Extension Candidate: Bo Horvat
One down, one to go. That’s the situation that the Canucks find themselves in when it comes to their impact 2023 unrestricted free agents. J.T. Miller is now off the board after signing a seven-year, $56MM extension on Friday which allows them to now turn their focus to re-signing captain Bo Horvat.
It’s telling that while Miller had been in all sorts of trade speculation in the days, weeks, and even months leading up to his eventual extension, it has been the exact opposite for Horvat. There has long been an expectation that the two sides would work something out and discussions are ongoing according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. But what might a new deal look like?
2021-22
Horvat quietly is coming off a career year in the goal department, surpassing the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. It didn’t affect his defensive game too much as he still took a regular turn on the penalty kill, logged nearly 20 minutes per night, and won the sixth-most faceoffs in the league. Notably, over the final six weeks of the season when Vancouver was in the midst of trying to pull off quite the second-half comeback to get into the playoffs, Horvat was better than a point-per-game player, showing an ability to step up in crucial moments. While they ultimately fell a little short of achieving that goal, it certainly wasn’t his fault while the improved production under Bruce Boudreau creates some optimism for what’s to come.
Statistics
2021-22: 70 GP, 31 goals, 21 assists, 52 points, +3 rating, 40 PIMS, 194 shots, 57.0% faceoffs, 19:31 ATOI
Career: 572 GP, 170 goals, 196 assists, 366 points, -68 rating, 188 PIMS, 1,294 shots, 53.6% faceoffs, 18:20 ATOI
The Market
Center has always been the premium position among the three forward spots with the extra responsibilities that are always placed on a middleman. Horvat has more than handled those challenges well and certainly isn’t the type of player that a team could think about moving to the wing. Plain and simple, he’s a center and top centers get paid big bucks in free agency or, at least, when they become eligible for free agency.
Last season was basically a continuation of what Horvat has been in his career. He doesn’t necessarily produce like a number one center does but with all of the other elements he brings to the table, he gets to the level of a low-end number one or a high-end number two. There is enough of an established marketplace for players like that to get a reasonable idea of what Horvat’s next deal is going to cost.
Comparable Contracts
Sean Couturier (Philadelphia) signed an eight-year, $62MM extension ($7.75MM AAV) a little over a year ago in the same spot that Horvat is now, a year away from UFA eligibility. From a points-per-game perspective, they’re nearly identical (.638 for Couturier, .639 for Horvat) while both players have averaged close to 20 minutes per game in recent seasons while playing in all situations. Couturier’s top offensive years have been better than Horvat’s which is worth noting although Horvat will be beginning his next deal at 28, one year younger than Couturier.
Brayden Schenn (St. Louis) is playing on an eight-year, $52MM deal ($6.5MM AAV) that was signed back in 2019. His five-on-five production has been quite close to Horvat over the past few seasons but it’s worth noting that he doesn’t have the same defensive responsibilities that Horvat does. The current-day equivalent of this contract is $6.584MM and with the extra roles that Horvat has, it’s safe to pencil this contract in as the floor when it comes to extension discussions.
Kevin Hayes (Philadelphia) received a bigger contract than many expected back in 2019 when he signed for seven years and $50MM ($7.142MM AAV). He was coming off a career-best 55 points that summer and also was an all-situations player that often was on the second line offensively like Horvat. Since then, his production has tapered off so Horvat’s camp would likely be looking to come in higher than this rate. From a cap percentage perspective, a deal equal to this is worth just over $7.4MM per season today.
Tomas Hertl (San Jose) signed his extension last season, one that was worth $65.1MM over eight years ($8.1375MM AAV). He’s the same age Horvat is now and only has one more 30-goal season that Horvat does. The two were used very similarly last season and Hertl’s career point per game average (.661) is quite close to Horvat’s. Some feel that this was an overpayment on the part of the Sharks but that doesn’t matter for Horvat’s camp who will undoubtedly be using this deal as a comparable in negotiations. This is the high end of the scale for where his next contract should fall.
Dylan Larkin (Detroit) is also one to watch for but we don’t know his next contract yet as he’s in the same situation as Horvat. The two are fairly similar – Larkin is a bit more productive, Horvat more involved defensively – and whichever one doesn’t sign first will quite likely be looking at the contract of the one that does sign as a viable comparable.
Projected Contract
Based on the above comparables, something above the current equivalent of Hayes’ deal and a little below Couturier’s appears to be a reasonable sweet spot for an agreement. That would put the AAV in the $7.5MM (or slightly higher) range and he should be able to command a max-term agreement, either an eight-year one with Vancouver or a seven-year one elsewhere.
The big question that Canucks GM Patrik Allvin will have to ponder is whether they can afford Horvat’s next deal in their cap structure. Miller checks in at $8MM on his new deal which pushes their commitment in 2023-24 to nearly $69MM to 14 players. The Upper Limit is only expected to go up to $83.5MM for 2024-24 so Horvat would be taking up close to 60% of their remaining space. Fitting everyone else in would be a challenge.
