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Free Agency Notes: De Haan, Bernier, Stastny, Vanek

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While early reports that quite a bit of interest has been directed towards John Tavares, another New York Islanders’ unrestricted free agent has garnered attention too. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports defenseman Calvin de Haan has received significant interest from upwards of 10 teams so far.

While Lou Lamoriello has made it clear that it is his mission to convince Tavares to stay with the Islanders, the team has two key defensive free agents to worry about as well, including de Haan and Thomas Hickey. De Haan, however, is an interesting situation as the blueliner has shown a lot of promise over the years since being drafted in the first round back in 2009, which includes some flashes of brilliance at times, but he’s never been able to put it all together in a full season for the Islanders. He did put up career highs in 2016-17 with five goals and 25 points and may well have been on his way to break that this year, but went down with a season-ending injury on Dec. 16. He posted one goal and 11 assists in 33 games.

Many teams feel that a change of scenery and the fact that the free agent is still just 27, would make him an ideal player who could become a quality top-four defenseman.

  • The Athletic’s Craig Custance reports that unrestricted free agent goaltender Jonathan Bernier has indicated that he likes Colorado and would like to return to the Avalanche. However, after the team traded for Washington Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer Friday and the fact they still have Semyon Varlamov listed as their starter, that would cause an unusual logjam at the goaltending position. If Colorado would rather have a combination of Grubauer and Bernier, general manager Joe Sakic would have to make another roster move to rid himself of Varlamov, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2019. There would almost undoubtedly be a market for Varlamov if Sakic made him available. Bernier had moments of brilliance last season, but finished the year with a 2.85 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 37 games.
  • Fox Sports Andy Strickland reports that their is mutual interest for veteran center Paul Stastny to return to the Winnipeg Jets. Stastny thrived in Winnipeg’s offense alongside Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, but the expected cost of retaining Stastny, who is the No. 2 center on the unrestricted free agent market, is not in the team’s financial plans. Custance writes the Jets are looking for a way to keep Stastny, which would require them to move out a contract to make a deal like that work. The 32-year-old put up 16 goals and 53 points between St. Louis and Winnipeg last year.
  • Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal writes that while former Vancouver Canucks forward Thomas Vanek has received some early interest from teams, the Canucks are not one of them. There had been some early talk that the team wanted to bring back the 34-year-old winger after they traded the veteran to Columbus at the trade deadline. The team liked the way he mentored the younger players. His 17 goals for Vancouver (24 total for the season) suggest he still has the ability to put the puck in the net.

Paul Stastny Interested In Returning To St. Louis

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Despite being shipped off at the trade deadline after four years with St. Louis, veteran center Paul Stastny said he would be open to returning to the St. Louis Blues during a radio interview on 590 The Fan in St. Louis.

Known to have loved his time in St. Louis, the 32-year-old supposedly thought long and hard before agreeing to waive his no-trade clause to go to the playoff-bound Winnipeg Jets. With the Blues struggling and unlikely to reach the playoffs, the team sent Stastny to the Jets for a 2018 first-round pick (the 29th overall pick), collegiate prospect Erik Foley, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2020.

“Absolutely,” Stastny told Hockey Sense host Andy Strickland during the interview. “I don’t think I’ve closed the door on anything. I know it’s a business, getting older, you see it. I always keep everything open because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Stastny put up solid numbers with the Blues, posting 12 goals and 40 points in 63 games for the Blues before being dealt on Feb. 26. However, once with the Jets, he added another 13 points to his totals in 19 regular season games playing alongside Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers. Then in the playoffs, he took off, tallying six goals and 15 points in 17 games, leading the team to the Western Conference Finals.

While he enjoyed his time in Winnipeg and said it was worth it, Stastny also admitted it wasn’t easy to leave St. Louis.

“Trades are tough,” Stastny told Strickland. “I think when you’re so emotionally invested in a team and you think your an important part or your battling with the guys all year, you don’t expect that.”

