-old and was the head coach in Florida wlast year when Marchessault started his breakout season.

The team also has a number of restricted free agents who they will likely hold onto. While Pickard’s name is rarely mentioned in Vegas as he is the current backup, don’t be surprised if Pickard is penciled in as the goaltender of the future. The 25-year-old struggled with Colorado last year (although he did have one of the worst teams around him), but was a promising prospect before that. Miller is another who should be retained. The 24-year-old was a promising defender in Boston who was just beginning to get full-time work. He got into 61 games last year and showed quite a bit of promise. Karlsson should get a bottom line spot in the lineup. The 24-year-old is coming off a 25-point season and the team hopes he takes his game up a notch.

While Grabovski likely won’t see the ice ever in Las Vegas (freeing the team of his $5MM cap hit), Garrison is a defender who may prove to have some value if he can produce on one of the team’s top defensive lines. The 32-year-old struggled at times in Tampa Bay and his offensive numbers have declined in the past couple of years. McNabb is considered to be an excellent defender and should provide solid defense for Vegas. He missed a lot of time due to a broken collarbone injury he suffered last October, forcing the 26-year-old in and out of the lineup all season and he eventually lost his starting job at the end of the year, but should get regular minutes with the Golden Knights. Sbisa is another player who should get playing time in hopes the team can move him later this year. The 27-year-old blueliner was a solid defenseman, but few teams were interested in his $3.6MM pricetag.

Two Years Remaining

G Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Vadim Shipachyov ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Nate Schmidt ($2.23MM, UFA)
F Oscar Lindberg ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1.45MM, UFA)
D Griffin Reinhart ($800K, RFA)
D Brad Hunt ($650K, UFA)

We’ll see where Fleury’s game is in two years, but the 32-year-old goaltender actually struggled last year with the Penguins. He finished the season with a 3.02 GAA in 38 games and had a .909 save percentage, well under his usual numbers. The question is, can he improve on that much when he doesn’t have Pittsburgh’s solid defense behind him and is, in fact, behind an expansion defensive line? Obviously, he made a name for himself in the playoffs when he had to sub in for an injured Matt Murray and thrived for a round until Murray returned. Pickard might be ready to supplant Fleury in two years if he hadn’t already done it.

Shipachyov is a different story. The 30-year-old KHL forward has been a big-time goal scorer for many year and now brings his talent to Las Vegas. However, he only inked a two-year deal and no one is quite sure how his game will translate to the NHL. They likely will avoid trading him in the first year of the deal, but don’t be surprised if he gets moved before his contract expires.

Schmidt is finally going to get a chance to prove he’s a top four defenseman. On a crowded defensive line, Schmidt was still a very good player, but he must prove himself now that he will be among the better defenders on the team. Lindberg is another young player who will be given a better opportunity to thrive. The 25-year-old center who was selected from the New York Rangers has tallied 21 goals in two season combined and the hope is he breaks out with the Golden Knights.

Three Years Remaining

F David Clarkson ($5.25MM, UFA)
F Cody Eakin ($3.85MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)

The one thing is the team has few long-term deals and Clarkson’s deal shouldn’t count against the cap as the 33-year-old veteran missed all of last season and played in just 23 games in the 2015-16 season. He has been plagued by lower back issues for the last few years. The Golden Knights took the contract of Clarkson off the Columbus Blue Jackets’ hands for a first-round pick in 2017 and a second round pick in 2019.

Eakin, on the other hand, is a gamble made by general manager George McPhee. Originally drafted by McPhee in Washington back in 2009, Eakin has had an up and down career, including three seasons where he scored 16 or more goals, but the 26-year-old center really struggled in Dallas last season with just three goals in 60 games. McPhee likely thinks he can revive his career. Haula came from Minnesota in the expansion draft, but the 26-year old center has consistently improved in the four years he’s been in the league, finishing with 15 goal and 11 assist season. The team signed Haula to a three-year deal during their free agency window before the expansion draft. By taking Haula and avoiding Minnesota’s glut of defensemen, they also acquired Tuch as part of the overall deal.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Reilly Smith ($5MM through 2021-22)

Only one deal goes over four years as the team took the challenge of trading for Reilly Smith at the expansion draft for a 2018 fourth-round pick as part of a side deal. Smith is still just 26 and has scored 40 goals over the past two years combined, although he had a down year last year with just 15 goals and 22 assists. The team hopes Gallant, Smith’s former coach, can get him to play at the level when Smith was at his best.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

Alexei Emelin ($1.1MM for 2017-18)

Still To Sign

None

Looking Ahead

The team should thrive in Vegas as the team has made Fleury the face of the franchise and hopes to build the team’s initial success on Fleury, Neal and Shipachyov. The team is committed to build for the future. Their flurry of deals, however, netted them three first-round picks this year and a bunch of others and the hope is that if some players can have big years, the team can unload those for even more picks.

