Thomas Bordeleau Commits To The University Of Michigan
After a record-breaking 2019 draft class, the U.S. National Team Development Program won’t be making as many waves during the 2019-20 season. In fact, some draft pundits doubt that any American players will be selected in the first half of the first round next year. One of the few players who could challenge that prediction is forward Thomas Bordeleau. He may have already just taken a step toward a higher draft slot by committing to a top NCAA program. College hockey insider Mark Divver reports that Bordeleau will attend the University of Michigan after this season with the USNTDP.
Bordeleau, who actually grew up in Switzerland and later Quebec, was born in Houston, Texas while his dad was playing for the AHL’s Houston Aeros. Sebastien Bordeleau played in more than 250 NHL games from 1995 to 2002 and then played another decade in the NLA before retiring in 2012. Bordeleau thus grew up surrounded by hockey and has had a chance to grow his game in many unique environments. The undersized center opted to use his American citizenship to continue his development with the USNTDP rather than the Candian juniors and in his first season with the program Bordeleau notched 39 points in 56 games for the U-17 team. Set to star for the U-18 team this year, Bordeleau will look to improve those numbers and also fight for a top role at the U-18 World Junior Championship.
With a season still left to further prove himself, Bordeleau is already drawing great attention. In their preliminary rankings, scouting source Future Considerations ranked Bordeleau as the No. 52 prospect in the 2020 class and the well-rounded scorer has plenty of room to improve his draft stock with ample opportunity to star for the USNTDP. He’ll then head to Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan already houses several NHL prospects, including recent USNTDP graduates and 2019 first-rounders Cam York (PHI) and John Beecher (BOS). The Wolverines are surely excited to add another potential first-round pick in Bordeleau, just as the young pivot likely is to join such a strong program.
Snapshots: Brown, Thomas, Gomez
Connor Brown may seem like just one of a number of additions the Ottawa Senators have made this off-season, but it turns out that the team had their eye on the veteran forward for some time and have high expectations for him this year. Speaking with Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Senators GM Pierre Dorion states that his interest in Brown began long before the team hired former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant D.J. Smith as their new head coach and belongs in a separate category from familiar additions Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey, and Tyler Ennis. While that group of veterans was brought in from Toronto to provide leadership and stability in a young locker room under a first-time NHL head coach, Dorion sees a larger role for Brown. “We just feel he was someone on a very skilled team that probably didn’t get the offensive looks he would have gotten on a lot of other teams,” Dorion states, suggesting “We feel he’s going to get back to being the 20-goal scorer he was in his rookie year.” Brown did hit 20 goals, as well as 36 points, in a breakout rookie campaign three years ago, but his goal scoring totals have dropped precipitously since then: 14 goals in 2017-18 and 8 goals in 2018-19. Brown will certainly have the opportunity to improve his numbers on an Ottawa roster that lack many established scorers, but Dorion’s projection of 20+ goals may be lofty for a player who has looked comfortable as a 30-point, two-way forward over the last few years.
- Akil Thomas is on the Los Angeles Kings’ roster for their upcoming rookie tournament and is poised to compete for an NHL roster spot in training camp. However, even though their intention was to honor the young forward, his junior team made it clear that they don’t expect him to break camp with the Kings this year. The OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs have named Thomas their captain for the 2019-20 season, the team already announced, although Thomas is still weeks away from pushing for a place with the Kings. Thomas more than earned the role with his play last year, recording 102 points in 63 games for a powerhouse team that has since lost the likes of Jason Robertson, Jack Studnicka, and Ben Jones to the pros. Nevertheless, even those dominant numbers don’t guarantee the 2018 second-round pick a role with L.A. this season. The Kings sport an impressive group of prospects competing for few openings. Recent high picks Rasmus Kupari and Jaret Anderson-Dolan probably have an edge on Thomas if the Kings opt to add a rookie forward to the starting lineup, likely leading Niagara to safely assume that their star forward will be back this season.
