Snapshots: Zadorov, Duchene, Somerby
While there has been some speculation that Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov might consider signing in the KHL for next season, BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reports that progress has been made on a deal that would keep the blueliner with Colorado. Dater adds that Zadorov’s asking price on a shorter-term bridge contract is between $2.75MM – $3MM while the Avs have come in closer to the $2MM range.
The 22-year-old averaged a career high 19:02 per game last season but, like many others with the Avalanche, struggled at times in his own end. Still, while his offensive game hasn’t amounted to much yet, his combination of size and physicality continues to make Zadorov an intriguing project as Colorado continues their rebuild.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Penguins have been a team that has been surprisingly linked to Avalanche center Matt Duchene this summer. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that Colorado was seeking defenseman Olli Maatta as well as prospect winger Daniel Sprong and a first round pick in order to part with Duchene, a price that GM Jim Rutherford hasn’t been willing to pay just yet. While Pittsburgh has a vacancy at their third line center spot, it would be hard to imagine they’d use Duchene in that role if they were able to land him. Instead, it would likely make more sense to use him on the left wing.
- Add Islanders defensive prospect Doyle Somerby to the list of college prospects that intend to test the open market past August 15th. His agent, Brent Peterson, told Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe that there could be as many as five other teams could be interested in Somerby’s services. The 23-year-old stay-at-home rearguard has spent the past four years at Boston University and captained the team in his senior season. Peterson didn’t rule out the possibility of Somerby, ultimately signing with the Isles (who drafted him in the fifth round in 2012) but given how close he is to becoming an unrestricted free agent, the blueliner has decided to see what other opportunities may be out there as well.
Snapshots: Shalunov, Prust, Dorsett
The Chicago Blackhawks were disappointed when Maxim Shalunov signed a three-year deal in the KHL, but Scott Powers of The Athletic writes that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be out of their plans for that long. As we’ve seen multiple times over the past year, KHL contracts can be terminated early to allow players to come over to the NHL.
Remember this year that an entire team’s contracts were terminated after their new owners refused to pay debts. While that’s not going to happen to Shalunov’s new team, CSKA Moscow, there are always ways around their contracts.
- Brandon Prust will be in NHL training camp again this year, as according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, he’ll be in Los Angeles come September. Prust spent last season playing in Germany after going through training camp with the Maple Leafs, and has been clear about his desire to return to the NHL. It’s unlikely that he’ll earn a contract, but perhaps Los Angeles will have room for a fourth-line veteran.
- Derek Dorsett underwent surgery on his neck in December but is now on track to be ready for the start of the season. Rick Dhaliwal of NEWS 1130 in Vancouver reports that Dorsett has “no issues with his neck” and that he’s already skating to get ready for training camp. He played just 14 games for the Canucks last year, but has been a fairly effective bottom-six player for his career. In 2014-15 he set a career-high with 25 points, and will be in the lineup more than not to protect the young players Vancouver is set to use this year.
Snapshots: San Antonio, Lodnia, McAvoy
The St. Louis Blues have no AHL affiliate for this season after the Chicago Wolves signed a partnership with the Vegas Golden Knights instead, and will have to distribute their minor league players throughout various teams. That won’t last long though, as Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Blues have come to a five-year agreement with the San Antonio Rampage starting in 2018-19.
The Rampage are currently the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche but there has long been rumors of the Colorado Eagles of the ECHL moving up next season and providing the Avalanche with an at-home affiliate. More and more teams are trying to bring their affiliates as close as possible so that recalls and assignments are easier, and the development staff can quickly transit between teams.
- Recently Jeff Marek of Sportsnet reported that the Erie Otters of the OHL could soon trade Minnesota Wild prospect Ivan Lodnia, and the discussions were even confirmed by the player’s agent. Now however, Otters’ GM Dave Brown told GoErie.com that a deal is “very unlikely.” Lodnia dropped to the fourth round after a poor playoff performance, but is still expected to be a top player in the OHL this season at both ends of the rink.
- Matt Kalman of NHL.com released his top prospect list for the Boston Bruins today as part of their “31 in 31” series, and the usual names are included. That said, Mike Morreale of NHL.com chimed in on Twitter saying that his personal prediction for the Calder Trophy is Bruins’ defender Charlie McAvoy, who made an impact in the playoffs and will be expected to take on a big role for the team this year. McAvoy has had immediate success at every level of his career, and now the 14th-overall pick from 2016 will face his toughest test in a full professional season.
