Overseas Notes: Sorensen, Josefson, AIK
2020-21 was a season to forget for Marcus Sorensen. After recording 30 points in 80 games in 2018-19, Sorensen looked like he was emerging as a two-way threat for the San Jose Sharks. However, he followed that up with only 18 points and a -12 rating in 66 games in 2019-20. Sorensen was looking to get back on track this past season, but instead the decline continued. Sorensen recorded just five points and was a minus player yet again in 29 games with the Sharks. Unsurprisingly, it has been a quiet summer on the NHL market for Sorensen. However, he may have found a good option back home in Sweden. Swedish source Afton Bladet reports that the SHL’s Djurgardens IF is closing in on signing Sorensen to a long-term deal. The 29-year-old has been offered a four-year contract worth $12MM Krona ($1.44MM US). Sorensen was a prolific scorer for Djurgardens for several years before leaving for the NHL and the club hopes he still has gas left in the tank.
- Fueling the pursuit of Sorenson is the indefinite loss of former NHLer Jacob Josefson from the Djurgardens roster. Afton Bladet notes that Josefson has been struggling with post-concussion symptoms since this past spring and that a recent resurgence has sidelined him without any certain timeline for a return. Josefson, 30, has been Djurgardens’ captain for the past four years since leaving the NHL, not to mention one of their best players. If he isn’t available this season, Sorensen will be asked to step in and take on that leading role. The hope is that Josefson, who played eight seasons in the NHL with New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, will be back on the ice before too long.
- Elsewhere in Sweden, the Allsvenskan’s AIK is loading up with NHL prospect talent. On consecutive days, he club has announced loan agreements to bring in standouts from the 2020 NHL Draft for the upcoming season. Winnipeg Jets second-round pick Daniel Torgersson is on his way from Frolunda HC, while Anaheim Ducks fourth-rounder Thimo Nickl arrives from Rogle BK. Torgersson, a big power forward, was nearly a point per game player at the junior level last year and played briefly in the SHL. Nickl, a rangy, two-way defenseman, played in the QMJHL two years ago and held his own in the pros this past season between the SHL and Allsvenskan. The 19-year-olds will provide a major boost to AIK before they potentially look to join their respective NHL teams next year.
Snapshots: Crosby, Morrissey, Cech
Will Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby be Captain Canada once more this year? The Athletic’s Rob Rossi believes that Hockey Canada has already tipped their hand prior to an official announcement. Rossi notes that as the organization begins to promote the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Crosby has been participating in commercial shoots, print ad shoots, and today an actual in-person promotional appearance with the “C” on his jersey. Now, Crosby did serve as the captain in his last appearance at the Olympics with Canada in 2014, which could explain the “C”. However, it is also just as much evidence that he could serve as captain again, especially he also captained the 2015 World Championship team and 2017 World Cup team in last two international appearance. One of the best all-time, it would be no surprise if Crosby remains Canada’s captain until his playing days are over. To this point, that role is not official for the 2022 Winter Games, but all signs point in that direction.
- Mike McIntryre of the Winnipeg Free Press writes that perhaps Jets fans should lighten up on their criticism of top defenseman Josh Morrissey. Morrissey is coming off of a disappointing 2020-21 season after signing a lucrative long-term deal last off-season, leading many to call the blue liner out for taking his foot off the pedal now that he has his money. However, that may not be the situation at all. Morrissey’s father recently passed away from brain cancer and it was revealed that Morrisey was battling with that difficult personal issue all season. While professional athletes are expected to perform regardless of off-ice/field problems, it is only human for those things to weigh on them. Morrissey is a hard-working, two-way defenseman who has been a positive player that excels in all three zones for every season up until this past campaign. There is no reason to believe that the 26-year-old won’t bounce back this year, especially with the Jets bringing in some extra support on the blue line in Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon.
