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Patrick Sharp

Blackhawks’ Patrick Sharp To Retire At End Of Season

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Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Sharp played in his final home game Friday and is expected to play his final game of his career Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg, ending a lengthy career since 2005 and including 10 years as a integral piece to the Blackhawks, which led to three Stanley Cup championships.

“I think I’ve known what I wanted to do for a long period of time here and it’s never easy, you know?” an emotional Sharp said in the Blackhawks’ dressing room following the loss via Chris Kuk of The Athletic. “But I think I’m just ready to take that next step in my life, and I’m looking forward to it.”

In two stints with Chicago, the 36-year-old Sharp has tallied 249 goals and helped the Blackhawks to Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. After winning the title in 2015, Sharp was then traded to the Dallas Stars where he 28 goals over two seasons. He signed a one-year, $800K contract to return to Chicago. With his skills on decline, the winger played the lowest average minutes of his career since his rookie season, averaging 12:50, scoring 10 goals and 21 points in 69 games.

While Sharp didn’t announce his retirement beforehand, it was quite obvious to anyone who watched Friday’s game against the St. Louis Blues, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. Sharp played the most minutes of the season, playing 19:03. His parents were in attendance and the veteran started on the team’s top line. He wore his old “A” on his sweater and the team gave him a video tribute during the third period. At the end of the game, Sharp skated to center ice under the spotlight teammates stayed on the bench and tapped their sticks.

On a whole, including two seasons playing for the Philadelphia Flyers who drafted him in the third round back in 2001, Sharp finished his career with 287 goals, 333 assists and 620 points in 939 games. He also was part of Team Canada’s gold medal Olympic team in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

Evening Snapshots: Holland, Blackhawks, Carlson

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While Ken Holland is selling assets off following his deal of goaltender Petr Mrazek to the Philadelphia Flyers, he’s quick to caution that it’s not a full rebuild while adding that the Red Wings are “open for business.” NBC Sports’ Sean Leahy notes that Holland and the Red Wings are about to go through some “pain” in order to return to the higher echelon of the NHL, and even then, Holland may not be around to see the full plan in motion. Leahy writes that whether Holland ends up going to Seattle or if the Ilitch family decides that they will move on to a new general manager. Regardless, Holland will not do an entire teardown, preferring to retool the Wings in a gradual sense. Whether that works or not, it will take some time for Detroit to see the fruits of those labors.

  • Elliotte Friedman offered his 31 thoughts as the deadline nears. One such thought was that the Chicago Blackhawks prefer to hold onto Artem Anisimov since centers don’t exactly drop into teams laps all that often. Because of the language in his contract, Anisimov has less choice as to where he can go starting July 1, so should interested teams call, he can be pickier now with a no-move clause than a partial no-trade this summer. Friedman adds that after the Michal Kempny deal, the Blackhawks are focused on getting what they can for impending UFAs which include Lance Bouma, Jan Rutta, Tommy Wingels, and Patrick Sharp.
  • Friedman also pours some cold water on any hopes that John Carlson could reach free agency. Saying the Caps and Carlson seem “very comfortable” to discuss contract terms at the end of the season, teams hoping to snag the 28-year-old defenseman may be disheartened to read that. Freidman attributes the Steven Stamkos Sweepstakes (that never were) two seasons ago as a reason why teams are not nearly as “scared” when it comes to later negotiations. Stamkos, of course, seemed to be linked a new team every day until he inked an eight-year, $68MM extension.

 

Central Notes: Sharp, Jets’ Drafting and Development

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There was much fanfare when Patrick Sharp returned to Chicago on a one-year deal in July. Many warned that this wasn’t the Sharp that Chicago fans were accustomed to seeing score goals and show up often on the scoresheet. Others pointed to the fact that Sharp felt better and would mesh well with his old teammates. Though the Hawks have won five in a row, Sharp may find himself watching their chance at a sixth straight win from the press box. Chicago Tribune writer Chris Hine reports that a frustrated Sharp was rotated out of practice lines on Monday. From Hine:

Sharp was not in the line rushes as Richard Panik, who is going through struggles of his own, replaced him on the third line with Vinnie Hinostroza and Ryan Hartman.