Vancouver also has to keep in mind that Elias Pettersson’s qualifying offer two years from now is $8.82MM (120% of his $7.35MM cap hit). While Pettersson has spent a lot of time on the wing, he’s also a natural center and spending over $24MM on three centers could be a luxury that they can’t afford. That shouldn’t affect Horvat’s specific situation unless he’s willing to leave money on the table to stay but they’ll be factoring in their own cap situation in discussions with their captain over the coming weeks and months.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Seattle Kraken
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Seattle Kraken
Current Cap Hit: $81,489,166 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Matthew Beniers (two years, $897.5K)
F Shane Wright (three years, $950K)
Potential Bonuses
Beniers: $925K
Wright: $3.0625MM
Total: $3.9875MM
Beniers was the second-overall selection last year and had a dominant year at Michigan before making the jump to the pros where he averaged just shy of a point per game down the stretch. He should become their top center within the next couple of seasons and with it, a long-term deal in the $8MM range could be on the table based on recent comparable signings. With his expected role, he should reach his bonuses this season which will need to be factored into their cap plans. Wright slipped to fourth overall last month after being the consensus number one for a lot of the last two seasons but has been billed as being NHL-ready. They’ll be able to ease him in which could result in some lower production at the beginning although it shouldn’t affect his second contract that much unless he’s in a limited role longer than expected.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
D William Borgen ($900K, RFA)
F Ryan Donato ($1.2MM, UFA)
F Joonas Donskoi ($3.9MM, UFA)
D Vince Dunn ($4MM, RFA)
F Morgan Geekie ($1.4MM, RFA)
F John Hayden ($750K, UFA)
F Karson Kuhlman ($825K, UFA)
G Martin Jones ($2MM, UFA)
F Kole Lind ($825K, RFA)
D Carson Soucy ($2.75MM, UFA)
Donskoi was one of Seattle’s higher-profile pickups in expansion but struggled considerably last season, scoring just twice in 75 games. While it’s likely that he’ll rebound to an extent, he’ll be hard-pressed to get more than about two-thirds of his current cost unless he has a career year. Geekie’s first full NHL season was a decent one as he acquitted himself in somewhat of a limited role while being their best player at the faceoff dot. Even in a bottom-six role, there’s some room for him to pass the $2MM mark next summer. Donato returned after being non-tendered to avoid salary arbitration and while he is coming off a career year, the fact he wasn’t able to do better than this on the open market doesn’t bode well for his odds next summer. Lind, Kuhlman, and Hayden will be battling for the final forward spot or two on the roster but are unlikely to command much more than their current rates unless one of them can step into a legitimate full-time role.
GM Ron Francis felt that Dunn would be able to stand out more with a bigger role and he did just that, tying his career-high in points while setting a new benchmark in assists. Another showing like that could push him past the $5MM mark next summer in his final season of RFA eligibility. Soucy wasn’t able to land in Seattle’s top four very often last year but that didn’t stop him from showing off an improved offensive element to his game as he scored ten goals which is two more than the previous two years combined. With the size he also brings, a repeat performance could allow him to generate a strong market that could push his AAV into the $3MM range despite being a third-pairing piece which is an area teams often try to save money in. For Soucy, they might make an exception. Borgen was a frequent healthy scratch last season which certainly wasn’t the Kraken debut he was hoping for. A similar role could have him in non-tender territory next summer while if he does lock down a spot on the third pairing, a one-year deal at a small raise might be the route Seattle opts to take.
Jones is coming off another quiet year with the Flyers and has failed to post a save percentage above .900 over the last four seasons. Despite that, Seattle opted for him as their backup goaltender for the upcoming campaign but at some point, it stands to reason that another below-average performance will push him down closer to the $1MM mark next summer.
Signed Through 2023-24
G Chris Driedger ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Jordan Eberle ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Justin Schultz ($3MM, UFA)
F Alexander Wennberg ($4.5MM, UFA)
Eberle’s first season with Seattle saw him play a similar role to the one that he had with the Islanders so it’s not surprising that his production was largely in line with his performance with New York. It’s an output that isn’t quite worth $5.5MM but if he can stay around the 20-goal mark for the next couple of seasons, he should be able to land somewhat close to this on his next deal. Wennberg wasn’t quite able to replicate the production he had with the Panthers but his output at the center position is worth close to his current rate compared to the open market. However, with Beniers and Wright around, can he get those numbers again? That will dictate a lot when it comes to his next contract as to whether a small raise could be had or a sizable drop.
Schultz comes over from Washington where he’s coming off a quiet year offensively by his standards which made this commitment a bit surprising. He should have an opportunity to play a bigger role offensively which could help but even so, he’ll be 34 when his next contract starts so it’d be hard to foresee a big raise on the horizon.
Driedger had a tough first season with the Kraken although he still managed a save percentage of .899, the best on the team. His second year will be even tougher as an ACL tear suffered at the Worlds will cost him the majority of next season. Suffice it to say, there will be a lot at stake in 2023-24 when it comes to determining his next contract.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Yanni Gourde ($5.167MM, UFA)
D Adam Larsson ($4MM, UFA)
F Brandon Tanev ($3.5MM, UFA)
After a couple of quieter seasons with Tampa Bay, Gourde had a golden opportunity with Seattle last season as he was their all-situations top center. While his best success came in a lower role with the Lightning, Gourde adapted quite well to being a go-to player and finished second on the team in scoring. Again, Beniers and eventually Wright will cut into his playing time but for now, this contract is one of Seattle’s better ones. Tanev was limited to just 32 games last season due to a knee injury but was quite effective over the first couple of months of the season. His contract has long been viewed as above-market after Pittsburgh signed him for six years at his current price but if he stays near that half a point per game mark while playing his usual strong defensive and physical game, the Kraken will do well with this contract.
Larsson was one of two veteran defensemen to eschew a chance at testing the open market last summer to instead sign a long-term deal with Seattle. In his case, he received a much bigger role than he was accustomed to with Edmonton which helped him set a new career-best in points. In the process, he established himself as still being capable of being a second or third defender. That’s not the most optimal role for him and he wouldn’t be in that role on a top team but any time a team can get a second or third blueliner for this much money, it’s one that they’re going to be quite happy with. That said, even if he stays in that role for three more years, it’s unlikely the open market will view him at that level.
2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Sixth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)
4th Overall: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (4)
5th Overall: Erik Karlsson, Toronto Maple Leafs (15)
If this poll was done a few years ago, Karlsson may have challenged for the top spot given how incredible his early career was. The high-flying defenseman won the Norris Trophy in his third season, another in his sixth, and was the runner-up in years seven and eight. There have been few defensemen in the modern era with such a dominant stretch, and it culminated in the 2017 playoffs when Karlsson nearly carried the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup Final (seemingly by himself at times), leading the team in scoring while playing more than 28 minutes a night.
