Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blues Rumors

Snapshots: Arbitration Filings, Devils, Rangers, Girgensons

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Tim Wharsnby of CBC tweets that Mikhail Grigorenko will be asking for $1.65MM in arbitration, while the Avalanche will be offering $950K. Given Grigorenko just turned 22, and is coming off a 27 point season with little ice time, his ask is probably on the lower end of what players with similar values make.

Sticking with arbitration, former NHL defenseman turned TSN analyst Aaron Ward tweets that Rangers’ forward Chris Kreider is asking for $4.75MM in arbitration, while the Rangers have offered $3.2MM. This looks close enough that it might just settle in between. Kreider, 25, is coming off back to back 20 goal seasons, and is generally seen to be a part of the Rangers’ long term core.

Here are some more links from around the league:

  • NHL.com’s Mike Morreale writes today about New Jersey Devils prospects Pavel Zacha and Steven Santini, and their odds of becoming NHL regulars next year. Zacha, a 19 year old center taken 6th overall in the 2015 entry draft, played most of last year with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. Santini, 21, played defense for Boston College last year, and was taken in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2013 draft. Both played one game for the Devils this year, together against the Maple Leafs. Zacha had two assists, and Santini was a +2 on the night.
  • Robert Nasso at Today’s Slapshot writes that the Rangers may be turning a corner, praising the smaller adjustments they’ve made, and the their trade of Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad. He also speculates on the rumors surrounding Rangers forward Rick Nash, and their potential interest in Kevin Shattenkirk. While not mentioned in the article, it’s fair to wonder if Nash, who has extensive experience with Blues’ head coach Ken Hitchock, playing for him in Columbus and with Hockey Canada, would be of interest in return for Shattenkirk. It was reported in June that the Blues asked for another left wing, Taylor Hall, then of the Oilers, now of the Devils, in exchange for Shattenkirk at the entry draft.
  • The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington reports that while Zemgus Girgensons would like a two or three year deal, the Sabres may be hesitant to commit to him, given his offensive decline this year. Girgensons, 22, has always been seen as having potential, having been taken 14th in the 2012 entry draft, but put up just seven goals and 11 assists last year, in 71 games. The Sabres are also fairly loaded down the middle, and as Harrington writes, that could push Girgensons to the fourth line.
  • The NHL tweeted today that Devils forward Kyle Palmieri has been added to the American team for the World Cup of Hockey, replacing the injured Lightning forward Ryan Callahan. Palmieri, 25, is coming off a breakout year for the Devils, in which he scored 30 goals, and added 27 assists, playing in all 82 games.

Jaden Schwartz Signs Five-Year Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have continued to lock up their young stars long-term, as according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, they have signed restricted free agent forward Jaden Schwartz to a five-year deal worth just under $27MM.

The 24-year old Schwartz is coming off a season in which he missed a huge chunk of the season due to a broken ankle suffered in October.  He finished with 22 points in 33 games, but really made his presence felt in the playoffs, where he tallied another 14 points in 20 games, trailing the team leaders – Vladimir Tarasenko and Robby Fabbri – by just one point.

Before the broken ankle, Schwartz had put up back-to-back seasons of 25+ goals and 55+ points, making him one of the best young offensive forwards in the league. Now, the Blues have locked him up for $5.35MM (per Cap Friendly), a steal for a player of his performance. Cap Friendly also reports that he will receive a limited no-trade clause in years four and five, allowing him to submit a list of up to 15 teams that he will not accept a move to.

With the deals to Schwartz, Pheonix Copley and Jordan Binnington, St. Louis has now re-signed all of their restricted free agents from this year, and will not have to go to arbitration this summer. With what looks like a completed roster, it would be surprising to see St. Louis involved in any of the remaining free agents. If anything else happens with the Blues’ roster, it may still revolve around the departure of Kevin Shattenkirk, long rumored to be on the block this summer.

St. Louis Depth Chart

Boston In Negotiations With Brad Marchand

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Boston Bruins have had an interesting summer so far. After negotiating all season with Loui Eriksson, the forward eventually signed a huge deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The team tried to replace his production by bringing in former St. Louis Blues captain David Backes on a long-term deal, securing their center position for the immediate future.

It’s the wing that now needs attention, as the team has started negotiations with all-star winger Brad Marchand on a contract extension, according to D.J. Bean of WEEI. Marchand, 28, has one year remaining on his current deal, after which he would become an unrestricted free agent. After scoring 37 goals this past season, the diminutive winger (who doesn’t play like it) will be in for a huge raise.

In the six seasons that he has been a regular in the Bruins’ lineup, Marchand has eclipsed 20 goals all but once – the lockout shortened 2012-13 season, in which he scored 18 in 45 games.  After breaking out even further last season, the former third-round pick will probably be looking for a contract larger than that of Eriksson, who brought in a total of $36MM over six seasons.  If he can put up another 30-plus goal season, he’ll probably command the maximum seven years, at somewhere between $6-7MM per – that is, unless the team can get him under contract before he hits the open market.

