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Archives for July 2017

Montreal Canadiens Sign Ales Hemsky

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The Montreal Canadiens have added some scoring upside, inking Ales Hemsky to a one-year contract worth $1MM. Hemsky ranked #44 on our list of the Top 50 Free Agents, noting that he could be a candidate for bounce back player of the year.

Hemsky, 33, played just one game for the Dallas Stars last year before having surgery on his hip to repair a labral tear, an injury sustained at the World Cup of Hockey. He’d return in March for fourteen more contests, actually recording seven points in his last eleven games. It’s that offensive potential that the Canadiens are after, as their negotiations linger with fellow right winger Alexander Radulov. Hemsky represents an effective option for the team on a very inexpensive contract.

In 2015-16, Hemsky’s last full season, he scored 39 points in 75 games even in a sheltered role. Logging just 13 minutes a night he recorded nearly all of his production at even strength, something that Montreal has had trouble with in the past. The veteran winger has 572 points in 838 games, including a career-high of 77 back in 2005-06 with the Edmonton Oilers.

KHL Notes: Sorokin, Kuznetsov, Lyubimov

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The New York Islanders have some of the top goalie prospects in the world, but will have to wait a few more years at least to see Ilya Sorokin on North American ice. The Russian goaltender has reached a three-year extension with CSKA Moscow. He was under contract for the 2017-18 season already.

Sorokin is one of the best goaltenders in the KHL, winning Goaltender of the Year two seasons ago age-20. Should he ever decide to come to North America the Islanders would welcome him with open arms, but it still doesn’t seem like he’s considering it. Back in May, he told reporters after the World Championships that he would be focused on the 2017-18 season, but an extension will keep him overseas even longer.

Washington Capitals Sign Devante Smith-Pelly

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After trading one of their key forwards to the New Jersey Devils yesterday, the Washington Capitals have brought in a potential roster replacement. The team has signed Devante Smith-Pelly to a one-year, two-way contract worth the league minimum. The team also announced a one-year, two-way contract for forward John Albert.

Smith-Pelly, 25, was bought out by the Devils last week after failing to provide much value on his $1.3MM cap hit. In 53 games last season, he registered just nine points and had a -18 rating.

Selected in the second round by the Anaheim Ducks, it was hoped that Smith-Pelly could carry over some of his goal scoring talent from junior into the NHL. Entering the league almost right away, he found a role as a bottom-six energy player instead, something he’ll try to fill on the Capitals next season.

While obviously not an offensive replacement for Marcus Johansson, Smith-Pelly could provide some depth to the Washington group while costing very little. The Caps, struggling to re-sign all of their current restricted free agents after giving out huge contracts to T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov, need players on minimum contracts to contribute next season.

Albert, a 28-year old forward who spent last season in Finland, hasn’t played in the NHL since 2013-14 when he suited up for nine games with the Winnipeg Jets. Unless he’s found another gear in his time overseas, he’ll be used mostly as a minor-league addition next year.

East Notes: Jagr, Dadonov, Callahan, Penguins

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45 year old winger Jaromir Jagr is still looking for a new home after it was recently revealed that the Panthers wouldn’t be bringing him back for 2017-18.  One place he won’t be going is Philadelphia, one of his former teams.  When asked by Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer about bring the veteran back for another stint with the Flyers, GM Ron Hextall had the following to say:

“That’s just not the direction we’re headed in now. I have a great deal of respect for his accomplishments and everything he’s done in the game, but, again, it’s just not the direction we’re going.”

Jagr is the third highest scoring forward remaining on the open market after posting 46 points (16-30-46) in 82 games with the Panthers last season.  He’s coming off a contract that saw him earn $5.5MM between his salary and games played bonuses and will likely have to come in below that wherever he signs on for next year.

