Carolina Hurricanes Sign Teuvo Teravainen
The Carolina Hurricanes have locked up an important piece, signing Teuvo Teravainen to a two-year contract. The deal will pay him $2.86MM annually. Teravainen was a restricted free agent for the first time, but this short-term deal will allow both sides to re-evaluate their position in a couple of years. 
Acquired last summer in the annual Blackhakws salary dump, Carolina massaged Teravainen out of Chicago in exchange for a pair of draft picks and taking on Bryan Bickell‘s contract. While Bickell would spend most of the season on long-term injured reserve after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Teravainen put up his best season as a pro scoring 15 goals and 42 points. Playing both wing and center at times, he ranked sixth on the team in scoring.
The 22-year old forward is part of an extremely young crop in Carolina who appear to be headed for great things. Along with Jeff Skinner, Sebastian Aho, Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask, the Hurricanes have one of the best 25-and-under groups in the NHL. Pair that with their good young defense corps and 10 picks in the upcoming entry draft and you can easily see this team is headed in the right direction.
Carolina isn’t a cap team, or more accurately not a cap-ceiling team, as they have an internal budget that they adhere to. Recently, due to the number of young players discussed above, the team has had trouble even reaching the cap floor. While there is a bit more money to spend when they need it, don’t think that the ~$25MM they still have in cap space for next season will be used on the open market this summer. That said, a two year deal with Teravainen takes him to 24 and will leave open the door to sign a longer term contract that buys out several free agent years. $2.86MM is plenty affordable for a 40-50 point player, and may believe he can eclipse that soon.
Teravainen was the Hurricanes’ only real pressing issue when it comes to restricted free agents this summer, with only Brock McGinn needing a deal among the rest of the NHL roster. What will be interesting to watch, is whether any extensions are handed out to the large group due to become RFAs next summer. They can officially announce any such extension on July 1st.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Offseason Keys: Carolina Hurricanes
While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Slow and steady has seemingly been the mantra in Carolina over the past few years and at the end of the season, they started to show a possible sign of things to come with a very impressive late push for a playoff spot. While they ultimately fell short of making the postseason, things are starting to look up for the Hurricanes who will be heading into next season with a new starter between the pipes in Scott Darling. Here’s a look at what else may be on tap for GM Ron Francis.
Sort Out The Goaltending
Darling’s acquisition and new four year, $16.5MM contract solidifies him as Carolina’s starter for the foreseeable future. However, the team still has both of their goaltenders from 2016-17 under contract for one more year in Cam Ward and Eddie Lack. Carolina, a team that tends to hover near the bottom of the league in payroll, is highly unlikely to carry three goalies for next season, at least willingly.
Ward, who played the bulk of the games this season, has the higher cap hit of the two at $3.3MM while Lack is at $2.75MM. Ward also has a partial no-trade clause that could get in the way of being moved as he can block a deal to 15 teams while Lack has no such protection.
Both will be exposed in the expansion draft but assuming they go unclaimed, it sets up a situation where one will need to be dealt or bought out. Ward would carry a buyout cost of $1.23MM next season and $1.03MM in 2018-19 while Lack would have a cap charge of $750K and $1MM over those seasons. It’s worth noting that in terms of actual dollars to be paid, Ward’s buyout would only cost $66K more despite the higher cap hit. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lack – who was called out by coach Bill Peters late in the season – be the odd man out.
Deal For Teravainen
Francis has very few NHL restricted free agents to deal with. In fact, there are only two of them but one of them – Teuvo Teravainen – is a notable one. The versatile forward has finished his entry-level contract and is coming off a career year with 42 points (15-27-42) in 81 games. There’s no doubt he’ll be in line for a nice raise for the $925K in salary he earned (before factoring in potential performance bonuses) over these last three seasons.
Back at the trade deadline, it was reported that Francis was looking into trade possibilities involving Teravainen. There’s no word as to whether they were close to finding a deal or if enough traction was made to reignite talks this summer. The suggestion that the Hurricanes, a team that has been in a rebuilding phase for a while now, would consider moving a 22 year old who was a first round selection was certainly noteworthy. Whether it’s a deal in the form of a second contract (bridge or long-term) or a deal in the form of a trade, Francis will have a big decision to make with Teravainen this offseason.
