Latest In Coyotes Arena Plans
On November 17, the Winnipeg Jets will be honoring two of the greatest players in franchise history (or at least, Jets history, both this iteration and the previous one). Teemu Selanne and Teppo Numminen will be inducted into the Jets Hall of Fame, joining Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg, Dale Hawerchuk, Ab McDonald, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Randy Carlyle, and Thomas Steen.
It wouldn’t be right to do it against any other team than the Anaheim Ducks, where Selanne went from incredible youngster to NHL legend. In just 231 games for the Jets, Selanne scored 147 goals, including 76 in his rookie season, a record that has yet to be broken (and is 23 ahead of second place, Mike Bossy). Numminen meanwhile played 547 games for the Jets and continued on with the organization after it moved to Phoenix, playing a total of 1,098 with that franchise. The steady-as-she-goes defenseman was one of the most consistent two-way players in his era, racking up 637 points in 1,372 career games.
- The Los Angeles Kings have added Andy Johnson to their scouting staff, according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. He comes from the Sioux City Musketeers, where he served as general manager for the last three seasons. The Musketeers won the Clark Cup as champions of the USHL this season and have produced plenty of NHL talents including Jake Guentzel, and Max Pacioretty.
- While there has been positive momentum toward a new arena in Tempe for the Arizona Coyotes, nothing is finalized to this point. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports details the next step, which includes a presentation to the city council on Thursday that will detail progress made on outstanding issues. Morgan suggests this could be the “home stretch” for the negotiation, while examining those potential issues.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Maveric Lamoureux
The Arizona Coyotes have inked prospect Maveric Lamoureux to a three-year, entry-level contract, getting the first-round pick into the system right away. The young defenseman was selected 29th overall in this offseason’s draft.
General manager Bill Armstrong released the following statement:
We are very pleased to sign Maveric to an entry-level contract. He is a big, strong, physical defenseman who is a very good skater and has a good shot. We look forward to watching his development this season.
When Armstrong says that Lamoureux is big, he is underselling it a bit. The 18-year-old already stands 6’7″ and towers over most of his competition in the QMJHL, where he had 24 points in 54 games for the Drummondville Voltigeurs this season.
While he’s still very much a work-in-progress, the upside for a player like this is immense because of the way he skates. Lamoureux can move around the ice with ease, allowing him to use his huge reach advantage effectively and angle offensive players away from the front of the net.
Lamoureux was the third first-round pick the Coyotes had this year, following Logan Cooley (3rd overall) and Conor Geekie (11th). The former will be going to the University of Minnesota, while the latter has already signed his entry-level deal.
Tucson Roadrunners Hire Zack Stortini
Another familiar face to NHL fans will be joining the AHL coaching ranks, as the Tucson Roadrunners have hired Zack Stortini as an assistant. The former NHL tough guy has been with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL the last two seasons but will join Steve Potvin for the upcoming season.
Arizona Coyotes assistant general manager John Ferguson released the following statement:
Zack’s extensive professional playing experience as a team-first competitor combined with his rise on the coaching side make him the ideal complement to John Slaney in supporting and executing Steve Potvin’s head coaching strategies while developing each player’s individual skills and capabilities.
Stortini, 36, played 257 games in the NHL, all but one of them with the Edmonton Oilers, and racked up 725 penalty minutes as one of the league’s top enforcers. The 6’4″ forward had a whopping 81 fighting majors in his time in the NHL, including consecutive years with at least 23. Those numbers were nothing compared to his minor league totals, which included 33 fights in the 2013-14 season alone.
Perhaps that influence can be seen in the Wolves, who led the OHL in penalty minutes this past season, racking up 91 more than any other team.
Given his close to 1,000 games of professional hockey Stortini should be able to relay some wisdom to the Roadrunners squad, which has become a crucial development stage in the Coyotes rebuild. The experience of winning a Calder Cup in 2007 should also come in handy as he transitions to behind a minor league bench.
Tuscon Roadrunners Promote Steve Potvin
The Tucson Roadrunners will have a new head coach this season after Jay Varady took a position with the Detroit Red Wings, but it won’t be an unfamiliar face. Steve Potvin, who has been with the club since 2017, has been promoted to head coach for the 2022-23 season.
