Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

RFA

Detroit Red Wings Sign Dominik Kubalik

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Another year, another Chicago unqualified RFA heading to Detroit. The Red Wings have signed forward Dominik Kubalik to a two-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $2.5MM.

It’s been a rollercoaster NHL career so far for the 26-year-old Kubalik. After scoring 30 goals in 68 games during his rookie season in 2019-20, it appeared as though the Chicago Blackhawks had pulled a star out of the Swiss leagues. The lanky winger clicked immediately with Chicago’s top talent and signed a two-year, $7.4MM deal that fall that set him up nicely as a key part of their future.

Two years later and Kubalik scored just 15 goals in 78 games and is left unqualified by the team, scared of an arbitration award that would have been hefty. The Red Wings are apparently happy to snap him up, sign him to a reasonable deal for just two years and plug him into a forward group that suddenly looks formidable.

With Andrew Copp and David Perron also joining the Red Wings today, Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde should have plenty of options to mix and match as he sees fit, trying to find the best chemistry combinations up front. If Kubalik can click with a top forward like he did that rookie season, perhaps he can get back to the 30-goal man that he debuted as. If not, Detroit hasn’t put itself in a dangerous situation, since a $2.5MM contract won’t affect their overall financial structure much and they can walk away in two years if necessary.

Minor Transactions: McIntyre, Huntington, Dronov

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins were handing out long-term extensions to Valeri Nichushkin and Rickard Rakell respectively, and as the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired their next starting goalie in Matt Murray, a few bits of business were still getting done around the league, with a pair of minor leaguers getting contract extensions, and the Coyotes extending an invite to training camp.

The first of these is the Minnesota Wild extending goaltender Zane McIntyre with a one-year, two-way contract extension to stay in the organization according to CapFriendly. The contract is worth $750K at the NHL level and $300K at the minor league level, but does guarantee the goaltender a minimum of $325K. McIntyre appeared in eight games with the Boston Bruins back in 2016-17, but has otherwise made a solid career in the AHL, most recently splitting the 2021-22 season between the Tucson Roadrunners and the Iowa Wild.

  • Shortly thereafter, the Nashville Predators extended forward Jimmy Huntington on a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level and $80K in the minors, leaving him an RFA at the conclusion of the deal, per CapFriendly. Huntington spent five years in the QMJHL, finishing his career with an incredible 92 point season with the Rimouski Oceanic in 2018-19 before turning pro, spending parts of the previous three seasons between the ECHL and AHL. The undrafted forward spent 2021-22 with the Syracuse Crunch and Milwaukee Admirals, putting up 13 goals and 22 assists in 61 games combined.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have made a move to continue looking at depth options, extending a professional tryout to defenseman Grigori Dronov, according to CapFriendly. An undrafted free agent, Dronov has spent his professional career as a member of Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the KHL, featuring as a steady defenseman, though not much of a point producer. Dronov also appeared as a member of team Russia at the 2017 World Junior Championships, where he had one point in seven games.

List Of Players Not Receiving A 2022 Qualifying Offer

at CDT | by 15 Comments

The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents is today at 4pm CT, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. 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

Sam Steel, Sonny Milano, Jack Badini, Roman Durny, Lucas Elvenes, Brendan Guhle, Jacob Larsson

Arizona Coyotes

Cole Hults, Christian Fischer, Cam Dineen, Kyle Capobianco

Boston Bruins

(none)

Buffalo Sabres

(none)

Calgary Flames

Johannes Kinnvall, Tyler Parsons

Carolina Hurricanes

David Cotton, Jack LaFontaine, Beck Warm

Chicago Blackhawks

Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome, Andrei Altybarmakyan, Wyatt Kalynuk, Cale Morris, Cameron Morrison

Colorado Avalanche

Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Andreas Wingerli, Nicholas Henry

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kevin Stenlund, Gabriel Carlsson

