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Steve Mason

Jets Hope Mason, Kulikov Will Send Winnipeg To Playoffs

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Offensively, the Winnipeg Jets have few worries. They finished seventh in the NHL in goals scored, averaging 3.0 goals a game. Afterall, they have several talented players including Patrik Laine, who scored 36 goals in his rookie season after being drafted second overall in 2016 behind Auston Matthews. The team also got 32 goals from 24-year-old Mark Scheifele, 26 goals from veteran Blake Wheeler, 25 goals from 21-year-old wing Nikolaj Ehlers, not to mention 21 goals from veteran Bryan Little. So, goal scoring is in good shape You can check it off.

Defense is a totally different story as Winnipeg was fourth in goals against as the team allowed an average of 3.11 goals per game. They also were 11th in shots allowed, having allowed 31.0 shots per game. The Jets, who made two big acquisitions during the offseason have high hopes they can change their franchise’s fortunes this season, according to Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. The team signed veteran free agent goaltender Steve Mason to a two-year, $8.2MM deal and also signed enigmatic defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a 3-year, $13MM deal.

The team hopes Mason can steady their issues in goal. The team has struggled to get consistent play from that position for years from the struggles of Ondrej Pavelec to Michael Hutchinson to Connor Hellebuyck. Pavelec, who had been the starter for years had always been inconsistent, but after a great year in 2014-15 in which he finished with a 2.28 GAA and a .920 save percentage, his production tailed off, moving to a backup role and this past year spent more time with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose than with the Jets. He signed with the New York Rangers this offseason. Hutchinson, 24, showed some promise in the 2014-15 season as well, but has struggled as the backup for the past two years. He finished this past year with a 2.92 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 28 games and will likely spend some time in the AHL this season. Hellebuyck, also 24, showed promise as the backup last season, but struggled when handed the starting job this year. He finished the season with a 2.89 GAA and .907 save percentage.

While Mason’s season in Philadephia was hardly phenomenal, he did finish with a 2.66 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 58 games. The hope is that Mason can provide the stability that the team needs to reach the playoffs. Whether Hellebuyck will be given an opportunity to split time with Mason remains to be seen.

Kulikov’s addition is another key to the team’s success. Often listed as one of the worst free agency signings due to Kulikov’s struggles in recent years, the Jets have high hopes that he will break out in Winnipeg. Despite missing time with a bone bruise, Kulikov had one of the worst seasons with Buffalo this year. In 47 games, he had just two goals and three assists. However, the hope is that if Kulikov can step up and with the return of Tyler Myers as well as the dependability of Toby Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien, Josh Morrissey and Jacob Trouba, the Jets defense should be capable of improving, which should be enough to get them into the playoffs.

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.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Steve Mason

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The Winnipeg Jets’ hunt for stability in net has brought in former Calder Trophy-winner Steve Mason. Mason, the former Philadelphia Flyers’ starter, was thought to be in line for a backup job after a down season. However, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that Mason’s contract is for two years and $8.2MM; a $4.1MM AAV. Mason will thus be looked upon to take over the starter role and hold off young Connor Hellebuyck.

Mason, at 29, was coming off a disappointing season for the Flyers, finishing this year with a 2.66 GAA and a .908 save percentage. His career has been somewhat of a roller coaster, however, starting with his rookie season in 2008-09 when he came out of nowhere, posting a 2.29 GAA in 61 games and leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to their first-ever playoff series and winning the Calder Trophy. He then followed his impressive rookie campaign, tallying a 3.05 GAA in 58 games and a .901 save percentage and was never able keep his goals against under three until the Blue Jackets traded him to the Flyers in 2013. Mason regained his form, but never to the point of that initial season.

Mason’s new contract is exactly the same contract he has had over the past three years when he inked a 3-year, $12.3MM contract back in 2014 with the Flyers. However, in Winnipeg, he has a chance to take control of the starting gig there as Hellebuyck struggled as a full-time starter. The team still hopes the 24-year-old can become their everyday starter, but the general belief is they need a veteran to hold down the pipes for a couple of years until the youngster is ready.

