Potential Short-Term Replacements For Quick
With Jonathan Quick set to possibly miss 3 – 4 months due to a groin injury, the Kings are for the time being expected to ride it out with internal options Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj manning the net. But the Kings are well within their window of Stanley Cup competition and with several of their key players – Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik and Alec Martinez – already or nearing 30, and the team may not want to let the season get away should the Zatkoff/Budaj combo struggle between the pipes. In that case L.A. could visit the trade market to look for a short-term solution.
The Kings have little in the way of cap space, according to Cap Friendly, with just around $1.5MM available. They could add $5.8MM if they place Quick on LTIR, should they choose. But with Quick under contract for six seasons beyond this one, it’s likely the club elects to stick with less expensive options or, at the very least, limit their search to goaltenders in the final year of their deals. Within these parameters, here are a few goaltenders who could be made available by their current team and who might prove to be of interest at some point to the Kings.
Ondrej Pavelec – He was waived by Winnipeg at the end of the regular season and after going unclaimed, was assigned to the Jets’ Manitoba AHL affiliate. Pavelec’s only above-average NHL season came during the 2014-15 campaign when he posted a Save % of 92.0% and allowed a GAA of 2.28. That’s the only season in the last five Pavelec has posted a Save % above 90.6% or a GAA lower than 2.78. He is in the final year of his contract and set to earn $2.95MM; a figure the Kings could find reasonable enough for a stop-gap solution. NHL reporter Brennan Klak agrees with the premise the Kings don’t want to commit much in the terms of money or term, and mentions Pavelec as a hypothetical option.
Ryan Miller – Miller is expensive, $6MM cap charge, but has a solid track record of success at the NHL level and like Pavelec, is in the final season of his deal. It’s possible, if the Kings can tread water in the interim, their interest increases as the trade deadline approaches and the team can better afford that cap hit. If the Canucks find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs, they could field offers for the veteran netminder. This would likely represent a worst-case scenario in that it assumes Quick wouldn’t be ready to return at the end of four months.
Thomas Greiss – Greiss had a good year with the Islanders in 2015-16 and when Jaroslav Halak went down with an injury late in the season, the German goalie guided New York into the second round of the playoffs. Greiss is in the final year of a deal that comes with a cap hit of just $1.5MM, and would represent a low-cost option on an expiring contract. The Islanders chose to keep three netminders on the roster to begin the season, likely out of fear that Jean-Francois Berube would have been claimed on waivers. It’s feasible they could take a reasonable offer for Greiss and commit to Berube and Halak for the rest of 2016-17.
Scott Wedgewood – The Kings could have had Wedgewood for just the cost of assuming the remaining season and $587.5K left on his contract but of course Quick was healthy when Wedgewood was available on waivers. It seems apparent the Devils still value Wedgewood’s potential but with Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid holding down the top two spots in New Jersey, it’s conceivable they could entertain offers for the 24-year-old goalie. Wedgewood has little NHL experience – four starts – but would represent a low-cost, low-risk flier for the Kings.
Successful Waiver Wire Pickups
As teams frantically worked to trim their rosters to the league-mandated, 23-man limit this week, several interesting players were exposed to waivers, eligible to be picked up by new teams for nothing more than assuming the remaining term of the player’s contract. Occasionally the claiming team lands a talented young player who simply didn’t have an opportunity to crack the lineup of his former employer due to the presence of experienced veterans. Other times it doesn’t work out, but it’s still a worthwhile gamble for clubs that may not have better options already on their roster.
In the last few days, Emerson Etem (Vancouver to Anaheim), P.A. Parenteau (New York Islanders to New Jersey), Teemu Pulkkinen (Detroit to Minnesota) and Martin Frk (Detroit to Carolina) changed clubs via waivers. All, with the exception of Parenteau, are younger players still looking to establish themselves as regular NHL contributors. Obviously, their new teams are hoping their faith in these players will be rewarded. Here are a few examples of younger players who have changed teams via waivers and have gone on to carve solid NHL careers for themselves.
Chris Kunitz – Originally signed in 2003 as an undrafted free agent by Anaheim, Kunitz would appear in 21 games with the Mighty Ducks, as they were known then, during the 2003-04 campaign. Following the lockout which wiped out the entire 2004-05 schedule and just before the 2005-06 season began, Kunitz was picked up by the then Atlanta Thrashers on waivers. He would last just two weeks in Atlanta, seeing action in two games before being placed on waivers again and being claimed by Anaheim.
