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Sami Vatanen

Sami Vatanen, Valtteri Filppula Re-Sign In Switzerland

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One of the more surprising departures to Europe last offseason was that of Sami Vatanen, the long-time NHL defenseman who left for Switzerland. Vatanen had played nearly 500 NHL games, had been a top-four option for years, and had only just turned 30 years old. Now, after a year with Geneve-Servette HC, he’s decided the non-NHL life suits him just fine. Vatanen has signed a two-year extension with the club, through the 2023-24 season.

That’s not all, as Geneve-Servette announced a couple of other high-profile deals. Valtteri Filppula, who also left behind an NHL career last offseason, has re-upped to play with Vatanen for another year. Filppula, 38, was dominant for the club this season, scoring 19 goals and 47 points in 48 games. He also served as captain for Finland at the Olympics and World Championships, two tournaments that Vatanen was also part of.

Linus Omark will join them as another name familiar to many NHL fans, though he has been gone for quite a while longer. The shootout magician spent last season in the SHL, but did play 2020-21 with Geneve-Servette, and should have no problem bringing his elite offensive ability back to the National League. The 35-year-old Omark played just 79 games in the NHL, before leaving for Europe in 2014.

Vatanen will still be the headline though, since he remains squarely in his productive years and was still a quality NHL player when he departed–even if injuries had kept him off the ice for the better part of a year. He showed just how productive he could be last season when he scored at a better than point-per-game rate as a defenseman in the NL. A two-year deal likely means any chance of his return to North America is gone, though that already may have been the case.

Sami Vatanen Signs In Switzerland

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Just a few years ago, Sami Vatanen was one of the NHL’s most consistent two-way defensemen, logging up to 22 minutes a night and recording strong offensive numbers. Now, the 30-year-old veteran failed to sign a contract in the offseason and instead is taking his talents overseas. Vatanen has signed with Geneve-Servette in Switzerland for 2021-22.

Only a few months into his thirties, this is a shocking development for the former Anaheim Ducks defenseman. In his first four seasons, Vatanen produced 120 points in 257 games and averaged nearly 21 minutes a night for the Ducks, forming part of a formidable young group alongside the likes of Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler. Those young defensemen were so good that Anaheim considered then-prospect Shea Theodore expendable, sending him to the Vegas Golden Knights in order for them to assume Clayton Stoner’s contract in the expansion draft.

A few years later and not only is Vatanen no longer in Anaheim, but he’s also not even in the NHL. In 2020-21 he played 39 games, split between the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars, switching teams in April after being claimed off waivers. He had just six points in those 39 games and averaged 17 minutes. night, easily his lowest total since an eight-game stint in 2012-13.

It seems unlikely that there was no interest at all in the veteran defenseman, but perhaps Vatanen just couldn’t find a landing spot that was offering a substantial role in the NHL. He’ll be able to try to get his game back on track overseas and should be considered a potential free agent signing again next year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Profile: Sami Vatanen

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Few defensemen have seen their stock drop as significantly as Sami Vatanen’s has the last couple of years.  Two seasons ago, he was a fixture in New Jersey’s top four.  Even in 2020-21, he had plenty of playing time but had a soft free agent market to the point where he had to take more than a 50% pay cut to simply stick with the Devils.

Last season certainly only made things worse.  Vatanen was dropped to a spot on the third pairing for New Jersey and didn’t fare particularly well.  Widely speculated as a surefire trade candidate at the deadline, the Devils couldn’t find a taker and simply wound up waiving him where Dallas scooped him up.  His role didn’t really change and neither did his performance, sending him to the open market coming off the worst season of his career.

Nevertheless, there is still enough upside with Vatanen that landed him on our Top 50 UFA list for the second year in a row, albeit at a much lower spot this time around.  The 30-year-old saw his production fall off a cliff last season but before that, he had averaged 28 points per game over the previous six seasons.  Sure, his days of being a 30-plus-point blueliner are probably done but something in the high teens/early 20’s is still a possibility; he did that as recently as 2019-20.

