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Mitch Marner Likely To Hit All Schedule A Bonuses

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner hit 60 points tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, and as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston points out, all but guarantees that Marner hits all his Schedule A bonuses to collect an additional $850K.

The CBA allows for two types of ELC bonuses, creatively called Individual “A” and “B” bonuses. “A” Bonuses are capped at an aggregate total of $850K, and “B” bonuses are capped at an aggregate total of $2MM. Thus, a player could theoretically earn up to $3.77MM in base salary and bonuses. Marner was given no Schedule B bonuses, but is eligible to obtain the max Schedule A bonuses.

Schedule A bonus thresholds are defined in the CBA as:

  • Ice Time: Top 6 Forward / Top 4 Defenseman
  • Goals: 20 FW / 10 D
  • Assists: 35 FW / 25 D
  • Points: 60 FW/ 40 D
  • PPG: .73 FW / .49 D
  • Plus/Minus: Top 3
  • Blocked Shots: Top 2 (D only)
  • Making All-Star game
  • Voted ASG MVP
  • Voted to NHL All-Rookie team

After tonight’s game against the Sabres, Marner has achieved four categories: Ice Time (4th), Assists (41), Points (60), and PPG (.83). Given that most teams award $212,500 per category, it’s almost assured that Marner has earned the max money available for Schedule A Bonuses.

Snapshots: Franson, Bean, Senators

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Cody Franson hasn’t had a very successful Buffalo Sabres career. In two seasons marred by injury, the right-handed defender has failed to reach the 30 point mark that he had broken the past two seasons and will miss the playoffs once again. Today, when he was back in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs he was asked about a possible return to his former team in the offseason. Franson is a pending unrestricted free agent, and will have to make a decision on where he wants to try and rebuild his value.

To several reporters including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Franson made it very clear that he would be open to a return. “Oh yeah, for sure” he told Johnston, before explaining that playing in Toronto was a “dream come true” for him and his family. Despite having poor point totals and injury concerns, Franson actually still has solid possession numbers and is a candidate for a nice value contract on the open market. He’s clearly not a lock-down defender and never will be, but since he moves the puck so efficiently he doesn’t spend as much time in his own zone. For Toronto fans screaming for the heads of Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick, Franson would likely be welcomed back with open arms.

  • Jake Bean is headed to the Charlotte Checkers to get a taste of professional hockey now that his Calgary Hitmen have been eliminated from the WHL playoffs. The first-round pick (13th overall) of the Carolina Hurricanes last summer, Bean is about as good of a defensive prospect as you’ll find around the league. His 45 points in 43 games this season in junior showed once again that his offensive game is ready for the next level, and he is starting to fill out physically. The 18-year old will have to make the NHL team out of camp next season or return to the Hitmen for a fourth year and anchor a Team Canada blueline at the World Juniors.
  • The Ottawa Senators are in a fight with the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division, and they keep getting hit with injuries. According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Cody Ceci, Marc Methot and Zack Smith will all not return before the end of the regular season, while Erik Karlsson again missed practice today and is out for tonight’s game. The team will have one reinforcement though, as Colin White will make his NHL debut on the fourth line alongside Tommy Wingels and Chris Kelly. Ryan Dzingel will be scratched in favor of the top prospect, who signed his entry-level contract just yesterday.

Alex Nylander Recalled By Buffalo, Set To Make Debut

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As rumored yesterday, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled top prospect Alex Nylander, who will make his debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs (including his brother William) this evening. Nylander was the Sabres first pick, eighth overall in last summer’s entry draft. Despite only turning 19 yesterday Nylander has played the entire season with Rochester of the AHL, as though he played last year with Mississauga of the OHL, he had been on loan from his Swedish club and is not restrained by the usual age limit.

Nylander’s father, Michael, was a long time NHL forward and even spent last season coaching in Mississauga. His boys will now play an NHL against each other for the first time in their careers, after meeting in the preseason last year. Depending on where the Sabres decide to deploy the younger Nylander, they may even be on the ice quite a bit against each other.

The Sabres’ Nylander is quite a prospect, though he hasn’t made the immediate impact of his brother at the AHL level. 27 points in 62 games is still very impressive for a rookie playing almost the entire season at the age of 18. His style of speed, power and skill hasn’t quite meshed but is still an intriguing mix that should bring him success at the higher level. While he does still possess some of the silky smooth style his father and brother were known for, his is a more straight-line game that has better defensive upside. Sabres fans should be incredibly excited to see him after what has been a very disappointing season.

