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Radim Vrbata

Radim Vrbata Announces Retirement

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With the 2018-19 season on the horizon, another veteran forward without a contract has announced he’s hanging up his skates. Radim Vrbata has officially retired today, pushing out a statement through his agent Rich Evans.

Unlike fellow veteran Scott Hartnell, who also announced his retirement today, Vrbata was never expected to do much in the NHL. Where Hartnell was all the rage coming out of junior, and ended up selected sixth overall, Vrbata was undersized and seen as a perimeter player that may not translate fine offensive success to the next level. Vrbata fell all the way to 212th overall in the 1999 draft, where Colorado picked him in the seventh round. That draft status wouldn’t hold him down though, as he finishes his career with the fourth-most games played and points from that draft class—just behind another seventh-round pick named Henrik Zetterberg.

It didn’t take long for the Avalanche to realize they’d found something unexpected at the end of the draft, as Vrbata would put up 120 points in just 55 games during his final season in the QMJHL in 2000-01 before making the jump to the NHL on a full-time basis during the 2001-02 campaign. He scored 18 goals and 30 points in 52 contests for Colorado that year, and would continue to be an offensive threat throughout the rest of his career. With a high of 63 points for the Vancouver Canucks in 2014-15, Vrbata finishes his career with 623 in 1,057 games and 12th all-time among Czech-born players.

Snapshots: Vrbata, Snow, Calgary

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Radim Vrbata had already announced that he would be retiring from the NHL after this season, and in an excellent piece by Craig Morgan of AZ Sports he goes into just why he made the decision. Vrbata plans on coaching his son’s hockey team in the Czech Republic, before deciding where his hockey career—whatever that entails—will take him next.

Vrbata will end his career having played 1,057 games in the NHL, scoring 623 points in the process. Though he never won a Stanley Cup, he did get to the Conference Finals with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2011-12, the same year he scored a career-high 35 goals. The seventh-round pick from 1999 proved to be an excellent offensive producer throughout his career, cracking 50 points on four occasions and scoring 30+ goals twice.

  • Garth Snow and the rest of the New York Islanders front office were apparently caught off guard by the hiring of Lou Lamoriello recently, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports. Snow and Islanders’ head coach Doug Weight were at the IIHF World Championship scouting in Denmark when the team hired Lamoriello to run their hockey operations, and were “kept out of the loop.” While Brooks doesn’t expand on what that means, it does add a little awkwardness as Snow is currently still listed as GM and Alternate Governor of the team, though many reports have Lamoriello with full control of the team.
  • Just as Ottawa falls into disarray again with the recent comments of Daniel Alfredsson over the desire for a new owner, Calgary gets some good news on their future. The Flames have been embroiled in a battle with the city over a prospective new arena, with both sides walking away from the table late last year. Now, city council has voted to open talks again with the team to try and get some progress towards a new home for the Flames. Several times team President Ken King has hinted that staying at their current home for much longer isn’t financially feasible, with some taking that to mean that possible relocation would happen down the road without a new arena. While this is extremely preliminary, it is at least a step in the right direction.

Florida Panthers’ Radim Vrbata To Retire After Season

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The Florida Panthers honored veteran Radim Vrbata during tonight’s game and announced that tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres will be his final appearance in an NHL uniform. He is not expected to play tomorrow and will retire at the end of the season, confirms Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington.

The 36-year-old winger has only appeared in 41 games this season and hasn’t played since March 8. He has just five goals and 19 points this season, a far cry from a season ago, when he scored 20 goals and tallied 55 points with the Arizona Coyotes.

In his 17-year career, Vrbata has played for multiple teams, including the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and the Panthers. He has played in 1,056 games, putting up 284 goals and 339 assists for 623 points and had two 30-goal seasons.

Radim Vrbata Submits Trade List To Panthers

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The Florida Panthers are in a strange spot with the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching. Few have considered the team to be a playoff contender at any point this season, but quietly Florida has climbed into tenth in the Eastern Conference in points percentage and only trail the Carolina Hurricanes by seven points with four games in hand. However, their playoff odds may not have much of to do with their deadline strategy anyway. The Panthers have just one impending unrestricted free agent on the NHL roster and, based off his performance thus far in 2017-18, his presence won’t make much of a difference down the stretch or in the postseason.

