Nolan Patrick Comments On His Trade To Vegas
After a tough season with the Flyers, it seemed a trade was all but inevitable for Nolan Patrick and one eventually came to fruition as he was flipped to Vegas as part of the three-team deal that saw Cody Glass head to Nashville in return. Speaking with Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun, the 22-year-old acknowledged that a fresh start was probably the best thing for him. Last season, the 2017 second-overall pick returned from missing an entire year due to migraines but managed just four goals and five assists in 52 games. The Golden Knights still need to sign Patrick who is a restricted free agent but it’s hard to see him getting much more than his qualifying offer of just under $918K. He should get an opportunity to play a regular role in their bottom six next season and a more consistent performance will be needed for him to have a shot at being an impact player.
Mikael Hakkarainen Placed On Unconditional Waivers
The Vegas Golden Knights have placed Mikael Hakkarainen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination, according to CapFriendly. Hakkarainen was the sole return for Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this summer, though even the press release at the time indicated that he would remain with the Rockford IceHogs instead of joining the Henderson Silver Knights. Now he won’t even be under contract with the Golden Knights, becoming an unrestricted free agent when the termination goes through tomorrow.
Hakkarainen, 23, had one year left on his entry-level contract but had struggled to find playing time in the Blackhawks minor league system. This season he split the year between the Indy Fuel of the ECHL and Rockford, playing six games for each. In those contests, the fifth-round pick recorded just a single assist. His time in the AHL could be over, as he failed to score a single point in 14 games for the IceHogs since joining them in 2019.
He will be free to sign anywhere, though it’s unclear where his professional future lies at this point. A return to Finland perhaps, though he hasn’t played there since the 2014-15 campaign. Hakkarainen was the 139th overall pick in 2018, after spending two seasons in the USHL.
With Hakkarainen now set for release, the Golden Knights officially have nothing but cap space to show for the Fleury trade.
Martins Dzierkals Signs With Kunlun In The KHL
- Golden Knights prospect Martins Dzierkals has signed with Kunlun of the KHL, relays Sportacentrs’ Rolands Elins. The length of the contract was not disclosed. The 24-year-old was acquired by Vegas last year as part of the three-team Robin Lehner deal and spent last season with Dinamo Riga in the KHL where he had 10 goals and 14 assists in 52 games. Dzierkals spent some time in North America in Toronto’s system not long after they drafted him but since he didn’t play on an NHL contract, the Golden Knights will continue to hold his rights indefinitely.
Prospect Jesper Vikman Commits To Vancouver (WHL)
- Golden Knights prospect Jesper Vikman has decided to come to North America and has committed to play with Vancouver of the WHL next season. The 19-year-old goaltender was a fifth-round pick of Vegas (125th overall) back in 2020 and spent 2020-21 at three different levels in Sweden, getting as high as the Allsvenskan level. As he was picked out of Sweden, Vikman remains on the four-year timeline in terms of needing an entry-level contract so Vegas holds his rights through June 1, 2024.
Golden Knights Among Teams Still Interested In Jack Eichel
The Rangers and Golden Knights are among the teams that are still interested in Sabres center Jack Eichel, notes Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Brooks suggests that Buffalo retaining salary might be enough to get New York to part with a top young asset like Kaapo Kakko in a deal although with five years left on that contract, retaining would be a sizable cost for Buffalo which may not be something they want to do. Meanwhile, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon mentioned earlier in the week that he expected that the team they have now is what they’ll go into training camp with but as we’ve seen in the past, they’re willing to make big moves and move players around to make the salary cap fit work.
Golden Knights Sign Derrick Pouliot To AHL Contract
A few years ago, Derrick Pouliot was basically a regular on Vancouver’s defense corps but his stock has slipped since then. Now, the 27-year-old has opted to settle for a minor league contract as Henderson, Vegas’ affiliate, announced that they’ve inked him to a one-year deal.
It’s a bit surprising that Pouliot had to settle for a contract that doesn’t have an NHL portion as he was able to secure two-way pacts the last two seasons with a $425K guarantee. While financial terms of this contract weren’t disclosed, AHL-only contracts don’t typically approach that high of a price tag.
Pouliot spent last season in Philadelphia’s system, playing in 25 games with AHL Lehigh Valley where he recorded three goals and 11 assists, decent numbers for a defenseman. That helped earn him four separate recalls to the taxi squad during the year but it didn’t materialize into any NHL action, nor did it evidently help him to earn a two-way deal this time around in free agency.
Pouliot, the eighth-overall pick in 2012 to Pittsburgh, has played in 202 career NHL contests between the Penguins, Canucks, and Blues, notching eight goals and 40 assists. But if he wants to make it back to the top level, he’ll have to have his contract first converted to an NHL deal. Considering Vegas already has 47 out of 50 contracts on the books with Dylan Coghlan needing a deal as a restricted free agent, they will likely need to move out a player or two first to give themselves some wiggle room on that front. Accordingly, Pouliot’s stay with the Silver Knights may be a long one while Vegas adds a capable veteran defender on a no-risk contract.
New York Rangers Acquire, Extend Ryan Reaves
July 31: The Rangers have announced the one-year extension for Reaves. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports that the deal is a true extension for Reaves, bringing him back for the 2022-23 season at the same $1.75MM cap number.