- After two years on the job, Scott Gomez has decided to leave the New York Islanders coaching staff, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports. The team has confirmed the move and stressed that Gomez was not fired. Gomez was originally hired by Doug Weight, but served under Barry Trotz last season as well. Gomez is remembered most for his dynamic offensive play early in his pro career with the New Jersey Devils. It could be that his philosophy on offense didn’t mesh with Trotz’ ultra-conservative scheme, prompting him to seek a better fit elsewhere, but there has been no word as to the reasoning behind Gomez’ departure. If Gomez wants to continue coaching, there is undoubtedly a place for him in the pro or junior ranks.
Minor Transactions: 08/26/19
Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced their roster for their upcoming prospects tournament today, which included a slew of recent draft picks as well as recently signed young players. It also featured a large group of prospects currently signed to AHL deals with the Toronto Marlies, including two previously unreported extensions. According to the roster, incumbent forwards Ryan Moore and Hudson Elynuik have re-signed with the Marlies. Moore, 22, played in just one AHL game last season, but was effective in the ECHL just as he was at the junior level, despite a diminutive frame. He’ll be hoping to impress in the tournament in hopes of getting a chance to show his size won’t limit him at the next level either. Elynuik, 21, was a third-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016, but the team opted not to sign him. In his first pro season last year, the massive center skated in ten games with the Marlies and was a near point-per-game scorer in the ECHL. He should be ready to take on a larger role in the AHL this coming season.
- Philip Samuelsson is headed overseas. The 28-year-old defenseman, one of three hockey-playing sons of Ulf Samuelsson, has done all he can to stick in North America for several years. A second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and a standout at Boston College, Samuelsson entered the pro game with high expectations. However, over his eight-year career to date, Samuelsson has been almost entirely relegated to the AHL, skating in just 13 total NHL games and recording zero points. In fact, Samuelsson failed to even land an NHL contract last season, playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a minor league pact. The Swedish-American defender has been a solid AHL contributor, but is looking for more in his career. He hopes to find it with Mountfield HK of the Czech Extraliga, who announced a one-year deal today. Samuelsson will undoubtedly be one of the best players on the team, but the question is whether he will be dominant enough at the top Czech pro level to turn any heads back in the NHL.
- Anyone hoping for an NHL return for Damien Brunner can put those thoughts to rest. The 33-year-old Swiss forward has signed a three-year extension with the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne, the team announced, all but guaranteeing that his days in North America are over. After dominating the NLA early in his career, Brunner made the jump to the NHL in 2012. He enjoyed a pair of strong – albeit injury-riddled – seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils, totaling 51 points in 101 regular season games and a great 2013 postseason with five goals and nine points in 14 games. However, as soon as that production began to slip in his third NHL season, Brunner returned to Switzerland. As he continued to struggle with injuries, Brunner failed to re-gain his dominant form over the last few years. That is until last season, when he notched 37 points in 50 games for a well-timed bounce back campaign in a contract year. Biel-Bienne clearly did not want to lose their veteran leader, locking him down on a multi-year deal, something no NHL team would have entertained.
Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens Hopes To Be Cleared For Prospect’s Challenge
Just a few days after the NHL draft, the Buffalo Sabres top prospect and 2019 first-rounder Dylan Cozens dislocated his left thumb at Sabres Development Camp and was forced to undergo surgery to repair the injury. Not the way the Sabres were hoping things to go. It was reported that he would miss two to three months, but NHL.com’s Adam Kimmelman writes that Cozens has already been on the ice since Aug. 15, shooting pucks and is working hard to be ready for the Prospects Challenge, starting on Sept. 7.
“I’m not fully cleared yet, but I hope to be as soon as possible,” said Cozens during the NHLPA Rookie Showcase Sunday. “There’s no rushing things. I don’t want to rush it. But right now, I can shoot. I want to be cleared for that (Prospect’s Challenge) and I’m optimistic for that. I feel like I have a good chance at being ready for that, but you never know. We’ll see by then.”