Ken Holland And The Red Wings Rebuild

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Two postseasons ago before he left Hockeytown for hockey’s Mecca in Toronto, head coach Mike Babcock made a blunt assessment of the Red Wings’ future following a bitter 2-0 loss in Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Babcock said this:

“Our team is not as good as it was. It’s very evident. We battled our butt off just to get in the playoffs. You are what you are. [Tampa Bay] had a young team that have been around long enough to rebuild it. They’ve got young players at key positions. Three of our best players are 34, 35, 37. Any way you look at it, we’re a team that has changed a ton of players and added a lot of youth to our lineup, but nobody on the outside picked us to be a Stanley Cup contender.”

Missing the playoffs for the first time in a quarter century didn’t come as a surprise to many in Detroit. And while Babcock has his Maple Leafs on an accelerated path for what was supposed to be a “painful” rebuild, the Red Wings find themselves older, injured, and looking on the outside of the playoffs for the first time since Steve Yzerman wore the C.

Those in Detroit hoping for a Toronto-like teardown might be disappointed, however, as general manager Ken Holland believes his team needs a few tweaks to compete again. Though this is admirable for a general manager to fight for his team, it doesn’t seem all that reasonable as the Red Wings struggled to score goals, had major players regress, and find themselves financially strapped with several long term, high priced contracts. Curiously, senior vice president Jimmy Devellano was quoted as saying “the rebuild is on” which spoke opposite to what the general manager of the club said.

Dec 3, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing <a rel=Holland, who spoke with Toronto’s Fan 590 and also the Hockey News’ Ken Campbell, made it abundantly clear that he is not in it for a tear down. With only a year remaining on his contract, Holland may not view it as viable when success in Detroit is measured with Stanley Cups and playoff appearances. But the fact of the matter is that the Red Wings have been sputtering for some time. Specifically:

  • Since the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom, the Red Wings only advanced once beyond the first round. The surprising run in 2013 that saw them squeak into the playoffs and nearly upend eventual champion Chicago seemed more of a red herring than truth when it came to the ability level of the team.
  • Elite free agents have avoided Detroit, and those who have signed were nearing the end of their career, like Daniel Alfredsson or Brad Richards. Others, like Stephen Weiss or the second go around with Mikael Samuelsson were massive miscalculations that did little to help the team and in many ways, hindered the progress of younger players.
  • Holland, who was the undisputed king of trades before the salary cap, has appeared gun shy to make moves via trade. Instead, he’s been loyal, re-signing the likes of Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, Danny DeKeyser, and Jonathan Ericsson to long, expensive deals while seeing little in the way of return. Holland told Campbell that while he’ll work the phones to try and improve the team, other GMs may not “like our players or contracts.” Ironically, many of those contracts they wouldn’t like were offered to current Red Wings by Holland.

The USA Today’s Kevin Allen offered his own take and believes Detroit must rely on youth, and realize that their brand is “stale.” Allen is a non-partisan national writer without any bias to the Wings. If a pair of eyes outside the organization can see this, Holland may want to consider it.

A rebuild provides a chance to change the image of the Detroit Red Wings, which is now one without stars, on the decline, and appears resistant to change. Reading what Holland says now is nearly identical to what he’s said in the past, when the Red Wings were already showing signs of sinking.

Babcock foretold a fall for the Red Wings. Holland has a chance to change course and put the team back on an upward trajectory. But it goes beyond signing older veterans and current players in moving the Wings beyond a fringe playoff team and back into the status of contenders.

Snapshots: Zaitsev, Richardson, Flames Arena

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Earlier this week, news broke that the Maple Leafs were closing in on a seven-year extension for defenseman Nikita Zaitsev.

The deal is expected to be around $4.5MM per season, which would be a big raise for the 25-year-old rookie coming off his entry-level deal. The expected terms would be comparable to at least 20 top-four defensemen, at around 5-7 per cent of the salary cap and 5-8 years.

