Vegas Golden Knights Revisiting Talks On Erik Karlsson
The Ottawa Senators made waves this morning when they traded Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks, but may not be done stealing the headlines this week. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that all eyes are now on captain Erik Karlsson, and that talks have started up again with the Vegas Golden Knights who came close to acquiring the superstar defenseman at the trade deadline:
There are lots of teams around the NHL that have perked up and believe that Erik Karlsson could be on the move at some point this week as the NHL Awards wrap up in Vegas on Wednesday night and teams head to Dallas for the NHL Draft. The team to watch continues to be the Vegas Golden Knights, the team that went down to the wire with the Ottawa Senators at 2:45pm before the 3pm trade deadline back in February, nearly pulling off a blockbuster deal to bring the two-time Norris trophy winner to the Stanley Cup finalist Golden Knights. It seems like those two teams have revisited those talks, they’ve heated up. To be sure Pierre Dorion’s phone is ringing.
The Golden Knights apparently came as close as anyone during the trade deadline, with a deal falling apart because the team refused to include top prospect Cody Glass. Glass, selected sixth overall last summer, had 102 points in the WHL this season and looks like a future top-two center for the Knights and potential star. While Karlsson is obviously worthy of a huge package, the team likely wasn’t thrilled with the idea of trading for him only to see him hit free agency in the summer of 2019. Now, as July 1st approaches the Senators can potentially get Karlsson to agree to a long-term extension with the acquiring team, increasing his price tag even further.
It’s not just Vegas that will be after the 28-year old defenseman if he’s truly on the block. Karlsson is the type of talent that could turn a playoff bubble team into a contender, even despite his relatively down 2017-18 season. After offseason ankle surgery Karlsson started the year playing at a level not indicative of his talent, but turned it around and ended up with 62 points by season’s end. That came with just nine goals though, a relatively low total for Karlsson who has five times scored at least 16 in a season.
There will be plenty of interest from around the league, and the Senators could potentially land a huge package of picks and prospects before Friday’s draft. That said, the team is still in the troublesome situation of having to give Colorado either their pick this year—the fourth-overall selection and a potential shot at Filip Zadina—or next year, which could end up near the very top of the draft given their exodus of talent.
Pittsburgh Re-Signs Tobias Lindberg
Tuesday: The team has officially announced the signing, confirming that it is a two-way deal worth $650K at the NHL level.
Monday: It’s easy to forget that Derick Brassard was not the only player acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the three-team blockbuster that brought him over from the Ottawa Senators through the Vegas Golden Knights. The Penguins also added minor league forward Tobias Lindberg as compensation for sending an extra draft pick to Vegas. However, Lindberg remained with the Knights’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, for the remainder of the season and has yet to really be associated with the Penguins organization.
That is, until now. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that the Penguins have signed Lindberg to a one-year, two-way extension worth the league minimum $650K at the NHL level. In terms of adding the affordable depth and upside that GM Jim Rutherford is looking for, this deal is right on track. Lindberg, 22, already has six NHL games and 164 AHL games under his belt in three pro seasons. A fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2013 out of Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, Lindberg has experience playing – and producing – at several different levels already.
His next challenge will be fighting for his place in the Penguins organizational pecking order when he joins the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins next season. It would be a stretch to assume that Linberg would earn a spot in Pittsburgh out of camp, especially with fellow youngsters like Daniel Sprong and Zach Aston-Reese having been promised increased roles next year, but Lindberg should be among the group of primary call-up candidates at the AHL level. Not only did Lindberg get a taste of the NHL with six games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-17, but he also has experience playing on both wings and playing both scoring and checking roles. That versatility is extremely valuable as a minor league depth option. Rutherford has been honest that some of the Penguins’ restricted free agents may not be re-signed this off-season, so Lindberg’s speedy extension would seem to indicate that the team envisions a role for him moving forward.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Lucas Elvenes
The Vegas Golden Knights have inked another prospect, signing Lucas Elvenes to a three-year entry-level contract. Elvenes split this year between the SHL and Allsvenskan in Sweden, and is expected to remain there for at least another season.