Eventually this team will be built around players like Cody Glass, Erik Brannstrom, Nick Suzuki, Theodore and other young players who are going to be added to their franchise over time.

Mikhail Grabovski Wants To Play This Year

September 14, 2017 at 11:46 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Mikhail Grabovski hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2015-16 season, spending all of last year on long-term injured reserve with continued post-concussion symptoms, but as Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com reports he’s in Las Vegas today for his medical and maintains his desire to play. His agent, Gary Greenstein, told Cotsonika that Grabovski is “very positive.” The 33-year old forward was selected by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft after receiving a first-round pick from the New York Islanders, but few thought he’d ever suit up for the team.

At one point in his career, Grabovski was a dynamic center that could drive play offensively and hold his own in the defensive end (despite what some detractors might say) but hasn’t played more than 60 games in a single NHL season since 2011-12. For a team that will likely have trouble scoring goals, his addition could provide some depth down the middle and another presence for the powerplay.

All of this is just hope from Grabovski’s side at this point, as he’ll need to pass the medical and then convince head coach Gerard Gallant that he’s ready to compete in the NHL once again, but we have seen things like this before. Clarke MacArthur returned to the Ottawa Senators late last season after nearly a full season off with similar issues, and was a big contributor in the playoffs. Perhaps Grabovski can do the same, even if it doesn’t come at the start of the season.

Senators Passed Up Chance To Unload Ryan

August 8, 2017 at 6:53 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 2 Comments

One of the few players who was heavily anticipated to become a Vegas Golden Knight did not – Bobby Ryan. Despite an above-average playoff performance in the Senators’ heartbreaking Conference Final run, Ryan has vastly under-performed relative to his contract. Instead of coordinating a deal to unload that contract to Vegas, they instead lost Marc Methot, perhaps the second best defenseman on the team in that Cinderella story. Methot’s contract was not perfect, to be sure, but Ryan’s deal still looms large over the team for years.

It should be noted that Ryan has been a consistent 50+ point producer prior to this season, where he tallied only 25 through 62 contests. He’s been on pace for over 50 every year since he was a rookie. That said, his fall from grace in 2016-17was concerning and dramatic. His puck control seriously declined, his decision making faltered, and his production took a nosedive. With only 12 goals, and coming off a hot post-season, the time was ripe for GM Pierre Dorion to take advantage of Vegas’ unique situation and rid himself of a bad contract. Earning $7.25 MM AAV for the next five seasons, Ryan is the 36th highest paid forward in the league, and second-highest on the payroll behind Erik Karlsson.

For those who believe such an arrangement could not have been worked out, merely look at some of the contracts Vegas did take on. The essentially retired David Clarkson’s $5.25 MM for the next 3 seasons was shipped out at the price of a first and a 2020 second. The perennially concussed Mikhail Grabovski was dealt for a similar package, which also protected some of the Islanders’ players. Vegas also didn’t shy away from taking veteran players with value – they selected James Neal (29 years old) from Nashville as well as David Perron from the Blues (29 years old). Certainly, with a little encouragement, George McPhee might have entertained the possibility of Ryan as a Knight. The price may have been steep, but Karlsson is in the prime of his career, while many players are looking for raises in the immediate future. Clearing Ryan’s albatross off the books may have gone a long way towards building toward a consistent contender.

Ultimately, Dorion decided against unloading a bloated contract in hopes that Ryan’s post-season revival was no mirage. With the UFA crop available, it’s difficult to blame the management for doubling down on the struggling winger. Five roster players will be UFA after this season, including Craig Anderson and Kyle Turris, while Mark Stone (RFA) has earned a raise. Karlsson will then be due a raise for 2019-20, as will five other forwards. The team will need to rely upon cost-effective ELC players and bargain contracts to continue holding pace with the rest of the Atlantic division. Only time will tell whether the Ryan decision was the correct one.

