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Potential Compliance Buyout Candidates: Part I

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As the current Coronavirus crisis wears on, it seems more and more likely that the NHL will not return to action soon and when play resumes, it will almost certainly not be the full remaining regular season schedule. That lost revenue is expected to impact the 2020-21 salary cap, perhaps even keeping the current $81.5MM upper limit in place. Given that teams expected an increase, initially projected to be between $84-88.2MM, this stagnation could have a harsh impact on a number of clubs’ cap situations. As such, many expect that compliance buyouts will return in some form or fashion to ease that pain. These buyouts, which do not count against the salary cap, would allow for teams to open up space that they otherwise expected from a cap increase.

Here is a rundown of the top compliance buyout candidates for the first third of NHL teams:

Anaheim Ducks: Adam Henrique

– The first team on the list is a tough call. Henrique has had a good season and the Ducks are not in significant cap trouble. However, with a long list of promising forward prospects and a defense that needs work, the team could opt to move on from the veteran forward and to create roster space and cap flexibility. Henrique, 30, is signed for four more years at $5.825MM.

Arizona Coyotes: Phil Kessel

– The Coyotes are in one of the worst positions in the league in terms of cap space, so the team would have to use a compliance buyout if the opportunity is offered to them. Kessel has been a relative bust in his first season with the ‘Yotes and is signed for two more years at $6.8MM. He has the potential to improve in year two, but Arizona may not have the luxury of taking the chance. The added cap space would be a major relief for the team.

Boston Bruins: John Moore

– Given the Bruins’ depth on defense in both veteran assets and budding prospects as well as Moore’s relegation to a backup role on the Boston blue line, he has become an expendable asset, especially if both Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug are back next season. Moore is signed longer than any current Bruins defenseman with three years and $8.25MM remaining, but the team’s commitment to him seems less than any of his fellow blue liners.

Buffalo Sabres: Kyle Okposo

– Unfortunately for the Sabres, the Okposo signing in 2016 has never panned out. His production dropped from 64 points with the New York Islanders in 2015-16 to just 45 points in his first year in Buffalo and that total has gone down in every year since. Okposo was on pace for just 24 points this year and may not even reach that mark. The Sabres would be quick to part ways with Okposo, who has three years at $6MM annually left on his contract, taking up valuable cap space that the team needs to use to improve the rest of their roster.

Calgary Flames: Milan Lucic

– Even with the salary being retained by the Edmonton Oilers on Lucic’s contract, his $5.25MM cap hit is still a pain for the Flames. The veteran power forward is not going to score 20+ goals or 50+ points in a season ever again and Calgary could do more with the added cap space over the next three years.

Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Gardiner

– For whatever reason, the Gardiner signing simply has not worked out as the Hurricanes had hoped. Gardiner, who was signed late last summer at a relative discount, has been a fine addition, but hasn’t been the point producer and power play ace that Carolina had hoped for. Following the deadline addition of Brady Skjei to arguably the deepest blue line in the NHL already, Gardiner and his remaining three years and $12.15MM are expendable.

Chicago Blackhawks: Brent Seabrook

– One of the more obvious choices on this list, Seabrook’s contract may the worst in the NHL right now. The 34-year-old has four years left at $6.875MM AAV on an eight-year, $55MM deal signed back in 2015. Over the term of the contract, Seabrook has declined rapidly and is a shell of his former self, regardless of health. The cap-strapped Blackhawks would not think twice about moving on.

Colorado Avalanche: Erik Johnson

– Johnson is a well-liked and well-respected long-time member of the Avalanche. However, as time has gone on the team has surrounded him with better, younger, and more affordable blue line options. As valuable as Johnson’s experience and leadership may be, he is an expendable piece without a clear future role. Signed through 2022-23 at a $6MM cap hit, Johnson is an expensive piece to keep around just for the intangibles and the Avs could look to use this opportunity to clear some space for some anticipated big game hunting this off-season.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Alexander Wennberg

– Blue Jackets fans have been calling for Wennberg’s head for years now and may finally get their wish. The once-promising young forward turned a 59-point 2016-17 season into a six-year, $29.4MM contract and then proceeded to regress immensely over the past few seasons instead of continuing to improve as expected. With another three years left at $4.9MM per, Wennberg doesn’t seem likely to get back to a level of play that would warrant his current cap hit and Columbus could move on, even from a 25-year-old homegrown product.