“What do you want me to say?” Sharp said. “I could play faster. I could play with more pace. I could use my speed more. I find myself standing around a little bit too much.”

Quenneville could change his mind before Thursday’s game against the Stars, and maybe Monday’s move served as enough of a jolt for Sharp.

Perhaps it’s a wake-up call or  a new reality for the veterean. In 33 games, Sharp has 9 points (3-6).

  • The Winnipeg Jets can thank great drafting and developing for a successful season so far that could net the team an 100-point season. CBC’s Josh Clipperton writes that general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff knows that a patient ownership team allowed him the time to ensure his team would develop appropriately. Though there were many who grew impatient and wanted the veteran manager to pay with his job, the Jets are on pace to have their best season in franchise history. Patience, then, is truly a virtue for a franchise that has only been to the playoffs once since relocating from Atlanta and rebooting the latest incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets. With a young talented core, it appears that the Jets patience not only paid off, but will provide more for their fans in the years to come.

Central Notes: Blackhawks, Anderson, Dotchin

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Always known for their offensive prowess on the ice, the Chicago Blackhawks have hit hard times. Sure, the team isn’t at the bottom when it comes to team scoring (13th overall), but the usual names aren’t showing up in the box scores, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Patrick Kane broke out of his slump on Wednesday with a pair of goals, but he had been fighting a one goal in 10-game slump. Jonathan Toews has two goals in the past 16 games, while Richard Panik hasn’t scored in 12 games. Nick Schmaltz has one goal in 17 games, while defenseman Duncan Keith hasn’t scored yet this season. Throw in Brandon Saad and Nick Schmaltz, who each have one goal in the last 15 and 17 games, respectively.

“It never gets easy,” said Patrick Sharp, who hasn’t scored in the last 15 games. “You think about it all the time. You feel that pressure in tight games, and in losses, definitely. You leave the rink thinking that you could have helped the team in some way.”

Lazerus writes that despite their offensive struggles, the team has been winning, going 3-1-1 in their past five games, which takes a lot of the pressure off the players. With Kane’s two-goal game, many players hope that signifies that the end of some of these slumps may be forthcoming.

  • James Gordon of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that while many people are blaming the Ottawa Senators for the team’s struggles this year, that’s not where the blame should be pointed. The scribe instead looks at the team’s goaltending, particularly the play of veteran Craig Anderson, who last year put up an impressive season in which he had a 2.28 GAA and a .926 save percentage to lead the team into a deep playoff run. Fast forward to this year and the 36-year-old goaltender has a 2.94 GAA and a .896 save percentage. Backup Mike Condon isn’t faring any better and his analysis suggests that both goalies are just making inexcusable mistakes.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin (undisclosed injury) has been placed on injured reserve, according to Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith. Smith also says that Dotchin will be eligible to return on Tuesday and might return by then, but he will sit out two games before he is eligible to return. Cory Conacher will take his place on the roster.

Evening Snapshots: Red Wings, Mantha, Slumping Blackhawks

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Heading home for a stretch where they play 13 of 15 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit Red Wings bench boss Jeff Blashill says there is “zero excuse” for not winning tonight writes MLive’s Ansar Khan. After getting pushed around by Calgary Thursday night, Detroit looks to get back on track against a Columbus team mired in a four game winless streak. The goal for the Red Wings are to return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus, and this stretch of hockey with games predominantly at home serves as the best chance to get a good jump on it. Currently sitting 8-8-1, impressive forward Anthony Mantha added that the team needs have at least a .750 or .800 mark during the stretch at home.

