Coyotes Nearing An Extension With Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Contract talks are going well between the Coyotes and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that teams inquiring about his availability in a trade are being told that he is not available while Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan adds that an extension is close. Arizona had reportedly offered an eight-year, $66MM earlier this offseason and it appears that the new contract will come in at or around that amount. The belief was that if they couldn’t come to terms on an extension, the team would then turn around and try to move him this offseason, something that appears to be off the table now. However, nothing can be finalized until July 1st as players cannot sign contract extensions until they are officially in the final year of their existing deal.
More from around the NHL:
- The Kings have signed Assistant GM Mike Futa to a contract extension, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Curtis Zupke of the LA Times adds (Twitter link) that it’s a multi-year deal. Futa has been with Los Angeles since 2007, holding down a variety of positions including Director of Player Personnel, Amateur Scouting Director, and VP of Hockey Operations. He has been interviewed for several GM spots around the league in recent years including Carolina’s vacancy earlier this year (that was later filled by Don Waddell).
- The Islanders intend to have their new head coach in place by the middle of next week, reports Chris Botta of Sportsnet New York. They are the only team without a bench boss and it makes sense that they would want to get someone in place before the free agent interview period opens up following the draft. Botta adds that Scott Stevens, who resigned from his role as an assistant coach with Minnesota last month, is in the mix for a spot on the coaching staff.
- While prospect and development camps won’t occur until after the draft, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides a list of who will be attending camp with the Blues near the end of June. Among the notable invites are top prospects Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou while three non-drafted players will also get a look – wingers Ty Amonte (Boston University) and Jared Thomas (Minnesota-Duluth), plus center Austin Rueschhoff (Western Michigan).
Draft Day Trade Rumors: O’Reilly, Hoffman, Coyotes, Maple Leafs
Given the last-place finish of the Buffalo Sabres and the comments made by veteran leader Ryan O’Reilly at the end of the season, it would come as no surprise if the team was to trade away their best player not named Jack Eichel in an effort to build around Eichel and his fellow promising young players. Earlier today, TSN’s Darren Dreger spoke on the extensive demands that Buffalo GM Jason Botterill has for any return in an O’Reilly deal and, while he admitted that a deal is beginning to seem more likely, felt that it would take a lot of work for any team to make a fair offer in Botterill’s eyes. Dreger’s TSN colleague and The Athletic reporter Pierre LeBrun seems slightly more optimistic about the likelihood of a deal. LeBrun admits that O’Reilly likely wouldn’t mind returning to Buffalo, what with Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin likely in the fold next year and beyond, and the Sabres may not mind keeping him. However, LeBrun opines that if John Tavares re-signs with the New York Islanders prior to the NHL Draft, the top center on the free agent market will be Paul Stastny and many teams would prefer to search the trade market instead, where O’Reilly appears to be the top prize down the middle. Given the Sabres’ desire to add young pieces – picks and prospects – to develop alongside their new, young core, the draft would be the ideal time to strike on an O’Reilly trade. LeBrun goes so far as to say that the Montreal Canadiens have already discussed such a deal.
- Another player who LeBrun feels is primed to be dealt during or around the upcoming draft is Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman. Hoffman was a frequent member of the rumor mill through the most recent NHL Trade Deadline, but remained in Ottawa, at least for the time being. LeBrun says that those rumors are back in full swing and that he feels Hoffman will be traded at the draft. The Senators are not trending in the right direction and could benefit from both the multi-piece return that Hoffman would command and a reprieve from his $5.18MM salary over the next two seasons. LeBrun notes that the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames were the top suitors for Hoffman at the deadline, but the St. Louis Blues and Florida Panthers were also among a plethora of teams pursuing a player who has flirted with 30 goals and 60 points for three years in a row.
- The Carolina Hurricanes and Vancouver Canucks have already been rumored to be listening on offers for their top ten picks in the upcoming draft; add the Arizona Coyotes to that list as well. LeBrun states that the team has contemplated offers and would consider moving up or down on draft day, depending on how the picks fall. LeBrun believes that GM John Chayka has already spoken with the Montreal Canadiens about a swap involving picks #3 and #5, in case the Habs feel they can get the top center in the draft, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, later on and if the ‘Yotes have a preferred choice between potential second overall picks Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina. He also feels that there is a strong chance that they could trade down, given the depth of defensemen in the first round versus the desire of other teams to move up for top forwards. Look for Arizona to be busy on the draft floor later this month.
