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Canucks Place Ryan Spooner On Unconditional Waivers

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The Canucks are parting ways with Ryan Spooner.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Vancouver has placed the forward on unconditional waivers for the purposes of buying out the final year of his contract.

2018-19 represented a remarkable fall from grace for the 27-year-old.  One season earlier, he had an impressive 41 points in 59 games between the Bruins and the Rangers and he looked as if he could be a useful secondary scorer in New York.  The team certainly felt the same way, handing him a two-year, $8MM contract last summer.

However, things did not go anywhere near as well for Spooner this past season.  He struggled in the early going with the Rangers and was flipped with $900K of salary retention to Edmonton for Ryan Strome.  The move worked out a lot better for the Rangers than it did for the Oilers.

Spooner picked up just two goals and an assist in 25 games with Edmonton before he was ultimately waived and sent to the minors.  Shortly after that, he was flipped in a swap of bad contracts to the Canucks with Sam Gagner going back to the Oilers.  Unfortunately for Vancouver, the struggles continued as he had just four assists in 11 games.  Overall, he wound up with only three goals and six helpers over 52 NHL games between the three teams, hardly the type of production befitting that type of contract.

As a result of the Rangers holding onto part of Spooner’s contract, they’re also affected by this move.  The buyout cost per team is as follows:

Vancouver

2019-20: $1.033MM
2020-21: $1.033MM

New York

2019-20: $300K
2020-21: $300K

With the buyout, Vancouver will save a little under $2MM for next season which will help offset the salary recapture penalty that hit their books following the retirement of Roberto Luongo but will take on the extra charge for 2020-21.  Meanwhile, the Rangers will save $600K for the upcoming season with the extra $300K on the books for the following season.

Meanwhile, Spooner will enter a UFA market where he will now find himself battling for a depth spot in a lineup.  While his 2018-19 performance wasn’t strong, there should still be a few teams thinking that there could still be a bit of upside and that in the right spot, he could be a decent producer from the bottom six.  At any rate, his next contract will be a fraction of the one he is being bought out of.

Adam Musil Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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Tuesday: Musil has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated.

Monday: The St. Louis Blues have placed Adam Musil on unconditional waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The move is likely a precursor to a mutual contract termination, as Musil still has one year remaining on his entry-level deal.

The 22-year old Musil was born in Canada, but spent much of his childhood living in the Czech Republic where his father and uncle, former NHL players Frantisek Musil and Bobby Holik, are from. He eventually returned to play in the WHL and was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft by the Blues, eventually signing and playing for the San Antonio Rampage, their AHL affiliate.

In 65 games last season Musil recorded just 14 points, and may be looking at a return to the Czech Republic to continue his career. If a termination does take place, he would be an unrestricted free agent and able to sign wherever he wanted.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Steven Kampfer

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Tuesday: The Bruins have officially announced the contract, confirming the duration and salary reported by Seravalli.

Monday: Defensive depth proved to be key for a Boston Bruins team that struggled with injuries on the blue line throughout the regular season and into the postseason. All but one the 12 different defenseman that took the ice for the Bruins this season were under team control moving forward, either under contract or as restricted free agents. But the team has worked quickly to rectify the situation with that lone outlying unrestricted free agent. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Boston has re-signed Steven Kampfer to a two-year deal worth $800K annually.

Kampfer, 30, began his second stint with the Bruins last summer, when he was traded by the New York Rangers in the deal that landed Adam McQuaid. Kampfer began the year as Boston’s eighth defenseman, but as a bevy of injuries plagued the team all year, particularly fellow veteran righty Kevan Miller, Kampfer ended up playing in 35 games and was the only Bruins defenseman who began the year on the NHL roster that did not miss time due to injury. Kampfer proved to be an optimal extra man, as his experience and sound defensive play made him a great plug-and-play option. While not much of an offensive contributor, Kampfer is valued for his ability to step in and play a smart, safe defensive game, rarely looking out of place when he filled in.

