Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Burdasov, Russell, Sutter
The Vegas Golden Knights have had a quiet offseason so far this year after a busy couple of years. Many were shocked to see the expansion team already being capped out, loaded down with plenty of talented veterans on what was supposed to be a young roster. Instead, Vegas has built a team that can contend immediately and many have projected Vegas to capture the Western Conference. Despite having little maneuvering room in which they had to cast off a number of players, including Erik Haula, Colin Miller and Nikita Gusev, next season could be a whole different story.
Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson writes that Vegas should have quite a bit of cap room next season once again once several contracts are off the books, including Cody Eakin, Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden amongst others. With a number of prospects ready to move into the Golden Knights’ lineup in a year, the team might have quite a bit of cap available, upwards of $6-9MM of available cap room (depending on moves made from now until July 1, 2020). That could free up enough room to acquire a significant free agent next season to target a number of free agents, especially on defense, including players like Tyson Barrie, Jared Spurgeon, Justin Schultz or Justin Faulk.
- In his Sunday column, Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that he doubts that the Edmonton Oilers will go after Russian forward Anton Burdasov who has expressed recent interest in coming to the NHL this season with Edmonton supposedly being one of the three primary suitors for the 28-year-old. Burdasov is coming off a career-high 19 goals and tied his career-high in points in the KHL last season. However, Leavins adds that Burdasov is neither a playmaker or a good skater, which likely wouldn’t interest the Oilers too much as Edmonton is looking for players to increase their speed and are able to play next to their top two centers in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
- Sticking with the Oilers, Edmonton Journal’s David Staples writes that the Edmonton Oilers intend to shift defenseman Kris Russell back to his natural left side next season. Russell has been playing on the right side with the team as a top-four option, but assistant coach Jim Playfair said he wants Russell to move back to the left, while the team wants Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson to pair together this year. Russell likely will be asked to take a third-pairing role, which should allow a one of the team’s younger players to step into the open top-four role on the right side. Several players are likely expected to battle for the open spot, including Matt Benning, Joel Persson, Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard.
- In his quest to get back to full health, Vancouver Canucks veteran forward Brandon Sutter is trying to use Pilates for the first time in his 11-year career to get back into shape. “I started doing Pilates this summer which was awesome,” the 30-year-old Sutter said Wednesday following an off-season skills and conditioning skate. “A whole different thing than I’ve done before and now that I’ve started it, I wish I would have done it 10 years ago because it has helped a lot,” said the 30-year-old Sutter. “It’s all functional movement and based on the inner thigh and core. It’s just very specific for exactly what I need and now that I’ve done it, in the future I’ll do it more and spend less time lifting weights.” Sutter was expected to play a significant role for the team last season, but injuries derailed his season and he appeared in just 26 games, scoring just four goals. The hope is that using Pilates might keep him healthy for a full season and he can play a big role as a bottom-line leader this year.
Kings Notes: Vilardi, Hutton, Hults, Toffoli
Kings GM Rob Blake met with reporters on Friday to discuss quite a few things about the team with their rookie tournament and training camp on the horizon. Here is a listing of some of the things that were discussed (all Twitter links via LA Kings Insider’s Jon Rosen unless otherwise noted).
- 2017 first-round pick Gabriel Vilardi is progressing in his rehab but will not be on the ice at training camp. He played in just four games with AHL Ontario last season before being shut down due to recurring back injuries. Vilardi’s entry-level contract has slid the last two years but will now begin no matter what in 2019-20. Blake allowed for a small amount of optimism, stating that the center is “farther along in rehab than any part in last 12 months”.
- Blake acknowledged that they took a look at UFA defenseman Ben Hutton early on in free agency but downplayed the possibility that they will sign him. Rosen adds that the look wasn’t a particularly extensive one. Hutton remains one of the more intriguing UFAs left as he’s coming off a decent season with Vancouver that saw him collect 20 points in 69 games while averaging over 22 minutes a night. However, salary arbitration concerns resulted in the Canucks non-tendering him back in June.
- One defenseman that they do intend to sign is defenseman Cole Hults. He was a fifth-round pick (134th overall) of the team back in 2017 and is coming off a strong season at Penn State with 28 points in 39 games. Los Angeles will wait for him to complete his junior year though. They’ve shown a willingness to burn the first year of an entry-level deal quickly on college players in the past and Hults looks like a candidate for that to happen again.
- Winger Tyler Toffoli was in trade speculation at the deadline last season but ultimately stayed put. He’s now entering the final year of his contract which means contract extension talks can begin. Blake indicated (via Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period) that he’s in no rush to discuss a new deal with the 27-year-old, who had just 13 goals in 82 games last season and that he expects that the situation will work itself out later in the year.
