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Compelling RFA Cases For 2017: Pearson, Donskoi, Horvat, Gudbranson

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Jacob Trouba, Johnny Gaudreau and Nikita Kucherov highlight a strong and deep group of restricted free agents that remain unsigned at the moment. While they will each ultimately cash in and receive substantial contracts for the 2016-17 campaign and likely beyond, their status as restricted free agents has certainly complicated the negotiation process.

Next summer, another quality group of players are set to hit restricted free agency unless they can agree to terms on a new deal prior to the 2017-18 league year. In a series of posts, Pro Hockey Rumors will profile the top pending 2017 RFAs and examine what kind of contract they could elicit assuming they put up a strong performance during their platform year. Today we finish up in the Pacific Division.

Tanner Pearson (Los Angeles) – Pearson is a solid, two-way winger who has seen a fair amount of action on a line with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli affectionately referred to as “That 70’s Line.” He tallied 15 goals and 36 points in 2015-16 and has a scoring rate of 0.43 Pts/Game in 146 career contests. Pearson is currently slated to make $1.4MM in the second and final season of a two-year deal.

Pearson’s career production is similar to that of two recent RFA signees: J.T. Miller of the Rangers and Cody Eakin of the Stars. Miller posted career-best totals of 22 goals, 21 assists and 43 points in 2015-16 and has a career scoring rate of 0.52 Pts/Game. Eakin has a career Pts/Game rate of 0.45 and has scored at least 35 points in each of the last three seasons as Dallas’ third center.

Statistically, Pearson would seem to match up well with Eakin meaning another season of 35 – 40 points could line him up to receive something similar to the four-year, $15.4MM $3.875MM AAV) deal Eakin is set to play under beginning this season. But if the Kings and Pearson can’t get a long-term deal done, it’s possible the two-year, $5.5MM ($2.75MM AAV) bridge contract of Miller works as a comparable.

Joonas Donskoi (San Jose) – Donskoi was a surprisingly steady producer for the Sharks and played a key role in helping San Jose reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history in 2015-16. Given his first taste of North American pro hockey, the Finnish winger contributed 36 points in 76 contests and added another 12 points in the playoffs. Donskoi seemed to find chemistry with Logan Couture this past season and if given another opportunity to play on the skilled pivot’s wing, he could cross the 40-point plateau in 2016-17.

Production-wise, Donskoi would appear to be close enough to Pearson’s level that the Miller and Eakin contracts should serve as fair comparisons. Another possible comparable who would appear to set the floor of Donskoi’s expectations is Michael Raffl, who after seasons of 28 and 31 points, respectively, inked a three-year, $7.05MM ($2.35MM AAV) pact with the Flyers. Both started their professional careers in Europe and jumped to the NHL in their mid-20’s. If Donskoi’s production takes a step back from his rookie level, he could be looking at a new deal in the same range as Raffl’s.

Bo Horvat (Vancouver) – After a solid debut campaign as a 19-year-old rookie two years ago with the Canucks, Horvat bumped his production up from 25 points to 40 points as a sophomore in 2016-17. He has the skill and ability to improve his numbers even further in his third season if given an opportunity for top-six ice time.

If Horvat can take the next step to 50 points or so, a new contract could be similar to that of Nick Bjugstad’s in Florida. After netting 38 points in his first full campaign, Bjugstad tallied 43 in 201-15 and was rewarded with a six-year, $24.6MM deal which took effect upon the expiration of his ELC. Both players are versatile enough to play up and down the lineup and fill a variety of roles. The Canucks will have to be frugal, however, as they already have more than $52MM tied up in 14 players for 2017-18 leaving roughly $20MM or so – depending on where the cap ceiling falls – to re-sign several key RFAs. It’s possible they push for a less expensive bridge deal as a result.

Erik Gudbranson (Vancouver) – The Canucks took some criticism when they dealt 19-year-old Jared McCann, the team’s first-round pick in 2014, and two draft choices for Gudbranson this past May. It’s not that Gudbranson isn’t a good player; it’s more that the Canucks aren’t likely to be a playoff squad in 2016-17 and shouldn’t be sacrificing controllable young talent for a player who is set to get pretty expensive.