Zaitsev has been a solid addition to the Maple Leafs’ blue line, with four goals and 30 assists so far. He’s closing in on Borje Salming’s record of 33 assists for a rookie defenseman. He’s also leading the team in average ice-time, at 22:16 per game. Despite his good season paired with Morgan Rielly, the Maple Leafs need to be careful. The contract would take him to age 32, an age where defensemen begin to physically break down. In addition, Zaitsev has played just 76 games in the NHL. That’s not a long track record; Shayne Gostisbehere was very good in his rookie year but hasn’t found the same dominance this season as opponents figured out how to shut him down more effectively. The two defensemen play different styles, but the comparison illustrates the potential risk of judging a player based on one season. While a bridge deal minimizes that risk, the team then risks having to pay the player more should he develop further.

The rumored cap hit of $4.5MM is fair value for a top-four defenseman, but the term is risky. Nothing has indicated Zaitsev will struggle, but seven years is a long time.

  • Arizona Coyotes forward Brad Richardson will not play again this season, the team announced Saturday. Richardson hasn’t played since mid-November, when he broke his tibia and fibula in a collision with Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin. GM John Chayka said Richardson underwent a procedure to “remove hardware” from the previous surgery. He’s expected to be ready for training camp. Richardson was having a very good season before the injury, with nine points in 16 games.
  • The same week that his team clinched a playoff spot, the Calgary Flames President and CEO Ken King made some less-than-popular remarks on Fan 590. Should the team and the city be unable to agree on a new arena deal, then King said “there would be no threat to move, we would just move, and it would be over” (via CBC). It’s not an unprecedented strategy to get public money for a new arena – Edmonton owner Darryl Katz publicly visited Seattle in 2012, months before the deal was finalized to build Rogers Place. Even so, it’s a risky ploy, especially as the team begins selling playoff tickets.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Radulov, Schaller

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While it appears that the Maple Leafs are close to finalizing a seven year, $31.5MM extension with defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, it doesn’t appear that there are any talks ongoing with other pending restricted free agents, TSN’s Bob McKenzie relayed on a radio appearance with TSN 1050.  Wingers Connor Brown and Zach Hyman are Toronto’s other prominent restricted free agents but McKenzie noted that GM Lou Lamoriello typically has tended to stay away from mid-season extensions so the fact nothing is currently happening there shouldn’t come as a surprise:

“I think historically – I wouldn’t say it’s a hard and fast rule – but historically the GM, Lou, if I remember correctly, doesn’t do a lot of mid-season deals. It’s a little unusual.”

Brown is having himself a nice rookie season with 19 goals (fifth most on the team) and 35 points while playing in all 76 games.  As for Hyman, his point total isn’t as high (28) but has been a strong complementary player in their top six.  Unlike Brown, Hyman is also eligible for arbitration following the season.  The Leafs have the financial flexibility to give each a long-term if they so desire as they have just under $57MM committed to 18 players for next season (a figure that does not include any potential bonus overage from this season).

Other notes from the Atlantic:

  • While there had been some discussion on a potential contract extension earlier this season, no formal offer was presented from the Canadiens to right winger Alexander Radulov, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Radulov also once again vehemently denied the report from two weeks ago that suggested he was seeking a max-term eight year contract.  The Russian winger has made a strong impression on his one year deal signed back in July and while he may not get eight years, he’s still likely to get a long-term contract in what’s shaping up to be a light free agent market this summer.
  • Not only will the Bruins be without left winger Frank Vatrano for both games this weekend, they will also still be without left winger Tim Schaller for the next two games, notes Anthony Gulizia of the Boston Globe. Schaller had been cleared for contact on Thursday and the belief was that he was close to returning but he didn’t take part in practice today.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy isn’t sure when Schaller will be ready to return.

Snapshots: China, Kitchener, Fazio

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After it was announced earlier this month that the NHL would be holding two preseason games in China next season, many linked that to the upcoming Beijing Olympics in 2022. Growing the game prior to sending NHL players to one of the biggest sporting events in the world seemed prudent. In his latest column, John Shannon of Sportsnet walks us through why growing the game in China doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the Olympics and instead is more because of the “virgin market” the country presents.

What’s different and noteworthy about this venture in China is that the Chinese want the NHL there, and not just because the 2022 Olympics will be in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping has apparently developed a passion for hockey and as a result, 3,000 hockey arenas are to be built in the country.

Shannon goes on to note that several teams in the league already have agreements with companies and leagues in China, including Toronto who apparently have 6000 kids playing Maple Leafs-branded hockey each week. Though it’s just preseason next year, perhaps China will be the next destination for the SAP NHL Global Series. In 2017, the NHL will be headed to Stockholm for two games between the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators.

