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Salary Cap Deep Dive 2018

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

Los Angeles Kings

Current Cap Hit: $77,345,227 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alex Iafallo (one year, $925K)
F Sheldon Rempal (one year, $925K)
F Gabriel Vilardi (three years, $925K)
D Daniel Brickley (one year, $925K)
F Adrian Kempe (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Rempal: $850K
Brickley: $850K
Vilardi: $500K

With a franchise filled with veteran contracts, the team has been forced to slowly integrate some youth onto the team. What the team has recently done successfully is signing several undrafted collegiate free agents, including Iafallo, Brickley and Rempal. Iafallo made the Kings’ team out of training camp after four years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and even started on the team’s top line, posting nine goals and 25 points. This year, the team has the same hopes for Brickley and Rempal, two of the top college free agents, who each signed earlier this year and have solid chances to make the club out of training camp.

The team also have high hopes that Kempe can continue to develop into a top-six forward after finally breaking into a full-time role with the Kings this year. The 21-year-old 2014 first-round pick posted 16 goals and 37 points last year and could be primed to take that next step next season. Vilardi, the team’s 2017 first-rounder, might have made the L.A. team last year if he hadn’t suffered a back injury at the end of the 2016-17 season. He missed half of last season, but still posted solid numbers in junior on his return, posting 22 goals and 58 points in just 32 games. He could easily win a bottom-six role immediately and work his way up the depth chart as the season rolls on.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Nate Thompson ($1.65MM, UFA)
G Peter Budaj ($1.03MM, UFA)
F Jonny Brodzinski ($650K, RFA)
F Zack Mitchell ($650K, RFA)
D Oscar Fantenberg ($650K, UFA)

The team has few contracts that they have to worry about among non-entry level deals. Fantenberg may be the most intriguing of the bunch as the 26-year-old defenseman showed some offensive potential in limited action after coming over from the KHL last year. While he played in just 27 games last season, he posted 13 points and managed to play a significant role in their four-game playoff series with the Vegas Golden Knights. Other than Mitchell, who came over from Mitchell, all are unrestricted free agents and will have to prove their value to get a new contract in the future.

Two Years Remaining

F Tyler Toffoli ($4.6MM, UFA)
D Jake Muzzin ($4MM, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($2.53MM, UFA)
F Trevor Lewis ($2MM, UFA)
F Kyle Clifford ($1.6MM, UFA)
D Kurtis MacDermid ($675K, RFA)
G Jack Campbell ($650K, UFA)

Toffoli posted solid numbers for the fourth straight year, putting up 24 goals and 47 points as he enters the second year of a three-year, $13.8MM deal. The 26-year-old flashed some offensive potential two years ago when he scored 31 goals. Hoping that he might build on that number, Toffoli has scored just 40 goals in the past two years, so the team hopes he can return to an elite level soon. Muzzin is a solid top-four defenseman on a team that is loaded in defense and proved his value by putting up a career-high in points with 42, despite missing eight games last seasons.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Calgary Flames

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

Calgary Flames

Current Cap Hit: $71,961,710 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

Matthew Tkachuk (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Tkachuk: $850K

Tkachuk followed up a strong rookie season with an improved sophomore campaign as he jumped up to a tie for second on the Flames in goals with 24 while playing his usual gritty style.  He has quickly emerged as a core player and is someone that they will likely be looking to lock up to a long-term deal before too long.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Sam Bennett ($1.95MM, RFA)
F Garnet Hathaway ($850K, UFA)
D Brett Kulak ($900K, RFA)
F Curtis Lazar ($950K, RFA)
D Dalton Prout ($800K, UFA)
G David Rittich ($800K, RFA)
G Mike Smith ($4.25MM, UFA*)

* – Arizona is retaining an additional 25% of Smith’s contract.

For the most part, this group is primarily comprised of Calgary’s depth players.  Bennett, the fourth-overall pick in 2014, has had several opportunities to step up and grab a top-six role but he has yet to do so thus far.  His goal production and average ice time have dipped each of the last two years which is not the type of progression they want to see.  With a new head coach behind the bench in Bill Peters, Bennett will get another fresh start to try to prove he’s part of the core long-term.  If he struggles though, he will quickly become a trade candidate (and if things go really poorly, a non-tender candidate as well).  Lazar is another first-rounder that has yet to live up to his draft billing.  He’s another player that’s likely in a make-or-break year.  He shouldn’t get much more than his current contract on his next deal though.  Hathaway avoided arbitration last month with his contract and will once again be on the fourth line.

Kulak cleared waivers last month in advance of his arbitration hearing but he still projects to play a regular role on Calgary’s back end as their number six.  If that holds up throughout the season, he should position himself for a small raise.  Prout is pegged to be a veteran reserve option.  Whether it’s him or someone else in that role beyond next season, the price point is going to be pretty much the same.  Rittich will battle with Jon Gillies for the backup goalie job and considering that he’s waiver-eligible while Gillies isn’t, that could give him a leg up on the spot.  If he can hold his own playing roughly 25 games, he’ll set himself up for a decent raise, especially since he will once again have arbitration eligibility.

