Tyler Pitlick

Dallas Notes: Ritchie, Faksa, Pitlick, Oleksiak, Smith

November 5, 2017 at 5:24 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Dallas Stars announced they have placed winger Brett Ritchie on injured reserve today retroactive to Oct. 30. He suffered an upper-body injury and while he was listed as day-to-day, the newest update suggests he could miss up to another week with the injury.

The 24-year-old wing has struggled so far this year with just one goal and one assist in 12 games this year. Ritchie ranked fourth on the team last year, potting 16 goals in 78 games. The 2011 second-round pick has just 15 shots on goal in those 12 games and has seen his average ice time drop to 12:03, down from a career average of 13:00.

The move was made as the team suddenly has been hit with a flurry of injuries, with center Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick both being listed as doubtful for Monday’s home game against the Winnipeg Jets, while veteran center Martin Hanzal is listed as questionable, according to NHL.com’s Sean Shapiro. Putting Ritchie on IR will allow the team to make a roster move and call up a player from the Texas Stars either later today or tomorrow.

Faksa, who suffered an apparent leg injury in Saturday’s game, also has been showing improvement in his game, picking up a goal and an assist in their win over the Buffalo Sabres. Pitlick is also listed as doubtful with an upper-body injury, but no other clarification, according to Shapiro.

Shapiro also tweets the team may turn to defenseman Jamie Oleksiak in an emergency and ask him to play the forward position on Monday. Oleksiak has only appeared in eight games so far this season and has been a healthy scratch for the last two.
Scott Burnside of NHL.com writes that head coach Ken Hitchcock praised the play of Gemel Smith as the team’s most improved player after Saturday’s game. Despite struggling to get on the scoreboard in the first few games that he’s been in, the 23-year-old was instrumental in aiding the team’s four-goal first period Saturday as he picked up his first two assists of the season. His rushes on net helped open up goal scoring opportunities on both Faksa’s and Stephen Johns goals in that period. “He’s a hockey player,” Hitchcock said of Smith. “He acts like a hockey player and plays like a hockey player. You don’t have to tell him twice. He has a feel for the game and does a lot of things that just help you win hockey games. He’s underrated offensively and he’s competitive and really good on the boards. He builds you good minutes every night.”

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Dallas Stars

September 3, 2017 at 8:50 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.

Dallas Stars

Current Cap Hit: $75,196,355 (over the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Devin Shore (One year remaining, $870K)
D Julius Honka (Two years remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Honka: $500K

Total: $500K

Despite a disappointing season a year ago, the Dallas Stars did have some young players who showed some promise. Shore was one of those players. A second-round pick in 2010, the 23-year-old had a decent first year with the Stars, scoring 13 goals and adding 20 assists and playing in all 82 contests. What Shore did not get much of was ice time, as he averaged just 14:08 on the ice. That may change this year as there are many who believe he could be a top-six forward right now. Honka is another player who got a little bit of time with the Stars last year. The 21-year-old defender, their first-round pick from 2014, has already fared well with the AHL’s Texas Stars. He scored seven goals and added 24 assists in 50 games with them and got 16 games with Dallas at the end of the year and picked up five points. He is a likely candidate to make the team this year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Kari Lehtonen ($5.9MM, UFA)
D Dan Hamhuis ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Antoine Roussel ($2MM, UFA)
D Jamie Oleksiak ($965K, RFA)
D Patrik Nemeth ($945K, RFA)
D Greg Pateryn ($800K, UFA)
D Stephen Johns ($725K, RFA)
F Curtis McKenzie ($700K, UFA)
F Brian Flynn ($700K, UFA)
F Mattias Janmark ($700K, RFA)
F Adam Cracknell ($675K, UFA)

That’s a long list, but the team really has few major worries about re-signing free agents next season. Lehtonen was a buyout candidate this offseason after the team had too many goaltenders. Instead, they held onto him to be their backup, but at $5.9MM, that’s an expensive backup who played 59 games and had a save percentage of .902. The team will rejoice at their salary cap savings next season. As for Hamhuis, the 34-year-old blueliner will need to have a big year if he wants another contract.

The 27-year-old Roussel is a different story. Everything depends on how he plays, but Dallas would like to see more offense than 12 goals from him to go with his 115 penalty minutes he picked up last year. The same holds true for Oleksiak, although he will be a restricted free agent, but the 24-year-old defenseman must show he can win a full-time job. He only managed 41 games last year. Johns, however, will likely be retained next year. He managed to get into 61 games last year and currently expected to make the team.

