Pacific Notes: Kovalchuk, Kings, Canucks, Ducks
Los Angeles Kings free agent signee Ilya Kovalchuk finally spoke to the media today after agreeing to sign a three-year, $18.75MM deal with the Kings on June 23. The 35-year-old superstar has now spent the past five years in the KHL, putting up some great numbers and has made it clear that he believes that despite his age, he has three or four good years left in him, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen.
The winger said one of his main reasons for choosing the Kings was because he wanted to play next to a high-end center like Anze Kopitar. Kovalchuk could be a perfect complement to Kopitar. The 35-year-old has been playing some of the best hockey of his career, posting 63 goals in his last two KHL seasons as well as winning MVP for Team Russia in the Olympics this past year.
Kovalchuk also believes he is young for 35, but declined to say that he could put up a 30-goal season next season, according to Helene St. James of the Los Angeles Times. Kovalchuk last posted a 30-goal season in the NHL back in the 2011-12 season when he scored 37.
- Sticking with the Kings, Lisa Dillman of The Athletic (subscription required) does a Q&A with head coach John Stevens, who says that the Kings had no choice, but to place more responsibility on young players on their defense. The team has five veterans to hold down the core of the defense in Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Dion Phaneuf and Derek Forbort. However, the team will have to rely on younger players, like Paul Ladue, Daniel Brickley and Kurtis MacDermid to fill out the rest of the roster. “There comes a point in time especially with the [salary] cap where you’ve got so many young guys. You have to make decisions,” Stevens said.
- Jason Brough of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that after assessing the offseason in which the team spent money on multiple bottom-six forwards, the Vancouver Canucks are putting all their success next season on the scoring ability of their young prospects. For one, the team lost three of the team’s top five scorers and now besides Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, the team will need to get increased scoring output from other forwards, including Elias Pettersson, Sven Baertschi, Nikolay Goldobin, Brendan Leipsic and Jake Virtanen. If they can’t make up for that offense, it should be another long season.
- Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required) looks at the Anaheim Ducks salary cap situation now and in one year from now to see if it will improve. Unfortunately the Ducks will not have much in terms of bad contracts that will come off the books in a year and the team will have to deal with other salary cap challenges instead. The team must deal with the cost of bringing back forwards Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg, who will be unrestricted free agents as well as goaltender John Gibson, who will be a restricted free agent.
Free Agent Profile: Luca Sbisa
With many veteran defensemen continuing to look for work, it might take a while for them to find a home for the upcoming season. With Dan Hamhuis being the top remaining unsigned defenseman on our Top 50 UFA list, not far behind him is Luca Sbisa.
Sbisa is coming off an unusual season. Having been practically written off after a disappointing 2016-17 season with the Vancouver Canucks, the Vegas Golden Knights stepped in and selected the 28-year-old blueliner. While his contract might have been the biggest issue while in Vancouver (he was making $3.6MM for the previous three years), Sbisa proved that he wasn’t good enough to be a top-four defenseman when with Vancouver.
However, after being acquired by Vegas, suddenly Sbisa’s game showed up as the veteran started the season as a top-four defenseman and quickly found himself averaging more than 20 minutes per game. He was paired with Nate Schmidt and was even one of the leaders of the team as he wore an “A” on his sweater. With the team expected initially to move out some of their pending unrestricted free agents at the trade deadline, Sbisa looked to be a potential major trade chip for Vegas. Unfortunately, injuries got the best of Sbisa as the veteran missed chunks of time with numerous injuries and in the end played just 30 games.
By the time Sbisa came back, long after the trade deadline, the 28-year-old saw his playing time shrink as he took a third-pairing role late in the season and into the playoffs. In fact, his demotion seemed to be more of a result that other players played better after Sbisa was injured and because of that, the veteran saw a reduced role — not necessarily because he was playing poorly. Rather than bring him back on a reduced contract, the Golden Knights instead opted to sign veteran Nick Holden to take his place and supposedly never even made an offer to Sbisa.
Regardless, in just those 30 games Sbisa showed some promise if he can prove he can stay healthy. Despite those limited games, Sbisa proved he can provide offense as he tallied 14 points. Shockingly, that’s his second-highest point total in his 10-year career. He did, however, have one of the worst Corsi-For percentage of his career at 43.8 percent, which didn’t help.
Potential Suitors
While an offer could come at any time, many of the veteran defensemen looking for work may have to wait a while as teams assess their strength and weaknesses over the summer. Sbisa has a lot to offer and despite a 10-year career, he is just 28 and should easily be able to handle a third-pairing role with most teams.
