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Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With Julian Melchiori

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The Florida Panthers have signed another free agent that spent last season with the Winnipeg Jets organization, agreeing to terms with Julian Melchiori on a one-year two-way contract. Melchiori will join Manitoba Moose teammate Michael Hutchinson with the Panthers (or more likely the Springfield Thunderbirds) for the 2018-19 season. No financial details have been released.

Melchiori reached free agency through Group VI status this summer after failing to secure a full-time role in the NHL once again. Stuck behind a huge number of talented defenders in Winnipeg, the 26-year old played the entire season in the minor leagues where he recorded 14 points in 49 games. Once a third-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers and an up-and-coming defensive option, Melchiori has just 30 NHL games under his belt and hasn’t been able to consistently show his value as a reliable depth player with penalty killing abilities.

He’s headed from a stacked blue line in Winnipeg to one with a few more cracks in Florida, but there still isn’t a lot of room for Melchiori to wiggle his way into the NHL. The Panthers already have left-handed options like Ian McCoshen for their bottom pair and recently signed Bogdan Kiselevich out of the KHL. Instead, the Thunderbirds of the AHL will likely take Melchiori in and give him big minutes as a shutdown option in the minor leagues.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Connor Hellebuyck To Six-Year Contract

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One of the most important restricted free agents this summer for the Winnipeg Jets was goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who broke out last season and helped carry the team deep into the playoffs. Hellebuyck has been signed to a six-year, $37MM contract ($6.167MM AAV) that will keep him in Winnipeg through the 2023-24 season.

The 25-year old goaltender completely revamped his offseason training a year ago, and it paid off with huge dividends for the Jets in the 2017-18 season. Registering a .924 save percentage and finishing second in Vezina voting as the league’s best goaltender, Hellebuyck’s play changed the entire plan in net for Winnipeg going forward. Last summer they had signed Steve Mason to a two-year $8.2MM contract in order to help solidify a position that they’d struggled with for years, and still had Michael Hutchinson waiting in the minor leagues for another opportunity. Now Hutchinson is off in Florida, Mason’s deal was traded and then bought out, and Hellebuyck is the goaltender of the present and the future for Winnipeg.

Hellebuyck’s success may not come as a surprise to those who have watched him for years. Unranked among North American goaltenders heading into the 2012 draft he was selected in the fifth round by the Jets as the first of two goaltenders they picked that year—Jamie Phillips, who recently signed an AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers followed two rounds later. Hellebuyck immediately found success at the NCAA level, posting a 20-3 record for UMass-Lowell with a .952 save percentage. Despite his outstanding season the Jets still reached for a goaltender early in the 2013 draft, selecting Eric Comrie in the second round. Hellebuyck was still raw after all, and though he had all the size needed there were some that questioned whether his ability would continue at the next level.

After another great season in college, Hellebuyck jumped to the minor league ranks and again showed that he could dominate at that level. In two seasons in the AHL, he posted .921 and .922 save percentages and forced his way onto the NHL roster. Even then he’d start quickly, posting a .932 save percentage in his first ten NHL games including a shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins in start #9. He looked like a future star even then, though perception swung on him in 2016-17.

Hellebuyck struggled for the Jets in that season, posting a .907 in 56 games and being a big part of why the team failed to reach the postseason. He faced real inconsistency for the first time and it wasn’t clear where his future was heading in Winnipeg. The Jets had never been able to find very reliable goaltending, and Hellebuyck looked like another candidate to disappoint. Not so fast though, as he bounced back and became one of the league’s elite starters this past season and is now being rewarded for his work. His new contract puts him among the upper group in the NHL goaltending fraternity, though still well behind established stars like Carey Price ($10.5MM AAV) and Henrik Lundqvist ($8.5MM AAV). Sergei Bobrovsky, who already carries a $7.425MM cap hit will likely push Price as the highest paid goaltender in the league on his upcoming contract, making Hellebuyck look like an even bigger bargain if he can continue to play like he did this season.