Vatanen is also a right-shot defender which is something that many teams are often coveting, particularly at the trade deadline.  He’s someone that can still play on the second power play unit if needed and log 15 or more minutes at five-on-five.  That’s not an exciting profile compared to the player he was but he can still fill a useful role.

Stats

2020-21: 39 GP, 2-4-6, +3 rating, 20 PIMS, 55 shots, 52.3 CF%, 17:01 ATOI
Career: 473 GP, 47-153-200, -5 rating, 212 PIMS, 860 shots, 49.9 CF%, 20:48 ATOI

Potential Suitors

Given that he can’t be commanding a sizable salary based on the year he had, he’s someone that a contending team may be looking to add for cheap now.  Conversely, a rebuilding team could view Vatanen as someone that can hold a spot to allow a prospect to develop a little longer in the minors before looking to move him down the stretch.

In the East, the Blue Jackets don’t have much in the way of proven right-shot defensive depth with long-time fixtures Seth Jones and David Savard departing over the last few months.  They’re not looking to win now but Vatanen’s presence could allow someone like Andrew Peeke to spend a bit more time in the AHL.  Savard’s new team in Montreal still could use a right-shot defender with Chris Wideman currently projecting to be on their third pairing despite not being in the NHL the last two seasons.  Pittsburgh could use Vatanen in the role vacated by Cody Ceci who signed in Edmonton but Vatanen’s price tag would need to come pretty close to the minimum which he may not be willing to do at the moment.

Arizona’s defensive makeover still needs another couple of players and for all of the contracts the Coyotes have taken on, they still have plenty of cap space.  Calgary only has two proven righties on the back end if they don’t want to shift one of Juuso Valimaki or Oliver Kylington to their off-side and could fit Vatanen in on the third pairing.  Vatanen’s original team in Anaheim added some low-cost depth blueliners to contend for a roster spot but he’d still represent an upgrade on those players if they wanted to try to rebuild his value and flip him later on.

Projected Contract

Vatanen ranked 43rd on our Top 50 UFA list with a projected one-year, $1.5MM deal.  At this point, it stands to reason that he’d have taken an offer like that had it been there so he may have to take a further pay cut once again.  If he can bounce back offensively, his next contract, whatever it winds up being, has the potential to be a team-friendly one.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dallas Stars Claim Sami Vatanen

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While speculation continues to swirl around some of the Dallas Stars defenders, they’ve added a new one. The Stars have claimed Sami Vatanen off waivers from the New Jersey Devils according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

The claim of Vatanen certainly won’t quiet any talk of a Jamie Oleksiak trade, given the Stars now have eight defensemen on the NHL roster. That includes Andrej Sekera however, who suffered an injury last night and could be out for some time depending on testing today.

Dallas is now on the hook for the remainder of Vatanen’s $2MM salary through the end of the season. Whether he can provide much value for that salary isn’t clear after a poor start to the year in New Jersey. Once a reliable two-way option, Vatanen had just six points in 30 games for the Devils and was playing the fewest minutes of his career.

Remember that even though the Stars could be moving some rentals, the Stars aren’t completely out of the playoff race and can use a player like Vatanen to strengthen their back end.

New Jersey Devils Place Sami Vatanen On Waivers

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The New Jersey Devils placed Sami Vatanen on waivers Sunday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, a move that the team hopes could be useful just before the trade deadline.

Vatanen is a name that has been brought up as a trade chip for the selling Devils and while New Jersey has struggled this year, Vatanen has been solid. The 29-year-old has two goals and five points in 29 games and has a plus/minus of +1 this season, something hard to do with a losing team. Another positive is that Vatanen has remained healthy all season, something he hasn’t been successful at doing the last few years.

The veteran defenseman carries a cap hit of $2MM this season, an amount that actually isn’t that easy to fit in for many teams around the league. The Devils may have a better chance in trading him should he clear though, given the acquiring team could then place him on their taxi squad, burying $1.075MM of the deal until they make room. On top of that, the Devils can offer to retain half of his salary, making his contract easy to swallow. Teams also wouldn’t have to worry about his salary for next year as he will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

East Notes: Drury, Palmieri, Blackwell, Eller

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While earlier reports have suggested that the Pittsburgh Penguins have focused on two candidates for their open general manager position in Los Angeles Kings’ Ron Hextall and Montreal Canadiens’ Scott Mellanby, another candidate, New York Rangers’ assistant general manager Chris Drury had become a longshot due to the belief that the New York Rangers wouldn’t be granted to interview with the Penguins.