  • Speaking of Mantha, Khan reports that the goal-scoring forward is developing into a more complete player in his second NHL season. Dogged early in his career for lack of effort, Mantha has risen to the occasion, leading the Red Wings in goals and points through Friday. Blashill says that the 22-year-old is very motivated and is skating harder now than he had previously with the team.
  • The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine writes that the Blackhawk faithful are keeping their hopes up that Chicago will turn things around soon. Hine likens the current slump to a “crisis of faith” as they’ve struggled to score goals, registering just 12 goals in the last seven games. The culprit, Hine writes, are the “big money” players not getting on the score sheet regularly. He singles out captain Jonathan Toews (4-6-10), Brandon Saad (6-3-9), Patrick Kane (5-9-14), Duncan Keith (0-8-8), Brent Seabrook (1-4), and Patrick Sharp (2-2) as those players. Kane hasn’t scored in seven games while Saad is goal-less in his last ten games. Head coach Joel Quenneville has been toying with lines, trying to find the right combination to break the scoring drought.

Morning Notes: Marleau, Bonuses, Shipachyov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs got back on track last night with a road win over the Anaheim Ducks, and in the process Patrick Marleau scored the game-winner and his fifth goal of the season. More importantly, it was Marleau’s 100th game-winner of his career, another milestone checked off the list.

Though many believed the Maple Leafs hugely overpaid for Marleau’s services this summer, he’s been one of the team’s most consistent players through the first month of the season and has even turned back the clock to move back to center ice for the team. Marleau now ranks 39th all-time on the goals leader board, passing Hall of Famer and Buffalo legend Gilbert Perreault with 513. While the latter part of his three-year, $18.75MM contract has a good chance to look bad, the Maple Leafs have loved his contribution so far.

  • Chicago Blackhawks fans know all about performance bonuses, as they’ve had to pay overage bonuses for the past couple of seasons due to the huge scoring output of Artemi Panarin. Scott Powers of The Athletic dives into who can earn what this year for the team, a picture that looks a little brighter. An interesting note is that Patrick Sharp has already earned his $200K bonus for playing in ten games, making his a one-year $1MM contract.
  • Vadim Shipachyov is once again not on unconditional waivers but according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet is back in Russia waiting on the next step. The suspended forward is expected to eventually be placed there to have his contract terminated, but the Vegas Golden Knights are looking for a guarantee that he won’t be claimed by one of the other 30 teams. If he is, the Golden Knights won’t get back the nearly $2MM they are owed from his signing bonus.

West Notes: Stars, Eaves, Neal, Sharp

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The Stars are a team to watch for in the coming days when it comes to defensemen.  The team currently has nine players vying for spots and only one (Julius Honka) is waiver exempt.  While GM Jim Nill has preferred to carry eight in recent years and have had the last few rotate in and out of the lineup, head coach Ken Hitchcock told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that his preference is to have their top-six well-defined with the scratches waiting for an opportunity to get back in.  If that’s the case, they may want to just carry seven which could potentially result in someone like Greg Pateryn being placed on waivers in the coming days.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • Ducks winger Patrick Eaves is currently dealing with a lower-body injury and his availability for Anaheim’s remaining preseason games is in question, reports Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. The issue is unrelated to the ankle injury that took him out of the lineup in the second round of the postseason.  Eaves has yet to play at all during the exhibition schedule but it seems like he should be ready to go when the regular season gets underway next week.
  • Golden Knights winger James Neal skated with the team for the first time on Tuesday as he continues to recover from surgery on his hand, notes Steve Carp and David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Head coach Gerard Gallant acknowledged that there is no firm timeframe for when the 30-year-old will get the green light to get into a game.  As Neal heads into the final year of his contract and Vegas expected to struggle in their first season, he will likely be one of the more sought after rental players on the trade market.
  • Despite undergoing hip surgery late last season, Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp had plenty of offers in free agency this offseason, notes Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago. However, Sharp called returning to Chicago “the No. 1 choice by far”.  Sharp, of course, had the most success of his career in his first stint with the team, one that saw him record 511 points in 679 games as well as three Stanley Cup championships in a Chicago uniform.  The veteran likely left money on the table to rejoin the Blackhawks as he signed for just $800K with an additional $200K if he plays in ten games this season.

