Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

RFA

New York Islanders To Re-Sign Parker Wotherspoon

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Parker Wotherspoon received a qualifying offer from the New York Islanders, but he’ll take a two-year extension with a decrease in NHL salary and an increase in AHL salary rather than accept a one-year raise. CapFriendly reports that the Islanders have come to terms on a new two-way deal with the young defenseman. Wotherspoon is set to make the minimum $700K at the NHL level this year and $750K in the NHL next year for an AAV of $725K. In the AHL, he will earn $100K ($125K total guaranteed) in 2020-21 and $125K ($185K total guaranteed) in 2021-22.

Wotherspoon, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract with three productive AHL seasons under his belt. In fact, the mobile defenseman’s point total has improved year over year. His 27 points in 2019-20 was good enough for fourth among all skaters for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He also set a career high in penalty minutes as his 6’2″ frame has been put to good use with a more physical presence.

With the departure of Devon Toews and the possibility of more moves on the Islanders blue line, Wotherspoon’s odds of an NHL opportunity have improved, even if New York still has a deep group of defensemen. Given his consistent offense and pro size, Wotherspoon has earned a shot if he can get one. With five defensemen signed to one-way contracts, RFA Ryan Pulock expected to re-sign, and prospects Noah Dobson and Sebastian Aho likely ahead of him in the pecking order, Wotherspoon will need some luck for chances to open up, but once they do he could prove himself as an NHL-ready player.

 

Washington Capitals Re-Sign Shane Gersich

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Washington Capitals are down to just one restricted free agent remaining after re-signing Shane Gersich to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level. Gersich and Jonas Siegenthaler were the last two RFAs to get under contract, neither of whom have arbitration rights.

The 24-year-old Gersich has played just three games at the NHL level, all of which came at the end of the 2017-18 season after signing out of the University of North Dakota. The two following seasons have been spent entirely at the minor league level, where Gersich has 42 points in 120 regular season games.

A fifth-round pick in 2014, he shouldn’t be expected to become the next impact player for the Capitals but is a worthwhile minor league depth player to keep around. He’ll still be a restricted free agent next offseason, barely missing the age threshold for Group VI unrestricted free agency.

Free Agent Notes: Niku, Greene, Granlund, Jost

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It appears that Jets forward Jack Roslovic isn’t the only player that Winnipeg has made available in trade talks.  Murat Ates of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that that RFA defenseman Sami Niku is also being shopped around the league.  The 24-year-old has been dominant offensively in the past in the minors but that hasn’t resulted in much of a consistent NHL opportunity as of yet.

Last season, Niku played in 17 games with Winnipeg, recording five assists while averaging over 16 minutes a night.  However, the Jets often made him a healthy scratch as well.  He also got into 18 games with AHL Manitoba, picking up three goals and 11 helpers.  There is some intriguing upside with Niku but it’s also telling that he didn’t get more of an opportunity despite all of their injuries.  There should be some interest but given his limited chances so far, his inclusion in a package with Roslovic may not move the needle much.

Other free agent notes from around the NHL:

  • Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello told reporters, including NHL.com’s Brian Compton (Twitter link) that veteran there is a “strong chance” that veteran UFA defenseman Andy Greene will return. New York acquired the 37-year-old from New Jersey back in February but instead of using him as a top-four blueliner like he had been previously, Greene was deployed in more limited minutes.  After making $5MM per season for the last five years, it’s safe to suggest that he’ll be taking a significant pay cut to stick around.
  • UFA forward Mikael Granlund is in the process of trimming down his list, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch (Twitter link). The 28-year-old had 30 points in 63 games with Nashville last season, the lowest full-year point total of his career.  He had 69 points in 2016-17 and followed it up with 67 a year later so the upside is certainly there which is why he was voted as the eighth-best UFA on our Top-50 list.  While he can play down the middle, Hedger notes that most suitors view him as a winger.
  • Colorado is working on a two-year bridge deal for RFA center Tyson Jost, relays Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now (via Twitter). The Avalanche drafted the 22-year-old tenth overall in 2016 but he has yet to become a productive player in the NHL.  Jost had eight goals and 15 assists in 67 games last season and has been between 22 and 26 points in each of his three full NHL campaigns.  Between that and Colorado’s pending stars needing new deals, a short-term pact to keep the AAV low makes a lot of sense.