July 30: The Rangers not only acquired Reaves for this season, but are also working on a one-year extension according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Reaves is signed through 2021-22 at a $1.75MM cap hit, and Friedman expects the extension to come in around the same number.
July 29: The New York Rangers are adding some serious grit to their lineup. According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, the team has acquired veteran grinder Ryan Reaves from the Vegas Golden Knights. The return heading to Vegas is a 2022 third-round pick.
The Rangers wanted to get bigger and more physical this off-season and they are certainly doing that. Reaves joins Barclay Goodrow, Sammy Blais, and Jarred Tinordi as recent additions who all play a hard-nosed, aggressive game. As the team battles through the difficult Metropolitan Division, they have added plenty of size and grit to complement their considerable skill.
However, Reaves in particular is pretty limited in what he brings to the team beyond hits, PIMs, and locker room presence. An old-fashioned grinder, Reaves is good for aggression and aggression only. Essentially a match-up player who sees limited ice time, Reaves is an expensive acquisition for the Rangers, both in his $1.75MM cap hit and the third-round pick required to land him.
Alex Tuch Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without Alex Tuch for the first part of the season, after the winger underwent successful shoulder surgery. Tuch is expected to make a full recovery but has been given a recovery timeline of six months.
News like this is a double-edged sword for Vegas fans. On the one hand, it’s a terrible loss to have Tuch missing for the first chunk of the season, as he’s grown into one of their most valuable forwards and a bargain at $4.75MM. On the other, the team was already over the cap and still needed to sign restricted free agent Nolan Patrick (and likely add another depth defenseman). Tuch’s injury will hurt, but it also allows the team to become cap compliant by moving him to long-term injured reserve, something GM Kelly McCrimmon directly referenced in his media availability today.
Still, it’s difficult to replace a player like Tuch, who brings a blend of size and speed that is rarely found in the NHL. The 25-year-old forward posted 18 goals and 33 points in 55 games this season, despite playing most of the year outside of the top-six. His two most common linemates at even-strength were Nicolas Roy and Tomas Nosek, not exactly the players most associated with offensive production. Still, Tuch’s 16 even-strength tallies were second on the team behind only Max Pacioretty (18), showing just how important he is to the overall success of the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights did seemingly prepare for this over the last few days though, re-signing winger Mattias Janmark and acquiring Evgenii Dadonov from the Ottawa Senators. Dadonov may have had a bad season in 2020-21, but had previously scored at least 25 goals in three consecutive years. He should essentially replace Tuch for the time being, though obviously brings a different playstyle than the 6’4″ freight train.
Every time the Golden Knights have a player removed from the roster or add some cap flexibility, the immediate speculation goes to Jack Eichel and his ongoing trade saga in Buffalo. Speaking to reporters including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, McCrimmon explained that he thinks this is the roster they’ll be going into training camp with, but noted that “anything can change with a phone call.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Mattias Janmark, Patrick Brown Re-Sign With Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights must have liked what they saw from Mattias Janmark in the playoffs. The free agent winger will be returning to the Golden Knights on a one-year, $2MM contract according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The team will also bring back Patrick Brown, who served as captain for the Henderson Silver Knights last year. PuckPedia reports that Brown’s two-year contract will carry a cap hit of $750K.
Janmark, who came over from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline last season, registered eight points in 16 playoff games. Though he averaged just under 14 minutes as the Golden Knights leaned on the big guns, he’ll be back on a not-insignificant contract. Vegas now has 14 forwards on one-way deals with Nolan Patrick still to sign, and are already over the cap despite trading away Marc-Andre Fleury. There are more moves coming from the Golden Knights, but it appears as though Janmark will be somewhere in the lineup when the season begins.
The 28-year-old forward has been an effective secondary scoring option throughout his career, recording at least 21 points in each of his five seasons. While he doesn’t bring a ton of physicality, he’s a big enough body and skates well enough to still be disruptive on the forecheck. In his short time with the Golden Knights, he was put on the powerplay and the penalty kill, hinting at a potentially significant role in 2021-22.
Brown meanwhile played just nine games for the Silver Knights, but had eight points during that short season. He’s been with the Golden Knights affiliate for two years now, adding valuable minor league depth and serving as an injury replacement for the NHL. Through parts of seven seasons, he has 55 NHL appearances including 12 games with the Golden Knights in their most recent playoff run.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Sven Baertschi
After spending almost all of the past two season buried in the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks, Sven Baertschi is looking for a fresh start and a shot at an NHL lineup spot. He has found a taker in a Canucks division rival, the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has announced a one-year, two-way contract worth the minimum $750K. While unassuming at first glance, Baertschi’s natural skill combined with Vegas’ limited cap space makes this a fascinating reclamation project to follow.
Once an up-and-coming NHL scorer with 92 points in 190 games over a three-year span with the Canucks, Baertschi’s play began to slip two years ago and Vancouver did not hesitate to bury his contract in the minors. However, there is still a chance that he can re-discover his scoring touch on a talented Golden Knights team and hold on to a roster spot. At a minimum salary, the could make him a dangerous discount player for the team.
If not, Baertschi will at least be a veteran leader in the AHL for Vegas and a call-up option. Simply staying in North America despite interest back overseas is a testament to Baertschi’s commitment to continue playing at the highest level, even if an NHL role is not guaranteed.