After some injury-plagued seasons and a massive contract that has made him a financial anchor in San Jose, Karlsson’s career has certainly plateaued and made him the fifth pick in our hindsight draft.
We now move on to the sixth pick and the first real “bust” of the 2008 draft.
The early history of the Columbus Blue Jackets was filled with draft-day mistakes. Rostislav Klesla, Pascal Leclaire, Nikolai Zherdev, Alexandre Picard, Gilbert Brule. Not exactly the definition of a Hall of Fame lineup. By 2008 though, things were starting to look up. The team had obviously hit with Rick Nash, who had become a superstar by that point, and the previous two drafts had produced Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek in the first round (not to mention Steve Mason in the third).
Unfortunately, 2008 wouldn’t be so kind, at least at the top of the board.
After seeing four straight defensemen come off the board with Doughty, Zach Bogosian, Pietrangelo, and Luke Schenn, the Blue Jackets took the podium and went with an incredibly skilled Russian sniper by the name of Nikita Filatov, who had made it to the top domestic league even as a teenager. At the time, some claimed that there was no player in the draft with a higher offensive ceiling than the young winger, who had put up ridiculous numbers in the lower levels in Russia, and dominated at international tournaments against his own age group.
Unlike most Russian players, Filatov wasn’t signed to a contract back home and could come to North America right away, which he did, joining the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL after an early-season stint with the Blue Jackets. The talent was there and during a January recall, he showed it off, recording a hat trick in his sixth NHL game, despite seeing just 16 shifts that night.
If you are wondering why his career page includes just 47 more NHL games, a total of 53 before he went back to the KHL (and also never really developed there), part of Aaron Portzline’s retrospective for The Athletic earlier this summer may have an answer:
Filatov was undeniably skilled and a world-class sniper, but coaches were trying to show him the reward that could be his if he simply followed the puck to the net and showed even a half-hearted willingness to play in traffic.
After four or five clips, Filatov stepped back from the screen as if he was slightly startled. He looked at coach Rob Riley and the video assistant and said, flatly: “Filly don’t do rebounds.”
Filatov would finish his NHL career with just six goals and 14 points, while seven other players in the 2008 top 10 are still active in the league today. It was a devastating miss for an organization that made it to the playoffs for the first time in 2009 and desperately could have used a top-end defenseman to help Nash take the team to the next level–especially because they landed plenty of offensive help in Cam Atkinson way down in the sixth round that year.
So there is no doubt that the Blue Jackets made a mistake in selecting Filatov but who should they have gone with instead? With the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, who will the Columbus Blue Jackets select? Cast your vote below.
2008 Redraft: Sixth Overall
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John Carlson 56% (594)
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Jacob Markstrom 10% (102)
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Braden Holtby 7% (71)
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Jordan Eberle 6% (66)
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Cam Atkinson 4% (42)
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Jared Spurgeon 4% (38)
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T.J. Brodie 2% (24)
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Adam Henrique 2% (19)
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Tyler Myers 1% (15)
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Matt Martin 1% (11)
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Josh Bailey 1% (10)
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Gustav Nyquist 1% (10)
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Travis Hamonic 1% (9)
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Zach Bogosian 1% (8)
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Luke Schenn 1% (8)
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Michael Del Zotto 1% (7)
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Jake Gardiner 1% (6)
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Derek Stepan 0% (5)
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Jake Allen 0% (4)
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Justin Schultz 0% (4)
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Colin Wilson 0% (4)
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Tyler Ennis 0% (3)
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Mikkel Boedker 0% (3)
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Marco Scandella 0% (2)
Total votes: 1,065
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Poll: Who Will Win The Central Division?
A few days ago, we asked the PHR community to predict which team would end up winning the Pacific Division, and there ended up being two clear leaders. The Vancouver Canucks Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks combined for less than 19% of the vote, with the rest nearly split in half between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
The Oilers came out a few percentage points ahead after adding netminder Jack Campbell and bringing back Evander Kane. Calgary’s remade roster with Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri still holds plenty of confidence, a stark change from the days after Jonny Gaudreau’s departure.
While that division is apparently a two-horse race, we now move to the Central, where the vote might not be as close (though maybe it should).
Last year, the Colorado Avalanche would end up taking it after going 56-19-7 in the regular season. They would ride that success all the way to a Stanley Cup championship, and return as the presumptive favorites to take the division once again.
However, there are some changes in Colorado. Kadri, who was an incredibly important play driver for the team last season, has departed to Calgary, while Darcy Kuemper was replaced with Alexandar Georgiev. Andre Burakovsky‘s depth scoring has disappeared, and while the team still looks like a very strong contender–having a defense corps led by Cale Makar and Devon Toews will do that–there may be a few chinks in the armor after the dream season.
The Minnesota Wild were second last year, but don’t think they weren’t a powerhouse in their own right. The team finished with a record of 53-22-7, which would have put them first in the Pacific, and went into the playoffs on an 8-1-1 streak. While Kevin Fiala has been sent packing after an outstanding year, the development of Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi means there is still plenty of excitement in Minnesota.
Next was the St. Louis Blues, with their own 109-point campaign, but there is a big question mark in net for next season. Ville Husso, who had emerged as the more reliable option during the year, is gone, leaving Jordan Binnington with Thomas Greiss as his backup. With Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko both headed into their final year under contract, it will be interesting to see what direction the Blues go in this year.
It’s not often you can say a team with Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn on it is driven by youth, but that’s exactly the case for the Dallas Stars, who will are ready to hand the keys over to the dynamic trio of Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, and Jake Oettinger. All three were selected in 2017 and all three look like stars in the league at this point. The question for Dallas, of course, is that Robertson and Oettinger remain unsigned to this point.