Charles Hudon Nearing Deal In Switzerland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Canadiens RFA Charles Hudon is closing in on a deal with Lausanne of the Swiss NLA, reports Guillaume Lefrancois of La Presse.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie adds (Twitter link) that the winger is already in Lausanne and is waiting for his work visa to be approved before he signs the contract.

The 26-year-old opted to not file for arbitration back on Saturday so this may not be a typical loan situation as many players have had over the last couple of months.

Hudon spent most of last season with Laval of the AHL after clearing waivers and was quite productive, notching 27 goals in just 46 games.  However, that didn’t carry over to his NHL opportunities as he managed just a goal and an assist in 15 games with Montreal during the regular season and didn’t record a point in two playoff contests.  Hudon has had success in the NHL before, posting a 30-point season in 2017-18 but has struggled since then.

Lefrancois notes that Hudon was hopeful of a fresh start somewhere else but clearly, a trade scenario has not yet materialized.  If this is a season-long signing and not just a short-term deal until NHL training camps open, it likely wouldn’t be until late March or sometime in April before his season would end which may wind up being around where the NHL trade deadline will be in 2020-21 depending on the length of the campaign.  At that time, he could sign with whoever holds his rights or wait it out until next offseason when he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency.

26 Players Elect Salary Arbitration

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Today at 4pm CT was the deadline for players to file for salary arbitration in this rapid-paced start to the offseason. Once that threshold passed, the NHLPA released the full list of 26 players who have filed. That list:

Matt Grzelcyk (BOS)
Victor Olofsson (BUF)
Sam Reinhart (BUF)
Linus Ullmark (BUF)
Andrew Mangiapane (CGY)
Clark Bishop (CAR)
Haydn Fleury (CAR)
Warren Foegele (CAR)
Gustav Forsling (CAR)
Ryan Graves (COL)
Tyler Bertuzzi (DET)
MacKenzie Weegar (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)
Joshua Ho-Sang (NYI)
Ryan Pulock (NYI)
Devon Toews (NYI)
Tony DeAngelo (NYR)
Alexandar Georgiev (NYR)
Brendan Lemieux (NYR)
Ryan Strome (NYR)
Connor Brown (OTT)
Christian Jaros (OTT)
Nick Paul (OTT)
Chris Tierney (OTT)
Ilya Mikheyev (TOR)
Jake Virtanen (VAN)

Other restricted free agents can still be taken to arbitration by their clubs. The deadline for club-elected salary arbitration filing is October 11 at 4pm CT. Salary arbitration hearings will be held between October 20 and November 8.

It is important to note that these players who have elected salary arbitration are no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet.

 

2020 Offer Sheet Compensation

at CDT | by 2 Comments

We finally saw an offer sheet used last summer as the Montreal Canadiens signed Sebastian Aho to a five-year deal, but the deal was quickly matched by the Carolina Hurricanes. Aho stayed put, but the team had to turn down a big package of draft picks that Montreal would have had to surrender.

Offer sheet compensation is based on the average salary of the league, and the NHL has released the thresholds for this year. Below is the full breakdown, with the contract’s average annual value placing it in one of seven tiers:

$1,439,820 or less No compensation
$1,439,820 to $2,181,545 Third-round pick
$2,181,545 to $4,363,095 Second-round pick
$4,363,095 to $6,544,640 First and third-round picks
$6,544,640 to $8,726,188 First, second and third-round picks
$8,726,188 to $10,907,735 Two firsts, a second and third-round picks
Over $10,907,735 Four first-round picks

It is important to note that any team trying to sign a player to an applicable offer sheet must use their own draft picks for compensation, not ones that have been acquired. That rules several teams out already from signing high profile RFAs, unless they were to work to reacquire their picks before submitting the contract.

There are some restricted free agents, like Philadelphia’s Nolan Patrick, that have not accumulated enough time in the NHL to be eligible for an offer sheet. The full list of eligible players can be found here. For more information about the details of offer sheets, check out CapFriendly’s FAQ.