Free Agency Rumor Round-Up

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Free agency is set to open in mere hours, but there are already plenty of rumors out there about deals that will become official at noon ET. Here are all of the deals expected to be made official this afternoon with the link to the original PHR article or recent report:

Anaheim Ducks expected to sign G Ryan Miller (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Boston Bruins expected to sign LW Kenny Agostino

Buffalo Sabres expected to sign G Chad Johnson

Chicago Blackhawks expected to sign RW Patrick Sharp

Colorado Avalanche expected to sign G Jonathan Bernier

Dallas Stars expected to sign C Martin Hanzal (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Detroit Red Wings expected to sign D Trevor Daley

Florida Panthers expected to sign RW Evgeni Dadonov

Florida Panthers expected to sign C Micheal Haley

Montreal Canadiens expected to sign D Karl Alzner

New York Rangers expected to sign G Ondrej Pavelec

Philadelphia Flyers expected to sign G Brian Elliott

Tampa Bay Lightning expected to sign D Dan Girardi

Vancouver Canucks expected to sign D Michael Del Zotto

Vancouver Canucks expected to sign G Anders Nilsson

Vancouver Canucks expected to sign C Sam Gagner (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Winnipeg Jets expected to sign G Steve Mason (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Steve Mason Will Not Re-Sign In Philadelphia

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According to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, goaltender Steve Mason will not return to the Philadelphia Flyers, and intends to sign elsewhere once free agency opens on July 1st. We already know the Winnipeg Jets have shown interest in the former rookie of the year, and there will likely be several other teams knocking on his door when the signing period opens.

It always seemed unlikely that Mason would return after the Flyers handed Michal Neuvirth a new contract. For Philadelphia to head into next season with the same duo would be an odd move, given the relatively weak performance they got from the pair. Instead Mason will look to try and find work somewhere else, perhaps as a backup or tandem goaltender. We ranked him #25 on our top 50 free agent list, predicting a one-year deal worth $2.5MM.

Just 29, despite seeming to have been in the league for a few decades, Mason is still an interesting option for teams looking for a veteran option in net. He’s shown at times throughout his career that he can put together brilliance, but has settled into a move average role more than not. A .911 career save percentage is about what you can expect from him, which puts him behind other options like Jonathan Bernier or Chad Johnson who are of a similar age. The one thing Mason has going for him is that he’s logged at least 45 starts in eight of nine seasons, and can be expected to carry the load should your starter or other option go down.

Jets Showing Interest In Steve Mason

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With Connor Hellebuyck not quite ready to assume the starting goalie role in Winnipeg, the Jets are on the lookout for help between the pipes.  Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports that the team has checked in with soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Steve Mason; TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds (Twitter link) that their level of interest is significant.

Mason’s agent Anton Thun had the following to say to Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press about the Jets:

“Yes we are considering the Jets, but we are considering every open No. 1 goaltending spot as we should be until those spots get filled.”

The 29 year old is coming off a down season with the Flyers, one where he posted a 2.66 GAA and a .908 SV% in 58 appearances.  That said, those numbers would still represent upgrades on what Winnipeg’s goaltenders compiled in 2016-17, a 2.97 GAA and a .904 SV%.  However, Mason has made at least 50 appearances in seven of his nine NHL seasons (one of the ones he didn’t was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign) which would certainly be appealing to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff as a bridge until Hellebuyck is ready to take on the number one role on a more full-time basis.

At the end of the season, Mason voiced his criticism of the goalie platoon that was utilized between himself and Michal Neuvirth with the Flyers.  That would make it at least somewhat interesting that he’d consider joining the Jets who would likely operate in a similar manner with him and Hellebuyck (and that doesn’t even factor in incumbent backup Michael Hutchinson who has another year left on his deal).

Mason, who ranks 25th on our Top-50 UFA List, earned $4.1MM in each of the last three seasons and will almost assuredly be taking a pay cut wherever he signs.

Snapshots: Gagner, Condon, Hamonic

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The Blackhawks are linked to Columbus UFA Sam Gagner, by way of a report from The Athletic’s Scott Powers. The parties have reached out to one another and expressed “mutual interest”. Gagner could be a good fit in Chicago, as he could jump-start an oddly sluggish powerplay, which finished 24th in the league last season. As always, an issue with signing in the Windy City is available cap dollars. Even after parting with Scott Darling, Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson, the team is $2.99 MM over the cap ceiling, Luckily the team doesn’t have any free agents that absolutely need to be re-signed, so they are free to prune a few forwards from the roster to get within acceptable range. Adding another mid-tier contract could complicate matters. The team has already been rumored to move on from center Marcus Kruger, who only makes $3.083 MM himself. Gagner will be looking for a figure around there after his career season, so his acquisition would mean more shuffling from GM Stan Bowman.

Judging by the fan reaction to the Panarin and Hjalmarsson moves, further shuffling might only serve to further shake confidence in the team’s direction. This isn’t even taking into account the Marian Hossa Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) drama, which alone should make for an interesting summer. For what it’s worth, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector believes Gagner will not return to Edmonton, so that eliminates a potential landing spot. Still, there are few available centers with his skill-set and offensive output, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Chicago out-bid on this particular player.

