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San Jose Goalie Conundrum

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San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones was excellent last year. In his first season as a full-time NHL starter, Jones won 37 games and posted a .918 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average en route to a Western Conference championship. On Sharks off nights, San Jose was still home to a star goalie as Jones’ expected backup in 2016-17, former North Dakota Fighting Sioux standout Aaron Dell, was also great in his first full-time AHL season with the San Jose Barracuda. Dell had a .922 save percentage and 2.42 GAA, earning himself a two-year, $1.25MM contract extension this off-season. So where is the problem? Unfortunately for the Sharks, the problems abound with this duo going into the new season.

First, there is the reliability of Jones to worry about. Although he has given the Sharks no reason to worry about him, nor did his time as a backup with the Los Angeles Kings raise any red flags, Jones is swimming through dangerous waters in 2016-17. The dreaded sophomore slump has not been kind to goalies in Jones’ position. Even though he was not technically a rookie last season, it was his first year as an NHL starter. In the past, goalies who have shined bright in their first season as the number one man in net have often faltered the next season. The most recent example is Steve Mason. The former Columbus goalie, who started for the Blue Jackets right out of junior hockey, was outstanding in his first year. His .916 save percentage, 2.29 GAA, and league-leading 10 shutouts earned him the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2008-09. In 2009-10? Mason’s GAA blew up to 3.06, while his save percentage fell to .901. Mason went 20-26-9 that season, after posting a 33-20-7 line the year before. Even worse than having just one bad sophomore slump year, Mason’s struggles in Columbus continued until he was finally traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012-13. But surely a Calder-winning goalie having the wheels fall off is just an anomaly, right? Not so much; it happened just a few seasons before Mason. This time, it was Boston Bruins rookie sensation Andrew Raycroft. After a few seasons as a backup to the less-than-stellar likes of Byron Dafoe, Steve Shields, and John Grahame, Bruins fans were ecstatic when Raycroft took the reins in 2003-04 and put up a .926 save percentage and 2.05 GAA. Then it all fell apart. Following the lockout year, Raycroft started the 2005-06 season off as a hero and ended it as a disgraced third string. He had a miserable .879 save percentage and .371 GAA, which gave the Bruins more than enough reason to hand the starting job to Tim Thomas. They took it a step further in the off-season, dealing Raycroft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Tuukka Rask. In 2006-07, Raycroft allowed a league-high 205 goals as the Leafs net minder, and would never work as a starting goalie in the NHL again. You can of course make the argument that Martin Jones is simply a better goalie than Raycroft, but is he better than the aforementioned Rask? Probably not. (Rask is second all-time in save percentage) Even Rask encountered this problem though. After a few seasons as a backup, Rask played so well in 2009-10 that he forced a share of the starting job with the fan-favorite Thomas. Rask played in 45 games to Thomas’ 43, and in those appearances he had an impeccable .931 save percentage and 1.97 GAA, both of which led the league. Rask finished fourth in Calder voting and seventh in Vezina voting and there was a general assumption that the team was his. Entering his first year as the presumptive starter, Rask struggled. He had only a .918 save percentage and 2.67 GAA for the season, as Thomas took back the starting job early on and led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup. Yet another case study: former Penguins goalie J-S Aubin. Aubin’s numbers in his final year as a backup and first year as a starter in Pittsburgh are very comparable to Jones’ past two seasons. In Aubin’s next season, he had a gruesome .890 save percentage and 3.13 GAA.

Such a drastic collapse like Aubin’s or Raycroft’s may not happen to Martin Jones, but it could. He could also just see his stats fall to pedestrian levels like Rask or Mason. Either way, the Sharks are not prepared. If Jones’ numbers fall off, they do not have the goalie depth they need. As good as Dell was last season, he would be a 27-year-old rookie who has bounced around the ECHL and AHL for the past four years. The Sharks claim to have faith in their backup, but their actions betrayed their words when they kept the struggling Alex Stalock as the backup last season, until it reached a breaking point and they decided to trade for James Reimer. Though Dell has the experience, he has not proven himself at the NHL, nor has he dominated in the minors like he did in college. If he was to be eased into the NHL, he might gradually find success. However, if Jones hits a sophomore slump and Dell is thrust into high pressure situations, he is likely to fail.