That’s the question for the Jets as they look to go deep in the playoffs once again. Without Mason or Hutchinson in the fold, the team brought in Laurent Brossoit as a potential backup for Hutchinson next year. Brossoit is not at a level where he can be expected to carry a contending team, meaning any struggles or injury from Hellebuyck would be devastating for the team. Comrie is still in the system but hasn’t developed as quickly as Hellebuyck, and can’t be relied upon at this point to make an impact at the NHL level.

The Jets have plenty of deals to work out as they lead the league in restricted free agents, but moving forward they should be expected to find a more stable backup for their star goaltender. Perhaps they believe Comrie or Brossoit can be that, but after investing so much in Hellebuyck with this contract they need to find some protection for him and a netminder they can reliably use to give him some rest. Hellebuyck played in 84 games (regular season and playoffs combined) last year, and may have to suit up a similar number in 2018-19.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Value Still Available Among UFA Defensemen

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The free agent market is almost tapped, with Patrick Maroon and his on-again-off-again deal with the St. Louis Blues the last of the real impact players available. That is other than Rick Nash, who still hasn’t announced a decision one way or another on whether he’ll play next season. But beyond the big names there are still a few options for teams who want to add reliable NHL defensemen, and at this point in the summer they should come at a relatively inexpensive price.

Dan Hamhuis is the belle of the ball among those names, and would still represent an upgrade for many teams around the league. Though the Dallas Stars’ defensive work in 2017-18 isn’t something to hold up an example of championship caliber play, Hamhuis is still an effective option at age 35. Logging more than 20 minutes a night last season, Hamhuis and teammate Greg Pateryn were tasked with shutting down the opponent’s best players, while also seeing huge penalty kill time each and every night. The veteran defenseman excelled in the role, and even posted 24 points on the season—almost all of which came at even strength.

If there’s something to be said about experience, Hamhuis would deliver on that front as well. With over 1,000 games in the NHL, he’s quietly been one of the most consistent two-way defensemen in the league for the past decade and a half. He moves the puck quickly and effectively, can be hard-matched against superstars, and could likely be had on a short-term deal at this point. If Hamhuis still wants to play—which he apparently does, according to his Sportsnet radio appearance recently—several teams around the league should be in touch.

It doesn’t just stop with Hamhuis though, as there are several other defensemen who could still add some value around the league. Luca Sbisa dealt with injury for much of last season and was pushed down the depth chart in Vegas, but can still skate and is still young enough—he’ll still be 28 at the start of the season—to have a bounce-back campaign. Toby Enstrom has had a career similar to Hamhuis in that he’s been a consistent two-way defenseman, but is coming off his worst season in the NHL and has injury concerns. He’s 33 now but still wants to play, and could be a good pickup for a bottom pairing somewhere.

One of the more interesting names is Alexei Emelin, who hits free agency after disappearing from the spotlight by playing down in the lineup in Nashville. The 32-year old was once a highly touted defensive option who was feared for his open ice hitting, but filled a depth role for the Predators as they waited for Ryan Ellis’ return midseason. Emelin ended up playing in 76 games for Nashville, but saw his usage decline sharply in the playoffs. Still, there’s obvious upside for any team looking at Emelin in a bottom pairing role, as he’s shown the ability to log big minutes at times without hurting his team. No one is going out of their way to sign him to an expensive multi-year deal, but if he decides to forego returning to Russia for a short-term NHL contract there should still be plenty of interest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Salary Cap Floor Should Not Pose Problems For Any Team In 2018-19

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The purpose of the salary cap in the NHL is to maintain a sense of competitive balance across the league. That means both limiting how much a team can spend, the salary cap ceiling, but also ensuring that every team is competitive with a minimum expenditure, the salary cap floor. Some teams, generally those in smaller markets or undergoing rebuilds, tend to try to toe the line of the salary cap floor, paying as close to the minimum as possible for their roster. In years past, some teams have even struggled to hit that mark, taking on injured players or overpaying players in order to pass the floor. It’s unlikely that any of the 31 franchises will face that problem in 2018-19.