Dangle Defense For Offensive Help
The Hurricanes don’t have a well-known group of defensemen but they have quietly assembled a strong group of young and mostly home-grown talent. It has become a major strength for the organization and the time may be right to deal from a position of strength. Quality defenders with multiple years of team control remaining aren’t available too often and it’s something that pretty much every team covets.
Meanwhile, Carolina was in the bottom third of the league in terms of goal production and while they have some quality talent up front, they’re lacking in depth and could certainly stand to add a top six forward as well. If they wanted to dangle one (or more) of those blueliners, they would be well-positioned to get that impact forward in return.
Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Brett Pesce, and Jaccob Slavin happen to be on cheap contracts below $1MM for next season with all being eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Their cheap back end is going to become more expensive before too long. Accordingly, if there was ever a time to move one of their promising young defensemen, this may be it before most of those players get big raises in 2018. To that end, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Francis open up extension talks with several of these players once that window opens up in July.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hurricanes Listening To Offers On Teuvo Teravainen
The Carolina Hurricanes are exploring trade possibilities for forward Teuvo Teravainen, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The revelation is intriguing as Teravainen is just 22 years old and is believed to be part of Carolina’s core moving forward.
The Hurricanes added Teravainen from Chicago back in the offseason as part of the deal that also saw them pick up Bryan Bickell’s contract. He has fared pretty well in his first season with the ‘Canes, picking up 11 goals and 18 assists through 58 games while averaging a career high in ice time at 15:54 per night. The former 2012 first rounder (18th overall) is on pace to beat his career best in points of 35 which was set last season.
One possible reason for Carolina checking around on what they could get for Teravainen is his contract situation. He’s slated to become a restricted free agent this offseason and would be a candidate for a bridge deal coming off his entry-level pact. If the Hurricanes do move him, he won’t be an expensive piece for the acquiring team as he has a cap hit of just $833K, though that amount can be increased to just under $1.5MM if all of his performance bonuses are hit.
Metropolitan Notes: Wilson, Cousins, Schenn, Teravainen
After being predominantly a fourth line physical presence through the first three years of his career, Washington right winger Tom Wilson is looking to redefine himself as more of an all-around player, writes Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. The Capitals made Wilson their first round pick (16th overall) back in 2012 but he has primarily been known for his hitting and fighting and not the scorer he was back in junior where he had 91 points in 125 OHL games with Plymouth.
Considering the role he had as a junior-aged rookie (he had more fights than points by a 14-10 margin), some members of Washington’s front office have expressed some regret in rushing him to the NHL as an energy player instead of allowing him to hone his all-around game at the junior level.
Wilson is hardly the first high draft pick to start out as a fourth line tough guy and then develop more of an offensive game over the years as both Milan Lucic and Wayne Simmonds have had career paths like that. As Wilson does that, he is passing up on more opportunities to fight (his fight totals have dropped each year) and in turn, he is spending a lot less time on the penalty box. He’s on pace for 82 PIMS this season and while that total may seem high, his career low in that regard is 151 which came in his rookie year.
Head coach Barry Trotz hasn’t hesitated to trust Wilson more this season as he is averaging over 13 minutes of playing time per game (a career high) while he also is playing a regular role on the penalty kill. While that hasn’t translated into offensive success just yet as he has just a single goal in 21 games, the fact that he is playing a bigger role should pay dividends down the road even if the production isn’t there yet.
More from the Metropolitan Division:
- The Flyers appear to be moving Nick Cousins back to the left wing, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cousins has played the last four games down the middle but has struggled at the faceoff dot, winning just 13 of 53 draws, a success rate of just 24.5%. Brayden Schenn, a natural center but a player who has spent most of his career on the left side, will move back to the middle and play on the second line. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia’s regular second line pivot, is out for another three-to-five weeks with a sprained MCL.
