Washington Capitals Didn’t “Really Consider” Brooks Orpik Buyout
The Washington Capitals have had an interesting offseason to say the least. Since being knocked out the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins once again, they’ve lost Nate Schmidt to Vegas, Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk and Justin Williams to free agency, re-signed T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov to monstrous eight-year deals, and traded Marcus Johansson for a couple of draft picks.
Even now they remain in a tough spot cap-wise, with just $8.6MM in room and two key RFAs still to sign. Through all of this, fans have been thinking, writing and even shouting about a move that seemed clear to them: buy out Brooks Orpik. 
The 36-year old Orpik has two years remaining on his current contract with a $5.5MM cap hit, though the actual salary does go down a bit in year two. That deal looked bad from the start when he signed it in 2014, and even worse last year as he dropped to the third pairing and had little impact in the playoffs. His ice time was the lowest it had been in nearly a decade, and it was clear he wasn’t able to contribute the same way anymore.
So why not buy him out? Well, thanks to Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy who asked the question and transcribed the answer during a conference call with GM Brian MacLellan earlier today we have the answer:
I don’t know what we really considered that. I thought Orpik had a good year last year. I thought him and [Nate] Schmidt played well together on our third pair. We value what he brings to young defensemen. He was very good for Schmidt, and Schmidt was good for Orpik. We have a bunch of young defensemen that are coming up: 10 or 12 guys that are under 22. They’re all pretty good players. We’re going to value the ability of Orpik to mentor those guys.
So I didn’t want a buy out on our salary cap going out four years. I didn’t think it made sense for us.
The four years he is referencing is how long the Capitals would’ve been paying out a potential buyout for Orpik. Instead of his $5.5MM hit the next two seasons, a buyout would have cause a $2.5MM cap hit the next two seasons, and a $1.5MM hit the two after that. That does give them savings now, but perhaps not enough to keep Johansson anyway. The now-Devils forward earns $4.6MM the next two seasons.
So it doesn’t look like Orpik is going anywhere, even if the Capitals do get another buyout window later in the summer after finishing their potential arbitration cases. His role on the team will continue to be shepherding in the young defensemen, and teaching them how to work hard enough to stay in the NHL. After all, who wouldn’t look up to a 36-year old defenseman who earned himself a huge contract without much offensive upside. He’s proof that a solid defensive game can keep you around in the NHL, something that every young defenseman needs to learn.
KHL Notes: Sorokin, Kuznetsov, Lyubimov
The New York Islanders have some of the top goalie prospects in the world, but will have to wait a few more years at least to see Ilya Sorokin on North American ice. The Russian goaltender has reached a three-year extension with CSKA Moscow. He was under contract for the 2017-18 season already.
Sorokin is one of the best goaltenders in the KHL, winning Goaltender of the Year two seasons ago age-20. Should he ever decide to come to North America the Islanders would welcome him with open arms, but it still doesn’t seem like he’s considering it. Back in May, he told reporters after the World Championships that he would be focused on the 2017-18 season, but an extension will keep him overseas even longer.
- The Washington Capitals re-signed Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight-year, $62.4MM contract yesterday, and GM Brian MacLellan met with the media today to discuss it and other offseason moves the team has made so far. To Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, he explained that the threat of Kuznetsov going back to Russia was real, and pushed the contract higher than they’d hoped. The decision was “do we let Kuznetsov walk to Russia and become a UFA in 2 years or do we trade Marcus [Johansson]?”
- Agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey announced today that Roman Lyubimov has signed with CSKA Moscow in order to try his hand at the 2018 Olympics, something he hinted at back in April. Lyubimov is a restricted free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers after playing 47 games with the club last season. The 25-year old scored just six points, and didn’t make the impact they’d hoped for.
Washington Capitals Sign Devante Smith-Pelly
After trading one of their key forwards to the New Jersey Devils yesterday, the Washington Capitals have brought in a potential roster replacement. The team has signed Devante Smith-Pelly to a one-year, two-way contract worth the league minimum. The team also announced a one-year, two-way contract for forward John Albert.
Smith-Pelly, 25, was bought out by the Devils last week after failing to provide much value on his $1.3MM cap hit. In 53 games last season, he registered just nine points and had a -18 rating.
