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Nick Jensen

Potential Compliance Buyout Candidates: Part III

May 20, 2020 at 8:41 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 23 Comments

As the current Coronavirus crisis wears on, it seems more and more likely that the NHL will not be able to complete the full remaining regular season schedule and talk of an expanded playoff field might indicate that there will be no return to the regular season at all. That lost revenue is expected to impact the 2020-21 salary cap, likely keeping the current $81.5MM upper limit in place. Given that teams expected an increase, initially projected to be between $84-88.2MM, this stagnation could have a harsh impact on a number of clubs’ cap situations. As such, many expect that compliance buyouts will return in some form or fashion to ease that pain. These buyouts, which do not count against the salary cap, would allow for teams to open up space that they otherwise expected from a cap increase.

After taking a look at teams 1-10, then 11-20, here is a breakdown of the names that the final 11 clubs could use a compliance buyout on, if they opt to use one at all:

Ottawa Senators: Bobby Ryan

While the oncoming cap crunch caused by COVID-19 will not impact the Senators, who have sat at or near the bottom of the league’s salary ranks in recent years, owner Eugene Melnyk is not one to miss out on an opportunity to save money. In the case of Ryan, that would mean casting off a player who has overcome the adversity of addiction to resume his career, but don’t expect that to stop the Senators from moving on. Ryan’s remaining two years and $15MM in actual salary represents a large chunk of what Ottawa owes its current roster. Ryan has not played at a level becoming of a $7.25MM player at any point over the course of his time with the Senators, but especially over the past four years in which he has failed to crack 50 points in any season. At 33 years old, Ryan’s best days are behind him and Ottawa won’t hesitate to but him out and face the potential public relations backlash.

Philadelphia Flyers: Shayne Gostisbehere

The Flyers are right up against the salary cap and will have to create some space if the upper limit does not move this off-season as had been expected. The team has been trying to trade Gostisbehere in the midst of a down year, but to no avail. It may seem counter-intuitive for a contender to give away a 27-year-old regular defenseman for free via buyout, but Gostisbehere is trending in the wrong direction and has three years at $4.5MM AAV remaining on his deal. If Philly cannot find a trade, which obviously would be the more ideal solution, they may not have a better alternative to clear space without buying out a more impactful player. Some may point to last summer’s Kevin Hayes mega-contract as a worse deal to consider moving, but it seems highly unlikely that the team would move on from Hayes this soon after signing him, especially since his production this season has been on par with his career numbers.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Jack Johnson

It was pretty obvious right from the start that Johnson was not going to be a value player for the Penguins. Many were skeptical of his 2018 signing right from the start and he has done little to prove those critics wrong. A minus player whose offensive ceiling now sits in the mid-teens, Johnson is 33 and his best days are well behind him. The Penguins are another team that needs as much cap space as they can create to keep their roster together. Can they really afford to pay Johnson $9.75MM against the cap over the next three years to be a bottom pair defenseman who is more often a liability than an asset? Pittsburgh has the depth on defense to make up for the loss and could desperately use the cap flexibility elsewhere.

San Jose Sharks: Martin Jones

Entering an off-season with a deep goalie market, which could grow even deeper with compliance buyouts, few teams would be happier to have a get-out-of-jail-free card than the Sharks. Goaltending, and their starter Jones in particular, has been at the heart of San Jose’s struggles over the past two years. Once seen as a safe bet to be a solid long-term starter, Jones has been unable to produce even passable numbers in the past couple of seasons. However, with four years and $23MM remaining on Jones’ deal – a $5.75MM AAV, it seemed hopeless for the team improve in net without either an expensive buyout, a painful trade, or a very overpriced backup. This scenario would be exactly what the team needed and there is little doubt that they would move on swiftly from Jones, re-focusing his cap space on improving the roster, most important of which would be finding his replacement(s).

St. Louis Blues: Alex Steen

Steen may be a respected veteran coming off of a championship season, but he is also one of the Blues’ few reasonable candidates for a buyout. St. Louis does not have many long-term contracts and has arguably no bad long-term contracts. Steen, 36, is also one of only three players over 31 signed through this season. Without many bad deals or regressing veterans to compete with, Steen’s final year at $5.75MM looks ugly, especially since his production has dropped off immensely in each of the past two seasons to just 17 points this year. Perhaps the only other buyout option for St. Louis would be backup goaltender Jake Allen if the determine that Steen’s experience and versatility is of greater value. However, Allen is younger and cheaper and coming off a bounce-back season in which he was one of the best backups in the NHL. Steen seems like the more reasonable selection.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Tyler Johnson

