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Tanner Pearson

Washington Capitals Re-Sign Carl Hagelin To Four-Year Extension

June 16, 2019 at 3:33 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

The Washington Capitals have re-signed one of their top unrestricted free agents as the team announced that it has inked forward Carl Hagelin to a four-year, $11MM extension. The deal will give him a $2.75MM AAV.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the contract is as follows:

2019-20: $2.5MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
2020-21: $2.7MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2021-22: $2MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
2022-23: $1.8MM salary

“We are pleased to have signed Carl to a new four year contract,” said Washington general manager Brian MacLellan. “Carl is a versatile player who can play on any line and is an excellent penalty killer. He is a proven winner and provides great leadership to our team.” Hagelin came over to Washington at the trade deadline when the team acquired the speedy forward in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick to give the team some added depth for a playoff run. While they were eventually eliminated in the first round of the playoffs to the Carolina Hurricanes, the team was real happy with his production as he scored three goals and 11 points in 20 regular season games and proved to be a good fit in the team’s middle-six as the veteran is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The trade to Washington seemed to renewed the 30-year-old forward as he struggled with Pittsburgh to start the season, then was traded to Los Angeles in November for Tanner Pearson, but did little to impress them. He finished the season with a combined five goals and 19 points between the three teams. However, in Washington, he fared much better and also played a big role on the Capitals’ penalty kill, averaging 2:21 per game on that unit, first on the team.

One issue was whether the Capitals would have the cap space available to sign Hagelin as the team was very tight against the cap. However, after Saturday’s trade that sent defenseman Matt Niskanen to Philadelphia for Radko Gudas, Washington freed up $3.4MM in cap space, which allowed the team to lock up Hagelin. That won’t be it for changes with Washington as the Capitals still must find some money to lock up restricted free agents Jakub Vrana and Andre Burakovsky. It also suggests the team is likely to allow forward Brett Connolly, who is an unrestricted free agent, to walk away.

Andre Burakovsky| Brett Connolly| Carl Hagelin| Jakub Vrana| Matt Niskanen| Radko Gudas| Tanner Pearson| Washington Capitals

3 comments

Snapshots: Sheahan, Stone, Pearson, Desjardins

February 27, 2019 at 8:53 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While some expected the Panthers to flip recently-acquired center Riley Sheahan by the trade deadline, they opted to keep him around instead.  GM Dale Tallon told Walter Villa of the Miami Herald that he’s quite pleased with how the 27-year-old has performed so far and that they hope to bring him back for next season.  Sheahan is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and is making $2.1MM this season.  With just 14 points in 62 games between Pittsburgh and Florida, it’s hard to imagine that it will cost considerably more to keep him around although his positional versatility certainly adds to his value.

Other news and notes around the league:

  • Mark Stone’s expected new deal with Vegas (which can be made official as early as Friday) is expected to carry a full no-movement clause. Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun notes that this was something that the Senators were unwilling to put as part of their offer to keep the 26-year-old in the fold.
  • Canucks winger Tanner Pearson has had a rough season as he has struggled offensively and has been dealt twice now. He told reporters, including Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston, that he had been playing through an undisclosed injury since early December which had prevented him from producing like he did in the past although it wasn’t significant enough to take him out of the lineup.  After averaging 18 goals over each of the past three seasons, Pearson has scored just nine through 61 games so far in 2018-19.
  • With the deadline having passed, one of the questions in Los Angeles is once again the future of interim head coach Willie Desjardins. GM Rob Blake told Robert Morales of the Los Angeles Daily News that a decision on whether or not Desjardins will remain behind the bench for the Kings beyond this year will be made at the end of the season.  The team is 19-25-6 under Desjardins since he took over for John Stevens back in early November.