- Teuvo Teravainen is getting the first shot at replacing Jordan Staal (concussion) as Carolina’s top line center but as Michael Smith of the Hurricanes’ website reports in a reader mailbag, the team envisions him the 22 year old Finnish forward at that position long-term. Head coach Bill Peters likes his two-way game and feels that will allow him to play down the middle successfully: “He’s very good defensively, and that’s what allows him to play center and have the coach’s trust, so I can play him against anybody. … He’s a playmaking center. We’re excited about seeing him there for the foreseeable future.” Teravainen is in his fourth NHL season but short of a small stint at center last year with Chicago, he has spent the bulk of his career on the left wing. He’s off to a decent start this season with five goals and five assists through 22 games while averaging a career high in ice time per game at 15:37.
Bryan Bickell Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis
The Carolina Hurricanes, via their official team website, announced today that forward Bryan Bickell has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Ron Franics, the team’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, made the announcement.
“First and foremost, the most important thing is for Bryan to take care of himself and our thoughts are with him and his family. He will need to take some time to rest in the immediate future, and we will support him as he takes the necessary steps for his health. We ask that his privacy be respected during the process.”
Bickell was also quoted in the team’s release:
“Since the 2015 playoffs, I’ve been struggling to understand what was going on with my body. Again during the past few weeks, it felt like something wasn’t right. Obviously this is a bit of shock for my family and me, but I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love.”
Obviously it’s unclear when or even if Bickell will return to the ice, though as his comments above suggest, he has every intention of suiting up again. The rugged winger was acquired by Carolina in the summer along with forward Teuvo Teravainen from Chicago in exchange for draft picks and salary cap relief. Bickell had appeared in seven games for Carolina netting a single goal and averaging 9:42 of ice time.
Former Minnesota goalie Josh Harding was diagnosed with MS early in the 2013-13 season but would return to the NHL to play in 34 regular season contests with the Wild over the next two seasons. That should offer Bickell some hope of an eventual return.
The Pro Hockey Rumors staff would like to extend our thoughts and well wishes to Bryan and his family during this time.
Rookie Notes: Shmaltz, Puljujarvi, Erne
Rookie tournaments around the league are underway, with various teams putting their youngesters up against each other to determine readiness and sometimes NHL futures. For Chicago, today is the second of back-to-back matchups, and one of the notable names isn’t participating in the game. Nick Schmaltz, the recently signed NCAA standout was a late scratch from today’s matchup, as Scott Powers of The Athletic reports. Schmaltz was a big part of the game last night against the Blues, and is expected to make his NHL debut at some point this season.
After two seasons at the University of North Dakota, Schmaltz (the Hawks’ first round pick from 2014) is set to make an impact for a Chicago team that has seen many home grown talents leave due to salary cap restraints over the past few years. If he can slide into a scoring role like he did with North Dakota – the 20-year old put up 46 points in his sophomore year in only 37 games – he’ll help to replace the offense that Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw will be taking with them.
- After surprisingly dropping to fourth overall in this year’s entry draft, Jesse Puljujarvi is already making an impact for the Oilers at their rookie camp. After a three point outburst last night against Vancouver, Puljujarvi is one of the hottest topics in the city of champions. He’ll sit out today though against Calgary, though it’s believed he’s not out with an injury. If the Finnish winger develops as most expect him to, Edmonton may have another franchise forward on their team to step into the shoes of the recently departed Taylor Hall.
- As Bryan Burns of NHL.com writes, Adam Erne will be heading into his fourth rookie camp with the Lightning, after injuries have derailed the early part of the former second-round pick’s career. This time, the winger isn’t just trying to make an impact on the NHL club, but stay healthy enough to compete in a full professional season. An elite scoring threat at the junior level, Erne put up 29 points in 59 games last season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
Carolina Hurricanes Extend Ron Francis
After a successful offseason that saw the Hurricanes bring in Teuvo Teravainen, Lee Stempniak and get a new deal inked with young forward Victor Rask, the team has decided to extend Executive Vice President and General Manager Ron Francis through the 2018-19 season.