Benning: Canucks Hope To Get A Deal Done With Nikolay Goldobin Soon
- While it may take a bit of time for the Canucks to get a deal done with winger Brock Boeser, GM Jim Benning told Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma that he’s “hoping to get something figured out in short order” with RFA winger Nikolay Goldobin. The 23-year-old quietly finished seventh on the team in scoring last season despite missing 19 games. However, a lot of those games missed were as healthy scratches as the team has concerns about his all-around game. 27 points should be enough to get him more than his qualifying offer but given that Vancouver is probably going to be over the Upper Limit when a Boeser deal gets done, it’s likely that they’ll push for a one-year pact with Goldobin to keep the AAV as low as possible.
Canucks Sign Goaltender Arturs Silovs
From NHL Draft pick to an NHL contract faster than anyone might have imagined, 2019 sixth-round pick Arturs Silovs has signed his entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks, the team announced. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry a $925K cap hit, including his signing bonus.
The Latvian goaltender was selected 156th overall, a late stage in the draft in which some selections never even receive NHL offers, but seemingly has impressed enough to earn a shot right away and is likely on his way to North America.
Silovs, 18, was under contract with the KHL’s Dinamo Riga, based in his hometown and Latvia’s capital city, but did not see any action. Instead, Silovs played seven games with Dinamo’s affiliate in the minor league MHL and another 20 games with HS Riga of the Latvian pro league. Silovs fared much better against similar-aged competition in the MHL, posting a .920 save percentage and 2.45 GAA. He got another shot at that level of play at the U-18 World Junior Championships as well, in which he recorded a .918 save percentage and 3.32 GAA in five games for Team Latvia.
Silovs largely flew under the radar during the pre-draft process, but there is a lot to like about his performance against equal competition, as well as his impressive (and still growing) 6’4”, 200+ lb. frame. While the Canucks were able to wait until the sixth round to grab him, Silovs’ stock was much higher in the subsequent CHL Import Draft. Silovs was selected 11th overall by the OHL’s Barrie Colts and could very well be headed to the club next season. However, Silovs is also eligible to jump immediately into the AHL/ECHL, as has become a more popular move of late with young European goaltenders. Yet, Silovs is now the seventh goalie under contract for the Canucks, making giving him play time even in the ECHL a major challenge. Odds are that the teen keeper will head to the junior level to begin a long development process under Vancouver’s watchful eye.
Canucks Won't Structure A Brock Boeser Deal Similar To San Jose's Timo Meier
- While the contract Canucks RFA winger Brock Boeser is seeking is believed to be similar to that of San Jose winger Timo Meier, don’t expect it to have a similar structure. Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma notes that the asking price remains four years at a $7MM AAV (Meier came in at four years at $6MM per), but GM Jim Benning isn’t a fan of the back-loaded structure that creates a highly-inflated qualifying offer at its expiration. A four-year deal would carry some risk in that it would take him a year away from UFA eligibility but at the same time, it would carry a lower AAV which would be helpful given their salary cap situation.
Snapshots: PWHPA, Barbashev, Hoglander
In May, some of the top women’s hockey players in the world announced the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association in their ongoing fight for more resources and support for their sport. The same way that the NHLPA protects players’ rights and fights for larger pieces of the financial pie, the PWHPA was meant as a “a vehicle dedicated to promoting and supporting the creation of a single, viable women’s professional league in North America.”
Today, the PWHPA has announced that Jayna Hefford has been named operations consultant, essentially taking over leadership of the union. The legendary women’s hockey star has been at the forefront of the sport both on the ice and as a former commissioner of the CWHL before it’s dissolution recently. Hefford is one of the most decorated Canadian hockey players of all-time, taking home four Olympic and seven World Championship gold medals over her career. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
- The St. Louis Blues still have some unfinished business this summer with unsigned restricted free agent Ivan Barbashev. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express passes on a report out of Russia that has Barbashev looking for a two-year, $4MM deal with the Blues, while the team has offered just a two-year, $2.6MM contract. A report recently had Barbashev looking at his overseas options, though no decision has been made at this point.
- Nils Hoglander will spend another season in Sweden according to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet, who reports that the Vancouver Canucks discussed a contract with the young prospect but won’t sign him this offseason. The 18-year old forward was selected with the 40th pick of the 2019 draft and can continue to develop in the SHL in 2019-20.