Islanders’ 2017-18 Season Could Spark Roster Turnover

July 30, 2017 at 2:02 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence Leave a Comment

The New York Islanders have a difficult season ahead of them, not least of which the arena uncertainty which has been plaguing the team for a decade. After a tumultuous season in Brooklyn at the Barclay’s Center, many fans are simply concerned with finding a proper home in the New York area. Additionally, much attention has been paid to the impending unrestricted free agency of John Tavares at the conclusion of the season. There is good reason for the fanbase’s focus to be centered around captain Tavares, as he will likely be the domino that needs to fall first. That said, the Islanders have 11 expiring NHL contracts at the end of the 2017-18 season, and if the team fails to make the playoffs again, even more expansive changes could be on the horizon.

It should be noted that the Islanders weren’t entirely quiet this off-season, as GM Garth Snow made some unorthodox but ultimately effective moves with Vegas to shield younger players and ship out injured Mikhail Grabovski’s contract. Perhaps more importantly, regards to retaining Tavares, was the acquisition of good friend and skillful finisher Jordan Eberle to play on the star center’s wing. Travis Hamonic was able to be moved for a hefty return from Calgary, and although the team was unable to draw in names from free agency, their young forwards look capable of taking a step forward this season. Although Snow has certainly struggled at times in his tenure, this off-season went about as well as could be expected. All that remains is to sign RFA Calvin de Haan.

The panic begins to set in when you compare the Islanders’ roster with that of the rest of the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh will again be a contender. Washington got worse but still won the President’s Trophy last season. Columbus almost unquestionably improved their roster on paper. Carolina added depth in all areas of the ice, including Scott Darling in net. The New York Rangers saw a massive upgrade on defense by subtracting Dan Girardi and adding Kevin Shattenkirk. And the less intimidating Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils each added a monumental talent to their forward groups at the draft in Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, respectively. It’s rather arguably the toughest division in the entire league, and the Islanders will have no guarantees of making the playoffs. If they fail to do so, Tavares may only be the beginning of their issues.

Among the unrestricted free agents after the conclusion of the season are Nikolai Kulemin, Josh Bailey, Jason Chimera, Thomas Hickey, Dennis Seidenberg, Jaroslav Halak and the aforementioned Tavares. The restricted free agents on NHL contracts include Brock Nelson, Shane Prince, Alan Quine, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield. Although no name on either list is truly vital, losing 4 or 5 free agents for nothing at the conclusion of the season could be a disastrous error in asset management. Bailey and Hickey in particular may attract solid interest at the trade deadline, but Snow and management will necessarily be determined to make the post-season. If they are still in contention for a spot, it’s hard to see them shipping any roster assets away as long as they are not mathematically eliminated. This situation will only become more dramatic if the Tavares negotiations are still ongoing.

Plainly, the worst case scenario for the Isles would be that Tavares leaves at the conclusion of the year. But it must also be realized that the longer the process drags on, the more consideration might be paid to the feasibility of moving him. The coming season cannot be the entire focus of the franchise. If minimal progress is made by the new year, the team could see a situation where an important cog on the team might leave for absolutely nothing. Worse, his situation may lead to the sacrificing of other assets in the confusion. The Islanders dealt with this last off-season when Frans Nielsen decided to depart for Detroit, stunning Islanders management. Repeating such a mistakewould be absolutely inexcusable, and if unrestricted free agents are unwilling to re-sign or no longer part of the team’s future, they must be moved in the interest of the organization. The same goes for Tavares. Although losing Tavares would be absolutely crippling, it would be fatal to lose him without recouping any assets whatsoever.

Vegas Golden Knights Trade Breakdown

June 21, 2017 at 11:08 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights have already completed ten trades this offseason, wheeling and dealing around the expansion draft with a third of the NHL. While more deals will undoubtedly drop tomorrow and in the next few days, these first ten transactions have set the team up for success. We’ll take a moment to break down why each trade happened, though there may be more dominoes to fall regarding some of them.

Buffalo sends their 2017 sixth-round pick to Vegas

In the first trade of the night, Vegas acquires a late round pick in order to not select G Linus Ullmark from the Sabres. Golden Knights GM George McPhee explained on the Awards broadcast that they were down to two players, Ullmark and William Carrier and the Sabres made their decision for them with a pick. For what it’s worth, our mock draft had the same split decision over the two players with Ullmark eventually ending up as the selection.

