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Radim Vrbata

Radim Vrbata Signs With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers need forwards, and it looks like they’ll bring in another veteran on a one-year deal. Craig Morgan of AZ Sports is reporting that Radim Vrbata will sign with the team for one season and $2.5MM. The deal also includes $1.25MM in potential performance bonuses. The bonuses are as follows:

  • $250K for 10th goal
  • $250K for 15th goal
  • $250K for 20th goal
  • $250K for 45th point
  • $250K for playoff berth

Vrbata, 36, is coming off a 20 goal and 35 assist season with the Coyotes last year where he had signed a similar one-year deal at this point last year. He made $1MM on a base deal of that contract. This contract is similar, but he must reach those incentives, although most of them he accomplished easily a year ago.

In Florida, Vrbata should give the Panthers solid depth at the wing position and a quality price and should essentially replace another departed veteran Thomas Vanek on the team’s power play. It’s a major loss for Arizona as the team finished among the bottom in goal scoring and 20-goal scorers don’t come around that often. Vrbata was one of only a handful of quality, goal-scoring right wings in this weak free agent market and was going to be heavily in demand. A change from a rebuilding team to a contending team only makes sense for the veteran.

Las Vegas Has Several Free Agent Options As Well

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Not that the Las Vegas Golden Knights don’t have enough to do over the next few days, from going through the protection rosters, to making side deals, to participate in the NHL draft and then announce their team by June 21, but the team also needs to start thinking about free agents as well. The team has an exclusive window to negotiate with any unrestricted free agents. While the team has already inked KHL center Vadim Shipachyov to a free agent contract, more signings are sure to come. But who are their best options?

The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton has several suggestions of players the Golden Knights should consider to bolster their team for their initial season, including Arizona’s Radim Vrbata, Calgary’s Michael Stone, Washington’s Karl Alzner, Philadelphia’s Michael Del Zotto as well as San Jose’s Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

The scribe argues that Vrbata might be an easy choice. Although contents of the protection rosters won’t be known until tomorrow morning, Arizona is expected to provide very little in terms of available players on their roster. So going after one of the Coyotes free agents may have more meaning than a fringe prospect. Enter Vrbata. The 36 winger could be the perfect linemate for Shipachyov as he put up a 20-goal season for Arizona last season and is two years removed from a 31-goal season. And at age 36, Vrbata might come at a shorter deal than some other free agent options.

Both Thornton and Marleau are options as well. While both are expected to look for their best chance to chase a Stanley Cup, it’s conceivably possible that Las Vegas could convince one of them to be the face of the franchise. Thornton is coming off a 50-point season at age 37, but put up 82 points just the year before that. Marleau, on the other hand, had 27 goals last year and could also be a nice fit alongside Shipachyov. Also at age 37, Marleau hasn’t slowed down yet.

The rest of the suggestions that Clinton gives are blueliners, which may not be that important to the Golden Knights considering that many feel that the expansion draft will be loaded with defensive talent, but few quality forward options. Alzner was originally drafted by Las Vegas general manager George McPhee when he was with the Capitals and he could be the leader of the defense for a number of years. The 28-year-old Alzner is one of the top two free agent defensemen available (next to teammate Kevin Shattenkirk) and his defensive style might be a perfect fit in Las Vegas. The downside to Alzner is the team would lose the ability to use an expansion pick on a top prospect such as goaltender Philipp Grubauer or defenseman Nate Schmidt if they sign Alzner, so that option is not as likely.

Stone could be a good addition to the roster if they opt not to go after Alzner. Stone has been a solid top-4 defenseman for both Calgary this year and Arizona before that. Stone is more of a two-way player and might be able to provide some much-needed offense. He had just three goals and 12 assists in 64 games this year between the two teams, but had six goals and 39 points one year ago. Del Zotto is more than capable of providing offense for the Golden Knights. While not a defensive player, he’s had several good seasons, but injuries have often curtailed his career.

 

Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes

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The free agent period is now less than one month away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Arizona’s free agent situation.

Mar 14, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Coyotes left wing Anthony Duclair (10) prepares to take a shoot the puck during a shootout in a NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. The Coyotes defeated the Kings 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsKey Restricted Free Agents: F Anthony Duclair – 2016-17 was a tough season for the 21 year old.  After putting up 20 goals and 44 points in 81 games in his first season in the desert, he had just five goals and 15 points in 58 NHL contests this season.  He was also sent to the AHL where he managed just a single tally in 16 games.  Given the success he had prior to this past season, he could still make a case that he’s worthy of a decent raise coming off his entry-level deal.  His struggles have led to some speculation that he could be dealt during the offseason.  If he’s not, a one year contract would be a likely outcome to see if he gets back to his sophomore season form before giving him a sizable pay jump.

