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Archives for August 2017

Minnesota Wild Sign Mikael Granlund To Three-Year Deal

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The Minnesota Wild have signed restricted free agent Mikael Granlund to a new three-year, $17.25MM contract. Granlund was scheduled for a salary arbitration hearing on Friday, and would have exchanged figures with the team tomorrow morning. While the deal will carry a $5.75MM average annual value, it breaks down as follows:

  • 2017-18: $5.25MM
  • 2018-19: $5.5MM
  • 2019-20: $6.5MM

Mikael GranlundGranlund’s deal comes in an average of $500K more each season than fellow Wild RFA Nino Niederreiter, despite only giving up one year of unrestricted free agency. The 25-year old broke out this season after a move to the wing, scoring 26 goals and 69 points in 81 games. He followed that up by garnering both Selke and Lady Byng votes, and is a big part of one of the best two-way forward groups in the NHL.

The $5.75MM cap hit comes in fairly high for a player who only has one season with more than 45 points, though the Wild clearly believe in Granlund’s ability to repeat his performance. Ondrej Palat, who gave up four UFA seasons and has a longer track record of offensive success received just $5.3MM per season, though he doesn’t have the same versatility. At Granlund’s hit, he’ll come in as the third-highest paid forward on the Wild behind just Zach Parise ($7.54MM) and Mikko Koivu ($6.75MM). That will come with some added responsibility, and there is some risk to the deal.

Granlund enjoyed a shooting percentage almost twice as high as his previous career total, and rode that to an easy career-high in goals. Regression even to 10% (which would have still been a career-high) would have lost him nearly 10 goals. If he’s discovered a way to put the puck in the net more frequently (which is entirely possible) he’ll likely fulfill the contract with ease, but if he takes a small step backwards it could backfire. The two sides agreed upon a relatively short-term deal for likely this exact reason; Minnesota is minimizing risk, while Granlund believes he’ll be worth even more when he hits free agency.

The Wild now have just Marcus Foligno left to sign, acquired in a trade with Buffalo for Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville. While he’ll likely only command a salary somewhere between $2-3MM per season, the team is getting very close to the salary cap ceiling for the upcoming season. Even with Foligno signed they have just 11 forwards listed on their CapFriendly page, meaning they’re actually at least $650K closer to that ceiling when they bring up a young player to fill the last spot. That’s without carrying a 13th forward or 7th defenseman, either of which will put them right up against the cap—they also have a third goaltender listed currently, which won’t be there when the season begins.

Calvin de Haan and Nate Schmidt remain as the final two players scheduled for arbitration hearings, and both have exchanged figures already.

Michael Russo of the Star Tribune was first to report the contract details on Twitter. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Chicago Blackhawks Latest To Be Linked To Will Butcher

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Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to be one of the teams chasing Will Butcher this summer, the Colorado draft pick who will become a free agent in two weeks. Already Detroit and Pittsburgh have been linked to the young defenseman, who will have his choice of teams after winning the Hobey Baker and dominating the college circuit last season.

It’s still unclear if Butcher, 22, is ready to step into an NHL role. His offensive production was excellent in college and he’s dominated his competition for some time, but he’s still an undersized defenseman without a standout skill. That can translate into struggles in the league, though Butcher is going to choose his landing spot carefully to provide the best situation for success. He’s said in the past that an immediate role isn’t necessary and that the long-term outlook for a franchise may be more important, but you’d have to think a chance to play with a team just a couple of hours south of his hometown could weigh on his decision.

There will be stiff competition for his services, and a decision won’t have to be made right away. Butcher could wait a few weeks and still be under contract before camp starts. Remember last season, when Jimmy Vesey was in a similar situation that he didn’t sign until August 19th.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Brett Pesce To Six-Year Extension

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Brett Pesce to a six-year, $24.15MM contract extension that will kick in for the 2018-19 season. The $4.025MM average annual value will make him the third-highest defenseman on the team, behind Jaccob Slavin’s own extension at $5.3MM per season and Justin Faulk’s $4.83MM cap hit. Hurricanes GM Ron Francis released a statement on the signing:

Brett took another big step forward last season. He plays a smart defensive game and has good ability to move the puck and contribute offensively. We plan for him to be a part of the Hurricanes’ defensive corps for a long time.

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Alongside Slavin, Pesce may be one of the most underappreciated defensemen in the league; one who has blossomed into a top-pairing player without anyone noticing. Some of that is due to playing in Carolina, and some is due to the extremely low-key style he plays. Logging over 21 minutes a night last season. Pesce recorded 20 points but was an absolute rock in his own end. His defensive positioning and ability to skate the puck out of trouble when he needs to make him an elite shot-suppressor, and his incredibly active stick gives him a knack for poke checks and clearing rebounds from in front of his net. As part of the extremely young defense corps in Carolina, he may even be the most reliable in his own end and someone who you can match against the opponent’s top lines for years to come.