That player is Radim Vrbata who, despite having over 600 points in more than 1000 NHL games, has been a complete failure in Florida this season after signing with the Cats this past summer. We recently took a closer look at Vrbata and came to the easy conclusion that if any suitors made an offer for Vrbata, the Panthers would be likely to accept, regardless of their current playoff predicament. A potential deal came another step closer today, with Vrbata submitting a list of ten teams that he would accept a trade to in the next week and a half. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to report that Vrbata had made his decision, after the Panthers requested the list back in January.

LeBrun also notes though that Vrbata’s poor production and lack of play time this season – 13 points in 36 games – may limit the number of teams interested in his services. Vrbata has often run into trouble finding good chemistry fits with certain teams over his career, leading many to believe that he can only perform in Arizona. The Coyotes are certainly not looking to buy at the deadline, though that’s not to say that Vrbata didn’t put them on his list. However, as for the other nine or ten possible destinations, it’s always possible that a team can take a chance, especially when it comes to a well-respected veteran with a low price tag.

“Zero” Chance Of Trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson

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With the Arizona Coyotes looking up from the bottom of the standings once again, trade speculation surrounding their best player has heated up in recent months. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a free agent in the summer of 2019, and could fetch a massive return if the Coyotes decided to move him. That won’t be happening any time soon though, as GM John Chayka told Craig Custance of The Athletic. When asked about the chance Ekman-Larsson is traded, he made it clear:

Nope. None. Zero. For us, it’s pretty simple. Oliver has invested a lot into this team, continues to want to make it work. He’s one of the top defensemen in the league and, I guess, is expecting to be paid that way and that’s fine with me.

Ekman-LarssonChayka goes in-depth on his reasoning and strategy behind keeping Ekman-Larsson on the team, and Custance susses out some of his interesting theories on rebuilding. At the end, it seems clear that Chayka wouldn’t consider a move for his star defenseman.

While Chayka is usually seen as an analytics whiz-kid, who is trying to go down a new path in hockey management, we’ve seen some old-school ideals from him in the past. Radim Vrbata was an attractive trade chip at last year’s deadline, but Chayka set a high asking price and ended up keeping the veteran forward for the rest of the season. Vrbata signed elsewhere in the summer, but Chayka wasn’t willing to give away a player just to maximize assets.

It seems as though a similar thing is going on with Ekman-Larsson. In a vacuum, trading the defenseman now for help down the line seems like the most value you can pull from the situation. But Ekman-Larsson’s history with the team, value to the marketing department, and loyalty throughout his career so far all play a part. The fact that he’s an outstanding player and could still re-sign with the team makes this an easy decision for Chayka. He stays put—for now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Atlantic Injury Updates: Daley, Panthers, Bruins, Weber

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Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley is set to undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of an apparent neck injury sustained on Friday night against the Rangers, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  His first season in a Detroit uniform has not gone to plan and this certainly won’t help things.  Through 23 games this season, Daley has managed to record just a single assist despite logging more ice time than he has in the previous two years.  That’s hardly the type of output GM Ken Holland was expecting when he signed the 34-year-old to a three-year, $9.5MM deal back in the summer.

Other injury notes from around the Atlantic Division:

  • While the Panthers are expected to get center Derek MacKenzie back in their lineup tonight after missing the last five games with a lower-body injury, they’ll have to wait a little while longer before winger Radim Vrbata makes his return, notes Matthew DeFranks of the Sun-Sentinel. The veteran took a puck to the face last Saturday and is hoping to play sometime next week.  Vrbata sits tied for fifth in team scoring with three goals and eight assists through 19 games.
  • Brad Marchand’s return to Boston’s lineup won’t happen this weekend. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have ruled him out of the lineup for Sunday’s game against Edmonton.  They’re now targeting Wednesday against Tampa Bay for his first game back.  The Bruins also revealed in a separate tweet that forward David Backes took some contact in practice for the first time since undergoing surgery to remove part of his colon at the beginning of the month.  The original recovery time was expected to be eight weeks so it appears he’s ahead of schedule.
  • Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will miss his third straight game on Saturday as a result of his lower-body injury, the team announced via Twitter. He did, however, take part in the morning skate so his return likely isn’t too far away.  Weber leads Montreal’s defenders in points (13) and average ice time (26:07) so far this season.