This season, with a corresponding jump in the salary cap ceiling, the floor moved to $58.8MM. With the bulk of unrestricted free agency accounted for, just three teams currently sit below that mark: the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets. However, both the Rangers and Jets can immediately be crossed off as a salary floor concern. The pair are perhaps the two teams with the most potential salary tied up in salary arbitration this off-season.

The Jets currently have the lowest projected payroll in the league, with a 16-man roster that accounts for approximately $52.7MM. However, Winnipeg’s list of restricted free agents who have filed for arbitration include Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck, defenseman Jacob Trouba, and forwards Adam Lowry, Chris Tanev, and Marko Dano, as well as defenseman Tucker Poolman who did not file. Those six players could easily combine for more than $20MM in combined salary when all is said and done, putting the Jets well clear of the floor and closer to the ceiling. Defenseman Josh Morrissey, who is not arbitration eligible also needs a new contract. Winnipeg is far from a floor concern.

In New York, the Rangers sit at $55.8MM in projected cap committed to 16 players, just $3MM shy of the floor. They also need to re-sign a majority of their young core, with forwards Kevin Hayes, Ryan Spooner, and Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Brady Skjei having filed for arbitration. The Rangers could pass the floor by extending just one of those players, nevertheless all four. New deals for those three forwards still leaves New York one or two shy of a full roster as well, meaning more salary will come into the fold via promotion or an additional acquisition.

As for the Devils, New Jersey is already close to the floor at a projected $56.4MM for 19 players. Forwards Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen have filed for arbitration and the deals for both could be enough to push the Devils to where they need to be. Even if it doesn’t, the team will still need to sign non-arbitration eligible RFA’s Miles Wood and Steve Santini, whose deals should definitely be enough. New Jersey will likely be a team that hovers close to the floor next season; that didn’t stop them from making the playoffs in 2017-18, though.

Perhaps the only team who should be legitimately concerned about the salary cap floor next season in Ottawa. The Senators and owner Eugene Melnyk have made it no secret that they are trying to shed salary and come in as close to the minimum as possible. Right now, the team sits just $3MM above the floor at a projected $61.8MM roster for 20 players. However, that isn’t including the arbitration resolutions for both defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Mark Stone. Those two deals will put Ottawa well above the floor. Even if the team was to trade star defenseman Erik Karlsson, they should remain above the floor, especially with additional salaries likely to be added in the trade return. The one scenario in which Melnyk could succeed in dropping significant salary would be if both Karlsson and Bobby Ryan were to be traded away. The resulting $13.75MM loss in payable salary would more than offset the contracts for Stone and Ceci and likely the contracts of those players coming back as well, potentially dropping the team below $58.8MM. Yet, even in that case, the Senators’ efforts to fill out their roster after losing Karlsson and Ryan – either by promotion or acquisition – could easily be used to get back to that mark.

The salary cap floor was never intended to be used as a target for teams to hover above and spend as little as possible. The goal of the NHL is have each and every team be competitive, not simply trying to maximize profits. As such, the 2018-19 season has some parity promise as seemingly no team will struggle to get over the floor or have to use contracts for the old and injured to get there. For the first time in years, every team seems set to be competitive and comfortably over the minimum cap hit.

All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.com.

Winnipeg’s Silver Lining From Not Re-Signing Paul Stastny

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While Winnipeg fans are certainly disappointed that they weren’t able to bring back center Paul Stastny (even after freeing up extra room by dealing goalie Steve Mason and winger Joel Armia to Montreal), it’s not necessarily the worst outcome.

As things currently stand, the Jets have a little under $27MM in cap space to work with, per CapFriendly.  However, they have quite a few restricted free agents to re-sign in goalie Connor Hellebuyck, defensemen Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey, and Tucker Poolman, plus forwards Adam Lowry, Marko Dano, and Brandon Tanev.  (They also have a handful of AHL-bound players to re-up.)