Dallas Stars

Colton Point, Alexey Lipanov, Jordan Kawaguchi

Detroit Red Wings

Filip Larsson, Olli Juolevi, Mitchell Stephens, Kaden Fulcher

Edmonton Oilers

Filip Berglund, Ostap Safin, Brendan Perlini

Florida Panthers

German Rubtsov, Evan Fitzpatrick, Jonas Johansson

Los Angeles Kings

Brendan Lemieux, Johan Sodergran, Vladimir Tkachev

Minnesota Wild

Fedor Gordeev, Dereck Baribeau

Montreal Canadiens

Josh Brook, Kale Clague, Rem Pitlick

Nashville Predators

Matt Luff, David Farrance

New Jersey Devils

(none)

New York Islanders

Michael Dal Colle

New York Rangers

Ty Ronning, Tyler Wall, Justin Richards, Jacob Elmer

Ottawa Senators

Adam Gaudette, Victor Mete, Michael McNiven

Philadelphia Flyers

Matthew Strome, Maksim Sushko, Kirill Ustimenko

Pittsburgh Penguins

Danton Heinen, Justin Almeida, Jordy Bellerive, Jan Drozg, Niclas Almari, Cam Lee, Will Reilly, Alex D’Orio

San Jose Sharks

Joachim Blichfeld, Jonathan Dahlen, Zach Gallant, Jake McGrew, Nicolas Meloche, Antoine Morand, Brinson Paschinuk, Zach Sawchenko

Seattle Kraken

Haydn Fleury, Dennis Cholowski, Ryan Donato, Daniel Sprong

St. Louis Blues

Tanner Kaspick

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tye Felhaber, Odeen Tufto, Alex Green

Toronto Maple Leafs

Ondrej Kase, Chad Krys, Ian Scott, Kristians Rubins, Joseph Duszak

Vancouver Canucks

Justin Bailey, Matthew Highmore, Juho Lammikko

Vegas Golden Knights

Ben Jones, Brett Howden, Dylan Ferguson, Jack Dugan

Washington Capitals

Ilya Samsonov

Winnipeg Jets

Evgeny Svechnikov, Markus Phillips

Teams Debating Jake Oettinger Offer Sheet

at CDT | by 29 Comments

For years, there was talk of offer sheets without any actual action. That’s changed recently, with the competing offers between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes for Sebastian Aho and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Now, when offer sheets are brought up, they at least can’t be dismissed entirely.

That’s why this morning’s report from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that teams around the league are debating the merits of a Jake Oettinger offer sheet is so intriguing. The young goaltender showed this postseason that he is ready to step into the limelight as a star, posting a .954 save percentage in seven games, almost dragging the Stars past the Calgary Flames in the first round by himself.

With Jason Robertson also a restricted free agent and a few other spots to fill, the Stars have a limited amount of cap flexibility to work with, which could make an Oettinger offer sheet more appealing for some teams. It doesn’t make much sense to sign a player to one without real hope that it might not be matched.

That can draw the ire of opposing managers who are trying to keep contracts low with their young RFAs. In fact, that’s what happened in the Aho situation, with the Hurricanes quickly matching only to retaliate down the road.

So if you’re going after Oettinger, it’s going to have to be a deal that the Stars will have trouble matching, or at least reach the level of compensation to make them hesitate.

The compensation thresholds this year are:

$1,386,490 or less No compensation
$1,386,491 to $2,100,472 Third-round pick
$2,100,473 to $4,201,488 Second-round pick
$4,201,489 to $6,302,230 First and third-round picks
$6,302,231 to $8,402,975 First, second and third-round picks
$8,402,976 to $10,503,720 Two firsts, a second and third-round picks
Over $10,503,721 Four first-round picks

Check here for a more detailed explanation. 

Coming off his entry-level deal and not eligible for arbitration, the Stars could normally keep the netminder’s contract relatively low, especially with a short-term bridge deal. An offer sheet then becomes basically the only leverage that Oettinger’s camp has, meaning these whispers could just be a negotiating tactic.