Cozen’s main goal would be to make the Sabres’ team out of training camp. The 18-year-old center, who the team drafted with the seventh-overall pick, might already be talented enough to make the team, especially considering there is no guarantee that the team has an adequate second-line center on their roster this season after Casey Mittelstadt struggled in that role last season.
The injury, which he sustained on the final day of development camp during a 3-on-3 scrimmage when he was clipped by a defenseman against the wall, looked to be an obvious candidate to be sent back to his junior team, the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, after the injury.
“The puck was going to the wall and I tried to chip it around [the defenseman] and dodge him to the inside and he kind of clipped me a little bit,” Cozens said about the injury. “It was awkward, and I fell right down on my thumb, perfectly straight on my thumb, all my weight went down on it, and it shot it back.”
Because he was expected to miss training camp, which would only have made his chances to make the team nearly impossible. However, if Cozens can be cleared before the Prospects Challenge, which would allow him to face off against the top prospects of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils, and he would get that showcase as well as a full training camp to get a true shot at a spot immediately in Buffalo.
“I believe I do have a shot at making the team,” Cozens said. “Obviously, not too many 18-year-olds make it, but I feel that I have the size, I have the skating, I have the strength to be a guy who can step in at a young age.”
Bruins’ John Moore, Kevan Miller Still Battling Injuries
No team learned more about the importance of blue line depth last season than the Boston Bruins. The team used a dozen different defensemen during the 2018-19 campaign, ten of whom played at least 16 games but none more than 72 games. Injuries kept the Bruins in a constant state of flux on the back end, even throughout their long playoff run.
Well, they’re not out of the woods yet. With a new season about to begin, a pair of Boston defenders are still struggling to make their way back to full health. The Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan has learned from GM Don Sweeney that John Moore will not be ready for the start of the season and Kevan Miller still does not have a set timeline for a return. Moore underwent shoulder surgery earlier this summer after playing through the injury late in the regular season and through the playoffs. Miller suffered through a slew of injuries last season, skating in just 39 regular season games, but missed the stretch run and postseason with a lower-body injury that apparently still ails him. Miller will resume skating soon, but it would not be a surprise if he remains limited through training camp and possibly beyond.
Fortunately, having learned their lesson, the Bruins have maintained impressive defensive depth heading into the 2019-20 season. All twelve defenseman who played last season remain under team control, including Steven Kampfer, whose surprise two-year extension earlier this off-season now looks like an important move by Sweeney and company. The team was also impressed by young rearguard Connor Clifton, who proved he can be a regular contributor with strong late season and postseason play. Promising prospects like Urho Vaakanainen, Jeremy Lauzon, and Jakub Zboril also got a taste of NHL action last season and should be ready to play a larger role if necessary. On the off chance that the younger players don’t look ready in camp, the Bruins also enlisted capable veteran Alex Petrovic to join the team on a PTO.
Of course, the bigger depth concern than Moore and Miller remains the unsigned status of elite young defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. Both restricted free agents are waiting for new contracts, along with numerous other young players this off-season. While the Bruins have acknowledged that talks are moving slower than they’d like with the duo, the team remains confident that McAvoy and Carlo will be Bruins for a long time. Maneuvering a tight salary cap window is the reason behind the stalled negotiations, but if Moore and possibly Miller land on injured reserve to begin the year, it would open up some more cap space to sign McAvoy and Carlo without making a trade. Nevertheless, a trade is still a strong possibility and Miller, if healthy, continues to be one of the more talked-about candidates.
Assuming McAvoy and Carlo are signed to begin the season, the Bruins would still have a stout unit even without Moore and Miller, with Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, Matt Grzelcyk, Clifton and Kampfer ready to go. However, given the team’s injury luck of late, particularly on the blue line, the Bruins will be happy to have Moore and Miller back as soon as possible to further reinforce that depth.
