East Notes: Pryor, O’Dell, Prior
The Philadelphia Flyers have promoted long-time scout Chris Pryor to assistant general manager, and director of player personnel. Pryor has been with the organization for the past 17 years, joining the club first as a US amateur scout in 1999. He’s held many positions since then, director of hockey operations and director of scouting among them over the years.
He’ll join general manager Ron Hextall and president Paul Holmgren in the Flyers brain-trust trying to improve on their first-round exit last season. Since Pryor became the director of hockey ops in 2006, the Flyers have had a fairly successful draft history, hitting on top picks like Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk, and unearthing superstar rookie Shayne Gostisbehere with the 78th overall pick (2012).
- While the exodus to Switzerland’s top hockey league is in full effect, another former NHL player will be taking his talents to Russia instead. Eric O’Dell, who played last season with the Rochester Americans of the AHL has signed on with Sochi (Russian translation) for 2016-17. O’Dell has played in 41 NHL games, all with the Winnipeg Jets, scoring eight points.
- The Washington-Las Vegas pipeline continues, as George McPhee has hired long-time Capitals goalie coach Dave Prior, according to Stephen Whyno. Prior spent ten years with Washington, before being let go before the 2014-15 season. He’ll join a organization who has poached former employees of Washington almost exclusively since McPhee came on board.
Snapshots: KHL Brawl, Jets, Weber
The hockey world saw one of the most egregious on-ice attacks today, when noted goon Damir Ryspayev of Barys Astana attacked almost the entire Kunlun Red Star squad. After sucker-punching Tomas Marcinko from behind and knocking the Red Star forward out, Ryspayev proceeded to attack any red jersey in sight, even going after players on the bench. The game was suspended after just three minutes, and Marcinko was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
Ryspayev is a 21-year old who has three points in his professional hockey career (stretching back to 2011-12). During that time, he’s racked up more than 500 PIM, and was suspended just a few months ago for five games following a similar incident. According to Aivis Kalnins, he has been suspended for the remainder of the pre-season, and the KHL will hold a disciplinary hearing to determine if anything further will be handed down.
- The Winnipeg Jets have hired Todd Woodcroft as an assistant coach today, joining Paul Maurice’s staff for the 2016-17 season. A former video coach of both the Washington Capitals and Team Canada, Woodcroft has spent the past three seasons with the Calgary Flames as their scouting director. Woodcroft will likely not be behind the bench, as Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports he’ll be the eye-in-the-sky during games. His brother, Jay, is an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers, meaning that the sibling rivalry will live on even after his cross-prairie move to the Jets.
- Jason Brough of NBC Sports writes about the need to keep Sergei Bobrovsky healthy for this season, stating that it’s been a focus of GM Jarmo Kekalainen this summer. The Blue Jackets have hired on Nelson Ayotte to “bridge the gap between the medical staff and the staff of strength and conditioning coach Kevin Collins“. One of Ayotte’s biggest tasks will be keeping the Jackets’ prized goaltender on the ice, as Bobrovsky is owed $21.2MM over the next three years.
- While the Montreal Canadiens have been derided for their recent move of P.K. Subban for Shea Weber, one current player is excited about his new teammate. In a recent article in the Montreal Gazette by Steve Ewen, Brendan Gallagher compares the media’s opinion with those of other NHL players: “You get two different perspectives. You get the perspective of people who don’t have to play against Shea Weber and what they understand, and you get the perspective of players from the Western Conference who tell you how happy they are to see Shea Weber leave the conference.” It’s true, those criticizing the Canadiens have no idea what it’s like to go into the corner against Weber, or try to block one of his booming slapshots, but he’ll have to prove that his declining possession numbers are an aberration and not a trend, as he’s under contract for a very long time in Montreal.
A Few Of 2015’s Best Free Agent Signings
While we might have ideas about which of this summer’s free agent signings were reasonable and which will eventually look like overpays, nothing is absolutely certain until those players finally take the ice for the 2016-17 season. A year later we can begin to determine which of last year’s free agent signings have worked out best.
It’s important to realize free agency, in practice, typically rewards players for past performances and not for what the player is likely going to contribute during the term of their new contract. Under the current CBA, most players do not reach unrestricted free agency until their late 20’s, after eight NHL seasons. Even players who make their NHL debuts immediately after being drafted are already 26 or 27 before accruing eight seasons in the league. At that age, most players are near the tail end of their prime or already beginning to enter the decline phase of their career. But with every team in the league usually willing to spend in free agency, bidding wars often break out and drive up the prices for those players available on the open market.