Smith’s case is the biggest one.  He’s coming off of a solid first season between the pipes in Calgary but a late-season injury resulted in the team utilizing Gillies and Rittich down the stretch.  He’ll turn 37 in March so while he might have a year or two left after this one, he’s not the long-term option for them between the pipes.  While there are some quality potential UFA goalies elsewhere, chances are that at least a few of them will re-sign before next summer so the Flames will have to decide if he’s their guy for another season or two after this one or if they’ll be looking elsewhere.  If they opt to keep him, he’s likely looking at a deal between what the Flames are covering and his current AAV ($5.67MM) as his age and injury history will hurt his market value somewhat.

Two Years Remaining

D T.J. Brodie ($4.65MM, UFA)
F Austin Czarnik ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Michael Frolik ($4.3MM, UFA)
D Travis Hamonic ($3.86MM, UFA)
F Mark Jankowski ($1.65MM, RFA)
D Michael Stone ($3.5MM, UFA)

Up front, Frolik is coming off of his worst full season since 2011-12.  While he fit in as part of their top-six at the beginning of the contract, he’s more of a third liner at this stage which makes his deal a bit of an overpayment.  Jankowski’s rookie campaign was a successful one as he tallied 17 goals and took hold of a regular spot in the lineup which helped him earn a nice raise on his bridge deal.  If he hovers around the 20 goal mark for the upcoming two seasons, he could potentially double that on his next contract.  Czarnik’s contract raised some eyebrows given his lack of NHL experience but he has been a prolific point producer in the minors and will now get a chance to show his stuff in the NHL.  If he thrives, this could be one of the bargain deals of the summer.  If he struggles though, it’s plausible that he could be on waivers before too long.

While Brodie’s output dipped for the second straight year, he’s still on a team-friendly deal as someone as their number two defender in terms of ice time.  Players with his particular skill set are becoming more and more in demand which will only help his case.  He’ll be hitting the open market at 30 and should command more than $6MM per season.  Hamonic isn’t being asked to shoulder as much of the load as he did with the Islanders but that shouldn’t affect his market value too much.  He’s still viewed as a high-quality defensive defender and could push for $5MM on his next deal.  Stone hasn’t been playing at the level he was back in Arizona but he’s also being asked to play a lesser role.  He’s primarily on the third pairing but serves as quality injury insurance.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: New Jersey Devils

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

New Jersey Devils

Current Cap Hit: $61,343,333 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Joey Anderson (two years, $925K)
F Jesper Bratt (two years, $749K)
D Will Butcher (one year, $925K)
F Nico Hischier (two years, $925K)
F Pavel Zacha (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Bratt: $93K
Butcher: $2.85MM
Hischier: $2.85MM

Total: $6.63MM

Hischier wasn’t among the rookie scoring leaders when all was said and done but the number one pick in 2017 still made his mark by finishing second in team scoring while ascending to a top-six role as a center quickly instead of being eased in as a winger.  That should have him in line to potentially max out his Schedule ‘B’ bonuses ($850K) but he’ll have a hard time locking down the loftier Schedule ‘A’ one.  He’ll be eligible for a contract extension next summer and it will be interesting to see if the Devils look to lock him up early or let him play out his contract and wait until the 2020 offseason to work something out.

Bratt was a big surprise last season.  Only one year removed from being a sixth-round pick, he wasn’t even on the radar to make the team but wound up playing over 15 minutes a night while providing strong secondary scoring.  A repeat performance could make him an early extension candidate as well.  Zacha has disappointed over his first two NHL seasons as he has to make much of an impact offensively.  He has the size and skills to carve out a big role but has yet to do so thus far.  Even if he rebounds next season, he’s a strong candidate for a bridge deal.  Anderson has yet to play in the pros but New Jersey thinks highly enough of him that they burned the first year of his entry-level deal in mid-April without him playing even a single game.  With that in mind, it’s reasonable to think they expect him to make an impact fairly quickly.