The 18-year old center was selected in the fifth round last summer, and turned some heads this season when he recorded 16 points in 28 SHL games. That’s good production for a player as young as Elvenes, as ice time is generally reserved for the more experienced players in Sweden’s highest league. The fact that he was almost a point-per-game player in the Allsvenskan (Sweden’s equivalent of the AHL) makes his year even more impressive.
Vegas has stockpiled quite a few interesting prospects, and the 6’1″ 172-lbs Elvenes is just another name to remember. Just getting him under contract is a big first step, and if they can get him over to North America it will be a change in family history. His father Stefan Elvenes was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks back in 1988 but never left the European pro leagues. He now works as a part-time scout for the St. Louis Blues, and could likely give the Western Conference rivals a thorough report on the newest Golden Knights prospect.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Brooks Macek
According to his former club team, Brooks Macek has signed a one-year two-way contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Once a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, Macek has been playing in the German DEL for the last five years and competed for the country at the recent Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. The deal is worth $650K at the NHL level.
Macek should be well known to Vegas AGM Kelly McCrimmon from his days in the WHL, as the 26-year old forward played five years of junior, splitting his time between the Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen. An excellent offensive player in those days, he hasn’t slowed down since joining the DEL where he had 44 points in 50 games for Munich last season. Teammate Dominik Kahun has recently signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, and perhaps will have to face Macek at some point in either the AHL or NHL.
The Golden Knights have plenty of work to do with their NHL roster, but building a solid minor league system is still a priority. While Macek could compete for an NHL job in the fall, building a deep organization is more than just signing the best players for the Golden Knights squad. As the sole affiliate of the Chicago Wolves next year, Vegas can use players like Macek to provide some much-needed professional experience to a young group.
Golden Knights Sign Stefan Matteau To One-Year Extension
The Golden Knights aren’t wasting much time getting back down to their offseason business following their loss in the Stanley Cup Final. The team announced that they have signed winger Stefan Matteau to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The deal pays the league minimum $650K at the NHL level and $110K in the minors. TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie adds (Twitter link) that the deal contains a total guarantee of $200K which matches his guaranteed total from 2017-18.
The 24-year-old spent most of the season with their AHL affiliate in Chicago after signing as a free agent last summer. He suited up in 60 games for the Wolves, recording 15 goals and 12 assists along with 57 penalty minutes. Matteau also played in eight games with Vegas during the regular season, picking up an assist while averaging 8:12 per night in ice time. He was up with the team for their postseason run but did not see any game action.
Matteau has played in 64 career NHL games across three organizations with the majority of them coming with the Devils, who drafted him in 29th overall back in 2012 with the pick they were originally expected to forfeit as a penalty for circumventing the CBA when they first signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a contract extension. (The league rescinded that penalty back in 2014.) While he won’t live up to his first-round billing, Matteau appears to be at least carving out a niche for himself as a capable depth player that can be called up when injuries arise and hold his own on a fourth line.
Erik Karlsson Not Likely To Get Moved To Vegas
With their season wrapping up much more quietly than the Washington Capitals, the Vegas Golden Knights will now look to continue their success next season. Due to the failed trade deadline move to acquire Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson many months ago, many people believe that Vegas general manager George McPhee will try to rekindle those trade talks.
The move would make quite a bit of sense since Vegas’ defense struggled against Washington during their Stanley Cup run as the Capitals dominated the neutral zone throughout the finals. And while the Golden Knights have many quality top-four defensemen, what the team is truly lacking is a No. 1 defenseman, which showed against Washington. However, Elliotte Friedman suggests a deal for Karlsson might be unlikely this offseason in his 31 Thoughts segment.
Friedman writes the main reason the original Karlsson trade collapsed was Ottawa’s insistence on Vegas including 2017 first-round pick Cody Glass, the team’s top prospect. The 19-year-old center, who was the sixth-overall pick in last year’s draft, potted 37 goals and 102 points for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Vegas didn’t want to include him, despite the fact that 13th overall pick Nick Suzuki, also a center, tallied 42 goals and 100 points for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack.