Florida sends F Reilly Smith to Vegas in exchange for their 2018 fourth-round pick

Smith was signed to a five-year, $25MM extension last summer by the new front office in Florida before scoring just 37 points and having a relatively poor year. The new front office (which, ironically is also the old-old front office with Dale Tallon taking over again as GM) apparently thought that deal was bad enough to want Vegas to take it off their hands. In return, the Golden Knights got the chance to draft Jon Marchessault, who was conspicuously left off the team’s protection list. The fact that Florida got something back takes a bit of the sting away, but losing 45 goals and 88 points in return for a fourth-round pick is a tough choice regardless of the salary cap implications.

Carolina sends 2017 fifth-round pick to Vegas

It’s unclear who the Vegas Golden Knights would have targeted from Carolina, but they used a pick to ensure it would be Connor Brickley instead. In our mock draft we had Klas Dahlbeck heading to Vegas, which is perhaps the player they wanted to protect. Brickley was still a second-round pick back in 2010 and has shown much in the way of NHL upside as of yet. As a 25-year old Group VI free agent this summer, Vegas may decide to just let him hit the open market.

Tampa Bay sends negotiating rights to F Nikita Gusev, their 2017 second-round pick and Pittsburgh’s 2018 fourth-round pick to Vegas

This is one of the bigger trades of the night, with the Lightning dealing two picks and Gusev in order to protect their young defensemen Slater Koekkoek and Jake Dotchin. They also got the Golden Knights to take Jason Garrison and his $4.6MM cap hit off their books. According to agent Dan Milstein, Gusev isn’t coming to the NHL right away but will revisit the idea in the future. Gusev of course is a former linemate of Vegas free agent signing Vadim Shipachyov, perhaps giving them the inside track to get him over to North America before long.

In the last few months, Tampa GM Steve Yzerman has aggressively shed salary by moving Valtteri Filppula, Jonathan Drouin and now Garrison. As extensions kick in for some of his top players, he still has Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat to re-sign among a big group of RFAs. Suddenly they have around ~$23MM in cap space and could potentially be buyers on the free agent market.

New York Islanders send F Mikhail Grabovski, D Jake Bischoff, their 2017 first-round pick and their 2019 second-round pick to Vegas

The Islanders apparently were desperate to extend their protection list and force Vegas’ hand, because they moved a healthy package to do so. Grabovski was included to get the cap-hit off their books, though he’ll likely never play again in the NHL. LTIR isn’t as easy as free cap space, and the team needed some more this summer if they’re going to make a big splash and find wingers for John Tavares. Bischoff, a seventh-round pick, was just signed out of the University of Minnesota where he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. After a nice start to his AHL career, he does have a chance to make the NHL some day but will more likely head to the Chicago Wolves and spend some more time in the minor leagues.

The Golden Knights ended up selecting Jean-Francois Berube, who is another Group VI free agent and might not even play for Vegas at all. The 25-year old has had trouble finding a place in an NHL net and could have to settle for a two-way contract this summer. His pick is a throwaway for the Golden Knights, who needed to pick three goaltenders in the draft to comply with the minimum requirements. The big get for them is the 15th-overall pick in Friday’s entry draft, one they could easily use to move up in the first round.

Anaheim sends D Shea Theodore to Vegas

This is one of the more clear cut trades of the night. Anaheim had too many defensemen to protect, and Vegas would have happily snapped up Josh Manson or Sami Vatanen. It cost them Theodore to protect those two, and get rid of Clayton Stoner’s $3.25MM contract. Stoner is an unrestricted free agent after this year and will have little effect on the Golden Knights cap this season, and Theodore is a prized defensive prospect who could grow into one of the best players on the Vegas roster.

Theodore was behind a long line of left-handed defensemen in Anaheim, but is just 21-years old and holds tremendous value even with his up-and-down season. The Golden Knights could build a defense around him and other young players they selected, or trade him right away for another package of picks to help build through the draft. Either way, he’s one of the top prizes of the night.

Minnesota sends F Alex Tuch to Vegas in exchange for their conditional 2018 third-round pick

Minnesota had much the same problem as Anaheim; too many worthwhile players. In order to protect Mathew Dumba, Marco Scandella and Eric Staal, the Wild had to give up a first-round pick in Tuch to the Golden Knights. While he’s not their top forward prospect, he’s still an asset with excellent value after making his NHL debut this season. He could find his way onto the Golden Knights opening day roster with a solid camp, and at just 21 could be there for a long time.

