Latest On Patrick Kane’s Free Agency
While most of the top end of the unrestricted free agent market was picked clean by NHL clubs at the start of the new league year, a few top names remain without a contract for next season. While players such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Tomas Tatar, and Matt Dumba are undoubtedly of interest to many teams across the NHL, the name likely to generate the most attention is that of future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane.
Although the soon-to-be-35-year-old Chicago Blackhawks legend’s production declined slightly this past season, his 57 points in 66 games not quite matching the 92 in 78 he posted the year before, Kane is still widely regarded as a top offensive creator in the NHL.
A hip injury that nagged him for most of last season and required offseason surgery likely contributed to that decline, and there is hope that Kane can return to his explosive offensive form when he steps onto the ice next season.
The question regarding Kane, then, has been less about what he’ll be when he returns to full health and instead has focused on where he’ll be when he returns to NHL action.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports as part of his conversation with Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, that Kane ” isn’t looking to commit to a team in the summer,” and is instead looking to “take his time to recover” this summer while “keeping an eye on the standings during the opening weeks of the season.”
Under this approach, “Kane will select the suitor he feels is the best fit and with the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup” at the point when he’s ready to return to the ice, which could be before December. This would allow Kane to not only have a clearer sense of which teams offer him the best chance of winning his fourth Stanley Cup, it could also allow for Kane to join a team that currently does not have the salary cap space to sign him.
For example, a team could see one of its higher-priced players go down to a long-term injury, resulting in that player getting placed on long-term injured reserve. The resulting salary cap flexibility could allow a team previously unable to afford Kane to add him to their roster.
A team such as the Colorado Avalanche, for example, are a club that could be of interest to Kane but would almost certainly need to place the contract of injured captain Gabriel Landeskog on long-term injured reserve in order to be able to fit a Kane signing.
Given how much more frequent in-season LTIR placements have become, (the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights had captain Mark Stone on LTIR from early January until the playoffs) that could be the path for Kane to end up on a team he most prefers.
But for that to happen, he has to wait until he’s ready to hit the ice (and until a month or two of NHL games have been played) in order to sign his deal. So while Kane is still the top free agent on the open market, he’s likely to remain a free agent long past the other remaining names have found teams.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
There was an expectation of a busy trade market this summer with many teams up against the salary cap and while that hasn’t quite come to fruition, there certainly have been some notable swaps made. Meanwhile, a lower-end free agent market has yielded some different strategies with some players opting for short-term deals in the hopes of landing a better contract down the road.
Our last mailbag came before the draft and was broken into three segments. Among the topics in the first was a look at Linus Ullmark’s possible trade value, the next RFAs to try to force a trade to a desired destination before reaching UFA eligibility, and the goaltending depth in the draft. Included in the second column were Nashville’s roster restructuring, the LTIR ‘loophole’, and if Clayton Keller could be a trade candidate in Arizona. Topics in the third one included Sergei Bobrovsky’s volatility, early playoff predictions, and expansion.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Hockey Canada Announces Roster For 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is the first major international tournament of the new league year, and it’s the first major international event for 2024 NHL Draft hopefuls. Today, Hockey Canada revealed their contingent for this year’s event, which starts July 31 and runs through the middle of August. Canada has won the U-18 tournament in three of the past five occurrences, only interrupted by wins from Russia in 2020 and 2022 – as with all other international events, they’re no longer allowed to participate due to their ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Canada’s full roster for the tournament is as follows:
F Maxim Masse (Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
*F Malcolm Spence (Erie, OHL)
F Justin Poirier (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
*F Roger McQueen (Brandon, WHL)
F Berkly Catton (Spokane, WHL)
*F Jordan Gavin (Tri-City, WHL)
F Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert, WHL)
F Cole Beaudoin (Barrie, OHL)
F Ollie Josephson (Red Deer, WHL)
*F Porter Martone (Mississauga, OHL)
F Liam Greentree (Windsor, OHL)
*F Michael Misa (Saginaw, OHL)
F Carson Wetsch (Calgary, WHL)
F Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat, WHL)
D Sam Dickinson (London, OHL)
D Ben Danford (Oshawa, OHL)
D Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa, OHL)
D Anthony Cristoforo (Windsor, OHL)
D Charlie Elick (Brandon, WHL)
D Henry Mews (Ottawa, OHL)
D Zayne Parekh (Saginaw, OHL)
G Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga, OHL)
*G Gabriel D’Aigle (Victoriaville, QMJHL)
G Carter George (St. Mary’s, GOJHL)
*Not draft-eligible until 2025
Headlining the forward group is Misa, already the front-runner for the first-overall selection in 2025. The 5-foot-11 center notched over a point per game in his age-15 season for Saginaw after being granted exceptional status into the OHL, finishing second on the team with 56 points in just 45 games.