Two Years Remaining

F Jason Spezza ($7.5MM, UFA)
F Tyler Seguin ($5.75MM, UFA)
D Marc Methot ($4.9MM, UFA)
D Esa Lindell ($2.2MM, RFA)
F Brett Ritchie ($1.75MM, RFA)

This will be where the Stars must make some key decisions. Seguin will be their top target as re-signing their star will be essential. The 25-year-old center forced his way out of Boston and landed in Dallas where is career really took off. He has put up 133 goals in four seasons and even though he had a bit of a down year last year (26 goals), everyone did. He should move back to center this year under coach Ken Hitchcock and is expected to have a big year, despite having shoulder surgery. He is expected back for training camp.

Spezza, on the other hand, will be 36 when his contract expires and his numbers have been declining for the last few years. At $7.5MM, there are many better ways to improve this team than his 15 goals and 35 assists. No one is quite sure what Methot will do in Dallas. Acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights after the expansion draft, Methot is a very good defensive player, but injuries have stood in his way – often freak injuries like the finger slash. He has never once in his career played an 82-game season and he’s 32. He played 68 games last year, so the stars are hoping for a big season from him despite his expensive price tag.

Lindell was signed to a two-year extension just this offseason. The 23-year-old got into 73 games in his first full season with the Stars. He had a quiet, but solid season for Dallas and should be part of their long-term future. Ritchie is also a commodity the Stars will want to lock up in two years. His first full season produced 16 goals. Along with his 6-foot-3 size and his speed, he is a candidate for a breakout season this year.

Three Years Remaining

F Martin Hanzal ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Radek Faksa ($2.2MM, RFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($1MM, RFA)

After the team will be forced to pay up for players like Seguin, Lindell and Ritchie, the team won’t have as much to spend one year later. Hanzal, who just signed a three-year deal with Dallas this offseason, is already 30 years old. Will he be worth bringing back in three years? It will depend on his success over the next three years, but if they can get 20 goals like he put up this last year between Arizona and Minnesota, perhaps they would. Faksa will be a restricted free agent, but like Ritchie, could be in line for a big season this year. The 23-year-old had 12 goals and 33 points this past year and is already praised for his defensive play. Once his offensive skills catch up, he should put up good numbers. Pitlick is more of an unknown. Signed from Edmonton this summer, the 25-year-old had eight goals in 31 games, but has never been able to crack the Oilers’ lineup. He hopes to get that chance this year.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Jamie Benn ($9.5MM through 2024-25)
F Alexander Radulov ($6.25MM through 2021-22)
G Ben Bishop ($4.92MM through 2022-23)
D John Klingberg ($4.25MM through 2021-22)

The team has only a handful of long-term contracts, starting with Benn, who had a 41-goal season in the 2015-16 season and was rewarded with an eight-year extension at $9.5MM. Unfortunately, he put up only 26 goals last year, the first year in the deal. However, there is the general belief that the 28-year-old will bounce back and put up another big season like he had the three years before. Expect those numbers to also go up with this year’s big free agent acquisition in Radulov. The former Canadiens wing came over from the KHL last year and put up an 18-goal season and is likely to team up with Benn this season. The 31-year-old is expected to put up big numbers, but will he be worth the contract when he is in his mid-thirties?

Bishop is another one of the team’s big acquisitions after the Stars acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings and signed him to a six year deal for 4.92MM per year. He dominated for many years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but became expendable to the Lightning and later to the Kings who traded for him at the deadline this year. But despite a slightly down year, Bishop should be able to produce with his 2.32 career GAA. Klingberg is also a key piece to the Stars puzzle. The 25-year-old blueliner has been the team’s star on defense, putting up 13 goals and 49 points last season. His deal almost looks like a bargain at $4.25MM.

Buyouts

Antti Niemi ($1.5MM for 2017-18 and $1.5MM for 2018-19)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Klingberg
Worst Value: Radulov

Looking Ahead

After a extremely disappointing season that saw them go from a team that reached the second round of the playoffs to a team that placed sixth in the Central Divison, the Stars went out and spent some money. They picked up Hanzal, Radulov and traded and signed Bishop all for big money. They have quite a bit of youth that are mixed in to their veteran players and if those players emerge, the Stars should be able to easily get back into the playoff mix. Obviously, the need to make sure they retain Seguin, but with an influx of defenseman like Klingberg, Lindell, Honka and 2017 third-overall pick Miro Heiskanen, the team should be ready to move on from some of their veteran defenders. The team also has high hopes they can eventually bring back 2014 first-rounder Valeri Nichushkin, who left the organization a year ago to play in the KHL. All in all, the Stars should be in good shape for the future.

