Vegas Golden Knights Might Already Have Deals In Place
The newest NHL franchise gained official standing in the league yesterday and with it the power to sign free agents, make deals and move draft picks. They likely were already talking to teams about possible expansion draft scenarios, and one former GM who has been through a similar situation thinks they’ve already agreed to a handful of moves. Doug McLean on Sportsnet radio today was talking about the Vegas Golden Knights and said that he thinks the team has already locked up at least part of their roster.
I would bet dollars to donuts on this. Their number one goaltender is done. Guaranteed that.
That’s the one position that I’m sure, you’ll have that locked up. Maybe it’s not signed or whatever the legality is, because George [McPhee] would go by the book. I think that position is done.
While McLean doesn’t sound like he has a source that’s telling him that the Golden Knights have completed a deal, he does have plenty of experience in this area. He was the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets when they and the Minnesota Wild went through the expansion process in 2000. He later says that he had at least half a dozen deals done by the draft, and it was more difficult then because two teams were coming in at the same time.
McLean has an idea of who that goaltender might be, and it’s not Ben Bishop. Many have wondered whether the Golden Knights will go after Bishop on the free agent market, as his deal expires this summer. The former Vezina runner-up is now with the Los Angeles Kings as they try to make the playoffs. 
The panel—which includes Nick Kypreos and Jeff Marek—also ponder the idea that Eric Fehr is destined for Vegas as well, and that Lou Lamoriello may have acquired him with a deal already agreed to with McPhee. Fehr did play for McPhee for many years in Washington and could be part of a leadership group in what will be a rag-tag bunch of players in the Golden Knights’ first season. The expansion team will need to come to the cap floor, and players with one or two years remaining with a moderate cap hit might be solid targets to get them there in the first season.
While there isn’t—and likely won’t be—any proof that the Golden Knights have made deals before the expansion draft, it’s something to think about if you’re still wondering why your favorite team did one thing or another at the trade deadline. There are often explanations behind the scenes, and with the varying rules that go along with the draft different scenarios can arise that aren’t clear at the moment.
One that was posed in one of our recent live chats, is the idea that a team would keep a pending unrestricted free agent as bait for Vegas, since if they sign them in the window before the expansion draft, they won’t select a player from that team’s roster. Bishop was the example used, but perhaps there have been discussions about Radim Vrbata heading to Las Vegas when the season is done, protecting the Coyotes from any selection. In any case, one should not dismiss McLean’s opinion on the matter so quickly, as he’s one of a handful of people in the world who have been in a similar situation in the past.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Matthew Highmore To ELC
The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t going to wait for the Vegas Golden Knights to snap up all the undrafted talent. Today they inked Matthew Highmore to a three-year, entry-level contract. The undrafted forward is playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL.
Highmore is a 21-year old left winger who wasn’t selected in the 2014 draft despite a promising sophomore campaign in the CHL. It looked like front offices were right though when he struggled in 2014-15, scoring just 24 points in 62 games. He’s slowly brought himself back into the spotlight in the scoring-heavy QMJHL though, with a solid season last year and 82 points in 58 games this year. While overagers are expected to put up high point totals, Highmore has stood out alongside other top prospects on Saint John.
It’s worth mentioning Vegas after they were given official standing in the NHL yesterday as they are now allowed to negotiate with unsigned players outside of the NHL. Highmore and other undrafted players in the CHL, NCAA and other leagues will likely make up the majority of the Golden Knights’ minor league system for the first few years as they try to build it up through the draft. Remember, they only get to choose 30 players in the expansion draft, and most won’t be players that should be in the minors.
We’ll likely see several deals like this over the next few weeks, as teams bring in any talent they deem valuable. It’s worth noting that Highmore was playing with Blackhawks’ fourth-round selection from this year Nathan Noel, who has 43 points in 45 games.
The Day After: Racing To The Bottom
The NHL trade deadline came and went yesterday with little excitement. Yes, some (but not all) of the rentals that were expected to move went to interesting destinations, but we didn’t have a single blockbuster move or real hockey trade. So now the quest begins for the Stanley Cup with much of the teams and players that we had a week ago, with a Steve Ott here and a Lauri Korpikoski there.
Now for many fans of teams who have been holding out hope for a late playoff push; those who sold many of their assets yesterday in a waving of the white flag for the 2016-17 season, a new journey begins. The quest for the first overall draft pick.
