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Troy Brouwer

Training Camp Cuts: 09/25/19

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Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Jakub Lauko (to Providence, AHL)
D Josiah Didier (to Providence, AHL)

Dallas Stars (per team release)

F Ty Dellandrea (to Flint, OHL)
F Joel Kiviranta (to Texas, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (to Texas, AHL)
G Landon Bow (to Texas, AHL)
G Jake Oettinger (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

D Alec Regula (to London, OHL)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

D Evan Bouchard (to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Shane Starrett (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Florida Panthers (per team release)

F Troy Brouwer (released from PTO)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Riley Barber (to Laval, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team release)

D Julian Melchiori (to Binghamton, AHL)

New York Islanders (per team release)

F Kieffer Bellows (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Arnaud Durandeau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Scott Eansor (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ryan Hitchcock (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Otto Koivula (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jeff Kubiak (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Nick Schilkey (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F John Stevens (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Sebastian Aho (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Grant Hutton (to Bridgeport, AHL)

New York Rangers (per team release)

F Phillip Di Giuseppe (to Hartford, AHL)
F Tarmo Reunanen (to Hartford, AHL)
G Adam Huska (to Hartford, AHL)
D Matthew Robertson (to Edmonton, WHL)

San Jose Sharks (per team release)

F Alexander True (to San Jose, AHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs (per team release)

F Nicholas Baptiste (to Toronto, AHL)
F Colt Conrad (to Toronto, AHL)
D Joseph Duszak (to Toronto, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Toronto, AHL)
D Jesper Lindgren (to Toronto, AHL)
D Kristians Rubins (to Toronto, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

F Alexander Alexeyev (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

F Skylar McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Jansen Harkins (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Jonathan Kovacevic (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Luke Green (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Leon Gawanke (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Emile Poirier (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Cole Maier (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
D Jacob Cederholm (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
G Adam Carlson (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Seth Griffith (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Logan Shaw (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)

Florida Panthers Sign Troy Brouwer To PTO

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The Florida Panthers will be bringing Troy Brouwer back to camp this season, but it won’t be with a contract. The team has signed Brouwer to a professional tryout instead, giving him a chance to earn his spot on the team or at least showcase his abilities around the league. Brouwer played last season for the Panthers on a one-year, $850K contract after being bought out by the Calgary Flames. He’ll still earn $1.5MM in each of the next three seasons thanks to the buyout.

Brouwer, 34, played in 75 games for the Panthers last season and recorded 12 goals and 21 points, but that wasn’t enough to earn him a new contract just yet. The team has added even more depth to their already dangerous forward group with names like Brett Connolly and Noel Acciari coming in through free agency and have several other prospects pushing for NHL playing time. The capability of those prospects may be exactly what Brouwer is battling against, as if someone like Owen Tippett plays himself onto the opening day roster there might not be room for the veteran.

Still, Brouwer provides a nice bit of insurance for the club in training camp. If they suffer injuries or someone doesn’t live up to expectations, the Panthers could likely just come to a one-year agreement with the power forward to give them another option in the bottom-six. A Stanley Cup champion from 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Brouwer’s presence and experience can only help the young forwards in Panthers camp trying to make their way in the NHL.

If he doesn’t land a deal with the Panthers, Brouwer could very well end up somewhere else just before the season begins. We’ve seen players on tryouts in the past end up signing elsewhere after proving they still have what it takes to play in the NHL.

Troy Brouwer Signs With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers have announced the signing of Troy Brouwer to a one-year one-way contract, bringing in the veteran forward after he was bought out by the Calgary Flames. Brouwer will earn $1.5MM from the Flames in each of the next four seasons, and now add another $850K from the Panthers in 20181-19. Florida GM Dale Tallon had this to say about his new forward:

Troy is a skilled veteran forward with championship experience. He adds depth to our forward group and his leadership will help our developing young core take the next step this season.

Brouwer, 33, comes to the Panthers fresh off the worst offensive season of his career, in which he recorded just six goals and 22 points in 76 games with the Flames. That was the first time he didn’t hit at least double digits in goals, and a substantial drop off from his career-high of 25 just a few years ago with the Washington Capitals. Brouwer doesn’t appear to have a ton of upside left, but could easily find himself a regular on the Florida fourth line this season. He’ll have to fight for that spot though, as the Panthers already have 12 other forwards on one-way deals and other players like Henrik Borgstrom, Owen Tippett, Denis Malgin and Maxim Mamin who could compete for a spot in the NHL.