Just 22, Pesce was a third-round pick by Carolina back in 2013 and has developed alongside Faulk and Slavin as three excellent players selected outside of the first-round. The rest of the defensive pipeline, made up of players like Noah Hanifin, Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean, will allow Carolina to work from a position of strength in any trade negotiations as they inch closer to playoff contention. Their defensive group is close to rivaling some of the best in the league, and is expected to be made up this year of six players who are 26-and-under. It’s impressive what they’ve built, but there are some downsides to the big extensions kicking in next season.

Carolina is a cap-floor team, and nowhere close to being able to spend all the way up to the $75MM ceiling (barring a huge salary increase from a potential purchase). Next season, when there is a ~8MM salary bump from these two extensions, the team will have to make some tough decisions on their restricted free agents. Hanifin, Trevor van Riemsdyk—who, incidentally was Pesce’s roommate at the University of New Hampshire—and Klas Dahlbeck are all RFAs in 2018, along with Elias Lindholm and Joakim Nordstrom, two important forwards. While some money is due to come off the books in the way of Cam Ward and Lee Stempniak, those players will need to be replaced as well making it hard to see how Carolina can afford to keep everyone.

Even if they do have to move some of their pieces, this deal could look like another steal for the Hurricanes if Pesce continues to develop. Buying out just two years of free agency allows them to keep the cap hit relatively low for the time being, while taking them right through most of his prime years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

John Tavares Quiet On Contract Negotiations

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New York Islanders’ superstar forward John Tavares is the center of much speculation regarding his future in the league as he enters the final year of his current contract. The 26-year old will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st of next year and has been eligible for an extension for more than a month.

Speaking with TSN at a Power Edge Pro event in Burlington, Ontario, Tavares was asked about the ongoing negotiations with his club and where he sees himself down the road:

I think I’ll just keep all that internal. I think we’ve had great open communication. It’s obviously a great place to play, and I’ve really enjoyed my time being an Islander and want that to continue. For me I just want to focus on the upcoming season, being at my best and being able to contribute.

Tavares has never indicated that he has any desire to leave New York, though many have linked the franchise’s struggles finding a new arena and underwhelming success on the ice as reasons he could look elsewhere for his next big contract. The team would sure like to sign him for eight seasons and keep their franchise center in the mix as long as possible.

The longer the negotiations linger the more speculation there will be, but it certainly doesn’t mean the two sides are growing further apart. There is still an entire year to come to an agreement, even if it pushes right to the last minute like Steven Stamkos a year ago. Stamkos even took meetings with other teams before deciding to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning long-term, a similar situation to how the Tavares situation may play out.

Remember, the team who owns his rights can offer him an eighth contract year which would be Tavares’ age-35 season. That year is likely extremely valuable to a young player, and could cause a trade of his rights should the two sides not be able to find common ground. As it happens, Tavares is primed to have a big season after the Islanders acquired Jordan Eberle to add some scoring punch to the wing and should have an improved offensive group with the graduation of Joshua Ho-Sang to a full-time player.

OHL Trade Notes: Rippon, Stanley, Lodnia

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Every summer top prospects in the CHL are moved around to various teams as the franchises work in a dance of preparing for Memorial Cup hosting opportunities while trying to maintain relevancy in the interim. Timing your team to be a powerhouse when the tournament is coming to your city is a big part of junior hockey, and can help build your fan base. Since the home team gets automatic admission to the tournament regardless of their season record, fans don’t want to see their home squad get pummeled by the other powerhouses of the leagues.

This year, Windsor loaded up for the tournament and despite not doing well in the OHL playoffs, won the Memorial Cup with a rested and exciting squad. They took down an Erie Otters team that was widely considered the favorite, boasting a top line of Taylor Raddysh, Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat. Now, as Jeff Marek of Sportsnet reports several moves are being made to prepare teams for the upcoming season and beyond.

  • The Kitchener Rangers have traded Merrick Rippon to the Mississauga Steelheads for two seconds (2018, 2021) and one conditional third-round pick (2023) in the bantam draft. Rippon has already committed to Providence College for 2018-19, so it’s unclear if he’ll now suit up for the Steelheads instead. The NCAA considers the CHL a “pro” league because some of its players have already signed NHL contracts, meaning if Rippon suited up for even a single game he would lose college eligibility. The smooth skating defenseman is eligible for the 2018 NHL draft.
  • The Windsor Spitfires are likely moving top Winnipeg Jets prospect Logan Stanley after he returned just in time from injury to help the team win the Memorial Cup. Stanley was selected 18th-overall by the Jets in 2016, but missed most of the season to a knee injury and will return to junior hockey to continue to develop his 6’7″ frame. Marek believes Stanley is heading to Kitchener, a place where he could immediately be inserted on the top pairing.
  • Ivan Lodnia may be on the move from Erie, where he had been stuck in a shutdown role behind the older offensive weapons. Lodnia dropped to the Minnesota Wild in the fourth round this draft after disappearing in the OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup, but still has tremendous talent and could break out this season if given a larger role.
  • The Sudbury Wolves are expected to trade Owen Lalonde, a 17-year old defenseman who already has a chance to go in the late first/early second round at next year’s draft. Lalonde was picked second-overall in the 2016 bantam draft, but was a little over-matched in his first season in the league. That should change this year as his body grows and he’s given a bigger opportunity, as he possesses some incredible offensive instincts and could be a powerplay quarterback as soon as this year.