Gudbranson inked a one-year pact worth $3.5MM soon after the trade and will again be a RFA after the upcoming season. With five years of NHL experience already under his belt, Gudbranson will be just two seasons away from unrestricted free agency following the 2016-17 campaign. That means any long-term extension is likely going to buy out multiple free agent seasons.

Gudbranson is a physical, defense-first blue liner, who doesn’t contribute much offense. His single-season career-high in points scored is just 13. Obviously Gudbranson will be looking for a raise on his $3.5MM salary. One potential comparable for Gudbranson is Adam Larsson, who signed a six-year, $25MM extension and like the Vancouver defender is known more for his defense than his offense. But Larsson’s deal took effect on the conclusion of his ELC and only bought out a single free agent year.

A closer comparable may be Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin, who is also a defense-first blue liner with a career high in points of just 17. He is in the midst of a four-year deal with an AAV of $4.1MM.

With most teams favoring mobile, puck-moving defenders over tough, physical defensive defenseman like Gudbranson, it will be interesting to see what value they place on the big blue liner.

 

Canucks Ink Sheppard, Ruutu To PTO’s; Eight Teams Interested In Fleischmann

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The Vancouver Canucks have agreed on tryout contracts with free agent wingers James Sheppard and Tuomo Ruutu, GM Jim Benning confirmed to Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province.

Sheppard spent last season with the Kloten Flyers of the Swiss NLA, recording 11 goals and 24 assists with 67 PIMS in 37 games.  He also represented Team Canada at the Spengler Cup back in December.

Originally a first round pick (ninth overall) of Minnesota back in 2006, Sheppard hasn’t had much in the way of NHL success so far.  He has suited up for three different teams (the Wild, Sharks, and Rangers), last seeing NHL action in 2014-15.  In 394 career games, he has 23 goals and 68 assists.

As for Ruutu, he has spent the last three years with the Devils but has seen his role decline sharply in that time.  He played in just 33 games last year, recording only a single assist.

He has two 50+ point seasons in his 12 year NHL career with Chicago, Carolina, and New Jersey but he hasn’t hit 30 points in four years.  In 735 NHL games, the ninth overall pick back in 2001 has 148 goals and 198 assists.

Both players will likely contend for a fourth line/reserve spot with the Canucks.

Another player receiving interest for a PTO is left winger Tomas Fleischmann.  His agent, Rich Evans, was on News 1130 in Vancouver and reported that eight teams have expressed an interest in bringing in the 32 year old to training camp.  He declined to confirm or deny if Vancouver is among those eight teams.

Fleischmann is no stranger to this situation as he attended Montreal’s training camp on an invite last year, eventually earning a one year, $750K contract.  He got off to a strong start with the Canadiens but tapered off and was eventually dealt before the deadline to Chicago where he collected five points in 19 games.

Fleischmann has 657 games of NHL experience under his belt with Washington, Colorado, Florida, Anaheim, Montreal, and Chicago, recording 137 goals and 198 assists but hasn’t hit the 30 point plateau since 2012-13.

It’s likely to be a busy week for tryout deals with training camps kicking off next week.  Keep track of who is trying out where with our Invite Tracker.

Snapshots: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Dailey, Trouba

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Today is the five-year anniversary of the tragic plane crash of the flight carrying the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Pilot error and subsequent technical failures caused the plane to crash shortly after take-off from the airport in Yaroslavl, Russia, on its way to their KHL season opener in Mink, Belarus on Wednesday, September 7th, 2011. All of the team’s players and coaches on board the flight perished, along with eight crew members for a total of 44 fatalities. Among the victims were three-time NHL All-Star forward and Lady Byng Award winner Pavol Demitra, 1996 first round pick and long-time Anaheim Mighty Duck Ruslan Salei, 2006 Stanley Cup-winning center Josef Vasicek, bruising NHL defensemen Karel Rachunek and Karlis Skrastins, and Devils prospect Alexander Vasyunov , not to mention Canadian head coach Brad McCrimmon and assistants Igor Korolev and Alexander Karpovtsev, all of whom had successful NHL careers. The team was forced to cancel its KHL season and the country of Russia and the entire hockey world mourned. On this day, the KHL has vowed to never hold another game, in memory of the those lost. Teams, players, and media members around the globe have remembered the tragedy today, and although Lokomotiv has luckily rebuilt their organization into a perennial playoff team, the 2011 team will never be forgotten.