Vancouver Canucks Extend Jim Benning
Aug 20: The team has officially announced the three-year contract extension through the 2022-23 season. Owner Francesco Aquilini released a short statement on his GM:
It’s great that Jim has agreed to continue his work as General Manager. His experience, relationships, and hockey knowledge are invaluable. We’re committed to building a winning team and getting back among the NHL elite for the long term. There are no shortcuts, but we’ve embarked on a path to get there, and I have confidence in Jim’s ability to see it through.
Aug 16: The Vancouver Canucks have signed GM Jim Benning to an extension according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Benning has been in the position since 2014 and had just one season left on his current deal.
We examined the work that Benning has done to create his roster recently, diving into the Canucks’ salary cap situation and finding them pretty close to the ceiling with Brock Boeser and Nikolay Goldobin left to sign. The biggest cause of concern is Loui Eriksson who still carries three seasons left on his unfortunate free agent deal at a $6MM cap hit, but many have critiqued other recent signings like Tyler Myers and moves to acquire talent like J.T. Miller. While both are useful players, the Canucks don’t seem to be at a level to compete at this moment unless their young core takes a big step forward.
It’s that young core that is probably Benning’s biggest accomplishment. Though he inherited Bo Horvat, Benning has been able to add several other potential star players in the draft including Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and Boeser. The drafts haven’t been all roses as 2016 fifth overall pick Olli Juolevi has still yet to make his NHL debut and 2014 sixth overall pick Jake Virtanen is still trying to put it all together, but there is at least some hope that the team will compete down the road. The question now is just when will that success happen?
After making the playoffs in his first year as GM, the Canucks have failed to qualify for the postseason tournament in each of the last four seasons and have compiled an overall 175-186-49 record under Benning. Travis Green is the second head coach hired and has shown some promise, but needs to get the team to that next level and really compete for a spot in the Pacific Division.
Much of that will rely on whether or not the team gets Boeser signed before the start of the season, though there doesn’t seem to be any animosity between the two sides. Just like with a dozen other front offices around the league, restricted free agent negotiations have crawled to a snail’s pace this summer. Now that Benning has a little job security under his belt, perhaps things will pick up.
RFA Notes: Honka, Perlini, Boeser
The Dallas Stars are still expected to move on from young defenseman Julius Honka at some point, it’s just not clear when that will be. The 23-year old spoke to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (subscription required) and explained that he is trying to stay positive about the next chapter of his hockey career, despite not knowing exactly where that will be.
Honka is unsigned, one of the large group of restricted free agents still without a contract for the upcoming season. The Stars meanwhile have their defensive group filled out for 2019-20 thanks to the emergence of Miro Heiskanen and solid contributions from depth options like Roman Polak, Jamie Oleksiak and newcomer Andrej Sekera. With a lack of opportunity there have been trade rumors floating around Honka for quite some time, though it’s not clear when a move will actually be made.
- One other young RFA that is expected to sign soon is Brendan Perlini of the Chicago Blackhawks, who continue to discuss a new contract according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. Powers relays news from a source that says a deal will get done “over the next week or so.” Perlini is the final restricted free agent left to sign for GM Stan Bowman, who has rebuilt the Blackhawks roster over the last several months by bringing in names like Andrew Shaw, Zack Smith, Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan.
- Though a deal for Perlini is imminent, that doesn’t sound like the case for Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet tweets that Canucks GM Jim Benning won’t have anything new to say about Boeser when he speaks to the media today about his own extension. Boeser is one a dozen high profile restricted free agents waiting for the market to be set by someone else—with most pointing to Mitch Marner or Brayden Point as the flag bearers for the class.
Poll: Which GM Will Be Fired Next?
Despite missing the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the Vancouver Canucks decided to extend GM Jim Benning today. The reasons for that are complicated—and obviously do not hinge entirely on his postseason record—just as they were when the Minnesota Wild made the decision to fire Paul Fenton just 14 months into his tenure with the team. The inner workings of an NHL front office are almost never made public (unless there is an intrepid reporter like Michael Russo of The Athletic who gets the incredible story), and it is hard to see why some decisions are made.
Still, even the most casual fan can see the seat of specific executives and coaches heating up. When the Edmonton Oilers decided to move on from Peter Chiarelli during another disappointing season, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. On the other hand, it was easy to see why the Carolina Hurricanes recently locked up Don Waddell after he interviewed for another job.
Looking around the league, who is next? Which GM will be let go, either this year or next summer?
It might be easy to look at the teams that have struggled recently, but many of them have replaced their top hockey operations executive over the last few seasons. The Oilers brought in Ken Holland to change the culture in Edmonton, while Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings to bring a new voice to a stagnant team. Florida has gone through quite a bit of turmoil in the front office since their ownership changed but Dale Tallon now seems to be entrenched as a veteran leader.