Florida Panthers| Los Angeles Kings| Mark Stone| Ottawa Senators| Riley Sheahan| Snapshots| Tanner Pearson| Vancouver Canucks| Willie Desjardins

1 comment

2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap

February 25, 2019 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):

To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff

To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons

 

To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes

To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)

 

To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal

To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput

 

To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations

To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations

 

To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)

To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick

 

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid

To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick

Read more

To Calgary Flames:
D Oscar Fantenberg

To Los Angeles Kings:
2020 conditional fourth-round pick
(becomes a third-round pick if Flames reach WCF with Fantenberg playing 50+% of games)

 

To Nashville Predators:
F Mikael Granlund 

To Minnesota Wild:
F Kevin Fiala

 

To Vegas Golden Knights:
F Mark Stone
F Tobias Lindberg

To Ottawa Senators:
F Oscar Lindberg
D Erik Brannstrom
2020 second-round pick (DAL)

 

To Nashville Predators:
F Wayne Simmonds

To Philadelphia Flyers:
F Ryan Hartman
2020 conditional fourth-round pick (becomes third-round pick with 2019 playoff round win)

 

To St. Louis Blues: 
D Michael Del Zotto

To Anaheim Ducks:
2019 sixth-round pick

 

To Boston Bruins:
F Marcus Johansson (40% salary retained)

To New Jersey Devils:
2019 second-round pick
2020 fourth-round pick

 

To Vancouver Canucks:
F Tanner Pearson

To Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Erik Gudbranson

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Matt Hendricks

To Minnesota Wild:
2020 seventh-round pick

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
D Nathan Beaulieu

To Buffalo Sabres:
2019 sixth-round pick

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
D Bogdan Kiselevich

To Florida Panthers:
2021 seventh-round pick

 

To San Jose Sharks:
F Jonathan Dahlen

To Vancouver Canucks:
F Linus Karlsson

 

To Toronto Maple Leafs:
F Nic Petan

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Par Lindholm

 

To Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Chris Wideman

To Florida Panthers:
F Jean-Sebastien Dea

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Alex Broadhurst

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
Future Considerations

Adam McQuaid| AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Arizona Coyotes| Bogdan Kiselevich| Boston Bruins| Brandon Montour| Brendan Lemieux| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Charlie Coyle| Chris Wideman| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Derick Brassard| Erik Brannstrom| Erik Gudbranson| Florida Panthers| Gustav Nyquist| Jean-Sebastien Dea| Jonathan Dahlen| Jordan Weal| Keith Kinkaid| Kevin Fiala| Kevin Hayes| Los Angeles Kings| Marcus Johansson| Mark Stone| Mats Zuccarello| Matt Duchene| Matt Hendricks| Michael Chaput| Michael Del Zotto| Mikael Granlund| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| Nathan Beaulieu| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Nic Petan| Nick Jensen| Oscar Fantenberg| Oscar Lindberg| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Ryan Dzingel| Ryan Hartman| San Jose Sharks| St. Louis Blues| Tanner Pearson| Tomas Jurco| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Wayne Simmonds| Winnipeg Jets

4 comments

Pacific Notes: Pettersson, Hagelin, Braun

January 12, 2019 at 8:53 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

The Vancouver Canucks got some good news Saturday when star center Elias Pettersson, who has been out with a sprained knee for the past nine days, took to the ice. Unfortunately, he skated only with skills coach Glen Carnegie, however, it’s an important part in Pettersson’s recovery, according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.

The 20-year old suffered a first-degree sprain when he was pulled to the ice by Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Jan. 3. However, Pettersson is getting closer to a return as he managed to twist and turn through drills during a 25-minute skate, much longer than his skate on Friday. However, head coach Travis Green said that while Pettersson wants to return to the lineup as soon as possible, he must still get through a full practice with the team, meaning he will not return for Sunday’s game against Florida.

“He wants to play,” Green said after Saturday’s practice. “We want him to play, but we’re not going to rush him back and have him play where he’s at risk because he’s not moving around well enough. We’re going to do right by him, but we want him back as fast as he can. He’s a competitive kid; he wants to play. He’s not happy not playing.”

  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen writes that despite only having acquired him in November, the Los Angeles Kings are likely going to shop veteran Carl Hagelin at the trade deadline and move on from him. The 30-year-old has only appeared in eight games with the Kings since being acquired from Pittsburgh for Tanner Pearson due to injuries, but the team will likely want to get something for Hagelin, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The main purpose of moving Pearson was to free themselves of his contract which still had another two years remaining at $3.75MM. If they can flip Hagelin for future assets, then the team should help themselves in multiple ways.
  • Kevin Kurz of The Athletic writes that the San Jose Sharks have activated defenseman Justin Braun off of injured reserve for tonight’s game against Ottawa. Braun has been out since Jan. 2 with a knee injury, but should immediately provide the defensive depth the team needs on the Sharks’ third line. Braun has been averaging just under 20 minutes a game for the Sharks this season despite not providing much offense this season. He has one goal and nine points in 42 games.