There’s also Berkly Catton, a potential top-five selection come draft day in 2024. Catton appeared for Canada at last year’s IIHF U-18 World Championship and notched 23 goals and 55 points in 63 games for a struggling Spokane team.
The defense is dotted with three likely top-15 picks in 2024 – Dickinson, Mews, and Parekh, all of whom are already garnering significant attention from scouts. Parekh, a teammate of Misa’s in Saginaw, opened a lot of eyes last year while scoring 21 goals in 50 games, finishing third on the team in scoring despite being a blueliner.
Day One Free Agent Recap: Central Division
This year’s July 1 was a doozy, with over 150 signings taking place on the opening day of free agency. With most hockey fans still trying to work through and process their team’s signings, we’re breaking down the long list of signings by division. You can check back and see what teams in the Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division did.
Here, you can see how Central Division teams have fared on the open market so far:
Arizona Coyotes
D Troy Stecher (one year, $1.1MM)
F Alex Galchenyuk (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Travis Barron (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Jason Zucker (one year, $5.3MM)
F Alexander Kerfoot (two years, $7MM, $3.5MM AAV)
F Nick Bjugstad (two years, $4.2MM, $2.1MM AAV)
G Matt Villalta (one year, two-way, $775K)
*D Montana Onyebuchi (two years, two-way, $1.9MM, $950K AAV)
*F John Leonard (one year, two-way, $775K)
*July 2 signings
Chicago Blackhawks
F Ryan Donato (two years, $4MM, $2MM AAV)
Colorado Avalanche
D Corey Schueneman (one year, two-way, $775K AAV)
F Andrew Cogliano (one year, $825K)
F Miles Wood (six years, $15MM, $2.5MM AAV)
D Bowen Byram (two years, $7.7MM, $3.85MM AAV)
F Jonathan Drouin (one year, $825K)
D Jack Ahcan (two years, two-way, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
G Arvid Holm (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Chris Wagner (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Riley Tufte (one year, two-way, $775K)
*G Justus Annunen (one year, two-way, $775K)
*D Jack Johnson (one year, $775K)
*July 2 signings
Dallas Stars
F Matt Duchene (one year, $3MM)
D Joel Hanley (two years, $1.575MM, $787.5K AAV)
F Craig Smith (one year, $1MM)
F Sam Steel (one year, $850K)
*D Gavin Bayreuther (one year, $775K)
*July 2 signing
Minnesota Wild
F Vinni Lettieri (two years, two-way, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
F Jake Lucchini (one year, two-way, $775K)
Nashville Predators
F Gustav Nyquist (two years, $6.37MM, $3.185MM AAV)
D Luke Schenn (three years, $8.25MM, $2.75MM AAV)
F Cody Glass (two years, $5MM, $2.5MM AAV)
F Anthony Angello (two years, two-way, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
F Ryan O’Reilly (four years, $18MM, $4.5MM AAV)
G Troy Grosenick (one year, two-way, $775K)
D Alexandre Carrier (one year, $2.5MM)
St. Louis Blues
F Mackenzie MacEachern (two years, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
D Wyatt Kalynuk (one year, two-way, $775K)
D Joshua Jacobs (one year, two-way, $775K)
G Malcolm Subban (one year, two-way, $775K)
Winnipeg Jets
G Collin Delia (one year, $775K)
F Vladislav Namestnikov (two years, $4MM, $2MM AAV)
F Jeffrey Viel (one year, $775K)
G Laurent Brossoit (one year, $1.75MM)
Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly
Check Out The Latest On NBA Free Agency At Hoops Rumors
NBA free agency officially got underway yesterday evening, and our sister site Hoops Rumors has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.
