Latest On Connor Murphy
While news has started trickling out about the Coyotes’ inability to sign RFA Tobias Rieder, Arizona may be closing in on one of their other remaining unsigned players. Craig Morgan of AZSports reports that Brian Bartlett, the agent for restricted free agent Connor Murphy expects to have a deal done by the end of the week.
Murphy, 23, saw his role with the Coyotes improve drastically last season especially following the trade of Keith Yandle. After the trade, he logged over 22:30 per night (up from 19:50 pre-trade) and held his own against tougher opponents. The bone-crushing hitter isn’t an offensive or possession dynamo, though he did contribute 17 points last season, and saw some limited powerplay action.
Even with the addition of Luke Schenn, Murphy will probably slot in beside another newcomer in Alex Goligoski on the second pairing next season, with fellow unsigned RFA Michael Stone skating alongside superstar Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Obviously, these pairings will be settled in camp, but Murphy will try to continue his strong development from first-round pick (20th overall in 2011) to top-four defenseman.
Coyotes Notes: Rieder, Stone, National TV
It’s beginning to look like the Arizona Coyotes and restricted free agent winger Tobias Rieder have reached an impasse in contract negotiations. Dhiren Mahiban reports that it is growing more and more likely that the young German forward will spend this next season playing in the KHL, rather than agreeing to a new contract with the Coyotes.
Rieder, who had 14 goals and 23 assists in 2015-16 while playing in all 82 games for Arizona, plays a very complete game at just 23 years old. His numbers are very similar to those of Vladislav Namestnikov (35 points in 80 games last season), a young forward who was just awarded a new contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning that pays him a little under $2MM per season, and the Coyotes would like to pay Rieder somewhere in that arena as well. However, Rieder believes he is worth significantly more, reportedly asking for $4MM per season. While Rieder is probably a better hockey player than Namestnikov right now, it seems as though the Coyotes are balking at a value that is worth more than twice that of a comparable young player. As a restricted free agent that is not yet arbitration-eligible, Rieder’s only leverage is to sign elsewhere, leading to the speculation that he could receive his desired contract from a KHL club for 2016-17. The Coyotes, who qualified the young RFA, would continue to hold onto his NHL rights, but would definitely feel the loss of a crucial cog in their rebuilding team. Likewise, Rieder may get the money he wants, but will be playing outside the world’s best hockey league and would still be Coyotes property should he return. Rieder departing the desert to go overseas does not really solve any problems. While this conclusion seems very likely, it is far from mutually beneficial.
In other Arizona news:
- Rieder is not the only RFA that the Coyotes still have to worry about, as defenseman Michael Stone is one of just three remaining unsettled arbitration cases league-wide, and is scheduled to go in front of the arbitrator on August 4th. Stone’s case is a tough one, as he scored a career high 36 points last season, only one point less than new teammate Alex Goligoski, who the Coyotes signed to a long-term deal worth nearly $5.5MM per year, but is still developing his defensive game. Add in that he suffered a serious knee injury which he is currently rehabbing from, and a fair market value is tough to nail down. While the figures submitted to the arbitrator by both sides have not yet surfaced, expect Stone to ask for a comparable contract to Goligoski and expect the Coyotes to offer far less. Given that 22 of 25 scheduled salary arbitration cases have been settled prior to their deadlines, it seems likely that the two sides will agree to terms somewhere in the ballpark of $4-4.5MM per season on a short bridge deal.
- However, if arbitration does occur and the arbitrator awards Stone with a one or two year deal that the Coyotes are uncomfortable with, it is very likely that his name could hit the trade rumor mill. Arizona has more than enough cap space, but may not want to commit too much of their budget in the short-term to a defenseman coming off a serious injury. A right-shot, puck-moving defenseman who is just 26 years old would be very attractive to many teams, regardless of an injury. For the Coyotes though, they have depth on the right side of the blue line with fellow RFA Connor Murphy, Zbynek Michalek, and the recently signed Luke Schenn. Should the return for Stone be sufficient to new GM John Chayka, Stone’s arbitration case may just end up shipping him out of town.
- As AZCentral’s Sarah McLellan reports, the Coyotes will play just one nationally televised game in 2016-17. That of course could increase, especially if the team makes the playoffs, but as of right now it stands as a disappointing total for an upstart team. One game is the minimum that each team must have covered nationally, but the Coyotes are not a team deserving of minimal coverage. Although Arizona may not be the biggest hockey market, it has been highlighted recently as the birthplace of #1 overall pick Auston Matthews and is now home to two pro teams, as the Coyotes moved their AHL franchise to Tuscon and re-named it the Roadrunners. The Coyotes have one of the top prospect systems in the NHL and should be a fun team to watch with a lot of great young talent. National audiences will unfortunately miss out on much of the action, but be sure to tune in to their November 1st tilt against the San Jose Sharks on NBC Sports.