Other notes from the East:

  • Panthers GM Dale Tallon envisions big things for recent acquisition Evgeni Dadonov. He told reporters, including Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel, that Dadonov projects to play on their top line alongside Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau.  The 28 year old struggled in his first stint with Florida back from 2009-2011 but is coming off a career season in the KHL where he finished fifth in league scoring with 66 points (30-36-66) in 53 games.
  • After missing 64 games with recurring hip problems last season, Lightning winger Ryan Callahan told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times that those issues are completely behind him and that are no limitations. Tampa Bay would undoubtedly welcome a healthy Callahan in their lineup to get some bang for their buck; he currently is their second highest paid forward and still has three years left on his deal with a $5.8MM cap charge.
  • The Penguins plan to replace Nashville-bound center Nick Bonino via the trade route, GM Jim Rutherford noted to reporters, including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He acknowledged that he has been in talks with other teams but so far the prices have been too high for his liking.  Rutherford added that he’s in no rush to find the right fit and that he would be okay if it took until sometime into next season before they acquire Bonino’s replacement.

Offseason Keys: Nashville Predators

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While expansion was the early headline in what will be a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months to come. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Nashville Predators.

While things didn’t get off to too good of a start for Nashville as they narrowly made it into the playoffs, they saved their best for last, giving the Penguins all they could handle in the Stanley Cup Final before Pittsburgh prevailed in the end.  Now, GM David Poile is tasked with trying to put the final pieces in place to help the Preds take that last step forward.  Here are some of the ways he can try to accomplish just that.

Replace Neal

Unable to strike a protection deal with Vegas, the Predators were hit hard at the expansion draft as they lost winger James Neal to the Golden Knights.  While Neal hasn’t blossomed into a high end top liner like some had hoped for, he has still hit the 20 goal market in every season of his nine year career which makes him one of the more consistent secondary scorers out there.

While Nashville’s forward depth stepped up in the playoffs, it’s tough to expect someone to step in and take over that level of production right away.  They have youngsters like Kevin Fiala or Pontus Aberg that could potentially fit the bill but the more prudent course of action would be to find a veteran replacement and allow the youngsters to ease their way into that role (or wait for more injuries to strike).

To that end, Poile has shown considerable interest in trading for Matt Duchene this offseason.  However, he hasn’t been willing to move one of his top four blueliners which has stalled talks.  The recent signing of Scott Hartnell basically replaces the production of Colin Wilson and with most of the top free agents now signed, the trade route is looking like a likelier course of action now whether it winds up being Duchene or someone else.

New Deal For Johansen

One of the big questions that came up when the Predators and Blue Jackets swapped center Ryan Johansen and defenseman Seth Jones back in early 2016 was Johansen’s contract situation as he was in the middle of his bridge deal.  For starters, he was going to be due a sizable qualifying offer of $6MM, one they recently extended to retain his rights as expected.

Nov 25, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen (92) skates toward the net during the third period against the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsThe bigger potential concern is where Johansen sits with regards to unrestricted free agency.  Although he’s only 24, the fact that he has six years of service time already makes him UFA eligible as of next summer.  If he wants to go that route next offseason, he can simply file for arbitration next week, go through that process, and hit the open market as a number one center in his prime.

Johansen has fit in quite nicely since joining Nashville and is their top pivot, one that they can’t afford to lose.  Because the arbitration filing deadline is fast approaching though, Poile will likely want to make a big push to get a long-term deal done in the coming days to get rid of any uncertainty as quickly as possible.  The early asking price to get that deal done is believed to be $8.5MM.

Short-Term Or Long-Term For Arvidsson?

Winger Viktor Arvidsson was one of the biggest surprises in the league in 2016-17.  After putting up just eight goals and eight assists in 56 games with Nashville the year before, he became a legitimate go-to scorer, tallying 31 goals and 30 assists in 81 games this past season.  He did so at the perfect time as he will hit restricted free agency this weekend.

Poile’s going to have a decision to make with regards to what type of contract to offer the 24 year old.  He sits three years away from unrestricted status so a bridge deal may only be a one year offer.  Given that Arvidsson is only a year removed from spending time in the minors, the safer play is to go short-term and see if his 61 points was a one-time thing or a sign of things to come.

On the flip side, if management is sold on him being able to provide a comparable level of production down the road, this is the time to try to lock Arvidsson up on what could prove to be a team-friendly deal later on.  With nearly $20MM in cap space per CapFriendly, they have the financial flexibility to pick which way they want to go with him.  Because of the big leap in scoring this season, his RFA case is one of the more intriguing ones to watch for this offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Joe Thornton Re-Signs With San Jose Sharks

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July 2: The Sharks have officially announced the signing.  His agency, Top Shelf Hockey, reports via Twitter that Thornton will earn $8MM in 2017-18.  TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds (Twitter link) that the base salary is $6.75MM while he gets a $1.25MM signing bonus as well.