Carl Hagelin| Elias Pettersson| Jesperi Kotkaniemi| Justin Braun| Los Angeles Kings| San Jose Sharks| Tanner Pearson| Travis Green| Vancouver Canucks

1 comment

Snapshots: Outdoor Game, Penguins, Patrick

November 19, 2018 at 6:48 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

The 2019 NHL Winter Classic is still more than a month away and the 2019 NHL Stadium Series game even further, but that hasn’t stopped discussions about where the league could turn next for an outdoor game. Today, BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reports that the Colorado Avalanche are likely to be an outdoor game host “sooner rather than later.” In talking with deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Dater learned that the league is very interested in placing a game at the nearby Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where Falcon Stadium normally plays host to the Air Force football team and a capacity crowd of close to 47,000. Given the success of the NHL’s last foray into an outdoor game in Colorado – the 2016 showdown at Coors Field in Denver – and their special interest in games played at American military institutions, such as last year’s game at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, not to mention the successful Division I hockey program at Air Force, the school seems like a great fit to host a gme.  For now though, the league remains focused on their next contest at a college football venue, when the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks square off at Notre Dame on New Year’s Day.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins hope that their team is in much better shape when they take part in their outdoor game later this season, a match-up with the rival Flyers at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on February 23rd. The team continues to struggle and, even after his acquisition of forward Tanner Pearson, GM Jim Rutherford remains open for business per numerous sources. However, the next move might not be just a simple one-for-one to land a role player. TSN’s Bob McKenzie raised the stakes on the latest “Insider Trading” segment, stating that “anything and everything is on the table” in Pittsburgh. McKenzie says that the Penguins’ list of untouchables is rather short – just Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. McKenzie believes that anyone else could be move, perhaps adding fuel to the fire of recent rumors that Phil Kessel, Derick Brassard, Olli Maatta, and Matt Murray are among the names that could be on the move if things don’t improve.
  • The Penguins did make a noteworthy move today, announcing that legendary executive Craig Patrick has re-joined the team as a pro scout. The 72-year-old Hall of Famer served as Pittsburgh’s GM for 17 years, from 1989 to 2006. Patrick was the architect of the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup-winning Penguins teams and much of the 2009 championship team and beyond were the products of Patrick’s regime, including Crosby and Malkin. Many will also recognize Patrick as an assistant coach to Herb Brooks on the famed “Miracle” 1980 U.S. Olympic team, while he also served as both coach and GM for the New York Rangers over a nine-year span in the 80’s. The extent of Patrick’s role is unclear, but particularly in the midst of a difficult season, this is a great hire by the Penguins if only for the wisdom and guidance of an experienced hockey guru.

Bill Daly| Bob McKenzie| Boston Bruins| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Derick Brassard| Evgeni Malkin| Hall of Fame| Jim Rutherford| Matt Murray| New York Rangers| NHL| Olli Maatta| Phil Kessel| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Sidney Crosby| Snapshots| Tanner Pearson

5 comments

Tanner Pearson Traded To Pittsburgh Penguins

November 14, 2018 at 10:51 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 31 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins gave General Manager Jim Rutherford three more years under contract, and he immediately gave them a new player. The team has traded Carl Hagelin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Tanner Pearson. The Penguins have also retained 6.25% ($250K) on Hagelin’s contract, which makes the salary exchange a wash between the two sides for the remainder of this season.

Pearson, 26, is off to the worst start of his professional career and hasn’t scored a single goal in 17 games this season. That lack of offense has contributed to the Kings’ struggles in the early going, as the forward had previously been relied on as a key secondary scoring option. That’s what Pittsburgh hopes it is getting, as Pearson did score 24 goals as recently as 2016-17 and may be able to find that touch while playing alongside talented centers like Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. There’s no indication where exactly he’ll fit into the lineup, but the Penguins have been trying just about every combination so far this season with little success to show for it.

Selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, it wasn’t always obvious he was going to have a professional career at all. Pearson was twice passed over entirely in the draft, his first year of eligibility coming before he even joined the Barrie Colts of the OHL. That all changed in 2012 when he starred for the Colts and worked his way onto the Canadian World Junior team, taking home a bronze medal but showing he could compete alongside other top prospects. An outstanding rookie season in the AHL earned him an NHL debut in the playoffs for the Kings, and in the 2014 playoffs he would be a huge component to the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship.