Francis, who ranks fifth all-time in NHL scoring with 1798 points throughout his 23-year playing career, has been the Carolina GM since taking over the role from Jim Rutherford (now Pittsburgh GM) in 2014. Under his leadership the team was a surprise playoff contender for much of last season, despite having one of the youngest groups in the NHL.
With players like Rask, Teravainen, Jeff Skinner, and Elias Lindholm being joined up front by Finnish sniper Sebastian Aho and recent draftee Julien Gauthier, while the blueline is guarded by a group almost all under the age of 26, Francis has built one of the premiere young teams in the NHL and will surely find his way back into the postseason before long.
Blackhawks Notes: Hudler, Early Season Predictions
Though Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said the roster will remain relatively unchanged, that shouldn’t stop him from still looking to add depth writes CSN’s Charlie Roumeliotis. Though they missed out on Jimmy Vesey and Bowman said in July that the roster would be unchanged heading into camp in a month, Roumeliotis reports that the Hawks have approximately $2.39MM in cap space and could possibly squeeze a goal scorer onto the ledger. One such name is Jiri Hudler, who despite having a productive 2015-16 season, finds himself unemployed. Roumeliotis writes that there is still some hockey “left in the tank” as Hudler is only a season removed from a 76 point campaign. If Hudler doesn’t work out, Roumeliotis throws out Tomas Fleischmann as another backup option. Brandon Pirri, the Hawks former second round pick, is another choice, but Roumeliotis figures Pirri wouldn’t want another go around in Chicago. Despite offering names, Roumeliotis believes Chicago will indeed stand pat, but that some other options–at the right price–are available.
- CSN Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir takes a look at what the Hawks have done, and what should be expected for the season. El-Bashir writes that while the Blackhawks lost sparkplug Andrew Shaw via a trade, they added a critical defensive piece in Brian Campbell, who should work well in a system he’s already familiar with. Teuvo Teravainen being moved weakened the Hawks on the wing, and El-Bashir chalks this up to one of the many difficult decisions a championship caliber team makes to keep a core together. Despite those losses, El-Bashir sees Chicago as a formidable threat again in the West, boasting top talent in their Top 6, a rock solid top four on the blue line, and a stellar netminder in Corey Crawford. For all the cap issues the Hawks had, and will have in the future, El-Bashir believes Bowman has navigated the tricky waters well, and expects the Hawks to be dominant again.
Roster Crunch: Metropolitan Division
We’ve taken a look at three out of the four divisions now, and the decisions they’ll have to make come training camp. The Pacific’s depth on defense, the changes coming up front in the Central, and the mass of young talent set to break through in the Atlantic. Now, we’ll take a look at the what many considered the best division in hockey last year, with four 100-point teams and both the President’s Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champions.
Washington Capitals – There is probably no team with fewer uncertainties going into the season than the Washington Capitals. After running away with the regular season points lead, the Capitals couldn’t even make it to the Stanley Cup final, but they’ll head into next season with largely the same group. They brought in Lars Eller, whose possession numbers should help the third line, and allowed Jason Chimera and Mike Richards to walk (though the latter remains unsigned). Basically the only battle in camp will be for a fourth line or 13th forward spot; can Brett Connolly do enough to make the squad over Stanislav Galiev? Exciting stuff.
Hurricanes Sign Lee Stempniak
Veteran winger Lee Stempniak has agreed to terms on a two-year, $5MM deal with the Carolina Hurricanes, the team confirmed. Stempniak is joining his tenth team of his NHL career, and the fifth in just the last two years.
After trading long-time captain Eric Staal last season, the team needed some veteran consistency and leadership, both things that Stempniak can provide. Now 33 years old, the former fifth-round pick has proven he can be a legitimate scoring presence in any role, putting up double-digit goal totals in every year of his career save the lockout-shortened 2012-13 (in which he scored nine).
Last season saw a return to a level he hadn’t seen in years though, with Stempniak putting up 51 points for New Jersey and Boston. The Hurricanes will look to slot those points in alongside their young group up front that includes newly acquired Teuvo Teravainen. Stempniak has the skill and speed to play anywhere in the top-9 in today’s NHL, and has been a solid contributor on the penalty kill in the past.