July 1: After all of the rumor and intrigue surrounding “Jumbo” Joe Thornton seeking a three-year deal and speaking with many teams other than the San Jose Sharks, NBC Sports’ California correspondent Kevin Kurz is reporting that Thornton has actually re-signed in San Jose for just one year. According to Bob McKenzie, the deal is worth more than $6 MM, and Fox Sports Northwest’s Andy Strickland has the exact total at $6.5 MM. This is nowhere near the paycut many experts expected from his previous $6.75 MM. In a weak UFA class, however, he ended up getting more AAV than many of the larger names out there.

The probable future Hall-of-Fame center has 1007 career assists, good for 13th all time. He only had 7 goals last season make up his 50 points in 2016-17, however, his lowest total in a full season. It was anticipated by many that perhaps fellow long-time shark Patrick Marleau would sign first, but the offer from San Jose and the allure of home was too much to keep Thornton from signing on the dotted line.

Thornton is obviously slowing down a step, but he is still one of the best playmakers in the game. His work on the powerplay is masterful and he has jump-started many younger players’ careers. On a one-year deal, there seems to be little downside to the Sharks, as he can still be a productive member of a top-9 offensive unit while providing solid defensive play. The price is a bit high, and it remains to be seen whether that will affect any potential negotiations with Marleau.

Devils Acquire Marcus Johansson From Capitals

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After re-signing Evgeny Kuznetsov earlier tonight, the Capitals had to make some cap-clearing moves.  They’ve gone ahead and made one of them, announcing that they’ve dealt forward Marcus Johansson to New Jersey for Florida’s 2nd round pick in 2018 and Toronto’s 3rd round pick in 2018.

Apr 15, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals center Marcus Johansson (90) skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game two of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsJohansson had spent his entire NHL career with the Capitals, spanning 501 games after being a first round pick (24th overall) in 2009.  This past season, he set a career high in goals (24) and points (58) while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career.  He also was productive in the postseason, collecting eight more points (2-6-8) in 13 games.

The 26 year old has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit just under $4.6MM, a good price tag for a player who has had at least 44 points in each of the last four seasons.  However, the Kuznetsov signing forced them to clear out some salary and New Jersey becomes the beneficiaries.

With the Devils, Johansson should comfortably slot in as a top line forward; his point total would have led all New Jersey skaters.  He has experience at all three forward positions so head coach John Hynes will have plenty of flexibility in assembling his top six for next season.

Even with the trade, the Caps will still have some work to do on their salary cap.  They now sit with $9.2MM in cap space per CapFriendly but now only have 14 players under contract.  As for the Devils, they still have $20MM in cap room to work with but are expected to have a budget somewhat below the $75MM upper limit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Capitals Re-Sign Evgeny Kuznetsov To Eight Year Deal

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The Capitals have locked up one of their core players for the long haul, announcing the re-signing of restricted free agent center Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight year, $62.4MM contract ($7.8MM AAV).  Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post adds (Twitter link) that the deal contains a modified no-trade clause in the final six years of the contract; he is ineligible to receive one in the first two due to his age.

Kuznetsov has spent the past four seasons with Washington and was a first round pick (26th overall) of the team back in 2010.  GM Brian MacLellan had the following to say about the 25 year old in a team release:

“Evgeny is a premier center in the NHL and we are pleased that he will remain in Washington for at least the next eight years. It is difficult to find a player of his caliber, who is in his prime and makes his teammates better. Evgeny plays with a tremendous skill, speed and tenacity needed to win in the NHL.”

Jan 16, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) skates before playing the Pittsburgh Penguins at the PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsLast season, Kuznetsov saw his production dip a little although he still posted a solid 19 goals and 40 assists while playing in all 82 games for the second straight season.  He followed that up with a strong postseason effort, collecting five points and five helpers in 13 playoff contests.  That came off the heels of a career year in 2015-16 where he posted 77 points (20-57-77), a career high.