The Nashville Predators were able to land Nino Niederreiter and Ryan McDonagh, adding some depth and Stanley Cup experience to the roster as they try to take another run at the division crown. The emergence of Tanner Jeannot has given them another weapon, while Yakov Trenin has also looked like he could be a difference-maker if given the opportunity.
Then there are the Winnipeg Jets, who many picked as contenders last year and far fewer are dubbing them that this time around. While there are still some outstanding pieces there, it’s getting harder and harder to see how they will keep up without Connor Hellebuyck getting back to Vezina-level goaltending.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes, meanwhile, are both trying to lose–at least enough to secure a high draft position. The rebuilding clubs shouldn’t pose much of a threat in the division, especially after the deadline when they sell off any pieces that are performing at a high level.
So now we ask you, PHR readers, to make your pick for who will win the Central Division in 2022-23! Vote in the poll below and explain your thoughts in the comment section.
Who will win the Central Division in 2022-23
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Colorado Avalanche 62% (676)
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St. Louis Blues 12% (131)
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Minnesota Wild 10% (107)
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Nashville Predators 4% (44)
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Dallas Stars 4% (42)
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Chicago Blackhawks 4% (42)
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Winnipeg Jets 2% (27)
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Arizona Coyotes 2% (18)
Total votes: 1,087
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Salary Cap Deep Dive: San Jose Sharks
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
San Jose Sharks
Current Cap Hit: $82,362,501 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Thomas Bordeleau (two years, $917K)
F William Eklund (three years, $894K)
F Scott Reedy (one year, $843K)
Potential Bonuses
Eklund: $850K
Reedy: $82.5K
Totals: $932.5K
All three of these players are likely to spend some time at both the NHL and AHL levels. Reedy is the most experienced of the three after spending half of last season with the Sharks in a depth role but he’s the type of player that next summer will be looking at taking less than his qualifying offer in exchange for a higher AHL pay (or a one-way deal). His bonuses are based on games played so some might be achievable. If Eklund can lock down a full-time spot in training camp, he’ll have a chance at hitting some of his ‘A’ bonuses but, like Bordeleau, he’s probably better off playing top minutes in the minors over a lesser role in the NHL. With both having very limited NHL experience, it’s too early to forecast their next contracts but both players figure to be big parts of San Jose’s future plans.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Nick Bonino ($2.05MM, UFA)
F Jonah Gadjovich ($750K, RFA)
F Noah Gregor ($950K, RFA)
D Nikolai Knyzhov ($850K, RFA)
F Timo Meier ($6MM, RFA)
F Matt Nieto ($850K, UFA)
D Markus Nutivaara ($1.5MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($2.25MM, UFA)
F Jeffrey Viel ($750K, RFA)
Potential Bonuses:
Nutivaara: $250K
Meier’s contract is a by-product of what teams expected the financial picture to look like at this time, one that featured some significant increases to the Upper Limit. The heavily back-loaded structure sees him carry a $10MM salary this season which also represents his qualifying offer next summer; while the new CBA put in the 120% of AAV cap (unofficially thought by some as the Meier Rule), contracts signed before that time like his aren’t subjected to it. Under the projected future cap from a few years ago, a $10MM price point for a top-line winger would have been high but probably reasonable but now, it’s certainly on the high side. It’s unlikely San Jose would non-tender him next summer even at that price tag but they’ll be wanting him to leave a bit of money on the table from an AAV perspective on a long-term extension.
Bonino has scored at least 10 goals in six straight years and eight of the past nine while winning faceoffs at an above-average rate. That combination makes him a bottom-six fit for several teams so he should have a decent-sized market next summer at a similar price point to this. Gregor spent most of last season with the Sharks and acquitted himself well but San Jose’s cap situation basically forced a one-year deal. He’ll have arbitration eligibility next summer and should add at least a few hundred thousand to his price tag. Nieto, Gadjovich, and Viel are all role players that are likely to come in below $1MM on their next contracts.
Nutivaara is coming off a season that limited him to just a single appearance due to a lower-body injury but has a track record of being a serviceable third-pairing player. He’ll max out on his bonuses at 60 games played and if he’s able to suit up that many times, he’ll have a stronger market and a chance to earn a bit more next summer. Knyzhov missed last season due to a core muscle injury and tore his Achilles tendon in offseason training earlier this month which will cause him to miss at least the first half of the season. He’s a capable young defender but these injuries will limit him to another short-term, low-cost contract.
Reimer will be the second goaltender next season after Adin Hill was moved to Vegas earlier this week. The 34-year-old got the bulk of the starts in 2021-22 and did alright considering how much the team struggled. A similar showing this season would put him in line for at least a small raise as the cost for quality veteran backups continues to rise.
Signed Through 2023-24
F Alexander Barabanov ($2.5MM, UFA)
G Kaapo Kahkonen ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Luke Kunin ($2.75MM, RFA)
F Kevin Labanc ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Oskar Lindblom ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Jaycob Megna ($763K, UFA)
F Steven Lorentz ($1.05MM, UFA)
D Radim Simek ($2.25MM, UFA)
Labanc’s contract is basically the reward he received for taking a significantly below-market contract back in 2019 to help with San Jose’s cap situation at that time. Things have not gone well since then as he has battled injuries and struggled to produce. At this point, his market value two years from now might be half of his current cost. Barabanov quietly finished fifth on the Sharks in scoring last season with 39 points and this deal represents a lower-risk commitment to see if it was a fluke or a sign of things to come.
Kunin and Lindblom are newcomers that have shown flashes of upside but haven’t been able to put it together consistently. Kunin’s cost is a bit high relative to his production but power forwards often get more than market value while Lindblom hasn’t been the same since returning from his bout with cancer which resulted in the Flyers buying him out this summer. Both are on placeholder deals to see how they’ll fit on a new team and to give the top prospects like Eklund and Bordeleau time to develop. If things go well, small raises could come their way. Lorentz comes over from Carolina and is a fourth liner that the Sharks feel might be able to play higher in the lineup. That will need to happen for him to have a chance at a notable raise next summer.
