Winnipeg Jets, Jacob Trouba Submit Arbitration Figures
After Chris Tierney re-signed with the San Jose Sharks, the only arbitration hearing on the books for Friday July 20th is now Jacob Trouba of the Winnipeg Jets. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the two sides have submitted quite different salary figures, with the Jets filing for $4MM and Trouba’s camp asking for $7MM. If an agreement isn’t reached before the hearing, the two sides will actually have a bit more time before the arbitrator rewards a contract. Several players in the past have settled after the hearing, but before a decision was reached. Unlike MLB arbitration, an awarded salary does not need to be one figure or the other and can land somewhere in the middle.
The discrepancy between the two figures is large, but also not unexpected for a player of Trouba’s skill. The 24-year old defenseman already has five NHL seasons under his belt, including a shortened 2016-17 due to a holdout that lasted into November of that year. The two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on his contract at that point, and Trouba had reportedly asked for a trade given his role on the team. Winnipeg already has two excellent right-handed defensemen in Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers, and Trouba felt as though he could handle a bigger role even as a young player.
He got his wish that season as Myers dealt with injury and Trouba would end up logging nearly 25 minutes a night playing in all situations. That number dropped back down in 2017-18, but it’s not like Trouba isn’t utilized. He still averaged the second-most minutes on the team behind Byfuglien and scored at a good pace while healthy. That health was a concern though, as the young defenseman only suited up for 55 games and has now failed to play all 82 in any of his five seasons. In fact, he’s averaging just 65 games per season thanks to previous injuries and his contract issues, which certainly won’t help his arbitration case.
Still, Trouba is obviously an extremely talented player and deserves to be paid well. If an arbitration settlement is need he’ll likely come in somewhere between the two figures, but it will almost certainly be a one-year contract. Because Trouba filed for player-elected arbitration, the Jets get to make the decision on whether the awarded contract will be for one or two seasons. If they pick two, it would carry him to unrestricted free agency in 2020 and allow him to test the market. A one-year deal would give them another chance to sign him to a long-term deal and buy out some of those UFA seasons.
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Jets Likely To Elect One-Year Arbitration Award For Jacob Trouba
- The Jets are expected to elect a one-year arbitration award for defenseman Jacob Trouba if the two sides are unable to come to terms before Friday, notes Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe. This was the expected outcome since a two-year pact would take him to unrestricted free agency. Since it was Trouba who filed, Winnipeg gets to pick the term instead of the other way around.
Central Notes: Seguin, Parise, Trouba
The Dallas Stars have a tough road ahead of them. With new inspiring head coach Jim Montgomery ready to take the reins in Dallas, the team is eager to force their way to the top of the Central Division, but they also know that if the team can’t sign star Tyler Seguin to an extension sometime this year, everything they’ve worked for could fall apart.
The 26-year-old star is coming off a career-high 40 goals, but has also seen his team not reach the playoffs in three of his last four seasons. On top of that, Seguin has not signed an extension as of yet, something that could have happened on July 1. NHL.com’s Mike Heika writes that while Seguin has been careful about what he says about his next contract, he has expressed his love for the city.
“My focus is I have another year with the Dallas Stars, so there is no real thought of thinking of other teams or thinking of free agency,” Seguin said. “My focus is getting ready to play this year … I love it here. My objective is I want to win a championship here. I love Dallas, it’s home to me. So that’s my No. 1 goal.”
Heika writes that one obstacle is the team is hesitant to sign any player to a higher AAV than the deal they gave Jamie Benn back in 2016. Unfortunately, Seguin might easily be able to pass that mark as John Tavares recently signed for an $11MM AAV and with salaries increasing yearly, that could be an issue that Dallas might have to re-examine.
- Dane Mizutani of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press writes that Minnesota Wild winger Zach Parise, who suffered a fractured sternum just three games into the playoffs, says he is 100 percent now and will be ready for training camp. In fact, the 33-year-old feels so good that he has decided to participate in Da Beauty League, a weekly 4-on-4 league, to get himself back into game shape after suffering the injury. Parise, who was one of the top scorers for Minnesota late in the season, including scoring 12 goals over the final 18 games and then three more goals in the first three games of the playoffs, will be a key piece for the Wild to compete for a playoff spot next season.
- Scott Billeck of NBC Sports writes that the Winnipeg Jets are likely going to have to pay up to sign restricted free agent Jacob Trouba and predicts the team will hand him an eight-year deal. The real question is how much will the team have to pay for Trouba, who has developed into one of the best top defensive lines next to Josh Morrissey. Trouba’s numbers may not look impressive, but he had career numbers in assists per 60 minutes at 1.03 and points per 60 minutes at 1.22. Those numbers actually compare to elite defensemen like Victor Hedman, Drew Doughty and P.K. Subban. Those numbers could bring his pricetag to a very high number.
Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With Julian Melchiori
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
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.
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Value Still Available Among UFA Defensemen
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.
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Salary Cap Floor Should Not Pose Problems For Any Team In 2018-19
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
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
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
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…