Evening Snapshots: Babcock, Matthews, Bridge Deals
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock praised the performance of Auston Matthews, but believes there’s always room for improvement writes NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. Matthews, who registered 40 goals and 69 points en route to a playoff appearance and Calder Award, will be expected to build on his performance last season as the Leafs look to take the next step in their rebuild. Babcock says that he isn’t one to “measure by points” but instead looks at how they “play” and “compete.” The young Leafs took a huge step forward, pushing the “painful rebuild” that Babcock once called it into a quicker ascent. But in true Babcockian form, he sprinkles praise while expecting more:
Obviously we have good young players,” Babcock said. “We have a lot of them. It’s kind of a group that’s growing up together. But it’s one year and one year doesn’t make a career. You have to do it again and again and again. We’re excited about our opportunities.
- Puck Daddy’s Ryan Lambert writes about how Ryan Johansen‘s deal certainly challenges the old guard way of thinking when it comes to bridge contracts. Rewarding Johansen with an eight-year deal instead of a one-two year contract. Lambert points out that going with the longer deal instead of a bridge and then the long deal seems like the better bet. The logic here would be getting the player through his prime instead of playing a “wait and see” game and then locking him up long after his prime has expired. There are a litany of examples of this in the NHL, but in an age of cost certainty and public outcry at what’s deemed a bad deal, general managers are often in a tight spot when it comes to choosing a bridge deal or a long-term contract.
Snapshots: Pastrnak, Walker, Coyotes
David Pastrnak remains one of the top unsigned restricted free agents in the league, and looks like he’s due for a huge raise from the Boston Bruins when a contract is finally hammered out. That doesn’t seem any closer today than it has been, as GM Don Sweeney told Ty Anderson of WEEI the negotiations are in a “holding pattern” but that there is plenty of time to get something done. Pastrnak scored 34 goals and 70 points last season, and though he’s still ineligible for arbitration is set to command quite the price on a long-term deal.
Despite only turning 21 a few months ago, Pastrnak has already completed three seasons in the NHL and is on track to become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 25. That means any deal longer than four seasons will be buying out UFA years at a premium, pushing any cap hit up and up as the length increases. Obviously, the Bruins would like to keep him around as long as possible but they’ll have to make a decision on whether to lock him into a seven or eight year deal right away, or offer him a bridge contract and revisit the negotiations in a few years. With just over $10.1MM in cap space, the team could go either route to keep their star winger in town.
- According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, Jack Walker has signed an AHL deal with the Minnesota Wild organization after impressing in development camp. Walker was actually a draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs as recently as 2016, but was not extended a “Bona Fide Offer” by the team and became an unrestricted free agent. That likely had to do with the combination of Walker being too old to return to junior and the Maple Leafs not having enough contract slots left—the team is currently at 49/50 with Connor Brown still to sign. Walker was a solid scoring threat in the WHL, and will try to improve his all-around game in the minor leagues.
- The Arizona Coyotes have announced a one-year affiliation with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL, replacing the Rapid City Rush who have moved on to partner with the Wild. The Komets operated independently last season after ending a partnership with the Colorado Avalanche a year early, but will now house the lower Arizona prospects. Even without a parent organization the Komets reached the postseason for the fourth straight year, and will try to get back there this season. Interestingly, Brett Perlini, the older brother of Coyotes’ forward Brendan Perlini was traded to the Komets mid-season last year, where he scored 26 points in 33 games.
Snapshots: Malgin, Sheary, Walker
The Florida Panthers are a team looking for a reboot after a disappointing campaign. GM Dale Tallon seems to have adopted a total shift in philosophy after buying out Jussi Jokinen and passing on re-signing Jaromir Jagr. The team is opting for a more total youth movement, particularly on offense. In an article with NHL.com’s Alain Poupart, the undersized Denis Malgin spoke about his hopes for the 2017-18 campaign.
Malgin only scored 6 goals and 4 assists in his 47 contest in the NHL last season, but undoubtedly has skill. The former Zurich SC (Swiss A) prospect is known for his craftiness with the puck and his vision for making plays. As any 5’9 player will attest, physicality will be a huge hurdle for him going forward. Still, he only needs to look to recently-ex Panther Jonathan Marchessault to realize that solid offensive instincts can trump a small stature. Malgin, a center, will look to make a more permanent home in Florida this season, although training camp will determine where he begins the year. At only 20 years old, he has plenty of time to improve and bulk up physically.
- The Conor Sheary contract announced earlier today could turn out to be quite the bargain for the Penguins. The miniature winger’s chemistry with captain Sidney Crosby is undeniable, and he exploded with offensive production alongside him. With 53 points in only 61 games, if Sheary can maintain that sort of productive pace, he will be one of the more cost-effective wingers over the course of his contract. Speaking with the Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, Sheary said he hoped to prove that this past season wasn’t merely a “one-time thing”. If he can put 3 more campaigns anywhere near as successful as 2016-17, he’s assured to be paid quite a bit more on his next contract. Durability is a concern, but he did appear to absorb harder impacts less regularly as the year progressed.