F Alexander Burmistrov – The Russian center made a pretty good impression after being picked up off the waiver wire from Winnipeg, collecting 14 points in 26 games while seeing his ice time jump to over 15 minutes per game.  However, he is due a qualifying offer of $1.6MM which may be a bit too high for Arizona’s liking considering how much he struggled with the Jets.  GM John Chayka will have a decision to make as to whether he’s worth that qualifier or whether they’d be better suited to not tender him one and then try to negotiate a cheaper deal later on.

Other RFAs: F Grayson Downing, F Tyler Gaudet, F Peter Holland, F Josh Jooris, G Marek Langhamer, F Jordan Martinook, F Jeremy Morin, F Mitch Moroz, F Teemu Pulkkinen, F Branden Troock

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Shane Doan – While he’s coming off a down season, there’s no doubting that Doan remains the face of the franchise in Arizona.  The 40 year old has suggested in the past that he wouldn’t likely go elsewhere in free agency (although he was reportedly open to moving as a rental player at the trade deadline if the perfect situation were to come up).  If he were to sign on for another season, it would likely come at a rate below the $3.86MM base salary (before performance and signing bonus deferred payments) he earned this past season.

F Radim Vrbata – Vrbata is coming off a resurgent season after returning to the desert on a one year, incentive-laden contract last offseason.  With 55 points, he’s the second highest point producer that’s slated to hit the open market; only Washington’s T.J. Oshie (56) had more.  The soon-to-be 36 year old has had success in each of his three stints with the Coyotes but has been inconsistent when he’s with other organizations.  Despite that, the weak free agent market should help him land a lot more than the $1MM in guaranteed money he settled for last summer.

Other UFAs: D Jamie McBain, D Zbynek Michalek, F Chris Mueller, F Garret Ross, D Jarred Tinordi, F Joe Whitney

Projected Cap Space: After finishing the season in LTIR with zero cap space having taken on several large contracts for players who weren’t playing for them, Arizona has just over $47MM committed to 17 players per CapFriendly, giving them plenty of room to work with under the cap.  However, they’re a lower budget team so it’s not likely that they’ll be adding big ticket deals in free agency but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to take on a cumbersome deal for a player who’s out long-term in exchange for a younger asset, something Chayka has already done in his brief stint as GM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Capitals Have Four Of Top Eight Unrestricted Free Agents

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The 2017 free agency class may not be the strongest, but the Washington Capitals have the most to gain (or more likely lose) if free agency doesn’t go their way. The Capitals, currently on the ropes, down 3-1, to the Pittsburgh Penguins (Game 5 tonight), have four of the top eight unrestricted free agents, according to Matt Larkin of the Hockey News, as he posts his Top-30 unrestricted free agents this summer.

Unlike previous years, Larkin writes that this year’s class falls short of firepower, which the scribe points out is bad news for the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights, who get a 48-hour window to negotiate with any free agents before any other teams. Regardless, it’s the Capitals who will find themselves on the clock as defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is listed as the number one free agent on the list, while winger T.J. Oshie is third. Defenseman Karl Alzner is ranked fifth, while veteran wing Justin Williams is eighth on their list.

Larkin adds that he believes the Capitals will only be able to ink two of those players and will be forced to let two go. Shattenkirk, who was acquired in a February trade from the St. Louis Blues for their playoff run, has struggled in the playoffs this year, but is listed first due to the fact that blueliners in the prime of their careers, who can play 20 minutes a night, are always rewarded. Whether Washington can keep him at a high price tag is the tough question.

The team is likely to do everything to sign Oshie, however. The 30-year-old winger has had a breakout season with Washington on the first line with Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom. He has tallied 59 regular-season goals in the two seasons he has played for the Capitals since being acquired by trade from the Blues.

The Capitals then have to look at Alzner, a rugged blueliner who at age 28, could get a large contract in a weak year of free agent defensemen, while Williams playoff success could make him a well-paid second-liner as well. The Capitals have to decide what priorities they have as it’s unlikely they can afford to keep all four players.