In house, there are no solutions to the Sharks goaltending problem. If Jones struggles they need a reliable veteran backup who can handle a workload and important starts. If Jones doesn’t struggle, they could still use a reliable veteran backup. After playing in 65 regular season games and 24 playoff games in 2015-16, Jones is deserving of some more off-days this season. Dell simply may not be good enough to make all of the starts needed of him. Right now, Dell is “penciled in” as the backup, but unless the Sharks can make a big trade or savvy signing, it may as well be permanent marker. Troy Grosenick, a Union College grad who backed up Dell with the Barracuda in 2015-16, has a brutal .894 save percentage and 3.16 GAA in 28 AHL games last year and is not even a consideration at this point. Mantas Armalis, a 24-year-old Lithuanian goalie who the Sharks signed this off-season from Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League, has upside, but is hardly ready for any NHL action this year.

That leaves the Sharks one choice to solve their goalie issues: acquisition. Whether it is signing a goalie to a short-term deal or PTO before training camp starts, or waiting for a goalie market to develop once the season begins, San Jose will have to make a move or else stand by their risky Jones-Dell tandem. Veterans available as of right now include Karri Ramo, Anders Lindback, Ray Emery,  and Michael Leighton, while some younger, but riskier options like Joni Ortio and Kevin Poulin could also be had. Of all of these, Calgary castoffs Ramo and Ortio represent the best options. Although neither had a strong 2015-16 campaign, they did make a significant number of starts and are used to facing NHL, and even Western Conference, competition. Both goalies are prime candidates to soon bolt overseas though, and a signing would need to happen soon for the Sharks. If they miss out, or simply don’t trust any of the available free agents, they face a more difficult task in finding a trade. San Jose is projected to have less than $1MM in cap space at the start of the season, meaning that acquiring an expensive backup on the trading block like the Red Wings’ Jimmy Howard or either of Dallas’ disappointing tandem of Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen would have to involve significant salary leaving the Sharks. More affordable targets like Michael Hutchinson, J-F Berube, Mike Condon, or Curtis McElhinney could be the solution, but only if they are available at the right price. There is no easy answer for this scenario, and it may go unsolved as a result, and that is why San Jose certainly has a goalie conundrum on their hands.

Snapshots: Bishop, Burns, Howden

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Barring the unexpected, Ben Bishop will enter the 2016-17 season as the starting goalie for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After leading the NHL in GAA (2.06) and finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting, Bishop has established himself as one of the league’s top net minders and is a key reason the Lightning will be among a small handful of teams expected to challenge Pittsburgh for Eastern Conference supremacy. But as he enters the final year of a contract, which comes with an AAV of $5.9MM, Bishop’s time in Tampa may be nearing its end, as Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk explains.

At 29 and with presumably several years of elite-level play ahead of him, Bishop will be in a position to command a significant multiyear deal next summer. The Lightning already have $55MM tied up in their 2017-18 salary cap – according to Cap Friendly – and will need to re-sign pending restricted free agents Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin, none of whom will come cheaply. Additionally, that figure does not yet account for the eventual cap charge of Nikita Kucherov, who is still a RFA and is in line for a nice payday. Chances are Tampa simply won’t be in a position to offer Bishop what he can command elsewhere.

On top of that, as Halford noted, the Lightning were proactive and inked backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to a three-year extension which goes into effect in time for the 2017-18 campaign after Bishop’s contract ends. Vasilevskiy is one of the top young goalie prospects in the NHL and should be ready to assume a larger role. This gives the Lightning a fair amount of protection should they reconcile themselves to the likelihood of Bishop’s departure.

Halford wonders if Tampa would consider dealing Bishop prior to the trade deadline but points out that as long as GM Steve Yzerman feels the team’s chances of contending are better with Bishop than without, he is more likely to hang onto the goalie. He goes on to mention Calgary and Dallas as potential suitors, should the Lightning conclude moving Bishop is the best course of action. Both of those teams were linked to Bishop this summer.

Elsewhere in the NHL:

  • Assuming he plays out the season without signing an extension, Brent Burns will be one of the most sought after free agents on the market next summer as an elite, puck-moving blue liner who can produce points. Joey Alfieri, who writes for Pro Hockey Talk, considered what Burns’ next contract might look like, suggesting Dustin Byfuglien’s recent extension with Winnipeg as a fair comparable. Like Byfuglien, Burns is 31-years-old and both men are among the most dynamic offensive defensemen in the game today. Byfuglien inked a five-year pact worth $38MM with Winnipeg during the 2015-16 campaign. The Byfuglien comparable seems reasonable but it’s likely Burns can get more, particularly if he reaches the open market. The San Jose Sharks defender has tallied 44 goals and 135 points over the last two seasons. Byfuglien, on the other hand, has recorded 37 goals and 98 points. San Jose tends to tread carefully when it comes to the contract length for aging players – think the matching three-year deals for Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton – and they promote a willingness among many of their players to take fewer dollars from the Sharks than they could secure otherwise in free agency. Re-signing Burns will surely be a top priority for the Sharks and it will be interesting to see if the two sides can get something done.
  • Quinton Howden, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets on July 1st, is thrilled to have the chance to play for his hometown team, as Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press writes. Howden was a first-round pick of the Panthers in 2010 and played the previous three seasons with the Florida, tallying 10 goals and 17 points in 92 games. Howden, who grew up in Oakbank and played his junior hockey with the Moose Jaw Warriors, is expected to compete with several others for one of three or four forward spots up front for the Jets.