As for Butcher, he made a strong impact coming over in free agency after declining to sign with Colorado.  While he was sheltered (as many rookie blueliners often are), he made an immediate impact at the offensive end and is poised to take on a bigger role in 2018-19.  He should hit at least some of his ‘B’ bonuses (also $850K in total) but the ‘A’ one is going to be out of reach.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Brian Boyle ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Marcus Johansson ($4.583MM, UFA)
G Keith Kinkaid ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Ben Lovejoy ($2.67MM, UFA)
D Mirco Mueller ($850K, RFA)
F Stefan Noesen ($1.725MM, RFA)

Johansson was New Jersey’s big acquisition last summer but concussion trouble limited him to just 29 games.  When healthy, he is still a quality top-six forward capable of playing all three positions and a full season could help him land a nice raise on the open market.  However, another injury-filled campaign could have him settling for a one-year deal next summer.  Boyle’s start with the Devils got off to a rough start after being diagnosed with leukemia but he made an immediate impact upon his return and scored 13 times for the third straight year while winning the Masterton Trophy.  It’s hard to see him really boosting his pay on his next deal, however, as he’ll be 34 and some teams are starting to look for cheaper role players now.  Noesen had a career year last season which earned him a $1.125MM raise but if he takes a step backwards next season, he could become a non-tender candidate.

Lovejoy was a regular in his first season with the Devils but was more of a depth player at times for them last year, spending a lot of time as a healthy scratch.  That appears likely to continue as their back end remains intact which means that he will be taking a considerable pay cut on his next deal.  Mueller missed over 30 games with a fractured clavicle and was also scratched at times which resulted in what’s basically a one-year bridge deal.  If he’s in a similar role for 2018-19, he will be in line for another deal like that next offseason.

Kinkaid’s case is particularly interesting.  He re-signed last summer as someone without too much of an NHL track record.  That changed last season as he got into 41 games, took over the number one job briefly, and posted numbers around the league average.  That may not sound too exciting but a similar performance next year will still have him well-positioned for a sizable pay increase.

Two Years Remaining

D Andy Greene ($5MM, UFA)
F Taylor Hall ($6MM, UFA)
D Sami Vatanen ($4.875MM, UFA)

Hall’s stellar showing last season has been well documented.  The Hart Trophy winner shattered his career highs across the board and was a huge factor in them getting to the postseason.  Even if he takes a step back next season, he’ll still be in line for a notable raise on an early extension.  If he has a comparable performance in 2018-19 though, it’ll likely take putting him close to the league leaders in salary to get him to forego free agency.

Vatanen wasn’t quite as productive as expected after being acquired from Anaheim but he was still able to step up and play a number one role.  With the state of their back end, that’s going to be the case again next season which will be helping to make a case for his next deal starting with a six or a seven to be more in line with top-pairing players.  Greene has become more of a shutdown player compared to a few years ago which makes his deal a little bit of a premium.  Between that and his age (he’ll be 36 next summer), there’s a very good chance that he’ll be asked to take a pay cut on his next contract.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Current Cap Hit: $78,480,000 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jake Guentzel (one year, $734K)

Potential Bonuses:

Guentzel: $133K

Guentzel’s first full NHL season was a strong one as he finished sixth on the team in scoring while showing he could play well in a top-six role.  That type of success has him poised to land a considerable raise on his next contract.  His situation somewhat mirrors that of Conor Sheary, who also largely came out of nowhere to show some chemistry with Sidney Crosby and be productive.  He landed $3MM per year on his second deal and that’s going to represent the floor for a new contract for Guentzel.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Derick Brassard $3MM, UFA*)
F Matt Cullen ($650K, UFA)
G Casey DeSmith ($675K, UFA)
F Derek Grant ($650K, UFA)
F Carl Hagelin ($4MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Hayes ($650K, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($650K, UFA)
F Riley Sheahan ($2.1MM, UFA)

* – Vegas is retaining an additional $2MM on Brassard’s deal

Pittsburgh paid a notable price to bring in Brassard late last season and the move didn’t exactly pay immediate dividends.  While he certainly gives them even more enviable depth down the middle, they’ve kicked around the idea of making him a top-six winger as well.  At either rate, Brassard should be able to command something slightly above the $5MM he’s currently making when he hits free agency which is going to probably make him too pricey to keep around.  Even if he plays at the wing next season, there will be plenty of teams that view him as a center and with the demand for that position only getting stronger, he will have plenty of suitors on the open market.

Hagelin’s addition (one that cost them David Perron and Adam Clendening) is one that the Penguins would probably like back in hindsight.  His speed is a real weapon but he has produced more like a third liner than a top-six forward.  Given how tight they are to the cap, they can’t have too many inefficiencies like that on their books.  Unless he’s willing to take a big pay cut, he likely won’t be back.  Sheahan fit in nicely after being acquired early on from Detroit.  He’ll slot in as the fourth line center (unless Brassard moves to the wing) which will limit his potential for a raise on his next contract.  DeSmith will hold down the fort as the backup while allowing Tristan Jarry to take advantage of his waiver exemption and play a starting role in the minors and then will likely cede his spot to Jarry for 2019-20.

As for the other four, none project to have a particularly notable role for the upcoming season and are basically just cheap roster fillers.  They’ll either be retained around that rate for next year or be replaced by someone else that’s willing to play for the league minimum (which moves to $700K in 2019-20).