Remember, teams must use their own draft picks for compensation, not selections that have been acquired from other clubs. It also can’t happen until he actually reaches RFA status on July 13.

Offseason Checklist: Los Angeles Kings

at CDT | by 6 Comments

With the offseason in full swing aside from the two teams in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s time to examine what each squad will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at the Los Angeles Kings.

Before the season began, not many people were picking the Kings to make the playoffs, let alone push Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to a deciding game seven. The club had brought in valuable veteran players like Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault but was still considered to be in the early stages of a rebuild, focusing on Quinton Byfield and the rest of the young talent in a deep prospect pool. Not only did the team as a whole exceed expectations but mid-twenties players like Trevor Moore, Adrian Kempe, and Sean Durzi emerged as legitimate difference-makers that could quickly give the Kings depth that will make them a real contender in the Pacific Division.

With that in mind, this offseason could be time for general manager Rob Blake to push some of the chips to the middle and accelerate the plan.

Lock Up The RFAs

Before anything huge can happen, there is a lot of work to be done on the restricted free agent front. Kempe, Durzi, Lias Andersson, Carl Grundstrom, Brendan Lemieux, Gabriel Vilardi, and Mikey Anderson are all without contracts for next season, with at least some of those names deserving of long-term extensions. How much cap space Blake and company have to work with will be directly tied to how many years they include on these RFA contracts, buying out UFA years wherever possible.

Kempe, for instance, is coming off a breakout 35-goal campaign and would qualify for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024. Any long-term extension will be expensive, and drastically affect the spending limits in free agency. Durzi and Anderson are two other key negotiations after having outstanding runs this year, but are ineligible for arbitration at this point and could be extended on short-term deals that keep costs low.

Decide If The Defense Needs A Big Addition

From the moment his name hit the hot stove, Jakob Chychrun has been speculatively linked to the Kings as a “perfect fit.” The question now though is whether Los Angeles even needs to go out and get that kind of impact name, or just allow their young players to develop and grow into bigger roles. Anderson and Durzi have proven they can play at a high level, while Tobias Bjornfot and Jordan Spence still appear to have legitimate upside. Names like Brandt Clarke and Helge Grans are on their way in a couple of years, meaning if they wait, the Kings could have a stable of capable options without making any moves at all.

Still, the temptation will be there to cash in one or two of those prospects to improve the club for the start of next season and add another experienced, effective option to the top four. There will be names outside of Chychrun that appear on the block this summer, ones that can provide improvement now and still be good enough to contribute for years to come.

Sign Moore To An Extension

Unless you think it was a mirage, Moore is going to be an important player in the NHL for a long time, with his enviable brand of speed, energy, and tenacity. He showed exactly what kind of player he can be in the playoffs, adding five points in seven games while being given brutal defensive deployment against some of the best players in the world.

He’ll also be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning an extension could be in line before he even gets close to the open market. The Kings have plenty of young players coming but it’s difficult to replace a heart-and-soul player like Moore at the best of times, and his exit would likely be felt even more dramatically now that Dustin Brown is out of the picture.

Fix Cal Petersen

The saying “goalies are voodoo” was felt nowhere more than Los Angeles this season, when their two netminders both experienced the complete opposite of what was expected of them. While Jonathan Quick had a rebound year that saw him post his best save percentage since 2018, Cal Petersen crumbled and made his three-year, $15MM extension that kicks in next season look extremely worrying. An .895 save percentage and nearly -12 goals saved above average was a huge dip for a goaltender who was expected to take over the lion’s share of the work, and now it’s unclear what the Kings will have in net once the 36-year-old Quick is out of the picture.

If he has another down season it will be almost impossible to get rid of his $5MM cap hit, making this an interesting summer for the Kings in regards to goaltending. Do they move one or the other and get another netminder capable of stepping into the starter role on a long-term basis? Do they put faith in Petersen to bounce back, and hope Quick can stave off father time a little longer?