There is no fight, some might say, because of the Colorado Avalanche’s death-grip on last place in the NHL. They have just 37 points through 61 games and have a legitimate shot at becoming the first team to compile fewer than 50 points in a full season since the 1999-00 Atlanta Thrashers, an expansion team that won just 14 games. Colorado will finish last in the league, of that there is no doubt. But that by no means guarantees them the first overall pick
This year, with the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights the last place team will have just a 17.9% chance to select first, not a very good chance at all. The Arizona Coyotes are likely going to finish with the second worst record. With just 51 points they have an eight point “lead” on the Vancouver Canucks and have traded away several pieces. 
But that’s where it gets interesting. From the current third last team—those Canucks, who may have had the best deadline out of anyone—to the tenth worst is just six points. Beyond that the playoffs are just another handful of points away. The race for that third last spot is alive and well, and it could come with a big prize.
The 2017 draft class has been called weak, shallow and lacking impact talent. While it does in comparison to the past two—which featured generational talents not just first overall but second as well—it may be. But to think that it doesn’t house some incredible future NHL talent is ludicrous. It’s not like there are only third-line players available this season, and the battle for the top five should be as fierce as ever.
For teams that lack center depth (which is most of the NHL), this year gives you a choice of at least three phenomenal talents at the top of the board. Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier and Gabe Vilardi all play very different styles, but will all likely have long and prosperous NHL careers. The rest of the first round is littered with talent down the middle: Michael Rasmussen, Casey Middelstadt, Cody Glass and Ryan Poehling all will likely go somewhere in the top half of the draft and all play mostly center.
While Vegas has thinned the odds slightly for everyone after that top pick, coming 28th in the league would still give you a 10% chance at drafting first, and even better odds at landing in that top three. Make no mistake, all the teams that sold yesterday—Vancouver, Detroit, and New Jersey in particular—are after that spot. They’ll say the right things, and the players won’t take a single second of any shift off, but in the back of the GMs mind he’s hoping that Bill Daly opens that card on lottery day and they see their logo emblazoned in gold.
The day after the deadline, and the race for the bottom has begun.
Vegas Golden Knights Given Official Standing In NHL
As expected today, the Vegas Golden Knights have completed all the paperwork and expansion payments and been given official standing in the NHL according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. They are able to make any transactions that do not include active NHL players.
Though discussions were likely to have been going on for weeks about the expansion draft and deals to protect certain teams and players, they could now officially accept a deal. The team can also sign any college free agents like Neal Pionk who was rumored to have as many as 20 teams after him recently.
Expect Vegas to collect as many college players as possible as they try to build a pipeline of talent as quickly as possible. For teams like Pittsburgh, who look like they’ll have Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray on expansion day, they can send draft picks to the team for some extra protection.
Welcome Vegas to the NHL! We now have 31 teams in the best hockey league in the world. We’ll keep track of any deals that go down over the next few months.
Snapshots: Vegas, Expansion Draft, Theodore
While it has been widely expected that the Vegas Golden Knights would be ready to start doing business with teams around the league on March 1st, it sounds now like they’ll miss the opportunity to be in calls on the trade deadline. The team could have never participated in deals involving active NHL or AHL players, but could have swapped picks or starting hammering out deals for the expansion draft. Now according to owner Bill Foley on KXNT, the team will only be able to have informal discussions because their paperwork won’t be filed in time.
In practice, this doesn’t stop George McPhee and the rest of the front office from being involved on deadline day, but nothing they do can officially be signed off or sanctioned by the NHL. That leaves room for doubt, and on a day where so much is at stake may scare off potential teams. Teams around the league are having a tough time deciding what to do because they run the risk of exposing a new asset in the expansion draft, and making hard deals with the Golden Knights might help to assuage those fears.
- While it’s been a slow lead up so far, Pierre LeBrun of ESPN spoke to one GM that wondered if the 48 hours before the expansion draft would be a little more hectic than the 48 before the March 1st deadline. With the Stanley Cup perhaps being awarded as late as June 15th, the protection lists being due June 17th, and the draft occurring on June 20th it is sure to be a hectic few days for teams to get their ducks in a row. As CapFriendly notes, the buyout window will (likely) open on the 15th giving those few days an extra wrinkle.
