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West Notes: Flames, Doughty, Sharks

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Marek Hrivik spent six years in the Rangers organization but only made 21 appearances with the NHL club, compiling no goals and three assists. However, he was much more productive in the AHL, where he played in 270 games and scored 53 goals for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Predictably, the 2012 undrafted free agent wanted an opportunity to play on the biggest stage, and he said that was a big reason why he signed with the Flames this offseason.

“It’s never been a dream of mine to play only in the AHL,” Hrivik told NHL.com’s George Johnson. “So I’ve been looking for a different opportunity. I’ve been with New York for five years and it just wasn’t going to work there. I had a bunch of teams interested but I thought I had the best chance in Calgary and that’s why I signed there. Obviously the interest I felt from the organization was also important. That was probably the No. 1 thing. You always want to feel wanted.”

The 25-year-old left the Rangers organization earlier this offseason and quickly signed a one-year, two-way deal with Calgary. Of course, he understands that it’s still an uphill battle to make the team’s final roster.

“There are bunch of guys in a similar position as I am, I’d say, for a fourth-line spot,” Hrivik said. “Money-wise, age-wise. So I think it’s going to be a decent battle.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the Western Conference…

  • While former Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty has been a mainstay for the Kings for nearly a decade, James O’Brien of Pro Hockey Talk believes the team should consider trading the 27-year-old. The writer notes that the organization would receive immediate salary relief, and he believes the Kings could convince another team to inherit a bad contract (like Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik) in any trade for Doughty. A trade would also give the team a chance to get a head start on their rebuild, as they’d surely receive young players and/or draft picks.
  • Veteran Patrick Marleau signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs earlier this offseason, and some of his former Sharks teammates were surprised that he left San Jose. “That was crazy,” former Sharks (and current Panthers) defenseman Jason Demers told NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy. “For him to make that decision, I know him well personally and I know that was probably the biggest decision of his career. I don’t think anybody understands on the outside how big of a decision that was for him. … In my head, after talking to him a little bit, I thought he was going to stay, but I think him and his family discussed it and I think it’s going to be a great thing for him.” Marleau, who had spent 19 seasons with the Sharks, compiled 27 goals and 19 assists in 82 games last season.
  • Earlier today, Jaromir Jagr’s agent gave a “no comment” when asked about the rumors regarding the Flames.

Prospect Notes: Butcher, Kerfoot, Kapanen

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Will Butcher will indeed make his decision this weekend, confirming to Mike Morreale of NHL.com that Sunday is the day. In what is turning into quite the story for a player who has done little to prove he’s ready for the NHL, Butcher will “[make his] decision on Sunday with [his] family and agent there.” Morreale confirms that four teams remain in the mix including the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights.

Butcher’s agent Brian Bartlett reiterated that the young defenseman is not neccesarily looking for an opportunity to crack the NHL squad out of camp, but that he’ll sign with a team that “really understands and believes in him as a player.” It’s still to be seen who believes in him the most.

  • Alex Kerfoot confirmed to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 that the reason he signed with the Colorado Avalanche is that he believes he’s ready for the NHL right away. The Avalanche have little to lose by inserting Kerfoot into the lineup right away, something few other teams can say. The Vancouver-born Kerfoot had some positive things to say about the Canucks offer and new head coach Travis Green, but that eventually it came down to opportunity.
  • Toronto prospect Kasperi Kapanen will wear #24 this season just like his father Sami Kapanen wore for twelve years in the NHL, but as he told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star he’s just focused on making the Maple Leafs’ lineup. Kapanen turned some heads during a late season call-up and playoff appearance, but will still be fighting for a depth role on the team due to Toronto’s glut of wingers. Nikita Soshnikov and Josh Leivo will be his primary competition fighting for the right wing spot on the fourth line, though Ben Smith and Eric Fehr are also still around as veteran options. Kapanen is waiver-exempt still, and could be forced to start the year with the Toronto Marlies should they not want to stifle his growth as an offensive player with limited playing time.