Dallas Stars: Andrew Cogliano

– The Stars are a team with numerous big names and long contracts, but their most inefficient name might just be Cogliano. Rather than using a buyout to move a heavy cap hit, Dallas could opt to trim the fat by removing a player that hasn’t been a good fit. Cogliano has showed that his six points in 32 games last season with the Stars following a trade from Anaheim was not a fluke; he followed it up with 14 points through 68 games this year. Expecting Cogliano to get back to 30+ point form in 2020-21 in his final year at $3.25MM seems hopeful at best and Dallas could use that space elsewhere with some lineup holes to fill this summer.

Stay tuned for Part II coming soon.

Jack Ahcan To Sign With Boston Bruins

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Under both Claude Julien and now Bruce Cassidy, the Boston Bruins have largely stressed the importance of a lefty-righty balance on the blue line. However, when it comes to loading up the pipeline, that principle doesn’t seem to carry the same weight. The Bruins will continue to add talent to the left side of their defensive ranks, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the team is set to sign St. Cloud State standout Jack Ahcan.

Ahcan, 22, just wrapped up his senior year with the Huskies and finished his collegiate career with 103 points in 144 games, two NCHC regular season titles, and the “C” on his sweater this final season as well. Ahcan, whose younger brother Roman plays for Wisconsin while youngest brother Grant is committed to St. Cloud State, emerged as an elite talent seemingly out of nowhere as a freshman. The USHL product played his way onto the U.S. World Junior Championship squad, which won gold that year, and finished the NCAA season with 21 points in 32 games. In 2018-19, Ahcan was one of the top blue liners in all of college hockey, finishing in the top ten among NCAA defensive scoring and fifth overall in plus/minus.

Ahcan draws a remarkably close comparison to many of Boston’s existing defensive assets: Torey Krug, Matt Grzelcyk, and even AHL project Cooper Zech. At 5’8” and 185 lbs., Ahcan is a small left-handed defenseman who excels in puck movement, vision, and offensive awareness – a description that fits the whole group. Ahcan quarterbacked the power play at St. Cloud State, much as Krug does in Boston, but also like Krug he is not afraid to throw a big hit and get involved in puck battles. In fact, Ahcan’s skating ability allows him to hunt the puck and create turnovers and offensive chances. Boston has found a way to get the most out of undersized, offensive-minded defenseman and under the tutelage of Krug, Ahcan has a chance to become a special player.

Of course, Krug is set to be an unrestricted free agent, while Grzelcyk will be a restricted free agent this summer. Both are expected to be back next season, but perhaps not for the long haul. A popular projection is for Grzelcyk to be lost to Seattle in the impending 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Boston is too deep up front to protect four defenseman and the likely group of Krug, Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo would leave Grzelcyk up for grabs. Ahcan could be groomed to be a replacement option in that case.

He will have plenty of competition though. There is no shortage of talent on left side of the blue line in Boston’s organizational depth chart. Although future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara may not be around much longer and Krug is not yet extended long-term, the Bruins have Grzelcyk (for now), veteran John Moore, and rookie Jeremy Lauzon at the NHL level as well. In the AHL, recent first-round picks Urho Vaakanainen and Jakub Zboril will also push for promotion, with the aforementioned Zech in the mix as well. Down the road, 2019 selection Roman Bychkov could also figure into the competition. On top of all of that, the Bruins also signed Nick Wolff from the college ranks just last week. The Minnesota-Duluth defender is an entirely different style of player from Ahcan, but another name eager to show his pro chops. Consider that the right side is well-off at the top level as well with McAvoy, Carlo, Connor Clifton, and Steven Kampfer, and there are far more bodies than opportunities on the Boston blue line. Ahcan is a talented prospect and can learn from some of the best at his particular style with the Bruins, but he has his work cut out for him to be an NHL regular any time soon. If he rises to the task, Boston could look back on this signing as a game-changer.

East Notes: Chara, Devils GM Position, Kotkaniemi, Meyer

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Almost a year ago, Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara signed a one-year extension (on Mar. 23) as he made it quite clear he wanted to return for another season in Boston. While the league remains suspended, it should be noted that the 43-year-old has not shown the same enthusiasm of signing a contract. Could that signal the end of his career is coming?

When interviewed recently, Chara’s agent Matt Keator, was quite vague about negotiations on a new contract.

“Not thinking about it right now,” said Keator. “Something we’ll all sit down with at the end of the year — Z, me, [Bruins GM] Don Sweeney — and figure out what’s next.”

