Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/17
We’re now just a week away from the start of the regular season, and teams are starting to get down close to their opening night rosters. Over 100 players were cut yesterday, and there will be many more today. Keep it right here for all the cuts as they happen.
Arizona Coyotes
F Emerson Etem – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Boston Bruins
G Dan Vladar – Providence (AHL)
Calgary Flames
F Joseph Cramarossa – Released from PTO
Colorado Avalanche
D Jared Cowen – Released from PTO
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Vitali Abramov – Gatineau (QMJHL)
F Nick Moutrey – Cleveland (AHL)
F Justin Scott – Cleveland (AHL)
F Calvin Thurkauf – Cleveland (AHL)
F Alexander Broadhurst – Cleveland (AHL)
D Andre Benoit – Cleveland (AHL)
D Cameron Gaunce – Cleveland (AHL)
D Dean Kukan – Cleveland (AHL)
F John Mitchell – Released from PTO
D Brady Austin – Released from PTO
Dallas Stars
F Brian Flynn – Texas (AHL)
D Brent Regner – Texas (AHL)
F R.J. Umberger – Released from PTO
Edmonton Oilers
F Ty Rattie – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Dillon Simpson – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Florida Panthers
F Jayce Hawryluk – Springfield (AHL)
F Maxim Mamin – Springfield (AHL)
F Sebastian Repo – Springfield (AHL)
Winnipeg Jets Sign Luke Green To ELC
According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, the Jets have signed prospect Luke Green to a three-year entry-level contract that will pay him an average salary of $847K in the NHL. Green was selected in the third round of the 2016 draft and made his AHL debut at the end of last season on an amateur tryout.
In three seasons in the QMJHL, Green has showed off his offensive upside on a nightly basis. Registering totals of 36, 35 and 37 points each year, the puck-rushing defenseman who was once drafted first overall in the league’s bantam draft is one of the most dynamic players you can see in junior hockey. His skating ability is excellent, and though he lacks some creativity with the puck once in the offensive zone he gains the blueline with ease.
The Jets have a nice pipeline of defensemen developing, and Green will only add to that once he joins the professional ranks. For now, he’ll be heading back to the CHL to continue development in his own end.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/24/17
The more than fifty cuts made from training camps around the league yesterday was only the beginning. Weekend or not, expect the announcements to keep flooding in, and we’ll keep track of it all right here:
Arizona Coyotes
F Michael Bunting – Tucson (AHL)
D Kyle Capobianco – Tucson (AHL)
F Conor Garland – Tucson (AHL)
D Joel Hanley – Tucson (AHL)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Charlottetown (QMJHL)
F Jens Looke – Tucson (AHL)
D Dysin Mayo – Tucson (AHL)
F Lane Pederson – Tucson (AHL)
F Mike Sislo – Tucson (AHL)
D Jalen Smereck – Tucson (AHL)
D Tyson Strachan – released from PTO
Boston Bruins
D Christopher Breen – Providence (AHL)
D Connor Clifton – Providence (AHL)
D Taylor Doherty – Providence (AHL)
F Zachary Senyshyn – Providence (AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Patrick Brown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Julien Gauthier – Charlotte (AHL)
D Brenden Kichton – Charlotte (AHL)
D Roland McKeown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Andrew Miller – Charlotte (AHL)
D Dennis Robertson – Charlotte (AHL)
D Philip Samuelsson – Charlotte (AHL)
Dallas Stars
D Gavin Bayreuther – Texas (AHL)
G Landon Bow – Texas (AHL)
G Philippe Desrosiers – Texas (AHL)
F Sheldon Dries – Released from ATO
F Max French – Released from ATO
F Austin Fyten – Released from PTO
D Shane Hanna – Released from ATO
D Niklas Hansson – Texas (AHL)
D Dillon Heatherington – Texas (AHL)
F Samuel Laberge – Released from ATO
D Matt Mangene – Released from PTO
F Colin Markison – Released from PTO
F Cole Ully – Texas (AHL)
Edmonton Oilers
F Mitch Callahan – Bakerfield (AHL)
F Grayson Downing – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Caleb Jones – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Joey Laleggia – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Keegan Lowe – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Ryan Mantha – Bakersfield (AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Daniel Audette – Laval (AHL)
F David Broll – Laval (AHL)
G Zachary Fucale – Laval (AHL)
F Jeremy Gregoire – Laval (AHL)
D Brett Lernout – Laval (AHL)
F Martin Reway – Laval (AHL)
F Nikita Scherbak – Laval (AHL)
Injury Notes: Lightning, Sabres, Jets
Despite finishing the 2016-17 season with 94 points and missing the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorite of many to win the Atlantic Division and possibly even the Eastern Conference. Why? It’s not because they added Dan Girardi, Chris Kunitz, and Michael Leighton this off-season. No, the real reason for the resurgence of hope in Tampa is of course the return of captain Steven Stamkos. The Bolts’ superstar is set to return to the team after missing nearly all of last season, and the first step is his preseason debut tonight at home against the Predators. Stamkos told the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith that, more than anything, he’s feeling curious about his first game action since November 15, 2016, eager to see how he feels and how he plays. Lightning fans are eager as well; their season rides on the health and performance of Stamkos. When Stamkos returned from a broke leg in 2014, he tells Smith that he felt he was playing “the best hockey of my career”. However, the serious knee injury that sidelined him for much of 2017 could take a bit longer to work back from. Only time will tell how one of the best players in the game returns from his latest injury, but there is no doubt that the spotlight will be on him, starting tonight.