- Former all-world soccer goalkeeper Petr Cech is back for another run at hockey. After retiring from soccer, Cech made a highly-publicized transition to hockey in 2019-20, signing with the Guildford Phoenix of the NIHL second-tier league in England while concurrently working as an advisor to his long-time Premier League soccer club Chelsea. Cech played in six games with the Phoenix, recording two shutouts and a .934 save percentage – not bad for a 37-year-old rookie. After a year off, Cech is ready to get back in net (on the ice). The Phoenix have announced that they have signed Cech to a one-year contract as he continues to play out his lifelong dream of playing hockey, even after a historic career in soccer. Cech will remain employed by Chelsea in the meantime as well. The legend of the star Czech athlete continues to grow.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid 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 2021-22 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on 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: $87,297,979 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F David Gustafsson (one year, $818K)
D Ville Heinola (three years, $863K)
F Kristian Vesalainen (one year, $894K)
Potential Bonuses:
Gustafsson: $57.5K
Vesalainen: $850K
Total: $907.5K
Vesalainen has yet to live up to his first-round draft billing but he spent most of last year up with Winnipeg either on the active roster or the taxi squad while also getting into four playoff contests. Unless they need to fill his roster spot with a minimum-salaried player, he should have an opportunity at a full-time roster spot, albeit on the fourth line which won’t help his odds of reaching any of his incentives. Gustafsson hardly played with Winnipeg last season but with the departure of many of their depth players, they’ll need to fill some of those spots from within which gives him an opportunity for a regular spot in the lineup. Heinola is likely on the outside looking in to start the year but he has impressed in the minors and could push his way into a regular role as the season progresses.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Nathan Beaulieu ($1.25MM, UFA)
G Eric Comrie ($750K, RFA)
F Andrew Copp ($3.64MM, UFA)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois ($5MM, RFA)
F Jansen Harkins ($725K, RFA)
F Riley Nash ($750K, UFA)
D Sami Niku ($725K, RFA)
F Paul Stastny ($3.75MM, UFA)
Last season was one to forget for Dubois. After settling for a two-year bridge deal, he very quickly played his way out of Columbus with the Jets parting with both Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to bring him in, shoring up their center depth in the process. However, he struggled relative to expectations with Winnipeg, notching just 20 points in 41 games and was quiet in the playoffs with just three assists in seven contests. A year ago, it seemed like his 2022 contract was going to be the big one that pushed him comfortably past the $7MM AAV mark, especially with his qualifying offer being $6.65MM. But if he doesn’t have a much-improved 2021-22 season, that qualifying offer may be his best-case scenario.
Copp is coming off a career year but basically was forced into taking the one-year deal earlier this month to keep Winnipeg as close to cap-compliant as possible. A repeat performance should push his AAV over the $4MM mark. Stastny stayed in the top six for most of last season with Dubois often lining up on the wing and his price tag is a little below market value for a top-six center, especially compared to some of the other deals out there. He’ll be going year to year from here on out and the Jets may need to use his money to re-sign Copp next summer. Nash and Harkins will be role players and with their cap structure, the spots they occupy will need to be filled by minimum-salary players down the road whether it’s those two or other options.
The two defensemen in this category appear to be the possible cap casualties to free up the little bit of extra space to get cap compliant once LTIR is factored in (more on that later). Beaulieu can hold his own on the third pairing but his spot could be filled by someone cheaper. Niku, on the other hand, has been in trade speculation for a couple of years now. They don’t want to lose him on waivers but with such limited recent action (he played just six games last season), they may have to settle for that if something doesn’t materialize over the next couple of months.
Comrie has bounced around on waivers the last couple of years but has hardly seen any NHL action. That will change next season as their cap situation necessitated a minimum-salaried backup and he will get the first shot at being that player. A good showing would certainly bolster his case heading into his final arbitration-eligible year but at the same time, he could potentially price his way out of Winnipeg if he did well enough to earn a sizable jump.