Dallas Stars Re-Sign Gemel Smith

July 11, 2017 at 3:37 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

After locking up Radek Faksa to a new contract yesterday, GM Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars were back at it again today, announcing an extension for forward Gemel Smith. Smith signed a one-year, two-way deal with financial terms not yet disclosed.

Smith made his NHL debut in 2016-17, skating in 17 games and recording three goals and three assists. He also added 33 points in 53 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars. The 2012 fourth-round pick hadn’t found that kind of scoring success since he was a star forward with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack.

While Smith seemed poised to take on a bigger role with Dallas this season, the additions of Alexander Radulov, Martin Hanzal and maybe even Tyler Pitlick and Brian Flynn could mean even less opportunity for Smith. At just 5’10”, Smith plays a surprisingly hard-nosed, physical game. He may need to focus more on that side of his game than his offensive ability to earn his initial role with Dallas.

Stars Sign Tyler Pitlick To Three-Year Deal

July 1, 2017 at 12:21 pm CDT | by natebrown 3 Comments

The Dallas Stars added some more forward depth, inking Tyler Pitlick to a three-year, $3MM deal. Pitlick spent last season with the Edmonton Oilers, notching 11 points (8-3).

Pitlick comes at a relatively low cost and is still only 25 years of age. It’s a depth move for the Stars, who are looking to rebound from an injury-ravaged 2016-17 season. The Stars released their own announcement on the signing, with general manager Jim Nill saying:

“Tyler is a young player who will add speed and size to our lineup,. He offers versatility to our forward group and we look forward to him being a Dallas Star for many years.”

Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers

June 25, 2017 at 4:59 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The free agent period is now less than one week away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of the Edmonton Oilers’ free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Leon Draisaitl. At 21 years old and coming off a 29-goal season (along with 77 total points), Draisaitl would likely be the most important restricted free agent in the entire NHL. The Oilers have already come out and stated they will match any offer, no matter how high to retain one of the franchise’s cornerstone pieces on their team and it will prove costly. The third overall pick in the 2014 draft has been unstoppable in just three short years and he’s nowhere close to his prime. Extending the young German forward is critical for the team and a big reason the team just traded Jordan Eberle to the Islanders to free as much cap space as it can to lock up Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who they hope to extend this year as well.

Other RFA’s: F Zack Kassian, D Joey Laleggia, D David Musil, F Zachary Pochiro, F Henrik Samuelsson, D Dillon Simpson.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Tyler Pitlick. A few days ago, veteran defender Kris Russell would have been in this spot, but the defender signed a four-year, $4MM per year deal to stay with the Oilers. That leaves very little to worry about on the unrestricted free agent front. However, if you really look, Pitlick still has a lot of potential. The only problem is the 25-year-old center is quite injury prone. In the last three years, he has not played in more than 37 games a season due to various injuries with the most recent being a torn ACL back in December. Although, he was having a strong season before that, scoring eight goals in those first 31 games. However, considering the Oilers may be looking for cheap players with potential, they might consider giving Pitlick one more chance.

Other UFA’s: F David Desharnais, F Justin Fontaine, D Mark Fraser, F Matt Hendricks, D Eric Gryba, D Jordan Oesterle.

Projected Cap Space: With the Eberle contract now off the books and Russell signed long-term, that allows Edmonton almost $20MM in cap space to work with and they will likely need a lot of that to give extensions to Draisaitl and McDavid. While McDavid is not a restricted free agent until next year, the team can lock him up starting this summer and would be smart to do so. With what’s left, the team may look to add a few veterans to fill out the lineup and help guide this young team even further next year.

Pacific Notes: Redmond, Edler, Couture, Pitlick

March 31, 2017 at 6:50 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Ducks have joined in the NCAA signing frenzy once again, announcing the signing of goaltender Angus Redmond to a three year, entry level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 21 year old Redmond recently completed his first and only season at Michigan Tech, compiling a 22-10-5 record along with a 1.85 GAA, a .917 SV%, and four shutouts in 38 appearances. His goals against average ranked third in Division I among full-time starters while he was named WCHA Rookie of the Week on four separate occasions.