  • The Flyers are not comfortable with an Anthony Stolarz and Michael Neuvirth tandem heading into 2017-18, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Carchidi goes through the entire UFA selection, including former Flyer Steve Mason, Brian Elliott, Jonathan Bernier, Ryan Miller, and even Keith Kinkaid. Bernier could be a fit, but with his inconsistency I don’t see it being a good one. Mason endured a good deal of fan blame this season, and while a short-term deal is not impossible, it’s a fair assumption he searches for a role in another town. If the Flyers wanted to run a tandem, Neuvirth with Condon could work quite well. The author doesn’t believe that Condon is much of an upgrade over Stolarz, but at 23 and with 2 career wins, Stolarz is simply not at the same level. It’s rare to see a goalie that young be able to take a 40 game (or more) NHL workload with total success. Considering the Flyers’ developing defense, it might be a wise decision on GM Ron Hextall’s part to shelter him in the AHL for another season. Stolarz is definitely their future, and they will look to find a one to two year agreement with whatever stopgap they decide on.
  • A fascinating piece from Newsday’s Arthur Staple details what can only be described as an odd non-deal. The Islanders apparently offered Travis Hamonic and a 1st round pick to Colorado for Matt Duchene, which was subsequently declined by GM Joe Sakic. Isles GM Garth Snow proceeded to move Hamonic for picks while acquiring Jordan Eberle in a separate transaction. Duchene remains in Denver, and apparently his agent Pat Brisson is not happy with the turn of events. Duchene has been linked to trade rumors since nearly the start of the season, which saw his Avalanche finish with an abysmal 48 point dead-last league finish. Sakic was rumored to have a heavy asking price, and this apparent rejection only solidifies those rumblings. Hamonic himself ended up fetching a 1st and two 2nds from Calgary, which is a sizable haul for the Isles. Islanders faithful can’t be too disappointed by the alternative route Snow traversed.

Eastern Notes: Sexton, Brassard, Mason

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Now that the NHL draft is over, Pittsburgh will be losing another executive as TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that Randy Sexton, the Penguins director of amateur scouting, will be heading to Buffalo to join new general manager Jason Botterill and will take the Sabres’ assistant general manager position. Sexton will also take over as the general manager of their AHL team, the Rochester Americans.

Many believe that Sexton has been on Botterill’s list since he took over as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres back in May. Sexton has had a hand in drafting a number of key players to Pittsburgh’s recent two-time Stanley Cup champion team including Matt Murray, Bryan Rust, Olli Maatta and Jake Guentzel. The Sabres have made a total overhaul of their front office since the season ended with another disappointing season as the team hired Botterill to make organizational changes. The team has not reached the playoffs since the 2010-11 season.

  • Ottawa Senators Derick Brassard is progressing nicely after offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum to his right shoulder and should be ready at the beginning of the season, according to the Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch. The scribe says that head coach Guy Boucher says if Brassard is not ready to go in October, the team will find a replacement from within, rather than going out and signing an extra center. Despite playing in 81 games, the 29-year-old center had a down year despite the team’s success, scoring just 14 goals and 25 assists, his lowest numbers since the 2012-13 season.
  • While most teams have solved their goaltending issues already before the offseason has officially gotten underway, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said the team is considering re-signing Steve Mason to share the net with the team’s only netminder in Michal Neuvirth. According to CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio, Hextall claims he’s in no hurry, nor is worried since most teams have already found their goalies for the year. That leaves him with numerous options, but was quick to point out that Mason, “is still in the mix.” Mason, who just finished his fifth season with the Flyers, is an unrestricted free agent, but after a season in which he finished with a 2.66 GAA in 58 games, the 29-year-old may not have many options left to find a starting job in the NHL.

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Mason, Number One Pick, Buchberger

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Last offseason, the Penguins didn’t make any substantial changes to their roster while the biggest departure was defenseman Ben Lovejoy to New Jersey.  Speaking with Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, GM Jim Rutherford admitted that there will be a lot more changes this time around:

“If I could keep most of them together this year, I would do that. But the [salary] cap and the economics will dictate some decisions that we’re going to have to make that aren’t necessarily ones we would make if we didn’t have the cap.”

