Montreal Introduces Laval As New AHL Affiliate
As we speculated here yesterday, the Montreal Canadiens have officially announced that they will move their AHL affiliate St. John’s to Laval, Quebec for the 2017-18 season. The city is building a new 10,000 seat arena that will house the team, and is now just a short distance from it’s parent club.
St. John’s has had terrible luck in keeping a professional hockey team over the years, as this represents the third time a club has moved away from the maritime city in recent memory. The Maple Leafs and Jets both once had affiliates there, before moving them into their respective metropolitan areas, just as Montreal has done today.
If a team ever were to head to Quebec City, perhaps St. John’s could be a successful fit, but for now the city must watch their third franchise leave in just over ten years. Montreal also announced that it will have a naming contest to determine what the new nickname of the team will be.
Jets Re-Sign Mark Scheifele To An Eight Year Deal
The Jets and restricted free agent center Mark Scheifele have agreed to terms on a max-term eight year, $49MM deal, the team announced Friday. The contract carries a cap hit of $6.125MM, making him the highest paid forward on the team and the second highest paid overall, behind defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. The deal will cover his four remaining RFA years as well as his first four UFA-eligible seasons. TSN’s Gary Lawless was first to report a deal was close and the exact terms of the contract.
Scheifele is coming off a career year in 2015-16. He recorded 29 goals and 32 assists in just 71 games, finishing second in team scoring behind only Blake Wheeler. Scheifele also logged 18:33 per game which was third highest among Winnipeg forwards.
In his career, Scheifele has played parts of five seasons all with the Jets who made him their first ever draft pick upon returning to Winnipeg (7th overall in 2011). In those 227 games, he has 58 goals and 87 assists while averaging 17:36 per game.
The 23 year old was coming off his entry level contract with Winnipeg and earned just $832K in the last two seasons. He also was not eligible for salary arbitration. He received a qualifying offer that was worth just over $874K last month.
This deal locks up one of Winnipeg’s two top six centers. Their other top six center, Bryan Little, has two years left on his contract with a cap hit of $4.7MM.
With Scheifele signed, the Jets have five remaining restricted free agents to deal with. Most notably among those is defenseman Jacob Trouba. With this deal, Winnipeg has just shy of $10.5MM in cap space to re-sign those five, according to Cap Friendly.
The breakdown of the deal is as follows, per General Fanager:
2016-17: $5MM
2017-18: $6.75MM
2018-19: $6.75MM
2019-20: $6.75MM
2020-21: $5.5MM
2021-22: $6.75MM
2022-23: $5.5MM
2023-24: $6MM
Scheifele will also be able to block a trade to ten teams beginning in 2020.
Jets Re-Sign Brenden Kichton To One-Year Deal
Per their website, the Winnipeg Jets announced the re-signing of defenseman Brenden Kichton. The deal is for one-year, $600K. It is also a two-way contract.
In 68 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, Kichton had 41 points (11-30) in 68 games. The 24-year-old defenseman led all blue liners in points, and spent the season with the Moose.
With Kichton’s signing, the Jets now only have six restricted free agents. This list includes Jacob Trouba, Brandon Tanev, Joel Armia, J.C. Lipon, Adam Lowry and Mark Scheifele.
Jets Sign Mathieu Perreault To A Four Year Extension
The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have signed forward Mathieu Perreault to a four year contract extension. The deal is worth a total of $16.5MM, for a cap hit of $4.125MM. The new deal will start in 2017-18 as Perreault has one year left on his current contract with a cap hit of $3MM.
Last season, Perreault played in 71 games with Winnipeg, recording nine goals and 32 assists. His 41 points matched his output from the previous season. He also logged a career high in ice time, averaging 16:33 per game.
In his seven year career, Perreault has suited up in 361 NHL games with Washington, Anaheim, and Winnipeg, scoring 78 goals and 117 assists. 125 of those 195 points have come in the past three seasons where he has recorded at least 41 points in each of those years.
Perreault will become Winnipeg’s third highest paid forward under the new deal in 2017-18, behind only Blake Wheeler ($5.6MM) and Bryan Little (4.7MM)
Minor Transactions: 07/06/16
A few minor moves were made today to fill out minor league rosters:
- Blues’ prospect Jake Walman will head back to Providence College this season for his third year at the school, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. After putting up 28 points in 27 games last season, Walman’s year was cut short by a shoulder injury that needed surgery.