Two Years Remaining

G Matt Murray ($3.75MM, RFA)
D Justin Schultz ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Dominik Simon ($750K, RFA)
F Daniel Sprong ($750K, RFA)

Murray’s first full season as the undisputed starter for Pittsburgh didn’t quite go as well as anticipated.  He struggled to stay healthy and wasn’t quite as effective as he was the year before.  If that continues, his next contract wouldn’t be for much more than his current one.  However, if he establishes himself as a high-end number one starter within the next two years, he could double his current deal (and potentially then some).  Needless to say, he’ll have a lot on the line over the next 24 months.

Schultz wasn’t able to come close to repeating his performance from the year before, the one that earned him his current contract.  They’ll be counting on him to rebound next season and if that doesn’t happen, he’ll start to be involved in trade speculation before too long.  Simon and Sprong are both youngsters that will be looking to establish themselves as full-time NHL players.  Assuming that happens over the next two seasons, they should be in line for a decent raise; Sprong has the higher-end earning potential if he can lock down a top-six spot over that stretch.

Three Years Remaining

D Jamie Oleksiak ($2.138MM, UFA)

Oleksiak fit in nicely after being acquired in a midseason deal from Dallas.  He’ll slot in on their third pairing and while that cap hit may be a little high for someone that’s likely to be a number six defender, they’ll certainly be pleased with having a bit more stability in that role after rotating a few different players through that spot in recent years.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Current Cap Hit: $73,890,832 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Zach Werenski (one year remaining, $925K)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (two years remaining, $894K)
F Sonny Milano (one year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Dubois: $2.5MM
Werenski: $800K
Milano: $400K

Total: $3.7MM

The Blue Jackets got a big boost from Dubois who should provide the team with a top center for quite a long time as the 20-year-old had a solid rookie campaign as he posted 20 goals and 48 points. Those numbers should exponentially increase as he gets older, bigger and more comfortable in the league. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him develop into a 60-70 point player this year already. And with two years remaining, he will continue to be a bargain for some time.

Werenski had a mixed bag of a season as he saw his points totals drop from his rookie season (47 points) to his second season (37 points). Yet his goal totals increased from his rookie season (10) to his sophomore season (16). However, Werenski underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that had been causing him pain since October, suggesting he played injured all season. A fully healthy Werenski could give the team one of the top young defensemen in the league.

Milano arrived with much fanfare, but he struggled finding a permanent place in the lineup, as he often received relatively few minutes on the third line due to his struggles on defense. However, Milano showed flashes of scoring ability as the 22-year-old posted 14 goals in 55 games. With a year under his belt, Milano might be able to take those numbers to a much bigger level if he can prove he can play a two-way game for coach John Tortorella.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Sergei Bobrovsky ($7.43MM, UFA)
F Artemi Panarin ($6MM, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($2.83MM, RFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($900K, RFA)
F Lukas Sedlak ($825K, RFA)
F Alex Broadhurst ($725K, RFA)
F Markus Hannikainen ($675K, RFA)
D Scott Harrington ($675K, RFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($650K, RFA)

The biggest news all offseason is the fact that Panarin has told Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen says he’s not ready to discuss an extension. Despite the GM’s attempt to speak to Panarin to convince him to stay, it looks like Panarin wants to head elsewhere once his contract expires at the end of the season and he becomes a unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old winger posted a career-high 82 points after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, but seems to be looking to play in a city with a more diverse market. While there have been rumors that Kekalainen has been looking into trading options, little has come from it. The team may opt to wait until the trade deadline, but that could also lessen the return.

Perhaps more concerning is the contract situation with Bobrovsky. The 30-year-old goaltender is also in the final year of his contract. While there is no talk of leaving Columbus, the Blue Jackets have to be somewhat concerned about the veteran goaltender’s asking price. He will be 32 years old when his next contract takes effect, but Bobrovsky wants term, the team could be paying him until he’s 40 years old and it’s extremely likely that the goalie will take less money than the $7.43MM he’s making on this contract. However, that’s a lot of money to be handing out to an aging goaltender. Bobrovsky’s numbers are still good as he posted a 2.42 GAA and an impressive .920 save percentage in 63 games. However, his struggles in the playoffs isn’t working for him either. Regardless, the team could find itself in quite the contract negotiations in the coming summer.

