Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mammoth Rumors

Coyotes Re-Sign Gaudet and Fournier

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Arizona has signed restricted free agents Tyler Gaudet and Stefan Fournier to one-year, two-way contracts reports Sarah McLellan of AZCentral. As the team struggles with RFA negotiations with disgruntled winger Tobias Rieder and arbitration-bound defenseman Michael Stone, the team has gotten two of their lesser known young players signed on for another year.

Gaudet got his first real taste of NHL action last season, playing in 14 games with the Coyotes after just a two-game stint in 2014-15. Gaudet played only energy line minutes, about 10 minutes a game, but scored three points and impressed with his two-way play. He seems likely to battle for a full-time spot this season and get a long look from new GM John Chayka and the Coyotes coaching staff as they evaluate a very young roster. Guadet will make approximately $875K at the NHL level.

Fournier, the former captain of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, will likely see most of his ice time during the inaugural season of the newly minted Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL. A point-per-game player in juniors, Fournier’s game has not translated as well to the pros, as he has bounced around the AHL and ECHL the past few seasons. Despite scoring just four points in 32 games with Arizona’s AHL affiliate last season, they saw enough in him to bring him back. He’ll have to do better than that from a production perspective though if he wants to earn his $633K NHL salary.

Snapshots: White, KHL, Nugent-Hopkins

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have been a determined franchise since bringing in 27-year old GM John Chayka to captain the ship. The league’s youngest GM in history has already put his fingerprints all over the roster and, according to Sarah McLellan of AZCentral, seems to have targeted Ryan White in free agency due to an attribute many may have overlooked: versatility.

The 28-year old forward has never been much of a scoring threat in his career (though he is coming off a career-best 11 goals), but it’s that versatility that drew Chayka to him.  White can play both center and wing equally, and will provide a right-handed faceoff option in the defensive zone.  Here are some more notes from around the league:

  • The KHL has been aggressively pursuing expansion options across Europe and Asia, as seen from their recent move into China, and they may be headed towards the UK soon. In a couple of tweets this morning from separate sources, the league has reportedly reached some sort of an agreement to eventually put an expansion team in London.
  • The Sabres have hired Tom Ward and Adam Nightengale to join their coaching staff, as an assistant and video coach respectively. Ward was last seen coaching the Shattuck St. Mary’s Boys Prep team in Minnesota, where he won nine national championships. Nightengale was previously the director of hockey operations at Michigan State University.
  • Amid swirling trade rumors, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins admits that it sometimes gets into his head.  On Edmonton’s 630 CHED today (via Chris Nichols), he said “There’s just a lot of talk and really, it’s just guys kind of putting their own opinions out there. It kind of gets carried away, I think, a little bit. But yeah, it’s still in the back of your mind a little bit.”  The former first-overall pick hasn’t lived up to his high expectations (or contract) as of yet, scoring only 222 points in 313 career games, including just 34 last season (55 GP).

Minor Transactions: 07/15/16

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Here is where we will keep track of all the day’s minor transactions:

  • The Florida Panthers have re-signed Jonathan Racine to a one-year, two-way deal worth $660K at the NHL level. The defenseman played 69 games last season for the Portland Pirates, scoring one goal and nine points. Racine was a third-round pick by Florida in 2011, and has played in a single NHL game thus far.
  • Daniel Catenacci has re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres for 2016-17, on a two-way deal worth the league minimum ($575K).  Catenacci made his NHL debut this past season when he suited up for 11 games for the Sabres, but was held pointless. The 5’10” center plays a high-energy game and will try to work his way back into the bottom-six for Buffalo at some point this season.
  • After extending Jake Allen and signing Carter Hutton this summer, the Blues have re-signed two more goaltenders, inking restricted free agents Jordan Binnington and Pheonix Copley to one-year, two-way deals. Binnington made his NHL debut this season when he relieved Brian Elliott on January 14th. The former third-round pick made 13 saves and allowed a goal in his first taste, but will surely head back to the AHL this season.  Copley also debuted this season, relieving Allen on Feburary 27th.
  • Philadelphia has signed restricted free agent Petr Straka to a one-year deal. The 24-year old was originally a second-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2010, but chose not to sign a contract with them, eventually making him a free agent.  He signed with the Flyers in 2013, and played for the Phantoms exclusively last season.
  • Arizona’s Tyler Gaudet and Stefan Fournier accepted their qualifying offers tweets Sarah McLellan. General Fanager tweets that the deals are both one-year, two-way contracts. The financials read out as just above $874K for Gaudet, and just over $632K for Fournier.