There have been some rumors that Sbisa, who spent three years in Vancouver, might be looking to return to the Canucks who are short on depth options at that position, so that is a legitimate possibility. There have also been reports that the Chicago Blackhawks might be interested in bringing Sbisa into their depleted blueline although the same rumor exists for Hamhuis. He might also be a good third-pairing option in Toronto.
Projected Contract
Before free agency, we predicted Sbisa would garner a two-year, $4.2MM contract, but with little interest so far, it would be more likely that Sbisa will have to settle for a one-year deal and be forced to show that he isn’t as injury prone as he was in 2017-18. It’s far more likely a one-year, $1MM deal or just above it is the most likely possibility.
Canucks Have Held Preliminary Extension Discussions With Brock Boeser
The Canucks have been discussing a contract extension with winger Brock Boeser, GM Jim Benning acknowledged to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. However, talks have yet to advance past the preliminary stage although Benning expects that to change in the coming weeks, stating that:
“I talked to his agent this past week and we’ll have more time in the next couple of weeks to talk about it internally and then hear from their side. If we’re going to do something, we’d do it then. We’ll see where they’re at and where we’re at and see if something works.”
Boeser has fully recovered from back and wrist injuries that prematurely ended his season. Before being shut down, the 21-year-old was in the midst of a strong year, posting 29 goals and 26 assists in just 62 games to lead Vancouver in scoring which is pretty good for someone in their first professional season.
That lack of overall NHL experience (totalling 71 games which includes a brief post-college stint in 2016-17) makes this a particularly interesting case to follow. Generally, players that are signing early extensions while still on their entry-level deals have two full years of NHL experience under their belts; Boeser has yet to play a full season worth of games.
Despite that, it’s certainly understandable that the Canucks are at least looking into an extension with their young sniper. Boeser has been touted as a top prospect since being drafted in the first round three years ago and had been expected to be a key part of their future. Not many were expecting him to be a top-liner so quickly but it’s reasonable to think that this level of production will continue (if not improve) in the coming years.
As for what Boeser may be looking for, it’s likely that he’ll be looking at teammate Bo Horvat’s six-year, $33MM deal that was signed last September as a baseline. While Horvat had three full NHL seasons under his belt at that time, none of them were as productive as Boeser’s 2017-18 performance. If Boeser is indeed open to signing now, his next contract is probably going to be pretty close to Horvat’s as otherwise, he may as well just play out the 2018-19 campaign and hope to head to restricted free agency with even more leverage for a bigger deal next summer.
With two restricted free agents left to re-sign (including defenseman Troy Stecher who filed for arbitration), this is something that can be put on the backburner for now but a new deal for Boeser will be something to keep an eye on later this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Trade Candidate: Nikolay Goldobin
Two seasons ago, Vancouver looked like they had acquired an important part of their future when they picked up winger Nikolay Goldobin from San Jose in advance of the 2017 trade deadline in exchange for winger Jannik Hansen (who is currently an unrestricted free agent). Fast forward to today and it’s certainly looking like he could already be on the outs with the Canucks.
Last season, the 22-year-old split the season between Vancouver and their AHL affiliate in Utica. At the minor league level, he was quite productive, collecting 31 points (9-22-31) in 30 games. However, that wasn’t the case with the big club as he had just 14 points (8-6-14) in 38 games while playing just over 12 minutes per game. He’s a player that has outplayed the minors but has yet to really make his mark in the NHL.
With the retirement of the Sedin twins and their recent struggles, it looked as if Vancouver was going to be willing to play more of their younger players. But then they went and acquired an entire bottom-six line in free agency with the additions of wingers Antoine Roussel and Tim Schaller plus center Jay Beagle. Those players didn’t get signed to sit on the bench so they’re going to be in the lineup on a regular basis while rookie forwards Adam Gaudette and Elias Pettersson stand to be ahead of Goldobin on the depth chart and get the spots earmarked for the youngsters. All of a sudden, he’s on the outside looking in.
[Related: Canucks Depth Chart from Roster Resource]
It stands to reason that he could be 15th or 16th among forwards on Vancouver’s depth chart heading into training camp. While it’s certainly possible that there could be some injuries up front in the preseason, there probably won’t be enough for Goldobin to move into an end-of-roster spot (let alone a regular spot in the lineup).
Further impacting things is his waiver situation. Although he is still on his entry-level contract for one more year (with a $832K cap hit plus $212K in performance bonuses), Goldobin now must go through waivers to get back to the minors next season. Considering he’s only four years removed from being a first-round pick (27th overall in 2014), there’s a very good chance a team would put in a claim for him so going this route is off the table as well.