The team isn’t ready to deplete it’s prospect pool. They would rather move picks such as when they traded their 2018 first-rounder, a 2019 second rounder and a 2021 third-rounder to get a player like Tomas Tatar. They already know what they have in Glass and Suzuki even if it takes another year for them to step into their lineup. However, despite having six picks in the first three rounds last year (three first-rounders), the team is still building its prospect pool for the future and with just one pick in the first three rounds this year (not in the first round), the team isn’t going to build it up a whole lot this year.
Friedman suggests that a better move for the Golden Knights would be to steal away John Carlson from Washington (McPhee drafted him back in 2008). Considering the amount of cap space Vegas has, that would be the best way to bring in veteran talent.
While many people believe that bringing in Karlsson, who has been unhappy with Ottawa’s ownership, is the better course of action, trading one (or more) of their top prospects and likely taking on the bloated contract of winger Bobby Ryan for another four years at $7.25MM will quickly destroy both their cap flexibility and cut into their small, but solid prospect pool. Vegas will have at least $28MM in cap room, so why not just spend some of it on Carlson and keep their prospects?
Western Notes: Niederreiter, Dumba, Golden Knights, Gusev
The Minnesota Wild were expected to shake things up after another disappointing playoff run and made that clear when they replaced general manager Chuck Fletcher with Paul Fenton. One forgets that Fenton as the assistant to David Poile in Nashville for the past 20 years, has been involved in many blockbuster trades in that time. So, don’t be surprised to see the team make several big moves this offseason.
The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required) delves into several potential trade candidates and what the chances are that Fenton might move them. At the top of the list is winger Nino Niederreiter, who might be the perfect trade candidate. After three 20-goal seasons, Niederreiter came up two goals short this year, but also missed 19 games this year with a high ankle sprain and a broken fibula. Unfortunately, Niederreiter also has struggled in the playoffs recently combining for just one assist in 10 playoff games over the past two seasons. However, the fact that he’s 25 years old and is locked in for another four years at $5.25MM AAV could make him the team’s biggest trade chip. Throw in the fact that Jason Zucker and Zach Parise are listed as the top two left wings on the team, he is expendable.
While he analyzes a number of trade candidates in the article, Russo suggests that despite going well out of their way to protect Mathew Dumba at the expansion draft last season (that cost them Erik Haula and Alex Tuch), Dumba rewarded the team with a career highs in goals and assists with 14 goals and 36 assists. Now a restricted free agent, the team must decide whether Dumba is worth a long-term deal and if not, the Wild might want to move him while his value is high.
- With the team’s success this year, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee refers to their 2017 first-round picks, Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom as “long shots” to making the team next season, according to SinBinVegas. If one of those picks were to make the Golden Knights roster out of training camp, they would have to be “really, really good.” McPhee also said he doesn’t believe teenagers belong in the NHL and the team must take more responsibility to develop their prospects properly. “Smartest thing we can do is take our time and develop them,” McPhee said.
- Sticking with the Vegas Golden Knights, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that McPhee said the team continues to pursue Russian winger Nikita Gusev, who the team acquired in an expansion-day deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. The 25-year-old has scored 46 goals and tallied 133 points over the past two seasons in the KHL. He still has one more year remaining on a two-year deal he signed last summer, so the Golden Knights have to wait a while longer. “He’s got another year on his deal and then we’ll see what we can do. He’s a talented guy and we’ll do what we can to get him here. We’ve talked to him, and we’ll continue to talk to him,” McPhee said.
Marc-Andre Fleury Wants To Finish His Career With Vegas
Among the many players that are eligible to sign contract extensions next month is Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He wasted little time making his preference known, telling reporters, including Jesse Granger of the Las Vegas Sun, that he’s hoping to stick around beyond next season:
The 33-year-old will enter the final year of his contract in 2018-19 with a $5.75MM cap charge. His first season with the Golden Knights was certainly a memorable one as he posted a 2.24 GAA and a .927 SV% in 46 regular season games while putting up identical numbers in 20 postseason starts. If he can put up comparable numbers next season, Fleury may be lining himself up for a nice raise on his next deal.