There are others though that may not be so lucky. The Ottawa Senators are heading in a new direction after shedding their previous core, but if the young talent doesn’t develop as hoped Pierre Dorion could be held responsible. John Chayka was the youngest GM in history when he took over the Arizona Coyotes in 2016, but they still haven’t made the playoffs under his watch and now have new ownership of their own. Jason Botterill was expected to have success in Buffalo after finding so much of it in Pittsburgh, but the Sabres haven’t been able to build a full roster around Jack Eichel despite some outstanding individual players.
Nothing is certain when it comes to front offices however. Cast your vote below and explain just why you think they’ll be the first to go!
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*We’ve used Kelly McCrimmon as the Vegas GM, though he won’t officially take that title from George McPhee until September
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vancouver Canucks
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Vancouver Canucks
Current Cap Hit: $76,441,539 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Quinn Hughes (two years, $917K)
F Elias Pettersson (two years, $925K)
Potential Bonuses:
Hughes: $850K
Pettersson: $2.85MM
Pettersson’s deal is certainly quite the bargain. The Calder Trophy winner burst onto the scene and immediately emerged as one of Vancouver’s top forwards. While he’s still two years away from his second contract, his agent is undoubtedly keeping an eye on the top end of the current RFA market as Pettersson could very well approach a similar territory on his next deal. The Canucks elected to burn the first year of Hughes’ deal early to entice him to sign. He projects to be the type of player that could get a significant second contract although he won’t be eligible for an offer sheet in the 2021 offseason as a result of going this route.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Alex Biega ($825K, UFA)
D Oscar Fantenberg ($850K, UFA)
F Josh Leivo ($1.5MM, UFA)
G Jacob Markstrom ($3.67MM, UFA)
F Tyler Motte ($975K, RFA)
F Tim Schaller ($1.9MM, UFA)
D Troy Stecher ($2.325MM, UFA)
D Chris Tanev ($4.45MM, UFA)
F Jake Virtanen ($1.25MM, RFA)
Up front, Virtanen is the most intriguing of the group. He has shown flashes of putting it all together and showed some signs of improvement in 2018-19 en route to a career year offensively. They have enough invested in him that they’ll keep him around but another short-term deal is probably in the cards a year from now. Leivo will be looking to use his first full season in Vancouver to his advantage and restore some value. If he can produce at a similar mark as he did with the Canucks last season, he could be an intriguing under the radar UFA next summer. Schaller’s deal felt like an overpayment as soon as it was signed and it’s safe to say he won’t be re-signed. He’s a candidate to be on waivers in training camp. Motte impressed in his first full-season look but is best served in a fourth line role. That makes him a possible non-tender candidate with some of the youngsters they have in the system but if he is retained, it will need to come with a small raise.
Tanev was once a highly sought after trade candidate. Since then, his value has dipped considerably as he has had trouble staying healthy. He has missed at least 27 games in each of the last three seasons and has never played more than 70 in a season. Players of his type aren’t in as high demand as they were just a few years ago so, at this stage, the 29-year-old may be hard-pressed to match his current deal. Stecher had a good bounce-back year in the first year of his bridge contract and a repeat performance could see him approach the $3.5MM or more mark on a new deal. Fantenberg was brought in for depth and given their cap structure, he’ll either be re-signed or replaced by someone willing to take a similar rate. Biega is in a similar situation; while he has served as capable depth in recent years, he’s not the type of player they’ll want to give a tangible raise to.
Markstrom’s situation is a bit of an intriguing one. Vancouver has their top goalie prospect now on the roster full-time so they’ll want to give him plenty of playing time. Accordingly, striving to get the top portion of a platoon may be all that Markstrom can get this season which would certainly be a step down after playing 60 games in each of the last two years. He’ll be 30 when he hits the open market, young enough that a multi-year deal at a raise is certainly something that would be justifiable for quite a few teams. However, the Canucks may not be one of them. There’s a lot at stake for him in 2019-20.
Two Years Remaining
F Sven Baertschi ($3.37MM, UFA)
D Jordie Benn ($2MM, UFA)
G Thatcher Demko ($1.05MM, RFA)
D Alexander Edler ($6MM, UFA)
F Tanner Pearson ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Brandon Sutter ($4.375MM, UFA)
Sutter’s contract is one that can now be said is going to hurt them. When they had lots of cap flexibility, it wasn’t as painful but now that they don’t have that luxury, the fact that his performance has been more like a fourth liner is going to hurt. They’d love to get out from under this deal but they’ll need to attach a notable sweetener to do so. Pearson struggled badly in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh last year but showed signs of life in Vancouver. If he can get back to being a 20-goal player, he can get another contract like this one but if not, he’ll be the type of player that will bounce around on one-year deals for a while. Baertschi battled injury issues yet again. When healthy, his contract is certainly reasonable but his ability to stay in the lineup will dictate if his next deal will see him get a raise or a pay cut.