They can’t send him down and it’s improbable that there will be a roster spot for him at the start of next season. That leaves a trade as the best possibility both for him and the Canucks.
What should Vancouver be looking for in a return? They have good forward depth and the same can be said for their back end. They don’t really necessarily need to add someone else on the cusp of making it to the NHL on a full-time basis. That puts a draft pick or prospect (if signed, still waiver exempt) as the best option for them. Of course, other teams know that the Canucks are in this situation with Goldobin so it wouldn’t be surprising if offers aren’t exactly top notch.
In his limited time as a professional, Goldobin has shown some flashes of top-six potential. It wouldn’t be shocking if he gets to continue to show those flashes in a different uniform for 2018-19.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Canucks’ Offseason Signings Were Critical To Improve Team
The Vancouver Canucks dealt with a lot of criticism when free agency started last week when they went out and signed bottom-six players Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Tim Schaller to long-term deals (Beagle & Roussel got four years, while Schaller signed for two). While the general addition of these three players was to add some size, grit and leadership to an incredibly young team, there is another key advantage of bringing in those three, especially with their abilities to help with penalty killing. Both Beagle and Schaller were solid contributors to their teams last season on the penalty kill and they both will bring those skills to Vancouver now.
“We’ve added some players which is, I think, important. We need guys who can kill penalties,” Vancouver head coach Travis Green said. “The longer you’re in the league, the better the penalty killer you are. Some won’t understand what that means, but there’s a lot of reading plays, and making changes on the fly that you get better at over time. It’s an art learned. You don’t see a lot of young guys come in who are great penalty killers.”
The hope is that Beagle and Schaller should improve the team’s 21st-ranked penalty killing unit, which must improve dramatically if the team wants to start winning. However, their signings also have another key importance to the team.
Perhaps more than anyone, the most likely benefactor to these signings will be center Bo Horvat, who has always been forced to take penalty killing minutes in the past as part of his responsibilities. However with the retirement of Henrik Sedin, suddenly Horvat’s responsibilities have changed, according to Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Sun. The team needs more scoring without the Sedin twins and the team will turn to their four-year pro to take his game to that next level and reducing his minutes on the penalty kill should only help him carry that out.
Horvat’s numbers have been solid, but now that he’s likely moving into the No. 1 center position, he must continue to improve. The 23-year-old has increased his scoring over the past four years, going from 14 goals in his rookie campaign, to 16, then 20 and this year posting 22 goals, even though he played in the least amount of games in his career (64).
That grit created by Beagle and Roussel especially should benefit someone like Elias Pettersson, who the team hopes will become one of the next great scorers in Vancouver. However, while the 19-year-old is 6-foot-2, he weighs in at 161 pounds and the presence of one of those players could remind other teams to stay away from their prized prospect.
Metropolitan Notes: Johnson, Myers, Rangers
While defensemen have been receiving big deals in the last week or two, one deal that caught many by surprise was the five-year, $16.25MM deal that Jack Johnson signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins signed on July 1. While Johnson was a highly-touted prospect at one time and developed into a solid NHL veteran, the five-year term seemed like a lot considering that the 31-year-old had lost his job at the end of the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and instead took up a role as a healthy scratch for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Johnson finished the year posting
Regardless, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford had coaches’ Mike Sullivan and Sergei Gonchar look into the three games leading up to Johnson’s benching and they walked away with a positive impression and the team signed the veteran.
The Athletic’s Jesse Marshall (subscription required) took a look at the three games before Johnson was benched and analyzes and breaks down the veteran’s play, citing that his performance was solid, but underwhelming and while the defenseman did have some bad luck at times, what stood out the most was his lack of involvement in the team’s offense as he seems to only have been focusing on his defensive game, which might be exactly what Rutherford and the Penguins want out of Johnson.
- Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Philadelphia Flyers’ signing of Christian Folin almost guarantees that defensive prospect Philippe Myers will begin the season with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 21-year-old undrafted free agent had a solid rookie season with the Phantoms last season and was expected to get a “long look” in Flyers training camp in September. However, with six quality NHL established defenseman already on the roster (not counting the injured Samuel Morin), Myers would have to beat one of them out to make the team. General manager Ron Hextall wouldn’t allow Myers to make the team as the team’s seventh defenseman when he could return to Lehigh Valley and get valuable playing experience. So, while many were upset that the team went out and signed Folin, it’s likely that Folin will man that extra defenseman role instead.