- Smith also issued an update today on Anton Stralman, the Lightning defenseman whose undisclosed injury had kept him from even practicing this week and had some worried about the start of the season. That is, until today. Previously, Stralman had only been seen skating at practice in a red, non-contact jersey and was not taking part in drills, but Smith reports that he was back it today, cleared for contact and participating fully. Stralman told Smith that he expects to be back t full strength for the season opener, easing the fears of the fan base.
- Another team with a pair of potential difference-makers currently sidelined are the Buffalo Sabres. The Buffalo News’ John Vogl reports that big off-season trade acquisition Marco Scandella was back at practice today after sitting out the last few days. Still recovering from hip surgery, Scandella said that he is preparing for the season mentally, even if he’s taking it easy physically. The Sabres plan to use Scandella on the top pair this season, and while they would love for him to be at 100% come October 5th, his long-term health and durability is of greater concern.
- Unfortunately, Vogl’s article didn’t have as much optimism about young scorer Alexander Nylander. The team’s 2016 first-round pick has yet to take the ice in training camp after suffering a lower body injury in the Sabres’ prospect camp. Nylander’s status is up in the air, but it seems highly unlikely that he will be ready for the season if he is still watching practices from the stands. New head coach Phil Housley acknowledged that the team is letting Nylander move slowly with his recovering, but admitted that there is no definite time table for his return.
- The NHL is trying to cut down on injuries this season and to achieve that goal they are ramping up the enforcement of penalties. That presents a substantial problem for the Winnipeg Jets, who have taken more penalties than any team in the league over the past four seasons and haven’t been very good on the penalty kill either. In a stroke of genius, the team hosted former NHL referee Paul Devorski in camp today, who provided some in-depth instruction on how to void penalties, especially those like slashing that have been given special emphasis by the league this season.
Bryan Little Signs Six-Year Extension With Winnipeg Jets
As training camp opens and some teams are still worried about signing their restricted free agents, the Jets have been working on extensions instead. The team today signed Bryan Little to a six-year extension worth $31.75MM ($5.29MM AAV). Little was heading into the final season of the five-year contract he signed in 2013, and will have a cap hit of $4.7MM this season.
The new deal will take Little through his age-36 season, and though that is definitely a bit longer than they probably hoped it’s paying off by keeping the cap hit fairly reasonable. Just this summer 30-year old T.J. Oshie, a player with only slightly better production over the years, signed an eight-year deal to stay in Washington that will pay him $5.5MM per season. Little hasn’t had a 30-goal season since he was a sophomore in Atlanta, but is still a consistent point producer on a team with its eye on the playoffs and is a capable two-way center that can drive a line.
Last year Little put up 21 goals and 47 points in just 59 games, missing the first part of the season after suffering an injury on opening night. That marked the fifth 20-goal season of his career, but also unfortunately was the second year in a row he played fewer than 60 games. That injury risk is a real one, but he obviously still has the skill to be a big part of the Jets team going forward.
The Jets now have their top two centers locked in long term, with Little slotting in behind Mark Scheifele who signed what has turned out to be a very team-friendly eight-year contract last summer. Scheifele exploded for 82 points this season, giving the Jets a pair down the middle easily capable of 150 points if everything breaks right. That’s an incredible feeling to have for a franchise that has made the playoffs just twice in their entire history, and have yet to even win a game when they get there. Inking Little to this extension proves that they have no interest in rebuilding anymore, and that this is the group they intend to contend with.
Next summer will still bring quite a bit of uncertainty. The Jets have 24 players who will hit free agency in one way or another, and though the vast majority are restricted free agents the team will still have to wisely plan out their salary structure. While new deals for Jacob Trouba, Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey are important, they must retain the flexibility to pay Patrik Laine when his contract is up in two seasons. Locking Little in gives them some certainty in that regard, and will look just fine if the cap increases at all through the duration.