Tampa Bay was always going to have to blow up its core to accommodate its young players. However, a flat cap not only ensures that this time has come this off-season, it also makes the situation much worse. In order to sign a number of key restricted free agents, the Bolts must move out a considerable amount of salary this summer. Normally, players like Johnson, Yanni Gourde, and Ondrej Palat would have enough value to garner a nice trade return rather than needing a buyout. However, in an off-season where most teams could be up against the cap, acquiring a $5MM+ player will be easier said than done. Making it even harder is that all three hold No-Trade clauses and may not be willing to accept a deal to the types of team that can afford to acquire them. Of this trio, the Lightning are most likely to keep Palat; although he is the most expensive, he is also the most valuable. Gourde is slightly more expensive than Johnson’s $5MM AAV, but is also slightly younger and has largely outplayed Johnson over the past few years. Gourde is a more valuable asset than Johnson, which could mean he is easier to trade or it could mean that Tampa tries to find a way to keep him. Johnson seems like the odd man out. An undersized forward whose numbers fell off considerably this season to just 31 points and who is signed for four more years, Johnson is a trade risk, especially in a cap-strapped market. The odds are that some team would find a way to take him via trade – if he agrees – but if the Lightning get desperate they may have to buy him out. He’s their most reasonable candidate if it comes to that.

Toronto Maple Leafs: None

The Toronto Maple Leafs really don’t have any need for a compliance buyout at this point in time. The team is very young, many players have been extended recently, and arguably none have fallen so short of expectations that they warrant a buyout. Unless the Leafs trade for a bad contract simply to use their compliance buyout, it would be a surprise to see the club get in on the action this off-season.

Vancouver Canucks: Loui Eriksson

The Canucks have wanted to get rid of Eriksson for some time and with a compliance buyout they would be free to do so. The veteran forward has been one of Vancouver’s highest paid players since he joined the club in 2016, yet he has never recorded more than 30 points in a year through four seasons with the Canucks. At odds with coaches and severely underperforming relative to his $6MM AAV, Eriksson has worn out his welcome in Vancouver. However, he still has two years remaining on his contract. The team would be quick to erase that from the books. This buyout is a no-brainer; what is more interesting is whether Eriksson can return to his status as a valuable two-way forward with another team.

Vegas Golden Knights: None

Like the Maple Leafs, the Golden Knights simply don’t have any obvious candidate for a buyout. They have done well with their long-term contracts and have a roster constructed of players who they want in the lineup, including several who they have recently re-signed. That includes Nick Holden, who may be the only player who could have been considered an odd man out but recently took a pay cut to re-sign for two more years with Vegas. No one else jumps out as a player that the club would entertain giving up for free.

Washington Capitals: Nick Jensen

As good as the Capitals are and have been, this one is a toss-up because there are a number of players who could go. T.J. Oshie was brought in to win a Stanley Cup and has accomplished that task. He is still producing at a high level, but could the team cut ties with the 33-year-old while they have the chance rather than face the remaining five years and $28.75MM left on his contract? Lars Eller and Carl Hagelin, both on the wrong side of 30 and both signed for three more years, are in a similar boat. Their scoring is fine relative to their cap hit, but will it continue to be through the length of their contracts? Depending on how much room the Capitals may need to clear, any of these three could be a candidate for a buyout. However, Washington can impact their performance and their locker room far less by opting for Jensen instead. In his first full season with the team, Jensen has not been bad, but he has drawn his fair share of criticism. Jensen’s offense, though not typically a hallmark of his game, has been non-existent and he has been prone to turnovers and blown assignments. If the Capitals need to use a compliance buyout, they can likely find a better use for $7.5MM over the next three years.

Winnipeg Jets: Mathieu Perreault

The Jets have great depth at forward an nearly everyone carries the weight of their contracts. Perreault is an exception. The 32-year-old’s point totals have fallen in each of the past three seasons to just 15 points in 49 games this year. At a cap hit of $4.125, Perreault is not doing enough. He’s not the answer at second-line center and he’s overpaid to play in the bottom-six. There’s no place for Perreault and the team would likely be willing to move on a year early. While Bryan Little has also shown signs of slowing down and his signed for far longer and for more than Perreault, his lack of impact in 2019-20 is tied to injury. Even if injury issues persist, Little’s cap hit does not cause a problem when he is not active, so Perreault still makes more sense a buyout candidate.