While every team looks for bargains in free agency, the reality is they are content to actually get their money’s worth as opposed to paying too much for too little. The following list comprises some – not all – of the best free agent deals signed last summer; the bargains as well as the deals where teams realized full value for their investments in year one. Granted, this is only after one year so some of the players on this list in the midst of multiyear contracts might not look so good down the road.
- Paul Martin – San Jose (four years, $4.85MM AAV) – Martin might have been considered among the riskiest signings last summer. Already 34-years-old, it didn’t seem prudent giving the veteran blue liner a four-year deal. But Martin was everything the Sharks hoped for and needed in 2015-16. He may have only tallied 20 points in 78 games but he finished 3rd on the Sharks averaging 20:44 in ice time per game and was a steadying influence in San Jose’s top-four. His $4.85MM cap charge ranks 47th in the NHL among defensemen suggesting he’s being paid as a top-pair defender but with 79 blue liners set to account for $4MM annually against the cap, Martin’s charge isn’t out of line. This deal might not look so rosy as Martin ages but at least for season one its among the best signed in the summer of 2015.
- Lee Stempniak – New Jersey (one year, $850K) – Stempniak is widely considered the steal of free agency last year. He went to camp with the Devils earning a job and a one-year deal worth just $850K. For their investment, New Jersey got 41 points in 63 games and subsequently flipped the veteran forward to Boston at the trade deadline for second (2017) and fourth-round (2016) picks. Yes, he benefited from receiving top-line minutes in New Jersey which may have partially inflated his offensive numbers, but he still did rank in the top-100 in Pts/60 averaging 1.76 at five-on-five. Stempniak was able to parlay his quality performance into a two-year deal with Carolina with a $2.5MM AAV.
- Justin Williams – Washingtom (two years, $3.25MM AAV) – Williams, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, was imported in large part due to his track record as a proven and clutch playoff performer. Even though the Capitals bowed out in the second-round of the postseason, Williams still showed a penchant for coming up big when it mattered most. In games five and six of their second-round playoff series and with Washington on the verge of being oustered, Williams tallied two goals and three points. He wasn’t too shabby in the regular season either. Not only did he bring his usually stellar possession game – 53.1 CF% – but he also netted 22 goals and 52 points in 82 games. That’s excellent production for the 160th ranked salary cap hit among forwards.
- Matt Cullen – Pittsburgh (one year, $800K) – Cullen went the same route as Stempniak, going unsigned through the summer and eventually accepting a PTO with Pittsburgh. After making the roster out of camp, Cullen signed an $800K deal and rewarded the Penguins with terrific production in the team’s bottom-six. Cullen averaged 1.65 Pts/60 at even-strength, finishing with 16 goals and 32 points. Cullen played a key role in the Penguins Cup championship run, averaging the eight-most ice time among forwards and tallying four goals.
Feel free to chime in on the comments section if you feel we’ve omitted someone from this list. It wasn’t intended to necessarily be a full, comprehensive list but we wanted to point out some of 2015’s best signings.
Salary Cap Report: Metropolitan Division
As the hockey world takes its collective breath before the World Cup, training camps, and the regular season begins, most teams have checked off their boxes and marked their ledgers. There are some teams not finished, as trades or financial meandering will be necessary due to cap crunches. Others have plenty of room.
We’ll look at the Metropolitan Division next. Some interesting notes:
- The Hurricanes have the most cap space of any team in the NHL.
- The Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist has the highest cap hit of any goalie in the NHL. The second highest is Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky.
- Four of the NHL’s top ten cap hits are found in the division: (Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Lundqvist. Claude Giroux is 11th).
By the numbers:
- Carolina Hurricanes
Cap Space Remaining: $16,736,667
Greatest Cap Hit: Jordan Staal: $6MM - Columbus Blue Jackets
Cap Space Remaining:$3,817,857
Greatest Cap Hit: Sergei Bobrovsky: $7.43MM - New Jersey Devils
Cap Space Remaining: $13,034,404
Greatest Cap Hit: Taylor Hall/Cory Schneider: $6MM - New York Islanders
Cap Space Remaining: $3,658,524
Greatest Cap Hit: Johnny Boychuk: $6MM - New York Rangers
Cap Space Remaining:$3,425,000
Greatest Cap Hit: Henrik Lundqvist: $8.5MM - Philadelphia Flyers
Cap Space Remaining: $413,334
Greatest Cap Hit: Claude Giroux: $8.275MM - Pittsburgh Penguins
Cap Space Remaining: -$2,757,499
Greatest Cap Hit: Evgeni Malkin: $9.5MM - Washington Capitals
Cap Space Remaining: $3,454,871
Greatest Cap Hit: Alex Ovechkin: $9.54MM
Di Pauli To Test Free Agency
While everyone has been hyper focused on the impending free agency of Jimmy Vesey, it seems as though another impact college player is set to become a free agent as well on August 15th. Craig Custance reports today that 2012 Washington Capitals fourth rounder Thomas Di Pauli will not sign with the team before the deadline and will become an unrestricted free agent, capable of signing an entry-level contract with any team in the league.