Morning Notes: Hurricanes, Sabres, Rangers

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After a report came out last month that indicated Chuck Greenberg, former minority owner of the Texas Rangers, had signed a letter of intent to purchase the Carolina Hurricanes, there had been little news from current owner Peter Karmanos on whether the sale would go through. Today, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer caught up with Karmanos who told him that around a dozen groups had already expressed interest in buying the team, and that he’d wait to see what Greenberg’s offer is.

The $500MM report—that seemed unrealistic at the time—may not have been premature as though it doesn’t seem like Greenberg has submitted a formal offer yet, the asking price is indeed $500MM for now. For a club that is struggling immensely to draw enough fans every night, despite the positive direction the hockey operations staff is taking the on-ice product in, new ownership could breathe fresh air into a stagnant franchise.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have hired former NHL defenseman Mike Komisarek as a development coach, bringing him into a franchise that he knows intimately from his time with the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. After Komisarek’s retirement in 2014, he returned to the University of Michigan to complete his degree, where he also served as an assistant coach with the men’s hockey program. In 551 career games, Komisarek registered 81 points and 679 penalty minutes.
  • The New York Rangers have hired Joe Mormina as an assistant coach for their AHL team, bringing him back to the league after only retiring from his playing career in 2016. Mormina spent last year as an assistant coach for Mercyhurst University, but has eleven years of experience as a player in the minor league. Only getting into a single NHL game throughout his playing career, the hulking defender was a staple on several AHL franchises for many years. In 670 AHL contests, he recorded 151 points and 837 penalty minutes.

Andrej Nestrasil Signs In KHL

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According to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express, HC Neftekhimik has signed free agent forward Andrej Nestrasil for the upcoming season. Nestrasil was not issued a qualifying offer by the Carolina Hurricanes this spring after a scathing interview he gave in the Czech Republic in which he said “I’m done here, 100%. I do not want to continue here.”

Nestrasil played just 19 games for the Hurricanes last season, bouncing up and down constantly from the minor leagues as an injury replacement, but spending the majority of his time in the AHL. The 26-year old was a third-round pick by Detroit in 2009, but hasn’t ever really shown an ability to consistently contribute at the NHL level. In 128 career games he has just 48 points, and rarely found the scoresheet even at the minor league level this year.

Instead he’ll head to Neftekhimik who went 28-28-4 last season but drew just over 5,000 fans on average. One of the much less popular teams, Neftekhimik could use a player to excite their fans and perhaps Nestrasil can be that. After all, during his time in the QMJHL he was a highlight machine that seemed to do everything at top speed. It’s hard to see him ever returning to the NHL after his poor experience, though if he breaks out there may be a little more guarantee coming from another team. Carolina no longer holds his rights after failing to qualify him.

Nate Schmidt, Vegas Golden Knights Exchange Arbitration Figures

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Nate Schmidt is one of the final arbitration cases and is due to have a hearing on Thursday morning in Toronto with the Vegas Golden Knights. The two sides traded figures today, with the team offering a two-year deal worth a total of $1.95MM while Schmidt is looking for a one-year $2.75MM award according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Schmidt is the final restricted free agent left to sign for the Golden Knights, who are still working towards avoiding arbitration with the young defender. With two years left before he hits unrestricted free agency, the team opted for the two-year term that will take him right to the open market. As discussed previously, the Golden Knights are clearly trying to position themselves as a player at the trade deadline, and seem uninterested in players signed for more than two years.

While they could still reach a longer term deal with Schmidt, it’s not clear if they view him as a long-term piece of the franchise or a valuable asset that can continue to kick start a build through the draft. The dynamic skater could easily be one of the top options for a team this deadline looking to shore up their defense, especially after the excellent showing he had in the playoffs for the Washington Capitals. Schmidt almost made Karl Alzner obsolete, arguably playing better than him when the now-Montreal Canadien went down to injury in the first round.

Schmidt is coming off a year where he made $875K, so Vegas is offering him a very modest raise heading into next season. As always, these are outer limits for the negotiation and an arbitration decision would almost certainly come somewhere in the middle. In 60 games, Schmidt put up 17 points and was generally effective, though he still doesn’t have a very high profile among fans mostly due to his lack of draft pedigree. He was signed out of the University of Minnesota in 2013.

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