While Winnipeg wouldn’t mind bringing Stastny back on a short-term deal, the Jets are going to be dealing with plenty of cap issues now they have to re-sign goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, defenseman Jacob Trouba and a number of other restricted free agents. St. Louis, however, who remains in need of help down the middle, could be a possible destination as well.

Of course with the need of centers throughout the league and Stastny likely being the second-best unrestricted free agent on the market (behind John Tavares), the veteran has quite a bit of leverage to score another big contract. While the Jets have indicated they would like to bring him back on a one or two-year deal to compete for a Stanley Cup, other teams would likely offer more years and more money. Would the Blues want to pay a big price to bring Stastny back? He just completed a four-year, $28MM deal. Desperate teams like the Montreal Canadiens might be willing to go quite high as they have the need and enough cap space to make it happen.

Busy Offseason Now Looms For Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, knocked out by the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in just five games. That ends what was an outstanding season for the Jets, who not only climbed into the playoff picture but showed they could be a long-term contender. Their young core has all reached new heights, and should be able to put pressure on the best teams in the Western Conference for some time.

With those young pieces though come several big decisions. The offseason, not even 24 hours old for the Jets, already must seem too short for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and the rest of the front office staff. Not only do they have to prepare for the draft in a month’s time, but the roster has just 14 players under contract for next season.

The biggest negotiations will come with Winnipeg’s pending restricted free agents. The list is a who’s who of talent on their club, and will chew up a big part of their salary structure if signed this summer. The Jets’ restricted free agents include:

Jacob Trouba
Josh Morrissey
Tucker Poolman
Joseph Morrow
Jan Kostalek

Brandon Tanev
Joel Armia
Marko Dano
Adam Lowry
Chase De Leo
Jimmy Lodge
Nic Petan
J.C. Lipon

Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie
Jamie Phillips

Especially on defense and in goal, these are key players who could demand long-term contracts with substantial cap hits. Trouba, who once wanted out of Winnipeg to play a bigger role somewhere else, has recently indicated that he would like to stay with the Jets long-term. The team would obviously want that too, but have to carefully manage their finances as they approach restricted free agency next summer with Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. Success is eventually paid for.

With so many restricted free agents, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Paul Stastny, Toby Enstrom, Matt Hendricks, Shawn Matthias and Michael Hutchinson are also headed for the unrestricted waters this summer. Several of these players will generate extensive interest should they hit the open market, and it’s not clear if Winnipeg intends on re-signing any of them. If they do, July 1st is coming quicker than you may think, and work needs to be done to secure their future contracts.

Either way, Winnipeg has a busy few months ahead of them as they try to piece the roster back together and take another shot at the Stanley Cup in 2019. Though there needs to be a few days of decompression from their shocking defeat, there’s plenty of work to be done.

Poll: Should The Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Paul Stastny?

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There is much to be proud of if you’re a Winnipeg Jets’ fan, but while most fans are paying attention to their play in the Western Conference Finals. And while the Jets find themselves down 3-1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg will need to find a way to win three in a row. To do that, they will need success from multiple lines, including the success of the team’s second line, including Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers and trade deadline acquisition Paul Stastny.

When the team traded for Stastny for prospect Erik Foley, a 2018 first-round pick and a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick, they got a steal. Stastny has stabilized a powerful young line next to Laine and Ehlers as the line has helped guide them through the playoffs. Just against the Nashville Predators alone in the playoffs’ second round, Stastny practically beat the team on his own, putting up five goals and five assists in seven games. He has been effectively shut down by Vegas in four games as he’s only managed one assist, yet the veteran has been key to their playoff future.

The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin recently wrote a story wondering what the chances Stastny has of returning to Winnipeg next year. The unrestricted free agent is 32 years old, a point where long-term deals start to look questionable as many players in their 30’s begin to decline, especially with speed being emphasized by many teams. Unfortunately for Winnipeg, the free agent options at center will be very limited this year after the Islanders’ John Tavares, making Stastny the likely second-best free agent on the market. With many teams in need of a center, he could easily get a big deal and while maybe not as high as the $7MM a year he’s been making recently, but he should easily fetch $5MM per year with his next deal and if the team has to overpay to keep him, it could go as high as $6MM per year.