The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont writes that if the season doesn’t resume, there is a good chance that Chara may have played his last game as a Boston Bruin. While there remains a good chance that the league resumes eventually, which would allow Boston to fight for a Stanley Cup, including Chara, there is a chance that the season gets cancelled and Chara chooses to retire.

Chara still is a solid top pairing defenseman for the Bruins. He averages 21:01 of ATOI, while putting up five goals, 14 points, 60 penalty minutes, 101 hits and has blocked 78 shots in 68 games.

  • The New Jersey Devils might find themselves in bind when it comes to interviewing candidates for their open general manager and coaching positions, according to The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required). While the team did already interview former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis two weeks ago, the Devils were hoping to wait until the season was over to interview candidates that are currently employed. With a delay until the season ends, New Jersey could find itself without a permanent GM in place for quite a while, something the team wanted to avoid. Interim general manager Tom Fitzgerald remains a candidate, which could increase the chances of him getting the permanent job. Another option, according to Masisak would be if the NHL allowed teams to interview candidates during the break.
  • The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription required) breaks down the stock of Montreal Canadiens 2018 first-round pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who was lost for the season last week with an injured spleen with little fanfare for a top prospect. The scribe looks at what has happened to the team’s view on the highly regarded rookie last season and how the 19-year-old had lost his confidence during that season and how it hadn’t returned this season, which includes how the centerman was sent to Laval after struggling in his sophomore campaign with just six goals and eight points in 36 games.
  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Carson Meyer, who completed his senior year at Ohio State University, has signed with an agent, Jeff Boston of Roy Sports Group. Unfortunately, his next step is unclear with the suspension of play at both the NHL or AHL level. Meyer wrapped up his senior year with a career-high 17 goals and although he could wait until August to become an unrestricted free agent, he is an Ohio native, suggesting he might prefer to sign with the team that drafted him.

 

Minor Transactions: 02/09/20

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It’s the first Sunday without football since September 1st, but the NHL is here to take over with a five-game slate today. The action kicks off at 12:30 local time in Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. The contest doubles as both an Original Six match-up and a meeting between the best and worst records in the league. Zdeno Chara, who was honored yesterday in Boston for 1500 career games and 1000 games with the Bruins, will lead his team into what they hope is their seventh win in a row. Meanwhile, the Blackhaws-Jets and Avalanche-Wild present Central Division collisions between teams all jockeying for playoff position. Colorado would like to catch St. Louis atop the conference, while Chicago, Minnesota, and Winnipeg are just hoping they can punch their ticket to the postseason. Amidst the action today, there will also be a number of minor moves as teams prepare their rosters for the week ahead. Sunday is typically a busy day for transactions, and early indications are that today will be no different. Follow along with all the moves here:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that rookie center Ryan MacInnis has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has just one point in nine games with Columbus this season. The once-promising pivot looks as though his future in the NHL will likely be as a bottom-six contributor, rather than the top-six forward he was projected as when the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the second round in 2014.  His spot is being taken on the roster by top prospect Liam Foudy as his OHL team in London announced that the 20-year-old has been recalled on an emergency basis.  The 18th pick in 2018 has 43 points in 32 games with the Knights this season and can play in up to nine games without burning the first season of his entry-level deal.
  • After sending defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres have turned around and called him back up this morning. Pilut has been an impressive contributor for the Rochester Americans this season, but has been held off the scoreboard with Buffalo.
  • Conversely, the Washington Capitals have demoted their young defender Martin Fehervary after he was recalled and added to the lineup yesterday ahead of the team’s game against the Flyers. CapFriendly reports that Fehervary is on his way back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he has already logged 45 appearances this season.
  • CapFriendly also reports that Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Benson has been returned to the AHL. The promising prospect leads the Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 42 games so far this year.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced that oft-on-the-move forward Nicolas Roy has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The big forward has split his season between both clubs and has been a consistent contributor at both levels. At least if Roy continues to be a frequent mover next season, the trip will be shorter, as the Knights hope to bring an AHL affiliate to the Las Vegas area.
  • The Athletic’s Eric Stephens relays that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped a trio a prospects. Heading to the parent club are defensemen Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura, while forward Kiefer Sherwood will return to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The uneven exchange and the addition of two defensemen indicates that veteran Erik Gudbranson has been moved to the injured reserve. The defensive duo should be able to fill in nicely, as they have each registered four points in a combined 29 points this season.
  • With the Bruins “expecting something” from Jeremy Lauzon’s hearing with Player Safety this morning, Brandon Carlo flying to meet the team in Detroit after a personal day on Saturday, and John Moore leaving yesterday’s game in the third period, the team had more than enough reason to use an emergency recall on Urho Vaakanainen. However, the top D prospect is not expected to play after all, as Carlo and Moore are anticipated to be good to go for the matinee. Vaakanainen was sent back to Providence after the game, the team announced.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have activated defenseman Mike Green off of injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, and he is playing against the Boston Bruins Sunday. Green has missed six contests with an upper-body injury. He has just eight points this season to go with a minus-27 rating.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Robbie Russo to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Russo was recalled on Thursday to serve as an extra defenseman, but wasn’t needed and didn’t appear in a game for the Coyotes. The 26-year-old has 14 points in Tucson.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Colby Cave from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Even after sending Tyler Benson down earlier today (look above), the team still had an opening on the roster, which Cave should fill. He has just one goal in five games with Edmonton this season and 10 goals in 40 games in Bakersfield.