Alex Steen| Artem Anisimov| Bobby Ryan| Bryan Little| Carl Hagelin| Coronavirus| Jack Johnson| Lars Eller| Loui Eriksson| Martin Jones| Mathieu Perreault| Nick Jensen| Nikita Zaitsev| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals| Salary Cap| San Jose Sharks| Schedule| Shayne Gostisbehere| St. Louis Blues| T.J. Oshie| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Tyler Johnson| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals| Winnipeg Jets

23 comments

Snapshots: Laviolette, Gaudreau, Capitals

November 22, 2019 at 8:52 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

With the first coaching change of the season in the books, speculation has quickly turned to which team will be the next to make a move.  A popular speculative choice has been Nashville as the Predators have won just two of their last ten games and are only two points ahead of last place Los Angeles in the Western Conference.

However, head Peter Laviolette told reporters, including Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean, that he hasn’t been given any indication from management that his job could be on the line or that he feels any extra pressure at all to turn things around.  Considering that the Predators are built to win now though, that could change if their struggles continue and GM David Poile isn’t able to swing a trade to try to shake up the roster first.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Johnny Gaudreau’s struggles have led some to suggest that the Flames should consider moving the winger. Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic details (subscription required) the reasons why they shouldn’t be doing so, highlighted by the fact that making an in-season deal of that type of magnitude is extremely difficult to pull off while still getting full value in return.  After scoring three times in his first five games, he has just two in 20 contests since then.  Nonetheless, he still sits second on the team in scoring despite his struggles.
  • The Capitals have had to turn to some extreme measures to stay cap-compliant in the early going this season. Eventually, they will need to free up a bit of salary room as they won’t be able to just rely on LTIR the rest of the way.  However, it’s going to be easier said than done.  J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington highlights winger Richard Panik and defenseman Nick Jensen as possible candidates given their contracts but also points out the complications for moving both of them.  Panik’s contract (four years at $2.75MM) is a tough one given his lack of production while Jensen would leave them with a hole on the right side of their back end that they can’t fill internally.  Accordingly, whether it’s one of them or someone else, GM Brian MacLellan is going to have a tough decision to make once Carl Hagelin comes off LTIR early next month.

Calgary Flames| Johnny Gaudreau| Nashville Predators| Nick Jensen| Peter Laviolette| Richard Panik| Snapshots| Washington Capitals

4 comments

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Washington Capitals

August 31, 2019 at 6:29 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. 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 2019-20 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.

Washington Capitals

Current Cap Hit: $82,864,294 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

G Ilya Samsonov (two years, $925K)
F Jonas Siegenthaler (one year, $714K)

Potential Bonuses

Samsonov: $550K
Siegenthaler: $83K

The one failing of the Washington Capitals and their dominance of their run over the years has been their inability, lately, to develop young talent that can step in. Again there are few players on entry-level contracts who can help ease the Capitals’ salary cap. However, the team believes that they might be close to bringing in their top prospect in Samsonov. The talented Russian goaltender finally arrived in North America last season and had mixed results in his first year in the AHL. However, Samsonov is likely to get a long look in training camp this season and even if he doesn’t make the team, he’s due to make his NHL debut at some point this season. After all, the Capitals must figure out quickly whether they have their future No. 1 netminder.

Siegenthaler finally looks ready to step into a permanent role on the Capitals’ blueline. The 22-year-old showed promise last year in 26 regular season games and even saw some playoff action with four games last season. The defensive defenseman is a perfect addition to a defense that is still dealing with injuries.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Nicklas Backstrom ($6.7MM, UFA)
G Braden Holtby ($6.1MM, UFA)
D Radko Gudas ($2.35MM, UFA)
D Christian Djoos ($1.25MM, RFA)
F Chandler Stephenson ($1.05MM, RFA)
F Travis Boyd ($800K, RFA)
F Brendan Leipsic ($700K, RFA)

Washington will have a big decision to make next offseason as they have two of their core pieces who will become unrestricted free agents and with serious cap issue for several years coming, the team will almost assuredly have to make a tough decision and are likely to lose at least one of them for nothing next summer. Neither is likely to be traded considering the team is strong enough to compete for a Stanley Cup, but the team just can’t afford both. The most likely scenario is the team finds a way to retain Backstrom, but will be forced to let Holtby go, considering that top goaltenders have been cashing in and the Capitals likely won’t have the money to keep him around. Of course much could change, but considering that Washington does have a top goaltending prospect who is almost ready for the NHL, losing Holtby might be an easier blow to take than losing Backstrom.

The remaining group will have to prove their worth. The most interesting player could be Gudas, who is considered a likeable locker room guy, but the Capitals will have to wait and see how well the veteran blueliner fits in with their defense and what the cost of retaining him in the future will be.