The contract also leaves the Panthers with just under $2MM in cap space for the upcoming season, though that will increase when they decide to send down some of their excess forwards. They also currently have three goaltenders earning at least $1.3MM this season after signing Michael Hutchinson, and unless they are planning on carry all three when healthy his assignment to the minor leagues will free up some space. Given those pending transactions, signing a veteran option like Brouwer came with little risk for the Panthers and could provide some invaluable leadership as the group tries to make it back to the playoffs. Led by some underrated stars in Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers could surprise other teams in the Atlantic Division this season and put themselves in a position to compete for the Stanley Cup. Brouwer will be able to share some knowledge with the younger players, given that he won a championship in 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks and has played in more than 100 postseason contests.

Troy Brouwer Bought Out By Calgary Flames

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As expected, Troy Brouwer has been bought out by the Calgary Flames after clearing unconditional waivers today. The 32-year old forward had two years remaining on his contract, meaning the Flames will now carry a $1.5MM cap hit for the next four seasons. Brouwer is now free to sign with any other team as an unrestricted free agent.

Brouwer came to the Flames on July 1st, 2016 during a day which many teams around the league have come to regret. The free agent market that season was relatively weak, but several complementary players were given big dollars and term. Milan Lucic, Loui Eriksson, David Backes, and Andrew Ladd have all been including in trade speculation since, while others like Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen have been somewhat disappointing for their respective clubs. Brouwer, who was 31 by the time he played his first game in Calgary, actually looked like he might be a perfect fit for Calgary during his first game when he scored a short-handed goal and recorded three hits. The team had wanted to get more physical and bring some experience and defensive responsibility to their lineup, and Brouwer had a history of each.

Unfortunately, the offense would dry up for long stretches of 2016-17 and Brouwer would end up with just 13 goals and 25 points. Last season was even worse, as the veteran forward registered just six goals in 76 games and saw his playing time reduced to the lowest it has been his entire career. The writing was on the wall, and when the Flames went out and brought in James Neal, Derek Ryan, Austin Czarnik and Elias Lindholm to bolster their forward group, someone had to go. The team has plenty of young forwards ready to push for those limited minutes on the fourth line, just waiting for an opportunity to show what they can do at the NHL level.

More importantly perhaps than the roster spot is the $3MM in cap space created, which now allows the Flames to discuss a long-term extension for Noah Hanifin if they so choose. Before getting rid of Brouwer’s contract, the team might not have had the money to buy out several UFA seasons from Hanifin and likely would have needed to go with a bridge deal to keep the cap hit reasonably low. Now, with over $7.5MM in cap space they could lock up their young defender for many years to come and make sure he’s a part of the future. Hanifin remember already has three years under his belt, meaning he’ll become a UFA after four more seasons at the age of 25.

The cap space will also allow Calgary to be more flexible during the season, and perhaps be players once again on the trade market come February. After a disappointing 2017-18 season in which they missed the playoffs completely, the team should be at least competing for the postseason this time around. With a deeper forward corps and talented defensive group, they’ll have to hope for a healthy season from Mike Smith or for one of David Rittich or Jon Gillies to step up and show they can be a starter at the NHL level.

Brouwer meanwhile will likely land somewhere else quickly, as even with his reduced offensive impact he’s still well respected around the league as a bottom-six player. With what will now be an extremely reduced price tag, the veteran forward could sign a one-year deal to prove he can still be effective. He has played some center before, though his natural position is on the wing, and has a long history of penalty killing. His extremely low goal total can also at least somewhat be attributed to the huge drop in shooting percentage he experienced last season. After scoring on an above average 14.2% of his shots through the first decade of his career, Brouwer registered just a 7.6% shooting percentage this season. Though his shot creation numbers also fell dramatically, he could still be relied upon for somewhere around 10 goals and 25 points next season, a fine total for a fourth-line player—as long as he’s not making $4.5MM.

Troy Brouwer Placed On Unconditional Waivers, Will Be Bought Out

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The Calgary Flames earned a second buyout window after wrapping up their arbitration cases, and are going to take advantage of it. The team has placed Troy Brouwer on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout, something that we suggested might happen when Garnet Hathaway settled on Monday. Brouwer has two years remaining on his current deal, and carries a $4.5MM cap hit.

Because Brouwer’s contract has no signing bonuses remaining and was not front-loaded, the Flames will save a considerable amount over the next two years. They will now carry just a $1.5MM cap hit for the next four seasons, giving them plenty of flexibility for 2018-19. Not only will the team now have around $7.5MM in cap space with only Noah Hanifin and Hunter Shinkaruk left to sign, but they also will gain a roster spot for some of their younger forwards. Hathaway, Curtis Lazar, Dillon Dube and Spencer Foo will all be battling for playing time in training camp, as the Flames try to get quicker and more skilled on their fourth line.