The Wild likely didn’t have to give up a better prospect because Vegas also got to sign Erik Haula, a strong secondary scoring option that has experience at both wing and center. The Golden Knights inked the restricted free agent to a three-year, $8.25MM contract and will hope he can build off the 15-goals he scored in 2016-17. It’s hard to imagine Haula will be flipped anywhere, meaning the 26-year old should be in Vegas on opening night.

Columbus sends F David Clarkson, their 2017 first-round pick and their 2019 second-round pick to Vegas

Another big deal that protected several good players, Columbus wanted the Golden Knights to stay away from Josh Anderson, Joonas Korpisalo and Jack Johnson. They also needed some cap relief, deciding to include Clarkson’s three remaining years at $5.25MM in the deal. Just like Grabovski, Clarkson won’t ever play again in the NHL but his contract will stay on the books for now. The Blue Jackets had to part with the 24th-overall pick and another selection two years for now for the extra protection.

Again, though Clarkson could have been put on LTIR after the season began, the Blue Jackets were looking at around $5MM in cap space with several high-profile restricted free agents still to sign. They needed relief badly, and were forced to make a deal of some sort to move money out. They’ll now likely be able to fit both Anderson and Alexander Wennberg in, though watch for them to make another cap-saving move in the near future.

Winnipeg sends their 2017 first-round pick and their 2019 third-round pick to Vegas for Columbus’ 2017 first-round pick

At first glance, this deal looks mighty odd. The Golden Knights move up 11 spots in Friday’s first round (24 to 13) and also add a third-round pick in 2019. What it comes down to, is protection of Toby Enstrom, Marko Dano and others in the expansion draft. The Golden Knights ended up picking Chris Thorburn who a) is an unrestricted free agent and b) has a career high of 19 points. Thorburn isn’t in the plans for Vegas, but it was worth it to move up more than a third of the first round in one shot and leave them with three picks in the top-15. Many are speculating whether they will use those to move up and perhaps take a swing at Brandon Wheat King Nolan Patrick, who was originally drafted and developed in the WHL by Vegas AGM Kelly McCrimmon.

For the Jets, moving back in the first round was worth protecting their depth as they look to compete for the playoffs next season. Enstrom waived his no-movement clause for the team to protect Tyler Myers, likely reducing the amount of leverage the Golden Knights had in negotiations. Had Myers been available, he may have been worth more than 11 spots and a third-round pick.

Pittsburgh sends their 2020 second-round pick to Vegas

In a trade that according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN was agreed upon in principle way back on March 1st when the Golden Knights were first allowed to talk to teams, the Penguins give up a draft pick several years down the road to make sure that Marc-Andre Fleury would be Vegas’ selection. Both Fleury and the Penguins knew he’d be heading to Vegas next season for quite some time, making his play down the stretch and in the playoffs that much more remarkable. Generally known as one of the most well-liked players around the league, Fleury won his third Stanley Cup this season with the only team he’s ever played for.

Welcomed to the biggest ovation of the night (sorry James Neal), Fleury will instantly become one of the faces of the Golden Knights franchise and likely spend the entire season in 2017-18 as their starting goaltender. After a so-so regular season, Fleury turned back the clock in the playoffs and helped the Penguins through the first few rounds after starter Matt Murray went down with a torn hamstring. At 32, he has just two years remaining on his contract at $5.75MM a number that the Penguins no longer could afford at the backup goalie position. A new contract for Murray kicks in this year, and the team has several important RFAs to sign this summer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jean-Francois Berube Could Be Included In Vegas Deal

June 21, 2017 at 2:53 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Jean-Francois Berube may be included in the New York Islanders side-deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. That deal in particular has been tough to pin down for all those chasing it, with several different iterations coming out in the last few days. The latest has it involving the Islanders’ first-round pick (15th-overall this year) in order to protect some unnamed group of players from selection, while Mikhail Grabovski’s contract could be headed the other way. This is the first we’ve heard of Berube being involved.