This will actually be his second stint as head coach of the club, after serving in the same role for 2020-21 when Varady was with the Arizona Coyotes. Last season, when Varady moved back down the organizational depth chart, Potvin was given the role of associate head coach, and was still intimately involved in decision making.
Bill Armstrong, Coyotes general manager, released the following statement:
Steve is a very good coach who has great familiarity with our players in Tucson. He has done a tremendous job developing our prospects the past six seasons and we are thrilled to name him as our head coach with the Roadrunners.
Developing young players is now an extremely important part of the puzzle for Armstrong and the Coyotes front office, as they move through another rebuild by stripping the NHL roster of talent. A lot of those premium prospects haven’t reached the AHL level yet, however, meaning it not necessarily this season that is so crucial.
Still, building a “culture of winning” in the minor leagues is considered extremely important for player development these days, meaning Potvin will be tasked with getting the Roadrunners back to their previous level. The team did not qualify for the postseason this year and finished 13-20-3 in the shortened 2020-21 campaign, after leading the Pacific Division in 2019-20 when the year was shut down. Potvin has been a part of both sides of those results, and he’ll try to move the needle back toward success in the coming season.
Lawson Crouse Signs Five-Year Extension
Arbitration will have to wait. Lawson Crouse and the Arizona Coyotes have agreed on a five-year contract extension, just ahead of their arbitration hearing that was scheduled for today. The deal will carry an average annual value of $4.3MM. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports has the full breakdown:
- 2022-23: $3.6MM
- 2023-24: $4.6MM
- 2024-25: $4.6MM
- 2025-26: $4.8MM
- 2026-27: $3.8MM
The two sides had exchanged arbitration figures over the weekend, with the Coyotes filing for $2.5MM and Crouse asking for a $4.0MM contract. That would have been a one or two-year deal, which is why the number crept a bit higher as the two sides agreed on a long-term solution. General manager Bill Armstrong released a short statement:
We are very pleased to sign Lawson to a long-term contract. He is a big, strong, skilled power forward and we look forward to him being a big part of our future.
Crouse, 25, still had two years of restricted free agency left, meaning this contract is buying out three UFA seasons for the power forward. He’s coming off his first 20-goal season, one in which he was an impressive blend of size, physicality, and scoring touch. Those 20 goals and 34 points came in just 65 games, along with his 181 hits.
Originally selected 11th overall by the Florida Panthers in 2015, Crouse was part of the trade that sent Dave Bolland‘s LTIR-bound contract to the desert in 2016. Since then, he has played in 346 games for the Coyotes, scoring 56 goals and 110 points.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he did experience a solid improvement this season and is the kind of power-skill mix that is difficult to find in today’s NHL. He’ll join Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz as the only Arizona players who are signed for more than three years, and slides in as one of the team’s building blocks moving forward.
The team still has Barrett Hayton to sign as a restricted free agent, but otherwise looks rather set for the upcoming season. Arizona does still have close to $20MM in cap space, meaning they can continue to use that room to acquire more futures for the rest of the summer, if the opportunity arises.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to break the news on Twitter.
Logan Cooley Planning On Honoring College Commitment Next Season
As he prepares to represent the United States at the 2022 World Junior Championships this week, Arizona Coyotes 2022 third overall pick Logan Cooley confirmed he’ll be playing at the University of Minnesota next season after committing there earlier this year.
After attending Coyotes development camp earlier this summer, Cooley said that “a year in college could really help. Just keep developing, and then I think I’ll be ready.”
He also expressed a desire to turn pro as quickly as possible, though, assuming he has a strong freshman season in Minnesota as expected. Cooley could absolutely still make his NHL debut in 2021-22, just at the tail end of the campaign after his college season concludes.
Cooley’s sentiments are music to the ears of Minnesota fans. Their program, while it’ll still be highlighted by the returns of defensemen Brock Faber, Jackson LaCombe, and Ryan Johnson, as well as forward Matthew Knies, will have to replace the holes left by senior standouts Ben Meyers and Samuel Walker. They’ll also be dealing with the departures of a pair of NHL-affiliated prospects in Chaz Lucius and Tristan Broz.
Arbitration Breakdown: Lawson Crouse
It’s likely to be a long weekend for representatives of Lawson Crouse and the Arizona Coyotes as they prepare for a Monday morning arbitration hearing to decide the forward’s next contract, or perhaps try to settle it ahead of time. A veteran of six NHL seasons, Crouse has two more seasons as a RFA and had filed for arbitration ahead of the deadline for players to elect on July 17th.
