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Yanni Gourde Signs Six-Year Extension With Tampa Bay Lightning

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have done it again, signing one of their core players to a long-term extension to keep the group together. Yanni Gourde has inked a six-year extension that comes with a $5.166MM average annual value. Gourde was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. New Tampa Bay GM Julien BriseBois explained why they wanted to keep Gourde in the fold:

We are very pleased to have Yanni as a part of the Lightning organization for the foreseeable future. Yanni personifies our team’s identity with his speed and relentlessness on the ice and his strong character off of it. He is proof of how far hard work and dedication can take you, and we look forward to him continuing his career in Tampa Bay. 

The Lightning have continued to reward their core talents with long-term contracts, signing players like Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson, J.T. Miller, Ryan McDonagh, Ondrej Palat and now Gourde to deals at least five years in length. Nearly all of them though have come at a price that were considered discounted at the time, and Gourde is no different. Though he doesn’t have a long history of success, a 64-point rookie campaign a year ago has led to him scoring 12 points in 12 games this season. The Lightning obviously believe the $31MM deal is worth it, especially given the fact that it includes a full no-trade clause for the first few seasons. The full breakdown is as follows:

  • 2019-20: $6.3MM salary, full no-trade clause
  • 2020-21: $4.1MM salary, full no-trade clause
  • 2021-22: $6.3MM salary, full no-trade clause
  • 2022-23: $4.1MM salary, partial no-trade clause
  • 2023-24: $5.1MM salary, partial no-trade clause
  • 2024-25: $5.1MM salary, partial no-trade clause

That may seem like a lot of cash for a player who has just 116 regular season games under his belt, but considering the fact that it buys out entirely unrestricted free agent seasons it may be a substantial bargain. Restricted free agents like Alex Tuch and Tom Wilson just received similar deals, and even though both represent much different playing styles than the 5’9″ Gourde, neither have the kind of offensive upside he’s demonstrated so far.

It doesn’t come without some risk though. Gourde will turn 27 in the first year of the extension, and despite the unstoppable work ethic he showed as he went from undrafted junior star to core NHL piece, he now will have more pressure to perform than he’s ever faced before. This contract comes with big expectations for him, and even a slight step backwards over the next few years could make it a very troublesome cap hit. The Lightning now have more than $50MM tied up through the 2022-23 season, an incredible amount even if the salary cap continues to increase. They also have some more, perhaps even more lucrative deals to sign in the next few months.

Brayden Point is up for extension after this season, while Mikhail Sergachev and Andrei Vasilevskiy are up the summer following. All three players are still young and restricted free agents, but if the team wants to work out long-term deals they’ll need to be very careful with how they work out their finances. The Lightning believe this group can compete for several Stanley Cups—and why not, given their performance so far—but could find themselves quickly in cap trouble if any start to decline.

Even so, they have plenty of contracts they could get out from under if necessary. Ryan Callahan’s $5.8MM cap hit will come off the books before Vasilevskiy and Sergachev cash in, while Johnson or Killorn could be moved if willing to waive their trade clauses. Gourde’s deal too could be moved if he doesn’t continue his performance, especially since it drops to only a partial trade clause after the first three seasons. In all, this move is just another by one of the strongest front offices in the league to push their team closer towards a Stanley Cup, and keep their window of contention wide open.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic broke down the details of the contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 10/28/18

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The Florida Panthers landed in Helsinki, Finland, this morning as they prepare for the NHL Global Series on Thursday and Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. In the meantime, injuries around the league are beginning to pile up and several teams are expected to make moves today to fill out their roster. Keep an eye here throughout the day to see what moves teams make.