Snapshots: Chara, Caggiula, Gustafsson

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Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was a surprise absence from the lineup on Thursday night, with the team providing little indication before puck drop that he would not be available. However, the reasoning is tied to the only cause of missed action for Chara dating back to the 2019 postseason. Chara suffered a fractured jaw in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final and missed the remainder of the game, though he admirably returned for Games Five through Seven. Chara underwent surgery this summer, but was healthy by training camp and the 42-year-old has not dealt with any other injuries so far this year. Chara only missed his first game of the season back in December due to a clean-up procedure on his jaw. Now, it seems the jaw has stuck again, after Chara took a couple of good shots from the Nashville Predators’ Yakov Trenin in a fight on Tuesday night. There has been no time frame provided for Chara’s return to action, as this could simply just be soreness related to the surgically-repaired jaw, which would lend itself to the late announcement that he would not play. The Bruins will be happy to have their veteran leader back whenever he is ready, as the iconic defenseman continues to play big minutes for Boston.

  • Drake Caggiula has returned to the lineup for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday after having missed nearly two months with a concussion. Caggiula, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last season, is hoping he can return to the same level of production he flashed after initially arriving in Chicago, recording 12 points in 26 games. Caggiula had just four points through 15 games to begin this season, but the opportunity is there for the two-way forward to take on a bigger role for the offense-challenged Blackhawks.
  • Winnipeg Jets rookie David Gustafsson played his first 22 games of the season in the NHL and then played well at the World Junior Championship. His reward? A demotion to the AHL. The Manitoba Moose report that Gustafsson has been reassigned to the team, where he will make his AHL debut after reporting directly to the Jets after coming over from Sweden this year. Gustafsson had just one lone point with the Jets before being loaned to the WJC, but if his production in the SHL and on the international stage are any indication, he could be a scoring force for the Moose and earn his way back to Winnipeg shortly.

Atlantic Notes: Fabbri, Chara, Sabourin, Anderson

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The Department of Player Safety revealed that while Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri will not be suspended for spearing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot. However, they did announce that they have fined Fabbri $2,419.35, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for the incident.

The incident happened during the second period of Saturday’s game with both Fabbri and Kerfoot receiving offsetting minor penalties on the play. This is Fabbri’s first run-in with the Department of Player Safety. Fabbri has turned his career around since being traded to Detroit where he has eight goals and 16 points in 20 games for them.

  • The Boston Bruins will be without defenseman Zdeno Chara as the team announced that the 42-year-old will miss Monday’s game against Washington to undergo a follow-up procedure on his surgically-repaired jaw that he sustained during the playoffs last season. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald adds that an infection has developed within the plates and screws in his jaw and must be replaced. With the three-day break coming up, that should give the veteran some time to recover from the procedure without missing much playing time.
  • Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren revealed that injured forward Scott Sabourin is expected to return for Monday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. Sabourin hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 2 after a scary collision with Boston Bruins forward David Backes. Sabourin fell face-first into the ice and suffered a concussion. He’s been skating with the team for several weeks now, but looks finally ready to suit up. The 27-year-old was faring well with Ottawa’s fourth line, posting two points and 26 hits over 11 games.
  • Sticking with Senators, Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team will also be getting back starting goaltender Craig Anderson. It might come at the perfect time with Anders Nilsson out with a concussion and on injured reserve. Anderson has been out with a knee injury since Dec. 7, but is expected to serve as the backup to Marcus Hogberg on Monday against Buffalo. Anderson has a 3.01 GAA in 16 games and a .901 save percentage.

Boston Bruins Waive Steven Kampfer

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Monday: Kampfer and T.J. Tynan, who was also placed on waivers, have cleared according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Both can now be sent to the minor leagues.