Given Crouse’s age, play style and Arizona’s cap space, one may have expected the sides to work out a long-term deal this offseason. However, as the hearing date approaches, that agreement appears less and less likely, especially as figures have been exchanged. With another year of control which will require another contract given that both sides asked for a one-year deal in arbitration, Arizona should have another chance at keeping the forward long-term, while Crouse will have a chance to repeat on his strong 2021-22 and command an even higher salary.
Filings:
Team: $2.5MM
Player: $4.00MM
Midpoint: $3.25MM
(per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)
The Numbers:
Listed at 6’4″ and 220 pounds, Crouse is a large power-forward willing to hit anyone in sight and can chip in offensively. The 25-year-old arguably hasn’t hit the ceiling projected for him when the Florida Panthers selected him 11th overall in 2015, however he has made a name for himself in the league, filling his role, one that is usually in high-demand, quite well. Barely more than a year after Florida selected Crouse, they dealt him to the Coyotes along with the contract of Dave Bolland, and he was given an opportunity to slot right into Arizona’s lineup.
Crouse would get into 72 games as a rookie in 2016-17, but struggled to just 12 points in that time. The following year he would appear in only 11 NHL games, spending the rest of the season in the AHL. Since returning to a full-time NHL role in 2018-19, Crouse has been a steady presence in the Coyotes lineup, but had struggled to find his place on the offensive side of the puck. 2018-19 saw Crouse record 25 points in 81 games, repeating that number in a notably fewer 66 games in 2019-20, a season COVID-19 cut short. Unfortunately, the winger took a step back in 2020-21, recording just 13 points in 51 games.
Heading into his prime years and towards opportunities to make big money, Crouse not only needed a bounce-back season, but needed a bit of a breakout in 2021-22 and got just that. In 65 games, Crouse hit career-highs in goals with 20 and assists with 14 (the second time he’s done so) and even found himself part of trade deadline speculation. The performance didn’t cement him as one of the league’s best, but it didn’t need to. As a grinder, a heavy hitter, and someone who plays the game the right way, Crouse was able to show he could contribute offensively on top of that. In a hearing, an arbitrator will look at the bulk of a player’s production over the years, considering consistency and growth, but no season is more important to consider than the platform year. For his career, Crouse has shown consistency and some growth ahead of his poor 2020-21, but again showed that growth heading into his platform year, the best he’s had to date.
2021-22 Stats: 65 GP, 20 G, 14 A, 34 pts, 52 PIMs, 131 shots, 181 hits, 17:26 ATOI
Career Stats: 346 GP, 56 G, 54 A, 110 pts, 253 PIMs, 538, 1,014 hits, 13:50 ATOI
Potential Comparables:
Comparable contracts are restricted to those signed within restricted free agency which means UFA deals and entry-level pacts are ineligible to be used. The contracts below fit within those parameters.
Andrew Copp (Winnipeg Jets) – Copp and the Jets avoided arbitration last summer with a one-year, $3.64MM contract that carried the forward through to unrestricted free agency. Having agreed to the contract two weeks prior to the hearing date, neither side exchanged figures for the arbitration. Copp’s 2021-22 salary comes in just about halfway between the midpoint and the player filing in Crouse’s case, meaning that Crouse’s representatives would have to show that he, right now, is somewhat better than Copp was last summer. Much like Crouse, Copp had made a career as a hard-working, physical forward who could chip in point totals somewhere in the upper-20’s, but not much more. Also like Crouse, Copp had an offensive breakout in his platform year, though his 39 points in 55 games was notably stronger than Crouse’s 34 in 65 games. While he fits nicely within the filing numbers in the instant case, the former Jets forward may not be an ideal comparison for either side, as Crouse would find it difficult to show he’s any better than Copp was, but Arizona would have a tough time showing that Crouse is so far behind Copp that he warrants a salary $1.14MM less than Copp.