David Perron Discussed Extension With Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights have two key unrestricted free agents up front in James Neal and David Perron, and at least one of them has made his desire to stay clear. David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that Perron discussed an extension during the season with the Golden Knights but couldn’t come to an agreement. Perron will become a UFA on July 1st if he doesn’t come to an agreement with Vegas, but told Schoen “I want to stay.”
Vegas heads into this offseason with a tremendous amount of cap room and only three or four long-term deals on the books. They can certainly afford to be big players in free agency, including locking up Perron and Neal if they so choose. Even though the former wants to stay however, doesn’t guarantee that he’ll stick around in Sin City.
Perron actually finished third on the Golden Knights in points this season, setting a new career-high with 66 in his 70 games. That’s an incredible rate and obviously a big part of how Vegas had so much success in the regular season, but when things dried up in the postseason things didn’t look quite as rosy. Perron was held to a single postseason goal—just the fourth in his 57-game playoff career—and though his nine points in 15 games doesn’t look so bad he was actually taken out of the lineup during the Stanley Cup Finals. Whether that was due to an undisclosed injury or just his ineffective offense isn’t exactly clear, but it begs the question of whether the Golden Knights are really willing to pay up to retain him.
Now 30, Perron has been a good-if-not-great offensive player for his whole career. With 444 points in 722 games, he’s capable of creating offense at even-strength and on the powerplay, but has never been able to really drive a team’s scoring. His most recent contract with the St. Louis Blues was for two years and $7.5MM, a number he’s likely looking to eclipse after having such a successful regular season. Whether he’s worth more than $4MM to the Golden Knights isn’t clear though especially if it’s a multi-year contract. After acquiring Tomas Tatar, Vegas has plenty of options on the wing with more center depth coming up through their prospect system. If they believe that they could compete without him, Perron might have to look elsewhere for his next opportunity.
Washington Capitals Win 2018 Stanley Cup Championship
For the first time in 44 years, the Washington Capitals are Stanley Cup champions. The 1974 expansion team won the first title in franchise history with a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five. The long-suffering fan base that has seen more President’s Trophies than Conference Championships in the team’s history can finally breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate their team getting over the hump. The Stanley Cup belongs to the Capitals in 2018.
Leading the charge for Washington in the postseason and in the deciding game was of course Alex Ovechkin. The franchise leader in scoring fittingly led the team in playoff goal scoring and set the franchise record for goals in a playoff by notching his 15th en route to a win the first title in franchise history. Evgeny Kuznetsov led the team with 32 points in the postseason, adding an assist in Game Five and leading all forwards in ice time. Lars Eller potted the game-winning goal mid-way through the third period to cap off an excellent postseason in which he took his game to the next level and was a clutch presence for the Capitals. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the play of goaltender Braden Holtby, who won back the starter’s job early in the postseason after a tough regular season and went on to make brilliant save after brilliant save these past month, especially in the Final. Not to be forgotten are key contributors like long-time Capitals Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and Jay Beagle, T.J. Oshie, Matt Niskanen, and Brooks Orpik among others. Head coach Barry Trotz should also be commended for his excellent work and on a career that, like his superstar forward, has always lacked one thing: a title. Not anymore, as Trotz and the Caps are champs.
However, this win is also about the players that came before this team who have long waited for a title to come to Washington. Peter Bondra, Mike Gartner, Dale Hunter, Olaf Kolzig and others can all enjoy what this team has accomplished and what the last four decades have led to.
The achievements of George McPhee, Gerard Gallant, and Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team in their inaugural season, cannot possibly be overstated. Yet, this franchise has a bright future and is unlikely to have a long wait for their own title. Washington fans had waited long enough. After 44 years, the Washington Capitals are champs and D.C. is a title town once again after 26 years.