Sunday: In an inevitable move, the Boston Bruins have announced today that veteran defenseman Steven Kampfer has been placed on waivers. The team hopes that he will clear waivers and can be reassigned to AHL Providence, but the team is taking a risk by exposing the ten-year pro. Kampfer has been held scoreless in four games so far this year, but recorded six points in 35 games with Boston last year and added another point in three playoff games.

The decision to waive Kampfer was inevitable not due to his play, but due to the roster crunch in Boston. Kampfer, who began his career with the Bruins back in 2010, returned to the team before last season as part of the return from the New York Rangers in exchange for Adam McQuaid. Kampfer was seen by many as a throw-in, but ended up playing a crucial role in 2018-19. Beginning the year as the team’s eighth defenseman, Kampfer was the only one of that eight who did not miss time due to injury in a season that featured 12 different defensemen for Boston. Kampfer was also the only one of those 12 who was not under team control beyond the end of the year. That changed in June, when the Bruins first move after the Stanley Cup Final was to re-sign Kampfer to a two-year, $1.6MM deal. The length and non-minimum value of the deal was a nice reward and promise of commitment for Kampfer’s hard work that season.

However, the contract was likely also created with impending waiver exposure in mind. The Bruins knew that with seven bona fide NHL defenders under contract – Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, John Moore, Matt Grzelcyk, and Kevan Miller – and the emergence of Connor Clifton as an NHL option, the odds that Kampfer could stick on the NHL roster all year was slim. They hoped that the extended term or slightly higher cap hit could dissuade teams from claiming Kampfer to serve in that same valuable depth role. Last week, when Clifton lost his waiver exemption and Moore returned from injury, it became clear that this theory would soon be tested.

With Miller still working toward a return to health, top defensive prospect Urho Vaakanainen playing well in a recent NHL stint, and veteran Alexander Petrovic excelling in Providence, the Bruins could survive the loss of Kampfer if he was to be claimed. However, the team could potentially need him more next year, after the likely free agent departures of Miller and Petrovic and possible retirement of Chara. Kampfer’s hard-working style and defensive awareness paired with considerable experience makes him a valuable asset, even if he is not getting regular ice time. For that reason, more than a few teams will entertain making a claim, especially contenders with depth concerns on the blue line. The Bruins can only hope that the other 30 teams decide he is not worthy of an NHL roster spot, even though the defending Eastern Conference champs proved otherwise last year.

Kevan Miller Confirmed To Miss Start Of Season

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Last month, the Boston Bruins revealed that defenseman John Moore would miss the beginning of the regular season due to off-season shoulder surgery. At the time, they also mentioned that Kevan Miller was also at risk of missing the start to the year while continuing to recover from a fractured knee cap. The team has now followed that up with confirmation that Miller will not participate in the preseason and will not be ready to begin the season, per NBC Sports Boston.

Miller, 31, struggled through a litany of injuries last season that caused him to miss 43 regular season games and the Bruins’ entire playoff run. It was the fractured knee cap that cost him the stretch run and postseason and severely limited his off-season training. GM Don Sweeney stated that Miller is not even ready to begin skating with the team yet and is a ways away from a return at this point. Even once he is healthy, one has to question what Miller’s role will be in Boston moving forward. The physical rearguard was clearly slowed by his injuries when active last season, recording just seven assists, playing a less intense style in his own end and, as a result, logging his lowest average ice time since his rookie season. Given his injury history and continuing concerns, the Bruins extended fellow righties Connor Clifton and Steven Kampfer to multi-year deals this off-season, while the newly extended Charlie McAvoy and yet-to-be-signed Brandon Carlo are clearly the future on the right side of the blue line. Entering a contract year, it seems unlikely that Miller has a future in Boston and could find it hard to earn starts and ice time over his potential 2020-21 replacements once he returns.

While Miller and Moore are out, the Bruins’ depth should be capable of shouldering the burden. McAvoy is back under contract and the team will likely move on Carlo soon. In fact, Sweeney mentioned that the absences of Miller and Moore could allow the Bruins to employ Long-Term Injured Reserve if necessary to sign Carlo. Those two plus Clifton and Kampfer give the Bruins good options on the right side. On the left side, captain Zdeno Chara has faced his own injury concerns this off-season, but it is looking optimistic for a healthy start to the season. Torey Krug, Matt Grzelcyk, and numerous promising minor league prospects provide options behind him as well. The team will also host Alex Petrovic on a PTO in camp, who would provide even more stability as an experienced stay-at-home defenseman. Whoever returns earlier from injury between Miller and Moore will likely have a leg up in winning back regular play time, while the other could struggle to carve out a role. The four years remaining on Moore’s contract do give him an advantage over Miller though, again putting into question the immediate future of the injury-prone veteran.