Two Years Remaining

F Alex Ovechkin ($9.54MM, UFA)
F Jakub Vrana ($3.35MM, RFA)

While it’s hard to imagine a Capitals team without their star in Ovechkin seems highly unlikely, Washington will have to see whether they can convince their star to re-sign. He’ll be 36 years old by the time he signs his next contract, which means he has quite a few options and while re-signing with Washington is the most likely possibility, the veteran has a number of options which could include returning to Russia to finish his career. Signing with Washington also could hinge on how the Capitals will look in two years. If the team looks like an aging team that has little real chance at winning a title, Ovechkin could also look elsewhere in the NHL for a last chance for a Stanley Cup. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger suggested a while back that Ovechkin might be a good fit with Vegas in a couple of years, suggesting that his relationship with George McPhee could be enough to bring him over there.

The team needs Vrana to continue his development. A player who struggled and was a big question mark at this time a season ago, Vrana answered a lot of questions last year with a 24-goal, 47-point season. If he can continue that success and be a consistent top-six player, the team will likely have hand him a long-term deal in two years.

Three Years Remaining

D Michal Kempny ($2.5MM, UFA)
G Pheonix Copley ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Nic Dowd ($750K, UFA)

The team lacks many major contracts here, but if Kempny continues to prove to be a solid defensive presence on Washington’s blueline, the team may have to hand out a significant contract. While the defender will be out for the start of the season and remains an unknown after a season-ending hamstring injury, he has proven to be quite reliable since the Capitals acquired him back at the trade deadline in 2018. Copley, who posted solid numbers as a full-time back-up goalie, likely will hold down his job, but will be challenged by Samsonov, who the team hopes will be their goalie of the future.

Four Or More Years Remaining

D John Carlson ($8MM through 2025-26)
F Evgeny Kuznetsov ($7.8MM through 2024-25)
F T.J. Oshie ($5.75MM through 2024-25)
F Tom Wilson ($5.17MM through 2023-24)
D Dmitry Orlov ($5.1MM through 2022-23)
F Lars Eller ($3.5MM through 2022-23)
F Carl Hagelin ($2.75MM through 2022-23)
F Richard Panik ($2.75MM through 2022-23)
D Nick Jensen ($2.5MM through 2022-23)
F Garnet Hathaway ($1.5MM through 2022-23)

The bulk of the team’s contracts are here with plenty of money being dedicated to the team between the next four to seven years. Many of these players will likely not be worth the money they are paying for them by that time and much will depend on whether Washington can supplement the team with young, cheap talent. However, the core of the team comes down to Carlson, Kuznetsov, Oshie and Wilson, all of which are currently key to the team’s status as threats to capture another Stanley Cup in the next few years. Carlson, who hits 30 at midseason, put up another phenomenal numbers last year, scoring 13 goals and a career-high 70 points. Kuznetsov had a slight down year, but could be a candidate for a big bounce-back season. Oshie continues to put up solid numbers, 25 goals last season, but will turn 33 during the season and will be 39 before his contract expires, which could go bad quickly. Wilson’s contract doesn’t look nearly as bad, especially after posting career highs in goals (22) and points (40).

Orlov saw his goal-scoring numbers drop, but he still has been a key figure on the team’s defense. Although he saw his ATOI drop by a minute in a half, the team still believes that Orlov is a top-pairing defender. The team hopes that Jensen might provide the same value at a much cheaper price. Jensen, acquired from Detroit and immediately extended for four years, gives Washington even more depth on the team’s blueline. He only averaged 17 minutes in his 20 games with Washington, but he could return to the 20 minutes he was averaging when he was with the Red Wings.

Washington has started to put more effort into bringing in cheaper players, who they think can contribute to the team long-term such as Hagelin and Panik, who were both locked up as the team believes both can contribute as middle-six players for a number of years.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Wilson
Worst Value: Oshie

Looking Ahead

The Capitals are a team that have made it clear years ago that they were going for it. They succeeded finally, winning a Stanley Cup after the 2017-18 season. However, they looked just as formidable last year, despite a first-round exit in a grueling seven-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, expectations continue to be high that this veteran laden club can continue to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. With a number of their players already in their 30’s, the question will end up being how long can they keep this up? The team is capped out and will be for years to come, so they could lose quite a bit of talent over the next few years and with one of the weakest group of prospects in the league, the team will have to be quite clever with the cap to keep the team relevant.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Alex Ovechkin| Braden Holtby| Brendan Leipsic| Carl Hagelin| Chandler Stephenson| Christian Djoos| Evgeny Kuznetsov| Ilya Samsonov| Jakub Vrana| John Carlson| Jonas Siegenthaler| Lars Eller| Michal Kempny| Nic Dowd| Nick Jensen| Nicklas Backstrom| Pheonix Copley| Salary Cap| Salary Cap Deep Dive| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2019| Washington Capitals

0 comments

Eastern Notes: Canadiens, Armia, Capitals’ Defense, Kadri

May 18, 2019 at 4:35 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 8 Comments

After a couple of down years, the Montreal Canadiens had a much more respectable season last year and with things looking up, general manager Marc Bergevin is going to want to add to his team. With close to $10MM to spend this year, the team could consider going after big-name free agents.

However, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette writes that a second option would be for the Canadiens to go after Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner. While offer sheets in the NHL are quite rare, that could change this offseason with so many intriguing restricted free agents out there. The team could conceivably sign Marner to an offer sheet and if the Canadiens offer a deal between $8.54MM to $10.56MM, and successfully pry him away from Toronto, the compensation would be reasonable in two first-round picks, a second-rounder and a third-rounder.

Even if Toronto matches any offer sheet, the Canadiens will have still accomplished quite a bit as the rival franchise is currently struggling with salary cap issues and a big offer would only hamper general manager Kyle Dubas’ long-term plans.

  • Sticking with the Canadiens, while one of the main reasons that the Montreal Canadiens took Joel Armia in the Steve Mason deal was that Armia was from the same hometown in Finland as last year’s top pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Armia has been significant in helping Kotkaniemi to transition to North America. However, while Armia’s numbers have been solid when playing next to Kotkaniemi on the ice, his numbers when playing without him haven’t been that good. The Athletic’s Marc Dupont (subscription required) writes the team needs to be cautious about signing Armia, who hits restricted free agency this summer, to a long-term contract. Armia, who tallied 13 goals as a third-liner, and probably should be signed to a short-term deal to assess for now.
  • The Washington Capitals didn’t get back to the Stanley Cup Finals liked they hoped and with continuous salary cap issues to deal with, there is a good chance the Capitals’ blueline will have to be reconstructed, according to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan. The scribe writes that the team might be ready to move on from veteran defenseman Matt Niskanen, after the team acquired Nick Jensen at the trade deadline. Jensen is four years younger than Niskanen and has the same skillset. The team is also expected to move on from Brooks Orpik, giving more opportunity to the team’s young defensive prospects it has been amassing over the last couple of years, including Jonas Siegenthaler, Lucas Johansen, Alex Alexeyev, Connor Hobbs, Colby Williams and Tyler Lewington.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that the Philadelphia Flyers are going to want to make some type of splash to add a big-name player either through free agency or via trade. While throwing out names like Matt Duchene and Kevin Hayes are one option, the scribe suggests that the Flyers should consider trading for Toronto Maple Leafs’ Nazem Kadri, who is coming off a career-low 16 goals. With Toronto management down on him somewhat, the Flyers could get a steal of a deal as the center has three years on his deal at a reasonable $4.5MM AAV. Kadri would make an excellent second-line center, who could slide back to the third line once Nolan Patrick is ready to move up.

Brooks Orpik| Free Agency| Jesperi Kotkaniemi| Joel Armia| Jonas Siegenthaler| Kevin Hayes| Kyle Dubas| Marc Bergevin| Matt Duchene| Matt Niskanen| Mitch Marner| Montreal Canadiens| Nazem Kadri| Nick Jensen| Nolan Patrick| Offer sheets| Philadelphia Flyers| Salary Cap| Toronto Maple Leafs| Washington Capitals

8 comments

Capitals Notes: Hagelin, Orpik, Niskanen, Smith-Pelly

April 26, 2019 at 6:53 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Carl Hagelin played an important role for Washington down the stretch, picking up 11 points in just 20 games after being acquired in a midseason trade from Los Angeles.  He saw an uptick in playing time during the postseason as well, logging over 16 minutes a night in their first-round loss to Carolina.  With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the pending unrestricted free agent told reporters, including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link) that he’d like to remain with the team for next season.

For that to happen though, he’ll need to take a significant pay cut.  Hagelin has received an average of $4MM per season over the past four years and that’s an amount that the Capitals simply cannot afford under their salary structure.  Thanks to salary retention from the Kings and Penguins, Washington only paid Hagelin $1.875MM and the 30-year-old may need to sign for closer to that amount if he wants to stay with the Caps.

