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Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Slater Koekkoek

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have made clear additions to their blueline this summer, but still had a couple of restricted free agents to deal with in Slater Koekkoek and Jake Dotching. The former has now signed a one-year one-way deal that will pay him $800K next season. Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times says that a deal for Dotchin won’t be far behind.

Koekkoek will forever be judged, perhaps unfairly, by the players selected around him in the 2012 draft. Picked 10th overall, just behind Jacob Trouba and ahead of Filip Forsberg, Koekkoek has yet to live up to his pedigree and has just 41 NHL games under his belt. That’s not to say he can’t turn things around, but at 23 he’s starting to run out of time to make an impact on the Lightning. With Mikhail Sergachev easily jumping over him on the prospect depth chart, he’ll have to work even harder for an NHL role this season.

He did play 29 games for the Lightning last season, a bump from previous years, but still only averaged 13 minutes a night and had little chance to contribute offensively. Expected to have a solid two-way game, he’ll have to show improvement in order to lock down the vacant third-pairing spot on Tampa next season. After moving out Jason Garrison and bringing in Dan Girardi, the team could use Koekkoek or perhaps Andrej Sustr on his off side for the last LHD spot. Dotchin is expected to retake his spot in the top four and be relied upon as a key contributor this season. Sergachev too has a chance to make the team out of camp, making it even tougher on Koekkoek going forward. A one-way deal is nice, but he still has to prove that he can play full-time in the NHL.

Girardi Signing May Delay Tampa Bay’s Blueline Prospects

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There are many worried Tampa Bay Lightning fans that the recent signing of veteran defender Dan Girardi, to a two-year, $6MM contract, will only get in the way of the team’s blueline youth movement. Once considered a major weakness on their team, the Lightning have rebuilt the defense over the last few years. They have even protected several of those young defensemen like Slater Koekkoek and Jake Dotchin by giving up a top offensive prospect in Nikita Gusev and several draft picks to Vegas to convince them to take veteran defender Jason Garrison off their hands, not only to free up cap space, but also to open up more playing time on the blueline.

The team also has a new core of young defensive prospects in the pipeline as well, including newly acquired Mikhail Sergachev, who they received from Montreal for Jonathan Drouin. They have focused their drafts on defense as well. They drafted the WHL’s Cal Foote with the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft. Before that, they spent a slew of second-rounders on defense, drafting Libor Hajek with their second round pick last year, Matt Spencer in the second round in 2015 as well, and Dominik Masin in the second round in 2014. They even added 2015 second-rounder Erik Cernak when they sent Ben Bishop to Los Angeles in February. The team even inked their sixth-round pick from 2016 yesterday in Oleg Susanov, at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds at age 19.

With all this talent though, the Lightning still invested $3MM per year to Girardi, which means the team isn’t likely to have the veteran mentor the youth. It’s more likely that the team is doing everything it can to bolster its roster for a playoff run and will force players like Koekkoek, Dotchin, and Sergachev to battle it out for a roster spot or be sent back to the AHL. Koekkoek, a former tenth-overall pick in 2012, only managed to get into 29 games last year, playing the majority of the season with the Syracuse Crunch. Dotchin split his time evenly between the two, having played 35 games for each squad.

Sergachev might be ready for Tampa Bay soon as well, but a Girardi deal could benefit the team as well. The former ninth-overall pick in 2016 had conditions linked to his trade with the Canadiens that would allow the Lightning to acquire a 2018 second-round pick if Sergachev doesn’t play more than 40 games for the NHL squad during the regular season and the playoffs. Otherwise, Tampa Bay would get no extra pick. Perhaps that may be an extra incentive to keep him in the minors for a little while longer.

 

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Chris Kunitz

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Four-time Stanley Cup champion Chris Kunitz is off to Tampa Bay, where he has signed a one-year $2MM deal with the Lightning. The deal also includes $1MM in performance bonuses according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, based on ice time, games played and the team making the playoffs.