 

Pacific Division Notes: Coyotes, Daly, Marleau, Goldobin

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After acquiring Dave Bolland and Pavel Datsyuk in separate trades this summer, the Arizona Coyotes could be in a position to conceivably carry nearly $18MM – once Chris Pronger’s $4.935MM cap hit is added – on their salary cap for three players who won’t be suiting up for the this year. All told, the Coyotes will pay out just $1.675 in actual salary for those players (Pronger is set to earn $575K in the final season of a long-term arrangement he originally signed with Philadelphia, while the insurance policy on Bolland’s contract will cover all but $1.1MM once he is placed on LTIR). These maneuverings have allowed Arizona to easily cross the salary cap floor while at the same time limiting the actual salary obligations; not an unimportant factor for a small market, budget team.

In a piece appearing on Today’s Slapshot, Craig Morgan asked NHL deputy commissioner if Arizona’s handling of the salary cap was a growing concern for the league. Surprisingly, Daly indicated the league did not feel the Coyotes were exploiting a “loophole,” in the CBA while still leaving open the possibility the NHL could look to address the matter in future bargaining with the player’s union.

“I would say that it’s a matter that we monitor, like all other areas of the CBA (collective bargaining agreement), and if we believe it starts to be abused in a way that is inconsistent with how the system is designed to work, at that point, we would try to correct it in collective bargaining with the union. I would say we aren’t at that point on this issue — we do not view it as the loophole that‎ some describe it as.”

While most teams utilize their available cap space to sign or trade for players from other organizations, or to extend their own players, Coyotes GM John Chayka is using Arizona’s as a method to add more quality young talent to what is already considered a strong group of prospects. It’s simply good business and soon enough Chayka’s talent-acquisition strategies will start paying off on the ice for the Coyotes.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division…

  • Patrick Marleau has spent the entirety of his excellent 18-year NHL career with the San Jose Sharks; a career which has seen the forward tally 481 regular season goals and 1,036 points. Marleau’s name has shown up in trade rumors on more than one occasion during his time in the Bay Area, most recently last season, but nothing has ever come of it. Yet, as Joey Alfieri of Pro Hockey Talk writes, the 2016-17 campaign will, in all probability, be the final one of Marleau’s storied Sharks career. As Alfieri points out, Marleau is in the final year of his contract and the team has several younger options on the LW – Mikkel Boedker, Tomas Hertl and Nikolay Goldobin – under team control for the next several seasons. Even if Marleau is willing to take a discount on the $6.66MM he is earning this season, the Sharks are far more likely to prioritize re-signing Brent Burns and Joe Thornton, both of whom are also scheduled to reach free agency next summer.
  • The Calgary Flames recently reached agreement with one of their top players, Sean Monahan, inking the restricted free agent to a monster seven-year deal worth $44.6MM. That’s quite an investment for a player just coming off his ELC but as the Calgary Sun’s Kristen Odland writes, Monahan is already well worth the financial commitment. She points out that he has produced more offense than other pivots comparable in age and who have also recently signed extensions. As good as Monahan is he may not even be the best player on his team. That distinction might belong to winger Johnny Gaudreau, a restricted free agent who remains unsigned. Inevitably the Flames will also get Gaudreau under contract but it will be interesting to see how his contract compares to that of Monahan’s.

Five Questions With USA Today’s Kevin Allen

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The USA Today’s Kevin Allen was kind enough to sit down with PHR and survey the hockey landscape as the season is just under a month away from starting. Allen takes a look at early contenders, whether the Red Wings are in as much as trouble as some think, and of course, some insights on Jimmy Vesey.

Allen has written for the USA Today since 1986, and won the Lester Patrick Award in 2013 and the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 2014.  He was also inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. Make sure to give Kevin a follow on Twitter @bykevinallen. You can also catch up on Allen’s coverage here.

PHR: Very early predictions: Who do you see as contenders for the upcoming season, barring any unforeseen injuries? 