With two more years after this season on his current contract, Pearson isn’t just a rental for Pittsburgh this season. He’s an investment that could pay off or make the cap troubles for Rutherford and the Penguins front office even tougher. He carries a $3.75MM cap hit, and while it is offset for this season by dealing away Hagelin, the speedy Penguins winger is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and was coming off the books. That benefit is exactly what the Kings were after as they look to restructure their salary system, which will have to accommodate Drew Doughty’s huge $88MM extension next season.

Salary freedom was the goal here for the Kings, but they do also get an experienced winger in return. Hagelin has 121 playoff games under his belt including lengthy runs with the New York Rangers and consecutive Stanley Cup championships with Pittsburgh. Though his scoring has dried up with just three points on the season, he does still bring an element of speed that was obviously missing from the Los Angeles forward group. An excellent penalty killer—though Pearson is also strong short-handed—Hagelin will likely be a desirable asset at the trade deadline if the Kings can’t turn things around over the next few months. The fact that his contract is just a little bit more palatable will only make him that much more interesting.

The Penguins and Kings both likely aren’t finished tweaking their rosters, but this is a good start for both teams without taking on much risk. Even if Pearson finds his scoring touch and becomes a useful player, the Kings didn’t have the money or desire to pay out his deal as they try to retool their roster. The Penguins meanwhile are taking on a bit of risk with the contract term, but are in pure win-now mode with the trio of Crosby, Malkin and Phil Kessel all heading into the latter part of their careers and need help right away. Hagelin wasn’t cutting it as part of their secondary scoring group, so they’ll give it a shot with the younger and more dynamic Pearson.

Darren Dreger of TSN was first to name Pearson as the acquisition.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports images

Jim Rutherford| Los Angeles Kings| Newsstand| Pittsburgh Penguins| Tanner Pearson

31 comments

Snapshots: “Trade Bait”, Lindholm, Spezza

November 3, 2018 at 9:29 am CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

The second month of the NHL season is underway and with it comes the first iteration of TSN’s “Trade Bait” board. To no surprise, unsigned Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander tops the list. With the countdown at 28 days until the December 1st deadline for Nylander to sign and play in the NHL this season, the impasse between the two sides is desperately in need of a resolution, and with each day that goes by, a trade looks more and more likely. TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes that it was the first week of November last year when No. 1-ranked trade bait player Matt Duchene was traded away, making it entirely possible that a Nylander trade or other big name move could drop in the next few days. Joining Nylander in the top six of the list are recent rumor mill highlights Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers and Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson of the Los Angeles Kings, as well as summer trade bait board holdout Mats Zuccarello, also of the Rangers, and perennial rumor monger Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings. Both free agency-bound Columbus Blue Jackets superstars – Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin – feature in the top ten, as does a possible Nylander return piece Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes. A surprise addition is Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers, who seems unlikely to move in the midst of what the Jets hope is a Stanley Cup-caliber season. So too is Wayne Simmonds, who the Philadelphia Flyers seemingly would like to re-sign and keep on as a leader and core contributor, but the Flyers’ success this season will likely determine his availability. The trade board is limited to just 15 names right now, but this initial list certainly features plenty of talent and some names that have already featured prominently in rumors. TSN may have perfect timing, as the NHL trade market seems ready to heat up.

  • One of the off-season’s biggest trades almost went differently, writes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Fox talked to new Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters recently, who stated that he expected a different package from a different team entirely in return for defenseman Dougie Hamilton, only to find that his former club, the Carolina Hurricanes, had offered the top package of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Peters (obviously) says that he likes the way the deal turned out. While Hanifin is off to a slow start in Calgary, Lindholm has been an excellent fit next to Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau on the top line and currently sports a 24.3% shooting percentage to go with a team-leading nine goals and total of 14 points.
  • Fox also recently spoke with Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza, who this past week played in his 1,000th NHL game, about how he is approaching a contract year. Spezza was transparent with his answer:

“Not when you’re 35. You don’t care about the contract years… I just want to play the year, have a good year. I want to be back here next year. The money doesn’t matter. I just want to play and make sure I have a good role… It’s different when you’re at this point in my career. I just want to be on a team that has a chance to win. So, no, I can’t say that’s once played into my mind… That time has passed in my career. I’m just looking to play and be on a good team and have a good role and contribute… If you put the work into it, you get rewarded with big contracts. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever played the game for the money.”