Kunitz is coming off a strong playoff performance for Pittsburgh. Most notably, he scored the double-overtime winner in Game 7 against Ottawa which propelled the team into the Finals. He’s always been a solid possession player – never posting a Corsit For below 51% since the stat was tracked in 2007-08. His productivity on the wings of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin placed him in the upper echelon of wingers in the league. Last season, the 37-year-old saw his first major decline in goal production during the regular season. He dropped to 9 tallies from the previous season’s 17, and noticeably looked a step slower. He became an expendable piece who moved up and down the lineup with the emergence of forwards Conor Sheary and Jake Guentzel.

Still able to provide leadership and a physical element, Kunitz will hope to prove that he belongs on a Tampa Bay team that is thin on the left wing. Tampa will look to lean upon his intangibles to catapult them back into playoff contention after a rough 2016-17 season. If he can regain some of his previous production, the deal will look all the better. His previously noted flexibility will come in handy in the case of injuries, and he has shown his ability to play effectively along top talent. It’s difficult to imagine him looking out of place slotting alongside Steven Stamkos or Tyler Johnson in a pinch. The biggest risk of course is with regards to his age, and whether he will continue to be as unproductive offensively as he was in the latter half of the season in Pittsburgh.

New York Islanders Acquire Kristers Gudlevskis

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The New York Islanders have added some more goaltending depth, acquiring Kristers Gudlevskis from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for minor league forward Carter Verhaeghe.

Gudlevskis was a fifth-round pick by the Lightning in 2013, and has made three appearances at the NHL level, actually recording a .959 save percentage in those games. He’s not really a prospect anymore, but should at least add some professional depth for the Islanders.

Verhaeghe on the other hand was a third-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but dealt along with several other prospects for Michael Grabner a few seasons ago. He’s never lived up to the billing of an offensive force with defensive chops, bouncing back and forth between the AHL and ECHL. He’s still only 21, which means he could still breakout and develop into the player the Maple Leafs had hoped for, but right now the NHL seems like a long shot.

2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker

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Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.

Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.

July 1st:

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Lightning Sign Dan Girardi

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have added to their defensive corps on the first day of free agency, signing recently bought out New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi to a two-year, $6MM deal, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. Girardi, who was scheduled to make $4MM with the Rangers this season, will now make $3MM yearly from the Lightning plus $1.1MM annually from his buyout, which puts him over what he would have made in New York.

Girardi is a polarizing player in the NHL. Many, including plenty of Rangers fans, felt that he was over-rated and overpaid in New York and is incapable of being a top-four defenseman in the NHL any more. Others rave about Girardi’s character and leadership and feel that he is a valuable asset. Regardless, Girardi will likely play a bottom-pair role for Tampa, but will be well-compensated to do so. The Lightning simply hope they are not the newest team to overpay Girardi and can instead get the most out of the veteran.

Girardi is coming off a career-low 15 points in 2016-17 and saw a drop off in hits and blocked shots as well. However, at one point Girardi was a guaranteed 20-30 point player who excelled at the defensive aspects of the game. The only question is which version of Girardi did the Lightning just commit to?

Nate Thompson To Sign With Ottawa Senators

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Two-way center Nate Thompson will soon be reunited with former Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher. TSN’s Aaron Ward reports the Boucher’s new team, the Ottawa Senators, are set to sign the character forward. It is expected to be a two-year deal worth $1.65MM per.

Thompson is a great fit for the Senators, filling an important role of centering the checking line. Ottawa had previously cut ties with 2016-17 energy liners Chris Neil, Chris Kelly, and Tommy Wingels, but can essentially replace the output of all three with Thompson. The 212-lb. forward enjoyed the best offensive seasons of his career in Boucher’s system in Tampa, and while took on a far greater role defensively in Anaheim in 2014-15, injuries and lack of productions have resulted in little ice time over the past two seasons. The Senators hope that, back under the tutelage of Boucher, Thompson may be capable of reaching his career-high 25 points from his Tampa days while also bringing back his 200+ hits with the Ducks.