- Another team that could be making moves on draft day are the Toronto Maple Leafs. In a mailbag for The Athletic, Jame Mirtle says to expect new GM Kyle Dubas to trade down, perhaps even multiple times, during the draft. When Dubas ran the draft for the Leafs in 2015 he employed this strategy, seen far more often in the NFL than NHL. Dubas traded down twice in order to collect multiple picks in later rounds. In a draft that many feel has a significant drop-off in talent after the first 20-odd picks to a tier that encompasses the next 60 or so picks, if Toronto feels that they don’t have a surefire option at 25th overall, they could swap with a team who has a specific player in mind and potentially grab multiple player of similar caliber later on.
Poll: Superstar Defensemen On The Move
Much has been made recently about the futures of five All-Star defenseman who are slated for free agency in 2019. Drew Doughty is working toward an extension with the Los Angeles Kings. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is sitting on an offer from the Arizona Coyotes. The Nashville Predators have made re-signing Ryan Ellis their priority this off-season. Ryan McDonagh was unable to bring home a Stanley Cup for the favorite Tampa Bay Lightning after a deadline blockbuster. And all of this has somehow overshadowed the potential availability of the Ottawa Senators’ Erik Karlsson.
All five of these superstar defenders could sign extensions on July 1st. Of course, they could all be dealt away even sooner. Doughty seems closest on a deal, but has strict salary demands that could end up souring one side or the other. Ekman-Larsson has always seemed loyal to the Coyotes, but is understandably concerned about the future of the team given their struggles throughout his career. Ellis too has been a loyal soldier for the Predators and an extremely underpaid one at that. He could make far more and play a far greater role elsewhere. McDonagh was acquired for the Bolts to make a title run this year and next, but beyond that point the team may not be able to afford him. Finally, Karlsson is the ultimate prize. He has expressed a desire to get fair market value on his next deal and polarizing Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk seems unlikely to match.
So, as the off-season gets underway and these five know that their futures will be determined in the next twelve months, the question is how many re-sign and how many move on, either via trade or free agency? Which of these stars will don the same jersey in 2019-20 as they did in 2017-18?
Latest On Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s Future In Arizona
Recently we learned that Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, has been given an eight-year, $66MM ($8.25MM AAV) contract extension offer by the Arizona Coyotes. The team is waiting for a decision from their superstar defenseman, though nothing can officially be signed until July 1st when Ekman-Larsson is less than a year away from free agency. Nothing stops the team and player from agreeing to terms before that date, and as hockey insider Bob McKenzie opines in his latest Bobcast for TSN, they could also potentially move to a different course of action depending on the answer.
The general sense from within the organization is they’re optimistic [he’ll re-sign]. They believe that Ekman-Larsson is more likely than not to want to stay for the next eight years in Arizona, and take the 8x$8.25MM deal. I’m not saying he’s not, only that I don’t think he’s made that final decision yet. Last I heard he was in France on a vacation—and I’m not sure if there’s a specific timeline here—but I would have to think in the next week or two, the Arizona Coyotes want to know from Ekman-Larsson and his representatives ‘is he prepared to commit to that long-term deal?’ Because if he’s not, then there’s no doubt in my mind that Arizona will try to trade him.
The fact that Ekman-Larsson hasn’t made a final decision yet isn’t surprising, as he only recently finished playing at the IIHF World Championship and has plenty of time to weigh all of his options. The interesting part though is that McKenzie believes that the Coyotes would try to trade him, presumably this summer, if they can’t get a deal. In fact, McKenzie goes on to say that he believes the team hasn’t ruled something like that out at this point:
I believe that Arizona has kept its options open in that regard. I don’t think that they’re being real proactive, picking up the phone and calling teams and saying ‘Hey do you want to trade for Ekman-Larsson?’ but I think they’re well aware of which teams are interested in Ekman-Larsson, and that there is ongoing dialogue that if a trade were to become necessary, how they would go about it. Their priority, no doubt about it, is to get Ekman-Larsson signed to that eight-year extension.
Obviously none of this is a concrete report that Ekman-Larsson will be traded, or that he will re-sign with the Coyotes in the coming weeks. He may not make a decision for months and the team could be fine waiting until part way through the season before making a final decision on his future. But the idea that Arizona would strongly consider a trade should he turn down the offer—which McKenzie believes is as high as the team is willing to go salary-wise—does add another intriguing name to the market this summer. A player like Ekman-Larsson could generate the most interest out of anyone not named John Tavares, and really change the market for a player like John Carlson who currently looks like the best puck-moving option available. Ekman-Larsson would come with just one year left on his contract, but could potentially sign an extension with any acquiring team right away.