Montreal Canadiens veteran winger Alexander Radulov, who returned to the NHL last year after a long stint in the KHL, is ranked second on the list, although he has said he would like to resign with the Canadiens. Goaltender Ben Bishop is listed fourth on that free agent list and the 30-year-old netminder should be in high demand. Veterans Martin Hanzal (No. 6), Joe Thornton (No. 7), Radim Vrbata (No. 9) and Patrick Eaves (No. 10) round out the first ten on that list.

 

Jesper Fast Out 2-3 Weeks

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With under two hours to go until the Trade Deadline passes, plans for the New York Rangers and GM Jeff Gorton might be changing. Head coach Alain Vigneault confirmed that right winger Jesper Fast was injured in last night’s contest against the Washington Capitals, after taking a hard hit from Alexander Ovechkin, and suffered shoulder damage. The injury is expected to keep him out of the lineup for the next two to three weeks.

Fast, while a bottom-six forward for the Rangers, is also the only right-shooting winger on the team. There is no easy solution to replace him on the right side from the AHL either. It also doesn’t help that Michael Grabner is banged up and questionable for New York’s game against the Boston Bruins tomorrow night. Gorton may need to turn his focus in these final two hours of trade-ability to finding another winger. Options at right wing include Arizona’s Radim Vrbata, whose name has been a hot topic all day, New Jersey’s P.A. Parenteau, and Winnipeg’s Drew Stafford. 

If the Rangers decide against a trade, Pavel Buchnevich is likely the next man up.

The Latest On Radim Vrbata

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At least five teams have expressed an interest in Arizona right winger Radim Vrbata according to ESPN’s Craig Custance (Twitter link).  The Bruins, Flames, Islanders, Panthers, and Penguins are all interested in the services of the 35 year old, who is expected to be one of the more prominent forwards dealt today.  TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (via Twitter) that the Canadiens are among the teams that have the most interest in him as well.

Vrbata is in the middle of a strong bounce back season in his third stint with the Coyotes.  Through 62 games this year, he has 15 goals and 32 assists to lead the team in scoring.  That type of production would fit in well on just about any contender so GM John Chayka should be able to line up a nice return for the veteran.

Part of the allure for Vrbata is his contract which carries a cap hit of just $1MM and he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  However, it’s worth noting that he has playoff-based incentives in his deal as well: $250K if his team makes the postseason plus an additional $250K for each round that team wins and the acquiring team will be responsible for absorbing those onto their cap either this year or next season as a bonus overage penalty.

At Least Two Teams Interested In Jaroslav Halak

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2:00pm: Craig Custance of ESPN reports that the Edmonton Oilers are one of the teams interested in Halak.

1:30pm: According to several reports on Twitter including Sportsnet’s John Shannon along with Frank Seravalli and Darren Dreger of TSN, the New York Islanders are receiving calls about goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Seravalli claims that at least two teams have already put in offers for the netminder, with a third interested.

Halak has another year left on his deal at $4.5MM and is currently buried in the minors with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. His numbers there give some credence to the idea that he can still help an NHL team, as he is 14-2-1 with a .933 save percentage. The Islanders meanwhile have committed to Thomas Greiss in net, meaning if they can find a taker they’d likely move Halak at the deadline.

The former Montreal Canadiens goaltender burst onto the scene in 2010 when he took the Habs to the conference final and has been a steady playoff performer through his otherwise limited experience. A career .924 postseason save percentage should have many teams wondering if he can help them down the stretch and guard against a young goaltender buckling under the pressure.

With the Islanders still fighting for a playoff spot, perhaps moving Halak would allow them to take on even more money elsewhere to bolster their offense. They’ve been in and out of the Matt Duchene rumor mill all day, but could move on a smaller deal like Radim Vrbata to help John Tavares carry the offense.

Trade Candidates: Radim Vrbata

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With the trade deadline now just days away, we’re wrapping up our profiles of several players whose names are still on the trade block and are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Arizona Coyotes are 22-32-7 for 51 points, good enough for last place in the Pacific Division and second from the bottom in the NHL. They are in the bottom five in the league in both goals for and goals against, giving them a 29th-ranked -48 goal differential. The team is in a complete rebuild and has needs at every position. GM John Chayka has already dealt away young defenseman Michael Stone and just last night career-Coyote center Martin Hanzal.

