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Offseason Keys: Montreal Canadiens

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Montreal Canadiens.

After a tough season that saw them out of the playoffs, Montreal made several changes last season, most notably being the Shea Weber – P.K. Subban swap.  The team got off to a franchise-best start and rode that to a division title but it wasn’t enough to get them far in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round by the Rangers.  Now, GM Marc Bergevin is faced with retooling the roster once again, though likely not with as significant of moves compared to last summer.  Here are some of the key things on his to-do list.

Extension For Price

While John Tavares has garnered the most headlines among those that are a year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency, goaltender Carey Price is also in that situation.  Like Tavares, Price is Montreal’s franchise player and they can ill-afford to let him leave for nothing in return.  Bergevin indicated in his end-of-season press conference that trading him is not an option that’s on the table either.

Apr 1, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsThat just leaves one option and that’s to find common ground on an extension.  Price’s case is a particularly interesting one as his new deal will likely be a precedent setter around the league.  Currently Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers has the highest cap hit among goaltenders league-wide at $8.5MM and Price is expected to come in above that.

As is the case with all top players, the argument of taking a little less to ensure there’s enough money left to spend on other needs will undoubtedly come up.  But if Price and agent Gerry Johannson aren’t amenable to that, Bergevin doesn’t really have much of a leg to stand on given Price’s importance to the team.  It’s expected that both sides will look to get an extension done as close to July 1st as possible so the question here will be how much more than his current $6.5MM cap hit will Price receive on this next contract.

Make A Decision On Galchenyuk

Five years ago, Montreal drafted Alex Galchenyuk as the third overall pick, touting him as their center of the future.  Fast forward to today and his long-term position is still up in the air.  While they have tried him down the middle at times, he has been moved back to the left wing every time before too long.  Both Claude Julien and former coach Michel Therrien have expressed some concern about his two-way game which has in part overshadowed his offensive production.

Galchenyuk now finds himself as a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility, something that agent Pat Brisson has suggested as a route they may be interested in taking.  The 23 year old dealt with a knee issue this past season and ended his year on a sour note as he was held without a goal in the playoffs while spending some time on the fourth line.  From their perspective, a one year ‘prove it’ deal may be better for Galchenyuk than signing a long-term deal now.

From Montreal’s standpoint, they need to make a decision as to whether or not he’s still viewed as a top line center of the future or if he is a winger moving forward.  There’s also some question as to whether he is still part of their future plans or if the time may be right to trade him.  Before they even approach contract discussions (short-term or long-term), those are a couple of key questions that need to be answered making his situation one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Address Their Center Concerns

Montreal’s depth down the middle has quickly become an area of concern especially since Galchenyuk hasn’t slid into the center ice position like they were hoping for.  While Phillip Danault had a breakout season, that was offset by long-term veteran Tomas Plekanec having a tough year.  Those two are better served as third liners yet as things stand, they represent their top two.

Unfortunately for Bergevin, the free agent market isn’t exactly full of top six options down the middle let alone top liners.  Accordingly, he may be forced to turn to the trade route but again, available top six centers aren’t readily available and those that are will likely have a premium attached to them.  However, if they aren’t sold on Galchenyuk moving to center, they may very well have to bite the bullet if they intend to take that next step forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Minnesota Wild

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Minnesota Wild.

Things were looking up in Minnesota at the beginning of March.  They led the Western Conference in points and decided to go all in, adding one of the biggest names available at the trade deadline in Martin Hanzal.  Unfortunately for the Wild, it went downhill from there and they were eventually eliminated in the first round, hardly the outcome they were expecting.  Now GM Chuck Fletcher is tasked with restructuring a team that was built for 2016-17 to be their year.  Here are some objectives he’ll be looking to meet this summer.

New Deal For Granlund

Minnesota isn’t going to have a lot of money to work with this offseason (they have $61.5MM in committed payroll but only 15 players under contract per CapFriendly) but they’re going to have to open the vault for forward Mikael Granlund.  After showing flashes of his potential, he put it all together and became a top line forward.  His timing couldn’t have been better either as he’s eligible for restricted free agency with arbitration rights next month.

Mar 14, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Minnesota Wild center Mikael Granlund (64) skates with the puck against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsThe 25 year old had 69 points, quite the platform season considering his career high was 44 which was set in 2015-16.  That makes his case a particularly interesting one.  Did Granlund’s full-time shift to the wing truly represent a significant and sustainable breakthrough or was it more of a ‘perfect storm’ situation where everything went right?  Fletcher’s answer to that question may dictate their approach; if he thinks Granlund has truly turned the corner, he’ll push for a long-term contract.  If not, a one year deal may be most prudent even though it would take Granlund within a year of unrestricted free agency.