Kunitz would go on to tally 192 points in 313 regular season games over parts of the next four seasons with the Might Ducks/Ducks as he firmly established himself as a quality middle-six winger. He was later dealt to Pittsburgh where he really blossomed as a top-six scorer. Kunitz has potted 20+plus goals in four of his seven full seasons with the Penguins and has netted 359 points in 498 games during that time.
I once had occasion to speak with a high-ranking member of the Ducks front office who told me that of all the acquisitions he personally had a hand in, both the original signing of Kunitz and bringing him back via waivers qualified as two of his proudest achievements.
Kyle Quincey – Quincey was Detroit’s fourth-round selection in the 2003 draft and would suit up for 13 contests over parts of three seasons. He would be placed on waivers in October of 2008 and was claimed by the L.A. Kings. In his first season in Southern California, Quincey scored 38 points which is still the 11-year veteran’s career best total. In 495 career NHL games, Quincey has tallied 30 goals and 140 points, while averaging better than 20 minutes of ice time.
David Schlemko – While not a household name and maybe not young by today’s standards, Schlemko has proven himself to be at least a quality third-pair defender since the start of the 2015-16 season. An undrafted free agent signing by the Arizona/Phoenix franchise back in 2007, Schlemko would spend parts of seven seasons with the Coyotes before being placed on waivers during the 2014-15 season. The Stars would grab Schlemko and he would spend five games in Dallas before hitting the waiver wire again, with the Calgary Flames winning the claim. He would finish without a point in 19 games with Calgary and became an unrestricted free agent following the season, ultimately joining the Devils on a one-year deal. Schlemko would finish with career-highs in games played, goals, assists and points with the Devils and would parlay that steady play into a four-year deal with San Jose this past summer.
Andrej Nestrasil – Nestrasil was chosen by Detroit in the third-round of the 2009 draft and spent most of his time in the organization playing in the minors with Grand Rapids in the AHL and Toledo in the ECHL. His best minor league campaign came in 2013-14 with Grand Rapids, scoring 36 points in 70 games. He debuted in the NHL with Detroit during the 2014-15 campaign but was placed on waivers after appearing in 13 games and claimed by Carolina. Finally given a regular role, Nestrasil has responded for the Hurricanes, totaling 41 points in 96 games for Carolina. He’s also been an excellent puck possession driver, recording a 55.0% Corsi For % since joining the Hurricanes.
Of course with the possible exception of Kunitz, none of the above mentioned players can be considered stars, either today or at any point in their respective careers. But they’ve each developed into quality NHL players who can fill a regular role and that has value in today’s NHL. Any of the teams who claimed a player this week would be happy if their new acquisition developed into a quality regular.
2016-17 Season Preview: New York Islanders
With the start of the regular season today, we continue our look at every team in the NHL. Today, we look at the New York Islanders.
Last Season: 45-27-10 (100 points), Finished 4th in the Metropolitan Division. Defeated Florida 4-2 in first round; Lost to Tampa Bay 4-1 in the second round.
Remaining Cap Space: $1.39MM per CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: Andrew Ladd (free agent), Jason Chimera (free agent), Dennis Seidenberg (free agent).
Key Departures: Kyle Okposo (signed with Buffalo), Frans Nielsen (signed with Detroit), Matt Martin (signed with Toronto).
[Related: New York Islanders Depth Chart at Roster Resource]
Players To Watch: Mathew Barzal. There are a number of players to watch, but Barzal is exciting to watch and the 16th overall pick from 2015 will be counted on to help replace the quality of players lost to free agency. Barzal had 88 points (27-61) with Seattle in the WHL last season and added 26 points (5-21) in just 18 playoff games. He’s only 19, but Barzal has a chance to make an early mark on the Islanders’ season.
Key Storyline: Can the Isles make up all that they lost in the offseason? Losing Okposo, and Nielsen will test the Isles, who though driven by captain John Tavares, will certainly miss the production from both players and especially the two-way play from Nielsen, who will fill the same role in Detroit. The Islanders broke through the first round by stunning Florida, but were dispatched quickly by Tampa Bay. Ladd will certainly help, but his numbers fell a bit last season. Chimera will also chip in and Seidenberg will help shore up an already strong defensive corps. Another question mark is in net: what will they get out of Jaroslav Halak? Thomas Greiss was terrific last season, and it’s almost a 1A-1B argument with the netminders. Regardless, a step back wouldn’t be shocking as the Islanders lost a lot in the offseason but another playoff appearance shouldn’t be discounted with a team that has a lot of positives.