Jamie Benn Undergoes Surgery; Out Six Weeks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, superstar forward Jamie Benn had surgery Thursday to repair an injured core muscle, and will be out for at least six weeks. While this shouldn’t put Benn’s 2016-17 season in jeopardy, it does put him at risk of missing the upcoming World Cup of Hockey this fall.

Benn put up another unbelievable season in 2015-16, scoring 41 goals (his first time cracking the 40-goal mark) and 89 points while suiting up for all 82 games.  Benn has been relatively healthy throughout his career, missing only 32 games since his debut in 2009-10.

With a lengthy playoff run added on to a grueling season, perhaps his body was finally breaking down.  He didn’t show any signs of it during the Dallas run however, as Benn contributed 15 points in just 13 games, before the team was eliminated by the St. Louis Blues.

If he’s healthy for this season, Benn will try again to capture a Hart trophy that he was a finalist for this year. With 448 points in 508 games, his career is off to a Hall-of-fame start, and with his 27th birthday on Monday he still has quite a few prime years left.  Whether those years are spent in Dallas or not is still to be determined, as Benn will become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season.

Blues Re-Sign Ty Rattie To One-Year Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Feb 28, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; St. Louis Blues forward Ty Rattie (18) watches the play against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The St. Louis Blues defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY SportsThe St. Louis Blues have re-signed forward Ty Rattie to a one-year, 650K deal tweets Norm Sanders. The Blues also announced the deal this afternoon. It is a one-way contract.

The 23-year-old forward spent 62 games with AHL affiliate Chicago, registering 46 points (17-29). Barrie played in 13 games in St. Louis, notching six points (4-2). Rattie has a total of 26 games at the NHL level and posted eight points (4-4).

With the signing, the Blues have just over $8.7MM left in salary cap room. Only Jaden Schwartz remains unsigned. His arbitration date was recently set for July 20.

Snapshots: Trades, Cullen, Hall, Callahan

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

USA Today’s Kevin Allen writes today on eight teams he expects to be active in the trade market going forward, the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. While there are still several useful players left on the unrestricted free agent market, Allen suggests several teams are looking to either move out salary, or upgrade their teams via trade.

Allen suggests the Blues and Ducks would both like to add forwards, and could dangle defensemen to get it done. The Ducks have long been rumored to be willing to move Cam Fowler in exchange for forward help, and the Blues may be willing to move Kevin Shattenkirk, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017. All of the Oilers, Bruins, and Red Wings are said to be seeking defensemen, and the Oilers in particular have excess forwards who could be moved. Allen also suggessts defensemen Tyson Barrie of the Avalanche, Matt Dumba of the Wild, and Kevin Klein and Marc Staal of the Rangers may be shopped this summer. In the case of Klein and Staal, it would likely be in an effort to clear cap space, and it’s also possible the Rangers move forward Rick Nash, but his $7.8MM cap hit may make that difficult.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Recently acquired Devils forward Taylor Hall will switch from wearing the number four to the number nine, reports Scott Lewis at Sportsnet.ca. Hall had previously worn four for his entire NHL career, but it’s retired in New Jersey for former Devils’ captain Scott Stevens. There had been a previous controversy when Hall was given the number four in Edmonton, which had been retired for former defenseman and then Oilers’ President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe.
  • Puck Daddy’s Josh Cooper reports today on deliberations over who will replace injured Lightning forward Ryan Callahan on the American team for the World Cup of Hockey. Cooper lists Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson, Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo, Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel, and New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri as potential replacements.
  • Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford was quoted on Twitter by the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Bill West, saying they do have an offer out on center Matt Cullen, but suggests the money is less than his play last year would justify. Cullen, who turns 40 in November, had 16 goals and 16 assists in 82 games last year, helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.

Full Salary Arbitration Hearing Schedule

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHLPA released the full schedule of arbitration hearings today, which will not include Jordan Weal, after he re-signed with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier today. Teams and players can still negotiate up until the hearing, and many will reach agreements before going to arbitration. For more information on the arbitration process, check out part one of our full guide.  Here is the full schedule:

PLAYER ELECTED FILINGS

Arizona Coyotes
Michael Stone – August 4, 2016

Colorado Avalanche
Tyson Barrie – July 29, 2016
Mikhail Grigorenko – July 22, 2016

Detroit Red Wings
Danny DeKeyser – July 28, 2016

Minnesota Wild
Jordan Schroeder – July 27, 2016

Nashville Predators
Calle Jarnkrok – August 4, 2016
Petter Granberg – August 3, 2016

New York Rangers
Kevin Hayes – July 27, 2016
Chris Kreider – July 22, 2016
Dylan McIlrath – July 21, 2016
J.T. Miller – August 2, 2016

Ottawa Senators
Mike Hoffman – August 4, 2016

Philadelphia Flyers
Brandon Manning – August 2, 2016
Brayden Schenn – July 25, 2016

St. Louis Blues
Jaden Schwartz – July 20, 2016

Tampa Bay Lightning
Alex Killorn – July 20, 2016
Vladislav Namestnikov – July 29, 2016