Duclair is another interesting player, who signed a one-year deal after disappointing in both Arizona and Chicago. The 22-year-old opted to sign a minimum “show me” contract to prove he belongs in the NHL, but he’s struggled to produce over the years after a successful season back in 2015-16 when he potted 20 goals. Since then, he’s managed to post just 16 goals in two seasons. If he can find his game in Columbus, the Blue Jackets could still retain him as he’s a restricted free agent.Read more

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $73,823,569 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Pavel Buchnevich (one year remaining, $925K)
D Neal Pionk (one year remaining, $925K)
F Lias Andersson (three years remaining, $894K)
F Filip Chytil (three years remaining, $894K)
D Anthony DeAngelo (one year remaining, $863K)
G Alexandar Georgiev (two years remaining, $793K)

Potential Bonuses

Pionk: $850K
Andersson: $850K
Deangelo: $400K
Chytil: $350K

Total: $2.45MM

With the team in quick rebuild mode, there are some entry-level deals already and if the team continues to trend in that direction, they will have quite a bit more. The team’s most prominent player at the NHL level to date would be Buchnevich, who improved on his rookie campaign with a 14-goal, 43-point season last year. He saw more ice time as well, improving from 13:16 ATOI to 15:01 as well as saw significant time on the team’s power play, potting five goals and 11 assists with the man advantage and has earned himself a solid spot in the team’s top-six. Another improved season could see him being an expensive restricted free agent.

The team has high expectations for their two 2017 first-rounders in Andersson and Chytil. Both have shown excellent skills and have received some time playing for the NHL with Andersson seeing seven games, while saw nine games. Both are expected to earn time with the Rangers out of training camp, but both may find themselves on bottom-six lines unless they can prove that they can center the second or third lines in training camp.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Kevin Hayes ($5.18MM, UFA)
F Mats Zuccarello ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Rob O’Gara ($874K, RFA)
F Cody McLeod ($750K, UFA)
D Fredrik Claesson ($863K, RFA)
F Peter Holland ($675K, UFA)
D Steven Kampfer ($650K, UFA)
G Marek Mazanec ($650K, UFA)

The team agreed to a one-year deal with Hayes, avoiding arbitration, but now face the possibility that Hayes could walk away at the end of the season as he will be unrestricted, which will force the team into two possible directions, including attempting to work out a long-term deal with the team after Jan. 1, 2019, or trading him, possibly at the trading deadline if the two sides can’t agree on anything. Hayes, who has been a jack of all trades playing multiple positions, seems to have developed into a solid center as he produced his best season ever, which included 25 goals, eight more than any previous year. The question is, do the Rangers view him as a fixture in their lineup as they continue to rebuild?

At age 30, Zuccarrello still puts up solid numbers, but despite the high-end minutes that the veteran gets, he falls into a similar category to that of Hayes where you have to ask whether he is in the team’s long-term plans. The winger is penciled in to play on the team’s top line once again, but has only put up 31 goals over the past two seasons. He does produce quite a few assists (81 over the past two years), but what the Rangers need more than anything is goals. Zuccarello will also turn 32 before he begins his next contract and at that age, how long are the Rangers willing to commit to him?

Two Years Remaining

F Chris Kreider ($4.63MM, UFA)
F Ryan Spooner ($4MM, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($4MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Vesey ($2.28MM, UFA)
F Matt Beleskey ($1.9MM, UFA)
F Jesper Fast ($1.85MM, UFA)

Kreider is coming off a tough year in which he had to deal with blood clots and had surgery to relieve the pressure and missed almost two months of time. The 27-year-old didn’t have as solid of a season as he tallied just 16 goals in 58 games, which is a far cry from the 28 goals he scored in 2016-17 although a lot of that is due to the fact that his playing time dipped as the team didn’t want to play him too many minutes due to the blood clot issue. Regardless with a full offseason to rest and recuperate, Kreider should be able to bounce back as one of the team’s top scorers.

The team also have high expectations from two other forwards that the team acquired through at the trade deadline a year ago in Namestnikov and Spooner. Namestnikov was the biggest name to arrive in New York in the Ryan McDonagh trade with Tampa Bay. He was a key player for the Lightning, posting 20 goals and 44 points with them, but he actually lost playing time once he arrived in New York and put up just two goals and four points in 19 games. The team hopes that a new coach and proper training camp with his new team will make quite a difference. Spooner came over in the Rick Nash trade with Boston and has posted solid numbers with the Bruins over the past few seasons and could turn out to be a top-six wing or third-line center in New York. Between the two teams, Spooner combined for 13 goals and 28 assists.

The team also expect big things from Vesey, who signed as a undrafted collegiate free agent a couple of years ago and if finally starting to show that he belongs in the NHL. The 25-year-old winger has put up solid numbers for two years, but could find himself getting more opportunities in the team’s rebuild. In two years, he’s combined for 33 goals and 55 points.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

New York Islanders

Current Cap Hit: $68,940,833 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Mathew Barzal (two years remaining, $863K)
F Anthony Beauvillier (one year remaining, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Barzal: $400K
Beauvillier: $213K

