Snapshots: Marleau, Puljujarvi, Sheahan, Gardiner
The Edmonton Oilers are still in need of depth on the wing and remain in the hunt for players that could help fill a need. Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins, in his Sunday column, writes that one option that he’s hearing is that veteran winger Patrick Marleau has shown some interest in potentially signing with the Oilers.
The 39-year-old Marleau was traded to Carolina in a salary dump and the veteran asked the Hurricanes to buy him out with the intention of returning to San Jose and signing with his old team. While that still seems the likely outcome for Marleau, the Sharks have not signed the veteran to a contract yet and the veteran may be looking at other West Coast options. Edmonton could be attractive to him as the team needs help to fill out its top three lines, something the veteran could help with. While his skills have eroded some, Marleau still posted 16 goals and 37 points last season in a crowded Maple Leafs forward group.
- Leavins, in the same article, adds that with little trade interest brewing for disgruntled Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi, the most likely scenario right now if he doesn’t want to return to Edmonton, which he has said numerous times, will be to accept at $200K contract in Finland this season and try to prove himself as a star in the Liiga and then can generate more trade interest next summer. In fact, the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont writes that with nothing even close to being lined up in Finland, the 21-year-old winger may have no choice but to return to Edmonton despite all of his agents’ demands.
- The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that the Edmonton Oilers remain in search for a third-line center and he believes that unrestricted free agent center Riley Sheahan might be a good fit with the team. PHR’s Brian La Rose looked at Sheahan’s free-agent status Saturday and noted that Edmonton could be a suitor for the UFA. It’s unlikely that the team will split their top three players at center in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but at the moment, their next best option would be Swiss center Gaeton Haas, which makes most people uncomfortable. With five full seasons under his belt at just 27 years old, the Oilers might be willing to take a chance on him.
- The Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons writes that he believes that general manager Kyle Dubas is hoping to work out a way to sign Mitch Marner and unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner. While that scenario would seem to be unlikely considering the state of Toronto’s cap situation, Simmons writes that the team could decide to sign Marner to a bridge deal, which could give the team some extra room to retain Gardiner who has been sitting unsigned on the free-agent market. The hope is that Gardiner would slot in as a third-line defenseman. However, that scenario remains unlikely as locking up Marner to a long-term deal is the team’s top priority this summer.
Morning Notes: Seattle, Matthews, Tkachuk
The Seattle expansion franchise have announced few new employees including GM Ron Francis, but fans across the hockey world are waiting for another kind of announcement–the team’s name. That might be coming sooner than you think, as CEO Tod Leiweke explained on a Facebook Live broadcast yesterday (via NHL.com):
We’re working on it every day. I think it’ll be the first quarter of next year, perhaps around the All-Star Game (Jan. 24-26 in St. Louis) when there’s a reveal.
I had names a year ago that if pressed into launching in 2020, we would have been ready. But we’re so much better positioned because we’re now learning not just what we are, but what we’re not, and that’s really going to inform the name.
The team’s nickname has been a constant question from readers here at PHR, with suggestions like Kraken, Metropolitans and Sockeyes all thrown around. We’ll have to wait just a little longer to find out who will be hitting the ice in 2021 alongside the league’s other 31 teams.
- Auston Matthews is ready to take over as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs if the team decides to offer it to him, but he’s happy if someone else is the choice. The Maple Leafs center spoke with Craig Morgan of The Athletic (subscription required) while practicing at home in Arizona and noted that there are several excellent options to be the next Toronto captain. The team has operated without one since trading away Dion Phaneuf in 2016, but now that their young core has a little more experience in the NHL it may be time to sew on the “C.” Among other things, Matthews also explains that his biggest goal for this season is staying healthy and playing in all 82 games, something he has failed to do the last two years.
- Speaking with TSN at the Hockey Night In Brampton event this week, Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan gave his thoughts on the ongoing Matthew Tkachuk negotiations. Monahan says he’s “not too concerned” about the fact that Tkachuk is unsigned and believes that the young forward won’t want to miss any of training camp. The 21-year old Tkachuk exploded offensively last season, racking up 77 points in 80 games while still being the irritating physical presence he has become known for.
Minor Transactions: 08/21/19
As the RFA market shows signs of movement, other teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. As we keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey, we’ll fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:
- The Stockton Heat have signed four players, inking Terrance Amorosa, Zach Osburn, Matthew Gaudreau and Mitch Hults to one-year, two-way minor league contracts. Gaudreau is the name that will stick out to Calgary Flames fans for obvious reasons, as he is the younger brother of star forward Johnny Gaudreau. The 24-year old has spent the last two seasons with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL while getting a handful of games at the AHL level.