Then the question is whether Winnipeg can afford him. While the team has ample cap space at the moment, the Jets also have 14 players on their current roster who will either be restricted or unrestricted free agents. Many of their restricted free agents like Adam Lowry, Brandon Tanev, Joel Armia and Josh Morrissey should get solid raises, while others like Jacob Trouba and Connor Hellebuyck should get major contract extensions, likely taking up a large chunk of their available cap space, leaving little or no room for Stastny. Add to the fact that Laine, Kyle Connor and Tyler Myers all will need new contracts in one year, that leaves little wiggle room unless general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff can pull of a clever balancing act to keep everyone happy.

So, should Winnipeg try to keep Stastny around next year or just let him go?

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Which Conference Finals Team Benefitted The Most At Trade Deadline?

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With a lot of attention that has gone towards the success of trade acquisition Paul Stastny in the playoffs this season, the Winnipeg Jets and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff look to have scored at the trade deadline this offseason. The GM was able to pick up Stastny’s expiring contract (50 percent of which was retained) as the team traded away Providence College prospect Erik Foley as well as their 2018 first-rounder and a conditional 2020 fourth-rounder (if Foley doesn’t sign with the Blues before he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019). While losing a prospect and a first-rounder, the Jets have defintely benefitted by Stastny’s play, especially in the playoffs. The 32-year-old center, alongside youngsters Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine has put up six goals and nine assists in 13 games during the playoffs and has helped vault Winnipeg into a one-game lead in the Western Conference finals.

Of the other three teams that remain in the playoffs, the trade deadline also seems to have benefitted the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their acquisition of defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller from the New York Rangers at the deadline also brought some stability to the Lightning from both players. McDonagh added a stable presence on the defense’s second line, while Miller has excelled playing next to Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. McDonagh has aided the team’s offense with five assists in 11 games, while Miller has had two goals and five asissts in 11 games as well. In exchange for those two, the Lightning were able to avoid trading off any elite prospects to the Rangers, but still gave up a lot of pieces, including Vladislav Namestnikov, prospects Brett Howden and Libor Hajek, their 2018 first-rounder and another potential first-round pick in 2019 if Tampa Bay wins the Stanley Cup in either of the next two years.

The Washington Capitals, with little cap room to work with at the trade deadline, still were able to pull off a couple of small trades, although the addition of Michal Kempny has had a major affect on the Capitals’ defense. With a number of young, inexperienced blueliners and little money to add a high-profile player, the team traded the Toronto Maple Leafs’ third-round pick in 2018 for Kempny. While the former Blackhawks’ defenseman had never played a full season in the NHL, he is 27 and had quite a bit of experience in the KHL and Czech Republic.

Finally, the Golden Knights did make one big trade at the deadline, sending a 2018 first-round pick, a 2019 second-round pick and a 2021 third-round pick to acquire Tomas Tatar. While the addition of Tatar is not a rental like many of the others (he has three years left at $5.3MM AAV after this year), the team gave up a lot for a player who has made little impact in Vegas. The 27-year-old has been a healthy scratch for much of the playoffs, having only played in four games with no points.

So, which team has benefiited the most from this year’s trade deadline?

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Playoff Notes: Stastny, Carrier, Stralman, Paquette

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The Vegas Golden Knights might have their hands full in their Western Conference Finals matchup with the Winnipeg Jets. The Golden Knights were rumored to have gotten involved in the Derick Brassard sweepstakes to assist the Pittsburgh Penguins in acquiring the veteran center instead of the rival Jets. However, Winnipeg countered by acquiring veteran Paul Stastny instead, a move that surprised many. That trade has paid dividends, according to NBC Sports Scott Billeck.