Jamie Thomas of Jets TV was first to report the contract, while Darren Dreger of TSN gave us the financial details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Winnipeg Jets
Current Cap Hit: $67,661,666 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Patrik Laine (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Kyle Connor (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Nikolaj Ehlers (One year remaining, $894K)
D Josh Morrissey (One year remaining, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Laine: $2.65MM
Ehlers: $850K
Connor: $850K
Morrissey: $500K
Total: $4.85MM
The future looks bright for the Jets, especially with Laine, who is constantly overshadowed by Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews. Laine, who was taken second-overall in last year’s draft, put up phenomenal numbers that make Jets fans believe again in their team. He put up 36 goals in his rookie campaign and added 28 assists for a 64-point season. He should only get better and become the cornerstone of the franchise in the future. He should be joined by Ehlers, who also had a breakout year last year. The 2014 first-round pick had 15 goals in his rookie year, but added to that this past year, putting up 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points.
The team also has high hopes for Connor to make the team and find himself a full-time role this year. The team’s 2015 first-round pick, put up big numbers a couple years ago at the University of Michigan two years ago, then scored 25 goals with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and still managed to get 20 games in with the Jets, where he scored two goals and three assists. The team believes he has a good shot to end up on one of the back two lines. Morrissey, the team’s first-round pick back in 2013, found a full-time role with the Jets last year as he put up six goals and 14 assists. He is currently slated to start on the Jets’ third-line defense.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Toby Enstrom ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Bryan Little ($4.7MM, UFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($2.81MM, RFA)
G Connor Hellebuyck ($2.25MM, RFA)
F Shawn Matthias ($2.13MM, UFA)
G Michael Hutchinson ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Adam Lowry ($1.13MM, RFA)
F Joel Armia ($925K, RFA)
F Marko Dano ($850K, RFA)
F Brandon Tanev ($700K, RFA)
F Matt Hendricks ($700K, UFA)
F Michael Sgarbossa ($650K, RFA)
That’s a long list, but most of the players are restricted free agents and should easily be retained. However, the team will have to make some decisions on some key veterans, including Little, who many feel is an underrated forward. The 29-year-old has been with the franchise from the start of his career when they were the Atlanta Thrashers and has scored 184 goals for the franchise. With the team’s large number of young forwards, might they move on from Little in a year? Injuries have plagued little over the past two years as he’s missed 48 games. His 21 goals last year were solid, but he will need to prove his value this year if he wants another long-term deal. Another potential unrestricted free agent would be Enstrom, who will be 33 next year and the team will have to decide whether to keep the veteran blueliner. His offensive numbers dropped into the teens in the last couple of years. Mattias and Hendricks are expendable fill-ins, but valuable veterans to hold that roster together.
The team will be looking to several of their restricted free agent as key players in the future. The team will be looking at Trouba to have a big season this year. The 23-year-old defenseman had a career-high 33 points a year ago and he did that in only 60 games, so many feel he may take his game up a notch this year if he can avoid injuries. Despite Hellebuyck’s down year as they attempted to hand him the starting goaltender job, the team still looks at him as a potential starter that just wasn’t ready to take their reigns last year. His 2.89 GAA in 56 games didn’t get the job done. With Mason coming in, Hellebuyck will have more time to develop as a backup.
The team will be looking for Lowry to continue to develop as well. Lowry had 15 goals last year and the 24-year-old is expected to center the team’s third line. Armia also has bigger expectations this year after putting up 10 goals a year ago. He could also end up as a wing next to Lowry on that third line. Dano could also pick up a full-time role with the Jets this year. The former 2013 first-rounder played 38 games for Winnipeg last year, putting up four goals and seven assists.
Tucker Poolman Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
- After undergoing separate surgeries on both shoulders shortly after signing his entry-level contract, the Jets are hopeful that defensive prospect Tucker Poolman will be ready to participate in training camp, notes Postmedia’s Paul Friesen. Poolman is coming off his best season at the college level where he had 30 points (7-23-30) in 38 games and could have elected free agency in August to become part of the group of prospects that tested the market after the 15th.
Early Notes: Parros, Jets, Red Wings
George Parros will the new voice at the top of the Department of Player Safety according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who reports that current head Stephane Quintal will be staying with the league but taking on different projects. Quintal will help Parros transition into the leadership role, which comes with its fair share of stressors.
Parros was known for his fists during his playing days, and continues what has been a trend for the DoPS; hiring those who played their career right on the edge of the rules. The Princeton grad will be the decision maker on many suspensions and fines next season, something that comes with incredible scrutiny. Friedman also mentions that newly retired Shane Doan has been considered as a replacement for Chris Pronger, who departed the DoPS for the Florida Panthers this offseason.