Total: $613K

Barzal had a masterful rookie season as he took home the Calder Trophy while finishing fifth in the league in assists.  He also had one more point than John Tavares which should give fans some hope that they still have a top center to build around.  He’s well on pace to bypass a bridge deal and is someone that they may look to give an early extension to next summer.  Beauvillier took a nice step forward in the goal-scoring department last season as he more than doubled his rookie season output and should slot in nicely in their top-six for 2018-19.  Another step forward could make him a likely candidate for a long-term deal as well.  From a bonus perspective, both players should be able to hit their targets for next year but they have more than enough cap room to easily absorb those.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Jordan Eberle ($6MM, UFA)
F Valtteri Filppula ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Jan Kovar ($2MM, UFA)
F Tom Kuhnhackl ($700K, UFA)
F Anders Lee ($3.75MM, UFA)
G Robin Lehner ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Brock Nelson ($4.25MM, UFA)

After losing a big part of their attack in Tavares this summer, New York is facing the prospect of that happening again with three of their top eight scorers being eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.  The most notable among that group is Eberle who was a nice addition to their forward group two years ago and he hasn’t missed a beat since leaving Edmonton.  He’s a consistent 20-goal scorer and if he doesn’t sign an extension, he will be entering the market at the age of 29 so while Eberle probably won’t be able to command a significant raise, a deal close to the maximum term isn’t entirely out of the question, especially if he can get close to the 60-point mark once again.

Lee followed up a surprising 34-goal 2016-17 campaign with a 40-goal performance last season which makes his current deal one of the better bargains around the league.  With goal scoring at a premium, he should easily be able to hit $6MM or more on his next deal.  Nelson isn’t a top center and may be better suited to be a high-end third pivot than a second-liner but he is quite consistent in his production which will help his case in free agency and should help him get a small raise on the deal he signed to avoid arbitration last month.

Kovar was one of the more intriguing signings in free agency.  He’s coming off of a quieter year in the KHL but has been a top point producer in the past which gives them some upside.  With no NHL background, it’s hard to forecast what his new deal may look like.  They have some insurance in Filppula if Kovar struggles but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the team look to try to move the veteran Finn by the trade deadline although they’ll have a no-move clause to contend with.  Kuhnhackl should battle for a fourth line spot after joining the team from Pittsburgh and after getting non-tendered this summer, he’s not going to be commanding a big raise on his next deal.

Lehner is looking to rebound from a rough year in Buffalo.  A solid showing even in a platoon role would help get him some multi-year offers in July but if he continues to slide and fails to make a push for the number one job, he may be in tough to find another offer next summer.  He’s under quite a bit of pressure heading into next season.

Two Years Remaining

G Thomas Greiss ($3.33MM, UFA)
F Matt Martin ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Ryan Pulock ($2MM, RFA)

Greiss is coming off a disastrous year, one that saw his GAA go up by over a full goal per game while losing 21 points off his save percentage.  After looking like a bargain based on his 2016-17 campaign, his contract isn’t looking too good right now.  He’ll get a chance to restore some value but Lehner should push him for minutes.  Martin was added for a minimal return and after spending most of the year on the bench in Toronto, he will be pushing to play a more regular role.  Even if that happens, he won’t be landing close to this money on his next contract.

Pulock’s deal is somewhat back-loaded which sets him up for a qualifying offer that’s a fair bit higher ($2.65MM) than his current cap hit.  If he continues to progress offensively, this deal has the potential to be a nice bargain over the next couple of years.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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: $61,879,997 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Sebastian Aho (one year remaining, $925K)
D Haydn Fleury (one year remaining, $863K)
F Martin Necas (three years remaining, $894K)
F Andrei Svechnikov (three years remaining, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Aho: $850K
Fleury: $850K
Necas: $538K
Svechnikov: $2.6MM

Total: $4.838MM

Aho very quietly led the Hurricanes in scoring last season with 65 points (29-36-65) in 78 games.  He’s poised to be on the top line once again next season and if he picks up where he left off, he’ll be looking at a significantly more expensive long-term deal next summer around the $6MM-$7MM range.  Fleury spent the bulk of last season with the Hurricanes but with their extra depth on the back end, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was sent to the minors at times to get some extra work in.  With that in mind, he’s a strong candidate for a bridge deal next summer.

Svechnikov, the second-overall pick back in June, is expected to play an important role right away, especially after they dealt winger Jeff Skinner to Buffalo for a package of future assets.  A top-six spot isn’t out of the question which should put him in line to at least hit some of his Schedule B bonuses.  Necas actually made the big club out of training camp last year but was quickly sent back to the Czech league.  He’s likely to fill the vacancy opened up by Derek Ryan’s signing in Calgary.  If he’s in the bottom-six, he probably won’t hit most of his bonuses but if he moves into a top-six role, that could certainly change.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Phillip Di Giuseppe ($750K, RFA)
F Micheal Ferland ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($1.8MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($888K, RFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($2.86MM, RFA)
F Justin Williams ($4.5MM, UFA)

Teravainen, the ‘prize’ that the Hurricanes received for taking on Bryan Bickell’s contract from Chicago two years ago, really blossomed into a top-line talent last season.  He certainly has outperformed his bridge contract already and will be pegged to more than double his current AAV on his next deal.  Williams, who is their second-highest-paid forward, had a nice year in his return to Carolina with 51 points.  He’ll turn 37 right before the season starts and it will be interesting to see if he can repeat those numbers.  If he shows signs of decline, it will have a big impact on his next deal.  Ferland took advantage of the opportunity to play in the top-six with Calgary last year as he set career highs across the board offensively.  Those opportunities probably won’t present themselves with the Hurricanes which will hurt his value on the open market.  Despite that, he could still push to double his cap hit with a solid season.