Tyler Bertuzzi (Detroit Red Wings): We take another step back in time, now to 2020, for the rest of our comparables. That year, Bertuzzi and Detroit went to arbitration, where Bertuzzi was awarded $3.5MM. That number was closer to Detroit’s $3.15MM filing number as compared to Bertuzzi’s $4.25MM, but represented something closer to a split for both sides. Bertuzzi had come off of a 48 point season, featuring 21 goals and 27 assists in 71 games, better than Crouse’s 20 goals and 14 assist platform year. What’s more is that this wasn’t a breakout for Bertuzzi like it was for Crouse, having his 47 points in 73 games the year prior, and a similarly-paced 24 points in 48 games before that. This comparison would likely work best for Arizona in the instant hearing, considering Bertuzzi had exceeded Crouse’s breakout season in his platform year, already a repeat of the year prior, and was only awarded $3.5MM. If a player with production considerably better than Crouse, for a longer stretch, is only worth $3.5MM, then it stands to reason that Crouse would not be worth more than $3.5MM, or anywhere near that amount, Arizona may argue.
Connor Brown (Ottawa Senators): Also during the 2020 offseason, Brown and Ottawa settled their case, agreeing to a three-year, $3.6MM AAV deal. Entering that offseason, Brown was coming off a career remarkably similar to Crouse, having been reliable for some offensive production with point production hovering just over the 30-points-per-82-games level, and fresh off a bounce-back season after a rough year prior. Brown had 43 points in 71 games in his platform year, a significant step-up from just 29 points in 82 games the year before. Even though this $3.6MM is below Crouse’s filing, it’s above the midpoint and as a three-year deal, shows Ottawa’s confidence in Brown after his up-and-down trajectory. Crouse may argue that the long-term commitment shows confidence on this trajectory, one remarkably similar to his. He could also show that in addition to similar offensive production, he unlike Brown, adds an additional element as a hard-hitting power forward, which is production in its own right.
Jake Virtanen (Vancouver Canucks): A final comparison from 2020, and a strong one for the Coyotes is Virtanen, who settled with Vancouver on a two-year, $2.55MM AAV contract. This deal is just barely over the Coyotes’ filing number, and Virtanen’s trajectory heading into arbitration is incredibly similar to that of Crouse. After a somewhat pedestrian rookie season, both players spent a majority of their second year in the AHL, but returned with a bit more production, remaining consistent over the next two seasons. The season after would then be Virtanen’s platform year, where he took a step forward, recording 18 goals and 18 assists in 69 games. Crouse on the other hand would regress before his 20 goal and 14 assist platform year. With similar production for their career, Crouse recording 110 points in 346 gams entering arbitration and Virtanen 95 points in 279 games before the above contract, the only difference is that Crouse took a step back at one point, Virtanen did not. Arizona would likely argue that the two players had almost the same career, except Crouse regressed two years before arbitration, while Virtanen did not, thus why Arizona filed just slightly below what Virtanen and Vancouver agreed upon.
Projection:
Given the comparable players, Crouse may find it difficult to be awarded at his filing number. However, the relevant comparables outside of Virtanen show that Crouse is most likely worth around or above the midpoint. The forward had his best season in his platform year and hit somewhat of a milestone marker with 20 goals. His ability to play a physical game supplement’s his offense as well, helping to drive up his value.
On the other hand, Crouse’s 2020-21 was unimpressive at best and serves to show that some inconsistency may be present in the winger’s game, and even though Copp, Bertuzzi, and Brown show Crouse should be above the midpoint, Virtanen casts doubt on that assumption, even if his contract isn’t dispositive.
What Crouse’s next salary winds up being is a question most likely reserved for arbitration at this point, however the more important question for the rebuilding Coyotes will be how one of their young building-blocks can continue to develop and whether they can secure him long-term.
Coyotes, Lawson Crouse Exchange Arbitration Figures
With their scheduled arbitration hearing now 48 hours away, the Coyotes and winger Lawson Crouse have exchanged their requested awards. The gap, as it almost always is, is sizable, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Arizona has submitted a $2.5MM figure and Crouse has come in with a $4MM request.
The 25-year-old is coming off of a career season, one that saw him post 20 goals and 14 assists despite missing 17 games mostly due to a hand injury. Crouse also received a sizable jump in playing time for his efforts as head coach Andre Tourigny increased his ice time by more than three minutes a game compared to 2020-21 as he logged 17:26 per game. It’s also worth noting that Crouse led the Coyotes in hits for the fourth straight season with 181.