Pittsburgh currently has a little over $60MM committed to 16 players per CapFriendly.  Restricted free agents Justin Schultz, Brian Dumoulin, and Conor Sheary are all in line to get raises from their current contracts while their list of unrestricted free agents is highlighted by veterans Trevor Daley, Nick Bonino, and Ron Hainsey.  Even if they lose Marc-Andre Fleury’s $5.75MM, there’s still not going to be enough money to keep everyone around.  Speaking of those pending UFAs, Rutherford noted that talks with some of those players will begin on Thursday.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan:

  • The Flyers have not engaged in contract discussions regarding pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Steve Mason, agent Anton Thun told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Accordingly, Thun expects Mason to hit the open market on July 1st and head elsewhere.  The 29 year old is coming off a tough season in Philly, posting just a .908 save percentage in 58 games.  Mason was critical of his usage at the end of the year, calling into question the effectiveness of the platoon system that saw him and Michal Neuvirth splitting starts at times.
  • New Jersey is not anticipating trading the first overall pick as things currently stand, GM Ray Shero noted to NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. Shero acknowledged that he has received inquiries regarding their willingness to move down as well as some specific offers but has yet to find the right fit yet.  If New Jersey retains the pick, they’re expected to choose between a pair of centers in Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier.
  • The Islanders are expected to wait until after next week’s Entry Draft before officially announcing the addition of Kelly Buchberger as an assistant coach, reports Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. He had been Edmonton’s Vice President of Player Development but has spent time behind the bench as well, spending six seasons as an assistant with the Oilers.  Buchberger will soon join Luke Richardson and Scott Gomez on a newly-revamped coaching staff in New York.

Reactions To Bishop Signing

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One of the bigger names has taken his name off the open market as Ben Bishop, who arguably would have been the top option for teams looking for goaltending help, has inked a six-year agreement to remain with the Dallas Stars. Of course the Stars had acquired the veteran netminder earlier this week, sending a fourth-round draft choice to Los Angeles to secure exclusive negotiating rights to Bishop. The club and Bishop concluded negotiations fairly quickly and it’s evident given the terms of the arrangement that both parties believed this was a perfect match. Dallas clearly feels they’ve solved their longstanding issues between the pipes and Bishop has decided he wants to be a Star for what should amount to be the rest of his career. Let’s check in on reactions from around the league on the deal.

  • Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News calls the deal “team friendly” considering the cap hit comes in under $5MM annually. Bishop accounted for almost $6MM per season on the soon-to-expire contract he signed with Tampa Bay two years ago and likely could have exceeded that number had he reached the open market. Instead he chose the security of a long-term deal with a Dallas team he feels is “primed to win now.” Heika goes on to write that Dallas is expected to go with a Bishop-Kari Lehtonen duo in goal, suggesting that the team will likely buy Antti Niemi out if they can’t find a trade partner for his services. That plan doesn’t come without its flaws as the Stars would have more than $12MM tied up in its goaltenders for 2017-18; a figure that accounts for roughly 17% of the salary cap. While goaltending was certainly the team’s Achilles heel last season, the Stars will also likely be on the lookout for a blue line upgrade this summer. Even after extending Bishop and with Niemi still on the books, Dallas will have roughly $15MM to spend and that should be enough to bring in some competent help on the back end.
  • TSN’s Scott Cullen takes a look at the deal through the lens of statistical analysis and concludes that Dallas is taking a risk while betting big on Bishop. Using Corsica Hockey’s “expected goals” metric, Cullen notes that Bishop ranks 23rd of 54 goalies to have played in 80 games over the last four seasons in expected goal differential per 60 minutes and in all game situations. Ironically, incumbent starter Kari Lehtonen ranked slightly higher than Bishop using that metric. Cullen also cites Bishop’s age – he’ll turn 31 in November – as a concern given the overall length of the pact. Additionally, even with an expected Niemi buyout, Cullen argues that the Stars “goaltending fiasco has been expensive.”
  • Lastly, Jared Clinton of The Hockey News writes that the Calgary Flames, one of the teams expected to show strong interest in Bishop had he reached free agency, still have plenty of options as they look to upgrade their goaltending situation this summer. Clinton lists Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury and the Islanders Jaroslav Halak as potential trade targets. Additionally, the scribe mentions Steve Mason as a possible free agent fit. Interestingly, Clinton also suggests re-signing Brian Elliott, writing: “Elliott had been so very good over the three seasons prior to coming to Calgary that it’s hard to imagine he’s going to struggle as mightily once he takes the ice in 2017-18.” He also points out that Elliott’s poor 2016-17 would conceivably lower his asking price, making the veteran netminder the least expensive option on the market. That’s no small consideration for a Calgary team that rarely spends to the salary cap ceiling and may want to allocate their resources to upgrade other positions as well.

Ultimately, the Flames best bet may be to re-sign Elliott on the cheap and bring in another veteran on a short-term deal, perhaps Mason, to compete for the #1 job. Mason, who has battled inconsistency and injury during his career, has displayed flashes of being an excellent goalie at times. Given his up-and-down play, the former Calder Trophy winner should be amenable to a one-year, prove-it type of contract. Elliott, meanwhile, has been at his best in a timeshare situation and could again thrive while competing against a veteran such as Mason.

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