Two Years Remaining
D Logan Stanley ($900K, RFA)
F Dominic Toninato ($750K, UFA)
You could basically put any minimum-salaried forward into Toninato’s slot and perhaps there’s a signing or waiver claim to come that pushes him out. In the meantime, the fact he received a two-year deal last month that includes a one-way second year suggests Winnipeg believes he can lock down a regular spot on the roster.
Stanley really improved his stock last season, going from someone who looked like he’d be on the outside looking in at a spot in the lineup to a player who was in more often than not, albeit in a limited role. The small track record allowed the Jets to get him on a cheap bridge deal, one that won’t be very hard to out-perform.
Three Years Remaining
D Dylan DeMelo ($3MM, UFA)
D Brenden Dillon ($3.9MM, UFA)
G Connor Hellebuyck ($6.166MM, UFA)
F Bryan Little ($5.292MM, UFA)
F Mark Scheifele ($6.125MM, UFA)
F Blake Wheeler ($8.25MM, UFA)
Let’s get Little out of the way first. He hasn’t played since early November 2019 and is still trying to recover from a perforated eardrum. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has suggested the expectation is that Little won’t be able to return. He’ll head for LTIR, allowing Winnipeg to exceed the cap by up to his full cap hit (the cost of their active roster at the time of placement will determine exactly how much they can go over).
Very quietly, Scheifele has performed at a point-per-game average or better for each of the last five seasons, becoming a legitimate star in the process. Considering centers with similar production have been getting considerably more, this is a contract that is well below market value. The same can’t be said for Wheeler. He still has been productive but his per-game output has declined the last couple of years and as he’s about to turn 35, there probably isn’t another 91-point season in his future.
Dillon was brought in just before free agency to shore up a back end that had yet to really recover from the 2019 exodus. As long as he can log 20 minutes a game on the second pairing and provide his usual physicality and strong defensive presence, he’ll provide good value on his deal. DeMelo is someone that they hoped could play on the second pairing last year when they signed him to that contract but he is better off on the third pairing with more sheltered minutes. That makes the deal an overpayment which is why he was made available to Seattle in expansion.
Hellebuyck has been the NHL’s workhorse goaltender over the last four years. He has faced the most shots in each of the last three seasons and led the league in minutes played four years ago. He makes a bit more than most starters but the small premium is certainly justified and it allowed the Jets to go with a low-cost backup in Comrie knowing that he will once again handle a significantly higher workload than most starters will.
Evgeny Svechnikov Signs AHL Contract
The Manitoba Moose have signed free agent forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year, AHL contract for the 2021-22 season. While that may be surprising to many after his history in the NHL, there’s more to the story. Sportsnet contributor Ken Wiebe reports that Svechnikov will attend Winnipeg Jets training camp on a professional tryout and will be given an opportunity to earn a two-way NHL contract should he prove healthy enough.
Svechnikov, 24, was not tendered a qualifying offer from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. That was a far fall for a player selected 19th overall in 2015, but a not totally unexpected one after so many injuries. The young forward has just 41 games of NHL experience under his belt, 21 of which came this past year, and has scored just five goals so far.
That doesn’t mean his career is over though. If Svechnikov can prove he’s fully healthy and ready to contribute, there’s no doubt that his talent level deserves an NHL contract. If he doesn’t earn that NHL deal and instead spends the year with the Moose, he’ll still be a very interesting player to watch. Should he stay healthy and productive, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent again next offseason looking for a new deal and new opportunity.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Dmitry Kuzmin
The Winnipeg Jets have inked one of their 2021 draft picks, signing Dmitry Kuzmin to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $866,667 at the NHL level.
Kuzmin, 18, was the 82nd overall pick in this year’s draft, selected after a strong showing at the professional level in Belarus. The young defenseman recorded 12 points in 46 games, while also playing well at the U18 World Juniors. It will be interesting to see if the Jets leave him overseas to continue his development, or perhaps bring him to North America to get some action in the CHL. Kuzmin was selected by the Flint Firebirds in the CHL Import Draft earlier this year.