- Nathan Walker of the Washington Capitals re-signed with the organization at the beginning of the month, after playing the past two seasons in Hershey. As the Capitals are in a bit of a cap crunch, they will be relying on younger, cheaper players like Walker to fill holes, especially on the third and fourth lines. Walker, like the other two players in these snapshots, needs to prove that he can overcome his short height. At only 5’8, Walker plays a game well above his size. He can handle physicality and his energy can jump-start a shift in a pinch. He also has some level of offensive capability – he’s netted 64 points through 131 AHL contests in the last two seasons. Walker is particularly interesting to trivia buffs, because were he to make an NHL appearance (as seems likely), he would be the first Australian-born player to do so, as noted by Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. Walker’s competition in camp, as of now, isn’t too intimidating. Assuming Jakub Vrana makes the lineup, Walker will only need to beat out the likes of Travis Boyd, Wayne Simpson, Riley Barber and a host of AHL journeymen and minor prospects to cement his playing time.
Snapshots: Lee, Jagr, Culkin
One of the more intriguing defensemen still available on the open market is Chris Lee. The 36-year-old has yet to play in the NHL but is coming off a strong season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL (where he led all defensemen in scoring with 65 points in 60 games) while also making a strong impression with Team Canada at the World Championships back in May.
Accordingly, his agent Peter Cooney told Ken Campbell of The Hockey News that five or six NHL teams have kicked the tires with regards to Lee’s asking price. The holdup seems to be that no team is offering a one-way deal as of yet and Cooney noted that if the best offer that’s received is a two-way one, he’ll stay overseas where suiting up in the Olympics would be a distinct possibility.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- While some have wondered if free agent winger Jaromir Jagr could potentially go back to Pittsburgh to end his career, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that GM Jim Rutherford has no interest in bringing Jagr in. The 45-year-old played spent 11 seasons with the Penguins from 1990-91 through 2000-01, collecting 1,079 points in just 806 games. While he’s undoubtedly past his prime, Jagr did put up 46 points in 82 games with Florida last season, showing he can still produce at the NHL level.
- Unrestricted free agent defenseman Ryan Culkin, who wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by Calgary last month, has inked a one year deal with AHL Tucson (affiliate of the Coyotes), the minor league team announced. Culkin split the season between the AHL and ECHL levels and while he was productive in the latter (12 points in 16 games), he didn’t have much success in the AHL as he was held off the scoresheet in a career-low 19 contests.
Snapshots: Niederreiter, Granlund, Schultz, Barr
The Minnesota Wild still have three very important restricted free agents to sign, and while Marcus Foligno didn’t file for arbitration and can slowly work on a deal the deadlines for Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund are fast approaching. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that the team is still trying to get both of them under contract for three to five years, but have only 10 days to do it. The pair go to arbitration on August 3rd and 4th respectively, with an arbitrator’s ruling coming down 48 hours after the hearing is completed.
You can still work out a deal after going through the hearing process, like Tomas Tatar and Viktor Arvidsson have already this year. That wouldn’t be ideal, but the Wild could get deals done as late as next weekend. Niederreiter has turned into an elite two-way player, while Granlund broke out and led Minnesota with 69 points last season, showing off his offensive chops after a move to the wing. The team has $15.8MM in cap space to work with for the trio of RFAs, and they’ll need most if not all of it depending on how many years of free agency they can buy out.
- The San Diego Gulls have signed NHL veteran Jeff Schultz to a one-year AHL contract, bringing him back for another year. Schultz, 31, was once a key part of the Washington Capitals’ defense corps, but has spent the majority of the last several years in the minor leagues. In 65 games for the Gulls last year, Schultz recorded 15 points but was a big part of their 43-20 record and has taken on a sort of mentor role for many of the Anaheim Ducks young defensemen.
- The San Jose Sharks have added an assistant coach to the mix for next season, hiring Dave Barr to be their “eye-in-the-sky.” Barr was with the Florida Panthers last season but, like Scott Allen who was just hired in Arizona, was let go at the end of the year when the Panthers cleaned house. The 58-year old coach has bounced around the NHL since 2008-09, prior to which he served as the head coach of the Guelph Storm (OHL) for four years, taking his squad to the playoff in each season. Steve Spott and Rob Zettler will be behind the bench with head coach Peter DeBoer next season.
Snapshots: Fisher, Team Canada, Larkin
Mike Fisher is still considering a return to Nashville next season, and GM David Poile told Adam Vignan of the Tennessean that they’ll know more next week. Fisher has been open about his pending decision between playing one more season for Nashville or retiring, and it seems the team would be happy to have him. After scoring 18 goals and 42 points he would likely be returning in a lesser role now that the club has brought in Nick Bonino to solidify their center depth.