Interestingly, the Golden Knights have been expected to already have too many goaltenders after the draft and will unlikely have room for Berube on their roster. Recently it has been reported that Antti Raanta was not the selection from the Rangers, meaning perhaps Vegas is going for more position players than originally expected. Though Berube has some potential as an NHL goaltender, he played just 14 games for the Islanders this season (seven starts) and put up a .889 save percentage. He was relegated to the third string goaltender early in the season and never really received a chance as the Islanders struggled in net. With the team re-signing Thomas Greiss in early January, the writing was on the wall for Berube’s future in New York.

15th-overall is a hefty price to pay for any trade, but protecting their exposed group and getting rid of Grabovski’s cap hit seems important enough to the team. There have been rumblings of the Golden Knights wanting to move up from sixth-overall in the entry draft, and the Islanders’ pick could be a big part of that. Pierre LeBrun of TSN mentioned early this morning that Vegas had secured ten draft picks over the next few seasons, with several expected in the first round this season. While the team they ice on opening night in 2017-18 might not be incredible, the Golden Knights seem poised to have a quick build through the draft and young assets.

Expected Trades With Vegas Golden Knights

June 21, 2017 at 11:09 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 14 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights assuredly have more deals worked out than we know so far, but Bob McKenzie of TSN gave us a long breakdown of the ones that are expected to happen. With some added details from others like Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch and Arthur Staple of Newsday, here are the deals that the hockey world is pretty sure have been agreed upon. To be clear, none of these trades are final until they are announced at tonight’s NHL Awards ceremony:

Minnesota Wild

Vegas signs Erik Haula to multi-year contract, forfeiting expansion selection. Sends conditional draft pick.

Minnesota sends Alex Tuch.

Anaheim Ducks

Vegas selects Clayton Stoner.

Anaheim sends Shea Theodore.

Chicago Blackhawks

Vegas selects Trevor van Riemsdyk.

Chicago sends Marcus Kruger.

This deal in particular should be subject to skepticism, as today’s news surrounding Marian Hossa complicates things. Scott Powers of The Athletic has been told that Kruger will remain with the Blackhawks through tonight, though it’s unclear what that would mean for van Riemsdyk who is still eligible to be drafted.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Vegas will not select Josh Anderson, Joonas Korpisalo or Jack Johnson.

Columbus sends 2017 first-round pick, a prospect, and David Clarkson.

New York Islanders

Vegas will not select certain players left exposed (unclear who exactly has been included).

New York sends 2017 first-round pick, and Mikhail Grabovski.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Vegas selects Marc-Andre Fleury.

Pittsburgh sends unknown draft pick.

There are also deals in place with other teams including Florida and Tampa Bay, but reports have been inconsistent on the details thus far. McKenzie’s thread gives some insight into what they could be, but at this point it is still speculation. Again, each of these should be considered still only expected as details are fuzzy on each of them. We’ll update this page with any other deals that are leaked in the next few hours.

Islanders Likely To Move Grabovski And 15th Overall To Vegas

June 19, 2017 at 7:50 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 4 Comments

Arthur Staple of Newsday has had to deal with multiple changes in story for the Islanders in the wake of their bizarre protection scheme released yesterday. It seems as though the rationale behind that suspect arrangement might finally be coming to light.

According to Staple, there is a complicated arrangement between Vegas and the Islanders to move Mikhail Grabovski to the team as well as steer Vegas’ pick by enticing them with a 1st-round selection (#15). The 33 year-old Grabovski has had massive concussion issues which kept him sidelined all last season. There’s a very real possibility that Grabovski never fully recovers to full form, so this would be a pure cap dump from the perspective of Vegas. He hasn’t played over 60 games in a season since 2012, and although he has posted decent offensive numbers, he’s never broken 60 points. His contract is worth $5 MM and only runs for another season. It remains to be seen what enticement Vegas will need in order to take on that contract.

The 1st round pick will be offered to Vegas in exchange for their staying away from certain players. As of now, it seems probable that this means the protection of Brock Nelson and/or Calvin de Haan, as other names have been floated with little confirmation. Nikolai Kulemin could be a possible intriguing draft target for Vegas – it would help the cap situation of Garth Snow even further and he has a tight connection with Grabovski. Kulemin is also only under contract for another season, at $4.19 MM.

Even in light of this this information, the whole arrangement seems wildly unnecessary and convoluted. However, If Vegas is willing to take on injured players contracts and cap dumps, as this deal would imply, it may keep the doors open for players such as Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul. If there are any further details that break before Vegas’ selections, we at PHR will be on top of the development.

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