- Jonathan Martin‘s entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks expired earlier this summer and the team opted not to extend him a qualifying offer. Despite scoring 28 points in 57 AHL games last season, it seems other NHL teams weren’t enamored with the forward either. Martin has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, the team announced. The 23-year-old will look to work his way back into NHL consideration with a strong perfromance this season.
- Kelly Cup champion Derian Plouffe has signed with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, leaving the Toronto Marlies/Newfoundland Growlers after just one full season in professional hockey. Plouffe put up 23 points in 56 games with the Growlers and took home the championship after spending four years at Niagara University. Fellow former Growler Gabriel Gagne has also left the Maple Leafs organization, as the former Ottawa Senators prospect has signed with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, the team announced. The towering power forward recorded 16 points in 55 AHL games last season and is a major addition for Allen.
- Connor Moynihan won’t be playing for the Rockford IceHogs this season, instead signing an ECHL deal with the Tulsa Oilers. The Oilers decided to bring in both Connor and his brother Danny Moynihan, who actually retired from professional hockey temporarily because of a heart condition. He returns after a year off and last played with the Utica Comets and Kalamazoo Wings in 2017-18.
- The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reports that forward Tanner Pond has signed a two-way deal with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Pond played in a career-high 46 AHL games with the Providence Bruins last year, playing a reliable energy role. He’ll look to carve out a regular role for himself again in the coming season with Bridgeport.
- Thomas Beretta has transferred to the University of Vermont after three seasons at Michigan Tech. The senior forward is looking for a fresh start after missing more than half of the 2018-19 season due to injury. His scoring pace was the greatest of his collegiate career last season though, so if he can adjust to the tougher competition of the Hockey East Conference, he could be in for a breakout campaign just prior to becoming a free agent next summer.
Jake Gardiner Still Hoping To Return To Toronto
- While there was a previous report that defenseman Jake Gardiner had a verbal deal in place with a team, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun notes that the unrestricted free agent continues to hold off on signing elsewhere in the hopes that he could return to the Maple Leafs. Right now, Toronto’s focus is solely on RFA winger Mitch Marner which certainly makes Gardiner’s patience somewhat of a risky strategy as it doesn’t appear Marner’s situation is getting resolved anytime soon. On the other hand, the team knows that Marner is going to take up pretty much all of their remaining cap room so Toronto would need to find a trade involving someone making a sizable salary for a reunion to be possible.
More On Mitch Marner's Overseas Opportunities
- Though today’s news that Mitch Marner has spoken to the Zurich Lions of the NLA came with plenty of suspicion that the representatives for the Toronto Maple Leafs forward are simply trying to move things along, Igor Eronko of Sport-Express rightly points out that the winger’s rights were never drafted in the KHL meaning he could potentially sign with any team there. That could potentially mean a bigger payday than the Lions could ever offer if Marner was really set on playing overseas, though obviously he has not been linked to the KHL at this point. James Mirtle of The Athletic was on TSN radio to discuss the restricted free agent situation, and still maintained that the Zurich news is likely “posturing.”
Mitch Marner Camp Contacts Swiss Team
3:25pm: The Lions have confirmed the request from Marner’s camp to practice with the team, though it has not been decided if it will happen.
12:20pm: As we’ve seen in the past with unsigned restricted free agents deep into unflinching contract negotiations, at some point in the summer they start to consider their non-NHL options. Skating with teams in Europe or using the KHL as a potential negotiating tactic are often the way things play out and it looks like this offseason will be no different. Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet has spoken with a source in Europe that tells him Mitch Marner‘s camp has already reached out to the Zurich Lions of the Swiss NLA in case a deal can’t get done with the Toronto Maple Leafs in time for the season. Something like this does not by any means indicate that a contract won’t be signed between Marner and the Maple Leafs, but it would give him a potential place to keep his game sharp on a temporary basis.
The fact that it is Zurich may come as no surprise, given Auston Matthews‘ connection with the organization and friendship with Marner. Matthews decided to play his draft year in Switzerland instead of North America, challenging himself against professionals before his eventual leap into the NHL. Zurich is known as an extremely stable organization and this season will have Rikard Gronborg behind the bench as head coach.
