Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert 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 2020-21 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.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Current Cap Hit: $72,274,125 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Emil Bemstrom (two years, $925K)
D Andrew Peeke (one year, $917K)
F Alexandre Texier (one year, $898K)
F Liam Foudy (two years, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Bemstrom: $850K
Peeke: $850K
Foudy: $375K
Total: $2.08MM

Despite not having brought in much young talent the past few years in the draft, the Blue Jackets do still have a number of young players who could make a quick impact on their franchise. Bemstrom, a fourth-round pick from 2017, came over from Sweden last year at the age of 20 and played in 56 games, scoring 10 goals in his rookie season. He should continue to force his way into the more and more minutes and the speedy forward could eventually develop into a 25-goal scorer. Texier is another quick-moving forward who could develop into a future core piece of the team. Despite dealing with a back injury, Texier scored six goals in 36 games as a 20-year-old. Foudy played most of last season in the OHL, but did get a chance to appear in two games for Columbus, but the 2018 first-rounder is also a candidate to challenge for playing time with the Blue Jackets next season.

Peeke, on the other hand, looks to already be penciled into the Blue Jackets’ blueline. With the departures of Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara, Peeke will get every opportunity to claim one of the third pairing openings. The 22-year-old looked impressive in 22 appearances last year and could eventually work his way towards a top-four spot.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Brandon Dubinsky ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($5.5MM, UFA)
D David Savard ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Riley Nash ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Oliver Bjorkstrand ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Mikko Koivu ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Mikhail Grigorenko ($1.2MM, UFA)
F Kevin Stenlund ($874K, RFA)

The Blue Jackets have quite a bit of salary coming off the books next season. First off the list will be Dubinsky who has scored just 12 goals since the 2017 season as he has been dealing with a wrist injury and recently general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he wasn’t likely to ever play professional hockey again. That frees up a lot of cap room. Foligno is a different matter, however, as the 33-year-old may have seen a slight decline in his play recently, but the team will likely do what it can to retain their captain, who has been a key figure for the team both on and off the ice, even if he may be moving to the bottom-six of the lineup in the near future.

The team will also have to make a decision on Savard, who is one of the team’s top defensive players. The 30-year-old doesn’t help much offensively, but is a minutes eater who has been a key piece to the team’s top-four.

On the restricted front, the team’s top RFA next offseason will be Bjorkstrand, who has scored 20 or more goals for two straight seasons and is starting to come into his own. The 25-year-old posted 21 goals in 49 games last year, on pace for a potential 35-goal season had an ankle injury and the pandemic not cut into a chunk of his season.

Kekalainen also took a couple fliers, signing veteran Koivu and KHL star Grigorenko to one-year deals. Koivu should provide the team with key leadership and be able to help out the team’s bottom-six and penalty kill, while the Blue Jackets are hoping that Grigorenko, a former lottery pick in 2012, might be able to make it work in North America on his second attempt. The Russian, now 26, could never find his niche in the NHL and returned to the KHL, where he tallied 38 goals and 93 points combined in his last two seasons for CSKA Moscow.

Two Years Remaining

D Seth Jones ($5.4MM, UFA)
F Max Domi ($5.3MM, UFA)
D Zach Werenski ($5MM, UFA)
G Elvis Merzlikins ($4MM, UFA)
F Boone Jenner ($3.75MM, UFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($2.8MM, UFA)
D Dean Kukan ($1.65MM, UFA)
D Scott Harrington ($1.63MM, UFA)
F Eric Robinson ($975K, UFA)
F Nathan Gerbe ($750K, UFA)
D Gabriel Carlsson ($725K, RFA)

The Blue Jackets have quite a few key players hitting unrestricted free agency in a couple of years and will have to find a way to sign some of them to long-term deals. At the top of that list are their two star defensemen in Jones and Werenski. Jones has been one of the most dominant players on the team’s stifling defense and plays quite a key role on offense as well. The blueliner scored six goals and 30 points in just 56 games, but was sorely missed when he went down with an ankle injury in February. His partner, Werenski stepped it up, especially on offense last year, breaking the 20-goal mark for the first time and in just 63 games last year. The two together form one of the top defensive lines in hockey. Both will require quite a large sum of money to re-sign, but the Blue Jackets look like they should have money to spare to sign both of them.

Columbus also acquired Domi from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for disgruntled forward Josh Anderson and now have two years to decide if the 25-year-old forward can make the most of the next two seasons. Domi scored 18 goals with Arizona in his rookie year, but then failed to break 10 goals for the next two seasons. Then he was traded to Montreal where he put up 28 goals in his first season there only to post 17 goals the following season and fall out of favor. Now on his third team, the Blue Jackets hope that Domi can put it all together and be the team’s No. 2 center long-term. The team will also have to decide whether Jenner is worth holding onto. After scoring 30 goals in the 2015-16 season, the 27-year-old has seen his offense decline almost every year as he posted just 11 goals last year.

The team may also be forced to make a decision in net in two years as well. The Blue Jackets got a real boost when both Korpisalo, the previous year’s backup, and Merzlikins, the team’s top goalie prospect took over for Sergei Bobrovsky only to watch both flourish. With both locked in for another two years, the team has time to decide which one to keep as neither are making too much money. Although there was talk during the season that Columbus might be willing to move one of its netminders for some offense.