It’s a tricky situation and one that could drag down a potential Stanley Cup contender over the next few years. They only have to look at the team that beat them for an example of young talent being held back by inconsistent goaltending. It’s not an experiment they will want to test.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Martin Necas Drawing Interest

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes appear to have hit the jackpot in 2020 first-round pick Seth Jarvis, who is already a regular in the top-six and produced 48 points in 82 games (combined regular season and playoffs) this year. With Jarvis’ rocket-fueled ascension though, there have been fewer minutes and fewer opportunities for another first-round selection.

Martin Necas, the 12th overall pick in 2017, saw his ice time drop to just over 16 minutes a night this season and even lower than that in the playoffs, where he failed to score a single goal. The 23-year-old was drafted with the potential to play center but has been used almost exclusively on the wing so far and took a noticeable step backward offensively this season.

He was honest about this fact at his end-of-year availability, telling reporters:

I have to help the team more, I have to produce more. That’s what everyone expects from me and I didn’t do that this year. It was disappointing.

Necas had 40 points in 78 regular season games, not even reaching the mark he set last year in the shortened 56-game schedule. He is now a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract with 119 points in 203 career games.

Still, there is so much obvious upside in the 6’3″ forward that it’s easy to understand why teams might be calling. Pierre LeBrun explained on TSN’s Insider Trading that the Hurricanes may not be rushing to trade Necas but if a deal came about for a young defenseman, they would at least listen.

While releasing that information may just be a negotiating tactic, the Hurricanes are obviously considering some changes. Just a few days ago it was reported that Ethan Bear has been given permission to speak to other teams about his own value heading into an RFA negotiation, and with Vincent Trocheck, Nino Niederreiter, Max Domi, Derek Stepan, Ian Cole, and Brendan Smith all set to hit the open market, Carolina could have a very different look at the start of next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Johannes Kinnvall Signs In SHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Another European free agent has decided to take his talents back home, as Johannes Kinnvall has signed a new two-year deal with Brynas in the SHL.

Kinnvall, 24, is coming off a two-year entry-level contract that he signed with the Calgary Flames in 2020, and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. The depth defenseman never did see the NHL, spending the first year of the contract back in Sweden on loan and this year with the Stockton Heat of the AHL.

With just 19 games under his belt for the Heat, Kinnvall will return to the SHL without much to show for his North American sojourn. He now heads back to a league he has dominated in recent years, recording 62 points over 83 games in his last two seasons as one of the most reliable puck-moving defensemen in the league.

Calgary will be able to retain his RFA rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, though at this point that isn’t a guarantee, given how little action he saw for their organization.

Blue Jackets Notes: Laine, Defensive Development, Foudy

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

A year into the Columbus Blue Jackets’ “restart” as GM Jarmo Kekalainen put it, the organization has seen many promising developments from its stars, young players, and its prospects. One of those promising players is forward Patrik Laine, who took another step in his young, but already strong career. This season, for the first time, Laine was able to average a point per game, scoring 26 goals along with 30 assists for 56 points in as many games. The Finnish forward has scored as many as 44 goals in the past, the same year he recorded 70 points, both career-highs, but on a points-per-game basis, 2021-22 was his best. Now, having taken that next step, Laine finds himself once again as an RFA this offseason, a situation that could feel concerning for the Blue Jackets, given Laine’s previous holdout as a member of the Winnipeg Jets in 2019.

Still, there’s no need for concern, reports The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, who spoke to Kekalainen on numerous topics, including the status of the star RFA. As Kekalainen told Portzline, “It’s just one of those things. It’s gonna take some time, most likely.” According to Portzline, multiple terms have been discussed on a potential deal, but Columbus’ main concern is placing the cap hit at a reasonable term. That is surely good news for the Blue Jackets and their fans, given Laine’s previous history. Though no contract is done, and it may be a while away, it appears the issues for both sides to discuss are merely term and value, the basic tenants of any contract negotiation in any sport, and not any other major issue.