Simek hardly played last season and doesn’t appear to be part of their plans on the back end beyond a depth spot. However, this isn’t a particularly ideal market for cutting salary so it’s unlikely that San Jose will be able to move him. Unless he can lock down a regular role, his next contract will be closer to half of what he’s getting now. Megna is a serviceable depth defender at the league minimum for two years and if he can play on the third pairing most nights, he’ll have a shot at a small raise in 2024. Notably for him, this contract is his first one-way pact after four straight two-way deals.
Kahkonen was brought over from Minnesota at the trade deadline with the hopes that he can be San Jose’s starter of the future. However, a limited track record made a long-term deal very difficult to work out so they effectively settled on another bridge contract. If he can prove he’s a starter-caliber goalie, doubling his current AAV is achievable but if he proves to be more of a platoon option, his next deal will likely be in the $3MM range.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Nico Sturm ($2MM, UFA)
Sturm started his pro career late after going through college first and basically only has the last two seasons as a regular player where his role has been somewhat limited. Clearly, the Sharks believe there’s some upside that will justify the three-year commitment and if he’s able to produce closer to the 30-35-point mark, they’ll do well with this contract.
2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Fifth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)
4th Overall: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (4)
After some other defensemen received more votes than him in our first three polls, Alex Pietrangelo shot up the chart for fourth overall, presumably because of how well he worked out for the Blues in particular. While other teams may have decided to go with someone like John Carlson or Erik Karlsson, St. Louis likely isn’t complaining about their 2008 pick. Pietrangelo became team captain and led them to a Stanley Cup – basically exactly what you want when picking near the top of the draft.
To round out the top five, we move on to the Toronto Maple Leafs and their highest pick in nearly 30 years.
Stuck in the middle of what would be a long playoff drought and without a franchise icon to build around (long-time captain Mats Sundin was leaving town) the Maple Leafs decided to trade up in 2008 in search of their next superstar. It cost them two additional draft picks to move up two spots and at the time, general manager Cliff Fletcher noted that “the top four defensemen” were “special” and the team needed to get one of them.
While there were several special defensemen available – including a number that will be in the Hall of Fame one day – the Maple Leafs didn’t pick one of them.
Instead, they took Luke Schenn, the monstrous blueliner from the Kelowna Rockets. The uber-physical WHL defender was the kind of player that relied on his size and defensive ability at the junior level, stapling opponents against the boards whenever possible. It made for an impressive highlight reel but Schenn’s upside was limited even then, because of his lack of offensive ability.
In his draft year for Kelowna, he had just 28 points in 57 games, ranking well behind the younger Tyson Barrie, who would go in the third round a year later. The thought was that Schenn would be able to star as a pure shutdown defender, logging huge minutes on Toronto’s blueline for years to come.
It did seem to start out well, with Schenn heading right to the NHL a few months after being drafted and playing nearly 22 minutes a night with the rebuilding Maple Leafs. Some, in the years since, have suggested that thrusting him into a role like that may have limited his development but it’s not like Schenn was a true bust.
No, in fact, while he may never have lived up to that “special” billing that Fletcher put upon him, Schenn has still carved out an impressive career of 863 regular season games. At 32, he sits sixth among the 2008 class in games played, and he recently won the Stanley Cup two years in a row with the Tampa Bay Lightning, albeit in a limited role.
So while he may not have been the correct choice in hindsight, there is something to be said about how well Schenn has continued to find his place in an NHL that almost immediately following his draft went away from his type of defenseman. He probably didn’t deserve to go fifth, but there may still be 1,000 NHL games next to his name when it’s all said and done.
Who should take his place, in our hindsight draft? With the fifth pick of the 2008 NHL Draft, who will the Toronto Maple Leafs select? Cast your vote below.
2008 Redraft: Fifth Overall
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Erik Karlsson 57% (637)
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John Carlson 25% (275)
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Jacob Markstrom 4% (47)
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Braden Holtby 3% (34)
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Jordan Eberle 2% (17)
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Jared Spurgeon 1% (15)
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Cam Atkinson 1% (13)
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T.J. Brodie 1% (9)
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Josh Bailey 1% (6)
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Zach Bogosian 1% (6)
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Tyler Myers 1% (6)
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Matt Martin 0% (5)
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Gustav Nyquist 0% (5)
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Adam Henrique 0% (5)
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Tyler Ennis 0% (4)
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Jake Allen 0% (4)
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Travis Hamonic 0% (4)
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Jake Gardiner 0% (3)
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Luke Schenn 0% (3)
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Marco Scandella 0% (2)
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Mikkel Boedker 0% (2)
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Justin Schultz 0% (2)
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Colin Wilson 0% (2)
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Derek Stepan 0% (1)
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Michael Del Zotto 0% (1)
Total votes: 1,108
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Fourth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)
The 2020 Norris Trophy winner was able to edge out a couple of other elite defensemen, as more than 46% of our readers felt Josi was the right choice at third overall. Comparing him to the Zach Bogosian pick that the Thrashers actually went with will certainly drive Winnipeg Jets fans crazy, as Josi has spent his entire career to this point with the team that picked him and is coming off a 96-point campaign that puts him at the very top of the list for offensive seasons by defensemen in the salary cap era.
After Stamkos, Doughty, and Josi come off the board, we move to fourth overall which was held by the St. Louis Blues.
Despite his name not coming up in the first three picks of our redraft, the Blues have never regretted their selection of Alex Pietrangelo. After watching Doughty and Bogosian go off the board, the Blues decided to go another defenseman and selected the King City, Ontario native who had just put up 13 goals and 53 points with the Niagara IceDogs.
Pietrangelo, who actually played with Stamkos on the same summer league minor hockey team, had been a top prospect in the Toronto area for a long time and was seen as a much more well-rounded option than some of the other defensemen available at that point. He had been ranked fifth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and seemed like a potential franchise defenseman that would have been in the running for an even higher pick in some weaker years.