Three Years Remaining

F Gustav Nyquist ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Vladislav Gavrikov ($2.8MM, UFA)

Nyquist was brought in last offseason to offset the losses of Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. The 31-year-old put up 15 goals and 42 points in 70 games last season, which is solid for a middle-six forward, but the team is hoping that can be on pace for better numbers next season. Kekalainen brought in Gavrikov last  year on a one-year entry-level deal and that paid off as he quickly earned a bottom pairing role for the season, using his size and defensive abilities to his advantage. He fared well when pressed into a top-four role and was rewarded in the offseason with a three-year extension and likely will take a bigger role next year with Murray gone. Read more

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert 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 2020-21 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.

Carolina Hurricanes

Current Cap Hit: $80,567,739 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Martin Necas (two years, $863K)
F Andrei Svechnikov (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Necas: $537.5K
Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Total: $3.1875MM

Svechnikov didn’t waste much time becoming an integral part of Carolina’s attack to the point where GM Don Waddell said one of his top priorities this offseason would be trying to sign the winger to an extension.  It would come with a significant price tag as he’d undoubtedly be looking for $7MM or more on a long-term deal to sign now, even in this marketplace.  It’s hard to see both sides hitting a number they like and accordingly, a bridge contract may be the end result, something Waddell has previously suggested. Necas was eased in much slower than Svechnikov (he became a regular in his third professional season with the first two sliding) and the patience the Hurricanes showed was certainly wise as he was a capable middle-six forward in his first full campaign.  If he can emerge as a full-time option in their top six, he could be a candidate to bypass a bridge contract although what happens with other players on their current roster could force their hand.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Ryan Dzingel ($3.375MM, UFA)
F Warren Foegele ($2.15MM, RFA)
D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.4MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.125MM, UFA)
D Joakim Ryan ($700K, UFA)

Dzingel was brought in to be a capable secondary scorer and wound up signing what looked like a good value contract at the time.  What a difference a year can make.  He struggled to find his footing offensively and it got to the point where he started out the playoffs as a healthy scratch.  With minimal roster turnover, he may not have a better opportunity this coming season so he appears to be a candidate that will be taking a sizable cut in pay.  McGinn and Martinook are quality defensive forwards but consistent offense isn’t their calling card.  These types of role players have been hit hard this offseason and it wouldn’t be surprising to see both of them have to take a dip as well to stick around.  Foegele took a step forward in his production last season though his physical play took a step backwards.  If he can bring that element back and maintain his output, he becomes the type of power forward that demand always outweighs supply and players like that often do well in arbitration which he’ll be eligible for.

Hamilton is the other big offseason priority that Waddell has frequently spoken about and for good reason.  For years, he has shown flashes of dominance but the consistency wasn’t always there.  Last season, it was and he appeared to be on his way towards a Norris-caliber season before a broken fibula ended his season prematurely and to make matters worse, a summer training injury stopped him from being ready for the start of the playoffs although he did eventually make it back.  When he’s on, he has played like a number one defender and he’ll want to be paid like one to sign now.  Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8MM price tag is the new benchmark in this market and while Hamilton won’t be able to get quite that much, something around $1MM lower is achievable.  Ryan logged more than 19 minutes a game in limited action with Los Angeles a year ago but is likely to be the seventh defender, a position that Carolina will likely look to keep as cheap as possible with some big-ticket contracts on the horizon.

The Hurricanes have faced plenty of questions with their choice to go with the tandem of Mrazek and Reimer instead of a more proven option but they received a decent performance from the pair a year ago and with the quality of their back end, not bringing in a high-priced starter makes some sense.  Neither netminder has made a strong case for a big raise on their next contracts, nor are they facing a big hit in pay either.  As a result, with Carolina’s financial structure, it seems quite possible that the two could be brought back a year from now at a similar price if they can’t land a more proven starter.

Two Years Remaining

D Haydn Fleury ($1.3MM, RFA)
F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)
F Vincent Trocheck ($4.75MM, UFA)

Niederreiter was a great fit in his part season with Carolina after being acquired from Minnesota in 2019 but his first full year didn’t go as well.  He’s a middle-six winger on this team and that’s a bit of a high price tag for someone in that role.  However, as he showed after being traded, he is capable of reaching top-line production at times.  Trocheck’s acquisition from Florida was largely surprising in that the cost to get him was low.  He’s coming off of a couple of quieter years but if they want to continue to ease Necas in and have him on the wing Trocheck could slot in on the second line to start the season and would represent good value in that spot.

Fleury hasn’t quite lived up to his draft billing yet (seventh overall in 2014) but he spent all of last season with the Hurricanes, albeit in a limited role.  However, when the playoffs came, he was a regular in the lineup.  That helped earn him another short-term contract and if he can work his way into a full-time spot in the lineup, he’ll be in good shape for a small raise two years from now.  Having said that, his earnings upside will be limited since he’s going to have a hard time moving any higher than third on the depth chart on the left side of their back end.

Three Years Remaining

F Jesper Fast ($2MM, UFA)
D Jake Gardiner ($4.05MM, UFA)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM, UFA)

Staal’s offensive production has dipped sharply the last couple of seasons to the point where he is best utilized as a checker in the bottom six.  That puts his price tag on the high side and he’ll be hard-pressed to come close to that rate when he hits the open market at 35.  Fast was one of the better bargains from this free agent class.  He’s a good fit on the third line but can move up when needed and getting that for the price that they’re paying fourth liners was some nice work by Waddell.