  • In other sad news today, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that former defenseman Bob Dailey has passed away at the age of 63 after a battle with cancer. Not one to lose a battle on the boards during his playing days, Dailey was one of the biggest and strongest players around in the 70’s and 80’s. A dominant force with the Vancouver Canucks and later Flyers, Dailey was a a big, talented blue liner who had a knack for finding the back of the net or the stick of an opportune teammate. In 1977-78 with Philly, Dailey had 21 goals and 36 assists for a career-high 57 points, as well as a +45 rating, second only to Bobby Clarke on the Flyers. His loss has been mourned by many throughout the world of hockey today.
  • Some happy news may be on its way for Jets fans, as Darren Dreger reported on TSN 1290 in Winnipeg today that rumors of Jacob Trouba’s displeasure have been greatly exaggerated. While Dreger consented that not much is going on between parties, he refuted all rumors that the young RFA defenseman is unhappy in Winnipeg or unwilling to sign there. In fact, Dreger simply says that both sides want to keep all of the negotiations out of the public eye. It seems as though a resolution will be hammered out eventually, but Jets fans can rest easy if they don’t hear too much about it until the pen meets the paper on an extension.

Canucks Hire Malhotra As Development Coach

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If Manny Malhotra wishes it, so it shall be. Just three days after a report that the recently retired Malhotra would like to get into coaching, a former team, the Vancouver Canucks, has made it happen. The team announced today that the veteran of 16 NHL seasons will put that experience to work in his new role as a development coach.

In this capacity, Malhotra will work with the coaching staff at home practices, focusing on specialized skill development, such as face-offs. He will also travel frequently, working on the same development skills with Canucks prospects. Malhotra, a multi-faceted player with strong hockey sense, is likely to develop himself; the higher ranks of coaching don’t seem like too far of a reach. Almost immediately after retiring, it was reported that he had reached out to Vancouver GM Jim Benning, and the team itself reported that Malhotra met with coach Willie Desjardins, who understood the situation, saying that  the “only reason you get into coaching is because you can’t play anymore”.

Malhotra has been highly valued by the Canucks organization before. In 2010, the team signed the then-31-year-old to the most expensive deal of his career, a three-year, $7.5MM pact on the first day of free agency. He had a strong first season, with 30 points in 72 games to go along with his trademark two-way game, but his numbers fell off in 2011-12, and injuries limited him to just nine games in 2012-13. After taking one-year deals with the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens in each of the following two seasons with little success, Malhotra instead stepped into a leadership role with the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters (now Cleveland) last season, and helped to propel the team to a Calder Cup championship. Prior to his time in Vancouver, Malhotra spent the prime of his career with the Monster’s parent club, the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 344 games over five seasons with the team, he accounted for 145 points and was a face of the franchise. Malhotra’s career started with the New York Rangers, before he was traded to the Dallas Stars, but it really didn’t take off until he got to the Blue Jackets. During his time in Columbus, San Jose and Vancouver, Malhotra became known as one of the best defensive centers in the game, and he will now bring that two-way expertise to his role as a development coach.

Identifying Potential Versteeg Suitors

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On July 25th, veteran winger Kris Versteeg elected to take his talents overseas, specifically to Switzerland, agreeing to a one-year deal with SC Bern in the NLA. Six weeks later it appears as if that agreement has fallen through, possibly due to concerns over a past hip surgery – though the team and the player disagree on the exact reasons. Now Versteeg is back on the open market looking for his next gig and according to Darren Dreger (via Twitter), several NHL clubs have already expressed interest in offering the two-time Stanley Cup winner a PTO. While nearly every team in the league could use a versatile talent like Versteeg, a few might offer a clearer path to a guaranteed contract for 2016-17.