- The venerable Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated profiled the struggles of being a waiver-exempt young player with his latest piece on Anaheim Ducks defender Shea Theodore, who has been shuffled back and forth all season. Theodore has been involved in 13 transactions this year heading one way or the other between the NHL and AHL, and at this point doesn’t even remember most of them. “When you’re up and down so often, you don’t realize how many it’s actually been,” he tells Prewitt, before going into detail on his packing routine (or lack thereof). Theodore will actually be exempt for another two seasons, or 105 games depending on what comes first. While the Ducks—and Theodore himself—hope that he will be firmly entrenched in the lineup by then, it does show the value of having a player able to bounce back and forth. The San Jose Sharks do a similar thing with Mirco Mueller, who has played just four games for the NHL club despite being called up almost a dozen times.
20 Teams Interested In College Free Agent Neal Pionk
The NHL is a different place in 2017. With the advancement of analytics and systems, the increased speed and skill, and almost-extinction of the “goon” it’s like a whole new sport. Now, if you’re smaller than the prototypical center, or defenseman you have a chance in the NHL. You no longer have to be a hulking beast capable of rubbing people off the puck in the corners or protecting your star player with your fists. Or at least that’s what one college player is hoping.
Neal Pionk was passed over in his draft year due to his small size—5’11”, 170-lbs on the most generous of measurements—but is turning heads with his strong play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth as a sophomore. After scoring 17 points in an up-and-down rookie season, Pionk has 24 points in 30 games and is showing that he may be able to compete at the next level after all. Craig Custance of ESPN reports that as many as 20 teams have expressed interest in the Bulldog, including the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who can sign college free agents in March like any other team (provided their final expansion payment goes through without a hitch).
Pionk attended the Washington Capitals development camp in 2015 before heading to school. It will be interesting to see if Washington will be back in the mix to sign him when his season ends. The right-handed defenseman likely has so many suitors because not only does he possess the puck-moving skill that usually accompanies the smaller defenseman at this level, but also has a slight nasty streak that leads him to physically challenge opposing forwards as well. Some might liken his play to Connor Carrick of the Toronto Maple Leafs (and previously those same Washington Capitals), who doesn’t let his height dictate the type of game he plays.
While this year’s crop of NCAA free agents doesn’t have a huge name leading the way, players like Pionk can still be valuable assets to any team. Look for Vegas to go hard after several of them as it tries to add depth to a system that will have very little of it to start. The Minnesota native is already 21 (and will turn 22 in July), meaning he’ll have to adapt quickly to the increased difficulty of the AHL and beyond, but if that many teams are interested, he’ll likely have a fighting chance.
Snapshots: Vegas, Howard, Flyers
As the March 1st trade deadline approaches, so does the start of the Vegas Golden Knights capacity to make deals around the league. While he won’t be able to make any moves for active players, he can start shaping the future of the Golden Knights in just over a week. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune caught up with Vegas GM George McPhee and talked to him about the kind of team he’d like to build.
I’ve built high-flying teams in the past, offensive, entertaining teams and would like to do the same thing. What we do with the expansion draft hasn’t been settled yet because until we see the entire universe of what teams want to do, who they want to protect and expose, we don’t know which way we’re going to go.
Indeed, McPhee did build the high-flying Washington Capitals that featured some of the highest goal totals in recent memory. If he constructs the Vegas team the same way, it will be fun to watch at the very least as it likely struggles through its first few seasons. If McPhee wants speed, perhaps a certain Colorado Avalanche centerman who is on the block would be of interest this summer.
- Jimmy Howard, out since before Christmas with a sprained MCL was seen taking shots today before practice by Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. Howard—who turns 33 on March 26th—carries a hefty cap hit and two more years on his contract. While the Red Wings would love to move him for some cap relief, he’ll have to get back onto the ice and prove the start of his season wasn’t a fluke.
- Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tells us that Hall of Fame winger and current Kings’ President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille has taken over as chairman of the board for Eisbären Berlin, a German hockey team that plays in the DEL. While under Robitaille’s leadership, the Los Angeles Kings played in Berlin back in 2011 when the NHL was testing out different markets with regular season games.
- Sam Cardichi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the Flyers and their quickly sinking ship going into the deadline. After benching Andrew MacDonald in a Sunday night win over the Vancouver Canucks, the team is looking to get Michael Del Zotto more ice-time and are still considering their options for the trade deadline. Cardichi includes he thinks the team will be in sell mode come March 1st.
Garrioch’s Latest: Shattenkirk, Lightning, Jurco, Vegas
The recent run of the St. Louis Blues has all of a sudden made their decision regarding pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk a much more difficult one, writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun in his latest Insider Trading column. It has long been believed that the Blues – who aren’t expected to re-sign him – were hoping to move him in an effort to avoid losing him for nothing in July but with the team now sitting somewhat comfortably in a playoff spot, it’s a much tougher sell as moving him would hurt their fortunes considerably.