- The New York Rangers have been talked about as a potential third-team in any deal involving Erik Karlsson. The team has $23.7MM in cap room to work with and with the team in a quick rebuild, this would be the perfect time to add more picks or prospects to that effort. While the team might be open to acquiring Ryan Callahan from Tampa Bay, The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) writes that the team will not take on the contract of veteran Bobby Ryan, who still has four years at $7.25MM remaining on his deal. He writes that the Rangers don’t believe they will still be rebuilding in three or four years and being burdened by that deal down the road wouldn’t make any sense.
Canucks Prospect Quinn Hughes Undecided On Turning Pro For 2018-19
The Canucks are in discussions with the representatives for prospect defenseman Quinn Hughes to determine whether he should turn pro for 2018-19 or return to school for his sophomore year, reports Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. The matter is expected to be discussed further on Friday.
Hughes was the seventh-overall selection back in last month’s draft following a strong rookie season at the University of Michigan that saw him collect 29 points (5-24-29) in just 37 games. He also spent time with Team USA at both the World Juniors as well as the World Championships back in May which certainly helped his draft stock.
At just 5’10, the 18-year-old is undersized for his position which could give Vancouver pause as to whether he’s ready to handle the rigors of full-time NHL duty already. They could certainly benefit from his mobility and offensive prowess on their back end, however, so there’s no obvious right way to go.
One other option in play here is for Hughes to turn pro but play at the minor league level. He’s eligible to do so since he was drafted out of the NCAA and not the CHL. While that would still put an early end to his college eligibility, going this route would allow him to ease into the pro game and be available to be recalled at any point by the Canucks should it be deemed necessary. For his part, Hughes hasn’t stated that he wouldn’t be open to starting with AHL Utica and hasn’t made a guaranteed NHL roster spot part of negotiations to this point.
While technically a decision could be made in training camp, college players rarely attend as their college classes will have already started. As a result, expect both sides to come to an agreement on which route to take in the near future.
Vancouver Canucks Extend Darren Archibald
A fan-favorite enforcer is staying in Vancouver. The Canucks announced this evening that they have re-signed forward Darren Archibald to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The Province’s Ben Kuzma reports that the deal is worth the minimum $650K at the NHL level.
Archibald made headlines this past season when the Canucks rewarded his hard work and leadership at the AHL level by giving him an NHL contract and promoting him to Vancouver. Archibald had previously played in the NHL for the Canucks in 2013-14, but was midway through his third season on a minor league deal with the organization when he was called up last year.
The 28-year-old winger is 6’3″ and 209 lbs. and know first and foremost for his physical style and checking game, but he also recorded a career-high 47 points in 76 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets in 2016-17 and managed to post nine points in 27 games down the stretch for Vancouver last season. While the team appreciates his work ethic, experience, and defensive presence on the ice, he is also capable of modest offense as well. Vancouver GM Jim Benning called Archibald “a big, physical forward who has been a good professional throughout his career” with a “terrific work ethic that our younger players can follow” in the team’s press release.
Vancouver continues to focus on adding hard-working, hard-nosed two-way forwards this season, as Archibald’s extension was preceded by a trio of free agency additions on July 1st that play a similar style: Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, and Tim Schaller.
Sven Baertschi Signs Three-Year Contract With Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks have signed restricted free agent Sven Baertschi to a three-year contract that carries an average annual value of $3.367MM. Baertschi, 25, will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the deal. GM Jim Benning included a statement regarding his young winger along with the press release:
We’re very pleased to sign Sven to an extension. He’s a talented offensive player. We look forward to seeing Sven further develop his complete game and become a consistent contributor to our success.
Tim Schaller Signs With Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks have added some bottom-six players in Antoine Roussel and Jay Beagle already, and now will continue that trend with a deal for Tim Schaller. The former Boston Bruins forward has inked a two-year, $3.8MM contract with the Canucks. GM Jim Benning released a statement regarding his newest forward:
Tim adds size to our forward group and can play throughout our line-up. He’s responsible defensively and last year showed he can make regular offensive contributions as well. We’re excited to welcome him to the Vancouver Canucks.
Schaller provides the Canucks with both size (he’s 6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and penalty killing skills as he led all Bruins in short-handed time on the ice. While he’s versatile, he primarily played left wing for the Bruins on their fourth line, but has the versatility to move to center if needed. Schaller signed a two-year deal with the Boston Bruins last season and thrived there, most especially this season when he played in all 82 games this season, totaling a career-high 12 goals and 22 points.