New Jersey – The Devils are counting on several young, relatively unproven players in their top-nine to produce offense in 2016-17. Devante Smith-Pelley (0.14 goals/game in his career) and Beau Bennett (0.12 goals/game) are currently listed as the team’s second and third line RW’s respectively according to Roster Resource. Meanwhile, 19-year-old forward Pavel Zacha and his one game of NHL experience is expected to break camp with the club. New Jersey finished last in the league in goals scored this past season and could use more depth as insurance in case their younger players struggle to put the puck in the net. Versteeg, who has averaged 0.57 points/game in his career, would give the Devils decent production in a top-nine role and much like Lee Stempniak was in 2015-16, could prove to be a valuable trade deadline chip to cash in for futures.

Ottawa – The Senators finished ninth in the NHL in scoring in 2015-16, thanks in large part to a balanced lineup that saw five different skaters tally at least 20 goals and another finish the season with 19. But for a team with postseason aspirations, using either aging tough guy Chris Neil – 13 points in 80 games – or a young Curtis Lazar – six goals in 76 – as a third-line RW might not be the best idea. Versteeg would represent an inexpensive upgrade and give the club even more scoring depth up front.

Arizona – The Coyotes, with new GM John Chayka at the helm, have been among the league’s most active teams in both the free agent and trade markets. But they still have room in the budget and a potential need for a steady producer like Versteeg. Tobias Rieder, who is currently a RFA and locked in contentious negotiations with the team, is slated to hold down a spot in the team’s top-six. While it would be surprising if a deal isn’t done in time for the start of the regular season, signing Versteeg would give Arizona some protection just in case the two sides can’t come to an agreement. Additionally, even though it would seem the Coyotes have enough depth up front, it would fit the profile of an analytically-inclined front office to add an asset today at a below-market rate and then sell high on that asset down the road.

Nashville – Preds GM David Poile was counting on Jimmy Vesey signing with the team upon the conclusion of the 2015-16 NCAA season and contributing to the club’s playoff push. It’s why the team refrained from making any significant additions at the trade deadline. But of course Vesey spurned the Predators and explored his free agent options this summer before ultimately agreeing to a deal with the New York Rangers. The Predators still have yet to address the void in the lineup that Poile was originally hoping Vesey would fill. Versteeg would represent a cost-effective option for a Nashville club that is considered a budget team and not one that typically spends to the cap ceiling.

Vancouver – The Canucks have been rumored to be looking for a scoring LW for much of the summer and while Versteeg, a right-hand shot, is listed as a RW, his addition would allow Vancouver to shift another RW across the ice to the left side. Patrick Johnston, writing for The Province, believes Versteeg would be an excellent fit, citing the winger’s excellence in the puck possession department as an added benefit to signing him. It’s also conceivable that GM Jim Benning would place additional value on the fact Versteeg has been part of two Stanley Cup championship teams and his overall solid career postseason production. If the Canucks are set on adding another winger before the season, they could do worse than Versteeg.

World Cup Notes: Grubauer, Kopitar, Caps

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With the news hitting yesterday that Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen will miss 3-4 weeks with an injured shoulder, thus taking him out of the running for the upcoming World Cup, Team Europe has announced his replacement today. Philipp Grubauer will join the squad as the third goaltender, suiting up behind Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss. Grubauer, a Washington Capitals product, played in 22 NHL games last season and put up a 2.32 GAA with a .918 SV%.

The 24-year old has performed well for his native Germany in international competition before, including three recent Olympic qualifying matches. Grubauer led his team with a 0.67 GAA in the three matches and helped Germany lock up a spot for 2018.

  • Recently named Los Angeles Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar is getting used to having a letter sewn into his sweater, as Team Europe named him captain today for the tournament. Kopitar is the most talented player on the roster, and represented his home country of Slovenia remarkably over the years. He also recently led his team to a qualifying spot at the next Olympics, scoring five points in the three games.
  • With the Capitals sending both of their goaltenders to the World Cup (Braden Holtby will be suiting up for Team Canada), Mike Vogel reports that the team will bring in Drew MacIntyre to fill a spot in their training camp. MacIntyre split last season between the Charlotte Checkers and Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, his 14th professional season. The 33-year old has six games of NHL experience, playing for the Canucks, Sabres and Maple Leafs.