  • After initial reports suggested the Philadelphia Flyers intended to recall Taylor Leier from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, the team reversed course and recalled two different players as they announced they have recalled wingers Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Tyrell Goulbourne instead. To make room for the two, the Flyers have placed Corban Knight on injured reserve with a hand injury he sustained Saturday against the Islanders. The team also has loaned center Mikhail Vorobyev to Lehigh Valley. Vorboyev came out of training camp with the third-line center job, but after posting just two points in seven games, the team opted to make some changes. Aube-Kubel has been considered a strong candidate for promotion after posting a solid campaign in the AHL last year, posting 18 goals and 46 points. He already had three goals and seven points in eight games there this season. Golbourne played nine games for the Flyers last season and had four points in seven games this year.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have recalled forward Jordan Greenway after sending him down to the Iowa Wild of the AHL on Friday. Greenway made two appearances for Iowa this weekend, but made the impact the team was hoping for Saturday when he registered a hat trick against the Colorado Eagles. The 6-foot-6 power forward out of Boston University hasn’t found his game in the NHL yet as he’s had just one assist in nine games. The hope as that his success in Iowa will build his confidence. No word whether there is a corresponding roster move.
  • Although the team didn’t report it Saturday, CapFriendly announced that the Vancouver Canucks returned forward Darren Archibald to the Utica Comets of the AHL in order to make room on their roster when they activated center Elias Pettersson so he could play against Pittsburgh Saturday. The 19-year-old didn’t post a point as the Canucks were shutout, but Pettersson registered 19:01 of ice time. The 28-year-old Archibald got only into one game while filling in for Pettersson on the roster, and scored a goal in that game.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have recalled forward Danick Martel from his conditioning loan with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The 23-year-old Martel posted great numbers with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL last season and the Lightning claimed him off waivers during training camp. Tampa Bay must keep him on their roster or place him back on waivers, which would give the Philadelphia Flyers an opportunity to claim him back. The team sent Martel to Syracuse on a conditioning stint on Oct. 18, but was forced to bring him back now that the conditioning loan has expired. He had one assist in four games there. The team hopes Martel can fill in for the injured Ondrej Palat, who is day-to-day.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have returned defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The blueliner was recalled on an emergency loan after the team placed defenseman Kevan Miller on injured reserve on Thursday. However, with the impending return of Torey Krug, who could make his season debut as early as Tuesday after injuring his ankle right before the start of the season, the team was ready to return the 21-year-old. Lauzon played two games for Boston in his short stint, but failed to register a point. He does have four points in six games with Providence. Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports the move may just be a paper transactions as Lauzon is not slated to play for Providence today.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced several roster moves in advance of tonight’s game against San Jose.  They assigned defensemen Andrej Sustr (who cleared waivers on Saturday) and Marcus Pettersson to San Diego of the AHL while recalling blueliners Andy Welinski and Jacob Larsson from the Gulls.  Larsson and Welinski combined to serve as Anaheim’s third pairing against the Sharks.

Max Pacioretty, Victor Hedman Exit Game With Head Injuries

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UPDATE (10/27): Both teams have now issued updates statuses on the injured players. Despite the optics of each hit and the initial optimism from the Lightning, it seems that Hedman has likely suffered a worse injury than Pacioretty. Tampa Bay reports that their top defender will be re-evaluated in a week after an upper-body injury (while also noting that Ondrej Palat is day-to-day with a lower-body injury). Hedman will certainly miss the Bolts’ game against the Coyotes today and match-ups with New Jersey and Nashville later this week as well. His status for Tampa’s games against division rivals Montreal and Ottawa are in question. Meanwhile, Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant revealed that Pacioretty is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Given the time taken to update his condition, it is likely that Pacioretty was evaluated for a concussion but seemingly avoided one. Vegas also faces the Senators and Predators in upcoming games and the winger’s availability could be a game-time decision for each.

10/26: The Vegas Golden Knights are facing a possible absence from big off-season trade acquisition Max Pacioretty, while the Tampa Bay Lightning could be without defensive mainstay Victor Hedman. The veteran winger first left Friday night’s game between the two teams after suffering an apparent head injury. Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn was the culprit, as he delivered a high hit on Pacioretty just five minutes into the contest. (video) Hedman was then the victim of an awkward collision with Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the second period that sent him toppling into the boards. Hedman appeared to injure his head/neck area as he landed. (video)

As the video shows, Pacioretty was carrying the puck and Coburn was simply playing his man. As Pacioretty cuts to the right, Coburn lands a shoulder right to his face. Pacioretty did get right back up, but quickly skated off and looked uneasy. “Patch” did not return to the game and Vegas has not issued an update on his status. An update should be expected soon, with the Golden Knights set to host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and potentially in need of a roster move.