Gardiner’s deal looked like a possible steal when he signed it last year but no one is calling it that now.  He struggled considerably in the early going with the Hurricanes last season and didn’t put up his usual level of production to help offset some of his defensive struggles.  The end result was him being on the third pairing and more or less right on the fringe of being a healthy scratch.  This is a contract they’d undoubtedly like to move (which would open up a spot for promising youngster Jake Bean) but they’ll have quite a difficult time doing so.

Read more

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vegas Golden Knights

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert 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 2020-21 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.

Vegas Golden Knights

Current Cap Hit: $82,474,104 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Cody Glass (two years, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Glass: $850K

Vegas was able to ease Glass into his injury-shortened rookie year and allowed him to get his feet wet without much pressure which is typically a strong development strategy.  They won’t have that luxury moving forward, however, with Paul Stastny being moved back to Winnipeg, opening up a spot for a top-six center.  They’re hoping Glass can fill that spot and if he does, he’ll be in line for a big raise on his next deal.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Carl Dahlstrom ($850K, RFA)
D Alec Martinez ($4MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($1.25MM, UFA)

Nosek has been a dependable fourth liner in his three years with the team which earned him a small raise on this contract.  It’s hard to envision him getting much more, however, given how tight they are to the cap; they can’t afford to pay any sort of premium for someone on the fourth line.

Martinez immediately stepped into a prominent role after being acquired from the Kings near the trade deadline as he fit in quite well with his new team.  He’s likely to remain in their top four this coming season and he should be one of the more sought-after blueliners on the open market next offseason if he gets there.  Dahlstrom was acquired as part of the Stastny trade and will be in a depth role.  That’s about all Vegas can afford for that role so if his price tag goes up, chances are he’ll be replaced by someone willing to play for that amount next offseason.

Two Years Remaining

G Marc-Andre Fleury ($7MM, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($1.7MM, UFA)
D Brayden McNabb ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Reilly Smith ($5MM, UFA)

Smith has been a consistent producer in his three years with Vegas after being a bit more inconsistent during his time with Boston and Florida.  He has established himself as a capable top-six winger but he’ll be 31 when he signs his next contract and the market wasn’t too kind to wingers this offseason.  Things can change between now and then obviously but while he may be able to land a similar-priced deal in 2022, it’s hard to see a big raise on the horizon.  Reaves took a pay cut to stay with the Golden Knights although he’s still one of the more expensive pure fourth liners to recently sign.  At some point, they’ll need a cheaper option out of that spot, whether it’s him or someone else.

McNabb is never going to put up a lot of points but there is still a role for a stay-at-home, physical defender.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that the importance of players who play that style seems to be diminishing with each year.  As a result, even though he’s a good fit on the second pairing most nights, his market two years from now may not be as strong as it should be.  Holden has been a serviceable player on the third pairing but that’s another spot that Vegas will be looking to save money on which means they may turn to another player at that time.

Fleury’s contract made some sense at the time he was signed as he was their undisputed starter with no other option on the horizon.  Things have changed since then and he now sits as the presumptive backup and $7MM for a second option isn’t ideal no matter how good that player is.  It’s believed that the team tried to move him but found no takers at a price point they were comfortable with.  A buyout a year from now could be an option if they can’t find a new home by retaining a sizable portion of the contract.  In the meantime, Vegas will have one of the stronger tandems in the league next season while also being one of the most expensive ones.

Three Years Remaining

F Max Pacioretty ($7MM, UFA)

Very quietly, Pacioretty has potted 30 or more goals and 60 or more points in five of the last seven seasons which is legitimate front line production.  Whether or not he can maintain that in his early to mid-30s remains to be seen but while his contract isn’t a bargain, it’s fair value from when he signed the deal shortly after being acquired in 2018.

Four Years Remaining

F William Carrier ($1.4MM, UFA)
F Jonathan Marchessault ($5MM, UFA)
F Chandler Stephenson ($2.75MM, UFA)

Marchessault is still one of the better stories out there.  After starting on an AHL contract and playing a middling role in his mid-20s, he has now emerged as a capable top liner while being paid like a second liner which is good value for Vegas.  Stephenson fit in quite well after being acquired in a midseason cap dump from Washington and was rewarded with the four-year deal this offseason.  That could prove to be expensive if he goes back to producing more like a fourth liner but at the same time, if he produces at a similar rate from his part year in Vegas, it’ll be quite the bargain.  Carrier took a nice step forward offensively last season while playing his usual physical style.  Another small step forward in terms of production would give him a good chance to meet if not outperform this contract.

Read more

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Colorado Avalanche

at CDT | by 3 Comments

We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Avalanche most thankful for?

The trade market.

Colorado has its fair share of homegrown talent on the roster, but it’s hard to overlook the work that GM Joe Sakic has done the last few years to upgrade the organization through trade. It really started on that fateful November day in 2017 when he finally sent one of the most celebrated players in Avalanche history, Matt Duchene, to the Ottawa Senators. In return, Sakic acquired (among other things) Samuel Girard, who is now a leader of the team’s defensive group, Shane Bowers, who looks ready to compete for an NHL roster spot, and a pick that turned into Bowen Byram who is currently starring at Team Canada’s World Junior camp.

