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Archives for July 2019

Rangers May Need To Use The Second Buyout Window

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The fact that Rangers winger Pavel Buchnevich and defenseman Jacob Trouba filed for salary arbitration yesterday isn’t particularly noteworthy in itself.  However, them doing so opens up a second buyout window later this offseason and it certainly appears as if GM Jeff Gorton is going to need to use it.

As things stand, New York has a little over $8MM in cap space, per CapFriendly.  Most, if not all of that, will be earmarked to Trouba.  Buchnevich is looking at a sizable raise on the $925K he made on his entry-level deal.  Meanwhile, defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and winger Brendan Lemieux are also restricted free agents in need of raises on their new contracts but weren’t arbitration-eligible this summer.  There’s no way all four sign new deals without the Rangers going over the $81.5MM Upper Limit.

There are two prominent buyout candidates on their roster in defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith.  Both have two years left on their contracts and have been shopped around the league with no takers thus far.  Buying one (or both) blueliners out would give Gorton some much-needed cap space to work with.

A buyout for Shattenkirk would free up over $5MM alone for next season.  However, given the front-loaded nature of the contract, the savings would drop to just $567K for 2020-21 while adding an extra $1.433MM on the books for two years after that so there would be some long-term pain for that short-term gain.  Smith’s deal was also slightly front-loaded but doesn’t have as extreme of year-to-year variances in the buyout cost.  Buying him out would save $3.379MM next season and $1.2MM in 2020-21 while adding $1.145MM for two seasons after that.

Back when the first buyout window closed, Gorton didn’t know whether or not he’d be able to land the big fish on the free agent market in Artemi Panarin.  That wound up happening with the winger signing for over $11.6MM per season so their financial situation is a lot different now than it was just a week ago.  They didn’t need to buy anyone out then.  Unless they decide to start trading a couple of players away for future assets, they may need to this time.

The window will open up once both Buchevich and Trouba are under contract, something that could still take a month or more to happen depending on where they’re slated on the arbitration schedule.  As a result, it may be a while before Gorton is forced to make a decision on how to free up that extra cap room but he certainly still has some work to do to get the team cap compliant for October.

Metropolitan Notes: Williams, Islanders, Holtby

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While the Hurricanes are still waiting to hear from Justin Williams regarding his plans for next season, GM Don Waddell told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that he thinks the winger may be leaning towards returning and is hoping for a final decision in the near future.  Williams had previously indicated that he’d either re-sign with Carolina or retire.  The veteran is coming off a solid 2018-19 season that saw him collect 53 points in 82 regular seasons games and chipped in with seven more in 15 postseason contests.  The Hurricanes have been relatively quiet with player movement up front this summer and it appears they’re waiting to see what Williams plans to do before doing much else.

Elsewhere around the Metropolitan Division:

  • The Islanders are hoping to add to their center depth this offseason, GM Lou Lamoriello told reporters, including Newsday’s Andrew Gross. Three of their top four are set with Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, and Casey Cizikas but a vacancy was created when Valtteri Filppula left for Detroit in free agency.  Lamoriello indicated they could save the spot for one of their prospects (or a couple of college players they have interest in) but it’s possible that they could look to someone like Derick Brassard or veteran Brian Boyle, players that will likely require only a short-term commitment to bring into the fold.
  • The contract that Sergei Bobrovsky received from Florida presents a bit of a conundrum for the Capitals, suggests J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington. Braden Holtby is now a year away from free agency and has comparable career numbers to Bobrovsky but Washington would have a tough time handing him a new deal with an AAV around the $10MM mark.  However, given where they are in terms of trying to be a win-now team, trading him isn’t really an option either.  That puts them in a situation where they could potentially be losing their starter a year from now for nothing but there is plenty of time for that to change.

Ducks Sign Andreas Martinsen

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The Ducks have added some depth and grit on the wing.  They announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Andreas Martinsen to a one-year, two-way contract.  Eric Stephens of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that the deal is worth $750K in the NHL and $250K in the minors.

The 29-year-old split last season between Chicago and their AHL affiliate in Rockford.  In 24 games with the Blackhawks in the first half of the year, he had a goal and three assists while chipping in with 83 hits; his 3.46 hit per game average was in the top ten league-wide among players with at least 20 games played.  Meanwhile, with the IceHogs, he had a bit more of an offensive impact with three goals and eight helpers in 38 games.

Martinsen has a total of 152 NHL games under his belt between Colorado, Montreal, and Chicago.  It’s likely that he will start next season in the minors and having cleared waivers at some point in each of the last two seasons, he will probably once again pass through unclaimed.  However, as someone that can hold his own on the fourth line when needed, he should see some action with Anaheim at some point in 2019-20.