In contrast, Tampa Bay was quick to rule out Hedman, as The Athletic’s Joe Smith received word before the end of the period. Reaves hit itself was not bad, but caught Hedman off balance. The superstar defenseman crashed into the boards and quickly skated off the ice once he was back on his feet. It was unclear whether his head injury was more of a concussion concern, like Pacioretty’s, or instead a possible neck issue as a result of an awkward landing.

If Pacioretty did indeed suffer a serious head injury that will sideline him for some time, Vegas will have to make up for his offense. The former Montreal Canadiens star has only two goals through nine games, but is a five-time 60+ point player. Between he and Paul Stastny, out with a lower-body injury, the Knights would be without their two major off-season additions and expected top-six core contributors. Fortunately, the team has Alex Tuch back from the injured reserve to help pick up the slack. Cody Eakin, who has four points in six games while dealing with injuries of his own, will also be expected to step up. A Hedman absence would be a major loss for the Bolts, but not one that would be impossible to overcome. Between Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev, and Coburn, the Tampa lefties will be leaned upon more. Slater Koekkoek would also be likely to see some action, filling Hedman’s roster spot. With a game tomorrow at the Arizona Coyotes, it would be no surprise to see the reigning Norris Trophy winner sit at least one game. More information on the status of both players should be available soon.

Minor Transactions: 10/27/18

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Rivalries are set to renew tonight, with the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens set to square off for the first time this season and the St. Louis Blues looking to bounce back from two early losses to the Chicago Blackhawks. Teams in action tonight as well as teams adjusting from a particularly painful slate of games last night will be making roster moves throughout the day. Keep up with the changes here:

  • One of those aforementioned injuries last night was sustained by the Ottawa Senators’ Zack Smith, who sustained a facial fracture in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche. With the Sens currently on a road trip and set to face the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow, the team has worked quickly to replace Smith’s roster spot. The team announced the recall of forward Jack Rodewald from their AHL affiliate in Belleville. Rodewald skated in four games with Ottawa last season and was held scoreless, but is off to a hot start in the minors with seven points in eight games.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have activated defenseman Matt Benning from the injured reserve. Benning was placed on the IR last week with an undisclosed injury and has returned as soon as possible from the mysterious ailment. In a corresponding move, the Oilers have returned Kevin Gravel to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Gravel had been called up to replace Benning, but saw very limited ice time in two games with Edmonton. The free agent addition will have to return to the minors, where he had played well, and continue to show that he is worthy of an NHL roster spot.
  • Veteran forward Ryan White has signed a PTO with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced. White, spent the entire 2017-18 season outside the NHL – split between the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and Iowa Wild – for the first time since his first pro season in the Montreal Canadiens’s system in 2008-09. The experienced grinder has had trouble locking down a job at all for this season, attending camp with the Minnesota Wild and then returning to Iowa, but to no avail. The owner of 313 NHL games (and 447 penalty minutes) could bring leadership and grit to Manitoba if he can prove that he can still skate at a pro level. White is the type of player who could even earn a pro-rated NHL contract late in the year with Winnipeg as fourth line depth. Only time will tell how this latest stop works out for the veteran.
  • The Jets have recalled defenseman Tucker Poolman from Manitoba, who makes his return to the Winnipeg lineup. The 25-year-old skated in 25 games with the Jets last year in his first pro season, but failed to break camp this year. The University of North Dakota stalwart is a more than capable defender, but suffers from playing in a deep organization. Blocked by Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien, and Tyler Myers on the right side of the blue line, Poolman is not guaranteed to see the ice on this recall, but will make the most of the opportunity if he does.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning decided to go with a veteran minor league defenseman to replace Victor Hedman in the lineup for the next week until he is re-evaluated while the all-star is forced to sit out with an upper-body injury. The Lightning announced they have recalled Cameron Gaunce from Syracuse of the AHL who likely will be used as an extra defender for the team. The 28-year-old has already played eight full seasons in the AHL, while only having appeared in 32 NHL games during that span. He currently has a goal and an assist in six games with the Crunch.