Whichever route they do go, the Finnish forward is set to earn a sizable jump from the $3MM cap hit he had on his current deal (he’s due a qualifying offer of $3.2MM).  Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune reports (Twitter link) that while Fletcher and Granlund’s agent met back at the NHL combine, no negotiations took place and they will likely meet again at the draft.

Defensive Decisions

Normally, having too many quality defensemen would be considered a good thing.  However, expansion creates a dilemma for the Wild, who have five blueliners that are worthy of protection.  The standard 7/3/1 route will leave two of those exposed while it’s hard to fathom a team protecting five blueliners and just three forwards, especially considering the no-move clauses they have up front with Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville, and Zach Parise.  No matter what, it’s shaping up that they’ll have to leave at least one above average defender unprotected with that player being a probable selection by the Golden Knights.

That leaves Fletcher with a tough decision on his hands.  Does he bite the bullet and lose one for nothing or does he try to flip one elsewhere via a trade and then protect eight skaters in the hopes of keeping the other four around?

Either way, it’s going to be a tough call with regards to who the odd man out would be.  Ryan Suter has a no-move clause himself so it won’t be him.  Jared Spurgeon has emerged as a strong two-way defender so he’s probably safe as well.  Marco Scandella has been a solid second pairing player and has a good contract with three years remaining at a $4MM cap charge.  The other two, Jonas Brodin and Mathew Dumba, are 23 and 22 respectively and have several years of team control remaining.  Losing any of those players for free (or less than market value) would be a tough pill to swallow but Fletcher is likely going to have to choose which player that happens to.

Find A New Backup Goalie

Devan Dubnyk got off to a strong start this past season but clearly wore down as the season went on.  Part of the reason for that was that head coach Bruce Boudreau didn’t have much confidence in Darcy Kuemper who had a tough season so he opted to overplay Dubnyk as a result.  Kuemper is set to become an unrestricted free agent and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Wild look outside the organization to find his replacement.

Alex Stalock was signed to a two year extension midseason in a move that was primarily expansion-related.  While he is capable of playing in a pinch, he’s best served at this stage of his career as a third stringer that can play a few NHL games if someone gets hurt.

There will be several goalies to choose from in free agency but by the time the Wild get through their own free agents (most notably Granlund and Nino Niederreiter), they’re not going to have a lot of money to work with.  Do they go bargain hunting or do they look for one of the higher end backups in the hopes of getting someone who can help keep Dubnyk fresher for the stretch run?  If they go the latter route, spending that extra money may take them out of the running of doing something else but the trade-off may still be worth it if it keeps their top netminder in top form longer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Chicago Blackhawks

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Despite more roster turnover last offseason, most of the core of the Blackhawks remained intact and expectations were still high.  Chicago played well during the season and earned the top seed in the Western Conference but things unraveled quickly from there as they were swept by Nashville in the first round of the playoffs.  GM Stan Bowman has promised more changes to the roster which makes them a team to keep an eye on this summer.  Here are a few keys to their offseason success.

Get Under The Salary Cap

30 of the 31 teams head into the offseason projected to be under the salary cap.  The one team that isn’t is Chicago and not by an insignificant margin either.  They have over $77.5MM already committed per next season per CapFriendly and the cap isn’t expected to jump all that much higher from the $73MM it was this season.  A major factor in their situation was more than $3.5MM in bonuses being reached this year by several players, most prominently winger Artemi Panarin.  As they finished the season at the cap ceiling, the charge for those bonuses being reached will be applied in 2017-18.

Nov 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Marcus Kruger (16) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Blackhawks defeat the Stars 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsAs a result, Bowman needs to find a way to trim a fair bit of payroll.  What may prove challenging is that nine different players have some form of no-move or no-trade protection and most of those are their higher paid players.

Among the options to move is center Marcus Kruger.  Earlier this week, it was reported that a deal was being worked on that would move Kruger to Vegas in an agreement that would also see the Golden Knights land young defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk.  Kruger’s cap hit on its own isn’t particularly onerous ($3.083MM) but he’s a bottom six forward and it would make sense to try to free up space there over moving a top six option.  Center Artem Anisimov has also been suggested as a player who could move but that would have a much bigger impact in their top six.  One way or another, they need to free up a fair bit of payroll room.