Selected in the second round by the Anaheim Ducks, it was hoped that Smith-Pelly could carry over some of his goal scoring talent from junior into the NHL. Entering the league almost right away, he found a role as a bottom-six energy player instead, something he’ll try to fill on the Capitals next season.
While obviously not an offensive replacement for Marcus Johansson, Smith-Pelly could provide some depth to the Washington group while costing very little. The Caps, struggling to re-sign all of their current restricted free agents after giving out huge contracts to T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov, need players on minimum contracts to contribute next season.
Albert, a 28-year old forward who spent last season in Finland, hasn’t played in the NHL since 2013-14 when he suited up for nine games with the Winnipeg Jets. Unless he’s found another gear in his time overseas, he’ll be used mostly as a minor-league addition next year.
Devils Acquire Marcus Johansson From Capitals
After re-signing Evgeny Kuznetsov earlier tonight, the Capitals had to make some cap-clearing moves. They’ve gone ahead and made one of them, announcing that they’ve dealt forward Marcus Johansson to New Jersey for Florida’s 2nd round pick in 2018 and Toronto’s 3rd round pick in 2018.
Johansson had spent his entire NHL career with the Capitals, spanning 501 games after being a first round pick (24th overall) in 2009. This past season, he set a career high in goals (24) and points (58) while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career. He also was productive in the postseason, collecting eight more points (2-6-8) in 13 games.
The 26 year old has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit just under $4.6MM, a good price tag for a player who has had at least 44 points in each of the last four seasons. However, the Kuznetsov signing forced them to clear out some salary and New Jersey becomes the beneficiaries.
With the Devils, Johansson should comfortably slot in as a top line forward; his point total would have led all New Jersey skaters. He has experience at all three forward positions so head coach John Hynes will have plenty of flexibility in assembling his top six for next season.
Even with the trade, the Caps will still have some work to do on their salary cap. They now sit with $9.2MM in cap space per CapFriendly but now only have 14 players under contract. As for the Devils, they still have $20MM in cap room to work with but are expected to have a budget somewhat below the $75MM upper limit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Capitals Re-Sign Evgeny Kuznetsov To Eight Year Deal
The Capitals have locked up one of their core players for the long haul, announcing the re-signing of restricted free agent center Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight year, $62.4MM contract ($7.8MM AAV). Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post adds (Twitter link) that the deal contains a modified no-trade clause in the final six years of the contract; he is ineligible to receive one in the first two due to his age.
Kuznetsov has spent the past four seasons with Washington and was a first round pick (26th overall) of the team back in 2010. GM Brian MacLellan had the following to say about the 25 year old in a team release:
“Evgeny is a premier center in the NHL and we are pleased that he will remain in Washington for at least the next eight years. It is difficult to find a player of his caliber, who is in his prime and makes his teammates better. Evgeny plays with a tremendous skill, speed and tenacity needed to win in the NHL.”
Last season, Kuznetsov saw his production dip a little although he still posted a solid 19 goals and 40 assists while playing in all 82 games for the second straight season. He followed that up with a strong postseason effort, collecting five points and five helpers in 13 playoff contests. That came off the heels of a career year in 2015-16 where he posted 77 points (20-57-77), a career high.
The deal makes Kuznetsov the second highest paid player on the team, only behind captain Alex Ovechkin. Nicklas Backstrom is their top pivot and plays ahead of Kuznetsov but he still has three years left on his deal with a cap hit of $6.7MM.
MacLellan will have plenty of work to do to stay under the $75MM salary cap. They currently have $4.6MM in cap space per CapFriendly and only have 15 players under contract. Among their notable restricted free agents that still need to be re-signed are winger Andre Burakovsky and goaltender Phillip Grubauer.
Mike Vogl of the Capitals’ team website reports that the contract breaks down as follows:
2017-18: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2018-19: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2019-20: $3.4MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2020-21: $3MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2021-22: $3MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2022-23: $3MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2023-24: $6MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2024-25: $6MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kevin Shattenkirk Signs With New York Rangers
The top free agent on the market is now off the market. Kevin Shattenkirk, PHR’s #1 on our Top 50 Free Agents list and long considered the top prize of the 2017 off-season, has returned home to New York. The New Rochelle native has signed a four-year deal with an average annual value of $6.65MM to play for his hometown New York Rangers, according to TSN’s Frank Servalli.