Still, the 26-year old defenseman has never given any indication that he is frustrated with Arizona, despite the speculation that has surrounded him while the team struggles on the ice. After a relatively successful second half of the 2017-18 season, perhaps he believes the franchise is headed in the right direction with young players like Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun at the wheel. The team has gone out of their way to provide a support system for Ekman-Larsson has he dealt with a tough personal year, and it has never seemed like the relationship between organization and star has waned.
As we approach the NHL Entry Draft in less than three weeks, more player movement will surely arise and teams will start organizing their depth charts for the 2018-19 season. If the ball is truly in Ekman-Larsson’s court, he could drastically change the market on the draft floor by making a decision by then. Even if he takes the contract, strategies for the Coyotes and other teams could be altered, if only as another 2019 “Superclass” member drops off the table.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Ekman-Larsson, Boston University, Gurianov, Lockwood
With the news that the Arizona Coyotes have offered defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson a new contract extension at eight years and $66MM, the real question is whether or not the 26-year-old star defenseman intends to stay in Arizona. The defenseman can’t officially sign an extension until July 1, but not signing the deal will make it clear whether he really wants to stay in Arizona like he has previously said.
The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that if the defenseman doesn’t agree to sign the extension in the next couple of weeks, the team will almost guaranteed trade their star before the NHL draft this year to get the best possible return in the final year of his deal. In fact with the likelihood that the Ottawa Senators might be ready to move Erik Karlsson, this might be the best time for teams to get their hands on a star defenseman. Brooks adds that was one of the main reasons that the New York Rangers moved Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline, because they foresaw the possibility that both Ekman-Larsson and Karlsson might be available during the offseason which would have limited their return for McDonagh had they waited until now.
- Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe writes that Boston University has narrowed its head coaching search to two candidates after the school lost David Quinn to the New York Rangers last week. The scribe writes that the head coaching post will come down to former alumni and ex-Boston Bruins winger Shawn McEachern and Union College head coach Rick Bennett. McEachern, who is currently the head coach at the Rivers School, would maintain the school’s long-time BU lineage, while Bennett would offer new blood and a coach who has already won a NCAA title.
- With the Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars in the AHL Calder Cup Championships, much has been made about the Stars’ Denis Gurianov, Dallas’ first-round pick in the 2015 draft (12th overall), who was listed as a healthy scratch before Game 1 today. Despite tallying 19 goals for Texas this season, the fact that he has been a healthy scratch multiple times during the playoffs is an immensely bad sign, according to NHL.com’s Patrick Williams. In 14 playoff games this year, Gurianov has just five points. The Stars drafted Gurianov over several impactful players that year, including Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic.
- Vancouver Canucks and University of Michigan prospect Will Lockwood, who injured his shoulder while at the World Juniors this winter and required major surgery, has been cleared to skate and hopes to be ready for the Canucks’ annual prospect development camp this summer and is expected to be fully healthy for his junior year with the Wolverines, according to The Athletic’s Mike Halford (subscription required). The 2016 third-round pick was having a solid year with Michigan, putting up four goals and seven assists in 16 games before getting injured.
John Slaney And Steve Potvin Among Candidates For Tucson's Head Coach
Even though the free agent goalie market is rather thin, Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests that the Blues should not try to use that to their advantage and look to move Jake Allen this summer. Allen struggled this past season, putting up the worst numbers of his career while Carter Hutton, a pending unrestricted free agent, thrived; his numbers were the best in the league. Even though Allen has a decent track record as a starter, St. Louis would be selling low if they were to move him now. Instead, it wouldn’t be surprising if they simply look to re-sign Hutton and run with the same tandem they’ve had for the past two years. However, they will have some competition for his services as Hutton should garner a lot of interest around the league if he makes it to the open market.
Elsewhere around the West:
- The Oilers will have a tough call to make when it comes to defenseman Darnell Nurse, opines Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. Has he shown enough to land a long-term contract that could hover around the $5MM per season range or are they better off with a bridge deal instead? Edmonton’s salary cap situation may help dictate their path as well as if they have eyes on adding established talent to their roster, they may have to go the shorter route with the 23-year-old. That would allow them to sign him for less now but they would pay for it down the road as his next contract would mostly cover UFA-eligible seasons.