New Backup Goaltender

With the offseason trade of Scott Darling to Carolina, the Blackhawks need a new backup goaltender.  Their internal options are limited with Jeff Glass being the only other goalie under contract while their two full-time AHL goalies from last season are unrestricted free agents.  As a result, they’ll likely be turning elsewhere to find the right fit.

The trade market is expected to be more robust than usual for netminders over the next few weeks but most of the players changing hands have bigger contracts which will keep Chicago away.  Instead, free agency will be the place to look.

While there are a few bigger names that will hit the open market next month, there are several quality backups to choose from and there should be fewer vacancies than there are goalies available which should bode well for Chicago.  With Corey Crawford entrenched as the starter plus their cap troubles, they aren’t expected to be in the market for the top backups but they should have no difficulty adding an NHL-quality option at a cheap price if they wait out the market.

Add Defensive Help

The back end has been a concern in Chicago for a little while now and it’s projecting to be that way next season as things currently stand.  Unless Brian Campbell wants to take another pay cut, he probably won’t be able to stick around while trade deadline addition Johnny Oduya will also price himself out of what they can afford unless he wants to take a deal that’s well below market value.  Plus, if the Vegas deal happens, they’ll find themselves without another option in van Riemsdyk as well.

The Blackhawks have a strong veteran core in Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Niklas Hjalmarsson but there are plenty of question marks after that.  Gustav Forsling has good potential but only has half a season under his belt while 2016 offseason acquisition Michal Kempny had an up-and-down rookie campaign.  Michal Rozsival remains on the roster but isn’t an option to play a regular role at this stage of his career.

In a perfect world, Bowman would find a way to add another top four option without taking away much from his roster.  That’s probably too optimistic at this point but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them go after a couple of veteran bottom pairing options in free agency to at least try to help the bottom pairing and add some depth.  It’s not the perfect solution but that’s about the only improvement that they can likely afford as things currently stand.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Columbus Blue Jackets

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

What a difference a year can make.  After Columbus missed the playoffs in 2015-16, they were one of the top teams in the league in the regular season.  Unfortunately for them, they fell victim to the NHL’s playoff seeding that keeps the first two rounds inside the divisions so their reward for a top four finish league-wide was a date with Pittsburgh (the second overall team) in the first round.  They went down quickly to the Penguins which ended their year on a sour note.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t likely to make sweeping changes but here are some keys that he’s likely going to look to accomplish this summer.

Free Up Cap Room

The Blue Jackets have a little more than $70MM committed in payroll for next season per CapFriendly which doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room, especially with the salary cap not expected to rise by a significant amount.  It’s worth noting that David Clarkson will be eligible for LTIR once again which will allow them to exceed the cap by up to his $5.25MM cap hit but that alone probably won’t be enough to re-sign their free agents and add some pieces.  It was reported on Friday that Columbus is talking with Vegas in the hopes of getting them to pick the remaining three years of his contract.

Scott Hartnell’s $4.75MM deal is also cumbersome, especially with him primarily playing in a bottom six role.  However, he has a no-move clause and indicated back in training camp that he wasn’t willing to waive it; not only would that end hopes of a trade, it could also play a role in their expansion draft strategy.  Accordingly, he’s a candidate for a buyout which could give them a bit more room to work with; the cost against the cap for doing so would be $1.5MM next season, $3MM in 2018-19, and $1.25MM in the following two seasons.

The emergence of Zach Werenski plus having intriguing youngsters in Markus Nutivaara and Gabriel Carlsson might allow Kekalainen to move a blueliner.  The first one that would spring to mind is Jack Johnson who finds himself a year away from unrestricted free agency.  He’s capable of logging top four minutes and carries a cap hit of just over $4.35MM which should attract some interest around the league and unlike Hartnell, there isn’t any trade protection.  If one of those two players were to come off the books, the Jackets would find themselves in a lot more comfortable of a situation.

New Deal For Wennberg

After a strong sophomore season, Alexander Wennberg followed that up with an even better year in 2016-17, posting career highs across the board.  The timing couldn’t have been much better as his entry-level deal is expiring, setting him up for restricted free agency in July.

Unlike some teams, Columbus hasn’t hesitated to go the bridge route in recent years, doing so with players like Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray (although they were able to hand Seth Jones a six year deal off his rookie contract last summer too).  Part of the rationale for that was likely cap-motivated and their current situation could certainly play a factor in the decision here as well as a long-term deal would likely cost a minimum of $5MM per season.

Regardless of what route they take, Wennberg is set to get a significant raise from the $925K he earned this season (before performances bonuses).  He finished second on the team in scoring and is their top line center which is going to make this contract a top priority for Kekalainen.