39 players reportedly signed contracts yesterday, including seven players receiving nine-figure deals. Three contract extensions are also in the works, including a couple of rookie scale max extensions for Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane.
This morning, we’ve already seen a three-team sign-and-trade that will send Max Strus to the Cavaliers after a strong playoff run with the Heat, while reigning EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov will be coming stateside, agreeing to a three-year, $20MM contract with the Kings.
Plenty of players on our top-50 free agents list are still on the board, including a couple of former All-Stars in D’Angelo Russell and Brook Lopez. And we’re still awaiting news on former MVP James Harden‘s next destination after he requested yet another trade.
For the latest updates on those stories and more, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.
PHR 2023 Free Agent Frenzy Live Chat
The best day of the year for hockey fans is here, and PHR is gearing up for all-day coverage of the first day of the 2023-24 league season. Click here to read the transcript of this morning’s live chat with PHR’s Josh Erickson.
Follow NBA Free Agency At Hoops Rumors
NBA free agency kicks off this evening at 5:o0 p.m. CT, and our sister site Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors on Twitter) has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.
We’ve already seen quite a bit of trade activity in the weeks leading up to free agency, including blockbuster deals involving former All-Stars like Chris Paul, Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, as well as the 2021/22 Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart. Young veterans on pricey multiyear contracts (Jordan Poole, John Collins) have also changed teams.
There were several surprises yesterday, including 10-time All-Star and former league MVP James Harden exercising his $35.6MM player option with the Sixers. However, instead of staying with Philadelphia, he’s working alongside the club to find a new team via trade, which would mark his fourth team in four years.
While this free agent class may not have as much top-end talent as some previous years, it’s deep with quality players and features several highly accomplished veterans, including Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton and Fred VanVleet, among others. One of the hot names on the market is Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown, who helped Denver win its first championship earlier this month.
For the latest updates on those stories and more, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.
Check Out Hoops Rumors For NBA Draft Coverage
The 2023 NBA draft is tomorrow night at 7:00 pm CT, and Hoops Rumors has all the latest news and rumors! Last offseason saw the majority of the league’s 30 teams involved in trades for coveted draft picks, and the expectation is that Thursday could be even more action-packed. We’ve already seen two deals leading up to the draft, including a blockbuster involving a couple multi-time All-Stars, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, because the rumor mill is buzzing about several other possibilities.
There’s no mystery with the first overall pick, as the Spurs will take French big man Victor Wembanyama, who has been widely hailed as the top prospect since LeBron James was the No. 1 pick 20 years ago. However, there’s a significant amount of uncertainty for the remainder of the first round, including the other projected top-three picks — Charlotte is reportedly still weighing whether to select Alabama’s Brandon Miller or G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson at No. 2.
The Hornets, Trail Blazers (No. 3), Rockets (No. 4) and Pistons (No. 5) are all reportedly open to moving their draft picks in the right deal, which is rare. All of the teams just below them — the Magic (Nos. 6 and 11), Pacers (Nos. 7, 26, 29), Wizards (No. 8), Jazz (Nos. 9, 16, 28) and Mavericks (No. 10) — have been linked to trade rumors as well. We’ll soon find out if any of those selections will be headed elsewhere.
Over at Hoops Rumors, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest NBA news and rumors ahead of the draft, in addition to tracking each of this year’s 58 draft picks. With the draft nearly upon us and free agency only nine days away, this is the most eventful time of year for the NBA rumor mill, so be sure to visit Hoops Rumors and follow @HoopsRumors on Twitter for all the latest updates!