The deal makes Kuznetsov the second highest paid player on the team, only behind captain Alex Ovechkin.  Nicklas Backstrom is their top pivot and plays ahead of Kuznetsov but he still has three years left on his deal with a cap hit of $6.7MM.

MacLellan will have plenty of work to do to stay under the $75MM salary cap.  They currently have $4.6MM in cap space per CapFriendly and only have 15 players under contract.  Among their notable restricted free agents that still need to be re-signed are winger Andre Burakovsky and goaltender Phillip Grubauer.

Mike Vogl of the Capitals’ team website reports that the contract breaks down as follows:

2017-18: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2018-19: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2019-20: $3.4MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2020-21: $3MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2021-22: $3MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2022-23: $3MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2023-24: $6MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2024-25: $6MM salary, $2MM signing bonus

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Signings: Gazdic, Oleksy, Grant

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The Calgary Flames have signed enforcer Luke Gazdic to a one-year, two-way contract. Terms were not disclosed. Gazdic spent last year with the New Jersey Devils, where he split time between the NHL club and the AHL’s Albany Devils. Gazdic played 11 games for New Jersey, accumulating 12 penalty minutes. In 37 games for Albany, the 27-year-old wing had one goal, six assists and 63 penalty minutes.

He had his best season with the Edmonton Oilers back in the 2013-14 season in which he played a career-high 67 games and accumulated 127 penalty minutes as well as two goals and four points. Now he will move over to Calgary to provide much-needed depth to their back lines either in Calgary or the Stockton Heat, depending on the team’s needs.

The Flames have been quiet to start the offseason as they have only signed three players so far in free agency, including an entry-level contract to college star Spencer Foo, an entry-level contract to their 2016 sixth-round pick Stepan Falkovsky and a one-year deal with former New York Rangers’ wing Marek Hrivik.

  • The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Steven Oleksy to a two-year, one-way contract and also inked center Derek Grant to a one-year, one-way deal, according to L.A. Times reporter Helene Elliott. The Ducks also agreed to terms with wings Michael Liambas and Scott Sabourin to one-year, two-way contracts. Oleksy comes from Toronto, but was traded there from Pittsburgh last year. While he never played for the Maple Leafs, the 31-year-old defender did get go play 11 games for the Penguins before being traded. Grant also was traded midseason last year. The 27-year-old center played 40 games for the Buffalo Sabres and another six for the Nashville Predators, although he did not appear in any playoff games. Liambas, a 28-year-old center, has played in one NHL game in his career, while the 24-year-old Sabourin has not reached the NHL yet. He played in 54 games for the San Diego Gulls in the AHL.

Toronto Signs Patrick Marleau To 3-Year Deal

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they have signed unrestricted free agent Patrick Marleau to a three-year deal, $18.75MM with the average annual value set for $6.25MM. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweets he has a full no-movement clause included in his deal. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that the deal will include a large signing bonus, just as the case was for Carey Price’s deal earlier today. He will receive $14.5MM in signing bonus money, split up with $7MM coming to him in the first year, followed by $4.5MM in year two and $3MM in the final year of the contract. The three-year pact means that Marleau will be 40 during the last year of his $6.25 contract.

Reported earlier on PHR, the 37-year-old wing was considering several offers, including a two-year offer from San Jose, but the rumor was that Toronto had the most impressive offer and Marleau took it. Having spent the past 19 years in San Jose, he will move on to the young, rising Maple Leafs squad and team with the young core of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner to help them take the next step. With this move, it seems obvious that the Maple Leafs plan to go all-out in hopes of capturing a Stanley Cup while they have their young core under rookie contracts. It is likely Marleau will be paired with both Matthews and Nylander as their first line.

For San Jose, the veteran team loses one of its most important players in their history. Marleau accumulated 508 goals and 1,082 points in his tenure with the Sharks and was rarely hurt, having played every game for the last eight seasons and only missing a total of 31 games in his career, according to Johnston. Although the team was able to lock up38-year-old Joe Thornton yesterday to a one-year, $6.5MM deal (although that deal is not official yet), the team lost out on one of their top goal scorers and will be hard-pressed to replace him, especially after the team struggled in the playoffs and were bounced in the first round. Those two have been playing together for the last 12 years.

 

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