Spezza’s honesty is refreshing, but he also contradicts himself with a scenario that is likely to unfold as the season progresses. Spezza states that he wants to be back in Dallas next season, yet also wants a chance to finally win the Stanley Cup. Those two things may not coincide soon enough for the veteran center. The Stars currently share the 14th-best record in the NHL, but sit sixth out of seven in the powerhouse Central Division and have struggled to score goals early on this season. If Dallas cannot improve over the course of the season, Spezza will become an attractive trade rental candidate, especially since his eight points thus far indicate a bounce-back season compared to a disappointing 2017-18 campaign. Dallas may also be a few years away from really competing with the likes of Nashville and Winnipeg in the Central. A desire to win may make a continued career with the Stars less likely, but would make Spezza’s decision to waive his No-Movement Clause and choices in free agency much easier.

Alec Martinez| Artemi Panarin| Bill Peters| Brett Pesce| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| Dougie Hamilton| Elias Lindholm| Free Agency| Gustav Nyquist| Jason Spezza| Johnny Gaudreau| Kevin Hayes| Los Angeles Kings| Mats Zuccarello| Matt Duchene| New York Rangers| Noah Hanifin| Philadelphia Flyers| Sean Monahan| Sergei Bobrovsky| Snapshots| Tanner Pearson| Toronto Maple Leafs| Tyler Myers| Wayne Simmonds| William Nylander| Winnipeg Jets

1 comment

Boston Bruins Won’t Wait To Add Help Up Front

November 2, 2018 at 7:32 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 10 Comments

By most standards, the Boston Bruins are off to a strong start in 2018-19, sharing the fourth best record in the NHL. By their own standards, the campaign has been less than spectacular thus far due to the heavy reliance on the first line. The grouping of Patrice Bergeron between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is considered by many to be the best line in the NHL. Through twelve games, Pastrnak is tied for the league lead in goals with 11 and has a total of 16 points, Bergeron is third in the league in scoring with 19 points, and Marchand has hardly looked himself and has still contributed 15 points. However, beyond those three, scoring has been hard to come by. According to Matt Kalman of WEEI Boston, it’s not a problem that president Cam Neely and company are willing to “wait too long” to solve.

Neely knows that the Bruins cannot possibly top their performance from last season, a Round Two defeat at the hands of the division rival Tampa Bay Lightning, with just one line of production. Yet, that is more or less what they have had so far. Beyond the top line, second line mainstay David Krejci has been playing well with nine points to date. However, he has had little help, as frequent linemates Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen have failed to build upon breakout rookie campaigns and have been held to just three points apiece. Calder hopeful Ryan Donato has been anything but and was recently demoted after recording just a single point in eleven games. Even surprise top-nine regulars Joakim Nordstrom and Anders Bjork have just two points each. This also comes after prospects Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, and Jack Studnicka all failed to claim an open third-line center spot in camp, a role initially held by veteran David Backes, who was scoreless through seven games before getting injured. Kalman recently opined that Backes should not necessarily even return to the Bruins lineup once healthy.

Neely told Kalman that “we recognize we don’t want to sit around, wait too long, for something that may or may not happen”, as management’s patience with the lack of secondary scoring is running out. He spoke individually on each of the four struggling younsters – DeBrusk, Heinen, Donato, and Bjork – expressing varying degrees of trust in their ability to bounce back, but simply said as a group the young forwards need to improve in all three zones. There is no reason to think that any of the four will turn things around, especially without some shakeup to the roster.