Atkinson Extension

Cam Atkinson has been a fairly consistent scorer in recent years but he took his game to another level this past season, tallying a career best 35 goals.  As a result, he led the team in scoring and was one of the better bargains league-wide with a deal that pays him $3.5MM per season.  He is only a year away from unrestricted free agency though and is eligible to sign an extension at the beginning of July.

Nov 25, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson (13) shoots against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsIn a market where very few top scorers even make it to free agency, it’s likely that Kekalainen and Atkinson’s agent, George Bazos, will discuss a new deal at some point this summer.  With goal scoring at a premium at the moment, a long-term contract could hover around the $6-7MM per season range which would make the 27 year old the highest paid skater on the team.  (Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky carries the highest cap hit at $7.425MM.)

Given the fact that there’s another year left on his deal, this may not be at the top of the to-do list for the Blue Jackets but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to ink their top goal scorer before training camp gets underway.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Calgary Flames

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Calgary Flames.

After the team took some steps back in 2015-16, the Flames rebounded this season and got themselves back into the playoff picture.  That was the good news.  The bad news is that they were ousted about as quickly as they got there as Calgary was swept in the first round at the hand of the Ducks.  As a result, it’s likely that GM Brad Treliving will be looking to make some tweaks to the team this summer.  Here are a few things he’ll be trying to address.

New Goaltending

After a deal fell through with the Lightning for Ben Bishop last summer, the Flames turned to their next goalie on the list, acquiring Brian Elliott from St. Louis.  Elliott had played five strong seasons with the Blues but that success didn’t translate to Calgary as inconsistency and soft goals were problematic.  As a result, he lost the starting job at one point during the season and then did not play well against Anaheim in the playoffs.  As a pending unrestricted free agent, it’s not looking too likely that he’ll be back.

Chad Johnson had a statistically similar season to Elliott which, for someone who was signed to be the backup, wasn’t that bad.  However, he didn’t show that he’s capable of handling the number one role for more than a few games so he’s not the long-term solution either.  Like Elliott, Johnson is also heading for unrestricted free agency but if he’s open to a similar contract to the one he played under this season ($1.7MM), he could be back in a number two role once again.

Between free agency and the trade market which is likely to be buoyed by the expansion draft next month, the Flames should have plenty of options to choose from to give them help in the short-term to bridge the gap to some of their intriguing prospects including Jon Gillies and Tyler Parsons.  Supply should outweigh demand which should work in Treliving’s favor as well.  They had a new goalie tandem in 2016-17 and that could very well be the case again next year.

Bridge Or Long-Term Deal For Bennett?

Sam Bennett is only three years removed from being the fourth overall pick in the draft but he has yet to consistently perform as a top six forward after being selected as a potential top line center of the future.  After a 36 point season in 2015-16, his production actually took a dip to 26 points this past season while he started to drop down the lineup as well.

Apr 17, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett (93) skates with the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsBennett’s entry-level contract is up and he is eligible for restricted free agency this summer.  In recent years, teams have largely shied away from giving bridge contracts to their high draft picks but this could certainly be a situation where this goes against the grain.  The short-term deals off entry-level pacts are often viewed as ‘show me’ contracts and after taking a step back this season, it’s likely that the Flames will be challenging Bennett to show them that he can still be a top liner down the road.

Figuring out a long-term deal now would be tricky.  Bennett hasn’t shown enough to command the greater than $6MM contracts that both Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan inked last summer.  However, if the team went much lower than that, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for Bennett to sign as if he believed in his ability to bounce back, he’d be better off taking the bridge deal with the expectation that a much bigger pay day would soon await.  Given that narrow scope to work with, a short-term deal is by far the likeliest outcome.

Retool The Blueline

Last year, the Flames spent over $30MM on their back end (including Ladislav Smid’s $3.5MM on LTIR).  It’s likely that they’ll want to allocate some of that towards their goaltending while trying to add some help up front.

Calgary has a trio of defensemen set to hit unrestricted free agency in Deryk Engelland, Michael Stone, and Dennis Wideman.  Combined, the trio carried a cap hit of over $10MM last season (after factoring in the 50% retention on Stone’s contract by Arizona) so Treliving will have some money at his disposal as he looks to reshape Calgary’s back end.

Wideman isn’t expected to return while Engelland would likely have to take a pay cut from from the $2.9MM cap hit he carried.  Stone is coming off a down year but the soon-to-be 27 year old will still garner plenty of interest around the league this summer and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Flames in the mix.