Mario Kempe Signs With Los Angeles Kings

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Adrian Kempe won’t have to visit Arizona anymore for family dinner. The Los Angeles Kings have signed his older brother Mario Kempe to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K. The elder Kempe has spent the last two seasons in the Arizona Coyotes organization after a long international career in the SHL and KHL.

The 30-year old forward played 52 games for the Coyotes last season, recording nine points in limited ice time. He served as a part-time penalty killer, but was mostly given fourth-line ice time as an energy option for the team. Originally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007, Kempe played just eight games for their AHL team before returning to Sweden and not coming back until 2017. Suiting up for them at the World Championship, he added two points in four games.

It’s important to note that the younger Kempe is currently a restricted free agent for the Kings and is an important part of the future in Los Angeles. Just 22-years old, Adrian scored 16 goals and 37 points in 2017-18 before taking a slight step backwards last season. Bringing in his brother may help the negotiation, though Mario is a good player in his own right and will be competing for a spot on the Kings’ roster come September.

Minor Transactions: 07/05/19

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Things haven’t picked up on the free agent market just yet, so teams are still concentrated on filling out their organizational depth charts. With that in mind, we’re keeping track of the important minor league moves around the league:

  • The Rochester Americans have signed Eric Cornel, Tyler Randell, Jarrett Burton and Nathan Paetsch to one-year AHL contracts, securing some veteran experience for the team’s 2019-20 season. Cornel notably was not given a qualifying offer by the Buffalo Sabres when his entry-level contract expired this summer, but is going to stay in the organization anyway. The 2014 second-round pick scored 22 points in 76 games last season for the Americans.
  • Dennis Robertson won’t be returning to the Charlotte Checkers for a sixth season, as the 28-year old defenseman has instead signed with HC Bolzano in Italy. Robertson was once the captain at Brown University for two seasons and earned an entry-level deal in 2014, but never made it to the NHL.
  • The Ontario Reign won’t be bringing back Sam Herr this season, as he instead will head to the UK and play for the Nottingham Panthers. Herr spent the last three seasons with Ontario after graduating from Notre Dame, but failed to score more than 17 points in any of them.
  • The same could be said about Trevor Cheek, who will take his talents from the Tucson Roadrunners to Denmark to join Esbjerg. Cheek, a 26-year old forward, recorded 10 points in 63 games for the Roadrunners last season.

Nikita Zadorov Signs With Colorado Avalanche

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The Colorado Avalanche have come to an agreement with restricted free agent Nikita Zadorov, signing him to a one-year contract according to agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Zadorov was eligible to file for arbitration before today’s deadline, but instead will re-up with the organization for one more year. A.J. Haefele of BSN Denver reports the deal will be for $3.2MM.

Zadorov, 24, was a huge part of the package that sent Ryan O’Reilly to the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, and has suited up for 225 games with the Avalanche since. An incredibly imposing figure on the ice, the 6’5″ 230-lbs defenseman is one of the most feared open ice hitters in the league and doesn’t hold back when he sees a chance. In those 225 games, Zadorov has totaled 712 hits for the Avalanche while adding 46 points.

It’s that offense that many hoped would come around when Buffalo selected Zadorov 16th overall in 2013, but he has never been able to add that side of his game. While he does have a good shot, his skill in breaking the puck out of his own zone is still lacking and he doesn’t have the playmaking upside to be involved on the powerplay. With the Avalanche adding top prospects Cale Makar and Bowen Byram in recent years, it will be imperative for Zadorov to improve his all-around play if he wants to remain a big part of the Colorado blue line. Already the team shipped Tyson Barrie out of town because of their strength on the back end, and still has at least eight capable NHL defenders on the roster.

Zadorov though now represents the third-highest paid defenseman on the team, and will be an important part early on in the season. Ian Cole and Erik Johnson are both doubtful to be ready for the start of the season due to injury, meaning that the big left-handed defender may get more ice time to show just how much of an impact he can make.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Nick Cousins

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The Montreal Canadiens have added some forward depth, agreeing to terms with unrestricted free agent Nick Cousins to a one-year, $1MM contract. Cousins spent the last two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, but failed to receive a qualifying offer from them this summer.

Cousins, 25, played in 81 games last season for the Coyotes, moving all over the lineup and generating seven goals and 27 points. That total includes just three powerplay points, and actually should have likely been a lot higher. Cousins had an almost unbelievably low shooting percentage of just 4.9%, much lower than league average and his previous rate of 9.1%. He also had relatively solid possession statistics, and recorded 115 hits in the best season of his short career.