That laid the foundation of what was to come, but Sakic has also landed Ryan Graves, Philipp Grubauer, Andre Burakovsky, Nazem Kadri, and now two others, Brandon Saad and Devon Toews. It’s hard to know how Saad and Toews will work out, but if it’s like any of his other deals, don’t bet on a bust.

Who are the Avalanche most thankful for?

Nathan MacKinnon.

Yes, it’s easy to point to one of the best players in the world and say he’s the reason for the team’s success, but MacKinnon is the reason everything works in Colorado. You can’t go out and acquire a $5MM Saad, or extend Burkakovsky at $4.9MM if MacKinnon is making what he’s worth. That $6.3MM per-year contract gets a lot of press for being undervalued, but maybe not enough is written about how it allows the Avalanche to build the rest of the roster.

MacKinnon will get a huge raise after the 2022-23 season and he deserves it. But for the next three years, the Avalanche can overpay elsewhere to give this roster the best chance of winning.

What would the Avalanche be even more thankful for?

Healthy playoff goaltending.

You only get so many kicks at the can with a core this talented and the team watched one slip through their fingers this summer when Michael Hutchinson was forced into the net. It’s not even that Hutchinson was bad, he posted a .910 save percentage in four appearances, but when it came down to it he couldn’t outduel Anton Khudobin in game seven of the second round.

Grubauer and Pavel Francouz should be a good enough tandem to get the team deep into the postseason, but if an opportunity presents itself for an upgrade, or they fail again this season, you can bet Sakic won’t hesitate to make a change. Colorado has an excellent prospect in Justus Annunen, but he doesn’t appear to be anywhere near ready to lead the team to a Stanley Cup. That chance to overpay elsewhere while MacKinnon is still cheap? Here’s a spot that might benefit.

What should be on the Avalanche holiday wish list?

A new contract for the captain.

As much as MacKinnon’s play drives the team on the ice, Landeskog is still the leader for the Avalanche. It seems like so long ago that the Swedish forward became the youngest captain in NHL history (a record that has since been broken by Connor McDavid), earning the “C” at the tender age of 19. Since then he has been a consistent presence for the team through ups and (way, way) downs, eventually reaching a new career mark with 75 points in 2018-19 (just 73 games).

He’ll need a raise on the $5.57MM cap hit that expires after this season, but it’s hard to imagine Landeskog playing anywhere else. Perhaps by handing him a deal a few years longer than most feel comfortable with the Avalanche will be able to keep the cap hit down, but at some point before the start of free agency an extension should be expected.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Chicago Blackhawks

at CDT | by 3 Comments

We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

The World Junior Championship.

Kirby Dach isn’t a junior player anymore. In fact, he’s barely a prospect at this point, after playing in 64 regular season games and then being one of the Blackhawks’ best players in the postseason. He’ll almost certainly be part of the team’s NHL roster whenever the upcoming season starts. Despite all that, Dach is about to play against the best junior-aged players in the world. The 19-year-old was loaned to Team Canada’s month-long selection camp and is expected to play in the upcoming tournament unless it somehow gets in the way of the NHL season (which appears very unlikely at this point).

Dach didn’t get to play at the WJC last year, he was too busy suiting up for the Blackhawks. It’s not often that a player gets to go back to the tournament after missing it for professional action, but that’s exactly what the Blackhawks chose for Dach while he and the rest of the NHL players wait around for a season that is still uncertain. There’s a very real chance that the young forward is the best player in the tournament, given his experience and success at the highest level. But even if he isn’t, Dach will certainly be able to shake off any offseason rust and should be ready to fire as soon as NHL games start.

Who are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

Dominik Kubalik.

Players like Dach and Adam Boqvist may be the next generation of stars for the Blackhawks, but both cost high picks to bring in (third overall for Dach, eighth for Boqvist). Kubalik on the other hand was just a forgotten seventh-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings that Chicago managed to acquire for a fifth in 2019. He wasn’t even signed at that point and it certainly wasn’t clear that he would be a difference-maker at the NHL level.

But a difference-maker he is. Kubalik burst onto the scene with 30 goals in his rookie season, earning himself a third-place finish in the Calder Trophy voting behind Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. He was another one of the success stories in the postseason for the Blackhawks with eight points in nine games and earned himself a new two-year contract this fall. If the Blackhawks have any chance of competing in the next few years, it will be because of savvy additions like Kubalik, who cost almost nothing and has now become one of the team’s most important players.

What would the Blackhawks be even more thankful for?

Breakout goaltending.

No one believed the Blackhawks would go with a tandem of Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban in net, but that is what it appears will happen whenever this season begins. Both players have shown flashes of potential, with Subban even a first-round pick in 2012, but neither has had any sort of sustained success at the NHL level. If the playoffs are a realistic target and there isn’t any help coming, the Blackhawks desperately need one of the two to take control of the net and become the kind of mid-career breakout goaltender that Jordan Binnington was for the St. Louis Blues was in 2018-19.

What should be on the Blackhawks’ holiday wish list?

More young defense.

The Blackhawks have a bunch of talented defense prospects, between Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, Alec Regula, Nicolas Beaudin, and others. But there’s no guarantee that any of them realize their potential at the NHL level and with the legendary duo of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook clearly on their way out, new leaders will have to step up.

