Pacific Notes: Gagner, Russell, Rieder, Sharks
Canucks center Sam Gagner is known to be available after he was sent back to the AHL earlier this month. In an appearance on TSN 1040 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger suggested that Ottawa could make sense as a fit for the 29-year-old given their rash of injuries up front. He also added that it would take them retaining on his $3.15MM per year (through 2019-20) to get something done. Gagner hasn’t fared too poorly in his NHL action this season but clearly, Vancouver is prioritizing defensive play with their forwards at the bottom of the lineup which has left him on the outside looking in. If the Sens don’t have much interest, it’s likely that Vancouver will have to wait until some other teams get hit with injuries and look to make an opportunistic deal.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- The Oilers announced that they have placed defenseman Kris Russell on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. With fellow blueliner Oscar Klefbom being placed on IR yesterday, Edmonton’s defensive depth is starting to run thin. On the flip side, they are getting a regular back in Tobias Rieder, who was activated to take Russell’s spot on the roster. The winger missed the last dozen games with an upper-body issue and is slated to suit up on their fourth line tonight against Winnipeg.
- The recent emergence of defenseman Radim Simek could make it easier for the Sharks to move one of Tim Heed or Joakim Ryan, suggests Paul Gackle of The Mercury News. The 26-year-old rookie has played in the last five games and has fared well, picking up a pair of points while averaging 15:34 per night and in the process, he has given San Jose another third pairing option for their back end. The team is currently carrying eight blueliners and could perhaps flip some of that extra depth for some desired help down the middle. Both Heed (27) and Ryan (25) are on expiring contracts at the league minimum $650K with Ryan still being eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
San Jose Sharks Sign Radim Simek, Filip Sandberg
The San Jose Sharks have officially announced the signing of Radim Simek, a deal that had been reported in great detail over the past week. They also, however, announced the signing of Filip Sandberg, a Swedish forward whose market had yet to be revealed. Simek will be under a one-year entry-level contract, while Sandberg will sign a two-year entry-level deal.
While the Simek deal had been previously reported, the team offers some insight onto why they felt he was a good fit for the team going forward. GM Doug Wilson had this to say about the Czech defender:
Radim is a quick transition defenseman who drives the play offensively and plays with a physical edge. We like his offensive instincts especially on special teams and think his game will translate well in North America.
It’s true, Simek has proven he can contribute offensively but it will be his physical play that will allow him to stand out in the North American ranks. Though he stands under six feet, he can handle himself against professional players as he showed at the most recent World Championships for the Czech Republic. The 24-year old has a chance to compete for a spot in the NHL as soon as next season, though it will be tough to crack the Sharks group.
Sandberg on the other hand is a shifty forward capable of putting up points in bunches as he did for HV71 en route to an SHL Championship. In 16 playoff games, the 5’9″ forward scored 14 points, leading his club and ranking third in the entire postseason. At just 22, he still has room to grow and adapt to the North American game but he will have to prove he can compete physically before the Sharks hand him a roster spot. Both players will still need a lot of hard work to make an impact at the highest level, but have easily done enough in their hockey careers to warrant a closer look.
Snapshots: Smith, Samuelsson, Simek
Brendan Smith will be an interesting free agent case to follow this summer after his successful transition from the Detroit Red Wings to New York Rangers at the deadline. The defenseman can play both sides, is only 28 and can contribute a little offensively when put into that situation. While he won’t find himself at the top of an list of available free agents, his representation does feel as though there will be lots of interest in him this summer.
Smith’s agent Anton Thun spoke to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, saying that though the Rangers are certainly in the running for his client, they won’t take a deal that doesn’t represent fair market value. While Thun may be a little hyperbolic when he mentions that 28 teams could use Smith, there does seem to be a spot for him in many lineups around the league. His ability to play in most situations while sporting a bit of physicality will be welcomed wherever it is he ends up.
- Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Blackhawks have their sights set on Ulf Samuelsson as their new assistant coach, replacing the fired Mike Kitchen. Samuelsson spent this season coaching the Charlotte Checkers to 39-29-8 record, though they were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs. Samuelsson, a veteran of 1080 NHL games has previously worked in a coaching role with the Arizona (then Phoenix) Coyotes and New York Rangers. Samuelsson was known as a bad-tempered defender in his day, recording 2453 penalty minutes while registering just 333 points.
- As one could expect from the report yesterday, the New York Rangers did indeed make an offer to Radim Simek before he decided to go with the San Jose Sharks. There isn’t a ton of difference between possible entry-level contracts relative to the entire salary structure of a team, but perhaps the Rangers weren’t willing to guarantee the same financial commitment the Sharks were. The eventual deal earns Simek $830K in the NHL, and could still include signing and performance bonuses. The Rangers already signed Alexei Bereglazov and Neal Pionk this spring, adding some youth to their defense corps from the NCAA and European free agent ranks.
Pacific Notes: McDavid, Simek, Rakell, Eaves
Extension talks have yet to begin between the Oilers and Connor McDavid’s camp but there are already plenty of theories as to what it may take to sign him. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests (video link) that one potential avenue that McDavid may consider is to not sign the maximum eight year deal but rather something around five seasons, similar to what other top players such as Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, and Patrick Kane (among others) have done in the past.
Doing so would then allow McDavid to be eligible for unrestricted free agency sooner and would allow him to potentially cash in on a max-term, bigger money deal at that time. From the standpoint of the Oilers, this route would allow them to save a bit on his AAV as he still has four years of team control remaining once his contract expires in 2018. With Leon Draisaitl needing a new contract as well, that extra money could come in handy. In the same video, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos notes that the expectation is that the AAV for both young stars will be pretty close on their second deals, potentially within $500K.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- The Sharks have agreed to terms with Czech defenseman Radim Simek, according to an iSport report in the Czech Republic (link in Czech). Simek’s European agent, Petr Hemsky, confirmed to them that Simek has signed a one year deal worth $830K if he’s with San Jose for the entire season. There is likely a signing bonus not included in that amount as Simek will receive an entry-level contract. The article states that the Rangers were also interested while it was reported last week that Vancouver was also interested in Simek’s services.
- The Ducks won’t be getting any help from the infirmary when it comes to their elimination game against the Predators on Monday night. The team announced (Twitter link) that both Patrick Eaves and Rickard Rakell did not travel with the team to Nashville and will not play in Game Six. Both players are currently dealing with lower body injuries and were the only 30 goal scorers on Anaheim’s roster this season.