Atlantic Notes: Senators, Dahlin, Alzner
The Ottawa Senators are very much a brand new team entering the 2019-20 season. Gone are the likes of Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Cody Ceci, and Zack Smith. New to the team are names like Artem Anisimov, Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey, and Connor Brown, while prospects like Erik Brannstrom, Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, and Max Veronneau are set to push for regular roles. On top of all of the roster turnover, the team also has a new head coach in D.J. Smith. Given these considerable changes, Smith’s comments to Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan comes as little surprise. First and foremost, Smith tells Scanlan that the Senators will not name a captain in the coming season. The team did not have a captain last season following the departure of Erik Karlsson and now has even fewer tenured veterans. He did say that there will be veteran members, old and new, who he will rely on to play leadership roles in the locker room, but simply feels that the team must wait for a captain to naturally emerge. It also may not necessarily be one of the established veterans, as Smith notes that he will make a “conscious effort” to share ice time and responsibility evenly between the older players and many young players pushing for an opportunity. More than anything, Smith states that he hopes to change the culture in Ottawa, instilling a sense of belief and confidence in the new additions, young players, and perhaps even some of those long-time Senators who have survived a couple of difficult seasons. Based on Smith’s comments, it seems that the Senators will be a very new team indeed in many ways this coming season.
- A young leader is developing for one of the Senators’ divisional rivals, the Buffalo Sabres. Phenom Rasmus Dahlin, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 and a Calder Trophy finalist last season, is not afraid to speak his mind and knew what he was doing when he made some bold predictions to the Associated Press’ John Wawrow. “We’re going to be a winning team and be in the playoffs,” Dahlin told Wawrow, “I’m putting more pressure on myself… I think everyone is putting more pressure on ourselves now, and we’re ready to go… I feel more prepared. I feel more mature. Like that one year of experience, I know what’s coming this season. I feel more comfortable in my position… we’re going to get something good going on here.” It’s a strong statement from Dahlin and one that will surprise many. The Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011 and finished 13th in the Eastern Conference this past season after a late-season collapse. The team arguably plays in the toughest division in the game as well, as Atlantic powerhouses Tampa Bay, Boston, and Toronto will almost certainly claim the top three seeds in the division, leaving Buffalo to fight for one of two wild card spots. Yet, the Sabres have to be happy that their 18-year-old centerpiece is bold enough to put those playoff expectations on his shoulders and will look to follow him back to postseason glory this season, no matter how tough the road may be.
- Montreal Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner would like to be part of his team’s playoff push next season as well. Unfortunately, Alzner’s poor play left him relegated to the AHL for all but nine games last season. After spending the summer working out with teammates Carey Price and Shea Weber, Alzner tells TVA’s Louis-André Larivière that he feels he is ready to once again be a regular contributor and hopes he is given a fair shot to compete for such a role in the team’s upcoming training camp. While Alzner stated that he does not want to waste years of his career, whether or not he has an NHL role is ultimately up to him. His own play and taxing $4.625MM cap hit are why he spent last season with the Laval Rocket and he must prove that he is worth keeping on the roster. Alzner revealed that he did not formally request a trade last season, but that he will likely do so if he is cut from Canadiens camp this fall. However, there may not be much of a market for his services and likely even less interest in promising him a regular role at the NHL level.
Bill Guerin Planning To Meet Kirill Kaprizov
Bill Guerin has plenty on his plate after taking over as general manager of the Minnesota Wild just a few weeks from training camp, but Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that one of the first things he did was call the agent for prospect Kirill Kaprizov to set up a meeting in Russia. Kaprizov was drafted by the Wild back in 2015 but has had an extremely complicated relationship with the organization since and has continued to play in the KHL. Former Wild GM Paul Fenton set up a similar visit in 2018 when he took over from Chuck Fletcher.