Free Agent Focus: Washington Capitals
Free agency is less than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Washington Capitals.
Key Restricted Free Agents
D Martin Fehervary – Besides missing some time due to an injury in December of this season, Fehervary still had a decent year with the Capitals. Primarily focused on the defensive side of the puck, Fehervary scored six goals and 10 assists in 67 games for Washington this season.
He repeated his physical campaign from last year, blocking 128 shots and throwing 217 hits from the back end. Even though the Capitals are likely to re-tool their team this upcoming offseason, Fehervary still factors into Washington’s blue-line top six.
Fehervary is likely to factor more into the penalty-kill during the 2023-24 season, after already averaging 20 minutes a night with the Capitals this past year. For a player that does not accrue very many penalty minutes himself, Fehervary is turning himself into a stable defensive defenseman for Washington.
Other RFAs: F Kody Clark, F Henrik Borgstrom, F Riley Sutter, D Gabriel Carlsson
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Conor Sheary – During the 2020-21 offseason, Sheary surprisingly was unable to find a guaranteed contract. It wasn’t until December 2020 that the Capitals were one of the only teams to give Sheary another shot at NHL minutes. Sheary rewarded them in kind and was able to sign a two-year, $3MM contract extension with Washington before his first season with the team was even finished.
For the last two years, Sheary has become one of the better depth scorers in the NHL, scoring 43 points during the 2021-22 campaign, and following that up with 37 points this season. Seemingly destined for the third line on most competitive teams, Sheary could become a sneaky buy-low candidate this summer.
Throughout his career, Sheary has always been a plus forward when it comes to puck possession and has always shown flashes of being a 20-goal scorer. He is in a good position to secure a multi-year deal this offseason, but his playing time over the next few years will likely finish below 15 minutes a game.
F Connor Brown – Acquired last summer from the Ottawa Senators for a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Brown was set to factor into Washington’s top-six forward group. Unfortunately, due to an ACL injury early on in the season, Brown was only able to play four games.
In the past, both with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Senators, Brown has shown the ability to score 20 goals a season, doing so during the 2016-17 and 2020-21 seasons. However, he has been wholly unable to play a complete season since his time with the Maple Leafs.
Benefiting tremendously from playing on the same line as Connor McDavid during his time in the OHL for the Erie Otters, Brown has not been the difference maker that he was expected to be. Fortunately for the Capitals, who are, when healthy, one of the better offensive teams, should have the talent around Brown to aid in his success if they wish to give him another shot.
Other UFAs: F Craig Smith, D Matt Irwin, F Carl Hagelin, F Garrett Pilon, F Mike Vecchione, D Dylan McIlrath, D Bobby Nardella, G Zachary Fucale, G Hunter Shepard
Projected Cap Space
Given recent reporting, the Capitals’ cap space is more than likely to expand before the beginning of the 2023-24 offseason. As of right now, Washington only has around $7.3MM to work with, quite a low number for a team in need of big changes.
Long-time Capital forward Evgeny Kuznetsov and his $7.8MM cap hit are likely to be moved this summer, as well as forward Anthony Mantha along with the one-year, $5.7MM remaining on his deal.
Being a bona fide 2C in the NHL, Kuznetsov will surely be easier to move for Washington, but both players will likely find their exit in some form or another this offseason. Given that Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and John Carlson are all in the back half of 30 years old, Washington will have quite the task ahead to get younger this summer.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The Vegas Golden Knights ended the playoffs on Tuesday with a 9-3 win over Florida, giving them their first Stanley Cup in their short franchise history.
With the offseason now officially underway, it’s time for a final edition of the #PHRMailbag before the draft and free agency begin. Teams are already gearing up to participate in the trade market, and the news cycle is getting busier each day.
Our last mailbag covered what the Detroit Red Wings could do to push themselves over the hump next season, how the Edmonton Oilers move forward from here, and the Central Division trade market.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below.