The Laine news is also positive because it should give Kekalainen the flexibility to continue the “restart” and focus on all areas of the organization, as Portzline also details:

  • Looking broadly at what the Blue Jackets are looking to build, Portzline wonders how Kekalainen approaches the teams core of promising, but young defensemen. With a likely starting six of Zach Werenski, Vladislav Gavrikov, Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg, and Andrew Peeke, hopefuls consisting of Jake Christiansen, Gabriel Carlsson, and Gavin Bayreuther, and a strong mix of prospects, Columbus seems fairly set on the back end. But, as Portzline mentions, the team has more than its share of forwards and may look to move some of that depth out for a more established piece on the blueline. With Kekalainen maybe operating on a quicker timeline, given the term “restart” rather than “rebuild,” he may choose to establish the backend quicker than the young core they have now can establish itself. Having $21MM in cap space and Patrik Laine as the only major extension this offseason, the Blue Jackets certainly seemed poised to make an addition on defense via free agency or trade this offseason if they so choose.
  • A couple of days ago, the Blue Jackets announced a two-year deal for young forward Liam Foudy, which begins as a two-way contract, but becomes a one-way contract in the second season. In his brief NHL career, Foudy has struggled to produce, which raised questions about why the team would give him a one-way contract, even if it didn’t begin until 2023-24. As Kekalainen told Portzline, he believes Foudy will become an NHL regular very soon, raving about the 22-year-old’s game at the AHL level, which saw him put up 19 points in 29 games in 2021-22 for the Cleveland Monsters before being sidelined for the remainder of the year with a shoulder injury. Kekalainen also mentioned that had Foudy not missed such significant time, it’s likely he would have been up and playing regularly with Columbus. The comments from Kekalainen do shed light on why exactly Columbus chose to pursue this type of contract structure with Foudy and serve as a boost to Foudy himself, who has yet to make an impact four years removed from being drafted, but is clearly still seen as a promising young prospect by his organization. Also worth noting is that the one-way contract may not be an issue for Columbus either; if Foudy struggles again this season, he wouldn’t necessarily be a lock to be claimed on waivers anyways, and if he is able to break-out, chances are he will stay with the NHL club in 2023-24. To date, Foudy has five points, all assists, in 27 career NHL games.

Latest On Jesper Bratt

at CDT | by 12 Comments

The rebuild of the New Jersey Devils has largely consisted of draft lottery wins, including Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and the second-overall selection in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, a few under-the-radar trades for players like Ryan Graves and Jonas Siegenthaler, a blockbuster free-agent signing of Dougie Hamilton, and the surprising development of a 2016 sixth-round pick: Jesper Bratt. Over his NHL career, Bratt has proven he belongs in the NHL, initially providing solid secondary scoring for New Jersey before a superb breakout season in 2021-22, where he lead the team in scoring with 73 points in 76 games. Soon to be 24 and now an NHL veteran, Bratt finds himself a restricted free agent this offseason at the conclusion of a two-year, $5.5MM contract he signed with the Devils prior to the 2020-21 season.

Despite the success and becoming a major building-block for the Devils, in his updated trade targets list yesterday, The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli added Bratt’s name into the mix, citing the lack of discussion between player and team on Bratt’s next contract. Earlier this afternoon, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes added to the story, saying he had also heard that there had been no significant extension talks between the two sides (link). Weekes also said he could confirm that several teams were indeed interested in trading for the Swedish winger. Of course many teams would likely be interested in making a deal for Bratt, considering his age, his control as a RFA, and his ability to create offense and support his line. This interest also makes it hard to understand why New Jersey might be interested in moving the winger themselves upon seeing this development and his chemistry with their other young building blocks, not to mention plenty of salary cap space at just over $25.3MM projected this offseason.