Atlantic Notes: Krejci, Chara, Markov

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Although the Bruins are in need of some salary cap space, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty posits that it’s likely too early for them to consider parting with center David Krejci, who carries a team-high $7.25MM AAV.  While he’s coming off a relatively quiet postseason that saw him score just four goals in 24 games, it’s also worth noting that he matched his career high in points during the regular season with 73.  While the team has some quality prospects down the middle in their system, none of them are ready to step into that role just yet which means that dealing Krejci would likely create a hole that can’t be filled just yet internally.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Still with the Bruins, defenseman Zdeno Chara acknowledged to Matt Porter of the Boston Globe that he’s unsure as to whether or not he will be available for the first game of the regular season. He underwent surgery on both his jaw and elbow over the summer which delayed his offseason training considerably.  If he isn’t available to play, Boston’s back end to start the season could look a whole lot different than the one that finished the Stanley Cup Final back in June with both Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy unsigned and John Moore and Kevan Miller still recovering from injuries.
  • While veteran defenseman Andrei Markov has made it clear that he would like to sign with Montreal, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin told RDS’ Marc Denis that they will not be bringing back the 40-year-old. Instead, he intends to give their prospect group a chance to make an impact this coming season.  Markov spent the last two seasons in the KHL but wants to return to the NHL for what is believed to be his final season; he recently hired Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey to take care of contract talks over handling them himself as he did two summers ago.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Steven Kampfer

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Tuesday: The Bruins have officially announced the contract, confirming the duration and salary reported by Seravalli.

Monday: Defensive depth proved to be key for a Boston Bruins team that struggled with injuries on the blue line throughout the regular season and into the postseason. All but one the 12 different defenseman that took the ice for the Bruins this season were under team control moving forward, either under contract or as restricted free agents. But the team has worked quickly to rectify the situation with that lone outlying unrestricted free agent. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Boston has re-signed Steven Kampfer to a two-year deal worth $800K annually.

Kampfer, 30, began his second stint with the Bruins last summer, when he was traded by the New York Rangers in the deal that landed Adam McQuaid. Kampfer began the year as Boston’s eighth defenseman, but as a bevy of injuries plagued the team all year, particularly fellow veteran righty Kevan Miller, Kampfer ended up playing in 35 games and was the only Bruins defenseman who began the year on the NHL roster that did not miss time due to injury. Kampfer proved to be an optimal extra man, as his experience and sound defensive play made him a great plug-and-play option. While not much of an offensive contributor, Kampfer is valued for his ability to step in and play a smart, safe defensive game, rarely looking out of place when he filled in.

The two-year term on Kampfer’s new contract is telling for multiple reasons. First, it means that the Bruins see Kampfer as more than just a year-to-year investment and the future of the team’s blue line is far less certain beyond next season. Two of Boston’s biggest injury concerns on defense, 41-year-old Zdeno Chara and accident-prone Kevan Miller, are also not signed beyond next year. So while the team is very deep on the back end next year, there is a chance that they could lose some of that depth a year from now and Kampfer could be even more important then than he is next season. Additionally, Seravalli reports that there has been interest in Kampfer from other teams. That news plus the two-year term makes it a safe assumption that this is a one-way deal for Kampfer. Such a contract won’t be as appealing on waivers if the Bruins do need to move Kampfer to the minor leagues. Although John Moore will not be ready to start the season due to recent major surgery, at some point during the year the team could hypothetically have Kampfer, Moore, Chara, Miller, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Torey Krug, and Matt Grzelcyk all healthy, which could make Kampfer the odd man out if there is a roster crunch.

A team-friendly contract for a familiar and reliable player on a cap-strapped team would seem to be good news all around for the Bruins. However, barring a trade or another year of rampant injuries, Kampfer’s extension does not bode well for promising prospects like Connor Clifton, Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon. All four got into the Bruins’ lineup this season, but the odds of a return appearance just took a hit. The circumstances are especially troubling for Clifton, who played in 19 regular season games and 18 playoff games this year and looked ready to take on Boston’s first man up role next year. After getting so close to a Stanley Cup title this year, Kampfer’s extension is clearly a sign of a team focused on winning now, even if that means burying their budding prospects for another year or two.

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