Evening Notes: Stepan, Dallas D, Schmaltz

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One of the main reasons the Arizona Coyotes made their big offseason trade in which they traded the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft and prospect defenseman Anthony DeAngelo to the New York Rangers was to acquire Derek Stepan. According to Jim Cerny of Sporting News, the Coyotes have high hopes the center will provide much-needed offensive help, but what the team is also looking for is  to have him lead their young team.

With 515 games of experience under his belt (and 97 more in the playoffs), the 27-year-old already has plenty of experience. And while no captain has been announced, Stepan is among a short list of candidates for it. Arizona has a number of young potential forwards under 23 years, including Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, Max Domi, Brendan Perlini, Christian Dvorak, Christian Fischer, Anthony Duclair and Lawson Crouse.

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“I’ll try to do what I do best, play a 200 foot game, try to make the guys around me better, and try to be a leader for these young guys,” said Stepan. “When I was a young guy, I had older guys do it for me, and I want to do the same thing for them. Hopefully I can step in and help in all aspects.”

 

Overpriced: The Worst Contracts Of 2016-17

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Recently we took a look at some of the best contracts in the league based on cost-per-point, and which off-season contract would hold that title this year. Patrick Sharp easily won the poll, and could provide great value on his $800K contract ($1MM with performance bonus). Among players still signed, excluding entry-level deals, Jon Marchessault has a good chance to repeat if he’s given the opportunity in Vegas. He was one of the brightest spots for Florida last year, after agreeing to a two-year deal that pays him just $750K per season. Patrick Sharp

So what about the other side of the spectrum? Who are the most expensive players relative to their performance in the NHL? Luckily CapFriendly has a helpful tool that not only lists the per-point cost, but can standardize it to what it would have cost had the player spent 82 games in the NHL. That way a player like Milan Michalek who scored just one point won’t be penalized for the fact that he was buried in the minors all year.

As one would expect, this list is led by a glut of defensive defensemen who are paid more for what they do in their own end than their offense. Still, you can see how teams can get in trouble with players like Josh Gorges and Marc Staal costing more than $500K per point this season. The two combined for 16 on the year.

Interestingly another Buffalo defender is high on the list, as Dmitry Kulikov recorded just five points all season. Despite that $497K cost-per-point rate, he still locked down a deal that will continue to pay him $4.33MM for the next several years. He’s a bounce-back candidate for sure, but it was surprising to see his terrible year not affect his price tag.

If you eliminate defensemen, the picture becomes even uglier. Regardless of role, forwards are still expected to contribute at least somewhat on offense, especially those who earn hefty contracts. Andrew Desjardins leads the pack among players who spent the majority of the season in the NHL, scoring just a single point in his 46 games. He only cost the team $800K though, which means Carl Soderberg takes the cake as the worst contract in the league*.

Carl SoderbergSoderberg was paid $4.75MM last season and recorded just 14 points. He’s not expected to be a huge offensive producer, but the fact that Colorado had to pay more than $330K per point this season was ridiculous. His fall off was immediate and precipitous, as he’s just a year removed from a 51-point year, but if he can’t climb back up the three remaining years on his contract look about as bad as they come. His no-trade clause has dropped to just a list of 10 teams he can’t be traded to, but if his production continues he’s more likely a buyout candidate than anything else.

Interestingly, not too far down the list is Bobby Ryan who at $7.8MM is one of the highest-paid players in the league. His 25-point season is completely unacceptable, though many will forget it due to his postseason performance. Ryan recorded 15 points in 19 playoff contests, but is now entering his thirties with five more years on his deal. Perhaps he was playing with an injury, or it’s just an aberration, but Ryan is expected to post nearly double his regular season performance. While he’s clearly not a 30-goal scorer any longer, 13 is just not acceptable.