The asking price from GM Doug Armstrong remains quite high, including a first round pick, a high quality prospect, plus a third element. If he can get all of that in a return, moving him even while in a playoff spot would be a lot more palatable but there’s little indication at this time that anyone is willing to meet that price for a rental player, even the top one on the market.
Garrioch also has updates on several other goings-on around the league. As usual, the full column is worth a read but here are a handful of the highlights:
- Lightning GM Steve Yzerman is looking to free up some cap space beyond this season with players like Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Jonathan Drouin all headed for restricted free agency. A couple of players they’d like to move are defensemen Braydon Coburn and Jason Garrison. Coburn has two years left on his deal after this one with a $3.75MM cap hit while Garrison has one year remaining at $4.7MM. However, Yzerman will need to provide some sort of incentive to get a team to take on one of those deals and while it appears he’s willing to do so, the question becomes how much of a sweetener would they be willing to part with?
- On top of pending UFA Thomas Vanek, the Red Wings are looking to find a new home for winger Tomas Jurco. It came out last month that the 24 year was hoping to be dealt as he has spent a significant portion of this season as a healthy scratch. While it’s likely that GM Ken Holland would like to move some players with term left on their deals, that will be quite difficult as quite a few are on long-term pacts and are underachieving this season.
- Golden Knights GM George McPhee reached out to now-Canadiens coach Claude Julien after he was let go by the Bruins but clearly no deal was reached. Considering Julien was primed to be in a spot to be very selective about where he went if he waited until the offseason and the likelihood that the expansion team struggles out of the gate, he likely wouldn’t have been the right fit in Vegas anyways. The scribe suggests that former Florida bench boss Gerard Gallant remains the favorite to get the job although ex-Islanders coach Jack Capuano has also been interviewed.
Matt Bartkowski Expected To Sign With Calgary
The strange career arc of Matt Bartkowski continues. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver reported this morning that Bartkowski has been released from his minor league contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Bartkowksi had two goals and eight assists in 34 games for the P-Bruins, and had been somewhat underwhelming at both ends of the ice. Just when you think that maybe that’s it for the 28-year-old’s pro hockey career, there’s this follow-up tweet from Divver: Bartkowski will sign with the Calgary Flames. Divver adds that deal is expected to be a two-year, two-way contract. However, the Flames have since announced that (for now) Bartkowski is just on a professional tryout.
If you don’t know much about Bartkowski you’re not alone. After all, he was on a minor-league contract this season. Yet, just a few years ago, Bartkowski’s career was trending in a very different direction. A seventh-round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2008, Bartkowski’s rights were traded to the Boston Bruins along with Dennis Seidenberg at the 2010 Trade Deadline. Bartkowski left Ohio State University after the 2009-10 season to join his new organization. In his first three pro seasons, Bartkowski was an impressive two-way threat in the AHL for the Providence Bruins, and each year would earn some play time in Boston as well. In 2013-14, Bartkowski finally earned a role with the Bruins and somewhat burst on to the scene with 18 assists and a very solid +22 rating in 64 games. Bartkowski appeared to have the makings of a top-six NHL defenseman, and Bruins Assistant GM Jim Benning thought so too. After another year in Boston with a reduced role and less production, Bartkowski became an unrestricted free agent and bolted for Vancouver, where Benning had taken over as GM of the Cancuks. Bartkowski played in a career-high 80 games with the Canucks in 2015-16, going from zero career goals to six by the end of the season and adding 12 assists along the way. However, the uptick in offense came with a bit of a breakdown in defense. While still a physical player, he became somewhat of a liability in his own end, finishing the season at -19 and losing ice time as the year progressed. Vancouver chose not to re-sign Bartkowski this summer and the blue liner saw little interest before returning to his roots with a PTO-turned-contract with the Providence Bruins.