The two-year term on Kampfer’s new contract is telling for multiple reasons. First, it means that the Bruins see Kampfer as more than just a year-to-year investment and the future of the team’s blue line is far less certain beyond next season. Two of Boston’s biggest injury concerns on defense, 41-year-old Zdeno Chara and accident-prone Kevan Miller, are also not signed beyond next year. So while the team is very deep on the back end next year, there is a chance that they could lose some of that depth a year from now and Kampfer could be even more important then than he is next season. Additionally, Seravalli reports that there has been interest in Kampfer from other teams. That news plus the two-year term makes it a safe assumption that this is a one-way deal for Kampfer. Such a contract won’t be as appealing on waivers if the Bruins do need to move Kampfer to the minor leagues. Although John Moore will not be ready to start the season due to recent major surgery, at some point during the year the team could hypothetically have Kampfer, Moore, Chara, Miller, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Torey Krug, and Matt Grzelcyk all healthy, which could make Kampfer the odd man out if there is a roster crunch.

A team-friendly contract for a familiar and reliable player on a cap-strapped team would seem to be good news all around for the Bruins. However, barring a trade or another year of rampant injuries, Kampfer’s extension does not bode well for promising prospects like Connor Clifton, Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon. All four got into the Bruins’ lineup this season, but the odds of a return appearance just took a hit. The circumstances are especially troubling for Clifton, who played in 19 regular season games and 18 playoff games this year and looked ready to take on Boston’s first man up role next year. After getting so close to a Stanley Cup title this year, Kampfer’s extension is clearly a sign of a team focused on winning now, even if that means burying their budding prospects for another year or two.

Senators Notes: No. 19 Pick, Paajarvi, Hogberg

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Perhaps excited by the extension of Anthony Duclair and the additional second-round pick added by the Erik Karlsson contract, both occurring earlier today, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion was very positive and open when speaking with the media today. Per The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Dorion began by discussing the team’s plans for the upcoming NHL Draft. The Senators will travel to Vancouver tomorrow to begin meetings ahead of the round one of the draft on Friday night, but Dorion has already had many conversations with rival GM’s. Dorion states that he has already spoken with multiple teams about possibly moving up in the first round from No. 19. The Senators are without their own first-rounder, owed to the Colorado Avalanche from last year’s Matt Duchene trade, but the team was fortunately able to recoup a top pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in their own sale of Duchene. With that said, No. 19 is not exactly where a rebuilding team would like their first pick to be, even though Ottawa already has a deep, talented pipeline. Following the Karlsson news, CapFriendly reports that the Senators now have 28 picks in the next three drafts, including 16 in the top three rounds. That is plenty of ammunition if Dorion decides that he wants to move up the board on Friday. Teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks have hinted at their willingness to move back, while the Colorado Avalanche may also be open to moving their second pick in the round, No. 16. If Dorion is intent on moving up, he should be able to find a taker.

  • Dorion also made the somewhat surprising reveal that the Senators are not pursuing a contract extension with free agent forward Magnus Paajarvi. Paajarvi, 28, has spent the past season and half with Ottawa after coming over from the St. Louis Blues on waivers in 2017-18. Although the 2009 tenth overall pick has never been able to live up to his draft stock nor his rookie year production, Paajarvi has grown into a solid two-way player and enjoyed the best season since his first in Ottawa this past year. Paajarvi seemed like a safe bet to stay with the Senators, especially given his key role on the penalty kill, but Dorion has other plans. He did say that talks continue with fellow UFA’s Oscar Lindberg and Brian Gibbons, both of whom performed well after deadline trades, as well as RFA defenseman Cody Ceci. As for Paajarvi, he’ll likely land on his feet elsewhere in the league once free agency opens.
  • Finally, Dorion announced that a contract resolution with RFA goaltender Marcus Hogberg is imminent. Hogberg is expected to sign with the team this week after rumors emerged early this off-season that he was considering a move to Europe. It remains possible that Hogberg could still be loaned elsewhere, as his signing only adds to a logjam of keepers in both Ottawa and AHL Belleville. The Senators expect to enter next season with a tandem of veteran Craig Anderson and returnee Anders Nilsson. As of now, Mike Condon will also be in the mix. In the minors, the team hopes to give top goalie prospect Filip Gustavsson, college standout Joey Daccord, and now Hogberg the time in net they need to develop properly. If that is going to be impossible, even with a likely Condon departure, Hogberg is the top candidate to be loaned away, despite his advantage in pro experience.

Flyers Place Andrew MacDonald On Unconditional Waivers

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Sunday: MacDonald has officially cleared waivers and will officially be bought out, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Saturday: Today is the first day teams can begin the process of buying out players and the first casualty is Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have placed the blueliner on unconditional waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract.