The Ducks are banking on Redmond being a late bloomer as he went undrafted after spending parts of four seasons with Salmon Arm of the BCHL.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

Canucks defenseman Alex Edler noted to TSN 1040 (audio link) that he hasn’t given any thought to how he might respond if GM Jim Benning approached him about waiving his no-trade clause. Benning has been on record suggesting that he’d be willing to move a blueliner for help up front. Between that and Vancouver’s current situation as a team that appears to be heading for a rebuild, it’s certainly plausible that the team could approach the 30 year old, the elder statesman on their back end, about his willingness to be moved sometime this offseason. Edler has two years left on his deal after this one with a cap hit of $5MM.
The Sharks will be without center Logan Couture tonight and for at least the next two games after that as he is not with the team on their current road trip, reports CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz. There remains no timetable for his return to the lineup. Couture took a puck to the mouth on Saturday against the Predators and needed a considerable amount of dental work to repair the damage. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him play with a full face shield once he gets the green light to return.
Oilers right winger Tyler Pitlick has started skating lightly as he continues his rehab from ACL surgery, notes Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. The injury occurred back in mid-December. Despite the fact that he’s on the ice, he’s not expected to return this season.

Tyler Pitlick Out For The Season

December 23, 2016 at 1:46 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers will be without right winger Tyler Pitlick for the remainder of the season as the team announced Friday that he has suffered a torn ACL. The injury occurred in the third period against St. Louis on Monday night.

Pitlick, a second round pick of the Oilers back in 2010 (31st overall), was in his first full season with the team and had been providing them with good production from the fourth line. He had eight goals (tied for fifth on the team) and three assists despite averaging just under ten minutes per game.

In his career, the 25 year old has played in 58 NHL games, scoring 11 goals while adding three assists.

At least for the time being, the injury could open up a spot for rookie Jesse Puljujarvi to play more often although he’s expected to be scratched for Taylor Beck tonight. The fourth overall pick back in June has played in just four games this month while being a healthy scratch for the other seven. The Oilers declined to loan him for the World Juniors and if this injury doesn’t result in much more action for him in the short-term, a stint in the minors might not be a bad idea. As he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL, he is eligible to be loaned despite being under 20.

One other player who should see more action as a result of Pitlick’s injury is veteran Matt Hendricks who has played in just 11 games this season due to a lower body injury while being scratched frequently. It was reported earlier this month that he was on the trade block. A more regular role for him may make it a bit easier to move his $1.85MM cap hit closer to the trade deadline.

Snapshots: Gignac, Pitlick, Cammalleri, Stone

November 12, 2016 at 4:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils announced (Twitter link) that they have signed 2016 third round pick (80th overall) Brandon Gignac to a three year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Gignac is off to a strong start this season with Shawinigan of the QMJHL, scoring five goals while adding 11 assists in 14 games. The 19 year old will remain with his junior team and since it’s highly unlikely that he will play in more than nine games with the Devils this season (the only way he can be brought up is via an emergency recall), his contract won’t officially kick in this season and will instead slide a year.

He’s also set to represent Team QMJHL next week in the Canada-Russia series, a primer for next month’s World Junior Hockey Championships.

Elsewhere around the league:

In his sixth year at the professional level, Edmonton right winger Tyler Pitlick is making his case to stick around, writes Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Sun. Through 15 games this season, the 25 year old has five goals, more than he had in his previous NHL stints combined and has moved off of the fourth line. The team hasn’t given him the green light to move out of the hotel and look for a more permanent residence just yet though: “I think they just want to see if I can keep it up. A lot of guys come in here and have a good first 10 games and then it starts to drop off. I think they want to see if I can hold it consistently.”
New Jersey left winger Mike Cammalleri will miss his second straight game tonight due to personal reasons, notes Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice. Head coach John Hynes told reporters that he’s not sure how long Cammalleri will be away from the team.
Arizona defenseman Michael Stone is expected to return to the lineup tonight after missing the last six games with an upper body injury, writes Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. This already marks the second time this year that Stone is coming back from an injury after he missed time early on as he finished recovering from knee surgery. Stone has three assists in four games this season but as a pending UFA, it’s safe to say that this hasn’t been the start to the season that he was hoping for so far.

« Previous Page

Headlines