So anyone who notices that the Coyotes’ top scorer is 35 years old and on a one-year, $1MM deal is right to assume that he is also on his way out of town. Radim Vrbata has returned to Arizona with a bang this season, leading a club that has been desperate for goals with a team-high 31 assists and 46 points and is second only to Hanzal with 15 goals and Oliver Ekman-Larsson in power play production. For a guy past his prime who scored only 27 points last season, Vrbata has had an excellent 2016-17 campaign and, like his other productive veteran teammates, has probably earned himself a ticket out of town.

Contract

Vrbata signed a one-year deal with Arizona this summer that carries $1MM base salary. However, there are some tricky bonus features to it, especially for contenders who are tight against the cap. Vrbata can earn an additional $2.25MM in performance bonuses, and in fact has already met several benchmarks. Vrbata is already owed $500K for playing in 30 games and another $500K for scoring more than 40 points. The remaining $1.25MM is tied to postseason performance, which he is guaranteed to miss out on if he remains with the Coyotes but would almost surely cash in on if traded to a contender. If Vrbata is traded, the new team will have to account for the salary cap repercussions beyond his $1MM cap hit – pro-rated to about $225K by Wednesday’s deadline – for the remainder of the year.

2016-17

The myth surrounding Vrbata has always been that he doesn’t perform outside of Arizona. Just a quick look at his career numbers shows that is untrue. Vrbata has had strong seasons, dating all the way back to the beginning of career, in Colorado, Chicago, and most recently Vancouver. However, there is no doubt that he has enjoyed the majority of his best seasons with the Coyotes. After struggling in 2015-16, the second year of a two-year deal with the Canucks, Vrbata returned home to the desert on a one-year deal in search of comeback season. He certainly found it, as his 46 points through 61 games put him on pace to come close to his career-high 63 point total from two years ago. Yet, he’s accomplished this on one of the worst teams in the league. What leaves many teams deep in thought is whether that scoring would continue on a superior team in contention for a title or whether it is a product of the situation and system.

Season Stats

61 GP: 15 goals, 31 assists, 46 points, -14 rating, 186 shots, 17:01 ATOI

Suitors

After their three biggest competitors in the Atlantic Division acquired help today, many have begun to doubt whether the Boston Bruins can hold true to their plan to stand pat at the Trade Deadline and not risk losing picks or prospects for no reason as they did last year. Count the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont as one of those proponents, and he believes that Vrbata would be the perfect fit for the Bruins to add another scoring threat, specifically with Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano on the team’s third line, now that coach Bruce Cassidy has his more offensive-minded system in place. Despite the high prices right now, Dupont speculates that a second-round selection and another pick or prospect could get the job done. The Bruins are also one of only a few contenders that doesn’t have to worry much about the cap implications of acquiring Vrbata.

However, if the price for Vrbata is what Dupont suggests it may be, teams will worry about Vrbata’s cap hit and outside-Arizona consistency later. As more and more teams make additions, other will grow more interested in one of the top scoring threats on the market. Name a contender, and they will have likely put a call in to Chayka by Wednesday’s deadline, whether it be the Washington Capitals, who could use some more speed; the Pittsburgh Penguins or Columbus Blue Jackets, who both need some depth; the San Jose Sharks, who are still sorting out their top lines; or even the Chicago Blackhawks, who seem to always be in the mix and have history with Vrbata.

Likelihood Of A Trade

After moving on from Hanzal and Stone, both of whom are younger and have spent more time with the organization in recent years, it would be odd if the Coyotes didn’t part ways with Vrbata. Besides, there is nothing stopping them from re-signing him this summer if he wants, and Vrbata seems to be one of the few NHL players, along with teammate Shane Doan, who really enjoy playing in Arizona. Despite their immense depth in prospects, the Coyotes still have needs throughout the lineup and are in no position to hold on to trade-able assets for no reason. This team is still in full rebuild mode and will almost surely take whatever picks and prospects they can get for Vrbata, a fitting end to a rewarding one-year deal in 2016-17.

Western Conference Snapshots: Berglund, Hanzal, Johnson, Bourque

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One potential option for clubs looking for center help ahead of the deadline was removed with the St. Louis Blues locking up Patrik Berglund to a five-year, $19.25MM deal. On the surface that might appear to be a hefty commitment for a player who hasn’t quite lived up to his advanced billing as a former first-round pick. Berglund is a skilled player with great size at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds but has failed to register more than 38 points in any of his five previous campaigns and likely won’t reach that mark this year either. Yet Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post Dispatch argues the Blues and Berglund settled on a fair agreement for both sides.