- The Coyotes are on the lookout for a new head coach at the AHL level following the departure of Mike Van Ryn to St. Louis earlier this week. Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan reports that assistants John Slaney and Steve Potvin will be candidates for the role although AHL GM Steve Sullivan stated that a short list of coaches outside of the organization will also be considered.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson Sitting On Substantial Contract Extension Offer
Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to be the biggest offseason question in Arizona, as the team approaches July 1st when he can be extended. Though we’d previously heard that the two sides were working on an eight-year deal, Bob McKenzie of TSN puts a dollar figure on the contract and updates where the negotiations stand. In the recent edition of Insider Trading, McKenzie explains:
Right now the ball seems to be squarely in Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s court. He is sitting on an offer from the Arizona Coyotes that is believed to be an eight-year contract extension at an average annual value of $8.25MM. If he wants to sign long-term and make a commitment to the Coyotes, that’s the deal that’s on the table. If he doesn’t want to do that, then the Coyotes would of course look at their options in terms of maybe going down the trade route. There doesn’t seem to be any sense of timetable on this but obviously sooner rather than later both sides would like to know where this thing’s at.
Ekman-Larsson can’t officially sign an extension until July 1st, but it sounds like the decision hasn’t even been made over whether he’ll accept the deal. His current contract, a six-year $33MM deal signed in spring of 2013, expires next summer when he’s scheduled to be part of an elite free agent class. Alongside potential free agents like Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, Ryan Ellis and Ryan McDonagh, Ekman-Larsson could be another top-pairing defenseman on the market for the highest bidder.
Despite the opportunity he could find himself in next summer, Ekman-Larsson has always maintained that he’d rather stay in Arizona if given the opportunity. That opportunity is certainly there if the contract McKenzie and others have reported is still on the table, though there may be some who believe he could get even more should he wait out his full deal. Doughty and Karlsson are both expected to eclipse P.K. Subban‘s $9MM cap hit on their next contracts, and if Ekman-Larsson was on the open market he might have a chance at doing the same. The Swedish defenseman is the youngest of the three and will see his current deal expire while he’s still just 27.
Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Draft Picks Expire
The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players—the same total as last year—will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2018 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. Adam Mascherin is the highest picked player among those who will be headed back into the draft, selected 38th overall by the Florida Panthers two years ago. Below is the full list of players:
Anaheim Ducks:
F Tyler Soy (7th round, 2016)
Arizona Coyotes:
F Anton Karlsson (3rd round, 2014)
D David Westlund (6th round, 2014)
Buffalo Sabres:
D Vojtech Budik (5th round, 2016)
F Brandon Hagel (6th round, 2016)
D Austin Osmanski (7th round, 2016)
Calgary Flames:
D Adam Ollas Mattsson (6th round, 2014)
Carolina Hurricanes:
C Hudson Elynuik (3rd round, 2016)
D Noah Carroll (6th round, 2016)
Chicago Blackhawks:
D Andreas Soderberg (5th round, 2014)
Colorado Avalanche:
G Maximilian Pajpach (6th round, 2014)
Dallas Stars:
D Miro Karjalainen (5th round, 2014)
Detroit Red Wings:
D Jordan Sambrook (5th round, 2016)
F Julius Vahatalo (6th round, 2014)
Florida Panthers:
G Hugo Fagerblom (7th round, 2014)
C Adam Mascherin (2nd round, 2016)
Los Angeles Kings:
D Jacob Friend (7th round, 2016)
Minnesota Wild:
D Pontus Sjalin (6th round, 2014)
D Brayden Chizen (7th round, 2016)
New Jersey Devils:
G Evan Cormier (4th round, 2016)
Philadelphia Flyers:
C Anthony Salinitri (6th round, 2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Connor Hall (3rd round, 2016)
San Jose Sharks:
D Mark Shoemaker (6th round, 2016)
Tampa Bay Lightning:
C Christopher Paquette (5th round, 2016)
Toronto Maple Leafs:
D Keaton Middleton (4th rond, 2016)
F J.J. Piccinich (4th round, 2014)
D Nicolas Mattinen (6th round, 2016)
Vancouver Canucks:
D Cole Candella (5th round, 2016)
F Jakob Stukel (6th round, 2016)
C Brett McKenzie (7th round, 2016)
Washington Capitals:
F Kevin Elgestal (7th round, 2014)
D Dmitri Zaitsev (7th round, 2016)
Winnipeg Jets:
C Jordan Stallard (5th round, 2016)
Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes
Free agency is now a little more than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Arizona’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agent: F Max Domi – The 12th-overall pick from 2013 is an enigma for the Coyotes, who have received flashes of dominance and bouts of inconsistency from Domi throughout his young career. Few would argue with 135 points in 232 games for any forward before his age-23 season, but there is clearly more to get out of Domi as he heads out of his entry-level contract. After spending time at center this season his point totals were boosted by a late-season run, but he failed to eclipse the 10-goal mark for the second consecutive year. Perhaps because of that relatively disappointing total, trade rumors have popped up around Domi with the Pittsburgh Penguins showing interest.