- According to General Fanager, T.J Hensick has signed an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate. Hensick last played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 2010-11, and has 38 points in 112 NHL games.
- Also with the Reign, Paul Bissonnette has signed on after an entertaining social media presence over the last few days. Bissonnette, a veteran of 202 NHL games, let fans in on all his conversations with various clubs and players, even sharing that he’d be tricked by a friend into believing Nashville had offered him a contract.
- Ryan Bourque, son of former NHLer Ray who was in court today, has re-signed with the Hershey Bears after being traded to them midseason last year. Bourque was part of the Calder Cup run that took Hershey all the way to the finals before losing to the Lake Erie Monsters. A former third round pick of the Bruins, Bourque has played one game in the NHL to date. He returns to Hershey to play alongside his brother, Chris. The Bears additionally announced that they had re-signed Dustin Gazley and also that they have inked former Boston College standout goalie Parker Milner.
- The Red Wings have signed goaltender Jared Coreau to a two-year deal, according to a team release. Coreau was one of the 24 players to file for salary arbitration yesterday. The 24-year old spent last season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Central Notes: Blues, Jets, Predators
Jake Allen is the undisputed #1 goalie in St. Louis writes Jeremy Rutherford as the Blues are no longer looking to platoon the position. After being a tandem with Brian Elliott, who was dealt to Calgary, Allen is now the top goaltender in the organization. General manager Doug Armstrong, goalie coach Jim Corsi, and assistant manager Martin Brodeur believe that it’s Allen’s turn, and like many other clubs around the league, are willing to hand the reins to a younger netminder.
- While the Winnipeg Jets recently signed 2016 second overall pick Patrik Laine to an entry level deal, it’s the organization’s 2015 draft pick who is looking to make a stride within the organization. The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe writes that Kyle Connor, a Hobey Baker finalist, is ready to take the next step as an NHL player. Connor spent last season with the University of Michigan and scored 35 goals in just 38 games. He also notched 71 points. Though the ice is crowded with forwards for the Jets, Connor is confident that if he does the right things, the impact he made at Michigan will be similar in Winnipeg.
- The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes about the impact of newly acquired P.K. Subban and how the larger than life defenseman will have no problem fitting into his new surroundings. While many speculated that Montreal bench boss Michel Therrien and Subban were at odds because of a personality clash, Vingan reports that Nashville coach Peter Laviolette is of a similar no-nonsense mentality. The difference, Vingan writes, is that the Preds stand to benefit from Subban’s “on the edge” and also takes chances, something he feels benefits the Predators style of play. Vingan goes further by quoting NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes, who stated that Subban wanted to be with an organization that values him. Weekes added that he thought “there are so many similarities between a place like Nashville and P.K.”
Jets Agree To Three-Year ELC With Patrik Laine
After selecting Finnish forward Patrik Laine second overall in this summer’s NHL Entry Draft, the Winnipeg Jets have inked him to a three-year entry level contract, according to a team release. TSN’s Rick Ralph adds that the deal will pay Laine an AAV of $3.575MM, though will only carry the maximum $925K cap hit. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet breaks it down even further, telling us that the contract carries the maximum $850K Schedule A bonus, and $1.8MM of Schedule B bonuses.
After scoring 17 goals and 33 points among professional hockey players in Finland’s Elite League, Laine will make his journey across the pond to the NHL this season, as he’s expected to break camp with the team as an 18 year old. Laine has been compared to some of the game’s elite goal scoring wingers in the past, and has a chance to immediately impact a Winnipeg Jets team who scored just 215 times last season.
Laine is the second of the top three picks to sign his entry-level deal, as Pierre-Luc Dubois has already agreed to terms with the Columbus Blue Jackets for $3.425MM per season. This leaves Auston Matthews left to sign his deal with the Maple Leafs, which should come in at a similar number, as $3.775 is the maximum allowable for an entry-level contract.
Shawn Matthias Signs With Winnipeg
According to James Mirtle of TSN, the Winnipeg Jets have signed free agent forward Shawn Matthias to a two-year contract. Elliot Friedman reports that the deal will pay Matthias $2.125MM per season. The former Maple Leaf was traded to the Colorado Avalanche mid-season, and put up 12 goals and 28 points on the year.