Power forwards with some offensive ability are hard to find in the NHL and often get more than expected on their contracts as a result. Those types of deals are often done closer to the player becoming UFA-eligible and Crouse is still a couple of years away from that threshold so the timing for such a move isn’t quite right. To that end, it’s notable that both sides asked for a one-year award, fully knowing the big negotiation is probably a year away.
No matter what happens with this negotiation (or hearing if it makes it that far), Crouse will be in line for a considerable raise after playing on a bridge deal that carried a $1.533MM AAV for each of the last three seasons. The two sides will have until the start of the hearing on Monday to negotiate a settlement but once that hearing starts, the arbitrator will have the final say on what Crouse’s salary for next season will be.
Free Agent Profile: Anton Stralman
At the peak of his game, defenseman Anton Stralman was possibly the most underrated two-way defenseman in the league. In his late 20s, his first few seasons in a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform were his best, receiving some Norris votes and flourishing in a top-four role on an emerging Tampa team looking to win. Since signing a well-paid free-agent deal with the Florida Panthers in 2019, though, his point production and his defensive play have declined severely.
Fresh off his 36th birthday at the beginning of the month, Stralman is still looking for an NHL contract next season. Spending the final season of that three-year contract signed with Florida with the Arizona Coyotes, Stralman did have his highest point total since 2015-16. It also came with an increase in ice time, though, which saw his defensive game decline even further from where it had in Florida.
Stralman still carries value in his leadership and experience, and given he’s 70 games away from 1,000 in the NHL, it’s a fair bet to assume he still has the drive to play in the NHL. On a contending team, though, he’s likely not more than a sixth or seventh defenseman at this stage. He does have the added value of being a right-shot defenseman, which some teams could surely use some added depth at. His play-driving ability, at least offensively, is still strong, but would likely need a sound two-way partner to have a lot of effectiveness.
Stats
2021-22: 74 GP, 8-15-23, -16 rating, 12 PIMs, 95 shots, 44.4 CF%, 21:20 ATOI
Career: 930 GP, 63-230-293, +49 rating, 285 PIMs, 1314 shots, 51.3 CF%, 20:00 ATOI
Potential Suitors
One team looking to make the next step that needs some added security at right D is the Vancouver Canucks. A bottom-pairing role could be a good fit for Stralman here alongside a solid, young two-way partner in Travis Dermott. It’s a win-win, allowing Dermott to benefit from Stralman’s leadership, and Stralman’s play on its own is likely an upgrade over that of Kyle Burroughs or Tucker Poolman. The Canucks already have a lot of depth defensemen in the organization, though, and with Jack Rathbone fighting for NHL ice time, it might be too much for the organization to add to at this point.
The Edmonton Oilers are also a team without much defensive depth outside of their top six, which is fairly locked in at this point. With no great options to carry around as an extra on the NHL roster, Stralman could look to head to Alberta for a chance to win his first Stanley Cup.
With the Florida Panthers losing both MacKenzie Weegar and Ben Chiarot this summer, a return to the Sunshine State may also be a good fit for Stralman, who could join a depth contingent there that includes Marc Staal and Lucas Carlsson.
Projected Contract
At this stage, unless he’s joining a team not expected to make a huge playoff bid, Stralman’s contract would likely be a one-year deal close to, if not exactly, the league minimum $750K. All of the above-mentioned suitors are teams right up against their salary cap limits, and fitting Stralman in would be a tough ask if he’s not on the cheap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 08/03/22
It’s been a busy start to the month of August, with the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils both getting some of the biggest RFAs left on the board signed within the past 48 hours. It’s busy elsewhere in the hockey world, too, and former (or possibly future) NHLers are making their way around the minor leagues in North America and professional leagues in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves today right here.
- After splitting last season between the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Chicago Wolves, former Colorado Avalanche defense prospect Chris Bigras will try his hand in Europe for the first time. Per the team, the KHL’s only Kazakhstani club, Barys Nur-Sultan, has signed him to a one-year deal for the 2022-23 season. Bigras hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since he appeared in 15 with Colorado during the 2017-18 season.
- Defenseman Cole Hults is heading to the Italian club HC Bolzano in the ICEHL after just two seasons in the AHL, per a team release. Hults played in 54 games last season with the Tucson Roadrunners while under contract with the Arizona Coyotes, registering 17 points. He’ll join his older brother Mitch on the team.
This page will be updated throughout the day