2016-17 Season Preview: Florida Panthers
With the start of the regular season just one day away, we continue to look at each team’s off-season and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Florida Panthers.
Last Season: 47-26-9 (103 points), Finished 1st in the Atlantic Division. Lost 4-2 to the New York Islanders in the first round.
Remaining Cap Space: $9.71MM per CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: Keith Yandle (Acquired from New York Rangers), Jonathan Marchessault (free agent), Colton Sceviour (free agent), Jared McCann (Acquired from Vancouver), Jason Demers (free agent), Mark Pysyk (Acquired from Buffalo), James Reimer (free agent).
Key Departures: Jiri Hudler (signed with Dallas), Brian Campbell (signed with Chicago), Teddy Purcell (signed with Los Angeles), Al Montoya (signed with Montreal), Dmitry Kulikov (traded to Buffal0).
[Related: Florida Panthers Depth Chart at Roster Resource]
Players To Watch: Keith Yandle: The Panthers acquired him from New York and then signed him to a monster seven-year deal worth $44.45MM. So now the question is if the Panthers will get the return on investment. Yandle had a great season with New York in 2015-16, and is still only thirty years of age. Though the length of the term and a cap hit of $6.35MM will hurt in latter years, it’s right now that matters. Yandle will quarterback the power play, a place where the Panthers needed help. Further, he gives a tremendous 1-2 punch with Aaron Ekblad.
Key Storyline: How will the Panthers fare knowing that Jonathan Huberdeau is out for the next three to four months? This is a team that was busy in the offseason after a disappointing postseason result, and bolstered their blue line significantly with the additions of Demers, Yandle, and Pysyk. Huberdeau’s injury, however, could be a tough hole to fill as he accounted for 59 points (20-39) last season and was third on the team in points and goals. The loss is huge, and how the Panthers respond for the first half of the season should dictate their season. However, depth is not a weakness for the Florida, and should they be able to tread water during Huberdeau’s absence, his return will only bolster an already strong team on paper.
Snapshots: Gaudreau, Staal, Ritchie, Fedotenko
It went almost right down to the wire but eventually, the Calgary Flames and RW Johnny Gaudreau found common ground on a long-term arrangement. Given that the team was adamant Gaudreau’s new deal not exceed that recently signed by top defenseman Mark Giordano – $6.75MM annually – and the player’s insistence for a more lucrative pact, the two sides were able to bridge a sizable gap in relatively short order. According to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun, it wasn’t until Gaudreau himself became active in the negotiations and realized the Flames offer was more than fair given the circumstances, that the deal was struck.
Because he only had two years of NHL experience, Gaudreau was not eligible for arbitration nor could he sign an offer sheet with another organization. Without these rights, Gaudreau’s leverage was severely limited. Gaudreau’s pact surpasses that recently reached with Sean Monahan and matches Giordano’s.
While Gaudreau may have backed off his salary demands somewhat, the Flames had to give in other areas as well to get the deal done. Gaudreau received a partial no-trade clause in the final year of the arrangement and the contract buys out only one year of unrestricted free agency. It was thought Calgary was pushing for a max contract of eight years but that would have bought out three seasons of free agency and likely would have justified a higher average annual salary demand.
As Francis notes, at the end of the day the Flames get one of the league’s best young talents and a cornerstone of their franchise under long-term contract for a price that shouldn’t hinder their salary cap flexibility. On the other hand Gaudreau gets a nice raise for a player with only two years of NHL experience and he will be eligible to test unrestricted free agency when he is 29-years-old.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Despite a disappointing 2015-16 campaign split between Carolina and the New York Rangers, Eric Staal was still expected to land a lucrative deal as one of the few free agents with a track record of top line offensive production. Surprisingly, Staal agreed to terms with the Minnesota Wild on a three-year deal worth $3.5MM annually; an AAV notably less than what he may have received elsewhere. But, as Mike Russo of the Star Tribune writes, it was more important for Staal to find the right fit than it was about landing a big contract. Staal: “I know I can be a very good player. So my focus July 1 [in free agency] was finding a fit where I’m going to be counted on, and get a chance and be on a team that’s going to win. This team is good enough to win and good enough to win now. I feel like this is almost the second part of my career, the start of the second half.” While the general consensus is that the soon-to-be-32-year-old Staal has slowed down, Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau doesn’t see it that way: “He can skate as fast as he ever did. Everybody told me he slowed down, yet every drill we do skating-wise, he’s led. His shot is the same, the way he handles the puck is the same, the way he practices has been tremendous. He’s a very smart person. Just a real pro.” Staal is expected to assume the top center slot with the Wild and will be counted on to help lead the way offensively.