“No Comment” On Jagr-To-Calgary Rumors

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The last few days, there have been some unverified rumors of Jaromir Jagr potentially heading to the Calgary Flames. While these could be true, our job here at Pro Hockey Rumors is to wade through all those reports, and only give you the most reliable information. Still, as they’ve persisted Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reached out to Jagr’s agent Petr Svoboda, who declined to comment on the specific rumor. Instead, he told Dhaliwal that he is “working around the clock and will get something done” without mentioning any specific teams.

Jagr remains one of the most interesting players on the open market, as even at 45 he’s shown himself to be an effective possession player and able to contribute offensively. Though he doesn’t skate like used to, and can clog up the center ice area he’s still deadly in the offensive zone and can help a powerplay if given the chance. He scored 46 points last season even with a career-low shooting percentage, and was one of only three players on the Florida Panthers with a positive +/- rating.

It’s not clear where he’ll end up, but there are plenty of teams who could use Jagr to add some experience to their forward group. As the second-highest scorer in league history, he’s just 86 points shy of 2,000 for his career and has seen just about everything there is to see in his long career.

Simon Despres Signs In KHL

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Recently bought out Anaheim Ducks defender Simon Despres has decided to take his talents to Russia, signing with Slovan Bratislava for one season (h/t to our friends at Roster Resource for pointing it out).

Simon DespresDespres, 26, was one of the most disappointing stories in the NHL last season, playing just a single game because of concussion symptoms. He started skating with the team late in the season and through the playoffs, and was well enough to be bought out in June. He was just one year into a five-year extension he signed in the fall of 2015, that was worth a total of $18.5MM.

It’s interesting that Despres couldn’t find work in North America, as he was once regarded as quite the young defenseman. After a breakout season in 2014-15 split between Pittsburgh and Anaheim in which he scored 23 points and was quite capable in his own end, nothing has gone right for him. He’ll instead look to prove his health and rebuild some of that value in the KHL, while being paid ~$660K by the Ducks for the season. The team was able to save two-thirds of the remaining salary since the buyout was performed while Despres was still 25.

After missing the KHL playoffs last season Slovan also added Marek Mazanec from the Nashville Predators this offseason, and will try to improve next year. The team is known for giving NHL players chances, and had Jonathan Cheechoo, Jeff Taffe and Kyle Chipchura all playing big roles last year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Despres return to the NHL in 2017-18 if he proves his injury problems are behind him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Colorado’s Tumultuous Twelve Months

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The Colorado Avalanche have had a tough 12 months. On August 11th, 2016 legendary goaltender and then head coach Patrick Roy left the organization in a public resignation less than a month before training camp was due to start. His departure was reported to have stemmed at least partially from Tyson Barrie’s new four-year contract, signed less than two weeks prior. Roy left the Avalanche scrambling for a new coach, and though Jared Bednar would eventually brought in things were never stable.

"<strongThe season started remarkably well with three wins in the first four games, but it wouldn’t take long for the Avalanche to drop to the bottom of the standings. By Christmas, they were 12-20-1 and they would win just ten more games the rest of the way. At the trade deadline, other teams were circling like vultures trying to pry Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene away from GM Joe Sakic, but the Avalanche GM wouldn’t budge. His high asking priced held firm, and instead of selling off top assets he sat relatively silent (apologies to Jarome Iginla and Andreas Martinsen).

Though the speculation on Landeskog died down, Duchene was another story. Rumors would follow him through the end of the season and to the entry draft, where Colorado fell out of the top three picks despite a historically bad finish. The draft lottery is a cruel mistress, and Sakic saw New Jersey, Philadelphia and Dallas stride to the podium before him.

But that’s where things have started to change. Rumored to be a possibility for the top-two picks as close as the morning of the draft, Cale Makar made it to the fourth pick where Sakic immediately snapped him up. The dynamic puck-rushing defender has as much risk as anyone taken in the top five, but could also become one of the premiere offensive defensemen in the new NHL. He’s heading to UMass in the fall, but has already said he doesn’t expect to spend all four years there.

"<strongWhile the Duchene shadow still looms over the Avalanche, they’ve done well lately to add young players with little to no risk. Dominic Toninato and Alex Kerfoot were among the best available NCAA free agents, and though Colorado lost Will Butcher, the pair of forwards more than make up for it. They’ll join an impressive young group forming for the Avalanche.

Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Tyson Jost, J.T. Compher, A.J. Greer and the two free agents represent a 23-and-under group that could be quite formidable if given the chance, and the wildcard of Nail Yakupov also exists. If the former first-overall pick could ever live up to his immense goal scoring potential, Colorado could be hard to contain.

Add in that Duchene is still likely to bring a big return at some point, and Jonathan Bernier could be a trade-deadline asset, and the team could be surprisingly successful in short order. While a playoff spot still seems like a distant goal, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The defense still needs work—the team doesn’t even have Nikita Zadorov under contract yet—but with another lottery chance in what’s shaping up to be an incredibly deep draft in 2018, the Avalanche could have a quicker turnaround than many expect.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Alex Kerfoot Signs With Colorado Avalanche

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Thursday: The Avalanche have announced the signing, bringing in Kerfoot on a two-year entry-level contract worth $832K in the NHL.

Wednesday: In a stunning turn, NCAA free agent Alex Kerfoot has decided to sign with the Colorado Avalanche according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Dreger had included Colorado in Kerfoot’s “final five” last night, but not many people seemed to believe that he would end up with the Avalanche. The young center could step right into an NHL role with the club, though as we addressed last night there is likely a move to follow.

The 23-year old Kerfoot was selected in the fifth round by the New Jersey Devils in 2012, but became a free agent on August 16th when he failed to sign with the team. In four years at Harvard, he put up 123 points and captained the team during his senior season. A gifted playmaker, it’s still to be seen whether he can carry his offensive gifts to the professional level. A natural center he’ll have to fight for minutes along with Nathan MacKinnon, Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher, as well as Matt Duchene if a trade isn’t reached before the season begins.

Dreger tweets that GM Joe Sakic “did a great job selling Kerfoot on his fit with the [Avalanche]” and that he could have a big role if a trade does go down. While MacKinnon and Jost were listed in Sakic’s untouchable group earlier this year, Compher is also expected to have a big role on the team going forward. There is always the possibility that Kerfoot or one of the others moves to the wing, but this does give them more depth should a Duchene move occur.

Like any NCAA free agent, excitement over Kerfoot should be limited until he shows that he has another level of play ready for the NHL. While his potential is promising, skating against players several years younger than you and with a much wider talent gap can hide deficiencies that will be exploited at the next level. Kerfoot will sign a two-year entry-level contract, and try to prove that he is one of the exceptions that was just underestimated in his draft year.

Latest On Will Butcher

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In the ongoing saga of Will Butcher, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the free agent defenseman is still meeting with various teams. Dreger says that Butcher has whittled his list down to three or four clubs, and will make a decision at the beginning of next week at the latest. Yesterday it was confirmed that Butcher had met with the Vegas Golden Knights, and trips to the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils have also been reported.

It will be interesting to see if other free agent defensemen like Cody Franson and Dennis Wideman get a little more interest once Butcher is off the board. Last year, after Jimmy Vesey signed with the New York Rangers, Brandon Pirri, Jiri Hudler and Dominic Moore all inked contracts within the next ten days.

Butcher’s size and overall defensive game makes him hard to project into a team’s top-4, but his offensive skill and ability to run a powerplay is hard to find on the open market, especially at his age. He’ll be signing a two-year, entry-level contract wherever he ends up.

East Notes: Athanasiou, Kinkaid, Jarry

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Although the cap situation for the Red Wings is far from ideal as they currently project to be over the cap heading into the season, that doesn’t appear to be a big factor in the lack of progress being made in talks with winger Andreas Athanasiou, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan.  Instead, the scribe suggests that it’s their salary structure that may be playing a big role.

While the 23-year-old is coming off of an 18 goal season, this was his only full NHL campaign.  Accordingly, while Athanasiou is looking to be paid based off of that type of production, Detroit GM Ken Holland may be hesitant to give the type of money he’s looking for with as small of a track record as he has.  There’s no word as to what offers are on the table but Khan speculates that a two-year bridge deal worth around $1.5MM per year may be close to what the Red Wings have put forth.