Allen: The Tampa Bay Lightning are my early pick to win it all. With Steven Stamkos now healthy and not worrying about his future, I foresee him uncorking a monster season. This team has all the necessary ingredients to win it all, and Jonathan Drouin will make the Lightning stronger by having a breakthrough season.  Don’t be surprised if Andrei Vasilevskiy becomes the No. 1 goalie.  That might allow GM Steve Yzerman the opportunity to deal Ben Bishop at the trade deadline to add another piece for his puzzle. I’m also not discounting the Pittsburgh Penguins, although we all know how challenging it is to repeat. Also, the Washington Capitals will be right there again. The Montreal Canadiens, with a healthy Carey Price, and the addition of Andrew Shaw, Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber, will be much improved. Radulov is not Alexander Semin.

In the West, I like the Chicago Blackhawks because Brian Campbell will make their defense whole again.  The erosion of their depth does, however, concern me. I have the high-scoring Dallas Stars number two because I believe they will deal for a goalie near the trade deadline. Wouldn’t Bishop be a good fit for them?  I have the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks in my next grouping.  The Predators’ have more potential than fans seem to realize. P.K. Subban is a much better fit for coach Peter Laviolette’s attacking offensive system than Weber was.  The Sharks will be the same force they were last May and June.

PHR: Concern seems to be rising about the Detroit Red Wings–everything from contract terms, direction, and what seems to be an aversion to invest in the youth of the team. Do you think that concern is warranted? 

Allen: Yes, only because we simply have no idea how effective their younger players are going to be. The Red Wings are a hard read because there are too many variables. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist seemed to take a step back last season, and it’s anybody’s guess whether Anthony Mantha will be an impact player. How sharp will Petr Mrazek be this season? The Thomas Vanek signing was a good roll of the dice, and Frans Nielsen will be a quality No. 2 center. But the Red Wings are the league’s mystery team. It wouldn’t be surprising if they missed the playoffs by 10 points, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they were the No. 4  or No. 5 team in the Eastern Conference.

PHR: Who do you feel had the best offseason?

  • New York Rangers: Jeff Gorton improved the team speed with the addition of Michael Grabner. Nathan Gerbe is also quick. He signed skillful Pavel Buchnevich out of the Kontinental Hockey League. They stunned plenty of people by landing Jimmy Vesey and they changed their look by trading finesse center Derick Brassard for bigger and younger center Mika Zibanejad; Defenseman Nick Holden also wasn’t a bad pick-up.
  • Montreal Canadiens: Addressed many problems. They will be more difficult to play against now because of the addition of Andrew Shaw and Shea Weber.  In the long-term, the Canadiens will lose the Subban-for-Weber trade. But in the short term, Weber is the perfect fit for this team.
  • Arizona Coyotes: Young GM John Chayka added Alex Goligoski, Jamie McGinn, Radim Vrbata and a few prime prospects. I like the addition of Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun.

PHR: How will Jiri Hudler fit in with Dallas? Do you see a season closer to 2014-15 or 2015-16? 

Allen: It’s a nifty pick-up by GM Jim Nill who knows Hudler well from their days together in Detroit. This merely adds to the team’s already strong offense. He still has magic in his hands. He should be a 55 to 60-point guy.

PHR: After all the hoopla with Jimmy Vesey, how do you see him fitting in with the Rangers?

Allen: He may play on a line with his buddy Kevin Hayes.  Obviously, there are several examples of major college free agents not panning out. But scouts believe Vesey will be a quality NHL scorer.  Depending upon whether he receives power play time, he might be a 20-goal guy this season.

Latest On Avalanche Coaching Search

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After the unexpected departure of Patrick Roy earlier this month, the Avalanche have been scrambling to try and find a head coach prior to the beginning of training camp. While Joe Sakic has previously said that the current assistants are not options, many have speculated on other names around the league.  As Terry Frei of the Denver Post reports, the Avalanche are considering two more well known names in Bob Boughner and Kevin Dineen.

Boughner finished his 10-year NHL career in Colorado, playing 41 games for the club in 2005-2006. Immediately afterwards he was given the head coaching job with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, and quickly turned around a struggling franchise. The team won two championships under his leadership, in just his third and fourth years coaching. Boughner spent last season on the bench with the San Jose Sharks, and has always been considered a strong leader.  During the 2004-05 lockout, Boughner was selected to serve as NHLPA vice-president by his peers and is seen as a natural fit on the bench.

A little more experience comes in the form of Dineen, who previously held the head coaching job with the Florida Panthers and Portland Pirates of the AHL. Dineen is currently an assistant for the Chicago Blackhawks, and is a “major candidate” according to Frei.

The other name that Frei mentions, is that of Jared Bednar.  We already heard the name of the Cleveland Monsters’ head coach in relation to the opening. Bednar led the Monsters to the Calder Cup last season, and has yet to crack an NHL coaching staff.