Jordan Martinook Re-Signs With Arizona

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The Arizona Coyotes and two-way forward Jordan Martinook have avoided arbitration, coming to terms on a new deal today. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Martinook has signed a two-year, $3.6MM deal to remain in the desert. The two sides have reportedly been close on contract terms for a while, but there was also speculation that Martinook would wait for his arbitration hearing this Wednesday, July 26th, before making a decision. Instead, the big forward has signed on for two more years with the promising young Coyotes, where he could soon take on a larger role for the team.

Martinook, in just his second full NHL season, has already shown that he is a model of consistency and effort. Capable of playing both center and left wing, Martinook is the perfect versatile bottom-six forward. He plays a smart two-way game, including leading the Coyotes’ penalty kill unit, and brings a physical edge and swift defensive style. He can also put up some offense, with 24 and 25 points respectively in his first two full seasons, including 11 goals in 2016-17.

The 24-year-old Martinook is just beginning to show his NHL upside, and should take on a much larger role for Arizona going forward. Amazingly, with Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata now gone, Martinook is second only to Tobias Rieder in games played with Arizona among forwards on the team with just 166 contests. The absence of those veterans will naturally allow for more ice time and scoring opportunity for Martinook, but as full-effort player and one of the longest-tenured forwards on a young term, Martinook could also be in line for a leadership position in the locker room. At just $1.8MM per year for a well-rounded player about to take the next step in his development, GM John Chayka and the Coyotes may have a bargain on their hands with Martinook’s new contract.

Florida Panthers To Give Tippett Every Chance To Make Team

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Since taking back control of the Florida Panthers franchise in April, general manager Dale Tallon has been busy reshaping his roster this offseason after the team failed to make the playoffs this past year. He unloaded young wing Reilly Smith and his large contract to Vegas along with soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jon Marchessault to remove future cap problems that likely would have arisen. He handed out a one-year deal to free agent scorer Radim Vrbata to make up for some of that goal scoring and brought back former Panther Evgeni Dadonov from the KHL on a reasonable three-year deal. He also re-signed penalty killing defenseman Mark Pysyk to a three-year deal. However, his focus has been on building a team around its youthful core, including Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, all who are 24 years of age or under and already locked up long-term. However, the Panthers might be ready to add another name to that list.

The Panthers seem ready to give their 2017 first-rounder Owen Tippett every chance to join their young team immediately, according to NBC Sports Adam Gretz. After an impressive showing at their development camp, Tallon was quick to point out that Tippett will be given every opportunity to make the squad this year.

“He’s going to get every opportunity,” said Tallon (via the Panthers). “I don’t have any problem and [head coach Bob Boughner] and our coaching staff don’t have any issues playing young guys. We’re building a team that’s going to be around for a long time and we’ll give him every opportunity to play this year.”

Tippett, who is a pure scorer, would fill a major need as many of their top players are playmakers rather than goal producers. The 18-year-old is coming off a season in which he scored 44 goals for Mississaugua Steelheads in the OHL last year. He was ranked as the seventh-best North American skater by NHL.com.

Free Agent Profile: Thomas Vanek

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We are a week into free agency and a top ten member of the class is still available. Thomas Vanek, ranked eighth among PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents, still remains unsigned to the surprise of many. Vanek was a free agent last summer as well, after having the final season of a three-year $19.5MM contract with the Minnesota Wild bought out. While there were questions about his game then as well, and an apparent lack of interest that led to a one-year, $2.6MM deal with the Red Wings (a 60% drop in value from his $6.5MM AAV with the Wild), there was still sufficient enough demand that Detroit felt they had to lock him up right away on July 1st. This year? Not so much.