- The Winnipeg Jets have indeed given extensions to both GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and coach Paul Maurice, both coming with multi-year terms. The pair will be in Winnipeg for the next several years, trying to take a franchise to the playoffs for just the third time in their history (Atlanta included). Cheveldayoff has done strong work in the draft room and getting players under contract, but he’ll have a huge offseason ahead of him next year. 19 players are restricted free agents including most of their forward group, and another five will be unrestricted. It could change the course of the franchise should he not be able to find a way to fit them all in.
- Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) went all-in on the Detroit Red Wings and their ongoing negotiations with Andreas Athanasiou, explaining where each side is and how they’ve come to a point where the KHL is a legitimate option. He mentions how Sam Bennett‘s recent contract could easily be a starting point for the Athanasiou camp, as the Detroit forward outscored his fellow Definitive Hockey client last season. The most interesting part of the whole piece is near the end, when Custance mentions that the Red Wings are in conversations on several trade fronts around the league. GM Ken Holland has admitted that if they’re to get through camp healthy, a move would likely be required to keep the Red Wings cap-compliant.
Winnipeg Jets To Extend Kevin Cheveldayoff, Paul Maurice
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is hearing that there are incoming extensions for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Paul Maurice, keeping the duo in Winnipeg for the next few years. The Jets came closer to the playoffs than many remember last year, finishing ninth in the Western Conference with 87 points. With a young group of forwards led by Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, the Jets will be a tough contender in the battle for the playoffs once again. With Steve Mason in net, perhaps they’ll finally get the goaltending required to take the next step.
In terms of Cheveldayoff, his biggest task in the near future could once again be Jacob Trouba. After a holdout last season that leaked into November and came with a trade demand, Trouba eventually signed a two-year $6MM contract with the Jets and went on to have an excellent season in an increased role. Trouba’s complaints were mostly about playing time and future, and it seems that he’s now passed Tyler Myers on the depth chart in Winnipeg. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s enough to get Trouba to sign a long-term deal next summer, or if the young defenseman again wants out of town.
2017-18 Primer: Winnipeg Jets
With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Winnipeg Jets.
Last Season: 40-35-7 record (87 points), fifth in Central Division (missed the playoffs)
Remaining Cap Space: $7.39MM per CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: F Matt Hendricks (free agency, Edmonton), D Dmitry Kulikov (free agency, Buffalo), G Steve Mason (free agency, Philadelphia)
Key Departures: G Ondrej Pavelec (free agency, NY Rangers), D Paul Postma (free agency, Boston) D Mark Stuart (buyout, unsigned), F Chris Thorburn (expansion)
[Related: Jets Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: F Bryan Little – Little has been with the Jets/Thrashers organization for his entire 10-year career and, when healthy, has continued to be a productive center. However, staying healthy has proven to be a challenge lately as he has missed 23, 25, and 12 games over the past three seasons.
Little is also entering the final year of his contract. Centers are in extremely high demand right now which will give him plenty of leverage in extension talks as he’s likely to get a raise from his $4.7MM cap hit (and $5MM salary) this season. With Mark Scheifele entrenched as the top option down the middle, his $6.125MM cap hit is the likely ceiling for how high the team would be willing to pay to keep Little around.
The team also has several prominent young restricted free agents to re-sign in defensemen Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey as well as forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Joel Armia. While they have lots of cap space next year to work with, Winnipeg isn’t typically a cap-spending team. As a result, Little could potentially be the one to feel the squeeze.
If Winnipeg doesn’t get off to a strong start and finds themselves out of the playoff race near the trade deadline, Little is going to be someone that a lot of teams will be trying to add as a rental player in February while teams will be lining up for him in July if he makes it to the open market.
Key Storyline: To put it lightly, goaltending was not a strength for the Jets last season. Winnipeg’s netminders compiled just a .900 SV% last season which isn’t going to cut it on a team that has any sort of playoff aspirations.
To that end, the team brought in Mason from the Flyers who isn’t exactly coming off of a stellar season himself where he posted a 2.68 GAA and a .908 SV%. Will he be able to play up to the level of a legitimate starting goalie in 2017-18?
Although Connor Hellebuyck had a rough year, the team will be expecting him to rebound as well and considering he’s on a one-year ‘bridge’ deal, he will be plenty motivated to do so. Michael Hutchinson is still around as well so the team will need to decide whether to keep three goalies around or try to waive or trade him during training camp.
Goaltending was a big factor in their lack of success in 2016-17 and that position is certainly shaping up to make or break their fortunes this coming season as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.