That lack of skill and speed was the downfall of Brouwer, who plays a physical, bruising game. While he put up consistent offensive numbers throughout a good portion of his career, those numbers dropped off dramatically since signing a four-year $18MM contract with Calgary in 2016. It was a scary contract right from the outset given Brouwer was already 31 when he played his first game in a Flames uniform, and those fears came true almost immediately. In 2016-17 he recorded just 13 goals, his lowest total since his rookie season and followed it with just six last year in a diminished role.

A diminished role is exactly what he might find elsewhere this season, as there will surely be teams lined up to sign him for a lower salary. Teams looking for leadership, physicality and plenty of experience on their fourth line will be interested in a cheap Brouwer, who can sign as soon as the Flames officially buy him out.

Buyout Candidate: Troy Brouwer

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With the buyout window opening up on Friday, teams are going to have to make some important decisions in the days to come as to whether or not it’s time to cut bait with some of their underachieving players.  One of those is Calgary winger Troy Brouwer.

Two summers ago, Brouwer was one of the better power forwards available on the market.  His offensive consistency (he had scored between 17 and 25 goals in seven straight years) made him a safe bet to step in onto someone’s second line and give them a bit of grit with some scoring touch.  The Flames eventually won out over several other suitors and gave him a four-year, $18MM contract, a deal that didn’t seem particularly outlandish at the time.

His first season in Calgary saw his output dip to 25 points but that, in theory, could have been the by-product of playing on a new team in a new system.  At least, that’s what the Flames were hoping and that he could still rebound for 2017-18.  Suffice it to say, that didn’t happen.

The 32-year-old struggled mightily this past season, scoring just six times in 76 games, the lowest goal total in his ten-year career.  He also spent most of his time in the bottom six which caused his ice time to dip to just under 14 minutes per game, well off the 17:30 he had averaged over the past six years.  As a result, Calgary now has a $4.5MM player that looks to be finished as a top-six winger which isn’t a great spot to be in.

With two years remaining on his contract though, a buyout isn’t necessarily automatic.  While that would free up $3MM on their salary cap for the next two seasons, it would also add $1.5MM for both 2020-21 and 2021-22 as they would be paying out $1.5MM for each of the next four years.  That’s a tough pill to swallow for a player that they’ve already given $9MM to for a total of 19 goals.

The short-term savings would certainly be beneficial, however.  As things stand, Calgary has a little over $62MM committed to 15 players for 2018-19, per CapFriendly.  Adding another $3MM to their budget would allow them to be a little more active in free agency or in the trade market as they look to add some scoring help.

Over the next couple of weeks, there are some players where it seems fairly obvious that they will be bought out.  Brouwer’s case is a little less certain because of the extra year remaining on his contract.  With the buyout window ending on June 30th, it seems likely that Calgary will delay making a call on this situation until late in the month but there’s a pretty good chance Brouwer will be returning to free agency a lot earlier than he expected when he joined Calgary just two years ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Poll: Who Is The Most Likely To Be Bought Out?

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The NHL buyout period opens later this month, and teams will have to make tough decisions on some of their overpaid former-stars. Rory Boylen of Sportsnet has been all over potential buyout candidates throughout the season, and has now released his list of the top eight names that could see a paycheck start coming to not play for their current teams.

Last year we saw Simon Despres, Matt Greene, Antti Niemi, Benoit Pouliot, Jussi Jokinen, Lance Bouma, Ryan Murphy, Jimmy Hayes, Mark Stuart, Mike Cammalleri, and Devante Smith-Pelly bought out in the first window, and a similar number of players could find themselves on unconditional waivers this time around.

We’ve already heard about Matt Moulson’s expected buy out from the Buffalo Sabres, but Boylen throws eight different names into the mix. Several of them were once key parts of their franchise, while others never turned into the player they were expected to become.

Who do you think is the most likely player to be bought out when the window opens on the later of 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final, or June 15th. Cast your vote below and make sure to leave an explanation in the comment section. For more information on how much each team would have to pay, check out Boylen’s excellent breakdown or head over to CapFriendly’s handy calculator.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Injury Notes: Scheifele, Brouwer, Boychuk

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Mark Scheifele will return to the Winnipeg Jets lineup tonight for the first time in 2018, more than six weeks since his last NHL game. During that time, the Jets have continued to win and find themselves tied with the Nashville Predators for first place in the Central Division with 73 points.