List Of Players Not Receiving A 2020 Qualifying Offer

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents has come and gone, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. It does not stop them from re-signing with the team for a different amount. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer:

(this list will be updated as reports continue to come in)

Anaheim Ducks

Arizona Coyotes

Vinnie Hinostroza, Dane Birks, Jalen Smereck

Boston Bruins

Brendan Gaunce, Brett Ritchie, Wiley Sherman

Buffalo Sabres

Dominik Kahun, Remi Elie, Matthew Spencer, Brandon Hickey

Calgary Flames

Mark Jankowski, Andrew Nielsen, Nick Schneider

Read more

Arizona Coyotes Shopping Taylor Hall’s Negotiating Rights

at CDT | by 9 Comments

With just a few days remaining before Taylor Hall becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Arizona Coyotes are trying to recoup some of the value they spent to acquire the star forward. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Coyotes are shopping Hall’s negotiating rights, which would give a team the chance to try and sign him before he even reaches the open market.

Just recently, reports surfaced that Hall would consider signing a short-term deal with a contender instead of trying to land the biggest deal possible in free agency. After a frustrating season that resulted in another early playoff exit, Hall has now played in just 14 postseason games over his ten-year career.

Earlier this summer we saw the Montreal Canadiens trade a fifth-round pick for the negotiating rights of defenseman Joel Edmundson, before eventually signing him to a four-year, $14MM deal. Given Hall’s status as the 2018 Hart Trophy winner and a top offensive winger, one would imagine the trade cost would be higher than that of a depth defenseman.

Still, it’s hard to know if acquiring him early would even be beneficial for a team interested in his services. Sitting just a few days away from the free agent market opening, Hall could easily just wait to see what kind of offers come from around the league. Negotiating with just one team would limit his options unless of course, he has a destination in mind that has already expressed interest to the Coyotes.

Hall, 28, scored 52 points in 65 games this season split between the New Jersey Devils and Coyotes. After reaching the 93-mark in 2018 and carrying the Devils to the playoffs, it’s been another few disappointing seasons. The first-overall pick in 2010, Hall has scored 563 points in 627 games but has played playoff matches in only two seasons.

Winnipeg Jets Tender Qualifying Offers To Six Players

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Winnipeg Jets are joining several teams to announce their qualifying offers early (before Wednesday’s deadline) as the team announced they have tendered qualifying offers to six players. The players receiving offers were forwards Mason Appleton, Jansen Harkins, Jack Roslovic and C.J. Suess and defensemen Sami Niku and Nelson Nogier.

Many of those players played significant roles for Winnipeg last year. Roslovic is at the top of the list, who has continually improved as a forward in Winnipeg. The 23-year-old broke double digits in goals (12) last season, adding 29 points and many believe the center is a strong candidate to take over as the team’s No. 2 center next year and could be a candidate for a breakout season after a solid February before the season was shutdown. He also saw his ice time increase by almost five minutes last year.

Appleton also played a key role with the team, posting five goals and eight points in 46 games as a bottom-line forward, who will likely take on that role again next year. Harkins is another fourth-line option for the Jets, who posted two goals and seven points in 29 games last season, while the 26-year-old Suess posted career highs with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL with 14 goals and is a solid depth option for the Jets.

Many thought Niku would step into a full-time role when the Jets found themselves short-handed at the beginning of the year. The 23-year-old has been quite effective in the AHL the last couple of seasons, but while he did appear in 17 NHL games last season, the blueliner will have to try to establish himself there once again. His playing time did increase that this year as he averaged 16:10 of ATOI. The 24-year-old Nogier played his entire season in Manitoba and continues to be a depth option for the team.

With seven restricted free agents, one player was told he won’t be back with the team as Michael Spacek wasn’t tendered an offer sheet. Spacek, a Jets’ fourth-round pick in 2015, played three seasons with the Moose, but saw a decline in his play last season, scoring a career-low nine goals and 20 points in 45 games. He hasn’t appeared in an NHL game yet.

Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars

at CDT | by 3 Comments

With free agency now just a couple weeks away,  teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Fresh off of a heart-breaking loss in the Stanley Cup Final, the Dallas Stars will have to evaluate the cost of bringing back the veteran UFA’s that contributed to their playoff run while also maintaining enough space to extend several core RFA forwards.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Roope Hintz – Hintz came out strong as a rookie in 2018-19 with 22 points in 58 games only to top that this year with 19 goals and 33 points in 60 games. The 23-year-old is still trending upward and projects to be a core piece for a long time for the Stars. Coming off of his entry-level contract, Hintz is in for a major raise, especially on a long-term deal. And with so many of their top forwards on the wrong side of 30, Dallas will likely aim for a lengthy deal to make sure Hintz is around to help take over.

F Denis Gurianov – Gurianov is part of that next wave of core forwards in Dallas as well. The 2015 first-round pick took some time to arrive on the NHL stage, but in his first full season with the Stars this season shook off any doubts about his potential. With a team-leading 20 goals and 29 points in 64 games, backed up by 17 points in 27 playoff games, Gurianov proved himself to be a dangerous scoring threat. With his entry-level contract expiring, Gurianov is in for a payday, perhaps even more so than Hintz, due to the possibility that he could be Dallas’ top goal-scorer for years to come.

F Radek Faksa – Faksa’s future with the Stars may be a bit more uncertain than his fellow RFA forwards. The 26-year-old center, who is owed at least a $2.2MM qualifying offer, declined this season and his role moving forward in Dallas is unclear. Faksa snapped a three-year streak of 30+ points with just 20 on the year, his lowest per-game rate since his rookie season. He also finished outside the top nine scoring forwards for the Stars and saw his ice time slashed as a result. A good two-way player, Faksa is best suited for a bottom-six role but Dallas may question how much that role is worth to them. Faksa could sign a short-term deal, especially given the current flat cap conundrum, with the chance to prove himself worthy of an extension before he reaches unrestricted free agency.

Other RFAs: F Tony Calderone, F Joel L’Esperance, F Josh Melnick, G Landon Bow

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

G Anton Khudobin – Has Khudobin priced himself out of Dallas? After outplaying Ben Bishop this season and then taking over for the injured starter in the playoffs and marching the team to the Stanley Cup Final, Khudobin’s stock has never been higher. Which is saying a lot about a player who has been considered one of the top backups in the league for many years. With so many teams looking for a shake-up in net this off-season, including several teams with young netminders who would love a reliable veteran to share starts, Khudobin should draw a ton of interest on the open market. With a solid starter in Bishop and a promising young option in Jake Oettinger pushing for opportunities, will the Stars keep up with the top bidders to retain Khudobin? It seems unlikely.

F Corey Perry – Perry is another player whose stock soared this postseason. A former superstar now past his prime, Perry was still clutch in the playoffs and showed over the course of the whole year that he can still be an effective player. An intense physical presence and a smart offensive mind, Perry can still make a difference even if his 21 points this season is more reflective of his new ceiling. In fact, while Perry may be limited to another one-year deal this off-season, he might be able to command more than his $1.5MM “show me” salary from this season. As the price goes up on the open market, it becomes less likely that Perry returns to Dallas. However, if he’s seeking consistency in his older age, Dallas was a good fit and a return makes sense.

D Andrej Sekera – Dallas has everything you could want in a defense corps: high-end talent, depth, size, experience in the minors, and budding young prospects. However, sometimes a respected veteran and leader is the finishing touch that a contender needs. Sekera is not the player he once was -not really even close – but was a great fit on the bottom pair in Dallas. Sekera can still play meaningful minutes, provides solid defense, blocks shots, and can contribute on offense from time to time. An experienced asset who can help bring along the Stars’ young defenders while playing a reliable role, Sekera fits well in Dallas and should return on another minimal deal as long as he wants to keep playing.

Other UFAs: F Mattias Janmark, F Michael Mersch, F Oula Palve, D Gavin Bayreuther, D Dillon Heatherington

Projected Cap Space

CapFriendly projects the Stars to have about $15.5MM in current cap space. However, that projection includes two-way players whose roster spots are not necessarily secure, such as forward Justin Dowling and defensemen Taylor Fedun and Ryan Shea. It also seems likely that forward Joel Kiviranta and defenseman Joel Hanley have earned roster spots next season with strong playoff performances, but are not included in the current projection. All things considered, the Stars should have at least $16.2MM in flexible cap space heading into the off-season. This will be plenty to extend Faksa, Hintz, and Gurianov while leaving room to explore the free agent market.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top