So what could be the next move? Speaking with TSN 1050 in Toronto yesterday, insider Darren Dreger stated that he thinks the Bruins would be willing to part with one of Heinen, 23, or Bjork, 22, in the right deal. The pair share a similar skill set and ceiling and neither has made much of an impact thus far. Of the two, Heinen’s stock is higher, fresh off of a 47-point campaign that placed him among the top ten in rookie scorers. However, Bjork himself was on pace for a 30+ point season prior to season-ending injury and has looked the better of the two thus far this season. Using the last-place Los Angeles Kings as an example, Dreger speculates that a cap-strapped club like L.A. might be willing to part with a Tyler Toffoli or Tanner Pearson for a package based around a young, affordable, and controllable asset like Heinen or Bjork. Beyond Dreger’s hypothetical, the Bruins could also deal from their wealth of defensive prospects or dangle a mid-round draft pick in order to land some help. Established young forwards of any kind would likely be the primary target group, but impending unrestricted free agent centers could also make an immediate difference. The Bruins could kick the tires on the likes of Matt Duchene, Kevin Hayes, Jason Spezza, and Brock Nelson before too long. Neely has made it clear that the team won’t wait to fix their secondary scoring and a deal could occur any time now.

Anders Bjork| Boston Bruins| Brad Marchand| Brock Nelson| David Backes| David Krejci| David Pastrnak| Injury| Jake DeBrusk| Jason Spezza| Kevin Hayes| Los Angeles Kings| Matt Duchene| Patrice Bergeron| Prospects| Ryan Donato| Tanner Pearson| Trent Frederic| Tyler Toffoli

10 comments

Kings’ Alec Martinez Drawing Trade Interest

November 1, 2018 at 7:32 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

The Los Angeles Kings have the worst record in the NHL right now at 3-7-1. Trade interest in top players comes with that territory. The newest name that has GM Rob Blake’s phones ringing is veteran defenseman Alec Martinez. TSN’s Darren Dreger recently talked on TSN Radio 1290 about the growing market for the talented two-way defender, hinting that there is “a ton of interest”.

However, Dreger did state that his feeling in speaking with Blake was that the GM was not yet ready to pull the trigger on a major trade. Martinez is one of several players – Jake Muzzin, Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, and Trevor Lewis being others – that the struggling Kings could deal away before the season ends. Yet, Blake is being patient with his team right now and, in Dreger’s opinion, is not ready to become a seller this early in the season. Dreger also notes that L.A. is dealing from a position of weakness right now due to their slow start and are likely receiving offers for Martinez not yet equivalent to his true value.

Yet, Martinez remains one of the most likely names to move out should Blake reach his boiling point and finally respond to trade interest. At 31 years old, Martinez is on the downside of his career and his decline in production last season is even further evidence. He also carries another two years of term on his current contract beyond this season at a $4MM cap hit. The cap-strapped Kings could certainly benefit from dumping his salary, but are likely to land some intriguing assets in return as well. As Dreger notes, the time doesn’t seem right just now, but as long as the Kings continue to struggle, a move is unavoidable and Martinez very well could be the first major departure.

Alec Martinez| Jake Muzzin| Los Angeles Kings| Rob Blake| Tanner Pearson| Trade Rumors| Tyler Toffoli

1 comment

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings

September 23, 2017 at 8:41 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Los Angeles Kings

Current Cap Hit: $68,168,560 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Oscar Fantenberg (One year remaining, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

None

This is not a very young team and the only player to have an entry-level deal is Fantenberg, who is the 25-year-old blueliner, who signed a one-year, two-way deal earlier this year. The defenseman has never played in the U.S. before, but he opened some eyes recently when he found himself on the Kings’ roster to travel to Japan for some exhibition games, suggesting he has a legitimate chance to earn a starting job on the team’s defense.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Mike Cammalleri ($1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Nolan ($950K, UFA)
F Nick Shore ($925K, RFA)
D Christian Folin ($800K, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($650K, RFA)
D Kevin Gravel ($650K, RFA)
G Darcy Kuemper ($650K, UFA)
F Nic Dowd ($640K, UFA)

Have originally started his career in L.A., Cammalleri returns to his former team after a three-year stint in New Jersey, which came after a three-year stint in Calgary and after a three-year stint in Montreal. The 35-year-old wing isn’t the same guy who put up many 20-plus goal seasons, but the hope is he can fill a back-six line for the coming season at a low price. Nolan will fight for a fourth-line role, while Gravel may also have to fight for a bottom pairing on defense, especially since he is still waiver-exempt.

Shore is one of those young players the Kings hope will have a breakout year. The 24-year-old wing has not been able to put it all together yet. He finished last year with six goals and 11 assists for 17 points, but is capable of more if he can put it all together.