The 32-year-old center, who will be a unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, is definitely increasing his stock with a solid playoff performance. While combining to put up a solid 16 goals and 37 assists this year between St. Louis and Winnipeg, he’s dominated in the playoffs with six goals and eight assists for 14 points in just 12 games.

However, the bigger recipients of the deal might be his linemates, youngsters Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, two of the team’s top prospects, who have really benefitted by his presence. Laine has 10 points in 12 games, while Ehlers has six assists this postseason serving on the team’s third line. Stastny, who is nicknamed Mr. Game 7 even before Thursday, continued to keep his nickname with three points in Thursday’s Game 7 when they eliminated the Nashville Predators. Now Vegas will have to face that player.

  • Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the Vegas Golden Knights will be without winger William Carrier in Game 1 today against the Winnipeg Jets with an undisclosed injury. While Carrier’s numbers are hardly impressive, the 23-year-old is a key piece to the team’s fourth-line “energy” line. While he travelled with the team to Winnipeg making him a possibility for Game 2, Carrier already had missed Game 6 of their matchup with the San Jose Sharks. While head coach Gerard Gallant didn’t disclose who would replace him, he did say he was impressed with the performance of the fourth line in Game 6 against the Sharks, suggesting that Ryan Reaves might play today in Carrier’s place.
  • While Tampa Bay Lightning fans may have had a scare when defenseman Anton Stralman and winger Cedric Paquette both missed practice this morning (via NHL.com’s Dan Rosen), both are considered good to go for Game 2 against the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday, according to FoxSports Caley Chelios. Stralman missed the first 10 minutes of the third period with an undisclosed injury Friday. Jake Dotchin and Cory Conacher filled in for the two players in practice, but likely will not be needed Sunday.

Snapshots: Smith, Schenn, Laine, Holtby

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Brendan Smith signed a four-year, $17.4MM contract in the offseason with the New York Rangers after an impressive run last season, but hasn’t been anything close to what the team had hoped for. After struggling through 44 games with the team, he was eventually waived and sent to the minor leagues to toil with the Hartford Wolf Pack despite his huge salary.

That might have built some frustration in the 29-year old, who according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post has broken his hand while fighting teammate Vinni Lettieri in practice on Sunday. That puts an end to Smith’s season, and perhaps his career in New York if the team decides a buyout is the only course of action.

  • Brayden Schenn will not face any supplementary discipline for his hit last night on Boston Bruins forward David Krejci, despite his history of charging in the league. Schenn was given a two-minute minor penalty for the hit which had substantial—but according to the league unavoidable—contact to the head. The St. Louis Blues forward has been suspended twice in the past for charging, but escaped without further penalty this time.
  • Patrik Laine suffered just a bruise to his foot after blocking a shot, but the Jets are still going to be precaucious with their superstar teenager. Laine isn’t expected to play for at least the next two games, and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun gives a rough estimate of 4-14 days before he’ll be back in the lineup. Laine is in a race for the Maurice Richard trophy as the league’s leading goal scorer, but is a key part of the Jets chances to take home the Stanley Cup.
  • Braden Holtby has tweaked something and is dealing with a minor injury, meaning the Washington Capitals have called up Pheonix Copley to back up Philip Grubauer tonight. Holtby isn’t expected to miss much time though, as he didn’t even leave practice today according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. Copley was re-acquired as part of the Kevin Shattenkirk deal last season, but hasn’t played for the Capitals yet this year.

Injury Notes: Laine, Matthews, Tarasenko

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The Winnipeg Jets have avoided a crushing blow after Patrik Laine was forced from their game after blocking a shot. Laine isn’t expected to miss a lot of time with the injury, if any at all.

The young sniper is having an outstanding season, but fell one behind Alex Ovechkin last night for the league-lead in goals. Though winning the Maurice Richard trophy would obviously be a nice prize, he and the rest of the Jets have their sights set on an even bigger trophy. The Jets are fighting through injuries to several of their key players, but are still one of the favorites in the Western Conference as the playoffs approach.