It is also important to note that these discussions with European or KHL teams rarely actually end up in a player spending time away from the NHL. In fact, other clients of Darren Ferris (Marner’s agent) have been known to use the Russian league as a leverage point over the years to try and get a deal done in North America. Both Sam Bennett and Andreas Athanasiou, clients of Ferris, were linked to the KHL in the summer of 2017 when they were at contract impasses with their respective clubs.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Marner isn’t looking for a place to suit up and get on the ice however, similar to how William Nylander kept in shape with Swedish and Austrian clubs during his situation last year. If anything, this will hopefully put some pressure on both sides to get something done in the next few weeks as we are now less than a month away from training camp.
Minor Transactions: 08/15/19
As August continues and we get further into contract negotiations, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- The Toronto Marlies have re-signed Nicholas Baptiste to an AHL contract, giving them some firepower for next season. Baptiste was originally a third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres but after 47 games in the NHL has been traded twice in the last ten months. The Toronto Maple Leafs decided not to offer Baptiste a qualifying offer this offseason which made him an unrestricted free agent, but he’ll stay with the Marlies for the time being.
- The Brandon Wheat Kings have convinced Vegas Golden Knights prospect Marcus Kallionkieli to sign in the CHL, something we suggested when the NHL club signed him to an entry-level contract earlier this summer. The Wheat Kings are owned by Vegas executive Kelly McCrimmon, who picked Kallionkieli in both the NHL draft and CHL Import Draft within just a few days in June.
Snapshots: Brodie, Marner, Staal
The Calgary Flames still need to shed some more salary in order to fit in what is expected to be a big contract for Matthew Tkachuk, and Sportsnet’s Eric Francis suggests on radio that T.J. Brodie might have to be the one to go. The defenseman has been involved in trade speculation for some time and as Francis notes, the team has two up-and-coming options in Rasmus Andersson and Juuso Valimaki (not to mention Oliver Kylington, who is also pushing for an NHL spot.)
The Flames already shed themselves of some money by buying out Michael Stone recently, but project to have just over $7.75MM in cap space to sign both Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane. The 29-year old Brodie has just one year left on his current contract with a $4.65MM cap hit and is still an effective offensive option from the blueline. Francis worries that the Flames may have to part with another player to find a fit for Brodie after a deal earlier this offseason fell apart with the Toronto Maple Leafs thanks to Nazem Kadri‘s no-trade clause. With just a month left before training camps open, Flames GM Brad Treliving still has plenty of work to do.
- Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they too have an unsigned restricted free agent holding things up. Mitch Marner still doesn’t have a contract for the 2019-20 season, but linemate John Tavares doesn’t seem worried. Speaking with TSN this weekend, Tavares explained that “there’s still some time” for the contract to be worked out and is hopeful that Marner is there on the first day of training camp. The Maple Leafs currently project over the salary cap for the upcoming season but have more than $10MM tied up in Nathan Horton and David Clarkson who will be placed on long-term injured reserve at some point.
- Jared Staal has been hired by the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears as an assistant coach, transitioning to a new role in professional hockey. The younger brother of Eric Staal, Jordan Staal and Marc Staal played two games for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2012-13 but had spent most of his career in the minor leagues. His playing days ended after suiting up for the Edinburgh Capitals of the EIHL in 2016-17. The 28-year old was originally drafted in the 2008 second round, but couldn’t quite climb to the same heights as his brothers. Perhaps he’ll get to that level as a coach, something he’s obviously getting an early start on.
Snapshots: Shattenkirk, Miller, Malik
There appears to have been more interest in Kevin Shattenkirk than most anticipated, making his one-year, $1.75MM pact with the Tampa Bay Lightning all the more interesting. Earlier today, it was reported that the Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes were just two of eleven teams that reached out to Shattenkirk. Now, The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein states that the Anaheim Ducks went so far as to make Shattenkirk a formal, multi-year contract offer. He notes that the Los Angeles Kings also entered the mix. Colleague David Pagnotta adds that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets were also serious contenders. As for some of the other possible suitors, there was rampant speculation that both the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers would have interest in Shattenkirk. At the end of the day, the veteran puck-mover clearly chose what he felt was his best opportunity to return to form as a high-scoring, dynamic defenseman, playing with the uber-skilled Lightning. There were surely offers for more money and term than what Shattenkirk ended up accepting to go to Tampa, and what remains is to make the most of that gamble by asserting himself as a top option on a crowded blue line and padding his stats before hitting the free agent market again next summer.