However, New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Rangers would not stand in the way of Drury becoming a general manager, although as of Saturday afternoon, there had been no such request from Pittsburgh. The 44-year-old Drury has become one of the most sought-after assistant general managers in the league and the scribe believes that the Rangers are well aware that they will lose Drury to a GM opportunity sooner than later.

New Jersey Devils Sign Sami Vatanen

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The New Jersey Devils have brought back a familiar face, signing free agent defenseman Sami Vatanen to a one-year deal. The contract is worth $2MM this season and leaves him an unrestricted free agent once again next offseason.

Vatanen, 29, spent parts of three seasons with the Devils before a midseason trade took him to the Carolina Hurricanes last year. As he was dealing with an injury at the time, he failed to play in a single regular season game with the Hurricanes before the season was shut down. He did suit up seven times in the postseason, but that’s all the Hurricanes have to show for a package that included Janne Kuokkanen and a 2020 third-round pick. Now the Devils have their cake and are eating it too as Vatanen returns on a very reasonable deal.

The Devils had already added some new faces to the back end this offseason, acquiring Ryan Murray from the Columbus Blue Jackets and signing Dmitry Kulikov to a one-year deal. With Vatanen’s new short-term deal, it means only Damon Severson is signed through the 2022-23 season among Devils (one-way) defensemen. That could lead to some pretty impressive turnover in the coming months, especially when considering the organization has several top defensive prospects like Ty Smith, Reilly Walsh, and Kevin Bahl waiting in the wings.

Of course, even though Vatanen is coming in late to the party, that doesn’t mean he’s a player to overlook. The veteran defenseman has been a do-it-all option throughout his entire career, lining up in all situations and logging huge minutes. In 434 games he has recorded 194 points, a nice 82-game average of 36. It’s hard to find that kind of offensive production on the free agent defensive market at any time, let alone a few days before the season begins. Vatanen, who is right-handed, also has experience playing both sides and could end up on the left regularly in New Jersey.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Vatanen, Ho-Sang, Raska

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As the NHL free agent market continues to thin out in a second wave of signings, veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen still stands out as one of the top available names. PHR’s No. 14-ranked UFA, Vatanen is a veteran of more than 400 NHL games averaging over 21 minutes per outing and at 29 still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Although he hasn’t been the healthiest player in recent years, Vatanen has continued to produce when on the ice. Yet, perhaps it is that lack of reliability that has left him in the lurch this off-season, even if his talent is unquestioned. With that said, teams have been kicking the tires on Vatanen – at this point surely for an affordable one year deal – and the Vancouver Canucks have been confirmed as one of the interested parties. TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the team has checked in on Vatanen, but to this point there has only been casual talks. Should the Canucks ultimately land the veteran, which would take some salary cap acrobatics, Vatanen could certainly serve a role on the team. Vancouver currently has just one right-shot defenseman slated for the NHL roster. They also have just two defenseman who scored at a higher clip than Vatanen last season. The skilled blue liner can score at even strength and could also help to elevate the Canucks power play to one of the best in the league. He checks a number of boxes, but it remains to be seen if the two sides share a mutual interest in a deal and, if so, can make the numbers work.

  • When New York Islanders training camp opens next week, it will do so without Josh Ho-Sang. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that Ho-Sang has not been invited to NHL camp, despite re-signing with the Islanders in October. The polarizing prospect, a 2014 first-round pick, has played exclusively in the AHL in each of the past two season after seeing significant NHL action in each of his first three pro seasons. It now seems as if Ho-Sang could be headed back to full-time AHL duty again judging by his absence from NHL camp. Ho-Sang has been the topic of trade speculation for some time and this new development implies that the relationship between player and team has not improved. The future of Ho-Sang with the Islanders remains a mystery.
  • When his time at the World Juniors is over, Adam Raska will not return to the Czech Republic nor will he compete for a roster spot with the San Jose Sharks. Instead, Raska will report to his QMJHL club, Rimouski Oceanic, the team announced. Raska spent last season with Rimouski, but had been playing in his native Czech Republic with HC Ocelari Trinec so far this season leading up to the WJC. The hard-working winger, who was selected in the seventh round by San Jose this year as an overage prospect, will look to take on a greater offensive role with Rimouski this season.