Western Notes: Chayka, Sydor, Eberle
When the Arizona Coyotes gave then 26-year old John Chayka their GM job, many in the hockey world cringed at the thought of the analytic community finally having a poster boy at the top of an NHL franchise. Chayka promised to bring with him the newer possession-based analysis of NHL players, and today summed it up quite nicely in an interview with Dan Rosen of NHL.com:
“The philosophy is fairly simple. It’s when we don’t have the puck, recover the puck as quickly as possible. There are all kinds of different forms where you can gain possession of the puck, some of them are physical and some of them are non-physical, so I think you need a blend to have both. Once you get the puck back it’s to transition the puck. Defense isn’t about defending, it’s about getting the puck in the forwards’ hands and getting the puck moving into the offensive zone. It’s about transitioning.”
The phrase “defense isn’t about defending” will stick out as a sort of mantra for the analytics push, as the league continues to move away from players who can impose themselves physically in their own end, but can’t move the puck when they end up with it. His team has added Alex Goligoski, a possession darling who moves the puck well, but has also signed Luke Schenn and Jamie McGinn, both players who aren’t so revered for their new-age skills. It’ll be interesting to watch what Chayka does in the future, and whether he breeds a level of success rarely seen in the desert of Arizona.
- The Chicago Wolves of the AHL have hired former NHLers Darryl Sydor and Daniel Tkaczuk as assistant coaches for 2016-17, adding to a group that is led by Craig Berube. The St. Louis Blues affiliate went 33-35-8 last season, and will look to improve on that record this year. Sydor, a 19-year NHL veteran played in over 1200 games in his career, and has been coaching as an assistant with the Minnesota Wild for the past five seasons. Tkaczuk, an AHL journeyman who made it into just 19 NHL games during his career, coached with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL last season.
- Jordan Eberle has hired the “Shot Doc” to help him with his shooting ability for next season. Ron Johnson, a skills coach who has worked with Joe Pavelski and Ryan Kesler in the past has been known for improving things like grip mechanics and puck protection. If Eberle can improve on the 14.5% shooting percentage he put up last season, he could climb back above the 30-goal mark for the second time in his career. Eberle has 145 career goals in 425 games, and is a near-lock for 25 each season.
Breaking Down Team Roster Crunches
In mid-summer, exact roster sizes and cap figures are rarely exactly what they’ll be on opening night. Cuts will be made in training camp, and some teams will still have trades to make. Here’s a run down of some teams that have tough decisions to make.
Team roster sizes are per GeneralFanger:
- Arizona Coyotes (12F, 8D, 2G): Rebuilding team are a trend in oversized roster, as they look to acquire what amount to lottery tickets, with last-chance veterans and any prospect they can get their hands on being invited to show their worth. The current Arizona roster is missing three restricted free agents, Tobias Rieder, Michael Stone, and Connor Murphy, and doesn’t take into account the number of strong prospects the Coyotes may be looking to graduate this year, like Christian Dvorak. The Coyotes will mostly be looking to create space on their backend, and if you consider the recently signed defensemen, or those who’ve played regularly in the NHL for years, to be relative locks, that should leave Murphy, Kevin Connauton, Jarred Tinordi, Jamie McBain, and Klas Dahlbeck fighting for the final couple of spots.
- Detroit Red Wings (18F, 5D, 1G): Once the Red Wings re-sign restricted free agents Danny DeKeyser and Petr Mrazek, they’ll be more or less set outside of the forward group. After that, they’ll have to cut five forwards. Joe Vitale missed almost all of last season, and will likely spend the year on long-term injured reserve, but it gets competitive after that. While it’s impossible to assume the recently signed Steve Ott is a lock for a spot, given how much he played last year, it still looks likely that younger players like Andreas Athanasiou, Teemu Pulkkinen, and Anthony Mantha will have to earn their spots in the lineup, rather than be given them for pre-designed holes.