The move doesn’t come as too much surprise as his contract has been on the high side for quite a few years as he failed to make the type of impact the team had hoped for after they signed him to a six-year, $30MM deal back in 2014.  With that contract having just one year remaining on it, the buyout route is much more palatable now and they are wasting little time going down that path.

The cost of the buyout on Philadelphia’s salary cap is as follows:

2019-20: $1.117MM
2020-21: $1.917MM

Considering he had a $5MM AAV, the buyout will save the Flyers roughly $3.833MM for next season which certainly isn’t an insignificant amount given that they are trying to sign recently-acquired Kevin Hayes as well as RFAs Travis Sanheim, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Konecny, among others.

After playing a mostly regular role in Philadelphia’s lineup over the past couple of seasons, that changed in 2018-19.  While he missed six games due to a lower-body injury, he was also scratched 29 times and didn’t make much of an impact when he was in the lineup, averaging a career-low 16:24 of ice time per game.

The 32-year-old was once a capable stay-at-home defenseman but as the league has transitioned to more mobile and offensive-minded defenders, his value has diminished.  Nonetheless, with the UFA market not being particularly deep, MacDonald could still garner a look from a few teams in free agency in a depth role but it will have to come at a significant pay cut from what he made during his time with the Flyers.

Jonne Tammela, Filip Pyrochta Clear Unconditional Waivers

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Saturday: Both Pyrochta and Tammela have cleared waivers, per CapFriendly (Twitter links), paving the way for them to be released.

Friday: Two players find themselves on unconditional waivers today according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The Nashville Predators have placed Filip Pyrochta and the Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Jonne Tammela on waivers, indicating that contract terminations are coming for both players.

Pyrochta, 22, was signed by the Predators in 2018 out of the Czech Republic but failed to even contribute much even with their AHL affiliate the Milwaukee Admirals this season. Splitting his time between Milwaukee and Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, Pyrochta recorded 13 points in 51 games and failed to earn a call-up to the NHL. He will likely be headed back overseas to continue what was a solid start to his professional career back home.

Tammela, 21, meanwhile was actually a fourth-round pick of the Lightning in 2015, but hasn’t played a ton even in the minor leagues. Suiting up just 51 times for the Syracuse Crunch over parts of three seasons, he found almost no offensive success and recorded just 11 points. He did however play quite well for the Orlando Solar Bears this season, but spending the year in the ECHL likely isn’t what the Finnish forward was hoping for. He too had a strong start to his career in Europe, and could return there to continue his development.

Both players had just a single year remaining on their entry-level contracts, but will sacrifice those deals in order to get some more freedom to play where they have a bigger role. The terminations will also free up a contract slot for both clubs.

Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Chad Ruhwedel

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The Pittsburgh Penguins may have a logjam on the blue line as it is, but that won’t stop GM Jim Rutherford from keeping one of his favorite players around. The Penguins have announced a new two-year, one-way deal with defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. The contract carries a minimum $700K AAV.

Ruhwedel, 29, arrived in Pittsburgh in 2016 as a free agent and took on a surprisingly large role for the Penguins as a primary depth option in the regular season and postseason en route to a Stanley Cup title. He played even more last year, skating in a career-high 44 games and starting in the playoffs. However, his career trend went in the opposite direction this season, as Ruhwedel spent almost the whole season in the press box, playing in just 18 games with Pittsburgh and five with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Even in a reduced role, Rutherford and head coach Mike Sullivan were consistent in their praise for Ruhwedel as a reliable depth player and positive locker room influence. In the team’s release detailing the new contract, Rutherford said the following of his extended defender:

Chad has exemplified what it means to be a team player the past two years. His work ethic and conditioning have allowed him to jump into the lineup at a moment’s notice, which is vital to a team’s success.

Ruhwedel was unlikely to land anything other than a minimum contract on the free agent market, so it makes sense that he chooses to return to Pittsburgh where he is comfortable and where he has found success. More likely than not, Ruhwedel will have to clear waivers at some point this season, as the Penguins are well-stocked on the back end. Barring a trade, Ruhwedel joins Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Justin Schultz, Olli Maatta, Erik Gudbranson, and Jack Johnson on one-way contracts, with Marcus Pettersson and Juuso Riikola in need of a new contracts as restricted free agents. The renewal of Ruhwedal does improve the odds that a defenseman is dealt out of Pittsburgh, though.