Carolina Hurricanes Hope To Extend Dougie Hamilton

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This fall, the Carolina Hurricanes traded away Joel Edmundson before watching Trevor van Riemsdyk and Sami Vatanen head to unrestricted free agency. For most teams, losing three NHL defensemen over a few weeks would leave them scrambling for answers, but the Hurricanes still have one of the deepest groups in the league. Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, Brett Pesce, and Haydn Fleury are all under control for at least three more seasons, while names like Jake Bean continue to push for playing time in the minors.

Even that would be an impressive depth chart, but it doesn’t include perhaps the best defenseman in Carolina. Dougie Hamilton, who was a frontrunner for the Norris Trophy before he suffered an injury last season, is heading into the final year of his contract with the Hurricanes and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2021 offseason.

That’s something the team hopes to remedy in the coming weeks, as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told Gulitti that the team hopes to sign Hamilton to an extension before the upcoming season begins, explaining that though they haven’t started talks yet, they plan to soon after Hamilton arrives back in Carolina later this week.

A contract extension for Hamilton would certainly be an expensive one, even if he does have a somewhat checkered NHL past. Originally selected ninth overall in 2011, Hamilton has already been traded twice in his career, first from the Boston Bruins to the Calgary Flames and then to Carolina in 2018. That movement has come despite him being one of the best offensive defensemen in the entire league, almost since day one.

Over the last six seasons, which includes his final year in Boston, Hamilton sits 16th among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 258 points in 446 games. That rank increases to fifth if you sort by goals, as the right-handed defenseman trails only Brent Burns, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Shea Weber and Roman Josi in that category. The fact that offensive production comes paired with elite possession numbers and an ability to play in all situations make Hamilton one of the most valuable defensemen in the league.

The question is, whether the Hurricanes can afford a substantial raise on his $5.75MM cap hit. That depth mentioned earlier could potentially make that difficult, given the team already has four defensemen making at least $4.025MM per season for the next three years. The team also needs to consider that Andrei Svechnikov will be demanding a huge raise when he becomes a restricted free agent after this season, plus neither of their goaltenders are signed through 2021-22.

On that defensive note, Waddell also confirmed that they haven’t actually closed the door on bringing back Vatanen, who still hasn’t actually signed anywhere this offseason. The veteran defenseman was traded to the Hurricanes at the deadline, didn’t get into a single regular season game before the season was shut down, but then played big minutes for the club in the postseason. Vatanen is one of a handful of capable defenders still gauging the market, but Carolina has told him they still think there is a “good fit” for him with the Hurricanes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Profile: Sami Vatanen

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Much like fellow countryman and unsigned free agents Mikael Granlund, Sami Vatanen is getting next to no attention on the open market so far this off-season. The 29-year-old defenseman, ranked No. 14 overall in PHR’s Top 50 UFA’s, is an established two-way defenseman with nearly 200 points in his eight-year NHL career, but seemingly can’t find a suitable offer in the stagnant, flat cap market.

Unfortunately for Vatanen, recency bias looms large in the free agent market. Teams are more willing to offer significant contracts to players who have impressed in their most recent outings rather than looking at their overall career. This has sunk Granlund so far and the same can be said for Vatanen on multiple fronts. First, Vatanen’s time with the Carolina Hurricanes was utterly forgettable. Traded at the deadline despite being injured, Vatanen did not see any regular season action with Carolina due to the suspension of the season. He was healthy enough to play once the postseason resumed, but played a limited role of just over 18 minutes per night in seven games (missing the final playoff game due to undisclosed reasons). Second, his past two seasons overall have not been stellar. Following four straight seasons of 67+ games played with the Anaheim Ducks, Vatanen’s health diminished over the past two years with the New Jersey Devils. He played in just 97 games total across the two campaigns and while his per-game stats both offensively and defensively held steady with his career average, his totals suffered.