As things stand, Calgary has more than $17MM tied up in their top three defenders in Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton, and T.J. Brodie.  That leaves room for one more notable signing (Stone or someone similar) but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the bottom spots filled by depth players such as Matt Bartkowski or prospects like Rasmus Andersson and Brett Kulak.

With the number of players and money off the books this summer, if there was ever a time for Treliving to give the defense corps a new look, this is it.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: New York Islanders

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the New York Islanders.

Midseason coaching changes can often spark teams and that’s what happened this season for the Islanders.  The team went 17-17-4 under Jack Capuano but after he was let go, they responded under Doug Weight, going 24-12-4 down the stretch.  It wasn’t enough to make the playoffs but it certainly allowed them to go into the offseason with more optimism.  One key decision was already made by removing the interim tag for Weight; here are three other things that will draw GM Garth Snow’s attention in the coming months.

Extension Talks For Tavares

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first.  Captain John Tavares is one year away from unrestricted free agency and is eligible to sign an extension as early as July 1st.  We saw in the past with Steven Stamkos the potential distraction that can arise when a deal doesn’t get done prior to the start of a season.  Even this past year, Tavares was facing questions about his potential willingness to sign an extension before he’s even eligible to do so.

Dec 29, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; New York Islanders forward John Tavares (91) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Islanders 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY SportsEach time that came up, the 26 year old reaffirmed his commitment to staying with the franchise that drafted him first overall back in 2009.  Accordingly, if they can find common ground on a new deal, this is one of those situations where the sooner it gets done, the better so that there is no potential for any distractions entering the season.

Finding the right fit financially becomes the challenge.  It’s a certainty that Tavares is set to get a significant raise from the $6MM he’s set to earn in salary in 2017-18 ($5.5MM cap hit).  There’s a case to be made that he’s worthy of a similar deal to Anze Kopitar of the Kings, eight years and $80MM.  Will Tavares look to maximize his pay day though or will he take a bit less as a ‘hometown discount’ and leave management a bit more room to work with?  Either way, his situation has to be priority number one for Snow this summer.

Determine If The Goalie Situation Is Feasible

Last season was a rocky one for Jaroslav Halak.  He struggled at the outset and was frustrated by the three goalie system that the team was employing and eventually asked for a trade.  Instead, he went on waivers and passed through unclaimed.  He was very good at AHL Bridgeport and wound up being recalled late in the year and played a role in their late push for the playoffs.  Does that mean his trade request is no longer in place though?

The three goalie issue isn’t likely to recur as Jean-Francois Berube is heading towards Group VI unrestricted free agency and isn’t expected to return.  However, Thomas Greiss, who took over the starting role for most of the season, is still with the team and is starting a new three year, $10MM deal.  Accordingly, he figures to enter 2017-18 as the expected starter once again.

Halak is heading into the final year of his contract with a $4.5MM cap hit and a $5MM salary.  It seems likely that he’ll be hoping for more playing time so he could become someone to join what’s expected to be a large goalie market in the hopes of finding him a better fit.  While there wasn’t much interest midseason, his second half should get him back on the radar if the Isles think it’s worthwhile looking at going in another direction.

Free Up Cap Space

While they don’t have many contract spots to fill next season, the Isles are also pretty tight to the salary cap with just shy of $71MM committed already per CapFriendly.  They have ten forwards with a cap hit of $2.5MM or greater (though that includes Mikhail Grabovski who is a candidate to return to LTIR after his concussion symptoms cost him all of this season).  They have some players making more money than the role would call for.

They still also have defenseman Calvin de Haan to re-sign and he is due a qualifying offer of $2.9MM.  With the cap not expected to go up by a significant amount this offseason, that doesn’t leave New York a whole lot of room to work with, even if Grabovski is LTIR-bound.  As a result, Snow will likely be working the phones to see if he can save a bit of payroll, especially if he has any plans of being involved in free agency in July.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Tampa Bay Lightning

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Expectations were high for the Lightning this season but not much went their way.  Goaltending was expected to be a strength but Ben Bishop (before being dealt) and Andrei Vasilevskiy both struggled at times while they were dealt a crippling blow when Steven Stamkos tore his meniscus early on, ending his season after just 17 games.  Tampa wound up missing the postseason and are now heading into what will likely be a summer of change for GM Steve Yzerman and company.  Here are some key decisions that need to be made.