Whether he’s in Europe or the junior ranks on this side of the pond, Kuzmin won’t burn the first year of his entry-level deal in 2021-22. He’s joining what is suddenly a pretty long depth chart on defense in Winnipeg, with five NHL players signed for at least three years and a good number of prospects pushing for playing time.
Andrew Copp Would Have Preferred Long-Term Deal Before Cap Situation Forced One-Year Pact
- Jets forward Andrew Copp acknowledged to reporters, including Postmedia’s Paul Friesen, that his preference was to sign a long-term deal. However, Winnipeg’s cap situation after some of their additions on the back end basically forced their hand and the two sides settled on a one-year, $3.64MM pact that will walk the 27-year-old to unrestricted free agency next summer. With roughly $63.5MM tied up in a dozen players for 2022-23 per CapFriendly (excluding Bryan Little’s LTIR-bound contract), a strong showing next season could result in Copp playing his way out of Winnipeg entirely.
Jets Interested In Evgeny Svechnikov
The Jets will need to add some low-cost depth to their system in the hopes of giving themselves a little bit of salary cap flexibility by carrying some minimum-salary players and it appears that one of the players they’re eyeing is winger Evgeny Svechnikov. Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe is among those to report (Twitter link) that there is mutual interest between Winnipeg and the 24-year-old though no agreement is in place yet.
Svechnikov was the 19th-overall pick by Detroit back in 2015 but has seen his stock drop steadily since his rookie professional season where he had 51 points in 74 games. He missed all of 2018-19 due to a knee injury and has had trouble staying in the lineup since then as well.
Last season, Svechnikov cleared waivers in training camp but wound up only playing in four games with AHL Grand Rapids where he had a goal and an assist. Instead, he split the season between the Red Wings and their taxi squad, getting into 21 NHL contests where he had a respectable five goals and three assists despite averaging less than 12 minutes a game in ice time. However, Detroit declined to tender him a qualifying offer last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.
With Winnipeg currently being very tight to the salary cap (even with Bryan Little’s LTIR room), the Jets will need to have some cheaper players to call upon in case of injury. Svechnikov would certainly fit the bill and with the flashes of upside he has periodically shown with Detroit, he’s someone that likely would get a long look in training camp if they can get an agreement in place.
Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Johnny Kovacevic
Wednesday: The Jets have confirmed the new contract for Kovacevic, as well as the reported terms. Now the big defender just has to make sure that this isn’t the last time this season that he makes Winnipeg headlines as he looks to earn his NHL debut.
Tuesday: Just like that, the Winnipeg Jets have wrapped up their restricted free agent class. After re-signing Andrew Copp earlier today, the Jets have reportedly taken care of business with their final remaining unsigned RFA. CapFriendly reports that Winnipeg and defenseman Johnny Kovacevic have come to terms on a one-year, two-way contract. Kovacevic is expected to make the minimum $750K at the NHL level and $90K at the AHL level.
Kovacevic, 24, is a 2017 third-round pick of the Jets who was an overage selection following a fantastic freshman season at Merrimack College. Kovacevic would eventually leave Merrimack early to turn pro following 54 points in 101 NCAA games over three years. The 6’5″, 220-lb. defenseman outgrew the college level quickly and was ready to match up with pro competition.
In two season in the AHL, Kovacevic still has produced relatively well for a defender of his stature. In 75 games, Kovacevic has logged seven goals and 28 points. This offensive touch to go with his size and strength makes Kovacevic an intriguing package on the back end. Though Winnipeg addressed their lacking blue depth in a major way this season by adding Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon while retaining their existing group through the Expansion Draft, it should only be a matter of time before Kovacevic finally gets his first NHL look. Alongside Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg, and Ville Heinola, Kovacevic is part of an impressive next wave of defenders coming up for Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Jets, Andrew Copp Avoid Arbitration
The Winnipeg Jets have avoided arbitration with another restricted free agent, signing Andrew Copp to a one-year, $3.64MM contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Copp had a hearing scheduled for August 26, which will no longer be necessary.