That’s exactly what the Blues got, though it did take a little bit of time for Pietrangelo to actually get there. Unlike Doughty and Bogosian, who both went to the NHL as teenage defensemen, Pietrangelo would only play a handful of games before being sent back to the OHL in both 2008-09 and 2009-10. By the time he arrived full-time in 2010-11, he was pretty much a finished product and scored 11 goals and 43 points while logging 22 minutes a night.
He would have an “A” on his sweater by his fourth season (the same year he won an Olympic gold medal) and would eventually take over as captain of the Blues in 2016.
One of the most consistent two-way defenders in the league, Pietrangelo has 517 points in 879 career regular season games and has averaged nearly 25 minutes. He led the Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019, even scoring the championship-clinching goal.
Because of that Cup, St. Louis likely wouldn’t trade that pick for anything. But would they have been better off with someone else? Would that Blues team have been even more dangerous with another player?
With the fourth pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, who should the St. Louis Blues select? Cast your vote below.
2008 Redraft: Fourth Overall
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Alex Pietrangelo 47% (657)
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Erik Karlsson 33% (460)
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John Carlson 11% (149)
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Jacob Markstrom 3% (41)
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Braden Holtby 2% (22)
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Jared Spurgeon 1% (13)
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Jordan Eberle 1% (11)
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Cam Atkinson 1% (9)
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T.J. Brodie 0% (7)
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Derek Stepan 0% (7)
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Zach Bogosian 0% (5)
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Matt Martin 0% (5)
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Adam Henrique 0% (4)
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Tyler Ennis 0% (4)
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Josh Bailey 0% (3)
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Justin Schultz 0% (2)
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Michael Del Zotto 0% (2)
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Jake Gardiner 0% (2)
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Jake Allen 0% (1)
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Colin Wilson 0% (1)
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Marco Scandella 0% (1)
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Tyler Myers 0% (1)
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Mikkel Boedker 0% (1)
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Gustav Nyquist 0% (1)
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Travis Hamonic 0% (0)
Total votes: 1,409
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Los Angeles Kings
Current Cap Hit: $80,986,667 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Tobias Bjornfot (one year, $894K)
F Quinton Byfield (two years, $894K)
F Arthur Kaliyev (two years, $894K)
F Rasmus Kupari (one year, $863K)
D Jordan Spence (two years, $820K)
Potential Bonuses
Bjornfot: $262.5K
Byfield: $2.65MM
Kaliyev: $150K
Kupari: $350K
Spence: $82.5K
Total: $3.495MM
Kailyev had a decent first full NHL season, notching 27 points in 80 games in a limited role. He’s likely to remain in the bottom six for a little while yet which will likely have him trending towards a bridge contract in 2024, one that would still more than double his current price tag. Byfield, the second-overall pick in 2019, had a quiet rookie year and is unlikely to play any higher than the third line with the veterans ahead of him on the depth chart. Accordingly, a big-ticket contract isn’t coming his way in two years’ time; both sides will want a short-term pact. Kupari was a serviceable checking forward last season which isn’t bad but they’re hoping for more offensively from him. A similar showing this season will put his bridge contract in the $1.5MM range.
Bjornfot was a fixture on the third pairing for most of last season and it will be interesting to see if head coach Todd McLellan pushes him a little higher in 2022-23. His limited offensive upside will limit his earnings potential (especially if they try to work out a long-term deal) but he’ll have a shot at doubling his price tag next summer. Spence could be a waiver-exemption roster casualty in camp but after logging nearly 20 minutes a game in limited action last season, he has earned a longer look. It’s a bit early to forecast his next deal but as someone that was quite productive in the minors and did well in his first NHL stint, he’s someone that could be poised for a considerable jump on his second deal.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan ($750K, RFA)
F Lias Andersson ($750K, RFA)
D Alex Edler ($750K, UFA)
F Brendan Lemieux ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Trevor Moore ($1.875MM, UFA)
G Jonathan Quick ($5.8MM, UFA)
F Gabriel Vilardi ($825K, RFA)
F Austin Wagner ($1.133MM, RFA)
Potential Bonuses
Edler: $750K
Moore is coming off a breakout year that saw him more than double his previous career-high in points while establishing himself as a fixture on the second line. At this point, both sides will want to see how things go next year; a repeat performance could put him closer to the $3.5MM to $4MM mark while a dip closer to his career averages would knock at least a million off of that range. Lemieux quickly re-signed after being non-tendered but will need to establish himself as more than just a fourth-line energy winger if he wants an opportunity to really get to that next salary tier. Wagner spent all of last season in the minors but could be back on the fourth line at some point. Otherwise, all but $8.3K can be buried in AHL Ontario if he clears waivers again.
Among the younger forwards, Vilardi was quite productive with AHL Ontario last season but didn’t produce much with the Kings, just seven points in 25 games. That got him a one-year bridge deal. At this point, he’s likely to break camp as he’s now waiver-eligible but this could be a make-or-break year with several other youngsters in the pipeline. Andersson and Anderson-Dolan are in similar situations, players who are also now waiver-eligible and haven’t produced much to date in the NHL. Until they can establish themselves as regulars, they’ll be going year-to-year on their deals.
Edler was once again limited due to injuries last season but he did well in a supporting role when he was in there, resulting in a one-year extension. At 36 and with his injury history, he’ll be going year-to-year on similarly-structured deals for the rest of his career.
Quick has been a fixture between the pipes for the Kings for more than a decade. Heading into last season, his contract looked like a considerable overpayment for someone that was expected to be pushed down into the second-string role. However, he then went out and became the 1A option once again which changes the outlook of his contract considerably. Quick will be 37 when his next contract is signed so he will likely be going year to year moving forward but if he can even keep a grab of a platoon spot, he should have some interest on the open market in the $3.5MM range next summer. Will he be willing to leave Los Angeles, however? That one remains to be seen.