Rebuild The Blueline

Yzerman hasn’t hidden his desire to improve Tampa Bay’s back end.  It was reported earlier that he and the Blues had pretty much agreed on a deal for Kevin Shattenkirk but it fell through when they weren’t able to agree on a contract extension.  While that one didn’t work, it gives teams (and agents) around the league an idea of what they’re looking to do.

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see them take another run at Shattenkirk in free agency.  The market doesn’t have many players who can play a top pairing role and while they could certainly benefit from the second tiered players, it may not be the best use for the money they have to work with (more on that shortly).

The Lightning have a couple of youngsters who will likely make a strong push for a roster spot next season.  Jake Dotchin spent time with Victor Hedman down the stretch and held his own while 2012 first rounder Slater Koekkoek will be waiver eligible next season.  While those two will likely factor into the roster next year, there is still a need to add from outside the organization if the team intends on getting back into contention.

Shed Salary

Tampa has a little over $55MM committed in payroll for 2017-18 per CapFriendly and they only have 14 players under contract.  They have several key players to re-sign but will have great difficulty getting them all signed without shedding a cumbersome contract or two.

Ryan Callahan dealt with hip trouble for most of the season and has three more years left on his deal with a pricey $5.8MM cap hit.  He also has a full no-move clause which could come into play in expansion.  The expectation is that he will be ready to go to start next season which takes out a long-term stashing on LTIR out of the question as well.  Alex Killorn has six years left on his deal with an AAV of $4.45MM and while he has been a consistent middle six winger, they could decide to try to deal him and stick a cheaper forward in his place.

On the back end, the expiring contract of Jason Garrison ($4.6MM) is likely someone they will be looking to move.  He isn’t the top four defender he was in his Vancouver days and is slowing down as he gets older.  If they can’t move him (and they’d probably have to attach an asset to get a team to take him), a buyout may be an option as well.  Braydon Coburn is another blueliner that isn’t living up to his deal but with two years left at $3.7MM per season, they’ll be in tough to find a taker.  Yzerman will need to find a way to move one of these deals if he wants to keep his core restricted free agents in place.

Decisions For RFAs

Apr 1, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) skates with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsThe Lightning have no fewer than three prominent restricted free agents that are all in line for big raises.  Jonathan Drouin had a career year with 53 points in 73 games which was good enough to rank him third in team scoring.  A year removed from a midseason holdout and trade request, he has boosted not only his value to Tampa Bay but his trade value around the league.  He earned just $832K last season before performance bonuses and will surpass that amount by a considerable margin.  Will he be willing to take a bridge deal?  That’s a key question and it’s plausible that the answer to that will determine whether or not they’ll be able to keep him for next season; if they opt to move him, they’ll have no shortage of suitors.

Tyler Johnson is a couple of years removed from his breakout 72 point season but is still a legitimate top six centre.  The back loaded structure of his second deal results in him needing a $4MM qualifying offer, a fair bit higher than the $3.33MM cap hit he carried for the last three seasons.  Ondrej Palat is coming off the identical contract as Johnson but his platform year was a bit more productive as he finished fourth in team scoring with 52 points.  At 26, both are candidates for long-term deals but they could also opt to go to arbitration for one year contracts which would set them up for unrestricted free agency next summer.

There’s no doubt that Yzerman would like to go long-term with both but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to do so without losing a core player.  It’s certainly shaping up like there will be some tough decisions upcoming this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Philadelphia Flyers

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Philadelphia Flyers.

After making the playoffs in 2015-16, expectations were high in Philadelphia this season.  However, they wound up taking a step backwards as inconsistency plagued them throughout the year and they came up a little short of making the postseason.  They did receive a nice consolation prize in the form of the second overall pick through the draft lottery, starting the offseason on a high note.  Here’s what’s in store for Ron Hextall and the Flyers this summer.

New Deal For Gostisbehere

Shayne Gostisbehere burst onto the scene in 2015-16 after a recall a month into the year as he quickly became one of the top offensive threats from the back end in the entire NHL.  Expectations were high heading into his first full NHL season but he struggled to repeat his freshman performance while even being scratched periodically.

Nov 23, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (53) passes the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsGostisbehere’s entry level contract expires in July and he is Philadelphia’s most prominent restricted free agent.  Although he had a down season, he still put up 39 points which ranked him in the top-25 league-wide.  He’s viewed as a key cog for the Flyers and accordingly, he has a case for a big contract.

Had the 24 year old taken a step forward or two this season, it would have been easy to anticipate Hextall being more than comfortable signing him long-term.  However, given Gostisbehere’s drop in production and role, the GM may be inclined to look for a short-term bridge deal.  From a cap standpoint, the Flyers have plenty of space to work with this offseason (something that hasn’t been said for quite a while) so they certainly have the flexibility to go either way with their young defenseman.

