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Danis Zaripov Has Two NHL Offers

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We heard yesterday that Danis Zaripov—the 36-year old Russian winger under a two-year KHL suspension for doping—had interest in the Tampa Bay Lightning, and now Darren Dreger of TSN gives us even more information. Zaripov is believed to have two NHL offers in hand already, and is waiting for two more before deciding where he’ll make his North American professional debut. Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times confirms that the Lightning are not one of those offers, even though they are one of a few “preferred landing spots” for Zaripov.

Zaripov represents a late-summer wildcard, as an unexpected free agent entering the market. His upside is that of a proven playoff performer who can chip in offense at a pretty consistent rate, but it is curious that he could sign before proven NHL scorers like Thomas Vanek and Jaromir Jagr. Zaripov spent one season in North America back in 1998 when he played for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, but was before his time as a slightly undersized forward.

That type of player is much more welcome in today’s NHL, and there is definitely interest in bringing him aboard. Outside of the Lightning, the Rangers have been tenuously linked and Evgeni Malkin has thrown his support behind bringing him into the Penguins’ locker room. He’ll likely be brought in on a one-year deal in order to use performance bonuses to mitigate risk.

Latest On Danis Zaripov’s NHL Search

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Legendary KHL winger Danis Zaripov was cleared to sign with an NHL club this week despite his ongoing two-year suspension from the Russian league, and yesterday we learned that the Tampa Bay Lightning had made contact. Today, that connection becomes even more apparent as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Lightning are a “preferred landing spot” for Zaripov’s camp.

The 36-year old shares an agent—Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey—with both Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov, and Tampa Bay has a long history with giving opportunities to Russian players. Zaripov, who is one of the greatest playoff performer in KHL history, could find a nice temporary home with the Lightning as he appeals his suspension.

The two-year ban was handed out earlier this year, but the NHL ruled that Zaripov wouldn’t have been suspended under their internal doping policy. He’s clear to sign a contract with anyone, and since he’s over the age of 35 it could include performance bonuses (should it be just one year in length). The Lightning have just over $3.25MM in projected cap room for the season.

Morning Notes: Zaripov, Campoli, Byron

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Danis Zaripov has entered the NHL free agent market after being cleared to sign despite a two-year ban in the KHL, and he is one of the most interesting wildcards this late in the summer. Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Lightning have checked in on him, but there has been no contract talks between the two sides.

More interestingly, Igor Eronko of Sport-Express quotes Evgeni Malkin saying that he would “like to see Danis Zaripov in Penguins. I’d enjoy plaing with him on one line.” Zaripov isn’t the answer the Penguins need at center, but would be an interesting addition to their wing depth.

  • Jeff Cox reports that Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Nick Campoli will not be attending Clarkson University as originally planned, and instead will play for the Sioux City Musketeers this season. Campoli was a sixth-round pick this summer, and had played in the OJHL to maintain his college eligibility. Cox reports that he will attempt to take enough courses to regain eligibility and join Clarkson in 2018-19.
  • Blaine Byron explains to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet why he made the decision to pass up an entry-level contract to sign an AHL deal with the Florida Panthers. Byron considers Florida his best shot at making the NHL, and could see a clear path there for him. The huge number of University of Maine alumni in the management and coaching staff probably helped him feel that way, but there is also a clear need for NHL-level forwards in the Florida system. Byron could make the jump sooner than later, meaning an entry-level deal could be signed before long anyway.

Ryan Callahan Healthy After 2 Hip Surgeries

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To start, the talk of Pacioretty playing left wing and Drouin at right wing makes plenty sense. The 28-year-old Pacioretty has put up four straight 30-goal seasons, including a 35-goal season last year. Drouin, coming over from Tampa Bay, had a breakout year with the Lightning, putting up 21 goals and 32 assists in 73 games. The highly touted 22-year-old forward is expected play a major scoring role in the Canadiens future.