While nothing is certain for any NHL player, the future for Domi is particularly unclear. Does he sign a long-term deal with the Coyotes this season to be a core piece of their rebuild, anchoring the top-six alongside Clayton Keller and others? Is a short-term bridge deal a better option for a player who has yet to really show his full potential in the NHL? Do the Coyotes use this summer to cash in on their asset before he becomes too expensive, and try to acquire a more veteran presence to help them win in the near future? With GM John Chayka loathe to lose out on young inexpensive assets, trading Domi at this point seems like the opposite of the Coyotes model. Perhaps Arizona will show patience and accept his 6.0% shooting percentage in 2017-18 as more of a bargaining chip than reason to move him.
Other RFAs: F Freddie Hamilton, F Laurent Dauphin, G Sean Maguire, D Dakota Mermis, D Trevor Murphy, G Marek Langhamer, F Michael Bunting
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Kevin Connauton – The Coyotes face a much more difficult crop of unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019, when Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson and others are scheduled to hit the free agent market. They also already dealt with Antti Raanta, their biggest question mark from this offseason, when they signed him to a new three-year extension. Still, Connauton has a pretty compelling case for a raise this summer from the $1MM he’s earned the last two years.
The 28-year old defenseman finished third on the Coyotes in scoring by defensemen with 21 points, and did so in limited minutes that included almost zero powerplay time. His 11 even-strength goals actually put him fourth on the entire team—not just among defensemen—and he tied for the lead with three game-winners. All that while playing just over 15 minutes a night, and getting relatively even zone starts (if not a little negative). There’s obviously an argument to be made to let Connauton walk, as the team will likely have Jakob Chychrun back and could get contributions from younger players—including perhaps one selected with the fifth-overall pick in the upcoming draft. His agent also recently told Craig Morgan of AZ Sports that like many other players, Connauton wants a bigger role. If that’s not possible in Arizona, perhaps he’ll find himself in a new sweater come October.
F Brad Richardson – Richardson’s fate may have been sealed when the Coyotes traded for Marcus Kruger in early May, as the former Carolina Hurricanes forward is expected to take over as the shutdown center for Arizona next season. The 33-year old Richardson then would be expendable, even if he has proven to be a big part of the leadership group for the club. His 15 points in 76 games this season were far from a career-high, but still represented a solid campaign for a player tasked with winning faceoffs and getting the puck out of his own end. Richardson had a whopping 66% defensive zone-start percentage, easily the highest on the Coyotes last season.
Centers are difficult to find on the open market, but there may be no room for Richardson any longer on a Coyotes team that is looking to contend for the playoffs in 2018-19. If Dylan Strome is truly ready to step into a full-time role in the NHL, it gives the team four—Derek Stepan, Christian Dvorak, Strome and Kruger—capable options down the middle with even more experience in other players on the roster. His market may lie elsewhere around the league as he’s proven himself a capable NHL option over the last decade.
Other UFAs: F Zac Rinaldo, D Luke Schenn, D Joel Hanley, F Pierre-Cedric Labrie, F Mike Sislo, F Tye McGinn
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Poll: Impact Of The Estimated Cap Increase
Earlier this week, Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with the media about many different league topics. Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the press conference was Daly’s estimation of the salary cap for next season. Daly believes that the salary cap will fall somewhere between $78MM and $82MM, meaning that there will be a significant increase in the salary cap. The cap limit has increased by $2MM or less in each of the past three seasons, but the low point of the estimated range would already be a $3MM increase over the 2017-18 cap number. If it ends up near the top of the range, it will likely be the largest jump in the salary cap in league history.
Whatever the result, the cap increase will undoubtedly affect this off-season. Prior to Daly’s projection, teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Tampa Bay Lightning were going to face an immense cap crunch this summer and likely would have been forced to shed salary. Those teams can now breathe easier. However, teams on the lower end of the salary spectrum who don’t spend to the cap, such as the Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes, will find it even harder to catch up in a market that that has lessened its grip on the stronger, higher payroll teams. With a higher cap comes salary inflation, which is another struggle for small market teams. The cap increase may also allow for some of the bigger talked-about trades and free agent movement – John Tavares, Erik Karlsson, Phil Kessel, ect. – to happen. However, the flip side is that a salary cap increase gives teams incentive to add, but not subtract and could lessen the amount of total trades we see this summer.
What do you think? Is this potentially historic increase in the salary cap ceiling a good thing for the league?