Di Pauli, a small but sure-handed forward from the University of Notre Dame will try his luck at finding the best fit for his set of skills, and as Craig Custance reports, that could end up being the Capitals. Talks have been on-going, but they will likely not reach a timely conclusion. It is possible that the Capitals fast-paced, skilled style is not a fit for Di Pauli though, who is known more for his two-way ability and hard-working, high-energy approach. He did start to find his offensive game in his senior year though, scoring 32 points in 37 games playing alongside highly-touted Bruins prospect Anders Bjork. Di Pauli is also a talented face-off man, though he can play both center and wing.
Di Pauli’s case will definitely not get the attention of Vesey’s, who is expected to jump in and be an impact player right away at the NHL level. However, Di Pauli does have the potential to draw similar attention to defenseman Mike Reilly, who last summer spurned the Columbus Blue Jackets for free agency, drew plenty of attention before signing with the Minnesota Wild, but then only played in 29 games and scored only seven points. Reilly was recruited not for his immediate ability, but for his potential. He is expected to have a greater role for the Wild in 2016-17. Similarly, Di Pauli may not be ready to adjust from the NCAA to the NHL right away, but his solid two-way game, hockey sense, and hard-working attitude will be attractive to many teams lacking energy line depth or face-off ability down the middle. If his offensive game continues to develop at the AHL level, he could see the NHL this season and could turn into a reliable bottom-nine player.
Metropolitan Notes: Buyouts, Mahoney, Schenn
After finalizing the deal with Kevin Hayes this afternoon, the New York Rangers have come to terms with each of the four players who filed for salary arbitration this summer (Hayes, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller and Dylan McIlrath) before any of them had a hearing. With it, comes an additional buyout window that will start on Monday and last for 48 hours.
In this window, the team may perform a buyout on a player who fulfills certain criteria. Many speculated during the last window that the team could buy out defenseman Dan Girardi, and as the Rangers move closer to the cap, this remains a possibility. Girardi’s play has deteriorated over the past few seasons, and he carries a cap hit of $5.5MM for the next four years.
If the team were to buy out Girardi, they’d be paying him $10MM total, spread over eight years. His cap hits would be as follows (via General Fanager):
2016-17 – $1.75MM
2017-18 – $2.75MM
2018-19 – $3.75MM
2019-20 – $3.75MM
2020-21 – $1.25MM
2021-22 – $1.25MM
2022-23 – $1.25MM
2023-24 – $1.25MM.
There has been no word from Rangers camp that Girardi is headed for a buyout, but we’ll keep an eye on the situation as it unfolds. Here are some more notes from the Metropolitan division:
- While there has been relatively little news out of Las Vegas since the city was granted an expansion franchise, Elliotte Friedman is hearing that the team is after Washington Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney, and has asked the club for it’s permission to interview him. While there hasn’t been any response from the Capitals, Mahoney worked with new Las Vegas GM George McPhee for over a decade in Washington and may see it as a new opportunity.
- The last thing we heard about Brayden Schenn is that there has been “no progress of any kind” on a new contract, and the young forward is getting closer and closer to his arbitration hearing. Each player so far that has been scheduled before Schenn’s July 25th hearing has come to an agreement, but so far it doesn’t sound like there is any movement from either camp. The Philadelphia centerman is coming off his best year as a pro, one that saw him score 26 goals and 59 points in 80 games. His continued development will be a discussion point in arbitration, as the former fifth-overall pick has increased his point total each season of his career.
Arbitration Tracker
Ten days ago, the NHLPA released the schedule for player and team-elected arbitration hearings. Since then, four hearing dates have come and gone with no hearings, with eight players agreeing to contracts to avoid the unpleasant process.
Here’s an updated list of all 24 players who were scheduled for an arbitration hearing:
Player Elected Filings:
Arizona Coyotes
Michael Stone – Stone and the tough-negotiating Coyotes have a hearing set for August 4.
Colorado Avalanche
Tyson Barrie – Hearing set for July 29. Barrie has been the subject of near-constant trade rumors this summer.
Mikhail Grigorenko – Agreed to a one-year, $1.3MM contract on July 20, just two days before the scheduled hearing.