By the time that group gets new deals, their cap space will be down to somewhere around $5MM (not quite enough for the $6.5MM AAV Stastny got from Vegas).  There isn’t much left in free agency to spend that money on but looking long-term, that’s not a bad thing.

For starters, staying well below the cap means that they will have that much more room to work with when it comes to their long list of players in need for new deals next summer (including wingers Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, and Blake Wheeler).  Locking those three up alone will cost a lot more than what the Upper Limit may go up by next year; it wouldn’t be shocking to see those three come close to tripling their current combined base salary ($7.45MM) next offseason.  Keeping a few million in the bank by not adding any more multi-year deals this season will certainly make it a little easier to keep the core intact.

That’s not the only benefit of keeping extra cap space this year provides, however.  Laine, Connor, plus youngster Jack Roslovic combine for just over $3.7MM in potential performance bonuses.  Laine and Connor each have a good chance of hitting big chunks of those while Roslovic could hit his as well depending on whether or not he slides into Stastny’s spot on a full-time basis.

It’s going to be to Winnipeg’s benefit to account for those in 2018-19 instead of using the bonus cushion to defer them until 2019-20 when their flexibility is going to basically be non-existent.  To do so, they need to stay well under the cap throughout the year, something that wouldn’t have even been an option had Stastny been brought back (with no other regulars being jettisoned).

Of course, the other benefit the Jets staying $5MM or more under the cap is simply the added flexibility to make an in-season addition (preferably someone on an expiring contract) to try to add that last piece of the puzzle.  This was a team that was already in contention last year before adding Stastny from St. Louis at the trade deadline and given that several of their core players are still developing, it’s reasonable to assume that they should be in contention again come the deadline in 2019.  That extra cap room (plus a deep prospect pool) will give them a lot of options to try to add with; most contenders won’t have that type of flexibility come February.

It’s never easy to see a key member of a team go elsewhere, especially when they get nothing of tangible value in return.  However, if there is a team out there that could sustain the loss of Stastny and not miss much of a beat, it’s Winnipeg.  Right now, his departure may sting but given what’s on the horizon and how the extra cap room can absorb the bonuses without rolling over into next year, it may wind up almost being a blessing in disguise one year from now.

Buddy Robinson Signs Two-Year Contract With Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames have brought in a new friend, signing Buddy Robinson to a two-year contract. Robinson was a Group VI unrestricted free agent after failing to get a real opportunity in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets last season. The deal will carry a $700K cap hit at the NHL level.

Robinson, 26, is a big (6’6″ 230-lbs) winger that put up a career-high 25 goals and 53 points last season as part of a dominant Manitoba Moose team, but has just seven NHL games to his name. Though he’ll probably play much of the same role with the Flames—that is, spending the season in the minor leagues with the Stockton Heat—there is a chance he could contribute at the higher level if give the chance. Calgary has plenty of options on the wing at the moment, but should injuries strike Robinson is a valuable depth piece to have waiting in the wings.

At the very least he should be able to bring some of his offense over to Stockton. The Heat missed the playoffs last season and struggled to create goals at times, with their team leader in points being Andrew Mangiapane despite playing only 39 games. Robinson’s goal and point totals would have led the club, and though he might not get the same kind of opportunities on a weaker team, should still compete for the team lead.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Griffith, Everberg, And Schilling

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The Winnipeg Jets have been relatively quiet today, but announced a trio of depth signings this afternoon. The team has re-signed defenseman Cameron Schilling and has added forwards Seth Griffith and Dennis Everberg to the mix up front. All three players signed one-year, two-way contracts worth $650K at the NHL level.

More to come…

Winnipeg Jets Sign Laurent Brossoit

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The Winnipeg Jets needed to add some goaltending depth after the trade of Steve Mason, and have found it in Laurent Brossoit. Darren Dreger of TSN reports the former Edmonton Oilers goaltender has signed a one-year one-way $650K contract with the Jets. Brossoit will have to battle Eric Comrie for the right to back up Connor Hellebuyck next season.