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch also chimes in on the search, telling us that Scott Arniel, a former Blue Jackets head coach and current assistant with the New York Rangers has not been granted an interview and thus is not a candidate for the opening. It’s going to be a tough process for the Avalanche, as most of the experienced candidates have already found positions with other clubs.

PHR Interview With The AP’s Stephen Whyno

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Associated Press sports writer Stephen Whyno was kind enough to sit down with PHR and touched on a number of hockey issues. Whyno is based out of Washington, so we also touched on the Capitals and how Washington will fare this year. You can find Stephen’s work here at the AP (he does a great job with other sports as well), and give him a follow at Twitter @SWhyno.

PHR: Barring any significant injuries in the World Cup of Hockey, or in training camp, who do you have as an early favorite this season? What about sleepers?

Whyno: It’s hard not to love the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially in an era in which no NHL team ever repeats. Sorry, Penguins. If Pittsburgh bucks the trend, there’s plenty of talent there to make it happen, but a long way into June makes it tough on Pittsburgh and the San Jose Sharks. A return to the top for the Chicago Blackhawks would also not be all that surprising. Let me throw out the New Jersey Devils as an Eastern Conference sleeper because Cory Schneider is capable of carrying a team to plenty of points and there will be better all-around play with the additions of Taylor Hall and Ben Lovejoy. In the West: How about the Roy-less Avalanche? Give this bunch the right up-tempo system and let the talent of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene and Co. take over.

PHR: The Capitals had a great season but ran into the Pittsburgh buzzsaw. What do you see out of them in 2016-17? 

Whyno: I see a Capitals team that will be far less interested in the odd Tuesday game in November or even the Saturday night in January after losing in the second round with the Presidents’ Trophy. Washington would love to be like the 2014-15 Blackhawks, cruising and then turning it on to win it all. The team is almost the same as last season so there’s no doubt it’s a contender, so as always the proving ground comes in April and May.

PHR: A Canadian team has to make the playoffs…right? 

Whyno: Yes. I mean–probably. Assuming Carey Price is healthy for most of the–if not the entire season, the Montreal Canadiens will make it back – P.K. or no P.K. Beyond that, it’s a crapshoot.

PHR: How is Las Vegas doing with their front office work? And who do you think they tap to be the bench boss? 

Whyno: George McPhee is turning Las Vegas into Captials West. There is plenty of Washington influence there with the exception of assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon, who had significant NHL interest and is very well-respected in hockey circles. Looks like it’s going well so far but a long time until Las Vegas has even one player. I’d expect someone with a connection to McPhee (Ron Wilson? Dean Evason of the Milwaukee Admirals?) to be among the top candidates as coach. But it will also be a long time until that hire is made.

Snapshots: Pavelski, Trouba, Orlov, DiPauli, Sobotka

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According to CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is expected to be named captain of Team USA at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey. After being named San Jose’s captain last October, Pavelski led the Sharks to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sharks managed to do this despite whatever acrimony may have been caused by having two veteran stars, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who had previously been stripped of the captaincy. The captain of the last American Olympic team, Zach Parise, is expected to play in this tournament.

Pavelski, 32, is the second oldest American player at this tournament, two months younger than Boston’s David Backes. He has scored 116 goals over the last three seasons, second only to Alex Ovechkin in that time. He also led this year’s playoffs in goal scoring with 14. Pavelski has previously represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, as well as the 2009 IIHF World Championships.

Here are some more links from around the league.

  • Being out of a contract won’t stop players from appearing at the World Cup. Kurt Overhardt, the agent for Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba confirmed today that his client will still suit up for Team North America. Mark Gandler, the agent for Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov, told the Washington Post that Orlov will still play for Russia.
  • CBC’s Tim Wharnsby reports that the Penguins will sign free agent forward Thomas DiPauli from the University of Notre Dame. His agent, Peter Fish, called this report “a little premature,” adding that “nothing has been signed or agreed to yet.” DiPauli was a fourth round pick of the Capitals who, like Jimmy Vesey, went unsigned and became a free agent. DiPauli scored 14 goals, 32 points in 37 games for the Fighting Irish this year. He was, for two years, a teammate at Notre Dame of Penguins forward Bryan Rust.
  • Despite reports out of Russia to the contrary, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong says that he spoke with the agent for forward Vladimir Sobotka yesterday, and that he has been assured of Sobotka’s return to the team for this coming season. Sobotka has played the last two seasons in the KHL for Avangard Omsk, but has committed to returning to the NHL this season. Sobotka had nine goals, 33 points in 61 games for the Blues in 2014, his last season in the NHL.