- The Anaheim Ducks boast a tremendous one-two punch in center Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corey Perry. Over the years the Ducks have played the two stars together on the same line and while the duo has provided excellent production, the team has failed in numerous attempts to find the right skater to make the duo a trio. Patrick Maroon, Carl Hagelin and David Perron are just a few of the players the Ducks have employed on the left side of Getzlaf, but none managed to stick for long. But perhaps the team has finally found a long-term solution and as Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register writes, the young and talented Nick Ritchie views the opportunity to play on the same line as Getzlaf and Perry as a “privilege.” Ritchie, just 20, has tremendous size at 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds and enough skill to eventually develop into one of the league’s top power forwards. He debuted in the NHL in 2015-16, netting just two goals and four points in 33 games but if he can first earn, then keep his spot on the top line, he’s likely to have a more successful sophomore campaign.
- Veteran winger Ruslan Fedotenko announced his official retirement following a 12-year NHL career, per a release on the NHLPA website. Fedetenko bounced around the league, spending time with five different organizations and winning two Stanley Cups. In 863 career contests, Fedotenko potted 173 goals and tallied 366 points to go along with 472 penalty minutes. While he hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since 2012-13, Fedetenko attempted a comeback this past season, signing with the Minnesota Wild. He would play in 29 games for the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa, scoring three goals and seven points. Fedotenko may be best remembered for scoring both goals in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2 – 1 Stanley Cup-clinching game seven win in 2004 over Calgary.
Sabres Agree To Terms With Ristolainen
Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray has confirmed earlier reports that the team has signed Rasmus Ristolainen to a new contract, as John Vogl of The Buffalo News tweets. Terms of the new arrangement are unknown at this point.
Ristolainen developed into the team’s top blue liner in 2015-16, scoring nine goals with 32 helpers. The three-year veteran has tallied 19 goals and 65 points in 194 games during his career.
Bob McKenzie adds that the deal is for six years and worth an average of $5.4MM annually. He notes the contract is identical to the one recently agreed to between fellow right-handed defenseman Seth Jones and Columbus.
The signing leaves the Sabres with just a shade less than $2MM of cap space with 23 players under contract – 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies – as Cap Friendly notes.
With Ristolainen under contract, only three prominent RFAs remain unsigned: Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell and Jacob Trouba. Mckenzie speculates that the Ristolainen contract represents the absolute floor for Lindholm. It will be interesting to see whether this agreement helps push the negotiations between Lindholm and the Ducks any closer to a resolution.
Canucks Roster Moves
The Vancouver Canucks have announced a series of moves via their team Twitter account, as the club works to get down to the 23-man roster limit. Included among them is that veteran forward Jack Skille has made the team and will be signed to a contract. Apparently, Skille beat out Emerson Etem for one of the final spots on the roster. Subsequently, Vancouver placed Etem on waivers.
According to Canucks GM Jim Benning, Etem “got beat out of his spot.” It seems unlikely that Etem will be claimed on waivers though the possibility shouldn’t be completely dismissed. Head coach Willie Desjardins added: “This year we were deeper and Emerson didn’t have a bad camp, but other players were better.”
While perhaps not the end of Etem’s tenure with the Canucks organization, it’s certainly a disappointing development in the career of the former first-round draft pick. The 24-year-old native of Long Beach, California has NHL size and skill but has so far failed to put it together consistently at this level. If he clears waivers it’s presumed he will be assigned to the AHL.
Meanwhile, a couple of the team’s prospects also made the final roster. F Brendan Gaunce and D Nikita Tryamkin, both 22, will be with the Canucks for their season-opening tilt against Calgary Saturday night.
Also making the club is LW Anton Rodin, who is currently dealing with complications from knee surgery performed last season.
Earlier today the Canucks released veteran forward Tuomo Ruutu from his PTO.