Mrazek had a rough year in 2017-18 split between Detroit and Philadelphia and he will be looking to rebuild his value.  Given the questions surrounding their starter, the opportunity will certainly be there for Mrazek to do well and look for a longer-term deal next summer.  If not, he could join the list of backups that seem to bounce around several organizations rather quickly.  Martinook was added during the playoffs in what was basically a move to save a little bit of money.  He’ll likely suit up on their fourth line and could very well be flanked by McGinn and Di Giuseppe.  McGinn is coming off a 16-goal, 30-point season and another year like that could push him into the $2MM per year range while Di Giuseppe will be looking to lock down a regular role next season.

Two Years Remaining

D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
F Valentin Zykov ($675K, RFA)

Faulk is coming off of a down year by his standards.  After averaging 16 goals over the previous three years, he tallied just six in 2017-18 which has certainly contributed to the significant increase in trade speculation.  With their current roster construction, he projects to be on the third pairing and while that’s a very nice luxury to have, that’s also not the best use of an asset like that, especially when there appears to be a mandate to keep payroll low for the time being.  If the right deal doesn’t present itself then Faulk will start the season in a Carolina uniform but it certainly feels like a question of when, not if, a trade eventually gets done.

The player to really benefit from the expected move is van Riemsdyk who either will have to play his off-side as things stand or serve as the extra defender to start the season.  Neither of those are particularly ideal scenarios as the Hurricanes didn’t more than double his previous deal to have him in a different spot than he was last year.  As for Zykov, he’s now waiver-eligible and will be trying to lock down a full-time spot.  He showed some promise in limited action last year and could push for a top-nine spot quickly.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Philadelphia Flyers

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

Philadelphia Flyers

Current Cap Hit: $69,217,500 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Travis Konecny (one year remaining, $894K)
F Nolan Patrick (two years remaining, $925K)
D Ivan Provorov (one year remaining, $894K)
D Travis Sanheim (one year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Konecny: $425K
Patrick: $2.65MM
Provorov: $850K
Sanheim: $450K

Total: $4.375MM

Few teams are getting the bang for their buck that the Flyers are.  Provorov has established himself as a legitimate top pairing player already and will be in line for a big money, long-term deal next summer instead of a bridge contract.  Sanheim played himself into a regular role for a big chunk of 2017-18 and the team is hoping he’ll turn that into a full-time nod next season.  Even if he does that, a shorter-term second contract is likely in the cards for him.

Up front, Konecny more than doubled his goal production from his rookie campaign, going from 11 to 24 last season.  If he can repeat that type of output, he should be in line to bypass the bridge deal as well.  Patrick’s rookie campaign was fairly quiet but the team was in a situation where they didn’t have to give him big minutes right away.  While he’ll be asked to take a bigger workload next season, he shouldn’t project to hit his $1.8MM of Schedule ‘A’ bonuses which will give the Flyers a little more wiggle room on the cap for 2018-19.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Brian Elliott ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Christian Folin ($800K, UFA)
F Scott Laughton ($963K, RFA)
F Jori Lehtera ($4.7MM, UFA)
F Taylor Leier ($720K, RFA)
G Michal Neuvirth ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Michael Raffl ($2.35MM, UFA)
F Wayne Simmonds ($3.975MM, UFA)
F Jordan Weal ($1.75MM, UFA)

Simmonds is the most prominent player here by a considerable margin.  He has provided the Flyers with significant value on his deal over the past several years and is renowned as one of the better pure power forwards around the league.  There’s no doubt that the Flyers will want to keep him around but the question is should they?   He’ll be 31 when the puck drops in 2019-20 when his new deal will kick in and physical wingers tend to have more dramatic declines as they age.  On the flip side, he brings an element to the table that Philadelphia’s forward group is largely lacking otherwise.  It wouldn’t be shocking to see GM Ron Hextall try to work out a shorter-term extension if that’s something that Simmonds is open to.

Philadelphia’s goaltending was a concern heading into last summer which is why they brought in Elliott to try to help things.  Last season, the goaltending was still a concern and both netminders had issues staying healthy.  The good news is that with both being on expiring deals, there’s no long-term risk here and if a team has someone go down midseason, the Flyers could conceivably look to move one and give one of their youngsters some more NHL action.  Looking beyond 2018-19, there’s a good chance that they will look to bring in a more prominent starter on a short-term deal to bridge the gap until top prospect Carter Hart is ready to step in.