Snapshots: Rathgeb, Novak, Korencik

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After Yannick Rathgeb cleared waivers and had his contract terminated by the New York Islanders last week, it was only a matter of time before he we was back in Europe. Unsurprisingly, Rathgeb has opted to return home to his native Switzerland, signing in the NLA. EHC Biel-Bienne has announced a three-year contract with the 23-year-old defenseman, who they hope can get back to his dominant ways. Prior to joining the Islanders last season, Rathgeb had spent the three years prior with the NLA’s HC Fribourg-Gotteron, where he amassed 89 points over 133 games. While he was unable to perform at that same level in North America – nine points in 32 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers – there’s no reason to think Rathgeb won’t again be a dynamic defender in the NLA. The smooth-skating blue liner joins a Biel-Bienne team that is a perennial contender and includes former NHLers like Jonas Hiller, Damien Brunner, and Anssi Salmela. 

  • Tommy Novak would undoubtedly rather be under contract with the Nashville Predators, but he’s content to sign a prove-it deal with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals instead. The Admirals announced today that the University of Minnesota product had signed a one-year contract to remain with the team after wrapping up his season in Milwaukee on a tryout deal. Novak was a third-round pick of the Predators back in 2015 and spent the last four seasons as a starter for the Gophers. However, while Novak has flashed the skill and smarts to excel at the pro level, he was inconsistent in college and needs time to round out his game in the minors. Committing to the Predators’ affiliate is a good way to stay under the umbrella of the organization and work toward a potential entry-level contract down the road.
  • The University of Massachusetts – Lowell landed a nice commitment today in Slovakian standout Marek Korencik. Hockey Portal reports that Korencik will make the jump from the Sweden to the NCAA next season, joining the River Hawks. The 19-year-old defenseman had a breakout season, recording 20 points for Lulea HF in the junior-level SuperElit while also contributing three points in five games for Team Slovakia at the World Juniors. His efforts even earned Korencik an appearance with Lulea’s SHL team and he likely would have seen more action at the top pro level next year had he stayed in Sweden. However, the move to the college game is likely a better developmental move for the 6’3″, 200-lb. rearguard and the commitment to North American hockey could endear him to scouts in his final go-round in the NHL Draft. Even if Korencik is again passed over, he still represents a great addition for Lowell, who will look to get back to the NCAA Tournament next season behind some improved defensive play.

Juuso Ikonen Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Saturday: Ikonen has cleared waivers, Kuc reports.

Friday: The Washington Capitals have placed Juuso Ikonen on unconditional waivers according to Chris Kuc of The Athletic, likely for the purpose of a contract termination. Ikonen had one year remaining on his entry-level deal, but didn’t find much success at the AHL level this season.

Ikonen, 24, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the SHL in 2018 after several years of solid play in Europe. The Finnish forward had suited up twice at the World Juniors and shown enough offensive upside to make the Capitals believe he could contribute in North America, but after registering just 14 points in 54 games for the Hershey Bears he’ll be allowed to return home.

International signings like these are often lottery tickets for teams dealing with cap trouble like Washington, hoping they can get a depth player at bargain bin rates. They haven’t worked out for the Capitals of late though, with Ikonen joining Maximillian Kammerer as terminated players this spring.

Arizona Coyotes To Terminate Contract Of Jens Looke

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Saturday: Looke has cleared waivers, paving the way for his deal to officially be terminated, Morgan reports.

Friday: The Arizona Coyotes have terminated Jens Looke’s contract according to Craig Morgan of The Athletic. Looke actually had one year left on his entry-level deal, but had recently signed with Timra IK in the SHL. In order to do that, the Coyotes have agreed to terminate the deal and placed him on unconditional waivers.

Looke, 22, was actually a third-round pick of the Coyotes back in 2015 but hasn’t shown enough over the last two seasons to be part of Arizona’s plans going forward. The talented playmaking winger couldn’t find a fit with the Tucson Roadrunners, recording just 32 points over 120 games in the AHL the past two seasons. He’ll return to Sweden to continue his development, and may actually end up being a name we hear down the road in regards to a potential return.

With the termination the Coyotes will lose the rights to Looke, making him an unrestricted free agent. His departure will open up a contract slot for them, but is a disappointing end after investing the 83rd pick in him just a few years ago.

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