  • The Kitchener Rangers of the OHL have a new boss, and it’s a name familiar to hockey fans across North America. Mike McKenzie will take over as GM of the junior franchise after Murray Hiebert has transitioned into the Director of Hockey Operations role. McKenzie is the son of TSN Insider Bob McKenzie, a long-time face of hockey in print and television in Canada and the United States. The Rangers are currently down 3-1 in their OHL playoff series against the Owen Sound Attack.
  • The Charlotte Checkers (affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes) have signed Justin Fazio to an amateur tryout now that his Sarnia Sting have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs. The Sting were swept out of the first round by the powerhouse Erie Otters. The undrafted goaltender will turn 20 in just over a month, and will replace Tom McCollum on the roster as he deals with personal issues. The Checkers have been down their starter Alex Nedeljkovic while he backs up Cam Ward in Carolina after Eddie Lack’s recent injury. Fazio had an .896 save percentage for the Sting this season.

Maple Leafs Close To Extending Nikita Zaitsev To Seven-Year Deal

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As Bob MacKenzie first noted during the Toronto Maple Leafs – Nashville Predators intermission, the Maple Leafs are closing to re-signing defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to a seven-year deal. Mackenzie thinks that the AAV will be around $4.5MM, something that is confirmed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Zaitsev has 4G and 29A before tonight’s game against the Predators. The Russian rookie is close to breaking the Maple Leafs record for most assists by a rookie defenseman. The current record of 33A is held by Swedish defenseman—and fan favorite—Borje Salming. Despite being a rookie, Zaitsev turns 26 this year after playing his entire career with overseas in Russia.

Zaitsev is one of two Maple Leaf RFAs with arbitration rights this offseason. The other—Zach Hyman—is also having a breakout year and should be next on the Leafs’ to-do list. The Maple Leafs will have ample cap room after this season as they free themselves from over $8MM in buried contracts. Brooks Laich, Colin Greening, and Milan Michalek are all UFAs at season end.

Evening Snapshots: Mantha, Hamonic, Zaitsev

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Injury notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Detroit Red Wings rookie Anthony Mantha suffered an upper body injury tonight in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and will not return, reports the Detroit Free Press’s Helene St. James. According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, Mantha was injured fighting Lightning defenseman Luke Witkowski in the first period. The Red Wings have not specified the extend of Mantha’s injury, but preliminary reports state that Mantha fractured his finger and may not return this season.
  • New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic suffered an upper body injury and will not return, reports Newsday’s Arthur Staple. Hamonic may have been injured in a fight tonight against Philadelphia Flyers forward Dale Weise. Losing Hamonic for any period of time is a big blow for the Islanders as they struggle for the East’s last wildcard playoff spot. Before tonight’s game the Isles were four points back of that wildcard spot with one game in hand.
  • TSN’s Bob MacKenzie reported during the Toronto Maple Leafs – Nashville Predators first period intermission that the Maple Leafs are in talks with defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and are closing in on a seven-year deal. Zaitsev becomes a Restricted Free Agent after this season. The Russian defenseman has 4G and 30A in 76 games so far this season.

Florida Panthers Recall Adam Wilcox On Emergency Basis

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After James Reimer took a hard hit to the head from the Maple Leafs’ Brian Boyle on Tuesday night and had to leave the game, the team has now recalled another goaltender. Adam Wilcox, newly acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline, has been brought up for tonight’s game in Montreal. He’ll back up Reto Berra tonight.

Wilcox has found a new gear in Springfield since the trade, recording two shutouts and a .932 save percentage in nine games. The 24-year old still has plenty of upside, though as with most goaltenders it’s hard to project where they’ll be as they move through their twenties. Yet to make his debut, he might get a chance down the stretch if Reimer is held out for the rest of the year.

It wasn’t the first time Reimer has dealt with this sort of head injury. Back when he was a member of the Maple Leafs he suffered a similar head shot at the hands of Brian Gionta and the Montreal Canadiens. It took him 18 games to get back into the net, and even then didn’t look like himself for some time. Though the Panthers are technically still in a playoff race, they should shut Reimer down for the remainder of the season and protect their asset. The team signed him to a five-year deal in the offseason, and will hope he can take more and more load off Roberto Luongo—who is dealing with a lower-body injury—over the next few years.

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