Copp, 27, will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires, but there wasn’t much flexibility for the Jets to sign him to a longer deal. The team is pushed right up against the salary cap even with Bryan Little‘s $5.3MM deal moving to long-term injured reserve, meaning a multi-year deal with Copp (which would have carried a higher cap hit) would have required a subsequent move.
Instead, the team will move forward with the group they have now and revisit extension talks down the line. Copp will be eligible to sign a new contract with the team when the calendar turns to 2022. If he continues the play he showed this year, that next deal will certainly be coming with a substantial raise on $3.64MM.
Copp broke out offensively this season, scoring 15 goals and 39 points in just 55 games while playing a much bigger role for the Jets. Not only did he receive more regular powerplay time, but he also averaged 2:29 of short-handed ice time to lead all Winnipeg forwards. Overall he came in behind only Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Blake Wheeler in terms of average ice time, ahead of several more highly-paid teammates. It’s hard to overstate just how important he was to the Jets forward group, serving as a sort of fix-it player for any situation.
While he may not get much fanfare for his performance, other teams surely will have noticed the player that Copp has developed into. His free agent market will be significant if he makes it there, meaning this one-year deal is certainly a risk for the Jets in terms of retaining his services past 2021-22. The team is in a win-now mode though after a disappointing second-round exit, and clearly has decided that the expensive defensive additions were worth the cap squeeze they’re now experiencing.
With Copp signed, the Jets have essentially completed their offseason work, with only Johnny Kovacevic still to sign as a restricted free agent.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Winnipeg Jets, Neal Pionk Avoid Arbitration
The Winnipeg Jets and Neal Pionk won’t need their upcoming arbitration hearing after all, as they’ve agreed on a long-term contract instead. The RFA defenseman has signed a four-year deal that will carry an average annual value of $5.875MM. Pionk’s hearing had been scheduled for Friday. PuckPedia reports the full breakdown:
- 2021-22: $3.5MM
- 2022-23: $6.5MM
- 2023-24: $7.5MM + 6-team no-trade
- 2024-25: $6.0MM + 6-team no-trade
It’s easy to underestimate just how strong a player Pionk has become because of the market he plays in and the high-profile player he was traded for. Acquired as part of the package for Jacob Trouba, the 26-year-old defenseman has become one of the most reliable offensive defensemen in the league. In fact, since joining the Jets in 2019, Pionk ranks 13th among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 77 points in 125 games. That’s more than twice as many as Trouba, who signed a seven-year, $56MM deal with the Rangers upon arrival.
That’s not to say the two are directly comparable, but is just evidence to show how valuable Pionk has become in Winnipeg. He has averaged nearly 23 minutes a night since arriving, contributing to both the powerplay and penalty kill. When the Jets’ need for a defenseman was discussed at length this season it was to find Pionk some help, but his place on this team will continue to be a leading one.
By buying out two years of unrestricted free agency, the Jets have locked up Pionk through his prime, but it didn’t come at much of a bargain. After acquiring Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon this offseason, the team now has five defensemen making at least $3MM for the next three seasons. Winnipeg now sits just barely under the salary cap ceiling but still has a lot of work to do, with an arbitration case for Andrew Copp on the horizon. The team does have some wiggle room as Bryan Little will be placed on long-term injured reserve again, but it isn’t a lot considering they have just nine forwards signed to one-way deals at the moment.
Committing so much to the defense is not usually a bad plan, but it’s unclear exactly how the Jets expect to give their young options playing time now. Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola, Sami Niku, and Dylan Samberg are all ready to contribute, but the route to the roster is pretty much blocked through 2023-24. There will be one regular spot to fight over when the season begins (injuries notwithstanding), with Stanley obviously having the inside track after his performance this year.
For Pionk, this contract is basically perfect, giving him a huge raise through the next several years while still letting him test free agency at a young enough age to land another multi-year deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images