The $26.6MM deal is far below what many were expecting for Shattenkirk. Most expected a six or seven-year deal worth somewhere in the total range of $40-$50MM. Instead, Shattenkirk appears to have taken a hometown discount, at least in term, to play for the Rangers. It had long been rumored that he was hoping to play on the east coast, and in New York particularly, and he got his wish.
The long-time St. Louis Blue is no stranger to changing teams, having been traded by the Colorado Avalanche in his rookie season and then again to the Washington Capitals this past year. No matter where, Shattenkirk has always performed. Consistently topping 40 points, including a career-best 56 in 2016-17, Shattenkirk is an elite puck-mover with an excellent first pass. Paired with a shutdown two-way presence like Rangers’ captain Ryan McDonagh, Shattenkirk can be a truly dynamic player in New York.
Carolina Signs Justin Williams To Two-Year Deal
Justin Williams is headed back to the Carolina Hurricanes on a two-year deal. TSN’s Aaron Ward tweets that the Hurricanes are bringing back Mr. Game 7, who spent five seasons with the ‘Canes before being dealt to the LA Kings during the 2008-09 season. From there Williams won two Cups with the Kings and then signed with the Washington Capitals in 2015. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2014. The Hurricanes announced that the deal is worth $9MM, with Williams being paid $5MM in 2017-18 and then $4MM in 2018-19.
The 35-year-old winger seems to get better with age, putting up 24 goals this past year with the Capitals, albeit on a great offensive squad. Those 24 goals are his highest totals since the 2006-07 season when he was with the Hurricanes. He has become known as a clutch performer, especially in the playoffs. His consistency as both a goal-scorer and a passer remain the top reasons that a team would offer that type of money at his age.
On top of that, his playoff experience stands out, having won three Stanley Cup titles, including the 2014 playoffs when he scored 25 points in 26 games. Williams brings veteran leadership to a young Canes team looking to make some noise this season in the East. With a slew of signings and trades that saw them add Scott Darling in net, Carolina is positioning themselves to take a step forward.
PHR ranked Williams as the seventh best free agent, and had him receiving a two-year deal at $6.5MM.
Morning Notes: Sharp, Bernier, Agostino
It’s been a wild few weeks for the Chicago Blackhawks, including the departures of several key players like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Artemi Panarin, and Trevor van Riemsdyk, but the Western Conference dynasty appears to be bringing back a fan-favorite when free agency opens today to help deal with those losses. The Chicago Sun Times’ Mark Lazerus reports, as speculated, that Patrick Sharp will return to Chicago for the coming season. While details of the deal – term, salary, incentives – are not yet known, the deal is expected to be made official promptly after free agency opens at noon ET. Sharp, 35, is a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks and an eight-time 20-goal scorer over his impressive career. Sharp was essentially forced out of Chicago in the off-season two years ago, as the ‘Hawks could not muster the cap space to re-sign the prominent forward. The Dallas Stars could, but after a strong 55-point campaign in 2015-16, Sharp struggled with injury and inconsistency this past season, recording just 18 points in 48 games. Age and health have clearly softened Sharp’s edge, but if he is going to rejuvenate his career at this age for any team, it will be in a return to Chicago and his former teammates. Sharp will join Brandon Saad as returning Blackhawks this off-season if this deal does come to fruition this afternoon.
- Adrian Dater of BSN Denver was busy late last night, breaking the news that Jonathan Bernier is expected to sign with his Colorado Avalanche today. The Avs recently lost young backup Calvin Pickard in the expansion draft and were on the lookout for a reliable backup to Semyon Varlamov. While Bernier has been rumored to sign anywhere from the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to a return to the Anaheim Ducks, the fit in Colorado makes sense. One could argue that Bernier is coming off the best season of his career in 2016-17 and will have a chance to be more of a “1B” than a definite #2 with the Avalanche. Per usual, there is still no word on the details of the deal that cannot be consummated until later today.
- Dater also reported that the Boston Bruins are set to make a small, but interesting move today, as they have supposedly come to terms with AHL MVP Kenny Agostino on a short-term contract worth $850K. The high-scoring minor league left wing has seen only limited NHL action, but over the course of an 83-point season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season, he also contributed a goal and two assists in seven games with the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins were known to have some concerns over the potential of Matt Beleskey and Frank Vatrano to play top-six roles on the left side next season, but were also worried about blocking up-and-coming prospects like Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, Anders Bjork, and more. The Agostino signing would add another option at a relatively cheap price and (likely) the flexibility of a two-way contract as well. The details will be revealed a few hours from now.