In 2019, Chicago traded away Henri Jokiharju in exchange for Alexander Nylander, moving some of their prospect capital from defense to forward. If any of those young defenders bust, that move could be regretted for years. It’s not necessarily more lottery tickets that they should add, but young players that are a little more established to fill out the depth chart.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes

at CDT | by 2 Comments

We’ve now gotten past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Hurricanes most thankful for?

Stable(ish) ownership.

Yes, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon does have something of an “out-clause” in his ownership agreement, but as Sara Civian explained in a mailbag for The Athletic last month, it’s not really something for fans to worry about. Dundon has been great for Carolina overall, even if his methods have sometimes garnered negative attention from national media. The team is sitting in a strong position on the ice and he has given the front office the ability to spend right to the cap, even in this financial climate. The Hurricanes got everyone signed and will be paying Sebastian Aho more than $10.5MM this season thanks to his huge, signing-bonus laden contract.

The test will really come next year, when the team will enter negotiations with budding superstar Andrei Svechnikov on his next deal. After a brutal 2020, ownership all over the league will be tightening purse strings to try and balance things out. Will the Hurricanes be able to lock him up to an expensive, long-term deal? So far they’ve shown no sign of slashing player payroll, with more than $80MM committed to this season.

Who are the Hurricanes most thankful for?

Jaccob Slavin.

At a time when those finances are so tight, one can only marvel at the contract that Slavin is under. He’ll enter just the third season of a seven-year deal signed in 2017 that carries a $5.3MM cap hit, already an incredible bargain for a top-pairing defender in his prime. But because there was a potential threat of a lockout this year, Slavin’s deal is actually structured to have its lowest salary in 2020-21. He’s owed just $3.9MM for this season, giving the team a little more flexibility in a depressed economic climate.

Of course, it’s easy to point to him and say “good and cheap,” but that may undercut just how valuable Slavin has been on the ice for Carolina. The 26-year-old scored 36 points in 68 games this season, all while continuing to be an incredible defensive player and logging more than 23 minutes a night for the Hurricanes. Those impressive numbers earned him a fifth-place finish in Norris Trophy voting, while the incredibly-low total of ten penalty minutes landed him fourth in the Lady Byng vote. Slavin is just entering the years in which defensemen are usually at their best, meaning he could have even more to give on the ice. Locked up for the next five years, he was recently listed as one of the most valuable assets in the league by Jonas Siegel of The Athletic.

What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?

A Dougie Hamilton extension.

Because Slavin is so effective at such a reasonable price and the Hurricanes have some money coming off the books after this season, a Hamilton extension is a realistic possibility. GM Don Waddell explained last month that he hoped to reach a deal before this season got underway, though it is not clear if that will actually happen. Even if it doesn’t happen immediately, a new deal for Hamilton would lock in what is one of the most impressive defensive corps in the league long-term. Slavin, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, and Brett Pesce are already signed for at least three seasons, while Haydn Fleury is on a cheap two-year bridge deal and Jake Bean won’t have arbitration rights. Of that group only Gardiner has reached his 30th birthday.

The question is whether or not Hamilton even wants an extension and whether he’d be looking for a long-term deal. The 27-year-old was on track to challenge for the Norris this season before he was injured (he still finished seventh in voting) with 14 goals and 40 points in his first 47 games. An analytical darling for years, Hamilton looked like he took another step offensively and was ready to show he is one of the most effective defensemen in the entire league. The threat of a shortened or even canceled season will be frustrating for both him and the Hurricanes, who are set to part ways without an extension of some sort. Hamilton carries a $5.75MM cap hit for this year, but that number is sure to increase on his next contract.

What should be on the Hurricanes’ holiday wish list?

A long-term answer in net.

James Reimer and Petr Mrazek are not it, simply. They’re both NHL goaltenders and shown an ability to put up very good numbers at times—they combined for a .931 in eight postseason games—but neither one has been consistent enough to hang a long-term extension on. With the strong roster the Hurricanes have put together, a legitimate top goaltender could potentially put them over the edge. They showed interest in Frederik Andersen earlier this summer and could potentially circle back if he hits the open market in the offseason, but what they really need is a younger option that can grow with the core and really put his stamp on the crease.

Cam Ward was that once, leading the team to a Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2006 and locking down the position for the next decade. But even Ward had his struggles and only played in one other postseason run. In a perfect scenario someone like Alex Nedeljkovic, the 2019 AHL Goaltender of the Year would be able to take a step forward and force himself onto the roster, but the Hurricanes may potentially have to look externally for their next netminder.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vancouver Canucks

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert 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 2020-21 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.

Vancouver Canucks

Current Cap Hit: $83,001,878 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Quinn Hughes (one year, $917K)
F Elias Pettersson (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Hughes: $850K
Pettersson: $2.85MM
Total: $3.7MM

So far in this series, there haven’t been many star players currently on entry-level deals.  That isn’t the case here.  Pettersson has quickly established himself as a legitimate front-line player and while he spent most of last season on the wing, shifting to the lesser-valuable position isn’t going to hurt his bargaining position one bit.  He has back-to-back 66-point seasons under his belt and is in position to command $7MM or more on his next deal, even in this cap climate.