Toronto Maple Leafs
Frank Corrado – July 26, 2016
Peter Holland – July 25, 2016
Martin Marincin – August 2, 2016

Washington Capitals
Marcus Johansson – July 20, 2016

CLUB ELECTED FILINGS

Detroit Red Wings

Petr Mrazek – July 27, 2016

West Notes: McGinn, Shore, Blues

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Prior to entering free agency, left winger Jamie McGinn was looking to find a bigger role in terms of his ice time as well as leadership, he told Sarah McLellan of AZCentral.  The Coyotes were looking for someone to help mentor their young core forwards in Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Dylan Strome as well as someone who was willing to get to the dirty areas to score and identified McGinn as someone who would be a fit.  Not surprisingly, it didn’t take too long before the two sides agreed to a three year, $10MM contract on July 1st.

McGinn also had someone he could turn to for information about playing in Arizona as his brother Tye spent part of the 2014-15 season with the Coyotes and obviously the elder Jamie liked what he heard.

The 27 year old profiles as a top six forward with Arizona which should give him a chance to beat his career high in points (39) that he set last season, split between Buffalo and Anaheim.

More from around the Western Conference:

  • Dallas center prospect Devin Shore is a candidate to step into a bottom six role for the Stars following the departures of Vernon Fiddler (to New Jersey) and Colton Sceviour (to Florida). Shore missed the second half of last season following shoulder surgery but impressed in his freshman pro campaign, picking up 26 points in 23 AHL games.  If Shore, a second round pick in 2012, can crack the roster in training camp, he coincidentally will follow in the footsteps of the Stars’ first rounder in 2012, Radek Faksa, writes Steve Hunt of NHL.com.  Faksa also suffered a shoulder injury in his first pro season but was still able to crack Dallas’ lineup the following season.
  • St. Louis will be changing their playing style to reflect the departures of physical forwards David Backes, Troy Brouwer, and Steve Ott as well as the addition of David Perron, head coach Ken Hitchcock told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hitchcock has been working closely with coach-in-waiting Mike Yeo to incorporate part of the system Yeo ran with the Wild into how the Blues want to play next season.  While St. Louis will have less toughness in their lineup, they hope to compensate for that by being tougher on the puck, something that Minnesota was known for under Yeo’s tenure.  With only RFA Jaden Schwartz left to re-sign this offseason, it doesn’t appear likely that the Blues will wind up doing much to replace the grit they’ve lost as a new deal for him will eat up a big chunk of their remaining cap space.

Blues Sign Landon Ferraro

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues announced that they have inked 24-year-old forward Landon Ferraro to a one-year, two-way contract. General Fanager gives us the financials: it’s worth $700K at the NHL level, and $275K if he stays in the AHL. In his first full NHL season last year, Ferraro recorded five goals and five assists while playing for the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins.

Ferraro was one of many RFA’s who were not tendered by their teams prior to free agency. The Bruins decision not to bring back the young center raised some eyebrows, as his tender would have been less than $700K. Ferrarro showed himself to be a serviceable energy line player in Boston after being claimed off of waivers, recording an impressive 101 hits to go along with his ten points, while spending most of his time on a youthful Bruins checking line alongside the likes of Noel Acciari, Tyler Randell, and another non-tendered former Bruin, Brett Connolly.

For the Blues, Ferraro comes as an affordable addition to their forward depth and a player that brings energy and hockey sense to the ice every night that he plays. St. Louis tried the same play last year, bringing in another discarded Bruins prospect in Jordan Caron, and although he played in only four games with the NHL club, was resigned again this off-season. Both Ferraro and Caron will likely spend time with AHL’s Chicago Wolves, considering the depth of a strong Blues team, but will be able to help fill the gaps when called upon this season.

 

Minor Transactions: 07/06/16

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

A few minor moves were made today to fill out minor league rosters:

  • Blues’ prospect Jake Walman will head back to Providence College this season for his third year at the school, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. After putting up 28 points in 27 games last season, Walman’s year was cut short by a shoulder injury that needed surgery.
  • According to General Fanager, T.J Hensick has signed an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate. Hensick last played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 2010-11, and has 38 points in 112 NHL games.
  • Also with the Reign, Paul Bissonnette has signed on after an entertaining social media presence over the last few days. Bissonnette, a veteran of 202 NHL games, let fans in on all his conversations with various clubs and players, even sharing that he’d be tricked by a friend into believing Nashville had offered him a contract.
  • Ryan Bourque, son of former NHLer Ray who was in court today, has re-signed with the Hershey Bears after being traded to them midseason last year. Bourque was part of the Calder Cup run that took Hershey all the way to the finals before losing to the Lake Erie Monsters. A former third round pick of the Bruins, Bourque has played one game in the NHL to date. He returns to Hershey to play alongside his brother, Chris. The Bears additionally announced that they had re-signed Dustin Gazley and also that they have inked former Boston College standout goalie Parker Milner.
  • The Red Wings have signed goaltender Jared Coreau to a two-year deal, according to a team release. Coreau was one of the 24 players to file for salary arbitration yesterday. The 24-year old spent last season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top