Kaprizov, 22, is considered one of the best offensive players currently outside of the NHL. The undersized forward scored 30 goals and 51 points last season for CSKA Moscow, his third consecutive season with at least 40 points. While there’s no guarantee that he would find success in North America, he has long been one of the most intriguing prospects in the game and one that Guerin and the Wild would love to get their hands on.
After all the meetings, negotiations and confusion, perhaps there is a resolution in sight between Kaprizov and the Wild. His contract with CSKA expires in April of 2020 and he has expressed an interest in coming over—though it hasn’t been an enthusiastic guarantee to be sure. Guerin will now be the third Wild GM to try and convince Kaprizov that he belongs in the NHL. The Wild will retain his exclusive draft rights indefinitely.
Columbus Blue Jackets Extend AHL Affiliation
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced a multi-year extension with the Cleveland Monsters, keeping them as their AHL affiliate for the foreseeable future. Blue Jackets’ assistant GM Bill Zito explained why they made the decision to extend:
The partnership has been very successful for both organizations and markets over the past four years and we look forward to having our top prospects continue their development in Cleveland.
When Cleveland started their affiliation with Columbus in 2015-16, they immediately experienced the most success the franchise had ever seen. Going 43-22-11 under head coach Jared Bednar, the team won the Calder Cup championship after an impressive playoff run. That group—still known as the Lake Erie Monsters at the time—was led by some incredible postseason performances by a trio of youngsters including Lukas Sedlak, Oliver Bjorkstrand and 18-year old Zach Werenski. The team also included current Blue Jackets’ like Josh Anderson, Sonny Milano and Markus Hannikainen.
It’s that development success that makes this extension so important for the Blue Jackets, especially given the geographical proximity of the Monsters. Teams all across the NHL are trying to bring their AHL affiliates closer to home in order to take advantage of cap savings and emergency recalls, as well as giving their young players a chance to practice with the veterans at various times throughout the year. There are countless benefits from having a strong partnership with your primary minor league club, and this one has been quite fruitful for the Blue Jackets.
Prospect Notes: 2020 Draft, Reinhart, WHL
It may only be August, but The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler is already hard at work evaluating next June’s draft class. The 2020 Draft promises to be chock full of talent, with Wheeler calling it more impressive than the most recent draft class and deeper at the top. In fact, he believes it could be the strongest class since 2015, which produced superstars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen, Jake Debrusk, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Thomas Chabot in the top 20 picks alone. Also unlike recent drafts, Wheeler feels the 2020 class will be deeper at forward than defense and will be lacking impact American prospects, with the scout failing to see a U.S. product even enter the conversation as a top-ten pick. So who might be in contention for one of those elite slots? Canadian forward Alexis Lafreniere has long been considered the presumptive top pick and finds himself at No. 1 on Wheeler’s initial draft board as well. However, Swedish forwards Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz could push him for that top spot. College-bound Dylan Holloway is an interesting name to watch as a top-ten candidate, as is Wheeler’s highest-ranked defenseman, Jamie Drysdale. Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov also intrigues Wheeler; he feels the Russian keeper could be the best goalie prospect of this decade. Plenty could change in the ten months still to come before the 2020 Draft, but it never hurts to get a head start on researching who your team could be eyeing next year.
- Unsurprisingly lost in the shuffle of an off-season that has left many major names unsigned is a former top NHL prospect in Griffin Reinhart. NHL teams have been tantalized by Reinhart’s upside seemingly forever without any real results to show for it, but it seems that luck has finally run out. The fourth overall pick in 2012 by the New York Islanders, Reinhart recorded one lone point in eight NHL games in his first pro season before the Edmonton Oilers traded a first- and second-round pick for him. He proceeded to score just one more point in 29 games over two seasons in Edmonton before being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft. In two years in Vegas, he did not see any NHL action and became a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. Reinhart received the benefit of the doubt for many years, but it seems no longer, as there has been practically no talk of the young defenseman this summer.