- In more concrete news, the KHL’s Barys Astana has signed former Washington Capitals prospect Darren Dietz, according to European hockey insider Aivis Kalnins. Dietz was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Capitals by last Monday’s deadline and became an unrestricted free agent. Without any NHL interest, Dietz will try his hand at Russian pro hockey rather than a minor league deal to remain in North America.
Dmitry Orlov Signs Six-Year Deal With Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals continue to lock up their players long-term, this time inking Dmitry Orlov to a six-year contact. The deal will pay him $30.6MM ($5.1MM AAV) over its duration, making the 25-year old Orlov the third highest paid defender on the team. Orlov was a restricted free agent, but now will be part of the team’s plans for the next half dozen years at least. The contract will be broken down as follows: 
- 2017-18: $6.5MM
- 2018-19: $6.5MM
- 2019-20: $6.5MM, 5-team no-trade list
- 2020-21: $4.5MM, 5-team no-trade list
- 2021-22: $3.3MM, 5-team no-trade list
- 2022-23: $3.3MM, 5-team no-trade list
A second-round pick in 2009, Orlov has developed into one of the premiere young two-way defenders in the league. His 33 points last season ranked him within the top 50 among defensemen, and both possession metrics and traditional scouting has him as a plus player in all ends of the rink. His smooth skating and control of the puck helps the Capitals exit the zone with ease, and with a little more experience on the powerplay he could become a big point producer. He even received a single fifth-place Norris Trophy vote this season as one of the league’s best defensemen.
Orlov’s deal comes in just ahead salary wise of Toronto’s seven-year extension for Nikita Zaitsev, a similarly efficient two-way defender. Zaitsev has much less experience in the NHL, but actually outpaced him in points this season. The Toronto defender will average $4.5MM throughout his contract. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post points out Nick Leddy‘s deal with the New York Islanders, a contract that he signed at just 23. In that deal, Leddy will earn $5.5MM per season over seven years (five remain) though he had a longer track record of success than Orlov does.
For the 25-year old, this deal comes as nice security after suiting up in all 82 games the last two seasons. Incidentally, the Capitals have won the President’s Trophy as the best regular season team in both those years, not in small part to Orlov’s contributions. He’ll join partner Matt Niskanen as long-term pieces for the Capitals, who will have a decision to make on John Carlson next summer. The 27-year old Carlson is an unrestricted free agent next year, and could potentially work out an extension with the team starting tomorrow. It’s unclear how much they’d want to commit to Carlson though, as they currently still have Brooks Orpik on the books for two seasons at $5.5MM.
With new contracts due for Andre Burakovsky, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Philipp Grubauer it will be a tight fit for the Capitals this summer. They have just under $12.5MM left on the cap, which is expected to be almost entirely eaten up by extensions for those three. If the team wants to play in free agency, they’d have to find room somewhere else. If you’re thinking an Orpik buyout, think again; he would have had to been placed on waivers in order to get it in before the deadline at 4pm today. They may get another window later in the summer, but that will be long after most of the free agent frenzy has taken place.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Washington Capitals Sign Chandler Stephenson To Two-Year Deal
The Washington Capitals have signed Chandler Stephenson to a new two-year deal, worth $650K at the NHL level. In 2017-18 the deal will be two-way, with Stephenson earning $125K in the AHL and then will transition to a one-way contract in 2018-19. Stephenson could be a Group VI free agent at the end of the contract if he isn’t given a real chance in the NHL over the next two years (he would need to play in 67 more games to be ineligible).
A third-round selection by the Capitals in 2013, Stephenson has played in just 13 NHL games thus far in his career, and was held pointless in all of them. A center by trade, he’s contributed solid point numbers in the AHL over the past couple of seasons but not enough to force his way onto the Capitals’ roster.
It’s important for Washington to get him in on a cheap contract though, as they will be stretched thin following new contracts for Dmitry Orlov, Andre Burakovsky, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Philipp Grubauer. Even with $17.5MM in cap space, the team will be hard-pressed to find enough room to make a real impact in free agency. Losing three players from their defense in Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk and the Vegas bound Nate Schmidt, they do need to find another option to fill a hole there, either internally or on the market.