Detroit Red Wings
Jared Coreau – Agreed to a two-year, $1.25MM contract on July 6, well before any hearings were scheduled.
Danny DeKeyser – Signed a six-year deal on July 26th, locking him up long-term for the Red Wings.
Minnesota Wild
Jordan Schroeder – The Wild signed Schroeder to a one-year, two-way deal on July 23rd worth $675K in the NHL and $275K in the AHL.
Nashville Predators
Petter Granberg – Signed a two-year, two-way deal worth $575K / $175K (300K guaranteed) in the first year, and $650K / $175K in the second.
Calle Jarnkrok – Signed a six-year, $12MM deal July 27th.
New York Rangers
Kevin Hayes – Signed a two-year, $5.2MM deal Friday afternoon, hours after Kreider.
Chris Kreider – The Rangers and Kreider agreed to a four-year, $18.5MM contract Friday morning, beating the scheduled 9am arbitration meeting.
Dylan McIlrath – The massive defender signed a one-year, $800k contract last week, beating his hearing by a week.
J.T. Miller – World Cup-bound Miller and the Rangers settled on a two-year, $2.75MM contract on July 13.
Ottawa Senators
Mike Hoffman – After a long negotiation, the Senators and Hoffman agreed to a four-year, $20.75MM deal on July 27th.
Philadelphia Flyers
Brandon Manning – Manning got an unexpected second year in his two-year, $1.95MM deal he signed on July 26th.
Brayden Schenn – Schenn and the Flyers agreed to a four-year deal worth $5.125MM AAV.
Jordan Weal – Acquired by the Flyers in the Vincent Lecavalier trade, Weal signed a one-year, two-way, $650K contract the day the arbitration schedule was released.
St. Louis Blues
Jaden Schwartz – The Blues signed their young star to a five-year, $5.5MM contract last week.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Alex Killorn – The clutch playoff performer signed a long-term extension over the weekend, agreeing to $4.45MM per year for seven seasons.
Vladislav Namestnikov – World Cup-bound forward signed a two-year deal worth $1.9375MM on July 26th, three days before arbitration hearing.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Frank Corrado – Toronto signed Corrado to a one-year, one-way deal worth $600K on July 25.
Peter Holland – Holland signed a one-year deal worth $1.3MM on July 25.
Martin Marincin – The promising young shut-down defenseman is scheduled for arbitration on August 2.
Washington Capitals
Marcus Johansson – Johansson agreed to a three-year, $4.58MM contract just minutes before his hearing was set to begin.
CLUB ELECTED FILINGS:
Detroit Red Wings
Petr Mrazek – Just before his hearing on July 27th, Mrazek and the Red Wings inked a two-year, $8MM deal. With Jimmy Howard still earning $5.3MM for next season, the duo is one of the more expensive in the league.
We’ve previously explained the arbitration process as part of our Capology 101 series. Check out our Mike Furlano’s articles on eligibility and the arbitration process.
Minor Transactions: Leivo, Leafs, Sabres, Red Wings
On this date 20 years ago, The Great One signed a free agent contract with the New York Rangers, rejoining his former Edmonton Oilers running mate, Mark Messier. While it’s highly unlikely will see a signing of that magnitude today, we’ll still bring you news of today’s transactions, even the minor ones.
- The Buffalo Sabres have announced, via the team’s website, the signing of free agent defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer to a one-year, two-way contract. Burgdoerfer played for the Hershey Bears last season, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old native of East Setauket, NY recorded 20 points along with 59 penalty minutes in 74 games for the Bears.
- According to James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail (via Twitter) the Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed forward Josh Leivo to a two-year deal. Cap Friendly reports the breakdown of the contract, including that it comes with a cap charge of $612.5K annually. Leivo tallied five goals in 12 NHL games and has seven in 28 career contests in the league. A third-round pick of the Leafs in 2011, Leivo had a nice year for Toronto’s AHL affiliate, the Marlies, scoring 17 goals and 48 points in just 51 games in 2015-16. At this point Leivo projects to be a depth player, again likely to see most of his action in the minors.
- Mitch Callahan has re-signed with the Detroit Red Wings, according to the team’s website. The right wing, who has appeared in just one NHL contest during his career, recorded 19 goals and 32 points in 62 games for Grand Rapids in 2015-16. Callahan, who inked a two-way contract, will earn $600K at the NHL level and $175K while playing in the AHL, as reported by Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
- Winnipeg has agreed to re-sign RFA left wing Brandon Tanev to a one-year, two-way deal, as reported on the team’s website. Brandon, the younger brother of Vancouver defenseman Chris Tanev, will earn a little more than $874K while on the NHL roster, which is the value of his qualifying offer. Tanev skated in three NHL contests upon signing as an undrafted free agent in March after wrapping up his four-year college career at Providence College.