 

Avalanche Sign F Ben Smith

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Update (11:50am): General Fanager provides the contract details and it is indeed a two-way deal. Smith will earn $675K in the NHL – a figure $100K above the minimum – and $150K in the AHL. It’s a contract structure that is becoming more common for players like Smith; players who excel in the AHL but can’t find a regular NHL job. The NHL salary is just above the minimum but in order to lure Smith, Colorado had to guarantee him an AHL salary well above the average for a minor league player.

The Colorado Avalanche have announced the signing of veteran depth forward Ben Smith to a one-year deal, per the club’s website. Financial details were not made immediately available but it’s likely Smith’s 2016-17 salary won’t be much more than the league minimum. Additionally, there was no mention whether the arrangement is a one or two-way deal. Of course under terms of a two-way contract, Smith would earn a lesser salary while suiting up in the AHL.

Smith split this past season between Toronto and San Jose, tallying six points in 16 contests for the Leafs after going scoreless in six games with the Sharks. He also netted 12 goals and 16 points in 19 AHL games.

It’s likely Smith will split the upcoming campaign playing for the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio while also serving as experienced depth for the big league team should injuries arise. Colorado would already seem to have plenty of other options up front after signing UFA F Joe Colborne and trading for C Rocco Grimaldi this summer. But it’s never bad to stock a few veteran players like Smith in your organization, even if their biggest contribution is mentoring the team’s prospects in the minor leagues.

(Team depth charts courtesy of Roster Resource)

Off-Season To Date: Pacific Division

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The NHL has entered its seasonal lull where teams are done signing free agents and will wait until training camp to make major roster moves. We have already documented the off-season moves of the Atlantic Division, Metropolitan Division, and Central Division teams. Now we take a quick look at the Pacific Division.

Anaheim Ducks

Key Additions: Jared Boll, Antoine Vermette, Jonathan Bernier, Mason Raymond
Key Departures: Jamie McGinn, David Perron, Brandon Pirri, Frederik Andersen, Mike Santorelli, Chris Stewart, Anton Khudobin
Unsigned RFAs: Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm
Cap Space: $6,657,500
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Ducks traded Frederik Andersen away and are going with John Gibson as their number one starter. They have yet to sign Lindholm but have ample cap space to do so. The team experienced some decent turnover from last season, including firing Coach Bruce Boudreau and hiring former Ducks and Leafs coach Randy Carlyle.

Arizona Coyotes

Key Additions: Jamie McGinn, Ryan White, Alex Goligoski, Luke Schenn, Anthony DeAngelo
Key Departures: Antoine Vermette, Alex Tanguay, Boyd Gordon, Sergei Plotnikov, Anders Lindback, Joe Vitale
Unsigned RFAs: Tobias Rieder
Cap Space: $8,847,875
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: The Coyotes picked up a trio of forwards to surround their young prospects, and signed Goligoski to beef up their defense. Arizona also took on Pavel Datysuk’s contract to move up in the first round of the NHL Draft.  All that remains is to sign RFA Tobias Rieder, but recent reports says that both camps are far apart. New GM John Chayka is an analytics proponent, so his moves will garner extra scrutiny as the season progresses. Finally, at time of writing Vrbata is close to signing a one-year deal with Arizona, but nothing has been finalized yet.

Calgary Flames

Key Additions: Troy Brouwer, Alex Chiasson, Linden Vey, Brian Elliott, Chad Johnson
Key Departures: Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, Jonas Hiller, Niklas Backstrom, Kevin Poulin, Joe Colborne, Josh Jooris, Mason Raymond
Unsigned RFAs: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan
Cap Space: $14,969,600
Projected Roster Size: 20
Notes: The Flames’ offseason is noteworthy for two reasons. One, they completely switched out their goaltending, bringing in St. Louis starter Brian Elliot and Buffalo semi-starter Chad Johnson, and letting Ramo, Ortio, Hiller, and Backstrom walk. Elliot represents a significant upgrade over last year’s goaltending-by-committee. The second noteworthy event—or non-event—is that Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are still unsigned. The top two Flames scorers last year are playing on Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey, and impressive performances could raise the RFAs’ asking prices.

Edmonton Oilers

Key Additions: Milan Lucic, Adam Larsson, Jonas Gustavsson
Key Departures: Taylor Hall, Rob Klinkhammer, Adam Cracknell, Lauri Korpikoski
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $9,238,833
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Oilers made two big splashes this offseason. First, they traded away Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenseman Adam Larsson. Hall was one of the Oilers’ best players since he was drafted, but the Oilers desperately needed a top-notch defenseman. Whether Larsson is or becomes that defenseman, however, is up in the air. They then signed top free agent Milan Lucic to a seven-year deal worth $6MM a year. Lucic will add both grit and offense to a team mired in a perpetual rebuild.