Minor Transactions: 7/14/16

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • The Los Angeles Kings have signed 2016 fourth round pick Jacob Moverare to a three-year, entry-level deal. The cap hit is $691,667. Jon Rosen writes that the 17-year-old forward has a hockey IQ and awareness of a first round pick, but his skating pulls his stock down. He quotes Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Yannetti as saying he has one of the highest IQ’s in the 2016 draft. Moverare played on HV71’s U20 team, notching 21 points (5-16) in 41 games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings inked defenseman Filip Hronek to a three-year entry-level deal. The 2016 second round choice of the Wings played for HK Hradec Kralove in the Czech professional league, tallying 4  points (0-4)  in 40 games. For the Under 20 junior club, Hronek registered 16 points (4-12) in 13 games. He will most likely play with the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL.
  • The Sharks have re-signed forward Ryan Carpenter to a one-year deal. Carpenter spent 66 games with the San Jose Barracuda, registering 55 points (18-37). He played one game with the Sharks.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have re-upped their affiliation with ECHL club Rapid City for the 2016-17 season. According to the release, the Rush were founded in 2008 and captured the CHL Championship in 2009-10.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have signed 2016 second-round pick Pascal Laberge to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will have a cap-hit of $842.5K each season, according to CapFriendly. Laberge played for the Victoriaville Tigers of the QMJHL last season, scoring 68 points in 56 games.  He’s expected to head back there for the 2016-17 season.

Shane Doan Returns To Coyotes For 21st Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The captain of the Arizona Coyotes and the face of the franchise for over two decades will be back for one more season. Craig Morgan announced late tonight that Shane Doan and the Coyotes have agreed to terms on a one-year deal. It is expected to be worth a total of $5MM, much of which will likely be incentive based.

Doan has had quite the career already, totaling 945 points in 1466 games, which is good enough for tenth and third respectively among all active players. Even with twenty seasons under his belt, he couldn’t help but re-sign for another year in Arizona. Doan, who will turn 40 during the upcoming season, is already the (original) Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes/Arizona Coyotes franchise leader in games played, goals, and points, and will only increase his lead this season.

The importance of Doan to the Coyotes cannot be understated, even as the team goes through a rebuilding phase. The captain brings experience and leadership to the locker room and an unmatched physicality and on-ice presence to each and every game. Not only is he a great mentor to the young core of the Coyotes, but he is beloved by the fans as well, whose outpouring of celebration on social media followed soon after the signing was announced. While it seems unlikely that Doan will get that elusive Stanley Cup ring if he plays out yet another season with the Coyotes, the selflessness of his dedication to the franchise is a testament to his character and will continue to make him a hero in the game of hockey.

Coyotes, Rieder Far Apart In Contract Talks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes and Restricted Free Agent (RFA) winger Tobias Rieder are “not close” in contract talks according to Rieder’s agent, Darren Ferris, in a conversation with Arizona Sports columnist Craig Morgan.

Rieder completed his entry-level contract with career highs across the board, scoring 14 goals and 37 points in 82 games. Ferris told Morgan their camp feels Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri and new Coyotes winger Jamie McGinn are fair comparisons for Rieder; while both scored more points than Rieder last season, Rieder has superior possession stats. Kadri and McGinn have both signed new contracts this summer, worth $4.5MM and $3.33MM respectively.

Coyotes rookie GM John Chayka says talks have not progressed in “a while”, and that the team has made what they think is a fair offer. Rieder is not eligible for arbitration, something Chayka says the team isn’t trying to take advantage of. The contract impasse has lead Ferris to explore European and KHL options, but he says Rieder’s first choice is stay in the NHL.

The Coyotes’ qualifying offer, tendered in late June, expires on July 15. The two sides have until December 1 to negotiate a new contract, at which point Rieder is ineligible to play in the coming season.

Arizona has three other key free agents left to sign, captain Shane Doan is a UFA and defensemen Michael Stone and Connor Murphy are RFAs. The Coyotes have $18.68MM in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

Full Salary Arbitration Hearing Schedule

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHLPA released the full schedule of arbitration hearings today, which will not include Jordan Weal, after he re-signed with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier today. Teams and players can still negotiate up until the hearing, and many will reach agreements before going to arbitration. For more information on the arbitration process, check out part one of our full guide.  Here is the full schedule:

PLAYER ELECTED FILINGS

Arizona Coyotes
Michael Stone – August 4, 2016

Colorado Avalanche
Tyson Barrie – July 29, 2016
Mikhail Grigorenko – July 22, 2016

Detroit Red Wings
Danny DeKeyser – July 28, 2016

Minnesota Wild
Jordan Schroeder – July 27, 2016

Nashville Predators
Calle Jarnkrok – August 4, 2016
Petter Granberg – August 3, 2016

New York Rangers
Kevin Hayes – July 27, 2016
Chris Kreider – July 22, 2016
Dylan McIlrath – July 21, 2016
J.T. Miller – August 2, 2016

Ottawa Senators
Mike Hoffman – August 4, 2016

Philadelphia Flyers
Brandon Manning – August 2, 2016
Brayden Schenn – July 25, 2016

St. Louis Blues
Jaden Schwartz – July 20, 2016

Tampa Bay Lightning
Alex Killorn – July 20, 2016
Vladislav Namestnikov – July 29, 2016

Toronto Maple Leafs
Frank Corrado – July 26, 2016
Peter Holland – July 25, 2016
Martin Marincin – August 2, 2016

Washington Capitals
Marcus Johansson – July 20, 2016

CLUB ELECTED FILINGS

Detroit Red Wings

Petr Mrazek – July 27, 2016

Top-Line Options Remaining In Free Agency

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

For many teams, free agency is a place to find a player or two to slot into your top two lines, to supplement the core you already have in place.  Edmonton went out and got Milan Lucic, to add some veteran toughness while replacing the outgoing offensive contribution of Taylor Hall. Vancouver added Loui Eriksson in a questionable move for a team who hasn’t quite decided what direction they’re headed in, and Buffalo brought on Kyle Okposo to ride shotgun with their young talent up front.