Find A Starting Goalie

This one is a familiar key for Philly fans.  Despite bringing in some prominent netminders over the years, they’ve struggled to find a consistent number one goalie.  The tandem of Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth didn’t get the job done this season and while Neuvirth signed a two year, $5MM extension at the deadline, he’s not really being viewed as the long-term solution.  Mason is set to become an unrestricted free agent and indicated after the season he wasn’t likely to re-sign if the platoon situation was in place again next season.

Anthony Stolarz is coming off a bit of a down season himself at the AHL level but is still viewed as a prospect with some NHL upside.  As things stand, he’s in line to make a push for a spot with the Flyers (assuming he makes it through expansion) but the pending RFA also has another year of waiver exemption remaining which increases the likelihood that he will start with AHL Lehigh Valley next year.

There are going to be quite a few goalies available between free agency and the trade market, several of which could come in and take over the starting role.  While there aren’t any long-term solutions available, there are some players who could hold down the fort for a year or two which, given the quality prospects Philadelphia has in the system between the pipes, might just be exactly what they need.

Reshape The Back End

One way or the other, the defense is going to likely look a lot different next season.  Mark Streit was dealt away at the deadline while other pending UFAs in Michael Del Zotto and Nick Schultz aren’t expected to return.

The Flyers have several young prospects that are nearly ready to make the jump to the NHL, including Samuel Morin, Robert Hagg, and Travis Sanheim.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hextall opt to leave a spot or two open heading into training camp for their youngsters to try to step up and seize a spot.

That said, given the payroll room they have to work with, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see them be active in free agency to try to add a quality veteran.  An alternative option may be to utilize the pre-expansion trade market as they really only have two blueliners that are must-protect players in Gostisbehere and Radko Gudas.  Hextall could opt to make a trade before Vegas makes their selection and add to their blueline that way.  Philadelphia has plenty of options to change up their defense corps for next season and it certainly will be interesting to see which route they wind up taking.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Winnipeg Jets

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Winnipeg Jets.

Quite a bit went well for the Jets last season.  Mark Scheifele finished seventh in league scoring, Jacob Trouba had a career year after a contract squabble, and Patrik Laine had a terrific rookie season.  Despite that, the end result was basically the same in Winnipeg with the team being on the outside looking in at the postseason once again.  Here is what GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will likely be looking to accomplish this offseason.

Find A Starting Goaltender

Goaltending has been an issue for the Jets for a while now and last season really didn’t change things.  They gave Connor Hellebuyck, who is expected to be their goalie of the future, the lion’s share of the workload and while he had some good moments, he also showed that he’s not really to be the number one goalie of the present.  Hellebuyck will be a restricted free agent in July and given the current situation, a short-term bridge deal seems likelier than a long-term contract.

Veteran Ondrej Pavelec is slated to become an unrestricted free agent and isn’t likely to return while Michael Hutchinson is best suited for a backup role.  He has one year left on his contract with a $1.15MM cap hit and is expected to be left unprotected in the expansion draft.

Fortunately for Winnipeg, the goaltending market will have plenty of options either via trade (in large part buoyed by expansion) or free agency, where players like Ryan Miller and Brian Elliott may garner some consideration as short-term options until Hellebuyck is ready to take over the starting job.  Supply should outweigh demand which should bode well for Cheveldayoff as he looks to shore up the play between the pipes.

Decision On Trouba

When he signed his two year deal back in November, the questions surrounding Jacob Trouba’s long-term future with the Jets didn’t exactly go away for long.  While he has publicly stated that his trade request has been rescinded, there are many who wonder if that’s only for the short-term.  Trouba’s desire to play his natural side long-term is well-known and with Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers both signed for at least the next two years, that’s not likely to happen for a while yet.

Jacob TroubaTrouba is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1st.  Inking a long-term deal with Winnipeg would put any speculation about his future to rest as the questions will inevitably persist until the situation is resolved either by a new contract or a trade.  If Winnipeg opts to go the latter route, he will have no shortage of suitors as if he were to be made available, Trouba would become the top defender available on the trade block.

While Trouba could certainly play out the final year of his contract and enter restricted free agency in 2018, the potential distraction could potentially push the timeline up on this decision.  That said, Cheveldayoff has shown himself to be extremely patient during his tenure so the public questions about Trouba’s future continuing won’t be a concern to him.