With Ryan Johansen and Calle Jarnkrok returning, the position could quickly turn from a weakness into a considerable strength for the Stanley Cup finalists, with Fisher grading out as one of the best fourth line players in the league. He should come back at a reasonable price, but the Predators still have to get Johansen under contract and make sure they don’t put themselves in too tight a position heading into the season.
- Team Canada has announced their management and coaching staff for the upcoming Olympic preparation, naming Sean Burke and Martin Brodeur as general manager and “management group member” respectively. The coaching staff will be led by former Vancouver Canucks’ head coach Willie Desjardins along with Dave King, Scott Walker and Craig Woodcroft. Interestingly, the team will play in at least seven tournaments prior to the Olympics, in a sort of season that national programs used to do before NHL participation in the Winter Games. Players on AHL contracts will be considered for the team, along with those playing overseas or in the college and junior ranks.
- There was a new Larkin in town for the Detroit Red Wings’ development camp, and as Dana Wakiji of NHL.com writes he’ll try to make a return visit in the future. Adam Larkin, the cousin of Red Wings’ star Dylan Larkin, will be a senior at Yale this season and has steadily improved his game since going undrafted out of the USHL. He’ll work even harder this year to try and impress Red Wings scouts and those from other organizations that he’s deserved of a professional contract next spring when he becomes a free agent. Detroit would surely have the inside track, but Larkin will need a big senior season to show that he is ready for the next level.
Evening Notes: Hurricanes’ Ownership, Oduya, Dumoulin
For anyone trying to pay attention the Hurricanes’ ownership struggles, another chapter has been added to the ongoing saga. The team, currently owned by a group headed by Peter Karmanos, Jr., has been rumored to be up for sale for some time. The financial situation of the team is difficult, as attendance issues over the past few years have brought monetary losses and concern from other owners around the league. Still, it seems that Carolina is nowhere near the dire situation of the Arizona Coyotes, whose decade-plus-long fiasco has bewildered onlookers and hockey fans for quite some time.
Not long ago, a potential buyer for the Hurricanes, one Chuck Greenberg, supposedly offered $500 MM to acquire the franchise. This was reported by Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg and The Denver Post, and confirmed by others. Afterwards, the Karmanos group responded by saying the reports were essentially misleading, and then were called “fake news” in an article published by Forbes. Technically, it was a non-binding letter of intent and not an official offer, but that shouldn’t discount the strong possibility of an impending team sale.
Today we learned that Greenberg showed up at the team’s practice facility, thanks to some wonderful reporting by The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. Greenberg stopped by the Raleigh Center Ice location, and essentially conducted a “fact-finding trip”. The whole situation is confusing largely because the franchise’s estimated value has plummeted and the offer is exceptionally fair. Additionally, the Karmanos group has been looking to sell the Canes for years to a team that will keep them local. This was reported yet again this January by NBC’s Adam Gretz, and it’s no secret there is desire from the fanbase for a change in direction. Greenberg seems to be a perfect solution to the situation, as he has local investors involved and stated no plans for relocation. As of now, there seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes, and many moving parts. Still, a change in ownership seems more likely today than it did yesterday.
- After today’s earlier announcement of the Brian Dumoulin 6-year, $4.1 MM AAV signing, it has been revealed that the Penguins’ shutdown force played with a broken hand. The Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey reported that Dumoulin kept re-breaking the fracture before it could heal, during the course of normal play. He broke it after blocking a slapshot in the fifth game of the first round against Columbus, The dependable stay-at-home defender played incredibly well, often matching up against top opponents and maintaining solid body position boxing out attackers in front of his goaltenders. He even tallied two goals throughout the Stanley Cup run, so the nature of the injury does come as a little surprising. He and the Penguins medical staff considered the possibility of Dumoulin undergoing surgery this off-season to repair the damage, but it no longer seems necessary. Dumoulin believes the injury has healed well enough on its own and that he should be ready for action come season opener.
- Johnny Oduya shocked many by signing a deal so soon for $1 MM and bonuses, as Ottawa had apparently been courting him since “July 2nd”. As I reported yesterday, interest for the player never really openly surfaced among the insiders of the league. Oduya comes at great value for the Senators, and GM Pierre Dorion expressed his glee at a press conference you can find partially transcribed by Craig Megdalia here. Essentially, Dorion felt the move was absolutely necessary considering the loss of veteran Marc Methot to expansion (before being shipped to Dallas), and although he has confidence in his younger players, he couldn’t miss the opportunity to bring in “a true pro”. By the sound of it, Dorion expects coach Guy Boucher to likely place Oduya in a prominent role, which could push out a younger player such as Thomas Chabot.