Los Angeles Kings

Key Additions: Teddy Purcell, Tom Gilbert, Jeff Zatkoff, Jack Campbell
Key Departures: Milan Lucic, Kris Versteeg, Luke Schenn, Jhonas Enroth
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $1,154,773
Projected Roster Size: 25
Notes: The Kings stayed relatively pat this offseason, swapping backup goaltenders and letting Milan Lucic walk. The team was constrained by their cap, which at just over $1M gave them little wiggle room. The team is banking on their core to step up and improve over last season’s first-round exit.

San Jose Sharks

Key Additions: Mikkel Boedker, David Schlemko
Key Departures: Nick Spaling, Dainius Zubrus, Roman Polak, James Reimer
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $995,832
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: After the Sharks finally made the Stanley Cup Finals, their offseason was uneventful. They took a flyer on Boedker, and will most likely find a backup goalie within the organization. The Sharks are tight against the cap this season, but face an onslaught of UFAs and the end of the year. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Brett Burns are all UFAs next summer, and the Sharks need to evaluate who they want to keep.

Vancouver Canucks

Key Additions: Loui Eriksson, Erik Gudbranson
Key Departures: Radim Vrbata, Linden Vey, Chris Higgins, Brandon Prust, Dan Hamhuis, Matt Bartkowski, Yannick Weber
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $2,771,250
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Canucks had an odd offseason, signing Eriksson and trading for Gudbranson. More trades were expected—but of a rebuilding variety. The Canucks have one more year of Ryan Miller and two more years of the Sedins, so its possible that they want to try to rebuild on the fly while they still have elite talent. Their defense took a hit by losing Hamhuis, and while Gudbranson was a highly touted prospect, he hasn’t evolved into the player scouts predicted.

Retained Salary in 2016-17: Pacific Division

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As a new season fast approaches, it’s always nice to look back and reminisce on years and players gone by. Unfortunately for most NHL teams, those feelings of nostalgia are usually cut short by the realization that some of those past players are still on the team’s payroll. Retained salary is a fact of life in the National Hockey League, as buyouts have become commonplace and retaining a portion of an outgoing player’s cap hit is often a deal-breaker in many trades. Retained salary can last long past the playing days of a former player (see Mike Richards) or can simply be for just one year. One way or another nearly every NHL team has at least one guy who’s still being paid without having to perform. Below is a list of all the retained salary in the Pacific Division in 2016-17:

Anaheim Ducks

  • Patrick Maroon ($500K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Maroon was surprisingly dealt out of Anaheim last season to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defensive prospect Martin Gernat and a fourth-round pick in the NHL Draft this past June (Jack Kopacka). The Ducks held on to 25% of Maroon’s three-year, $6MM contract that he had signed with the team prior to last season.
  • Mark Fistric ($217K cap hit in 2016-17, $450K in 2017-18 and 2018-19): Fistric was bought out by Anaheim following an injury-plagued 2014-15 campaign, the first year of a new extension. He had two years and over $2.5MM left on his contract at the time. Fistric has not signed with another NHL team since leaving the Ducks.

Arizona Coyotes

  • Mike Ribeiro ($1.94MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2019-20): Ribeiro will be cashing in on NHL contracts for many years to come, as a buyout in Phoenix has not stopped him from continuing to play and getting good money to do so. The (then) Phoenix Coyotes signed Ribeiro to a four-year, $22MM contract in the summer of 2013, but after a 47-point season in 2013-14, the team decided to cut ties with him. The decision cost the Coyotes a capable player and has and will continue to cost them in dollars. Ribeiro’s buyout was for six years and nearly $12MM dollars, and Arizona is still facing down four more years. Meanwhile, Ribeiro signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Nashville Predators in 2014-15 and put up 62 points. He was rewarded last summer with a two year, $7MM deal, which means between his active contract and his bought out contract, Ribeiro will actually make close to $5.5MM in 2016-17, what he would have made in Arizona.
  • Antoine Vermette ($1.25MM cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): A more recent development, Vermette was bought out by the Coyotes during their second buyout window last week. Vermette had only one season left with a cap hit of $3.75MM, after returning to the desert on a two-year deal after Arizona traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks before their 2015 Stanley Cup run. Vermette’s numbers did not tail off last season; in fact he has been very consistent over the course of his entire 11-year career. The buyout was viewed by many as Arizona simply deciding to pay to open up depth next season for their young players and prospects. Vermette remains unsigned as of now.