The Canadiens are betting he can replicate those numbers with them, and give them a little more depth in their bottom-six. Cousins can play both center and wing, versatility that will be valuable as the team decides how to deploy their group this season. The question will be how much playing time can he get, as Montreal already has ten other forwards on one-way contracts plus three restricted free agents and at least two entry-level players penciled in. It should be a battle for playing time at training camp this year, something that is hardly ever a bad thing for a team looking to climb back into the playoff picture.

Dylan Cozens Out 2-3 Months Following Surgery

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The Buffalo Sabres can’t catch a break. After undergoing surgery on an injured left thumb earlier this week, Dylan Cozens has been given a two to three month recovery timeline. That means the young prospect could potentially be out until early October, missing the team’s entire training camp and a chance to show he’s ready for the NHL right away. Cozens was the Sabres first selection in last month’s draft, picked seventh overall.

Still just 18, Cozens is one of a handful of players from the 2019 draft that were expected to compete for NHL jobs this season. Though he has played just two seasons of CHL hockey, Cozens already has the frame and speed to compete at a higher level. He has shown his ability to dominate the WHL already with an 84-point season in 2018-19, but may end up back there to continue to develop his all-around game.

One thing this does mean is that Cozens will no longer be able to participate in Hockey Canada’s development camp and Summer Showcase later this month. That doesn’t at all mean he wouldn’t be able to make the World Junior squad in December though, as Cozens is a near lock if he is in the CHL or Buffalo allows him to go.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Zemgus Girgensons

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The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with one of their veteran forwards, inking Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year contract worth $1.6MM. Despite being only 25 Girgensons will become an unrestricted free agent next summer thanks to his six years of NHL experience already. $1.6MM was the qualifying offer that Buffalo issued him recently, the same salary he has earned the last two seasons.

Girgensons is one of the longest-tenured Sabre at this point, a regular in the lineup since 2013 when he was just a young forward one year removed from playing in the USHL. He scored eight goals and 22 points that season as a rookie, but more importantly proved that he could hang in the big leagues and contribute defensively. In fact, he recorded the highest plus/minus of any regular that season and caused some big expectations. After all, he was a 14th-overall pick.

Unfortunately, the offense has never materialized for Girgensons and he has even been moved out of the center position in recent seasons. In 72 games last year he recorded just five goals and 18 points, leading to some question over whether the Sabres would even qualify him. Obviously the team is fine with bringing him back for another season, but given that he hasn’t cracked the 20-point threshold in four seasons you can bet he won’t be asked to be an impact player for them next season. He does however provide a physical presence in the bottom-six and is still a key penalty killer for the team.

The Sabres still haven’t made many real changes to the roster for this season, only bringing in Jimmy Vesey as a new option at forward. Though the re-signing of Jeff Skinner and a full season from Brandon Montour should help, it’s surprising to see a team be so relatively quiet after going 33-39-10 last season. After Girgensons, they now have five restricted free agents left to sign in Johan Larsson, Evan Rodrigues, Linus Ullmark, Remi Elie and Jake McCabe.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Cedric Paquette, Carter Verhaeghe

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have avoided arbitration with another one of their restricted free agents, as Joe Smith of The Athletic reports the team has agreed to a two-year contract with Cedric Paquette. The deal will carry a $1.65MM average annual value, and take him to unrestricted free agency in 2021. The team has also announced a one-year, two-way contract for Carter Verhaeghe, keeping the minor league star in the organization and avoiding arbitration.

Paquette, 25, was an underrated part of the Tampa Bay machine last season, scoring 13 goals while suiting up for a career-high 80 games. Though he only added four assists and averaged just 12 minutes of ice time, he locked down the team’s fourth-line center position, was a key penalty killer and easily led the club in hits with 269. There’s no reason to think he’ll ever be an offensive dynamo in the NHL, but the Lightning will be happy if he can continue to win faceoffs and provide his physical play during limited minutes. With J.T. Miller and Ryan Callahan gone this season, that type of grinding game will be appreciated even more.

Verhaeghe meanwhile is still trying to crack the NHL squad, but had about as good a minor league season as anyone last year. The 23-year old put up 34 goals and 82 points in 76 games to lead the AHL in both categories (tying his teammate Alex Barre-Boulet in goals) and should compete for a spot on the roster this fall. The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect is eligible for waivers and could be claimed if the Lightning try to send him back to the Syracuse Crunch once again.

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