Pulkkinen, Condon Among Those Claimed On Waivers
Many players were claimed off waivers today, as teams make their final adjustments before the season opens.
Teemu Pulkkinen (DET), claimed by Minnesota
Klas Dahlbeck (ARI), claimed by Carolina
Seth Griffith (BOS), claimed by Toronto
Mike Condon (MTL), claimed by Pittsburgh
P.A. Parenteau (NYI), claimed by New Jersey
Pulkkinen especially is an interesting case, since Minnesota was 17th in waiver order, meaning that half the league passed on the AHL sniper. The 24-year old has multiple seasons of 30+ goals in the minor circuit, but has some major concerns about his skating and ability to translate that offense to the NHL level.
With Parenteau, the Devils get a consistent NHL scoring threat that has over 100 goals to his name. Last year, even through injury and on a poor Maple Leafs team, he chipped in 20 and was surprisingly held on to at the trade deadline. This summer, he signed a one-year, $1.25MM deal with the Isles and was expected to see time alongside John Tavares, his former linemate. Instead, he’ll try to work his way up a Devils group that is loaded with goal scoring talent.
Pittsburgh brings in Condon to effectively replace Matt Murray until his hand has healed. Murray broke his hand at the World Cup, and will still be out for the beginning of the season.
Nikita Kucherov Signs Three-Year Deal With Lightning
Restricted free agent Nikita Kucherov has signed a three year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning that will pay him $4.766MM per season. The two sides completed a ‘bridge-deal’, after discussing long-term options. Yesterday, Bob McKenzie reported that Kucherov was on his way back to North America to sign a deal, and today we get the details on the contract. 
At $4.766MM for three years, Kucherov will remain a restricted free agent at the end of the deal. Both sides will have to get together and see if they can then work out a longer-term extension, one that would likely see the winger paid handsomely for his free agent seasons.
In the past two seasons, Kucherov has proven himself as an elite goal-scoring winger with seasons of 28 and 30 markers. His real impact though has come in the playoffs, where he has put up 41 points in 43 games, en route to multiple series victories. At just 23-years old, Kucherov looks like he’ll be able to put up 30+ goals for the next decade, though perhaps they won’t all be in Tampa.
The Lightning likely were exploring every avenue to open up more cap space, since this deal takes them right up to it as the season begins. The team now has under $800K, meaning they couldn’t afford to buy out any of Kucherov’s free agent years, which would have pushed the cap hit above $6MM.
This summer has been a great one for GM Steve Yzerman, who now has his top three players locked up long-term in Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Kucherov. While Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin are all restricted free agents next summer, at least now he has some cost certainty (and cap savings, it seems) to work with. All three deals have come in slightly below the expected rate, with each saying that playing in Tampa Bay together is a big part of why they signed. If they can build a core who want to stay together long-term, the Lightning will be a force to be reckoned with for the next while.
Rickard Rakell, Ducks Remain Far Away From Deal
While anything can change in an instant, it appears as though Rickard Rakell is no closer to a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Julie Stewart-Binks of FOX Sports caught up with Rakell’s agent, who told her the two sides are still “not looking at things the same way”. This comes just days after a report that said no progress had been made in negotiations, despite both sides wanting a long-term deal done before the season starts.
Rakell, as discussed at length on this site, is one of the remaining restricted free agents without a contract for the upcoming season. While Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Flames today, and Nikita Kucherov seems poised to do the same with the Lightning when he arrives in North America, both Rakell and fellow RFA Hampus Lindholm remain unsigned by the Ducks.
While the team has almost $8.5MM in cap space at the moment, that probably isn’t enough for long-term deals for both players. Likely, the negotiations for the two players are linked, with the Ducks trying their best to get both under contract for as many years as possible without committing more dollars than they have at the moment. Since the team needs to be cap-compliant tomorrow, the two deals would need to come in under that $8.5MM to have them ready for the start of the regular season.
Rakell, 23, put up 43 points last season in what some would consider a mini-breakout. His goal scoring raised from nine in 2014-15 to twenty last year, and he took over as the number two center on the team, a role likely being held open for him until he comes to an agreement. With the Ducks poised for another deep run due to their strong defense corps and veteran first line, it would be a real shame to see the two players hold out for any length of time. After assuming all of Jonathan Bernier’s $4.15MM contract from the Maple Leafs in a trade earlier this summer, the team looks to have handcuffed itself when it comes to two of their most important pieces.