Perhaps putting the rumors to bed, however, is The Star-Ledger’s Ryan Novozinsky. You may recall last weekend, Novozinsky addressed Bratt’s contract, speaking directly to his agent, Joakim Persson, who confirmed the sides have had discussions on a contract, which included meeting in person several weeks ago, as well as a few phone calls since. In light of Weekes’ tweet today, Novozinsky reiterated what Persson told him, that both sides have had discussions on a contract, though no deal is imminent. In addition to Bratt’s camp, the Devils confirmed to Novozinsky that contract talks were ongoing and the process takes time (link).

The comments from Persson and the confirmation from the Devils would seem to prove there has been dialogue, one that would likely continue, but today’s comments from Weekes do certainly raise eyebrows. Not having a deal finalized right now is far from a concern, and could be due to a number of factors, some wholly unrelated to Bratt, but the Devils do have until July 13th to be in full control of the negotiations before their star player can talk to other teams, which could lead to an offer-sheet scenario. Though that scenario has not been speculated or reported on, it could serve as a soft deadline to work out a contract.

Looking At Kaapo Kakko’s Restricted Free Agency

at CDT | by 19 Comments

In what would prove to be their final game of the season last night, a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Rangers made the surprising choice to list forward Kaapo Kakko as a healthy scratch in favor of Dryden Hunt. It would be fair to say Kakko, the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, has not played up to projections so far in his young career, however given the team’s choice to scratch forward Ryan Reaves and the apparent severity of Ryan Strome’s injury, along with the developing chemistry between Kakko and linemates Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil, seeing Kakko sit was a surprise to say the least.

The New York Post’s Larry Brooks, who covers the Rangers, wrote this morning examining an interesting parallel between Kakko and another Finnish forward, Jesperi Kotkaniemi (link). Brooks looks at the similarities between the two players from being drafted, the hype around them, and their young careers, Kakko’s with the Rangers, Kotkaniemi’s with the Montreal Canadiens. Brooks also addresses Kotkaniemi’s healthy scratch in Games Four and Five of last year’s Stanley Cup Final in comparison to Kakko’s healthy scratch last night.

At the conclusion of Montreal’s season, Kotkaniemi would hit the RFA market, where he would sign a one-year, $6.1MM offer-sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes which Montreal declined to match, ultimately costing the Hurricanes a first and third round draft pick. After the two healthy scratches in the Cup Final, it didn’t appear that the relationship between Kotkaniemi and the Canadiens was irreparable, however Kotkaniemi was quick to sign the offer sheet, one that Montreal was very unlikely to match. As Brooks points out in his article, Kakko could feel a similar sentiment towards the Rangers.

None of this is a given of course, but if Kakko was interested in a change of organization, choosing to shop his talents when free agency opens on July 13th, the Rangers would be put in an awkward position if Kakko were to be offered a deal like Kotkaniemi. The Rangers have just under $13.5MM in available cap space this offseason, needing to re-sign the likes of Strome, Andrew Copp, and Frank Vatrano, amongst others. Brooks suggests a two-year bridge deal worth $2MM to $2.5MM per season is appropriate for Kakko this offseason, but if he were to get an offer in the range of $4.2MM to $6.3MM per season on the open-market, that would net the Rangers only the same first and third round draft picks Montreal received for Kotkaniemi.

Circling back, the Rangers could afford to match that number, but they have K’Andre Miller and Lafreniere as expiring RFAs next offseason, both of whom would be due significant raises over their ELC contracts. If the Rangers were put in this position, the one Montreal faced last offseason, they may be forced to take the draft picks.

All of this to say, with the Rangers offseason less than a day old at publishing, things are unknown and the ultimate reason for Kakko’s scratch remains a mystery, and any hurt feelings could be a moot point. Interestingly, when ESPN’s Emily Kaplan asked Rangers head coach  Gerard Gallant to elaborate on why he scratched Kakko, Gallant refused to give an answer. Kakko’s future is his own, and to an extent the Rangers’ too, but the parallel to Kotkaniemi’s situation, in recency, in on-ice performance, in being healthy scratched for the team’s biggest game of the season, and now contractually, is incredibly interesting and something to keep an eye on.

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top