  • Corey Long of NHL.com reports that Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan Callahan is progressing well from two hip surgeries since the 2015-16 season. He is participating in informal workouts with no limitations and hopes to be back to health this season. The 32-year-old winger managed to play only 18 games last season and hasn’t put up a quality season since his 24-goal season in 2014-15. He still has three years remaining on his contract at $5.8MM per year.

Vladislav Namestnikov Switches Agents

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  • Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov has switched agencies as he has joined Gold Star Sports Management according to agent Dan Milstein (Twitter link). He previously had been with Newport.  The timing of this is notable as Namestnikov is entering the final year of his bridge contract and will be set to enter restricted free agency with arbitration rights next summer.  His qualifying offer will check in just north of $1.93MM.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning

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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 2017-18 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.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Cap Hit: $71,149,167 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Brayden Point (Two years remaining, $687K)
D Mikhail Sergachev (Three years remaining, $894K)

If there was any upside to the injury woes that the Lightning suffered last season, it was the opportunity provided to Point to show that he can be a productive NHL player already.  He wound up producing like a second line forward in his rookie campaign but may be a bit lower on the depth chart when everyone’s healthy.  If he can come close to duplicating his 40 points in 2017-18, it wouldn’t be surprising to see contract extension talks open up next summer.

Sergachev was picked up in the Jonathan Drouin trade just prior to expansion and should be given a long look in training camp.  However, Tampa has seven other defenders on the roster and Sergachev has another year of junior eligibility remaining so it’s not a guarantee he makes the team.  If he does, he’ll likely start in a third pairing role with the potential to move up later on.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F J.T. Brown ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Erik Condra ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Slater Koekkoek ($800K, RFA)
F Chris Kunitz ($2MM, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($1.938MM, RFA)
F Cedric Paquette ($813K, RFA)
D Andrej Sustr ($1.95MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses

Kunitz: $1MM
Point: $258K
Sergachev: $850K

Total: $2.108MM

Up front, Kunitz was brought in to try to help replace some of Drouin’s offense while giving them another veteran voice as well.  It will be interesting to see how he performs away from the Penguins; if he shows he can do so, he should be able to land a similar deal next summer.  Namestnikov is coming off of a bit of a down year but before that was showing signs of being a top-six forward.  If he can rebound, he’ll be in line for a nice raise but if not, he could become available in a trade with Tampa having several quality prospects in the system.  Paquette’s production has stagnated in the teens so while he’s a decent checker, he shouldn’t command a big raise next summer.  Brown is coming off a dreadful season and could see his roster spot usurped by a prospect before too long while Condra cleared waivers last year and could do so once again come October.

Defensively, Sustr has somewhat quietly carved out a regular role for himself on the third pairing.  However, he may price himself out of a spot next summer as GM Steve Yzerman could look for a cheaper replacement to save some money as his cap hit is starting to get high for someone who’s primarily a depth option.  Koekkoek has yet to lock down a full-time roster spot but as he’s now waiver eligible, he’ll likely get a longer look this time.  He’s on a one-year ‘show me’ contract and if he can land a regular role, he’ll set himself up for a pay bump next summer.

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Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Sign Tye McGinn

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed their final restricted free agent, inking Tye McGinn to a one-year, two-way contract. No financial details were released, but it would be surprising if he earned much more than the $650K minimum salary in the NHL. McGinn will be a unrestricted free agent next summer.

Drafted in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Flyers, McGinn has been a solid AHL player for several years. He played just 21 games with the Syracuse Crunch last season, but really made his mark in the playoffs by registering 16 points in 22 contests. The Crunch would ultimately fall to the Grand Rapids Griffins, but McGinn will likely return as a first line player once again.

In 89 career NHL games, McGinn has just 17 points. The big winger has a nose for the net, but lacks the high-end creativity and skill required to be an offensive player at the NHL level. He could play in a few games next year for the Lightning, but his role will likely be in Syracuse where he’ll try to help along some of the younger Tampa Bay prospects.