More from Washington:

  • Defenseman Brooks Orpik isn’t likely to return next season, notes Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. He was limited to 53 games in 2018-19 and logged a career-low 15:40 per night.  While he could still play a third pairing role for them, Washington has some youngsters in the system that could benefit from the open roster spot.  Khurshudyan also speculates that the acquisition of Nick Jensen near the trade deadline may have been with an eye of trying to move out veteran blueliner Matt Niskanen this summer to free up some cap space.  However, Jensen didn’t have as much of an impact after joining the team which could affect that potential decision.
  • The team has laid out a specific set of requirements for winger Devante Smith-Pelly to meet before they consider re-signing him this summer, notes NBC Sports Washington’s JJ Regan (Twitter link). He was benched during the preseason for what has been speculated to be conditioning-related issues while he wound up clearing waivers in advance of the trade deadline.  However, when T.J. Oshie was injured, Smith-Pelly was recalled and inserted in the lineup, suggesting that the team still believes he can play a role for them.

Brooks Orpik| Carl Hagelin| Devante Smith-Pelly| Matt Niskanen| Nick Jensen| Washington Capitals

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2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap

February 25, 2019 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):

To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff

To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons

 

To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes

To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)

 

To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal

To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput

 

To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations

To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations

 

To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)

To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick

 

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid

To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick

Read more

To Calgary Flames:
D Oscar Fantenberg

To Los Angeles Kings:
2020 conditional fourth-round pick
(becomes a third-round pick if Flames reach WCF with Fantenberg playing 50+% of games)

 

To Nashville Predators:
F Mikael Granlund 

To Minnesota Wild:
F Kevin Fiala

 

To Vegas Golden Knights:
F Mark Stone
F Tobias Lindberg

To Ottawa Senators:
F Oscar Lindberg
D Erik Brannstrom
2020 second-round pick (DAL)

 

To Nashville Predators:
F Wayne Simmonds

To Philadelphia Flyers:
F Ryan Hartman
2020 conditional fourth-round pick (becomes third-round pick with 2019 playoff round win)

 

To St. Louis Blues: 
D Michael Del Zotto

To Anaheim Ducks:
2019 sixth-round pick

 

To Boston Bruins:
F Marcus Johansson (40% salary retained)

To New Jersey Devils:
2019 second-round pick
2020 fourth-round pick

 

To Vancouver Canucks:
F Tanner Pearson

To Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Erik Gudbranson

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Matt Hendricks

To Minnesota Wild:
2020 seventh-round pick

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
D Nathan Beaulieu

To Buffalo Sabres:
2019 sixth-round pick

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
D Bogdan Kiselevich

To Florida Panthers:
2021 seventh-round pick

 

To San Jose Sharks:
F Jonathan Dahlen

To Vancouver Canucks:
F Linus Karlsson

 

To Toronto Maple Leafs:
F Nic Petan

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Par Lindholm

 

To Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Chris Wideman

To Florida Panthers:
F Jean-Sebastien Dea

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Alex Broadhurst

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
Future Considerations

Adam McQuaid| AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Arizona Coyotes| Bogdan Kiselevich| Boston Bruins| Brandon Montour| Brendan Lemieux| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Charlie Coyle| Chris Wideman| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Derick Brassard| Erik Brannstrom| Erik Gudbranson| Florida Panthers| Gustav Nyquist| Jean-Sebastien Dea| Jonathan Dahlen| Jordan Weal| Keith Kinkaid| Kevin Fiala| Kevin Hayes| Los Angeles Kings| Marcus Johansson| Mark Stone| Mats Zuccarello| Matt Duchene| Matt Hendricks| Michael Chaput| Michael Del Zotto| Mikael Granlund| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| Nathan Beaulieu| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Nic Petan| Nick Jensen| Oscar Fantenberg| Oscar Lindberg| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Ryan Dzingel| Ryan Hartman| San Jose Sharks| St. Louis Blues| Tanner Pearson| Tomas Jurco| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Wayne Simmonds| Winnipeg Jets

4 comments

Washington Capitals Acquire, Extend Nick Jensen

February 22, 2019 at 4:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 10 Comments

The Washington Capitals have found their defenseman, acquiring Nick Jensen and a 2019 fifth-round pick (BUF) from the Detroit Red Wings. In exchange, the Red Wings will receive Madison Bowey and a 2020 second-round draft pick (WSH). A few hours later the Capitals announced a four-year extension for Jensen worth $10MM. The deal will keep him from reaching free agency at the end of the year, and in Washington through the 2022-23 season. The full salary breakdown is as follows:

  • 2019-20: $2.5MM salary + $500K signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $2.0MM salary
  • 2021-22: $2.5MM salary + $500K signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $2.0MM salary

Jensen, 28, is in the midst of an excellent season after being given more responsibility in Detroit, but will now move to a much deeper defense corps in Washington. The team already had two right-handed horses in John Carlson and Matt Niskanen that log huge minutes every night, but there’s not reason to think that Jensen won’t enter the lineup immediately and be an upgrade for the team. Christian Djoos played just over eight minutes against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night and is the likely candidate to come out, though the Capitals now have plenty of options to mix and match through the end of the season.