Of course, the full picture of Vatanen’s career clearly displays why he ranked so high among PHR’s top free agents. He may be a couple of years removed from a relatively full season, but a healthy Vatanen in Anaheim was a perennial 30+ point player who also logged 100+ blocks and nearly 100 hits each year. Vatanen’s plus/minus was also superior before joining the struggling Devils. Even as part of what used to be a loaded Ducks defense corps, Vatanen earned his minutes and performed at a high level.

At full strength and given the opportunity, Vatanen can be a difference-maker for any team. A player who has logged 21 minutes or more per game in each of his six full NHL seasons , Vatanen knows how to carry the load of major minutes and special teams roles. He is also versatile, comfortable playing on his natural right side or on his off side. Over 82 games, Vatanen has 40-point upside and can be a disruptive force defensively as well. He has his demons as well; Vatanen is undersized, turnover prone, and can be a liability positionally in his own end. However, the total package is one of a bona fide top-four defenseman. Yet, at this point in the off-season he may not be paid as such.

Potential Suitors

Cap space aside, there are few teams in the NHL who couldn’t use a defenseman that can play both sides and contribute at both ends. Vatanen should cast a wide net of suitors, which makes the silence surrounding his name on the rumor mill all the more strange.

Taking into account the teams with ample salary cap space and need, there are a number of rebuilding clubs who could very likely be eyeing Vatanen. The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings have shown no hesitation to add free agents this off-season and could use a player like Vatanen, while the Los Angeles Kings have been very quiet but could greatly benefit from adding a player of Vatanen’s caliber to their young, inexperienced blue line. The Kings have a number of right-shot defenders, but Vatanen could still be very useful on the left side.

Of course, the problem with any of these teams is that Vatanen just escaped a rebuild in New Jersey and may want to look for a more competitive landing spot. While 2019-20 was a major disappointment for the San Jose Sharks, the team has the pieces to return to relevance this season. However, they could really use one more established veteran on the back end and Vatanen would fit the bill. There is a gap on the right side as well behind Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns, but Vatanen might be the most dangerous playing on his off side with either of those stars.

Two other teams in need of defense but who might not be an obvious fit due to shot side are the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Both clubs are set on the right side; Boston has Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and a now-healthy Kevan Miller as well as NHL prospect depth and the Rangers have Jacob Trouba, Anthony DeAngelo, and Adam Fox. However, both teams have somewhat failed to address holes on the left side this off-season. Even on his off side, Vatanen would be a major upgrade to Brendan Smith and depth additions Jack Johnson and Anthony Bitetto in New York and to Matt Grzelcyk and John Moore in Boston. Both teams have considerable prospect depth on the left side, but as Stanley Cup contenders may not want to miss a chance at a player like Vatanen on a bargain deal.

Projected Contract

PHR originally expected Vatanen to sign a deal in the neighborhood of four years and $19.5MM. At this point, if Vatanen was going to land a long-term deal it would have happened by now. It seems teams want to make sure that he can stay healthy and play at his best for a full season before thinking about multiple years. Vatanen may not be restricted to just a one-year deal, as the impending Expansion Draft and its exposure requirements may make a two-year offer attractive to some, but anything beyond a two-year term seems unlikely.

As for the money, the posited $4.875MM AAV seems highly unlikely. That valuation was based on a long-term deal. Whether one year or two, Vatanen is now unfortunately facing a “show me” contract. With so many possible landing spots at or close to the salary cap ceiling, there isn’t much money to go around. If he wants to end up with a competitive club, Vatanen will be looking at a $3MM AAV or lower. If he chases the money, it still seems like the market is pointing toward a $3.5MM cap hit at best.

While Vatanen is a more well-rounded defenseman than Erik Gustafsson, the one-year, $3MM deal he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers feels like a decent expectation. If Vatanen lands a second year, perhaps he gets a total of $7MM. Either way, Vatanen is being paid for his floor when, if healthy, his ceiling is much higher. If whoever eventually signs Vatanen is lucky enough to get a healthy season (or two) out of him, he could be one of the better bargains of this free agent market.

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