Minor Transactions: 8/10/17

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It may be August, but hockey transactions are still ongoing. While the major names on the NHL free agent market appear to still be in a holding pattern, AHL teams have begun to fill out their rosters with minor leagues deals. The result has been a recent influx of minor news, both of AHL signings and those with less luck finding a contract in North America signing overseas. Here’s a rundown of today’s minor moves:

  • NHL veteran Jeremy Morin is headed to the KHL, but not to one of the league’s more well-known clubs. Morin has instead signed on with HC Yugra, a relatively new team to the KHL based in the small ski town of Khanty-Mansiysk. Yugra entered the KHL in 2010 and, after qualifying for the postseason in its first two seasons, has not been back to the playoffs since. Part of Yugra’s struggle may be related to a lack of a diverse lineup. Yugra was one of only three KHL teams in 2016-17 to field a roster of players entirely of Russian decent. By bringing in Morin, the team is finally branching out and may have a foreigner even be its best player next season. Morin, 26, is a 2009 second-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers, but is most well-known as a Chicago Blackhawks prospect after being dealt to the team as part of the return for Dustin Byfuglien back in 2010. Morin skated in 54 games for Chicago between 2010 and 2014, registering 16 points, while also suiting up for over 200 games with their AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Hogs. In 2014, Morin was traded away to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Tim Erixon. That kicked off a chain of events wherein Morin was dealt four more times in the last three years, including as part of the package back to Chicago for Brandon Saad, notoriously as the return to Toronto for Richard Panik, and alongside James Reimer to the San Jose Sharks. Unable to find a long-term home, Morin signed on with the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer, looking for a fresh start. Instead, the Lightning also traded him, as he was moved to the Arizona Coyotes in February. Likely sick of the uncertainty that the NHL has showed him in his career, Morin is on the move to Russia, where the ability that has made him a valuable trade chip may finally get a chance to shine for a full season.
  • Recent Chicago Wolves defenseman Kevin Tansey is also on the move. The former Clarkson University standout drew immediate attention in the AHL upon graduating in 2016, jumping right into 11 games with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, at the tail end of the 2015-16 season. He expected similar excitement when he joined Chicago for this past campaign, but instead he was buried on the depth chart, skating in only 19 games. The rest of the year, Tansey played for the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks, where he was clearly out of place among inferior talent. Tansey, not known for his offensive ability, managed to record 31 points in 44 ECHL games, showing that he really should be in the AHL. The Grand Rapids Griffins, fresh off a Calder Cup championship, will now give Tansey that chance. The Detroit Red Wings’ affiliate announced today that they have inked the blue liner to a one-year deal. Tansey should be eager to show what he can do in a full season of AHL action.
  • Another rearguard coming off of a big ECHL season has inked an AHL deal, but for Tim Daly it is his first foray into the next level. The former St. Cloud State shutdown defender has played the last two seasons in the ECHL, but after a lack of production in 2015-16, Daly’s numbers took off in 2016-17, as he finished with 38 points in 59 games for the Utah Grizzlies. Historically a more stay-at-home style defenseman, Daly showed his two-way ability last year and caught the eye of the Manitoba Moose, who brought him via loan for a couple of games. Apparently the Winnipeg Jets’ affiliate saw enough in that short sample to sign Daly to a one-year deal. The Moose also announced one-year extensions for forwards Kale Kessy and Elgin Pearce in addition to bringing in Daly.

Summer Predictions: Atlantic Division

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The hockey world is at a standstill now that August has rolled around. With all of the arbitration cases now decided and just a few restricted free agents left to sign, players and fans alike are counting the days until training camp starts. While there are still several names in free agency that could still help an NHL club, it seems like many are destined either for professional tryouts or late-summer deals after injuries strike.

So now we’ll get into our summer predictions. Before the start of the year we’ll be releasing a full season preview with projections for each club and the expected playoff teams, but first we’ll ask you to give us your take on how you believe each division will end up. Yesterday we looked at the Metropolitan division, a poll that was handily won by the Pittsburgh Penguins despite them not coming first in the Metro since 2013-14 season. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champs are being chosen by many to three-peat, even after saying goodbye to some former playoff stars like Chris Kunitz and Nick Bonino.