As for the rest of the group, the other UFA forwards appear to be candidates to leave next summer.  Lehtera was a buyout candidate this summer but since the team has plenty of cap space, it makes sense for them to keep him so there’s no carryover to 2019-20.  Raffl has seen his output dip in recent years while Weal didn’t thrive in his first full-time NHL opportunity.  He’ll battle with Laughton for playing time and the winner between the two should be part of the plans beyond next year.  Leier projects to be a depth winger while Folin gives the team some extra depth on the right side of the back end.

Two Years Remaining

D Radko Gudas ($3.35MM, UFA)
D Robert Hagg ($1.15MM, RFA)
D Andrew MacDonald ($5MM, UFA)
F Dale Weise ($2.35MM, UFA)

This group features some of the Flyers’ bloated contracts.  Weise has underwhelmed significantly since joined the team two summers ago and has struggled to hold down a fourth line spot in the lineup.  MacDonald is a decent defender but is well overpaid for the role that he is best suited to play.  Gudas certainly provides a physical element but isn’t going to bring much offensively to the table.  The same can be said for Hagg but he’s on a good bridge deal for someone who is pegged to be a third pairing player next season.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vegas Golden Knights

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 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.

Vegas Golden Knights

Current Cap Hit: $70,812,500 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alex Tuch (One year remaining, $925K)
D Zach Whitecloud (Two years remaining, $925K)

Among the many things that went right for Vegas was the play of Tuch, who was a surprise in training camp and quickly earned himself a full-time role. The 6-foot-4, 222-pound winger had an impressive rookie season with the Golden Knights, scoring 15 goals and 37 points with much of his playing time coming with the team’s third line. He only improved over time, showing an ability to get into the corners and extend offensive opportunities for the team. He tallied six goals in the playoffs as well, which allowed the Golden Knights to let go veterans James Neal and David Perron, knowing that the 22-year-old Tuch is ready to take his game to the next level. With one year remaining on his entry-level deal, expect him to become a key restricted free agent for the team next season.

Potential Bonuses

Tuch: $93K
Whitecloud: $93K

Total: $186K

One Year Remaining, Non Entry-Level

F William Karlsson ($5.25MM, RFA)
D Nate Schmidt ($2.23MM, UFA)
F Oscar Lindberg ($1.7MM, UFA)
D Deryk Engelland ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1.45MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($963K, RFA)
F Ryan Carpenter ($650K, UFA)
D Brad Hunt ($650K, UFA)
G Malcolm Subban ($650K, RFA)

The most important piece the Vegas Golden Knights need to lock up is Karlsson, who just signed a one-year deal with Vegas Saturday. However, now the team has just one year to lock up Karlsson, the team’s top scorer, to a long-term extension. Less than a year, actually, as the team can’t agree to an extension until Jan. 1, 2019. That gives Vegas time to see how 25-year-old will respond in his second year. After piling up 43 goals last season (and seven more in the playoffs), the team wants to see that he can put up similar numbers before handing him a major deal considering the most he’s ever scored in his NHL career was nine goals.

The team will also have to lock up the speedy Schmidt, as well to a long-term deal at some point. The 27-year-old was a key figure on the Golden Knights defense, posting career highs of five goals and 36 points, but also showed his mettle in the playoffs, putting up another three goals and seven points. He could easily get a similar deal to the one that Miller signed with the team (four years, $15.5MM) earlier in the offseason. With an influx of prospects likely to hitting the team for the 2019-20 season, several veterans will have to prove they deserve new contracts this coming  year, including Lindberg, Bellemare, Engelland, Carpenter, Hunt and Subban, although unless someone has a breakout year, none should cost the team too much.

Two Years Remaining

F David Clarkson ($5.25MM, UFA)
F Cody Eakin ($3.85MM, UFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($2.78MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($2.2MM, UFA)
D Jonathon Merrill ($1.38MM, UFA)
F William Carrier ($725K, RFA)

The team likely will have to pay up if they want to keep Haula. The team’s second-line center may move to the third line now that the team locked up Stastny to a free agent deal. However, if Huala can continue to produce like he did last season, the 27-year-old should be able to fetch a nice contract. He had a career-high in goals last season as he scored 29 and 55 points.

The team should also recoup some of their losses as well in two years as Clarkson’s deal will expire, so that will free up $5.25MM for the team as the team currently has to wait till the start of the season before they can place his contract on LTIR. Others like Eakin and Reaves will likely have to earn another deal over the next two seasons. Both had solid showings for Vegas this year, but will have to prove their consistency. While Reaves deal looks overpaid on paper, the team opted to give him three years worth of money as long as he only signed for two years.

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