Yesterday, it was reported that Athanasiou is considering a one-year offer in the KHL.  His agent, Darren Ferris, classified the offer as “significant”.  Between that and the potential to play in the Olympics, it certainly stands to reason that this could be a bit more than just an attempt at getting some leverage in talks with the Red Wings.  If he were to go overseas, Detroit would retain his rights.

More from the East:

  • Although he ultimately re-signed with New Jersey, goalie Keith Kinkaid acknowledged to Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media that he did speak to a few other teams during the interview period leading up to July 1st. Instead of going elsewhere though, he opted to sign a two-year, $2.5MM deal to remain with the Devils.  He’ll serve as Cory Schneider’s backup once again this coming season.
  • Although Pittsburgh’s addition of netminder Antti Niemi pushes prospect Tristan Jarry back to the number three role, GM Jim Rutherford suggested to NHL.com’s Wes Crosby that Jarry may still get into some NHL action with the Penguins this season. Niemi inked a one-year, $700K deal to replace Marc-Andre Fleury and serve as Matt Murray’s backup but the move also allows the 22-year-old to get another full season of AHL action under his belt before making another push for the number two spot in 2018-19.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

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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.

Carolina Hurricanes

Current Cap Hit: $57,799,166 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Sebastian Aho (Two years remaining, $925K)
D Noah Hanifin (One year remaining, $925K)
D Brett Pesce (One year remaining, $809K)
D Jaccob Slavin (One year remaining, $743K)

Potential Bonuses

Aho: $850K
Hanifin: $850K
Pesce: $33K
Slavin: $133K

Total: $1.865MM

Carolina hasn’t wasted much time handing out some early extensions to their blueliners as Slavin received a seven-year, $37.1MM deal while Pesce inked a six-year pact worth $24.125MM in total earlier this offseason.  Both deals will kick in for 2018-19.  That locked up two of their core defenders through the rest of their RFA-eligible seasons plus three and two years respectively of their UFA eligibility.

As for the third defenseman on the list, the team has also expressed an interest in getting another contract for Hanifin done although there have been no formal discussions yet on one.  The former fifth overall pick has played a regular role in his first two seasons but hasn’t progressed a lot and as a result, he’s more likely to wait until next offseason to sign.

Aho had a very productive rookie season that went under the radar thanks to some of the other well-known freshmen.  He has already established himself as a legitimate top-six winger and if that carries over for the next two seasons, he’ll be in great shape to continue the trend of bypassing the bridge deal and landing a long-term, big money contract, something that GM Ron Francis is clearly comfortable doing.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Klas Dahlbeck ($850K, RFA)
F Josh Jooris ($775K, UFA)
F Elias Lindholm ($2.7MM, RFA)
F Joakim Nordstrom ($1.275MM, RFA)
F Derek Ryan ($1.425MM, UFA)
F Lee Stempniak ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($825K, RFA)
G Cam Ward ($3.3MM, UFA)

Lindholm has yet to take the big leap offensively that the team has been hoping for and as a result, he’s still more of a second line center.  Even if he hovers around the 40-50 point range again in 2017-18 though, he’ll have a chance to potentially double his AAV with the demand for quality players down the middle.  Stempniak was basically a placeholder for some of their younger players last year and will do so once again.  At this stage, it’s more likely that he’s traded in-season over signing a new deal.  If there’s ever such a thing as a bridge contract for a 30-year-old, Ryan has it.  He was off the radar just two years ago but more than held his own last season.  If he can repeat that this season, he’ll hit the market with a much stronger case to market to other teams.  Nordstrom and Jooris are likely to hold down depth roles and their next deals (or those for their replacements) will come in around the same amount.

The Hurricanes quietly added van Riemsdyk from the Golden Knights after expansion and he’ll have a chance to fortify their third pairing which suits him quite well.  While his potentially lower ice time will hurt his bargaining power, he’ll still be in line to at least double his salary with arbitration rights while sitting within a year of unrestricted free agency next summer.

Ward has been with Carolina since they drafted him back in 2002 but his time with the team may be coming to an end.  His numbers the past several seasons have been rather pedestrian which played a big role in them trading for a new starter this offseason.  Regardless of where he winds up for 2018-19, he’s likely in line for a notable pay cut, especially when the free agent market looks like it will have several players in his situation next offseason.

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