Today, we’ll move to the other Eastern Conference division and take a look at the Atlantic. Choose who you think will win the division this season, and make sure to leave your full prediction for the division standings in the comments. As a proxy for the overall standings, we’ll be sure to publish these results alongside our own PHR rankings in September.

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Oft-Injured Teams Likely To Rebound In 2017-18

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Every year, some teams invariably get the short straw when it comes to injury. The Washington Capitals, notably, were the healthiest team in the league, and ended up winning the Presidents’ Trophy. That said, organizational depth is absolutely vital, as the Penguins survived well enough to repeat championships, even though they were bottom-5 in man games lost. Ultimately, there are a few franchises that are merely anticipating a restart in 2017-18, in hopes of entirely forgetting the abuses of last season. These three teams are those which suffered the worst, and have a solid chance to rebound in the upcoming campaign.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning lost Steven Stamkos for the majority of the season after he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in November. He missed an astounding total of 65 games. Ryan Callahan was also lost for the majority of the year, losing 64 games of action to a lower-body injury. After that, the onslaught of injuries kept hammering away. Nikita Kucherov only lost 8 games, but was felled on three separate occasions. Ondrej Palat missed only 9 games as well, but his presence was sorely missed when absent. Cedric Paquette lost 23 games, while Tyler Johnson missed 16. It seemed that no one was safe on Tampa’s squad more man-games than an other teams when you factor in essentially retired players.

Tampa will look to remain healthy this season, after an incredibly unlucky venture in 2016-17. They have the depth to endure losses, but the sheer carnage last season was too catastrophic to overcome. Still, they finished only one point out of the final wild card spot. They could easily have squeaked into the playoffs and inflicted serious damage. This year, as long as the fates turn their way, they should be right back in the competitive mix.

Winnipeg Jets

Tyler Myers lost out on the bulk of the season, only playing in 11 contests. As a big component of the team’s defense, he will need to be back to peak performance if the Jets hope to stop some of the bleeding in their own end of the ice. Center Bryan Little lost 23 games to a lower-body injury, while Shawn Matthias missed 37 contests to an upper-body ailment. Not a single player survived the entire year without succumbing to some sort of injury or sickness, and the team as a whole struggled to find a consistent groove with so many bodies filling in and falling out.

The Jets need consistent goaltending and less obnoxiously aggressive defense if they hope to reach the post-season again. That said, simply remaining healthy will go a long way in transforming Winnipeg into a dangerous team. Mark Scheifele was absolutely dominant last season, and with reliable depth behind him, only good results lie ahead. The Central is also slightly less intimidating this year, even with Dallas making as many transactions as they did. Nashville and Chicago both took steps backward, the Blues remained relatively the same, while the Wild made lateral moves.

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver will have a tough time entering the playoff conversation. In the relatively weak Pacific however, anything can happen. The Sedin twins are another year older, and GM Jim Benning hasn’t acquired any game-breakers in the off-season (Michael Del Zotto doesn’t count). Still, when a team loses over 300 man-games to injury in a year, things should theoretically improve the following year. Admittedly, some of their most heavily injured players were nominal players, like Derek Dorsett (68 lost) and Anton Rodin (79 lost). Still, they missed the presence of multiple depth players at a time and ultimately relied too heavily upon call-ups to crawl through the year. Jannik Hansen (39 lost), Chris Tanev (29 lost), and Erik Gudbranson (52 lost) are far from world-beaters, but on a team as thin at both offense and defense as the Canucks, their losses were unsustainable.

It remains to be seen how much of an impact general health will play for the Canucks. They still need their top players to find consistent production, and their younger players (Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi) must continue to progress. That said, with a little luck, they might find themselves somewhere near the mix yet again. With new coach Travis Green and a fresh beginning, perhaps there is one more Wild Card berth left in a team that has been prolonging their inevitable full-on rebuild.

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