Signed Through 2023-24
F Viktor Arvidsson ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Carl Grundstrom ($1.35MM, RFA)
F Anze Kopitar ($10MM, UFA)
F Blake Lizotte ($1.675MM, RFA)
D Jacob Moverare ($762.5K, RFA)
D Matt Roy ($3.125MM, UFA)
D Sean Walker ($2.65MM, UFA)
Kopitar has been the top center for the Kings for most of his 16-year career and even if he hasn’t produced at the level of a high-end pivot, his defensive play has made him a true number one. However, he’ll be 37 two years from now and the days of him logging over 20 minutes a night should be done by then. His next contract could very well be his last and should be either two or three years with an AAV closer to the $6MM mark as long as he can still play at a second-line level by the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
A new team was just what Arvidsson needed as he had a nice bounce-back year after a pair of quiet seasons at the end of his tenure with Nashville. He fit in nicely on the second line, one that was very effective defensively, good offensively, and carried plenty of possession. Continuing that combination for the next two seasons would give him a good chance of adding another million or so on his next contract. Lizotte just wrapped his first full NHL season on the third line which understandably resulted in a short-term second contract. He’ll need to establish himself as capable of playing a bit more than 12 minutes a night by 2024 as otherwise, he could be one of those arbitration risks that teams are opting to walk away from more frequently. Grundstrom has provided the Kings with plenty of physicality, albeit in a limited role and with the look of their roster right now, his short-term fortune isn’t likely to change. That could put him in the same situation Lemieux was last month, getting non-tendered to avoid arbitration.
Roy has never been a particularly flashy defenseman which is what made this deal – originally a four-year pact – a bit of a head-scratcher at the time. However, he continues to be a reliable role player and he stepped up quite nicely when injuries arose last season. As is the case with Bjornfot, his limited offensive upside will limit the price tag of his next contract but there’s room for him to add a little more to his current AAV. Walker missed all but six games last season due to a knee injury and has been used as a fifth defenseman when he has played over the last couple of years. As teams look to trim costs by going with more cost-effective depth players, that could be a challenge for Walker unless he can step into a top-four role. Moverare is now waiver-eligible and with him signed for two years at the minimum, he’s a risk to be claimed off waivers so he’ll likely enter the season as their seventh defenseman although that’s not great from the perspective of his next contract.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Alex Iafallo ($4MM, UFA)
G Calvin Petersen ($5MM, UFA)
Iafallo is the ideal winger in the sense that can play different roles and succeed in all of them. That type of versatility can be quite valuable to a team and he has done well in that role with the Kings. On the other hand, with some wingers feeling the pinch in recent UFA contracts, this also now looks like a bit of an above-market contract. The financial landscape should change by the time this deal is up though so the valuation of the contract might be different a couple of years from now.
Petersen signed this contract a year ago as an extension to his now-expired deal so this will be his first year with the weight of expectations that a deal like this carries. Instead of being a second option making less than a typical backup, he’s now tied for 14th in AAV among all NHL goaltenders despite having just 91 career regular season games under his belt. If he can wrestle back the starting role and play 50-55 games a season, they’ll get good enough value out of this deal but that’s a bigger question mark now than it was a year ago.
Examining Trade Options For San Jose’s Goalie Surplus
Generally speaking, extra depth is rarely a bad thing to have. That extra impact forward, carrying more than four top-four defensemen, these are often elements of successful teams. But that same argument doesn’t apply to goaltending as almost all of the time, carrying three is seen as less than ideal and teams will often move their extra option before too long.
San Jose is presently an exception to that idea as they’re carrying three NHL goaltenders in Kaapo Kahkonen, Adin Hill, and James Reimer. All three are on short-term deals (Reimer and Hill have one year left and Kahkonen two) and all three make between $2.1MM and $2.75MM. At least from a contract standpoint, they’re more or less interchangeable.
But Kahkonen was brought in from Minnesota at the trade deadline and then given the two-year deal so it stands to reason that they don’t want to move him. That leaves the 26-year-old Hill and the 34-year-old Reimer as their two trade options with the latter only making $75K more than the former. The Sharks might prefer to keep the younger Hill but his trade value might be better depending on who shows interest.
With that in mind, let’s examine some of the teams that might be interested in adding one of San Jose’s netminders even with most of the goalie movement being done for the summer.
Arizona
The Coyotes know they don’t have their backup goalie on the roster yet. Karel Vejmelka is unproven as a starter so adding a second netminder that could play close to half the games wouldn’t hurt. Yes, they’re a team with an eye on the future but they can still try to lose competitively. Would they trade for Hill after moving him to San Jose just over a year ago or would they prefer Reimer? If not one of them, they’ll be watching the waiver wire in October.
Minnesota
There isn’t a true opening with Marc-Andre Fleury as the starter and Filip Gustavsson as the backup but Gustavsson is coming off a tough 2021-22 campaign with Ottawa. Playing Fleury heavy minutes would carry some risk so while Gustavsson is the backup of the future, GM Bill Guerin might want to assess if they’d be better off with a more reliable second option even if it forces them to turn around and carry three goalies with Gustavsson now being waiver-eligible.
Philadelphia
Back in May, it looked like the Flyers had their goalie situation figured out as they were able to sign highly-touted prospect Ivan Fedotov to partner up with Carter Hart. However, the netminder is now serving in the Russian military which will take him out of the equation. Felix Sandstrom is likely next in line but has just five career NHL appearances under his belt. Philadelphia is looking for more short-term success so adding a more proven backup is something GM Chuck Fletcher will likely be looking into.
Vegas
Following the season-ending hip surgery for Robin Lehner, GM Kelly McCrimmon came out and said his intention is to go with Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit as their tandem. Thompson has shown promise but his NHL experience is limited while Brossoit has been hit and miss in his career. If things don’t go well early on, they could look to turn to San Jose for a chance at an upgrade.