Brossoit, 25, reached free agent status through Group VI eligibility this summer after failing to appear in enough games with the Edmonton Oilers. He did get into 28 games over his career in Edmonton, but since only 23 of them were of 30 minutes or greater, didn’t meet the threshold to stay under team control. That’s Winnipeg’s gain, as they needed to add to their goaltending group after Mason’s exit and Michael Hutchinson’s decision to head for Florida in free agency.

The young goaltender hasn’t shown much in the NHL, but does have good numbers in the minor leagues. Whether he’ll be asked to start for the Manitoba Moose or sit on the end of the bench in the NHL most nights isn’t clear, but he’s ready to do both. If Brossoit does land the Jets backup job, he’ll have to be well prepared. Connor Hellebuyck has faced injury before, and is coming off a season with a huge workload thanks to Mason’s inconsistency and injury trouble.

Washington Capitals Sign Michael Sgarbossa, Jayson Megna

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The Washington Capitals have added some depth to the Hershey Bears, signing minor league veterans Michael Sgarbossa and Jayson Megna to one-year, two-way contracts.

Sgarbossa gives Washington a center to likely replace Travis Boyd who was one of Hershey’s top centers there a season ago. Sgarbossa spent last year with the Winnipeg’s Jets AHL affiliate and put up solid numbers, including 16 goals and 40 points. The 25-year-old was not promoted. Regardless, however, Sgarbossa has 48 games of NHL experience and also provides the Capitals depth options in case of injuries. Sgarbossa did get 29 NHL games in the 2016-17 season with the Florida Panthers, posting two goals and seven points.

The 28-year-old Megna also provides much needed center depth and has even more experience than Sgarbossa. Megna has played in 113 NHL games, but spent much of the season with the Utica Comets, the Vancouver Canucks AHL affiliate. In 25 games there, he scored four goals and 13 points and played in one game for Vancouver.

Vegas Golden Knights To Sign Paul Stastny

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11:20 AM: TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that Stastny has agreed to sign a three-year contract with Vegas, while McKenzie later adds that the deal will carry an average annual value of $6.5MM.

8:13 AM: Even though there was a ton of speculation that Paul Stastny was headed back to Winnipeg—especially after the Jets cleared room by moving out Steve Mason’s $4.1MM cap hit—it seems there is a new contender for the veteran center. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that the Vegas Golden Knights are the frontrunners for Stastny, who is one of the top free agents set to hit the open market.

Stastny, 32, is hitting free agency at a perfect time as he’s one of the few real top-six center options available behind John Tavares. That earned him a third-place finish on our Top 50 Free Agent list, and should provide a huge contract that will likely take him close to retirement. After being acquired midseason by the Jets, Stastny showed why he was well respected around the league with a solid 15 points in 17 playoff games. The veteran pivot anchored the team’s second line, and provided a boost to their special teams units. If he does end up in Vegas, he’ll be asked to do much of the same and replace some of the offense that the team seems set to lose with David Perron and James Neal.

With 53 points in 2017-18, Stastny actually registered a better offensive season than he’d had in several years, which may give pause to someone offering him a multi-year contract. There is a solid argument that Stastny will never hit the 50-point or 20-goal mark again, which adds some doubt to his effectiveness for Vegas or any other team going forward. The Golden Knights though shouldn’t be doubted, as under head coach Gerard Gallant last season almost every player on the roster achieved new heights in terms of offensive performance.

If Stastny does turn down Winnipeg and head to the desert, it will be interesting to see where the Jets move next. While they have plenty of cap space, they also have a huge amount of restricted free agents to sign this year and next. It’s possible they jump in on one of the other top free agent names, or potentially get involved in some of the high level trade discussions. Make no mistake, the Jets are in a win-now mode after their young team came together in 2017-18. Even without any additions they should be considered contenders, and with the prospect pool and cap space they still have, would be a tough team to write-off in any negotiation.

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