The strange thing about Vanek’s 2017 scenario is that he is coming off a strong, redeeming campaign. Rather than last summer, when he was fresh off the worst season of his career and a buyout, Vanek instead entered the free agent market this year with a 38-point season under his belt, seven more points in six less games than 2015-16. Vanek played extremely well in Detroit, posting 15 goals and 23 assists in 48 games, creating plenty of buzz around his trade deadline status. Although rumors swirled that Vanek would like to re-sign with the Red Wings, the team nevertheless got what they could for him, sending Vanek to the Florida Panthers for Dylan McIlrath and a third-round draft pick. In Florida, Vanek added two goals and eight assists in 20 games, but it wasn’t enough for the Panthers to make the playoffs and Vanek was out of time to show off for teams in need of scoring this summer.

Apparently, he needed to do more in 2016-17. With 697 points in 885 NHL games, Vanek’s history as an elite scorer is well established. A two-time 40-goal scorer and power play wizard, who has twice in his career topped a point-per-game pace for a whole season, there is little doubt about Vanek’s track record of creating offense. However, there are questions as to just how fast that offensive ability is slowing down. Vanek is certainly no longer a threat for 40 or even 30 goals, nor does he sit atop the league in man-up production any more. While he seemingly proved in Detroit that he can still deliver 40 or 50 points, he also looked slower up and down the ice and lacked the same quickness and creativity in the offensive zone that he used to have. The lack of interest could also be due to a noticeable drop-off in defensive ability. Vanek was never a Selke candidate, but he has always played a sound two-way game. As he has slowed down the past two years, his defensive stats have dropped off and he often looked solely focused with keeping up on offense, rather than playing a complete game. Endurance, and all that it entails in the back-and-forth game of hockey, simply seems to be an issue for Vanek and is unlikely to improve.

Nonetheless, 48 points is 48 points and there is a reason why Vanek was ranked #8 out of all free agents. The shooting ability and offensive instincts are still there for the 33-year-old, and 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr is still making that skill set work in the NHL. It’s only a matter of time before Vanek signs somewhere, but just like last summer, it appears as if it could be another bargain for a player whose age and pace of play seemed to be blown out of proportion while his experience and offensive contribution are under-rated.

Potential Suitors

We originally projected that Vanek would return to the Florida Panthers, who were in need of scoring help, especially with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith now in Las Vegas. However, Dale Tallon and the Panthers went in a different direction, bringing back Evgeni Dadonov from the KHL and inking a different veteran scorer, Radim Vrbata. Like Vrbata and Jagr, Vanek seems best-suited for one-year or short-term deals the rest of the way, especially if he’s struggling to establish his value. Who could use a short-term scorer? A return to Detroit could make sense. The fit worked out great and there were talks of an extension prior to the deadline trade, so the two sides might see if Lightning can strike twice. The Red Wings lack much cap space and should be rebuilding, but GM Ken Holland might have missed that memo. Another possibility could be the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are still a contender out West, just one year removed from a Stanley Cup appearance, but have had a very quiet off-season and just lost a high-scoring veteran winger in Patrick Marleau. This year’s Western Conference Cup qualifier, the Nashville Predators, traded away a key forward in Colin Wilson and have more than enough cap space to squeeze Vanek in if they so choose. The Boston Bruins could use another scoring threat in the top nine and they might not mind having Vanek, notorious for his strong play against Boston during his years with the Sabres and Canadiens, on their side for once. Finally, don’t rule out the Los Angeles Kings, who certainly don’t need to get slower, but who surely need more scoring with few dependable options left on the market.

Expected Contract

We predicted that Vanek would sign a one-year, $3MM deal this off-season, a logical next step after a bounce back season on a one-year, $2.6MM contract. That range still seems reasonable, unless the market really is as quiet as it seems and no one is willing to pony up that kind of money. The affordable contracts signed by aging scorers like Kris Versteeg (#26) and Ales Hemsky (#44) combined with the availability of Jagr (#13), Drew Stafford (#21), and Jiri Hudler (#40), doesn’t help Vanek’s cause. He’s not ready to retire and he won’t move overseas, but don’t be surprised if Vanek remains unsigned, holding out for market value, before finally signing for less than he did last summer.