The Senators are also working to re-sign 2016 trade deadline acquistion Viktor Stalberg, but nothing official has been reported as of yet.

Free Agency Rumor Round-Up

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Free agency is set to open in mere hours, but there are already plenty of rumors out there about deals that will become official at noon ET. Here are all of the deals expected to be made official this afternoon with the link to the original PHR article or recent report:

Anaheim Ducks expected to sign G Ryan Miller (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Boston Bruins expected to sign LW Kenny Agostino

Buffalo Sabres expected to sign G Chad Johnson

Chicago Blackhawks expected to sign RW Patrick Sharp

Colorado Avalanche expected to sign G Jonathan Bernier

Dallas Stars expected to sign C Martin Hanzal (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Detroit Red Wings expected to sign D Trevor Daley

Florida Panthers expected to sign RW Evgeni Dadonov

Florida Panthers expected to sign C Micheal Haley

Montreal Canadiens expected to sign D Karl Alzner

New York Rangers expected to sign G Ondrej Pavelec

Philadelphia Flyers expected to sign G Brian Elliott

Tampa Bay Lightning expected to sign D Dan Girardi

Vancouver Canucks expected to sign D Michael Del Zotto

Vancouver Canucks expected to sign G Anders Nilsson

Vancouver Canucks expected to sign C Sam Gagner (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Winnipeg Jets expected to sign G Steve Mason (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie)

Trevor Daley, Dan Girardi Close To New Deals

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According to the venerable Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, two deals that seem close as we head into free agency are Trevor Daley heading to the Detroit Red Wings and Dan Girardi heading the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Friedman mentions other potential connections, these are the two he seems surest of, even indicating they could potentially already be done. While Daley can’t sign until July 1st, Girardi is technically already a free agent after being bought out by the New York Rangers.

The pair ranked 23rd and 37th on our top 50 free agent list, expecting Daley to receive an extra year on the open market. Whether the deals are done or not, it shows that there has been fierce interest for both depth defensemen. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chimes in, saying that Daley isn’t done but has narrowed his field to two or three teams (with Pittsburgh not one of them). Despite not being allowed to talk contract details in their pre-July 1st meetings, it’s assumed that basic structures are agreed upon since deals come fast and furious as soon as free agency period commences.

Daley and Girardi may not be the most exciting additions, but they could both provide a nice value for what should be relatively little money. Both players are heading into the twilight of their careers, and as we saw with Girardi’s buyout are too risky to commit big money or term to. It will be interesting to see if either one can lock down a third season, or will have to settle for one or two year deals at age 33.

Adam Brooks, Alex Volkov Sign Entry-Level Contracts

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While many eyes are watching the upcoming free agent class to see who will go where, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs have signed a couple of their prospects to entry-level contracts. Tampa Bay has inked Alex Volkov (48th overall pick in 2017) while Toronto has signed Adam Brooks (92nd overall pick in 2016) to three-year, entry-level deals.

Volkov was an overage selection by the Lightning who will turn 20 in August and should start the season with Syracuse of the AHL. The Russian winger was ranked 27th among international skaters by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service, but was a surprising pick when there were more well-known prospects still on the board. That’s why they pay the scouts though, and the Lightning seem excited about Volkov’s offensive upside and ability to score on the powerplay. Syracuse is a tough roster to crack after making the Calder Cup finals this year, but he’ll be able to develop in one of the best systems in the league.

Brooks on the other hand was an overage selection a year ago by the Maple Leafs but showed why when he repeated his outstanding performance from 2015-16. In the last two years, Brooks has put up 250 points for the Regina Pats and while some of that has to do with having Anaheim prospect Sam Steel on his line, he’s no slouch in the offensive zone. Whether Brooks’ size keeps him from ever being an NHL player is still undetermined, but he’ll have to first traverse the ranks of the American Hockey League. With the Maple Leafs lacking much center depth in their system, Brooks could easily find himself as the #1 option for the Marlies next season.

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