Matthias, 28, has always been regarded as somewhat of a scoring winger that could play anywhere in your top nine, despite ever only scoring more than 15 goals once in his career. His $4.25MM deal comes in as the biggest of his career, despite actually taking a salary cut from $2.3MM.
He’ll join a Jets team still reeling from last season’s poor performance, and still struggling to reach a contract with RFA Jacob Trouba. Rumors of offer sheets have swirled around the young defenseman in recent days, and he’ll be their next priority after the first day of free agency cools off.
Free Agent Profile: Andrew Ladd
If you’re looking for intangibles like playoff experience, leadership and grit, Andrew Ladd might be your highest ranked free agent. It doesn’t hurt that the two-time Stanley Cup champion is also a five-time twenty goal scorer and has put up at least 46 points in six straight seasons. The big winger is a work horse, averaging close to twenty minutes a night and playing against the other teams’ top forwards.
Just 30-years old, Ladd has a lot more good hockey left in him and will look to score a big contract this summer. With over 200 career goals, and almost no recent injury history teams won’t be too afraid of giving him a long-term deal to help lead their club. We ranked him at #6 on our Top 50 UFA list.
Potential Suitors
After a report came out Tuesday morning listing the Islanders, Canadiens, Lightning and Predators as four of the teams pursuing Ladd, many fans started to imagine him as part of their squad. The Maple Ridge, BC native has always been thought of as a leader, wearing the ‘C’ for the Winnipeg Jets until his mid-season trade last year.
If the Canadiens are serious, Ladd would become the second former Blackhawk added this offseason as they recently signed Andrew Shaw to a six-year deal after acquiring his rights at the draft. While Montreal currently has Max Pacioretty entrenched as the top line left winger, Ladd could provide a huge upgrade on the second line. Skating alongside Alex Galchenyuk (if Montreal decides he’s still a center) for instance could make a pretty imposing duo for teams to try and control.
The Lightning are an interesting club to hear, as they would presumably be putting all their effort into re-signing top free agent Steven Stamkos. The could possibly be a backup plan for the team if they’re to lose their current captain. As the season wore on Stamkos played more and more on the wing, a spot that Ladd could fill alongside Tyler Johnson.
Expected Contract
Despite coming off a somewhat down year, we estimated Ladd’s contract at six years, $37.5MM. That would give him an AAV of $6.25MM, a substantial upgrade over his last deal that paid him $4.4MM per season. Early reports are that the Ladd camp is playing things slowly, waiting for the Stamkos situation to resolve itself before really throwing himself to the wolves.
As teams miss on the top names of Stamkos, Milan Lucic and Kyle Okposo, some may end up getting into a bidding war for Ladd. Don’t be surprised if you hear potential numbers that break $40MM in regards to Ladd, though whichever team signs him may regret it when he’s a 35-year old. If he brings another Stanley Cup in the meantime, they might just not care that much.
Free Agent Notes: Ladd, Martin, Lucic
It’s that time of year again in the NHL, where rumors and speculation run rampant. Last night, after a report from Jimmy Murphy of VICE Sports indicated the Bruins were preparing an offer sheet for Jets’ defenceman Jacob Trouba, the Twitterverse went wild with speculation and conjecture. If the Bruins are indeed preparing a sheet, it would have to be for the maximum compensation, four first-round picks, as the team doesn’t own their second or third rounders for 2017. A tough pill to swallow to be sure, even if Trouba is the top pairing blueliner they think he is. More news about the upcoming free agent market:
- Darren Dreger wakes us this morning with a report that the Islanders, Canadiens, Lightning and Predators are all in the hunt for Andrew Ladd. As the Stamkos Extravaganza begins (and quite possibly ends) this Friday, the Ladd camp is moving slowly and assessing possible fits before really getting into any negotiations with teams.
- Matt Martin, another interesting name on the market is getting a lot of calls, writes Arthur Staple of Newsday. Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Los Angeles and Calgary have all reached out already, making the bottom-six winger one to watch over the next few days.
- Among the chatter yesterday was talk of Milan Lucic having agreed to a deal with the Edmonton Oilers, and while this seems like it’s a little ahead of itself, it’s at least something to keep an eye on. Gene Principe of Sportsnet, among others, reported that he’s heard Lucic is probably headed to Edmonton, but can’t guarantee it.