Washington
This might seem a little odd considering that they just signed Charlie Lindgren to a three-year deal to be Darcy Kuemper’s backup. But Lindgren’s cap hit is right at the line of being fully buriable in the minors if a better option presents itself. Their LTIR situation with Nicklas Backstrom gives them some extra flexibility to add a short-term deal so if they trust Reimer or Hill over a goalie that has just 29 games of NHL experience and finished up the AHL playoffs as the backup, GM Brian MacLellan will likely check in on what that upgrade would cost.
Winnipeg
They added David Rittich as a low-cost backup early in free agency, handing him a one-year, $900K contract. That can be fully buried in the minors if a better option presents itself. The Jets still have considerable cap space at their disposal and are a team with an eye on winning in the present so if they aren’t able to add at other positions, turning around and upgrading Connor Hellebuyck’s backup would be a reasonable backup plan.
Obviously, not all of these teams are going to make a move between the pipes in the coming weeks so the options for GM Mike Grier are going to be limited. If he wants to get top value – the asking price for Reimer is believed to be a second-round pick – he might have to wait until the season starts to see if injuries force someone’s hand. Otherwise, it will be a limited market for whichever one he decides to move. Surplus quality depth at most positions is usually a good thing and could yield a strong return in a trade but for goaltenders, it’s just not the case.
Free Agent Profile: Daniel Sprong
Daniel Sprong‘s development as a professional hockey player has been a rather interesting case to follow and at age 25, the final returns on the winger may not be finalized just yet. Born in the Netherlands, Sprong began his amateur hockey career rising through the ranks in Quebec, culminating with three years as a member of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. As an Islander, Sprong was an offensive force, putting up 30 goals and 38 assists in 67 games as a rookie, following it up with another 39 goals and 49 assists in 68 games the year after.
That summer, Sprong was selected 46th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. As is commonplace in today’s NHL, the overwhelming majority of players selected outside of the first round, and most of those too, don’t make the jump to the NHL right away, instead continuing their development for another year or two, or more. However, Sprong was able to make the jump to the NHL immediately, debuting in Pittsburgh to start the 2015-16 season. An 18-year-old Sprong would play in only 18 games, scoring a pair of goals before being sent back to Charlottetown, recording 46 points in 33 games there. After the end of his QMJHL season, Sprong returned to the pro ranks, this time with Scranton-Wilkes Barre, Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, where he had five goals and a pair of assists in 10 playoff games. Although he was able to hold his own professionally as an 18-year-old, the Penguins opted to keep Sprong in Charlottetown in 2016-17 for one more season of development, the winger having another sensational season: 59 points in just 31 games.
The next year, Sprong had his first full professional season, spending the majority in the AHL, impressing with 32 goals and 33 assists in 65 games. A dominant AHL season on his resume, Sprong appeared poised to take the next step at the NHL level, but stumbled out of the gate with just four assists in 16 games to start 2018-19 with Pittsburgh, who dealt him to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Marcus Pettersson. It looked as though Sprong found his groove in Anaheim, adding 19 points in 47 games, 14 of which were goals. But, the following season, Anaheim would keep him in the AHL, where the forward couldn’t repeat his previous production, stepping back to 27 points in 39 AHL games.
Anaheim ultimately moved him to the Washington Capitals in February of 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic would pump the brakes on any opportunity with the Capitals until the 2020-21 season. Then, Washington made Sprong a regular part of their lineup, as he contributed 13 goals and seven assists in 43 games in the shortened campaign, very much on par with his 2018-19 season. Sprong’s 2021-22 was another similar effort with 14 points in 47 games for the Capitals ahead of a March trade, this time to the Seattle Kraken, where he registered six points, all goals, in 16 games.
A RFA at season’s end, the Kraken chose not to qualify Sprong, the organization instead overhauling much of its forward group. Now, Sprong finds himself a UFA a month-and-a-half after the market opened looking for his next opportunity, which could come with his fifth NHL franchise. While he may not be any sort of high-end scoring option at the NHL level, Sprong does possess speed and an NHL caliber shot proven to put pucks in the back of the net at some frequency. On top of that, he is a bona fide scorer in the AHL.
Stats:
2021-22: 63 GP, 14 G, 6 A, 20 pts, + o rating, 8 PIMs, 153 shots, 12:59 ATOI
Career: 202 GP, 46 G, 24 A, 70 pts, -10 rating, 30 PIMs, 414 shots, 12:06 ATOI
Potential Suitors:
At this point in his career, it doesn’t appear Sprong’s place in the NHL is, or ever will be, as an everyday option for a team. However, he has shown he can handle NHL action when pressed into duty. In other words, he could be the perfect depth forward for an organization. On top of that, his ability to produce in the AHL is of value not only to AHL teams, but an NHL organization looking to establish a winning culture in their minor league system.
An ideal organization would be one that has a place to offer Sprong top-six minutes on their AHL squad, but maybe doesn’t have the layers of depth it would want to in case of emergency (think of the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators last fall). Sprong wouldn’t be the most valuable piece in whichever organization he’s a part of, but having him help an AHL club win hockey games, giving prospects a chance to understand winning and playing important professional games, while giving an NHL team an experienced player to join them when things get rough with injury or COVID, could lead to Sprong being a quietly vital part of the organization.
Projected Contract:
Even after the Kraken failed to qualify Sprong, it wasn’t unthinkable that he could get a guaranteed one-way contract this summer, especially given his skillset, previous contributions, and his age, though even that wouldn’t have been much more, if at all, above the $750K minimum salary. However, at this point in free agency, Sprong is most likely going to have to settle for a two-way deal. That wouldn’t necessarily be the worst option, as it could open up additional doors for Sprong to contribute and play important minutes at either level, which at 25 years of age, could still serve to grow his stock as a player.