- Toronto Maple Leafs (14F, 6D, 1G): The Maple Leafs are only at 21 players on the roster, but that number doesn’t count the still unsigned RFA defenseman Martin Marincin, top prospect Mitch Marner, a backup goalie, the recently acquired Kerby Rychel, who wanted out of Columbus due to a lack of opportunity, or players like Nikita Soshnikov, Brendan Leipsic, Josh Leivo, Connor Brown, Rinat Valiev, Zach Hyman, and Connor Carrick, who became contributors in the NHL down the stretch last year, and who many observers assume to be significant parts of Toronto’s future. Unable to carry 31 players on a roster, the Leafs are going to have to make some decisions at camp over which players are forcing their way onto the roster, and which veterans they’re willing to humble with a demotion. The number counts Joffrey Lupul, who GM Lou Lamoriello has said he’s unsure of the future of, and Tobias Lindberg, who it’s hard to imagine playing over several of the aforementioned players. Still, given the sheer quantity of players, this may be the last chance for players like Leivo, Peter Holland, and Byron Froese to demand their long-term roles with the team.
- Winnipeg Jets (17F, 7D, 2G): The Jets’ situation is difficult because they’ve had a pretty good group of skaters stuck in place for a few years, and also have one of the NHL’s best prospect pools. It’s hard to imagine them not using second overall pick Patrick Laine right away, and so with a 26-man roster, and Jacob Trouba still to sign, there are going to be some younger players who feel ready for their shot, and end up disappointed, and even a guy like Quinton Howden, who came to a new organization after a similar glut of talented young players forced him out of Florida, may not be able to lock down a spot. This number doesn’t even count a lot of the Jets best prospects, like Kyle Connor, Nic Petan, or Josh Morrissey, so even veterans on one-way deals, like Brian Strait and Anthony Peluso, should be looking over their shoulders.
Sunday Snapshots: KHL, Corrado, Schenn
The KHL’s Chinese expansion team, Kunlun Red Star, has signed three former NHLers prior to their first exhibition game, according to KHL insider Aivis Kalnins.
Sean Collins, a 27-year-old center from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, spent last season with the Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate in Hershey and appeared in two NHL games with the Capitals; winger Alexandre Picard, a former 8th overall pick by Columbus in 2004, played 67 games with the Blue Jackets over parts of five seasons before spending the last four seasons in Switzerland; former Hurricanes defenseman Brett Bellemore also signed with Red Star after spending last season with Providence of the AHL.
Kunlun played its first exhibition game on Sunday morning versus Traktor Chelyabinsk in Finland.
More snapshots from around the hockey world:
- The Maple Leafs and their RFA defenseman Frankie Corrado have filed briefs ahead of their upcoming arbitration case. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the team’s offers are worth $625K/ $125K on a two-way contract or $575K for a one-way contract. Corrado’s asking price is $900K.
- Newly-signed Coyotes defenseman Luke Schenn told the team’s website that he’s looking forward to being able to grow as a player in a market without as much added pressure as he’s previously experienced. Schenn has played most of his career in major hockey markets Toronto, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
Snapshots: Lightning, Subban, Patrick, Coyotes
The Bleacher Report’s Adrian Dater answered Twitter questions today, and when asked which team won the off-season, he went with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dater’s reasoning is popular, that GM Steve Yzerman managed to convince his biggest name player, Steven Stamkos, to stay at a price lower than many expected, he was able to re-sign Victor Hedman a year before free agency, and extended Alex Killorn as well, while leaving more than enough cap space to re-sign Nikita Kucherov long-term.
With respect to Dater, and he’s far from alone in saying this, it’s not really as thrilling as the names involved would imply. Yzerman carries a sort of reverence through the hockey world, and will be praised profusely with little effort, despite the fact that his accomplishments this off-season are mostly things contending team GMs do with little problem. Dallas Stars’ forward Jamie Benn also signed a long term contract a year out from free agency, and the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have never really come close to the open market. Stamkos getting as far as speaking to other teams is an anomaly itself. After Yzerman’s messy situation with Stamkos’ mentor Martin St. Louis, his re-upping of a coach who Stamkos reportedly dislikes, and who played him out of position, his offer which was well below what others were willing to pay, and the trade demand by the team’s best young player in Jonathan Drouin, it’s fair to wonder if this was really a wooing by Yzerman, or if he Stamkos signed because he looked around at the other options and couldn’t find a fit. Yzerman has done some great work in Tampa, but Stamkos staying rather than taking more money from his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, or close to home Detroit Red Wings or Buffalo Sabres, is likely the result of the work Yzerman did years ago in making the Lightning a team a player wouldn’t want to leave to begin with. Yzerman’s best move of 2016 may just be not giving into Drouin’s trade demand, understanding the leverage he held, the attractiveness of the Lightning situation, and the fickleness of the typical 21 year old.