So who will lead the list this year? Well, early favorites may be Tomas Plekanec in Montreal, who still has a cap-hit of $6MM this season and will play the year at age-35, and Marian Gaborik coming off an injury and turning 36 during the year. Even the new signing of Patrick Marleau to a $6.25MM cap hit could easily backfire for the Maple Leafs, and end up being the most expensive per-point forward in the league.

*Bryan Bickell’s $4MM deal could have been listed as the worst contract, though he was omitted due to his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Had Bickell been healthy enough to play he likely still could have ended up at the top, but that is far from certain.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Performance Bonuses Around The League

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In the NHL, there are only a few ways you are allowed to have performance bonuses included in your contract. One way is to be on an entry-level contract, of which almost every one contains some sort of incentive. Young players can earn either Schedule A or B bonuses for various performance markers, though the really big numbers are only usually given out to the very highest of draft picks. Even Mitch Marner for instance, drafted fourth overall in 2015 can only earn up to $850K each season and doesn’t have any Schedule B bonuses in his deal.

The other contracts that can include bonuses are more rare, and they’ll be the focus of this article. These can be given out to players who sign a one-year contract after they turn 35, or a one-year deal coming off a substantial injury (the qualifications for such an injury are that they have already played at least 400 games in their career, and spent at least 100 days on injured reserve in the final year of their previous contract). Many of these have been given out, and we’ll detail them here.

Radim Vrbata – Florida Panthers Radim Vrbata

Vrbata was given a one-year deal with the Panthers this summer after a solid season with the Arizona Coyotes, and will earn $2.5MM in guaranteed salary. He also can earn a total of $1.25MM more through performance bonuses:

  • $250K for 10th goal
  • $250K for 15th goal
  • $250K for 20th goal
  • $250K for 45th point
  • $250K for making playoffs

Mark Streit – Montreal Canadiens

Streit was given a $700K contract from the Montreal Canadiens just this week to add some extra depth to a defense corps that was losing Andrei Markov. His deal includes $300K of unknown performance bonuses, that could take the total contract to $1MM.

Johnny Oduya – Ottawa Senators

Oduya earned a one-year $1MM contract from the Ottawa Senators, and while it’s not clear where he fits in exactly on the blueline he could earn much more should he find a prominent role. The deal includes $1.25MM of performance bonuses:

  • $250K for 41st game played
  • $250K for 65th game played
  • $250K if ranked in top-5 TOI for Ottawa defensemen
  • $250K if ranked in top-3 TOI for Ottawa defensemen
  • $250K for making playoffs

Chris Kunitz – Tampa Bay Lightning

Kunitz is looking for his fifth Stanley Cup this season with the Lightning, who gave him a one-year $2MM contract. The former Penguin can earn another $1MM in various unknown ice-time bonuses, likely tied to where he ends up among Lightning forwards.

Patrick SharpPatrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks

Sharp is returning to his old stomping ground this year after the Blackhawks signed him to a one-year $800K contract, but there is no guarantee he plays much of the season. Sharp’s been hurt by several injuries the last few seasons, and because of it Chicago included a $200K bonus for playing just ten games this year.

Mike Cammalleri – Los Angeles Kings

Cammalleri was bought out by the New Jersey Devils this spring, only to immediately find a new home with the Kings on the west coast. His $1MM contract has an additional $200K in performance bonuses, though the exact details are still unknown.

Deryk Engelland – Vegas Golden Knights

When the Golden Knights signed Engelland after the expansion draft, they were bringing back someone who knew the city and could help their young players get acclimated to their new surroundings. They signed him to a one-year deal worth $1MM, but it also includes another $1MM in unknown performance bonuses.

Thanks to CapFriendly for many of the performance bonus details.

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