- Despite Shattenkirk’s ties to the city during his collegiate career, it’s safe to assume that the Boston Bruins were not one of the teams interested in his services. The Bruins are having a hard enough time getting their own right-handed defensemen under contract with limited cap space, never mind adding another to the mix. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo remain unsigned and the team has acknowledged that one or both may miss time during training camp due to to the rigors of difficult negotiations. Barring some magic from GM Don Sweeney and company, Boston will likely have to make a move to free up cap space. While many hope that it would be overpaid and ineffective veteran David Backes leaving town, such a trade would be hard to make and/or would cost the Bruins too much in picks or prospects. NBC Sports’ James O’Brien writes that defenseman Kevan Miller is instead the most likely casualty. Miller is a strong two-way defenseman who can make an impact on any team, when healthy. The problem is that he is not healthy as often as the Bruins have liked, leading them to invest heavily in defensive depth, such as signing John Moore last summer and extending Steven Kampfer and Connor Clifton in recent months. The Bruins have the depth to survive next season without Miller, after which he is likely to leave as a free agent anyway. Eliminating Miller’s $2.5MM cap hit may give the team just enough wiggle room to sign McAvoy and Carlo to long-term contracts. Meanwhile, even with so many teams facing salary cap issues, there would be a market for Miller’s services as a year-long rental to play a shutdown role for a contender.
- NHL scouts will have to travel to the Czech Republic to evaluate one of the 2020 draft class’ top goaltenders in-person this upcoming season. 17-year-old Nick Malik, son of former NHL defenseman Marek Malik, was drafted by the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in this summer’s CHL Import Draft, but will not sign with the club. His Czech junior team, HC Ocelari Trinec, announced today that their starting goaltender will be staying through the 2019-20 season. Malik is considered one of the top handful of goaltenders early on in the 2020 evaluation process, with one scouting source, Future Considerations, naming him their No. 2 goalie and No. 59 overall prospect in their preliminary rankings last month. The Czech keeper, who was actually born in Raleigh, North Carolina while his dad was playing for the Hurricanes, has turned heads with his calm demeanor and lightning reflexes in net and performed very well at the U-17 World Junior Championship last year. Rather than split time with new Greyhounds acquisition Christian Propp, who made 51 appearances for the North Bay Battalion last season, Malik will likely be the undisputed starter for Ocelari and will have the chance to make more appearances in the Czech secondary pro league.
Jason Pominville Considering Buffalo, Montreal
Less than 24 hours after our Brian La Rose profiled Jason Pominville‘s continued free agent availability, The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin has an update on where he might be headed if he’s to continue his NHL career. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pominville has two routes in mind: staying with the Buffalo Sabres or signing with his hometown Montreal Canadiens. Although Pominville has proven that he is still a capable NHL forward at 36 years old, recording 16 goals and 30+ points in each of the past two season, the veteran forward is well aware that the free agent market is tough and that the NHL is getting younger and faster, but he is not willing to take just any job to keep playing:
There are quite a few players in my situation, they’re not sure if they’re going to play, or if they do they’re not sure where they want to go… As for me, we’ll see. I’m staying in shape, but I’m not going to just jump into any situation. I do it because I love it, and because I know I still can play, but it’s going to have to be the right fit.
That “right fit” for Pominville also includes considering his family. Godin writes that Pominville’s children are at an age now where picking up and moving is not as easy. The family is entrenched in Buffalo and would like to stay there if possible. Of course, the Sabres are already over the salary cap ceiling for the coming season and will have to move a player as is before the season begins. Whether they look to use any space they manage to open up to bring on another player remains to be seen, as does whether Pominville would be a preferred target. The winger has played eleven seasons in Buffalo and contributed over 500 points to the franchise, but that doesn’t ensure continued interest.
As for Montreal, it would be a natural fit for the Quebec native, who still trains in the area during the off-season, and would likely be a more comfortable move for his family. Agent Normand Dupont tells Godin that he feels the Canadiens have not yet replaced Andrew Shaw, who was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks this summer, and feels Pominville could easily take on the two-way veteran forward role. In addition to the need, the Canadiens also have the salary cap space to add Pominville (or an even bigger name actually), so the fit there could exist.
This may not be an exhaustive list of who Pominville would play for next season, but his comments certainly make it seem like he would rather retire that move to an unfamiliar team far from his family at this point in his long career. A return to the Minnesota Wild or a move to other nearby clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, or Pittsburgh Penguins could also be on the table for Pominville, even if not mentioned specifically. Only time will tell what the rest of the off-season will bring for the respected veteran, but he can certainly still play if the right opportunity presents itself.