That flexibility didn’t come at a low cost though, as the Capitals are giving up a relatively high draft pick and a 23-year old defenseman in Bowey who looked like he would be an NHL regular as recently as last season. Through 84 games in his short career Bowey has recorded 18 points despite averaging fewer than 14 minutes a night, and is an effective puck-moving option that could see an increased role in Detroit. The young defenseman’s contract runs through 2019-20 with just a $1MM average annual value.

While it’s not a market-shattering return, it is another solid package secured by Detroit GM Ken Holland as part of his rebuild. Jensen was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and was obviously looking for a substantial raise on his current $813K cap hit. The Red Wings did explore a contract extension, but this return will allow them to replace Jensen while adding a nice draft pick to their prospect cupboard.

This may be the last move that the Capitals do given that they already acquired Carl Hagelin yesterday, but it surely won’t be the last time the Red Wings are involved in a trade this season. The team still has several expiring assets that could bring back something of value, most notably Gustav Nyquist. With Matt Duchene coming off the board today the forward market is finally starting to move along, and the Red Wings will likely be watching closely.

Washington meanwhile would need to move out more money to do anything else, given how close they are to the salary cap ceiling. It was clear that GM Brian MacLellan wanted another defenseman, something he has done every year—Michal Kempny, Kevin Shattenkirk, Tim Gleason and Mike Weber all come to mind—but has managed to keep hold of his first-round pick once again.

Darren Dreger of TSN was first to break the deal on Twitter.

Detroit Red Wings| Madison Bowey| Nick Jensen| Washington Capitals

10 comments

Nick Jensen Still Drawing Trade Interest

February 19, 2019 at 12:31 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings are out of the playoff race for this season but they are still a team to watch over the next week. Several potential trade pieces reside on their team including Nick Jensen who continues to draw interest from around the league. Brian Lawton of NHL Network tweets that interest is increasing of late, with the Red Wings asking for a second-round pick or more in exchange for the defenseman. Teams are apparently only offering a third-round selection so far.

Jensen, 28, is experiencing a breakout season for the Red Wings and happens to be the kind of talented right-handed defenseman that almost everyone is looking for at the deadline. After two seasons of mostly third-pairing work, Jensen is logging nearly 21 minutes a night for Detroit and has 15 points in 59 games. Those numbers come with positive possession statistics and a supremely inexpensive $812.5K full season cap hit, making him a desirable asset for any playoff run.

The Red Wings already own ten selections in the upcoming draft, and could potentially add several more with trades of Jensen, Gustav Nyquist and Luke Glendening among others. The team is already well on their way to a rebuild with a young core surrounding franchise player Dylan Larkin, and could advance it even more with a strong trade deadline. Last year GM Ken Holland secured four draft picks in trade by sending out Tomas Tatar and Petr Mrazek, and several more at the 2017 deadline. If that trend continues, expect Detroit to be more than willing to sell off their expiring assets to continue stocking their prospect cupboards in the coming days.

Detroit Red Wings| Nick Jensen

2 comments

Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

February 15, 2019 at 5:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

By every metric, the Detroit Red Wings should be total sellers at the deadline and they have a laundry list of notable UFA’s to move. Yet, the team claims they would prefer to re-sign starting goaltender Jimmy Howard, top-six forward Gustav Nyquist, and dependable defenseman Nick Jensen. There is also word that veterans Thomas Vanek and Niklas Kronwall are happy in Detroit and unwilling to waive their No-Trade Clauses. That doesn’t leave much on the table.

In most cases, these rumors could be dismissed as the team simply trying to up the offers on their available rentals. But not in Detroit. The fatal flaw of the current Red Wings franchise and GM Ken Holland is total, unapologetic loyalty to long-time players. If a team says they won’t move someone or will only do so for a first-round pick, this is the one team worth believing. It could be a quiet deadline in Detroit.

Record

23-28-7, seventh in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$5.06MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: DET 1st, DET 2nd, NYI 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, BUF 5th, CLB 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
2020: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

Of course, the aforementioned players are the top trade chips that the team has. Howard and Nyquist are having great years and are surely drawing plenty of attention. Will Detroit get the first-round pick they desire to move either? That remains to be seen. Jensen and Kronwall could both step in as a solid bottom-pair addition for a contender, while Vanek would fill his frequent role as a capable depth addition to any forward corps. The fact remains that if any of these players want to stay in Detroit beyond this season, the Red Wings are unlikely to move them, extension in place or not.