Arbitration Breakdown: Chris Kreider
With the clock ticking down, the New York Rangers and the camp for Chris Kreider have filed their respective briefs in advance of Friday’s scheduled arbitration hearing, as we earlier reported on Pro Hockey Rumors. The Rangers offered a figure of $3.2MM while Kreider has requested $4.75MM in salary for the 2016-17 campaign.
The apparently wide gulf is indicative of a typical negotiating ploy being utilized by both parties. Kreider’s side comes in on the high end while the club submits a lower number, each with the knowledge that arbitrators typically award a number comfortably between the two positions. Should this actually go to a hearing, and there is every reason to believe negotiations on a long-term deal are being conducted as we speak, the arbitrator likely would award a one-year salary of around $4MM, roughly near the midpoint of the figures exchanged.
If we operate under the supposition both sides are willing to do a long term deal, what would Kreider then be worth?
Kreider’s is an interesting case. Still just 25, the former Boston College standout and former first-round pick possesses a rare blend of size, speed and skill. The six-foot-three, 226-pound winger is among the fastest straight line skaters in the game today and creates numerous scoring chances due solely to his physical skills. When fully engaged, Kreider has the ability to dominate entire games with his speed and physicality.
Following a 21-goal performance during the 2014-15 campaign, it was believed Kreider might finally be realizing his vast potential and a 30-goal season was considered the logical next step in his development. But Kreider struggled with consistency in 2015-16, an all-too-frequent experience during his burgeoning career (and frankly one shared by many young players), and needed five tallies in his final eight games to match his 2014-15 output.
Still, 20-goal scorers in their prime and with additional offensive upside are not cheap. Fortunately, a couple of recent RFA signings can be used for comparative purposes to help determine just how much Kreider may be worth.
Kyle Palmieri recently inked a five-year deal with New Jersey that comes with an AAV of $4.65MM per season. Palmieri is coming off a better platform campaign than Kreider, tallying career highs in both goals with 30 and points with 57.
Meanwhile, Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson, avoided arbitration by agreeing to a three-year, $13.75MM contract which averages out to just under $4.6MM annually. Johansson finished the 2015-16 season with 17 goals and 46 points.
On the surface both would seem to serve as obvious comparables. And while their contracts certainly help us hone in on Kreider’s potential value, the big winger has some advantages over his peers that could boost his value.
First, even though Kreider’s 43-point 2015-16 output falls short of Palmieri (57) and Johansson (46), his 1.85 points/60 at five-on-five (5v5) scoring rate over the last two seasons is superior. Johansson has recorded a 1.68 points/60 at 5v5 and Palmieri comes in at 1.55 over that same time frame.
Second, Kreider already has extensive postseason experience and has excelled when it matters most. He’s potted 20 goals in 65 playoff contests since debuting during the 2011-12 postseason, scoring his first playoff goal a week before his 21st birthday. Palmieri has tallied seven goals in 33 postseason games. Johansson also has seven playoff goals, albeit in 56 contests.
The New York Rangers relatively quiet foray into free agency, and the recent trade of Derick Brassard to Ottawa for Mika Zibanejad, has left the Rangers with $10.65MM in cap space according to General Fanager. With only Kevin Hayes and Marek Hrivik remaining unsigned as RFAs, it seems reasonable to conclude the Rangers have the financial wherewithal to offer a deal in the range of $5MM annually for five years. This would allow the club to buy three unrestricted free agent seasons and lock up one of their top young players through his prime years at what could be a very affordable price should he ever meet his 30-goal potential. Even as a 20-goal scorer, the cost wouldn’t be too out of line with what is paid on the open market.
Capitals Sign Marcus Johansson To Three-Year Deal
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweets that the Washington Capitals have re-signed left winger Marcus Johansson to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $4.583MM.
Johansson, who will turn 26 in October, scored 17 goals last year, adding 29 assists, totaling 46 points last year. Johansson set career highs with 20 goals and 47 points in 2015. His highest asssist total was 36 in 2014. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency when his contract ends in 2019.
The Capitals still have a bit of wiggle room, according to General Fanager, and with both goalies, thirteen forwards, and six defensemen signed, should have no trouble re-signing restricted free agent defenseman Dmitry Orlov after this move. The Capitals also have a significant amount of money coming off the books at the end of this season.
CapFriendly tweets that Johansson will get a modified no-trade clause in the second and third years of the deal, allowing him to block trades to five different teams.