Forbert played on the first line a year ago and managed to play in all 82 games. The team now hopes the 25-year-old starts to cash in on the team’s promise when they drafted him in the first round back in 2010. His defensive proficiency is designed to allow others to focus on offense more. The team also hopes Folin, signed away from Minnesota this offseason, will grab one of the last couple of defensive openings. The 26-year-old played 51 games for the Wild last season, but has had trouble getting a full-time role.

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Two Years Remaining

D Drew Doughty ($7MM, UFA)
F Andy Andreoff ($678K, UFA)

Just as there were few key one-year deals, the same holds true at tw0-year deals. Doughty is a key piece for the Kings. The 27-year-old defenseman is a great two-way player and finished with 12 goals and 44 points, a slight down year for the defenseman. The franchise blueliner has been mentioned in trade rumors, but is staying put for now and the team hopes it can eventually lock him up long-term.

Three Years Remaining

F Tyler Toffoli ($4.6MM, UFA)
D Jake Muzzin ($4MM, UFA)
F Trevor Lewis ($2MM, UFA)
F Kyle Clifford ($1.6MM, UFA)

Toffoli, the 25-year-old center, had established himself as a potential franchise player after increasing his goal totals every year, including a 31-goal performance in the 2015-16 season. However, like most Kings last year, Toffoli suffered a down year, finishing the season with 16 goals and 18 assists in 63 games and should bounce back in his fifth season with the franchise. Muzzin, a key defender, also saw his stats slip last year. After two 40-point seasons, his numbers dropped to 28 points. Lewis and Clifford are bottom line forwards who will have to fight for a chance to play on the team’s third line.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Anze Kopitar ($10MM through 2023-24)
F Dustin Brown ($5.88MM through 2021-22)
G Jonathan Quick ($5.8MM through 2022-23)
F Jeff Carter ($5.27MM through 2021-22)
F Marian Gaborik ($4.88MM through 2020-21)
D Alec Martinez ($4MM through 2020-21)
F Tanner Pearson ($3.75MM through 2020-21)

It looks like the team invested all of their money on locking up their core players to long-term deals. However, many of those players have aged quickly and aren’t the franchise players they should be. Kopitar is still a very productive player, but should he be paid $10MM per year for the next seven years. He’s already 30, so that’s a contract that could hamper them for years. His 12 goals and 40 assists aren’t too impressive when you look at his contract. The 32-year-old Brown is in a similar situation. Despite having five years left, Brown’s game has slipped over the past few years. No longer the 20-goal scorer he was in his prime, the veteran wing actually had an improved year, putting up 14 goals and 36 points, which is the best year he’s had since 2011-12. Gaborik is entering a season in which has not been medically cleared to play yet after offseason knee surgery to correct two problems. At age 35, his time is running out, but the knee problems have forced him to miss 54 games over the past two years.

Quick is still considered a top-notch goalie, but the team lost him to injury for much of the season last year. His numbers are still good, but how long can he continue to do that with a depleted defense and an aging frontline? As for Carter, he was well worth the money the Kings spent for him. Even at age 32, Carter put up 32 goals and 34 assists for a big season. Martinez is also a defenseman who is trending in the right direction. The top-four defenseman is coming off a career-high in points with 39 and continues to improve.

Buyouts

D Matt Greene ($833K in 2017-18, $833K in 2018-19)
F Mike Richards ($1.32MM for a recapture penalty through 2019-20)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Doughty
Worst Value: Brown

Looking Ahead

The Kings have themselves a lot of problems as the franchise is saddled with numerous long-term deals to players who are near 30 or have already crossed over that 30-year line. With a new coach and general manger in tow, the team must figure out how they are going to add some young players to mix in with the veterans they already have who aren’t going anywhere. Perhaps a buyout or two in the future will ease the cap problems this franchise will deal with, but it may be a while before this franchise returns to its former glory.

Alec Martinez| Andy Andreoff| Anze Kopitar| Christian Folin| Darcy Kuemper| Derek Forbort| Drew Doughty| Dustin Brown| Jake Muzzin| Jonathan Quick| Jordan Nolan| Kevin Gravel| Los Angeles Kings| Marian Gaborik| Matt Greene| Mike Cammalleri| Mike Richards| Nick Shore| Oscar Fantenberg| Salary Cap Deep Dive| Tanner Pearson| Tyler Toffoli

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