Lightning To Shelve Contract Talks For Brayden Point Until The Offseason

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Lightning GM Julien BriseBois held contract extension discussions this week with the agent for center Brayden Point, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic on TSN’s Insider Trading (video link).  However, both sides agreed to shelve those talks until after the season.  He made quite an impact for Tampa Bay last year with 32 goals and 34 assists and is off to a strong start in 2018-19 with four points in as many games heading into tonight’s contest.  That’s going to have him in line for a significant raise on the league-minimum $650K salary ($686K cap hit) that he’s receiving this season even though he won’t have salary arbitration rights.  However, it won’t be until the offseason now until he finds out how much his next deal will be for.

Anaheim Ducks Trade Mitch Hults

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The Anaheim Ducks were getting close to the 50-contract limit after signing Jake Dotchin recently, so have decided to send Mitch Hults to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for future considerations. Hults was playing with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, and will now immediately report to the Syracuse Crunch.

One has to wonder if this trade has even more to do with the Dotchin situation, given that it was the Lightning who terminated his contract in training camp after he showed up overweight, but regardless Tampa Bay will add another prospect to their system. Hults doesn’t bring a ton of offensive upside to the table despite his strong numbers in the NCAA, and instead will add some size to the Crunch and give them a little more depth up front. As a rookie last year he did score 24 points in 53 games, but at this point it doesn’t look like he has a real NHL future.

Hults will turn 24 next month and went undrafted out of the USHL, though there was certainly interest in him coming out of college. Perhaps the Lightning’s development team can turn him into a worthwhile bottom-six player, but the first thing they’ll do is get him playing for the AHL squad. He becomes the 49th player under contract for the Lightning, meaning they’re closing in on handcuffing themselves when it comes to any college free agents this year. Though they still do have one spot, we may see them move another contract out at some point to free up room for waiver claims or free agent signings.

Cory Conacher, Phillip Di Giuseppe Placed On Waivers

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Thursday: Both Conacher and Di Giueseppe have cleared, but only the former will be sent down right away. The Hurricanes have decided to keep Di Giuseppe for now, likely because of their recent demotions of both Martin Necas and Haydn Fleury.

Wednesday: Another day, another set of waivers for the NHL. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes have placed Cory Conacher and Phillip Di Giuseppe on waivers respectively, after Jacob de La Rose was claimed by the Detroit Red Wings. Conacher and Di Giuseppe have both suited up already this season, but will likely be assigned to the minor leagues should they clear.

Conacher, 28, has bounced around the league several times but keeps landing in the Tampa Bay organization. A veteran of 189 games split between the Lightning, Senators, Sabres and Islanders, he played in 36 last season with the Lightning and recorded 12 points. A proficient minor league scorer, capable of producing at nearly a point-per-game pace, he unfortunately hasn’t been able to find the same success at the NHL level. Still, for any team looking for an energy player for their bottom-six, you could do worse than adding Conacher on waivers. He’s on the final year of his current deal, which is currently two-way and pays him just $650K at the NHL level.

Di Giuseppe is a different story entirely, given his status as a former top prospect. The 38th overall pick from the 2012 draft, Di Giuseppe has remained in the Carolina organization for several years but never found a ton of success at the NHL level. He did play in 49 games last season with the Hurricanes, but recorded just 13 games and couldn’t break into their top six despite some inconsistent performances from the players ahead of him. Still just 25, any claiming team would likely be doing so for his ability to play in various different spots than any hopes on him becoming a prolific scoring threat.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Jake Dotchin

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Thursday: Dotchin has cleared waivers, officially signed with the Ducks and been assigned to the San Diego Gulls. He’ll play there until his conditioning is back to where it needs to be, at which point the Ducks will make a decision on whether he can help the NHL squad.

Wednesday: While the waiver wire today included two names already playing in the NHL, there was also another name that Tampa Bay Lightning fans will be familiar with. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Jake Dotchin was placed on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks. That’s the process required at this point in the season if the team has signed him to an NHL contract. Dotchin saw his previous deal terminated earlier this summer when he showed up to Lightning camp out of shape, but has been working hard to try and land a deal elsewhere around the league. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that it is a one-year deal, while LeBrun tweets it will be worth $800K.