Hochman references a point made by fellow hockey scribe Greg Wyshynski in his “Puck Daddy” blog; Berglund’s new deal is identical to that which was signed last summer by Darren Helm. The Red Wings forward has six goals and 11 points in 32 games this season. Berglund, conversely, has 17 goals in 60 games. Ultimately Hochman’s argument boils down to his view that Berglund is at worst a solid third-line center capable of playing in all situations and contributing 20 goals a year. Based on the likely cost to replace that production on the free agent market, $3.85MM is a good deal.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • With Arizona one of the few declared sellers and the team yet to approach soon-to-be free agent center Martin Hanzal about a new contract, the big pivot knows his days with the only NHL organization are nearing an end. As Sarah McLellan of AZ Central writes, in the nearly 10 years Hanzal has spent with the Coyotes organization, he has developed from a young player who as longtime teammate Radim Vrbata observed, “I don’t think he understood what it meant to be an NHL player,” into one who routinely matches up against the opposition’s best night in and night out. Of course that’s exactly why Hanzal is being targeted by so many clubs looking for forward help going into the playoffs. The 6-foot-6 center can play in any situation and is also a threat as a net-front presence on the man-advantage. Reports indicate that Coyotes GM John Chayka has placed a high price tag on Hanzal and it’s easy to see why.
  • Colorado, in the midst of an agonizingly bad season, received some good news with word that top defenseman Erik Johnson and veteran forward Rene Bourque have both pronounced themselves healthy and fit for duty, reports Terry Frei of The Denver Post. The absence of Johnson, out since early December with a broken fibula, has been an especially difficult one for the Avalanche. At the time of his injury, Colorado had a record of 9-13-1. In the 36 games the veteran blue liner has missed, the Avalanche have amassed a paltry 16 points. Obviously Johnson’s return comes far too late to impact the team’s on-ice fortunes much but a stretch of solid play might enhance his value as an offseason trade asset should the Avalanche embrace a full rebuild this summer. Johnson is in the first year of a seven-year, $42MM pact and at 28-years-old, the contract is expected to cover the downward slope of the defenseman’s career and certainly complicates the notion of a trade. Bourque meanwhile, is one a cheap, one-year deal and has contributed nine goals in 43 games with Colorado. If he can get back in the lineup and play well for a couple of games, it’s conceivable a team looking for bottom-six depth might take a flier on him at the deadline.

Snapshots: Gilbert, Schmaltz, Vrbata

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When Tom Gilbert was traded from Los Angeles to the Washington Capitals just over a week ago, it was a step in the right direction for the veteran defenseman. Gilbert had played just 18 games for the Kings and was clearly not in their plans after sending him through waivers to the AHL. He told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post as much and admitted that coming to Washington was very exciting for him. The Capitals acquired him mostly as injury depth, as he is still playing at the AHL level. But perhaps his coming East will pay off already.

Matt Niskanen was taken out of last night’s game with a lower-body injury, and though it doesn’t seem to be serious it is a sign of how close Gilbert is to having to play a vital role on the best team in the NHL. The Capitals already have just two right-handed defensemen—Niskanen and John Carlson—and use Nate Schmidt on his off-side with Brooks Orpik. If either of Niskanen or Carlson went down it would open a gaping hole on the Caps back end, one that Gilbert would gladly step into. Remember that though it was a long time ago, Gilbert was once a 45 point defenseman, capable of moving the puck with the best of them. It’s nice to have depth.

  • It’s a dream come true for Chicago Blackhawks winger Nick Schmaltz as he plays alongside Jonathan Toews. Schmaltz had three points last night and looks to be finding a nice groove on the wing of the resurgent Toews. In his rookie season Schmaltz has just 14 points in 41 games, but six of those have come in the last five as he’s gotten a nice icetime bump. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times writes in his latest column that the Blackhawks may have found an answer long-term on the captain’s wing. It doesn’t hurt that both are from the University of North Dakota and have taken a very similar path to the NHL.
  • If you consider Schmaltz a long-term piece on the top line, then how do you fill the other side? Is Richard Panik really the answer beside Toews? Craig Morgan of FanRag Sports has his doubts, and suggests a former Hawk should make his way back to the Windy City. Radim Vrbata is available at the deadline, and with his ridiculously low cap-hit of just $1MM, Chicago could likely afford him for the final part of the season. The veteran winger has 41 points this season and has rebounded well from the worst year of his career.

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