Hughes doesn’t have quite as long of a track record as his lone full NHL season was 2019-20 but it was certainly a good one.  He finished second in Calder Trophy voting and immediately jumped into a regular top-four role.  There’s still room to grow and if that workload and production increase as expected, he’ll be leading Vancouver blueliners in AAV by this time a year from now.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Sven Baertschi ($3.367MM, UFA)
D Jordie Benn ($2MM, UFA)
G Thatcher Demko ($1.05MM, RFA)
D Alexander Edler ($6MM, UFA)
F Adam Gaudette ($950K, RFA)
F Tanner Pearson ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Brandon Sutter ($4.375MM, UFA)

Let’s get the bad contracts out of the way first.  Baertschi cleared waivers due to his contract last season and they weren’t able to find a taker for him in a trade this offseason.  Barring any surprises, he’s probably heading for a similar fate.  He can still be a factor in the NHL and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him sign elsewhere next year but it will be closer to the $1MM mark than his current one.  Sutter is another pricey deal for a role player.  He can still play on the fourth line and kill penalties but given their cap situation, they could free up $1.075MM by sending him to the AHL as well as there’s no chance he’d be claimed on waivers.

Pearson has rebounded nicely since joining the Canucks and quietly put up a career year offensively last season despite the pandemic shutting things down.  In a normal cap environment, a similar showing in 2020-21 would have him in line for a raise but now, even matching his current rate will be difficult.  A big drop isn’t likely either but he’s not going to get the contract he normally would in this situation.  Gaudette had a good sophomore season but without much leverage (no arbitration rights) and Vancouver’s cap situation, he was basically stuck taking a one-year deal and will hope for better fortunes next time around.

Edler has been a fixture on the back end for the Canucks for parts of 14 seasons and he’s still playing a prominent role.  Impact defenders haven’t been hit as hard when it comes to contracts this offseason as some forwards have which should help his cause.  However, Edler hasn’t really shown an inclination or desire to test the open market as he has made it clear that he wants to stay in Vancouver.  But with Pettersson and Hughes heading for significant raises a year from now, GM Jim Benning is going to need to reallocate a lot of money from their expiring deals to those two.  Will they still have enough to keep Edler around?  He’ll have to take a big cut for it to happen although it’s worth noting that he will be eligible for performance incentives on a one-year contract next offseason.  Benn played a limited role last season and he’s another one that could be shopped to try to clear some money still.  Failing that, he’ll play a similar role next year and will be looking at a price tag that’s about half of what he’s getting now next offseason.

Demko could very well be one of the more interesting RFA cases next offseason.  Not just in Vancouver but anywhere.  Since he was drafted back in 2014, he has been viewed as their goalie of the future and that hasn’t changed, especially since they opted not to hand Jacob Markstrom a long-term contract in October to help pave the way for Demko to ascend to that role.  He will almost certainly be their protected goalie in the Seattle expansion draft.  And yet he has just 37 career regular season games under his belt (plus a stellar four-game playoff stint from the summer).  He’d be lucky to double that number in a shortened season so he’ll still be relatively inexperienced when his deal is up.  Could he sign a second bridge deal that’s comparable to Tristan Jarry’s three-year, $10.5MM pact that he recently inked?  Sure, but that walks him to UFA eligibility at 28 which isn’t ideal.  Suffice it to say, there’s a lot riding on this limited season for Demko.

Two Years Remaining

F Jay Beagle ($3MM, UFA)
F Brock Boeser ($5.875MM, RFA)
F Loui Eriksson ($6MM, UFA)
G Braden Holtby ($4.3MM, UFA)
F Antoine Roussel ($3MM, UFA)

Again, let’s get the bad out of the way first.  Eriksson hasn’t come close to living up to his contract and he quite became another addition to the list of ill-fated 2016 UFA deals.  He’s another candidate to be buried in the minors if they need to try to free up some cap room.  The same can be said for Beagle who can still win faceoffs but is making way too much for someone that’s basically just a specialist on the draw at this stage of his career.

As for Boeser, he has been a capable top-six winger in his three full NHL seasons although staying healthy has been a challenge at times.  He’s definitely a part of the core although a $7.5MM qualifying offer is required to retain his RFA rights.  That seemed reasonable back at the time but the market being what it is now and the cap flattening out, making room for that deal will be a bit trickier.  Roussel could have easily gone in the previous paragraph but he can still play an effective energy role.  He’s overpaid in that spot and will be looking at a lot less money two years from now but at least he provides some value.

Holtby was signed to act as a bridge goaltender for Demko to eventually move into the number one slot.  He could be appealing in expansion to the Kraken depending on how next season goes but with Demko expected to get the starting role eventually, Holtby may be hard-pressed to find a number one opening two years from now which means his next price tag could be a bit lower.

Three Years Remaining

F Micheal Ferland ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Bo Horvat ($5.5MM, UFA)
F J.T. Miller ($5.25MM, UFA)

Horvat doesn’t put up the offensive numbers that a true number one center does but when you factor everything else in, he’s a capable number one center.  He plays a lot of heavy defensive minutes while being the captain.  Assuming he hovers around the 60-point mark (he played above that rate last season), he’ll be highly coveted on the open market and should garner a sizable raise.  Miller’s acquisition was questioned at the time but he had the best season of his career in 2019-20, tallying over a point per game while logging more than 20 minutes a game for the first time.  If he shows this wasn’t just some good luck, he too will be coveted by many teams in free agency which means a raise would be on the horizon for him as well.  Ferland’s future is uncertain due to lingering concussion trouble.  He’s hoping to return for next season but hasn’t been cleared yet.  If he doesn’t get the green light, he’ll be eligible for LTIR which will at least give the Canucks some short-term breathing room on the cap.