More snapshots from around the hockey world:
- NHL.com has some quotes on PK Subban today from around the Predators’ organization. Subban touches on the lack of distraction in Nasvhille, and GM David Poile responds to talk about Subban’s personality saying that while some would prefer a more homogeneous group, the Predators “don’t want that. We can’t win with 20 players that are exactly the same, either skill-wise or personality-wise. I want different types of players, and I want different personalities.”
- James O’Brien at NBC Pro Hockey Talk profiles the Brandon Wheat Kings’ Nolan Patrick today. Patrick, the son of former NHLer Steve Patrick, and newphew of former NHLer James Patrick, is expected to be taken with the first pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft.
- Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports quotes on Twitter Coyotes GM Jonathan Chayka suggesting that today’s signing of former Kings’ defenseman Luke Schenn could open up room for the team to offload an extra defenseman.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Defenseman Luke Schenn
The Arizona Coyotes have signed defenseman Luke Schenn to a two-year deal, first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger. CBC’s Elliote Friedman says the deal is worth $1.25MM AAV. ProHockeyRumors ranked Schenn the 30th best free agent this summer. The deal represents a significant pay cut for the defenseman, as Schenn’s last deal paid him $3.6MM annually for five years.
The unrestricted free agent put up 4G and 12A with both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings last year. The hard-nosed defenseman showed promise early on with the Toronto Maple Leafs after being drafted 5th overall in 2008. Schenn never did meet his potential, and the Leafs traded him to Philadelphia for James van Riemsdyk. Los Angeles traded for Schenn midway through last season in an attempt to bolster its defense.
Coyotes GM John Chayka says that Schenn is “a good, young defenseman and we feel we can optimize his performance here. He will be a solid addition to our blue line.” Arizona is not done with their D-corps, however, as RFA defenseman Michael Stone elected salary arbitration this summer. The hearing is set for August 4th, which gives both sides time to negotiate. The deal leaves the Coyotes with over $13MM in cap space next year, according to CapFriendly. While that is more than enough to sign RFAs Tobias Rieder and Michael Stone, the Coyotes are known to have an internal budget.
[See Arizona Coyotes Depth Chart at Roster Resource]
Arbitration Tracker
Ten days ago, the NHLPA released the schedule for player and team-elected arbitration hearings. Since then, four hearing dates have come and gone with no hearings, with eight players agreeing to contracts to avoid the unpleasant process.
Here’s an updated list of all 24 players who were scheduled for an arbitration hearing:
Player Elected Filings:
Arizona Coyotes
Michael Stone – Stone and the tough-negotiating Coyotes have a hearing set for August 4.
Colorado Avalanche
Tyson Barrie – Hearing set for July 29. Barrie has been the subject of near-constant trade rumors this summer.
Mikhail Grigorenko – Agreed to a one-year, $1.3MM contract on July 20, just two days before the scheduled hearing.
Detroit Red Wings
Jared Coreau – Agreed to a two-year, $1.25MM contract on July 6, well before any hearings were scheduled.
Danny DeKeyser – Signed a six-year deal on July 26th, locking him up long-term for the Red Wings.
Minnesota Wild
Jordan Schroeder – The Wild signed Schroeder to a one-year, two-way deal on July 23rd worth $675K in the NHL and $275K in the AHL.
Nashville Predators
Petter Granberg – Signed a two-year, two-way deal worth $575K / $175K (300K guaranteed) in the first year, and $650K / $175K in the second.
Calle Jarnkrok – Signed a six-year, $12MM deal July 27th.
New York Rangers
Kevin Hayes – Signed a two-year, $5.2MM deal Friday afternoon, hours after Kreider.
Chris Kreider – The Rangers and Kreider agreed to a four-year, $18.5MM contract Friday morning, beating the scheduled 9am arbitration meeting.
Dylan McIlrath – The massive defender signed a one-year, $800k contract last week, beating his hearing by a week.
J.T. Miller – World Cup-bound Miller and the Rangers settled on a two-year, $2.75MM contract on July 13.
Ottawa Senators
Mike Hoffman – After a long negotiation, the Senators and Hoffman agreed to a four-year, $20.75MM deal on July 27th.
Philadelphia Flyers
Brandon Manning – Manning got an unexpected second year in his two-year, $1.95MM deal he signed on July 26th.