- The WHL is headed outdoors for just the third time in league history. Sportsnet reports that the Regina Pats will host the Calgary Hitmen in an outdoor game this season on October 27th. The game will take place at Mosaic Stadium in Saskatchewan just one day after the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames square off there for the NHL’s Heritage Classic. The last WHL outdoor game took place back in 2011 and was another Pats-Hitmen contest, again coinciding with the Heritage Classic.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. 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 2019-20 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.
Carolina Hurricanes
Current Cap Hit: $79,004,791 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Andrei Svechnikov (two years, $925K)
F Martin Necas (three years, $863K)
D Jake Bean (two years, $863K)
F Warren Foegele (one year, $747K)
Potential Bonuses:
Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Necas: $538K
Bean: $500K
Foegele: $20K
With a system full of top prospects, the Hurricanes got an impressive rookie season from Svechnikov, drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018, last season and now will have a top-six option for another two years at an entry-level cost. At 18 years old, he tallied 20 goals and 37 points and should be in line for more playing time and bigger numbers this season as a 19-year-old and could eventually become the franchise winger the team needs long-term. The Hurricanes also have high hopes for Necas to step in and take big role next season at the center position. The 2017 first-rounder had an impressive season for the Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and could provide Carolina with some cheap talent.
Bean, the team’s first-rounder in 2016, has only made two appearances for Carolina, but could get a chance to take a much bigger role after a strong season with Charlotte, which saw his skills take that next step. The 23-year-old Foegele began to show off his offensive skill over the course of the season in Carolina. He scored 10 goals and 15 points during the regular season, but was even more impressive in the playoffs with five goals and nine points in just 15 games. If he can take his game up a notch, the Hurricanes could have an even more impressive offense next season.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($874K, RFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($850K, RFA)
F Brian Gibbons ($725K, UFA)
F Clark Bishop ($700K, RFA)
F Lucas Wallmark ($675K, RFA)
There were rumors that suggested that talks between Carolina and Faulk were no where close on a potential extension and others that said negotiations were promising, however, Faulk could be a legitimate trade candidate if the team can’t eventually work out an extension. The 27-year-old Faulk had a solid season both defensively as he was finally in the positive on his plus/minus for the first time in his career, while also adding 11 goals and 35 points. However, with a number of young defensemen who are waiting for a chance to get an opportunity in Carolina, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Carolina unload him at the trade deadline.
Haula is an interesting acquisition. The 28-year-old was coming off a 29-goal season in Vegas’ inaugural season, but then suffered a gruesome knee injury and never returned. In the end, he played just 15 games, although he was close to returning late in the season with many believing that he would have been available had the Golden Knights had gotten deeper into the playoffs. If he can prove to be healthy, Haula might prove to be one of the best acquisitions of the year. Whether the Hurricanes will re-sign him will obviously depend on how he fares next season.
The team might be ready to move on from van Riemsdyk, who has served as a bottom pairing defenseman, but probably makes too much at $2.3MM to keep around long term, especially since Fleury hasn’t really had a true chance to prove himself and could be a better option at his price.
Two Years Remaining
D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Dzingel ($3.38MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.13MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($738K, RFA)
The team has a number of interesting contracts with two years left, including their entire goaltending situation. The team has Mrazek, who put together a stellar season after years of inconsistency, and new backup Reimer as the new tandem with their top prospect in Nedeljkovic close to ready to step into the lineup. All three will likely stay this season as Nedeljkovic is waiver exempt and likely will just stay in the AHL. However, if he can prove in training camp that he’s ready for the back-up role, few would be surprised if the team found a way to unload Reimer, who had a terrible season last year in Florida.