Determine Perreault’s Future

If the Jets are forced to protect four defensemen in expansion (a potential outcome if Toby Enstrom doesn’t waive his no-move clause), Mathieu Perreault’s future with the team comes into question as he would likely be left unprotected.  He’s entering the first season of a four year, $16.5MM deal he signed last July which is decent value for someone who has surpassed the 40 point mark for the last four seasons.

However, it’s that value that will make him enticing to the Golden Knights if he’s made available and Perreault is a pretty good player to lose for nothing in return.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Winnipeg test the waters around the league to see what type of interest there is in a possible trade.  At least that way, the team would get some value in return for him before the expansion draft while allowing them to potentially protect four blueliners.

The Jets may also want to free up some money in the budget for Bryan Little, who’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018.  One way to do so would be to move Perreault regardless of which route they go in expansion.  It’s not often that a player gets moved before his new contract even kicks in but in Perreault’s case, it’s certainly a possibility.  Even though the Jets made a decision on Perreault’s future when they gave him that extension last summer, they will likely have to make another call on his status before too long.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Carolina Hurricanes

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Slow and steady has seemingly been the mantra in Carolina over the past few years and at the end of the season, they started to show a possible sign of things to come with a very impressive late push for a playoff spot.  While they ultimately fell short of making the postseason, things are starting to look up for the Hurricanes who will be heading into next season with a new starter between the pipes in Scott Darling.  Here’s a look at what else may be on tap for GM Ron Francis.

Sort Out The Goaltending

Darling’s acquisition and new four year, $16.5MM contract solidifies him as Carolina’s starter for the foreseeable future.  However, the team still has both of their goaltenders from 2016-17 under contract for one more year in Cam Ward and Eddie Lack.  Carolina, a team that tends to hover near the bottom of the league in payroll, is highly unlikely to carry three goalies for next season, at least willingly.

Ward, who played the bulk of the games this season, has the higher cap hit of the two at $3.3MM while Lack is at $2.75MM.  Ward also has a partial no-trade clause that could get in the way of being moved as he can block a deal to 15 teams while Lack has no such protection.

Both will be exposed in the expansion draft but assuming they go unclaimed, it sets up a situation where one will need to be dealt or bought out.  Ward would carry a buyout cost of $1.23MM next season and $1.03MM in 2018-19 while Lack would have a cap charge of $750K and $1MM over those seasons.  It’s worth noting that in terms of actual dollars to be paid, Ward’s buyout would only cost $66K more despite the higher cap hit.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lack – who was called out by coach Bill Peters late in the season – be the odd man out.

Deal For Teravainen

Francis has very few NHL restricted free agents to deal with.  In fact, there are only two of them but one of them – Teuvo Teravainen – is a notable one.  The versatile forward has finished his entry-level contract and is coming off a career year with 42 points (15-27-42) in 81 games.  There’s no doubt he’ll be in line for a nice raise for the $925K in salary he earned (before factoring in potential performance bonuses) over these last three seasons.

Nov 12, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen (86) skates with the puck against Washington Capitals at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals forward 5-1. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY SportsBack at the trade deadline, it was reported that Francis was looking into trade possibilities involving Teravainen.  There’s no word as to whether they were close to finding a deal or if enough traction was made to reignite talks this summer.  The suggestion that the Hurricanes, a team that has been in a rebuilding phase for a while now, would consider moving a 22 year old who was a first round selection was certainly noteworthy.  Whether it’s a deal in the form of a second contract (bridge or long-term) or a deal in the form of a trade, Francis will have a big decision to make with Teravainen this offseason.

Dangle Defense For Offensive Help

The Hurricanes don’t have a well-known group of defensemen but they have quietly assembled a strong group of young and mostly home-grown talent.  It has become a major strength for the organization and the time may be right to deal from a position of strength.  Quality defenders with multiple years of team control remaining aren’t available too often and it’s something that pretty much every team covets.

Meanwhile, Carolina was in the bottom third of the league in terms of goal production and while they have some quality talent up front, they’re lacking in depth and could certainly stand to add a top six forward as well.  If they wanted to dangle one (or more) of those blueliners, they would be well-positioned to get that impact forward in return.

Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Brett Pesce, and Jaccob Slavin happen to be on cheap contracts below $1MM for next season with all being eligible for restricted free agency next summer.  Their cheap back end is going to become more expensive before too long.  Accordingly, if there was ever a time to move one of their promising young defensemen, this may be it before most of those players get big raises in 2018.  To that end, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Francis open up extension talks with several of these players once that window opens up in July.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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