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Theodore, Strome, Dvorak, Shinkaruk

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The Pacific Division has its fair share of intriguing prospects, placing five players among the first 14 names on Corey Pronman’s list of top 120 prospects compiled recently for ESPN.com (Insider required). The Coyotes lead the way overall with nine prospects making the cut. Today we profile four talented young players in the division who should have a chance to contribute to their teams this season.

Shea Theodore (Anaheim) – The Ducks already boast a strong complement of defenders with Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen leading the way. But with the NHL moving more to a speed and skill game there is always room for a smooth two-way blue liner who knows how to move the puck and that’s exactly what Theodore is.

Theodore was drafted in the first round by the Ducks in the 2013 draft out of the WHL. In 258 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Theodore scored 58 goals and 212 points and won the Bill Hunter award as the league’s top defenseman in 2014-15. After turning pro, Theodore would appear in 63 AHL contests over parts of three seasons, culminating in an impressive 2015-16 showing with the San Diego Gulls where he tallied 37 points in 50 games as a 20-year-old. He would also chip in eight points in 19 regular season games with the Ducks in his first taste of NHL action.

There have been rumors much of the summer that the Ducks could look to move one of their defensemen – Cam Fowler specifically has been linked to several trade rumors – in an effort to acquire a scoring-line LW. If Anaheim should succeed in those purported efforts, Theodore’s path to a regular NHL job becomes much clearer.

Dylan Strome (Arizona) – The third overall choice in the 2015 entry draft, Strome is one of the game’s top prospects after tearing up the OHL the last two seasons. Strome combined to tally 82 goals and 240 points in just 124 games for the Erie Otters. That averages out to nearly two points per game over the last two campaigns. He also led the OHL in scoring with 129 points during the 2014-15 campaign.

The 6-foot-3, 185 pound pivot has drawn comparisons from scouts to a young Ryan Getzlaf in terms of his frame and strong skating stride. Of course there are no guarantees Strome will ever impact the game the way that Getzlaf has but it does speak to the youngster’s high skill level and potential ceiling.

The Coyotes spent the summer remaking their roster into one they hope can compete for a playoff spot in 2016-17, though they didn’t add any centers from outside the organization. The top returning pivot is Martin Hanzal, who is a fine two-way player and scored a career-best 41 points in 2015-16. But he hasn’t played a full schedule of games since 2009-10 and is best suited as a #2 or even a #3 center for a contending team. Consequently, the Coyotes are likely to give Strome every opportunity to win a job centering one of the team’s top two lines. That would put him in position to share the ice at times with Anthony Duclair and Max Domi, which should ease his transition to the NHL.

Christian Dvorak (Arizona) – Dvorak, is yet another talented young forward who could force his way onto the Coyotes roster. The Coyotes used their second-round selection in the 2014 draft on Dvorak after a mediocre debut campaign with London of the OHL where he scored just 14 points in 33 games. But Dvorak took his game to another level the next two seasons, combining to score 93 goals and 230 points over that time. He would augment that performance with an impressive 35-point output in 18 games during the 2015-16 postseason and added another seven goals and 12 points in four Memorial Cup games for the Knights.

Assuming the Coyotes can get RFA Tobias Rieder re-signed, he would join free agent addition Jamie McGinn, Duclair and Domi as top-six wingers. A good performance in camp could earn Dvorak a job on the third or fourth line since Arizona’s depth up front is somewhat shallow, though it wouldn’t hurt his development to get some seasoning in the AHL first.

Hunter Shinkaruk (Calgary) – Shinkaruk, who was originally drafted in the first round by Vancouver, was acquired by Calgary in exchange for center Markus Granlund during the 2015-16 season. He made his debut this past season with the Canucks and appeared in another seven games after his trade to the Flames, with whom he scored his first two NHL goals. Shinkaruk also suited up for 62 AHL contests, tallying 27 goals and 51 points between Utica and Stockton.

The Flames have terrific young forward talent already on their NHL roster. Johnny Goudreau and Sean Monahan have already established themselves as two of the best young players in the game and could soon be joined by Sam Bennett. Free agent addition Troy Brouwer brings needed size and experience to the club’s top-six. Center Mikael Backlund, coming off a career-high 47-point campaign, and Michael Frolik, 32 points in 64 games, add more offensive punch. But there is room on the LW for a skilled player to join the Flames’ top-six and Shinkaruk may get the first crack to fill that role.