Calgary Flames

  • Mason Raymond ($1.05MM cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): After a one-year, $1MM trial run with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013-14 ended in 45 points, the Flames decided to take a chance on Raymond, giving him a three-year, $9.45MM deal. After under-performing in year one, Raymond was only able to play in 29 games last season, contributing a mere five points. Calgary was swift to buy out the remaining year of his contract, which would have paid him $3.15MM in 2016-17. The $1.05MM cap hit for the Flames this year and next year is bearable for a team with cap space and a plethora of young talent, and Raymond has found a new home with division rival Anaheim and will make $675K on top of his buyout payment. It was a retained salary move that worked out for both sides.

Edmonton Oilers

  • Lauri Korpikoski ($500K cap hit in 2016-17, $1MM in 2017-18): Another buyout victim this summer, Korpikoski simply did not perform to the level expected of him by the Oilers after they traded Boyd Gordon to the Coyotes to get him. Stemming from a strong career to that point in Arizona, the Coyotes gave the two-way specialist a four-year, $10MM extension in the summer of 2013. However, after back-to-back years of steep decline in his scoring numbers, Arizona felt comfortable shipping Korpikoski off to the division rival Oilers. New GM Peter Chiarelli hoped that, at the very least, Korpikoski would bring some defensive stability to a young and offensive-minded forward core. When that didn’t happen, Edmonton decided he didn’t need to stick around for the final year of his contract at a cost of $2.5MM.

Los Angeles Kings

  • Mike Richards ($1.32MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2019-20 AND $10.5MM cap hit over time until 2030-31): One of the most interesting cases of retained salary, Richards counts against the Kings’ cap for two reasons, neither of which is a buyout or a trade. Richards signed a (now illegal) 12-year, $69MM contract with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2007 season, and prior to the last NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The league recognized that deals like Richards’, which were excessively long and included wide margins of salary over the course of the contract, were meant to circumvent the salary cap. By front-loading a contract with high salary seasons, and then adding years at the end of low salary, a team could effectively keep a player’s cap hit low without exposing themselves to much risk should the player retire or need to be bought out later on in his post-prime career. Richards’ cap hit on this contract was only $5.75MM, but there were six seasons where his actual salary was greater, including a 2012-13 salary of $8.4MM. So, when Richards got in legal trouble in 2015, the Kings (who acquired Richards from the Flyers in a blockbuster deal in June 2011) saw an opportunity to terminate Richards’ contract, which had become a major burden to the team for a player that was performing so poorly that he had been demoted to the AHL. Because Richards’ contract was cut  short and had been constructed in an illegal way, the Kings faced “recapture penalties”, which offset the benefits of previous cap benefits from long, front-loaded contracts. Thus, the Kings face a cap hit of $1.32MM every year until what would have been the natural end of Richards’ contract in 2020. On top of that, the termination of the contract was fought by the NHL Players Association, and the grievance led to a settlement between the Kings and Richards which pays him $10.5MM of the $22MM that was left on his contract. The payments were to be made over the course of 16 years, with a maximum payment of $900K per year and minimum of $400K. All of these payments additionally count against the Kings’ cap. In the world of retained salary, Mike Richards is quite the story, and Los Angeles will be telling it for another decade and a half.

San Jose Sharks

  • Adam Burish ($617K cap hit in 2016-17): Never much more than an energy line player, the Sharks gave Burish a four-year, $7.4MM contract when free agency opened on July 1st, 2012. Burish was coming off of a career-high 19 points to go with a strong two-way presence and elite toughness. However, he would only score six points in the next three seasons combined for San Jose, as injury struggles and mostly poor play derailed his career. The Sharks bought out the final year of his contract to avoid a $1.85MM cap hit for an AHL-caliber player and will finish paying off the buyout this season.

Vancouver Canucks

  • Roberto Luongo ($800K cap hit from 2016-17 to 2020-21): Like Richards, Luongo too signed a massive deal before the league banned them. In 2010, the Canucks gave their ace goalie a 12-year, $64MM extension, despite the fact he was 31-years-old at the time. The deal paid Luongo $10MM in salary during the first year, followed by seven years of $6.7MM salaries, and then a steep drop off to $3.4MM, $1.6MM, and two final years at $1MM. Perhaps afraid of facing the full blow of potential recapture penalties (the rule for which is often nicknamed the “Luongo Rule”) for a contract that blatantly circumvents the salary cap with its 5.3MM cap hit, the Canucks traded the remaining eight years of Luongo’s contract to the Florida Panters before the Trade Deadline in 2014 in effort to share some of the risk should Luongo retire before the age of 43. However, to make the risky aquistion worth it, the Panthers had Vancouver hold on to $6.4MM of the contract, for an annual cap hit of $800K.
  • Chris Higgins ($833K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Higgins is another recent buyout, getting cut by the Canucks this off-season with one year remaining on a four-year, $10MM extension he signed in 2013. Higgins played in only 33 games last season, recording just four points. He remains unsigned.

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