Now that the madness has died down, the market for these top-six players is extremely thin, with only a few names having established themselves there in the past.  With Shane Doan surely re-signing with the Coyotes, and Patrik Elias looking as though it’s either Devils or retirement, two of the most well known names among this group aren’t going anywhere.  Here are the other possibilities for a team to add to their top-six:

(number in parentheses represents ranking on our Top 50 UFAs)

  1. Jiri Hudler (18) – Though Hudler is now 32-years old and took a significant step back last season, he still represents one of the better second-line options available. His 46 points in 2015-16 split between the Flames and Panthers were a disappointing total for a player coming off a 31-goal, 76 point season but still ranked him right alongside players like Andrew Ladd (46 points, $38.5MM) and David Backes (45 points, $30MM).
  2. Kris Versteeg (25) – While Versteeg is probably better suited as a third-liner on a good team, he has shown the ability to move up in the lineup consistently in the past.  A three-time twenty goal scorer, Versteeg has scored at least 34 points in each of his seven healthy seasons.  He can play either wing, and brings a level of physicality to his game as well.
  3. Radim Vrbata (27) – Vrbata is clearly on the downswing of his career, having put up just 27 points and a whopping -30 mark last season.  Now 35, he’ll look to sign a cheap deal and could be a nice value signing for a team pressed against the cap. Remember, this is a guy who has over 250 career NHL goals, and is just one season removed from the second 30-goal season of his career.
  4. Alex Tanguay (33) – Though he’s now 37, Tanguay continues to produce like a second-line center, putting up another 35 point campaign despite having a much reduced role after a trade to Arizona.  For a team looking to shelter their young forwards, a veteran like Tanguay can provide some offensive punch on a cheap, short-term deal. He’ll likely break 900 points in what has been an excellent career for the former Avalanche stalwart.
  5. Brandon Pirri (NR) – Despite Pirri’s reputation as a bottom-six forward, some teams might see the former Panther as a second-line option, due to his previous goal scoring ability.  Pirri has potted 36 goals over the past two seasons, including 22 in 2014-15. The problem is that he’s racked up just 17 assists over the same time.  He was an outstanding scorer in his AHL career, and is still just 25-years old, meaning that taking a shot on him might not be the worst gamble among the remaining options.

The Latest On Arizona’s Free Agents

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes are in the midst of discussions with restricted free agent winger Tobias Rieder and defenseman Connor Murphy but the progress the team is making with each differs considerably, writes Sarah McLellan of AZCentral.  Talks with Murphy’s agent Brian Bartlett began last weekend and are going well while talks have been ongoing with Rieder’s agent Darren Ferris but the two sides remain far apart on a new deal.

Both players are restricted free agents coming off their entry level contracts and are not eligible for arbitration.  Last season, Rieder set career highs across the board in his second full NHL campaign, scoring 14 goals and 23 assists in 82 games with the Coyotes.  He also logged an average of 17:18 per game, third highest among Coyote forwards.  Rieder was acquired from Edmonton back in March of 2013 and received a qualifying offer of just over $874K in late June.

Murphy, in his third NHL season, picked up six goals and 11 assists in 78 games while averaging a career high 20:30 per game, the third highest average on the team behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Michael Stone.  Murphy was Arizona’s first round pick (20th overall) in the 2011 draft and also received a qualifying offer just over $874K last month.

On top of Rieder and Murphy, the team also has to re-sign arbitration-bound Stone, who was qualified at $1.45MM.  The team also is hoping to re-sign long-time captain Shane Doan to a one year deal.  The 39 year old scored 28 goals last year for the Coyotes, his highest goal total since 2008-09.

Arizona has just under $18.9MM in salary cap space to work with this offseason according to Cap Friendly.

Shane Doan Close To Re-Signing With Arizona

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to Sportsnet’s John Shannon, Shane Doan will not be testing free agency this season and is close to a new deal with the Arizona Coyotes.  The only franchise Doan has ever played for, he’ll be entering his 21st season with the club.

Even at 39, Doan still ranked 20th on our list of the top 50 free agents after he put up another great season in 2015-16. Scoring 28 goals, the former 7th overall pick (of the 1995 Entry Draft!) now has 396 for his career, putting him in the top 100 of all-time (92nd).

Doan is a testament to loyalty, staying with his original club all these years despite only playing in 55 career contests and none since 2012. While he probably would get multiple offers from teams around the league who think he can still contribute as a top-6 scorer, going back to Arizona always seemed like the natural thing to do, and if Shannon is correct he should be able to play out the end of his career, never having left the Winnipeg/Phoenix/Arizona franchise.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top