The Prettiest And Ugliest Contracts Of July 1

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Although hindsight is usually the only way to be certain as to when a deal flops, it seems reasonable to make an immediate assessment as to what deals will backfire or pay dividends. Today was a far more reserved July 1st than the league has accustomed itself to, but there are still a few contracts that stick out – for better or for worse.

 

Pretty: Patrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks – $800,000, 1 year.

This doesn’t seem fair. Chicago has been trapped in cap jail, and suddenly, here arrives a productive asset at nearly no cost. Sharp, coming off an injury-filled season, is coming back to the Windy City at a dirt-cheap rate. If he can even find half of the production he had during his last outing, this is a monumental steal. There’s no risk here, and a ton of upside. He still has the hands and hockey IQ to contribute.

Ugly: Steve Mason – Winnipeg Jets – $4,1 MM per, 2 years

Winnipeg was seemingly the last team standing when the music stopped playing. With a goaltending market that inspired no one, the Jets decided today to place their faith in Steve Mason. Coming off a .908 save percentage year, it’s hard to see him doing much worse. But behind the Winnipeg defense, it’s hard to see him doing much better. The pricetag is what really seals this as poor value relative to play. Luckily, if things don’t pan out, it’s only for two seasons. Connor Hellebuyck better prepare himself just in case. Taken in tandem with the highly questionable Dmitry Kulikov contract, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff maybe should have taken the day off.

Pretty: Radim Vrbata – Florida Panthers – $2.5 MM per, 1 year

Vrbata is absolutely a top-six winger, and he was signed for bottom-six money. He can assist a powerplay, and slot up and down a lineup as needed. Florida desperately needed to re-coup some scoring on the cheap after letting so many of their top point-getters walk or be lost to Vegas. With bonuses added in, this becomes a good prove-it deal for Vrbata as well. Solid value was found here for both parties and for a 20 goal, 55 point player, Florida will happily run away from this one.

Ugly: Trevor Daley – Detroit – $3.18MM per, 3 years

Daley was bereft of ice time in these playoffs, and he was competing with some really underperforming defensemen. It’s not like he had a good regular season either – his Corsi For % fell off a proverbial cliff (53.7 to 46.1), and the eye test certainly agreed. He put up decent points, 5 goals and 14 assists through 56 contests, and he can still skate well enough. But long are the days where he can make a difference on special teams or drive an offense with confidence. His turnover rate and inconsistency are not what Detroit needed to stabilize the back-end, and Daley will be 36 at the conclusion of the deal. The last time Daley cut a lucrative free agent deal, Chicago had to offload him due to poor play.

Pretty: Kevin Shattenkirk – New York Rangers – $6.65MM per, 4 years

The money could end up being a slight overpayment, but at the moment it is solid value. Shattenkirk finished 4th in points among defensemen last season and St. Louis never looked the same after he left. He could instantly and single-handedly transform the Rangers’ defense from the jumbled mess they were last season. He will reliably feed the puck to the forward group, and be the quarterback of the Ranger powerplay. What makes this a beautiful deal, however, is the term. If Shattenkirk has a bad year or doesn’t fit the system, New York is not on the hook for eternity. One of the biggest pitfalls in free agency with the bigger names is offering far too many years on contracts. Time and time again, it burns teams who were looking to attract a big fish. GM Jeff Gorton deserves credit here for not going insane with the length, although he was helped by Shattenkirk’s strong desire to return home.

Ugly: Dan Girardi – Tampa Bay – $3 MM per, 2 years

Nothing about this deal makes sense. Girardi earned his buyout from New York through brutal play and horrible possession numbers. Of all the NHL defensemen who played more than 40 games, only Rasmus Ristolainen of Buffalo and Luke Schenn of Arizona had worse Corsi Against per 60 minutes – Girardi finished with 65.11 (versus a 51.67 CF60). By no metric other than shot blocks was he an effective player. He might be worth a flier in hopes of regaining form, but he’s not worth much more. This agreement is made even worse by the fact that Girardi will be stealing valuable playing time from a solid young defenseman like Slater Koekkoek or Jake Dotchin. Combined with the Chris Kunitz signing, this is a team that didn’t get any younger, or any better.

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