Read more

Free Agent Profile: Derick Brassard

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Three years ago, Derick Brassard scored 21 goals during the regular season, split between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then Brassard found himself struggling the following year. He couldn’t make his mark in his first full season in Pittsburgh and found himself traded to Florida where he struggled even more and then included into a trade deadline to deal to Colorado.

For a short while, it almost looked as if Brassard’s career as a productive middle-six player was at an end in the NHL … until he signed up with the New York Islanders. Brassard proved to be a solid fit in Barry Trotz’ system, posting 10 goals and 32 points in 66 games and another eight points during the playoffs, fitting in throughout the Islanders’ lineup. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, the 33-year-old provided much-needed depth on the team and could provide that almost anywhere.

Of course, Brassard was initially brought in to New York to replace departed center Valtteri Filppula, who left for Detroit. However, Brassard rarely even played the center position as he struggled with the defensive angle of that position and settled in as a fill-in-the-gap forward instead, something the team surely has considered when it comes to bringing him back.

Potential Suitors

The Islanders would make the most sense as the team still has moves it must make while it waits to get star restricted free agent Mathew Barzal signed. However, with limited cap space, will the Islanders opt to bring back Brassard? The Islanders could go a cheaper route as they have a number of young AHL players that could be ready to break onto the team, including Oliver Wahlstrom, Otto Koivula and Kieffer Bellows. However, it might be best to have a veteran on hand just in case that the three aren’t ready to step in on an everyday basis.

There have been reports that Brassard has received interest overseas, but the veteran has indicated he would rather stay in the NHL if he can garner a contract.

Another team that could come calling as the season approaches could be his former team, the New York Rangers. Brassard, who put up his best numbers of his career with the Rangers, might prove to be a useful piece to the short-term puzzle. The Rangers could use some bottom-six depth, especially at center and Brassard could fill that void for a year.

Projected Contract

Brassard didn’t sign until August last season, suggesting that he is willing to wait for a team that wants to look at what it has before grabbing him. That is likely to happen again as the forward will have to wait for the remaining free agents to sign before he gets signed. No matter what, Brassard is more likely to ink another short-term deal, one or two years at most, likely for no more than $1MM. Asking for more with so many teams capped out seems unlikely.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins

at CDT | by 5 Comments

It’s Thanksgiving this week in the United States and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Bruins most thankful for?

Their proven veteran core.

Up front, their top line is still among the best number one units in the entire league and accounted for just over 47% of their goals last season.  While that’s an indictment of their secondary scoring, it also shows how dominant the trio of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Patrice Bergeron has been.  It’s a line that just gets the job done nightly although they won’t all be available for the start of next season.  Once they’re all healthy though, watch for them to pick up right where they left off.

That veteran core also includes goaltenders Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak.  The pair have formed a very strong tandem the last two seasons and with a schedule that figures to feature more back-to-backs, few teams will be better equipped for that than the Bruins whose goaltending should once again be near the top of the league.

Who are the Bruins most thankful for?

Pastrnak would be an easy choice here as the young sniper on the rise to stardom but at this point, they may be most thankful for Marchand.  Over the years, he has emerged from being an agitator who could contribute in a secondary role to a legitimate star (who can still agitate from time to time).  Not all top liners take a regular turn killing penalties but he does which has led him to average more than 19 minutes per game in each of the last four years.  He has averaged over a point per game in that span as well.  For all of that, they’re paying a price tag that some 50-point players were getting in free agency not long ago at $6.25MM.  Better yet, he’s locked up at that rate through 2025.  Marchand has been a fixture in Boston for more than a decade and with that contract, he’ll continue to be one for several years to come.

What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?

A top-four left-shot defenseman.

Between the departures of Torey Krug (St. Louis) and Zdeno Chara (unsigned free agent), the Bruins have lost over 41 minutes per game from the left side of their back end and a lot of offense.  Management showed that they believe that Matt Grzelcyk is ready for a larger role when they handed him a four-year, $14.75MM deal last month.  But he hasn’t played in that role before and neither has anyone else in the organization – John Moore is more of a depth option while their prospects are still largely untested at the NHL level.  Boston is in good shape on the right side led by Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo but they’d feel a whole lot better with a proven option on the left to go with them.

What should be on the Bruins’ Holiday Wish List?