(All depth charts courtesy of Roster Resource)

Snapshots: Canucks, Avalanche, Nielsen, Donskoi

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Many pundits feel the Vancouver Canucks are a team lacking direction. On the one hand, they introduced some much-needed youth to their aging core last season with young forwards Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann given their first extended NHL looks and joining second-year pro Bo Horvat as possible future building blocks. On the other hand, Vancouver failed to advance their rebuild by dealing expiring assets at the trade deadline for draft picks and/or prospects. Trading Dan Hamhuis and/or Radim Vrbata would have netted the Canucks multiple futures to further the team’s roster reconstruction.

Instead, the Canucks surprised many this spring by parting with the aforementioned McCann as part of a package to acquire veteran defenseman Erik Gudbranson in what was clearly a move designed to help the team win now. The free agent addition of winger Loui Eriksson also signals that Vancouver is not committed to a rebuild and will rather try to slowly integrate younger players onto the roster while at the same time attempting to remain in the mix for a playoff spot.

It’s with this mentality that GM Jim Benning continues his search for an impact offensive LW, as Ben Kuzma of The Province writes. Daniel Sedin remains the team’s top port side winger and the team expects young Sven Baertschi – currently listed as the team’s #2 LW – to improve upon his 15-goal output in 2015-16. Beyond those two the Canucks have a few wingers who can line up on either side of center – including Eriksson – but don’t have enough depth to switch a player to the left without creating another hole on the right side.

Kuzma lists several candidates who could fill the role of impact LW, both internal and external. The most interesting might be Anton Rodin, the team’s second-round pick in 2009 and whom the Canucks signed to a one-year deal worth just $950K. Rodin enjoyed an excellent 2015-16 campaign, netting 16 goals and 37 points in 33 contests with Brynas IF of the Swedish Elite League while capturing the league’s MVP award.

As for possibilities currently outside the Canucks organization, Kuzma lists Evander Kane as a potential trade option – a notion we’ve reported on in the past –  though he also brings up the off-ice issues surrounding Buffalo’s talented winger and suggests that might limit Vancouver’s interest. Kuzma also opines that the cost to acquire an established player like Kane would likely start with one of Chris Tanev or Horvat, and that’s simply a price the Canucks are unwilling to pay.

Surprisingly, Kuzma writes that the Canucks didn’t view Jiri Hudler as a short-term answer even though the Czech winger is just two seasons removed from a 76-point campaign and ultimately signed a one-year pact with Dallas worth $2MM. Hudler would have been a perfectly reasonable buy-low add for the Canucks. He’s capable of producing at a rate more than acceptable for a top-six forward and would have been a potentially valuable asset to possess at the 2017 deadline with contending teams always looking to augment their scoring depth.

Elsewhere in the NHL on this Labor Day:

  • At his introductory news conference last week, new Colorado head coach Jared Bednar confirmed he would be keeping all three assistant coaches – Tim Army, Dave Farrish and Nolan Pratt – from the previous regime, according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post. It’s not much of a surprise given the late hiring of Bednar meant that many coaches he may have considered for positions were already committed elsewhere. Additionally, Pratt worked under Bednar as an assistant with Lake Erie in 2015-16 so there was already a comfort level between the two coaches. After talking with each of his assistants, Bednar is satisfied he has the right mix of experience and knowledge among his staff.
  • An unheralded free agent signing by the Sharks in May of 2015, Joonas Donskoi would end up playing a key role for the Western Conference champions in 2015-16, scoring 11 goals and 36 points in 76 regular season games. He would ramp up his performance in the playoffs tallying six goals and 12 points in 24 contests. Now that Donskoi has established himself as an NHL regular, the expectations have been raised going into year two of his career, as Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area writes. After establishing solid chemistry with C Logan Couture, both down the stretch of the regular campaign and in the postseason, Donskoi is again likely to slot in on the right side of the skilled pivot. If he takes advantage of his opportunity to play with Couture, it’s conceivable Donskoi could approach 50 points in a full season.
  • After losing superstar center Pavel Datsyuk, who chose to return home to Russia to be closer to his family, the Detroit Red Wings were left with a gaping hole down the middle of their lineup. They attempted to address that loss in part by signing solid two-way pivot Frans Nielsen to a lucrative six-year, $31.5MM free agent deal this summer. While he won’t be expected to replace Datsyuk’s offense, he will be counted on to play a responsible game and appear in all situations for the Wings, says Ansar Khan of MLive.com. Nielsen has only ever tallied 20 goals or 50 points on two occasions but is known as an excellent playmaker and someone who should help improve both the Wings PP and PK units. He is also an elite shootout performer who might be worth an extra few standings points a year to Detroit in that area alone.