Now, in a wild twist, he’ll be back in the NHL. Bartkowski was reportedly on the ice for Flames practice this morning and ready to begin his PTO. Calgary isn’t exactly desperate for defense with Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Dougie Hamilton, Dennis Wideman, and Deryk Engelland in the fold, but what they don’t have is anyone they’re willing to lose in the upcoming Expansion Draft. If Divver is right, and Bartkowski’s PTO is a front for an eventual two-year contract, that is a very strategic move by GM Brad Treliving. As we recently discussed, the Flames would have to expose one of Giordano, Brodie, and Hamilton if they made no further moves before June 21st to meet the quota of having one defenseman available to the Vegas Golden Knights that has term on his contract and 40 NHL games played this season or 70 NHL games over the past two years. Bartkowski presents a very rare opportunity; he was on a minor league contract and could be acquired without having to give anything up in a trade and he played in 80 games just last year, fulfilling the games played requirement. If the Flames hand Bartkowski a two-year deal as Divver suspects, he immediately qualifies to be exposed even if he doesn’t play a single NHL game this season. This could be a genius maneuver by Treliving and is worth following over the next week or two.
Deadline Primer: Washington Capitals
With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re taking a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
The Washington Capitals are in a very similar situation. The 2015-16 Capitals team ran away with the President’s Trophy as the NHL’s best regular season team, and this year are on pace to do so again. Last year’s squad had so much depth and talent at every position that they made only two minor deadline moves, acquiring forward Daniel Winnik from the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Mike Weber from the Buffalo Sabres. This year’s team is almost identical to last year’s. Weber is gone, as is Jason Chimera and Michael Latta. However, those absences have largely gone unnoticed, and the 2016-17 version is possibly more talented with the likes of Lars Eller and Brett Connolly in the fold. However, with Andre Burakovsky sidelined by injury until after the Trade Deadline and with over $4MM in cap space just waiting to be used up, Washington should look to make a couple more depth additions again this season. After all, this same roster lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round last year, and will likely have to go up against them again this year. If they want to finally take home that elusive Stanley Cup championship for the first time in franchise history, they need to do all they can to bolster the roster for a postseason run.
Record
39-11-6, 1st in the Metropolitan Division/Eastern Conference/NHL
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
Draft Picks
2017: WAS 1st, WAS 4th, WAS 5th, WAS 6th, WAS 7th
2018: WAS 1st, WAS 3rd, WAS 4th, WAS 5th, WAS 6th, WAS 7th
Trade Chips
Frankly, the Capitals are short on capital. Last deadline season, Winnik cost them young defenseman Connor Carrick and the price for Weber was a 2017 third-round pick. This summer, they paid the hefty price of 2017 and 2018 second-round picks to the Montreal Canadiens for Eller. What’s left for selections of value, especially in a seller’s market, is their 2017 first-rounder, which is virtually untouchable since it would leave Washington without a pick this year until the fourth round, and their first-round and third-round picks next year. Desperate for a championship with one of the most talented rosters they have ever had, don’t be shocked if the Capitals move that 2018 top pick if they have to. Outside of draft selections, the prospect cupboard is awfully empty. With so many impending unrestricted free agents on the roster, the team will be hesitant to move rookies who have seen NHL action this year like Zach Sanford and Jakub Vrana. They may not have a choice, but given one, the Capitals will likely move unproven prospects instead
Players To Watch
D Madison Bowey, D Jonas Siegenthaler, F Stanislav Galiev , F Zach Sanford , F Jakub Vrana
Team Needs
1) Depth Defenseman – Just like Weber last year, the Capitals top need is definitely another body on the blue line. Nate Schmidt has stepped up and had a strong season as the team’s #6 defenseman, but behind him there are no good options. A veteran defenseman on an expiring contract who can give starters a rest down the stretch and be relied on in the postseason if need be is at the top of Washington’s wish list.
2) Depth Forward – Again, just like Winnik at the 2016 deadline, the Capitals could use another forward. Although Burakovsky’s absence shouldn’t extend into the playoffs, that uncertainty might provoke the Capitals into going after one of the scorers on the market, like Arizona’s Radim Vrbata. If they feel certain that Burakovsky will be back, the team could still use a veteran bottom-six skater so that any injury in the playoffs would not leave Sanford and Vrana on the hook in a high-pressure situation. A depth forward with term on his contract would be ideal, providing a safety net for the Caps’ forward corps this year and next and also alleviating some expansion concerns.
3) Backup Goaltender – On the off chance that GM Brian MacLellan decides that he doesn’t want to risk losing impressive young backup Philipp Grubauer for nothing in the expansion draft to former Capitals GM George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights, he may accept a strong offer from a net-needy team and trade away Braden Holtby‘s understudy. As good as Holtby is, Washington would be foolish to go into the playoffs with only inexperienced Joe Cannata as the backup. They would likely have a deal for a good veteran goalie lined up before parting ways with Grubauer.