Beyond that top-four left-shot defender, the Bruins could also stand to try to upgrade their secondary scoring some more.  Craig Smith was a nice addition but knowing that Pastrnak will miss time (and potentially Marchand), they’re going to take a step back offensively in the early going.  They’re one of the few teams that’s willing to spend and still has a bit more than nominal cap room remaining.  Can they afford a top-six forward?  Not as things stand but if they strike out on adding a defender, a middle-six winger that’s looking to try their luck on the open market again next season would certainly help their chances and really give them three lines capable of producing when everyone is healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert 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 2020-21 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: $67,879,285 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Michael Anderson (two years, $925K)
F Quinton Byfield (three years, $925K)
F Blake Lizotte (one year, $925K)
F Gabriel Vilardi (two years, $894K)

Potential Bonuses:

Anderson: $850K
Byfield: $2.65MM
Lizotte: $850K
Vilardi: $850K
Total: $5.2MM

It has been a tough couple of years for Vilardi who has had lingering back issues to contend with.  Fortunately, he was able to make it up to the Kings in the weeks before the pandemic shut things down and he did pretty well in a limited role.  He’ll have a shot at a regular spot down the middle next season although he’ll be battling Byfield, the second-overall pick last month, for playing time.  He still has junior eligibility but with the OHL season not starting until February, it’s likely that he’ll break camp with the Kings.  Lizotte was a regular in the bottom six a year ago and assuming he can build off that performance, he should be able to garner at least a small raise next offseason.

As for Anderson, he’s like Vilardi in that he was able to get a brief look with Los Angeles before the pandemic hit and it was probably enough to earn him a spot as GM Rob Blake didn’t change up too much on his back end.  A full season should have him in line for a modest raise but given that his cumulative experience will be less than a regular 82-game campaign, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try to get him to take a bit less than his qualifying offer while giving him a one-way pact.  Tobias Bjornfot (three years, $894K) broke camp with the Kings a year ago and could potentially do so again but it’s hard to imagine them burning the first year of his entry-level deal at this time.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Michael Amadio ($700K, RFA)
F Alex Iafallo ($2.425MM, UFA)
F Trevor Moore ($775K, RFA)
D Matt Roy ($700K, RFA)

Iafallo has very quietly become one of the better undrafted college free agent signings in recent years.  He has worked his way up to a top-six spot and very quietly finished second on the team in scoring last season.  This current UFA market hasn’t been the kindest to wingers but a similar showing from him next season should help generate plenty of interest which should secure him a nice raise with some security.  Moore was brought in from Toronto near the trade deadline and was relatively productive in limited action.  The first step is simply locking down a regular spot which is something that hasn’t happened yet and if he can do that, he’ll be well-positioned for at least a small raise although his arbitration eligibility may hurt him more than help him.  Amadio locked down a regular role last season and should be poised to build on that in 2020-21 which should comfortably move him out of league minimum territory.

Roy gave the Kings 18 minutes a night while being their best blueliner from a possession perspective.  A repeat performance could give him a strong enough platform to at least triple his current salary.  Any time a team can get a capable blueliner for the minimum, they’re thrilled.

Two Years Remaining

F Dustin Brown ($5.875MM, UFA)
F Jeff Carter ($5.273MM, UFA)
F Martin Frk ($725K, UFA)
F Adrian Kempe ($2MM, RFA)
D Olli Maatta ($3.333MM, UFA)*
D Kurtis MacDermid ($875K, UFA)
G Calvin Petersen ($858K, UFA)

*- Chicago is retaining an addition $750K of Maatta’s cap hit and salary

There are times where Brown has lived up to his price tag and others where it hasn’t been close.  He currently falls between the two as someone that’s paid to be a top-six winger and produces like a third-liner.  He’ll nearly be 38 when his next contract starts and he’ll be hard-pressed to come close to that AAV.  Carter is another player that’s on the downswing and it could very well be his last deal.  If not, he’ll be going year to year, potentially with some performance incentives.  Kempe is defensively strong while his offensive production has been consistently inconsistent.  This bridge deal makes a lot of sense for both sides and it will be his ability (or lack thereof) to improve at the offensive end that determines whether he’s a core piece of the future that can command a long-term deal or someone that has to take a lot of short-term pacts.  Frk was a strong scorer with AHL Ontario last season and did well enough to earn a two-year, one-way deal for his troubles although he could also be a candidate to be waived if other prospects show that they’re ready.

Maatta was brought in as a salary dump from the Blackhawks but he could very well be in line for a large role next season.  Still just 26, his contract could certainly be looked at more favorably if he can handle the increased ice time.  On the other hand, further struggles could lead to a 50% pay cut or more two years from now.  MacDermid is probably best suited to be a seventh option at this point and players in that situation are typically either retained at that price point or replaced by someone else at a similar rate.

Petersen has more than held his own in his first two partial seasons with the Kings although it is just a 19-game sample size.  As things stand, he is potentially their starter of the future and that could have him well-positioned for a significant jump into the multi-million range if all goes well.

Three Years Remaining

F Austin Wagner ($1.133MM, RFA)
G Jonathan Quick ($5.9MM, UFA)

Wagner has a slightly higher price tag than a lot of fourth liners have had to take this offseason but there is still some upside (he’s only 23) and it’s not as if Los Angeles is short on cap space.  It’s a deal that looks a little expensive now but if he progresses a bit at the offensive end, it could be a bargain by the end.

Quick has been a fixture between the pipes in Los Angeles for more than a decade.  However, his performance tapered off considerably two years ago and only improved a little bit last season.  Part of that is the team in front of him – the Kings are no longer contenders as they were before – but at 34, age is starting to creep up to him.  He remains the starter and that price tag isn’t overly high for someone in that range as it’s only a bit above the median among starters but they haven’t received much bang for that buck lately.  As Petersen contends for more playing time, that’s not likely to change although Los Angeles will be better for it in the long run if he can ascend to that number one role and push Quick into playing less.

Read more

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top