So looking elsewhere, Luke Witkowski is a UFA that the Red Wings don’t seem as attached to. The market may be limited for the versatile skater, but if a team wants to take a shot, Detroit will be willing to move on. Recently waived and demoted, Martin Frk is in need of a change of scenery. Frk is a restricted free agent this summer and any number of teams might like to get a look at how he fits in their system down the stretch. The one-dimensional forward is more valuable now that he has cleared waivers and can be sent back and forth. Wade Megan, Dylan McIlrath, Brian Lashoff, and Harri Sateri are all free agents as well who could be targeted as deep depth additions.

The Jonathan Bernier signing looks like a mistake so far and the Red Wings seem eager to re-sign Howard rather than give Bernier the starting job. If another team is willing to take on the remaining two years of Bernier’s contract, Detroit would move him. Luke Glendening is another term player who could be on the move. He is still well-liked by the organization, but if the market is there they could move him. As always, if there was any way to move Justin Abdelkader or Danny DeKeyser, you would think Detroit would pull the trigger. Then again there’s that whole loyalty thing…

Five Players To Watch For: F Gustav Nyquist, D Nick Jensen, F Martin Frk, F Luke Glendening, G Harri Sateri

Team Needs

1) Cap Space: For several years now, the Red Wings have had one of the highest payrolls in the NHL, yet have been one of the league’s worst teams. That’s not a good mix. The flip side of wanting to re-sign top free agents, like Howard and Nyquist, is that you’re not opening up any more cap space. If Detroit wants to be players on the free agent market this summer, they need to try to move out some of their more cumbersome cap hits if possible.

2) Picks and Prospects: The Red Wings have a lot of good talent in the AHL and some others still at the junior and collegiate level. Adding picks, especially 2019 picks in a deep, talented draft class, is always helpful, though. However, there should room for some camp battles next season, particularly up front, so some pro-ready forward prospects would also be helpful.

AHL| Brian Lashoff| Danny DeKeyser| Deadline Primer 2019| Detroit Red Wings| Dylan McIlrath| Gustav Nyquist| Harri Sateri| Jimmy Howard| Jonathan Bernier| Justin Abdelkader| Ken Holland| Luke Glendening| Luke Witkowski| Martin Frk| NHL| Nick Jensen| Niklas Kronwall| Prospects| Salary Cap| Waivers

2 comments

Detroit Red Wings Trying To Extend Nick Jensen

February 5, 2019 at 6:17 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Just a month ago, a report surfaced that the Detroit Red Wings had not started extension talks with pending free agent defenseman Nick Jensen. That news was notable because of Jensen’s breakout season, in which the 28-year old is playing more than 20 minutes per night for the first time in his career. Because of that, Jensen immediately represented a potential rental option for a team looking for right-handed help on the blue line. Now though, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the Red Wings are in fact attempting to sign Jensen to an extension and suggests that the team wants to keep a few veterans around their wave of young players.

Jensen actually has always been a relatively effective defenseman. Though he has just 182 games under his belt at the NHL level, that’s not because of some journeyman career in the minor leagues bouncing around different organizations. In fact, Detroit is the only franchise that the fifth-round pick has ever known, signing with them in 2013 after three seasons at St. Cloud State. There’s not a lot of flash or headlines in Jensen’s game, and he doesn’t provide the measurables to stand out when watching him on the ice. But he has quietly registered solid possession numbers and this year has taken another step to carry more responsibility than every before.

That kind of under the radar improvement is likely why Detroit is interested in retaining him. Jensen has never made more than the $825K he is taking home this season, meaning he represents one of the best right-handed bargains available at the moment. If he’s not asking for a huge raise there is good reason to keep him around as a stabilizing option while the team brings along younger defensemen like Dennis Cholowski and Filip Hronek. Niklas Kronwall is set to become an unrestricted free agent and is now 38, though Friedman also notes the respect the organization has for their long-time blue liner.

Jensen’s low salary though might bring about quite a few buyers at deadline time. A team pushed to the edge of the salary cap could still likely afford to add him to the mix as a depth option, and his play this season has shown that he can handle increased responsibility if an injury were to happen. The Red Wings will have to make a decision quickly, as the deadline is fewer than three weeks away and teams will be making decisions on their blue line sooner rather than later.

Detroit Red Wings| Elliotte Friedman| Nick Jensen

2 comments
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