West Notes: Hanzal, Stone, Malhotra

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The Coyotes are planning to discuss a contract extension with center Martin Hanzal in the coming weeks, Sarah McLellan of AZ Central reports.  GM John Chayka noted that they plan to sit down with Hanzal’s representatives before training camp gets underway later this month.

Hanzal has spent his entire nine year career with the Coyotes.  He had a career year offensively last season, scoring 13 goals and 28 assists in just 64 games, setting career highs in both assists and points in the process.  He also won an impressive 56% of his faceoffs, putting him in a tie for 15th league wide amongst players who took at least 300 draws last season.

The 29 year old is entering the final season of a five year deal that carries a cap hit of $3.1MM with a salary of $3.5MM for 2016-17 and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Hanzal is likely to begin next season in a top six role and a repeat of his 2015-16 campaign would have him in line for a sizable raise should he make it to the open market next offseason.

[Related: Coyotes Depth Chart]

Elsewhere in the West:

  • More from McLellan, Arizona blueliner Michael Stone has begun skating after having surgery to repair his left ACL and MCL back in April. He isn’t yet to participate in any informal scrimmages but is still hoping to be ready for their season opener on October 15th.  Stone is coming off a career year, recording 36 points in 75 games last season which earned him a one year, $4MM deal this offseason.  Like Hanzal, Stone is also eligible to become a UFA in July although the team can’t sign him to any extension until January 1st at the earliest.
  • Fresh off his retirement, Manny Malhotra is looking to get into coaching, writes Jeff Paterson of the Vancouver Province. Malhotra noted earlier this offseason that a couple of teams had reached out to them; one of those is the Vancouver Canucks.  Malhotra spent parts of three seasons with Vancouver from 2010-11 to 2012-13.  GM Jim Benning acknowledged that they are in talks with Malhotra, telling Paterson that, “He was a good player for the team for a number of years, and he’s a guy who had a special set of gifts that he offered on faceoffs and penalty killing.  He was a good leader on those teams that were successful. So we’re currently looking into seeing if there is a fit with our organization.”  

Manny Malhotra Retires

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Manny Malhotra, a veteran of 991 NHL regular season games, has officially retired today according to a tweet from Elite Prospects. Drafted seventh overall by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 1998 entry draft would eventually see time seven different NHL organizations during a career which spanned 16 seasons. His last action in the league came during the 2014-15 campaign when he made 58 appearances with the Montreal Canadiens.

Malhotra never lived up to the lofty expectations after being drafted by the Rangers but still carved out a respectable career as a top notch faceoff specialist and penalty-killer. For his career, Malhotra won better than 56% of the draws he took. He also scored 116 goals and 295 points in the NHL.

On March 16, 2011 Malhotra was hit by a puck in the left eye while playing for the Vancouver Canucks. He would miss the rest of that season and all but nine games in 2012-13 before the Canucks placed the veteran pivot on IR, citing the danger involved due to Malhotra’s limited vision. Malhotra would return to the NHL, converting an invitation to camp by Carolina into a job with the Hurricanes. He would go on to appear in 69 games that season and tallied 13 points while winning nearly 60% of his faceoffs.

Malhotra attempted to extend his NHL career, accepting a PTO with the Lake Erie Monsters – the Columbus Blue Jackets AHL affiliate – skating in 23 contests and scoring four goals with two assists. He was released from his PTO in March of 2016 and didn’t appear in another professional game.

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