Scheifele’s return will once again make the Jets forward group one of the most fearsome in the league, now armed with the added knowledge that Blake Wheeler can handle center responsibilities and still perform at an elite level. Winnipeg will take on St. Louis in a key divisional matchup that could bring the two teams within two points of each other once again.

  • Troy Brouwer is week-to-week in Calgary after suffering a facial fracture last night, but isn’t expected to be out long-term. Brouwer actually returned to the game but will have to take a seat for at least a little while, opening another opportunity for some of the young Flames forwards. Brouwer was playing better of late, but still has just 15 points on the season in the second year of his $18MM contract.
  • The New York Islanders are starved for defensive help, and they’ll get some tonight as the team activated Johnny Boychuk off injured reserve. Boychuk hasn’t played since December 27th, but is expected to be back in the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings. If the Islanders think they can truly reach and then compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they’ll need to greatly improve their defensive play—Boychuk is a good first step.

Early Expansion Protection News: Capitals, Kings, Flames, Predators, And More

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The 2017 NHL Expansion Draft is an exciting process. If you’re too riled up to wait until the lists are officially submitted in the morning, you’re in luck. As could be expected, information leaks are flooding in on who was and wasn’t protected by their teams ahead of the deadline this afternoon. This list will be updated all night long as more news comes in:

  • One not so obvious choice has been made in Nashville. Adam Vingan of The Tennessean answered a question on the minds of many, reporting that the Predators did in fact protect forward Calle Jarnkrok. With the rest of the eight-skater list all but set in stone with goalie Pekka Rinne, defensemen Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm, and star forwards Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson, the final forward spot came down to Jarnkrok, signed long-term, or James Neal, an elite scorer with just one year remaining on his contract. It seems that Neal will be open for selection, alongside names like Colton Sissons, Colin Wilson, and Craig Smith. Vignan adds that no deal has been struck between Vegas and the Predators to protect any of those players, with Nashville especially liking to retain Neal and Sissons.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that, interestingly enough, young Detroit Red Wings defenseman Xavier Ouellet was not protected by his team. This is the first real surprise of the expansion process and the first protection news that doesn’t match up with PHR’s Expansion Primer projections. The 23-year-old skated in 66 games this season for Detroit, third most among defenseman, and his 12 points tied that of top-pair man Danny DeKeyser. Yet, Ouellett will not join DeKeyser and Mike Green in protection, instead beaten out by another teammate. GM Ken Holland, who has gotten the reputation of perhaps being too loyal, possibly chose aging veteran Niklas Kronwall over Ouellet. Hopefully that doesn’t come back to bite the rebuilding Red Wings.
  • Another name confirmed to be unprotected is young Vancouver Canucks center Brendan Gaunce. Vancouver sports anchor Rick Dhaliwal was told that that Gaunce, a 2012 first-round pick, did not make the protection list for the Canucks, expected to be a 7/3 format, meaning that the team saw him as outside the top seven forwards on the team. The 23-year-old two-way specialist has upside, but after registering just five points in 57 games last season, no one will blame Vancouver for that choice.

Morning Notes: Brouwer, Jodoin, Seguin

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Eric Francis writes for the Calgary Herald that Troy Brouwer is expected to be one of the forwards exposed in the upcoming expansion draft for the Flames, and with it could be leaving the organization almost as soon as he joined it. Francis points out that Vegas GM George McPhee has traded for Brouwer once in the past, acquiring him for a first round pick from Chicago in the summer of 2011.

If you’d been following along, it was clear the Flames couldn’t protect Brouwer after acquiring Curtis Lazar at the deadline, giving them at least seven young forwards that would be ahead of him on the list. While it doesn’t mean for certain that the Flames will submit their protection list on June 17th with Brouwer exposed, it certainly looks that way right now. The 31-year old is coming off his worst point total of his career, but still would add a veteran presence to a weak Vegas squad should he be selected.

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced today that Clement Jodoin has chosen to leave the organization after his latest stint. Jodoin has been an associate coach for the team for two different five-year periods, and also worked as the Hamilton Bulldogs’ head coach and in the Canadiens’ player development department over the years. New head coach Claude Julien will meet with his other assistants in the next few days to decide what’s next for the coaching staff.
  • Tyler Seguin apparently was playing with a damaged labrum in his right shoulder for much of the season, and the team announced today that he underwent surgery yesterday to repair it. His recovery timeline is set at four months, meaning he’ll be lucky to be ready for the start of training camp next fall. Seguin was criticized for his play much of this season, but still ended up with 72 points despite the injury. He’ll be expected to take another step forward and help the Stars return to the playoffs next season, or there may be even bigger shakeups in Dallas next summer.

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