  • Auston Matthews, the only player selected ahead of Laine in the 2016 draft, is also nearing a return for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The young center proclaimed himself ready to go after a 10-game layoff due to a shoulder injury, but head coach Mike Babcock wouldn’t go that far. The final decision on Matthews and Nikita Zaitsev for Thursday’s game will come after the morning skate, but both seem poised to return to the lineup.
  • Vladimir Tarasenko is expected miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury, during a crucial time for the St. Louis Blues. The team is entering must-win territory with their last ten games as they sit three points back of the final wildcard spot with two additional teams between them and a playoff spot. That’s a tough hill to climb with so few games remaining, and losing Tarasenko is especially damaging. The 26-year old has had a down year by his standards, but is still second on the club with 58 points.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Mangiapane, NCAA

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The NHL released their three stars from last week, and young Patrik Laine leads the way. The Winnipeg Jets sniper still hasn’t turned 20, but is now tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in goals with 40 and is in the midst of an 11-game point streak.

Brad Marchand and Evgeni Malkin fill the other two spots, as both try to hunt down a nomination for the Hart Trophy. Malkin sits just a single point behind Nikita Kucherov for the league lead in scoring with 87, while Marchand now has 69 points in just 53 games. Though sometimes overshadowed by other superstars on their respective teams (Patrice Bergeron and Sidney Crosby usually), both Marchand and Malkin are having outstanding seasons and could meet late in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Deadline Notes: Plekanec, Green, Gionta, Kane, Lindberg

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While it’s still to early to know, Winnipeg Free Press’ Jeff Hamilton feels that there is a strong indication that the Winnipeg Jets are pushing to acquire Montreal Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec tonight. The 34-year-old veteran was also scratched for tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, although that may just be to ensure he doesn’t get hurt right before the deadline. While there are no details on how close the two teams are, the plan, according to Hamilton, is for the Jets to use Plekanec on the team’s third line alongside Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, which would give the team a deep lineup. Andrew Copp would move to the team’s fourth line and would join Joel Armia and Adam Lowry.

The Jets were supposedly working hard to acquire Derrick Brassard Friday, but lost out to the Pittsburgh Penguins and were forced to look for another center to fill their needs. While Plekanec is a step down from Brassard, the veteran may get some new life with the Jets, especially if he gets to play with Laine and Ehlers.

  • With the trade deadline less than two days away, the Detroit Red Wings still have their top trade chip remaining on their roster, but the problem is that he’s still hurt. In fact, the top rental defenseman on the market hasn’t played in five games and could miss Sunday’s game as well. While Green as practiced with the team twice now, including Friday, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that while there is little doubt that Green will be moved by Monday, the timing of the injury could easily diminish the team’s returns for him. He writes teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning might pause first if they feel he could re-injure himself the moment they acquire him.
  • As mentioned earlier today, there has been some interest in Team USA captain Brian Gionta. However, Pierre LeBrun adds that a couple of East teams have expressed interest in Gionta, including the Boston Bruins. While nothing in imminent, a deal could be made at some point this weekend.
  • The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that the Buffalo Sabres are holding forward Evander Kane out of the lineup tonight. Kane, one of the most anticipated trade candidates join a group of players who have been held out in the last day or two as the team doesn’t want to risk losing a player to injury just before the deadline. “Management thought it was the best decision moving forward and the best decision for Evander,” coach Phil Housley said in his pregame media briefing two hours before faceoff. “… That’s the situation for right now.” No other pending trade candidates were scratched.
  • Tobias Lindberg, who the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights Friday in the Derrick Brassard trade, has been assigned to the AHL, but not to their affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but back to the Chicago Wolves, the affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, according to Chicago Wolves broadcaster Jason Shaver. The Penguins didn’t want to move him at this point of the season to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but can still recall him at any point during the season.

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