Edler eschewed free agency to stay with Vancouver and it stands to reason that someone like Hughes will step into his role two years from now so his next deal (if there is one) should come in cheaper than this one. Benn had a strong year with Montreal and earned himself a raise in the process but he will need to establish himself as a capable top-four option if he wants to find a way to another salary tier two years from now.
Demko has long been viewed as their goalie of the future. His next deal could go all sorts of ways as a result. If he gets lots of playing time over the next two years, he could jump into the $6MM to $7MM range if he fares well. If Markstrom blocks him this coming season though, a one-year prove-it type of deal could be on the horizon. It’s also possible that what happens with Pettersson and Hughes could dictate which direction they go with Demko two summers from now.
Three Years Remaining
F Jay Beagle ($3MM, UFA)
F Loui Eriksson ($6MM, UFA)
F Antoine Roussel ($3MM, UFA)
Eriksson has vastly underperformed since joining Vancouver and this offseason, he voiced his frustration over his usage to the point where both sides are looking to find a trade. Unless they’re willing to take a similarly high-priced deal back in a return though, such a move is unlikely. Unfortunately for them, the structure of the contract makes a buyout an unrealistic option as well. Roussel’s deal raised some eyebrows at the time but he actually gave them a reasonable return on it as he had a career-high in points despite missing 17 games. If he can hang around the 35-point mark while bringing his usual level of physicality, this could be a pretty reasonable contract. The same can’t be said for Beagle as giving a fourth liner that much money and term was doomed to fail from the start. If he makes it to the end of this deal without a buyout, it would be a bit of a surprise.
Four Or More Years Remaining
F Bo Horvat ($5.5MM through 2022-23)
F J.T. Miller ($5.25MM through 2022-23)
D Tyler Myers ($6MM through 2023-24)
Horvat logged heavy minutes once again last season but not many appreciate just how much he was used; his 20:50 ATOI was 16th in the league amongst forwards. He also reached the 60-point mark for the first time and considering he’s still just 24, there’s reason for optimism that he can build on that. He’s positioning himself for a big raise on his next contract. Tampa Bay was forced to move Miller for salary cap reasons although the Canucks still paid a big price. He didn’t have a great year with the Lightning but had seasons of 58 and 56 points before that, a level of production that justifies that price tag. He could give the Canucks a big boost offensively next season.
Myers took advantage of a very thin UFA market and Vancouver’s big need to add to their back end to land his deal. There are concerns about the end of his contract considering the workload he has had over his career thus far but they should be able to get a few good seasons out of him. It’s far from a great contract but there are worse ones on this roster.
Buyouts
F Ryan Spooner ($1.33MM through 2020-21)
Retained Salary Transactions
None
Salary Cap Recapture
G Roberto Luongo ($3.033MM through 2021-22)
Still To Sign
F Brock Boeser
F Nikolay Goldobin
Boeser is one of the more notable RFAs out there although he’s not at the top of the market. He’s also not eligible for an offer sheet. Earlier reports suggested that Boeser was seeking $7MM per year with Vancouver coming in at $6MM per with a longer term. While that means there’s still some work to be done, it serves as a reasonable range to project from and anything in that range will result in them needing to jettison players to get back into cap compliance before even considering Goldobin. The inconsistent winger actually finished seventh on the team in scoring last season despite not playing in 19 games. It wouldn’t be surprising if Vancouver was pointing to Virtanen’s deal as a possible comparable but Goldobin may be seeking more than that as his 31 points are more than Virtanen has had in a single season. No matter what, a short-term deal (no more than two years) is probable just to lessen their salary cap strain.
Best Value: Pettersson (Horvat among non-ELC players)
Worst Value: Eriksson
Looking Ahead
Even if veterans like Schaller and Biega are sent to the minors (pending waivers), there’s a good chance that they’ll need to free up a bit more cap space to fit in new deals for Boeser and Goldobin. Moving one of Eriksson or Sutter would certainly be preferable but what is GM Jim Benning’s willingness to do so, especially after ceding their 2020 first-rounder (lottery protected that year, unprotected in 2021) to get Miller?
The 2021 offseason will be a huge one with Pettersson, Hughes, and Demko among those needing new deals although they’ll have a good chunk off the books by then as well. Their long-term flexibility isn’t bad overall with only three contracts extending past three years which is something a lot of organizations don’t have. That’s cause for optimism down the road although some short-term pain appears to be on the horizon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.