Brayden Schenn – Schenn and the Flyers agreed to a four-year deal worth $5.125MM AAV.
Jordan Weal – Acquired by the Flyers in the Vincent Lecavalier trade, Weal signed a one-year, two-way, $650K contract the day the arbitration schedule was released.
St. Louis Blues
Jaden Schwartz – The Blues signed their young star to a five-year, $5.5MM contract last week.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Alex Killorn – The clutch playoff performer signed a long-term extension over the weekend, agreeing to $4.45MM per year for seven seasons.
Vladislav Namestnikov – World Cup-bound forward signed a two-year deal worth $1.9375MM on July 26th, three days before arbitration hearing.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Frank Corrado – Toronto signed Corrado to a one-year, one-way deal worth $600K on July 25.
Peter Holland – Holland signed a one-year deal worth $1.3MM on July 25.
Martin Marincin – The promising young shut-down defenseman is scheduled for arbitration on August 2.
Washington Capitals
Marcus Johansson – Johansson agreed to a three-year, $4.58MM contract just minutes before his hearing was set to begin.
CLUB ELECTED FILINGS:
Detroit Red Wings
Petr Mrazek – Just before his hearing on July 27th, Mrazek and the Red Wings inked a two-year, $8MM deal. With Jimmy Howard still earning $5.3MM for next season, the duo is one of the more expensive in the league.
We’ve previously explained the arbitration process as part of our Capology 101 series. Check out our Mike Furlano’s articles on eligibility and the arbitration process.
Minor NHL Transactions: 7/20/2016
Here is where we will keep track of the day’s minor moves:
- The Florida Panthers, via their team website, have announced the re-signing of forward Logan Shaw to a one-year, two-way contract. The six-foot-three, 202-pound Shaw saw action in 53 games with the Panthers in 2015-16, netting 5 goals and 7 points. He also appeared in 19 contests with the Portland Pirates (AHL) where he tallied 11 goals and 14 points. With the Panthers among the more active teams this summer, adding talent via both free agency and the trade market, it would seem the roster is pretty set meaning Shaw is likely to serve as a depth piece in 2016-17, much as he did this past season.
- Veteran center T.J. Hensick is set to join the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, according to the L.A Kings Insider website. Hensick last appeared in the NHL back during the 2010-11 campaign while a member of the St. Louis Blues. He split the past campaign with Utica and Charlotte of the AHL, scoring 40 points in 65 games. Hensick played with Kings prospect Adrian Kempe for MODO in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14, suggesting his familiarity with one of the club’s top prospects played a role in this signing.
- Arizona has hired former NHL goalie Doug Soetaert to be the General Manager of their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Most recently, Soetaert was a professional scout in the Arizona organization covering the western region. Prior to that, Soetaert plied his trade in Europe, scouting all professional leagues on the continent as well as the AHL. Soetaert also has extensive experience in the North American junior leagues, serving as Vice President and General Manager of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League from 2002 – 2012. During his playing days, Soetaert appeared in 284 games as a member of the New York Rangers (two stints), Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.
Snapshots: Rieder, Prust, LaBarbera
News and notes from around the NHL:
- Tobias Rieder and the Arizona Coyotes are still far apart on a deal, reports Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. The German winger scored 14G and 23A in 82 games for the Coyotes, and his 37 points is a 16 point improvement over his rookie year. Rieder was an integral part of the Coyotes team last year, playing over seventeen minutes a game. He is also one of three Coyotes RFAs yet to be signed—Michael Stone and Connor Murphy are still unsigned, with Stone electing salary arbitration. It is possible that Arizona is waiting to see what happens with Stone’s arbitration that is scheduled for August, 4, 2016. The defenseman put up similar numbers to Rieder last season.
- Free agent forward Brandon Prust tells TVA Sports (link in French) that he is willing to take a job anywhere. The former Vancouver Canuck tallied only 1G and 6A in 35 games last year before being sent down to the AHL Utica Comets. He says he was hampered by an ankle injury, and is looking for a chance to prove that he still belongs. Prust will most sign a training camp invite to get a shot at the NHL next season.
- Former NHL goaltender Jason LaBarbera hangs up the skates for a goaltending coach position with the WHL Calgary Hitmen. Originally drafted by the New York Rangers, LaBarbera also played for Los Angeles, Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton, and Anaheim. The Philadelphia Flyers signed LaBarbera to a one-year deal last year but relegated him to the minors. The 36 year old finished the AHL season with a 7-14 record with a 3.02 GAA and an .899 SV%.