Despite hearing constant rumors that Carolina was shopping Hamilton around this offseason, it looks like the Hurricanes will have the veteran defenseman for another season. He put up solid numbers, scoring 18 goals an 39 points and is solid defensively, but he could eventually be a trade candidate, perhaps as early as the trade deadline if the team struggles and can’t reproduce the same success it had a season ago. The team also hopes that they can get Dzingel to provide the same type of offense he was producing in Ottawa, rather than his struggles in Columbus. However, he should provide solid value at his pricetag and fit in nicely as a middle-six option.
Three Years Remaining
F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)
It might have been the trade of the year when the Hurricanes acquired Niederreiter from Minnesota for Victor Rask. While Rask struggled in Minnesota, Niederreiter’s season took off when he arrived, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games and he slotted in nicely on the first line. If he can produce anything close to that, the team has a steal of a deal for the next three years. If his production drops back to what it was in Minnesota earlier in the year (nine goals and 23 points in 46 games) then the team has a contract that could be a burden for some time.
Four Or More Years Remaining
F Sebastian Aho ($8.45MM through 2023-24)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM through 2023-24)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM through 2024-25)
D Brett Pesce ($4.03MM through 2023-24)
The Montreal Canadiens did Carolina a favor when they shocked the NHL by signing Aho to an offer sheet that didn’t look difficult to match. While five years likely isn’t ideal, the Hurricanes still now have their top franchise player signed until 2024 and can figure out its plans after that, but now are one of the few teams that have locked up their franchise restricted free agent already, with the rest still waiting to sign a contract. That should provide Aho, who had another breakout season with 30 goals and 83 points, with plenty of time to be ready for training camp and see if he can take his game to another level once again.
His linemate in Teravainen is another key piece of Carolina’s future who keeps producing better and better numbers. The 24-year-old produced 21 goals and a career-high 76 points and is locked up for another five years as well, giving Aho a solid winger to work with. The team, however, may not be as thrilled with the four years it still has in Staal, who produced one of his worst seasons although injuries did play apart. The 30-year-old still has four years at $6MM from a 10-year, $60MM deal he signed back in 2012. After posting just 11 goals and 28 points in 50 games, the team hopes he can bounce back.
One thing the Hurricanes did was locking up its young defenders. The team has seen Slavin develop into a top-line defenseman in the last year and to have him locked up at just $5.3MM for six more years will likely be one of the team’s biggest bargain for a long time. He has been averaging more than 22 minutes per game for three of his four seasons in the league. Pesce has also seen his game increase and is also a steal with the rising cost of young defensemen lately. Pesce saw his minutes break 20 minutes for a second straight season, while his offense increased by 10 points.
Buyouts
F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM in 2019-20)
F Alexander Semin ($2.33MM through 2020-21)
Retained Salary Transactions
None
Salary Cap Recapture
None
Still To Sign
F Justin Williams (UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen (RFA)
D Roland McKeown (RFA)
One question that is still up for grabs is whether Williams will return to the team. The 37-year-old winger has been told he can take as much time as he wants to determine whether he wants to return to hockey. He’s made it clear it’s either Carolina or retirement, but after putting up a solid campaign last year of 23 goals and 53 points, it’s hard to believe that the veteran leader is ready to hang it up if he still is capable of producing as a top-six forward. While he may eventually have to slide down to the third line, the veteran was critical to the team’s deep playoff run and Carolina hopes he will come back.
While McKeown might have a hard time finding playing time in Carolina’s stacked defense, the team will need to get Maenalanen signed at some point. The 6-foot-4 bottom-six winger stepped into the lineup late in the season and was a solid contributor, posting four goals and eight points in 34 games, while skating for just 9:26 of ATOI. He provided some physical play and if he can steal a spot on the fourth line, could be valuable.
Best Value: Slavin
Worst Value: Staal
Looking Ahead
The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job of drafting well, developing their talent and adding veteran talent at reasonable prices. With most of their core already locked up long-term and plenty of talent still on entry-level contracts, the Hurricanes should be able to keep their team competitive for years and keep getting better as the team continues to develop.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.