Dotchin, 24, was an up-and-coming defenseman for the Lightning not long ago, partnered at times with Victor Hedman and valued for his physical style. In 35 games at the end of the 2016-17 season, Dotchin had impressed nearly everyone around the league and looked like a key part of the Tampa Bay core moving forward. Unfortunately that quickly turned, and the right-handed defenseman saw his role quickly diminish. When training camp came around this year, he apparently showed up very out of shape and saw his contract terminated for a “material breach.” That termination didn’t come without backlash though, and Dotchin has filed a grievance through the NHLPA and will still attempt to receive compensation for the slight difference between this contract and the one that Tampa Bay terminated.

For the Ducks, adding Dotchin is a low-risk option that could potentially bring quite positive results. It’s not as though he’s completely lost his talent, and if he can get back into (and stay in) shape quickly he could be a low cost option for their third pairing. At the very worst he’s an option for next season, as Dotchin will still be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights. The Ducks now control his rights, and will be able to decide whether he’s worth a qualifying offer a few months down the line.

Minor Transactions: 10/18/18

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Another big night in the NHL with nine games on the schedule including Sidney Crosby facing the high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs, and a Metropolitan clash between the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. We’ll keep track of all the last minute moves right here as teams prepare for the night’s action:

  • Danick Martel has been sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint by the Tampa Bay Lightning, after being claimed off waivers during training camp. Martel played four games for the Philadelphia Flyers last season but will try to carve out an even bigger role in the Tampa Bay organization. A minor league offensive weapon, the undrafted Martel is looking to follow the path set by Yanni Gourde for the Lightning and go from undersized QMJHL scoring phenom to contributing NHL winger.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced that they have assigned center Chase De Leo back to San Diego of the AHL.  He was recalled back on Tuesday and did not get into a game with the big club.  In four games with the Gulls in the minors, he has a goal and three assists.
  • With Jonathan Quick set to return from injured reserve, the Los Angeles Kings have returned veteran goaltender Peter Budaj to Ontario of the AHL.  He got into Saturday’s loss against Ottawa, allowing one goal on eleven shots in half of the game.
  • After clearing waivers earlier in the week, the Vancouver Canucks have now assigned defenseman Alex Biega to Utica (AHL), via the AHL’s Transactions Page.  Biega hasn’t spent much time in the minors lately, suiting up in just one game for the Comets since 2015-16.  However, he’ll at least get some playing time, something that wouldn’t have been the case had he stayed in Vancouver.
  • The New York Rangers have swapped backup goaltenders, loaning Alexandar Georgiev to AHL Hartford while recalling Marek Mazanec.  Georgiev is just 22 and has only played once this season which isn’t ideal for a young prospect.  He’ll get some extra playing time in with the Wolf Pack while Mazanec is no stranger to being a backup in the NHL having spent parts of three seasons in that role with Nashville.

Tampa Bay Lightning Extend Cory Conacher

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In a very odd twist, the Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Cory Conacher to a one-year, one-way contract extension for 2019-20 worth $700K. The Lightning placed Conacher on waivers earlier today, and this actually may be their way of protecting him from being claimed by another team. Any team that wanted the veteran forward would need to take him with the extension in tow, something that may dissuade some from putting in a claim.

Conacher was first given a chance by the Lightning after being overlooked in the draft and during a solid college career. After bouncing around in the minor leagues he earned an entry-level deal in 2012 and ended up scoring 24 points in 35 games for the Lightning before being part of the trade that brought Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay. After more stops in Ottawa, Buffalo, New York and Switzerland, Conacher found his way back to the Lightning organization in 2016. In 36 games last season he scored 12 points, and was a valuable call-up that could fit into several different roles.

It’s hard to see a team claim him off waivers now that there is an extra year attached, though he still could provide some depth to various organizations around the league. If not, he’ll head to Syracuse where he will likely be the first call-up if Tampa Bay gets into injury trouble.

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