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RFA Deadline Approaching Quickly

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In a normal season, even restricted free agents that miss all of training camp have plenty of time to sign. To be eligible to play, they must have a contract signed and filed with the league by December 1, nearly two months after a normal NHL season begins. Two years ago we saw a negotiation go down to the witching hour between the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander, with the young forward eventually signing a six-year, $45MM deal just before the deadline. Nylander was in the lineup by December 6, though he never seemed to get comfortable and ended up having arguably his worst season as a professional.

With a few notable restricted free agents still unsigned, now less than a week before the season begins, it’s important to note that they don’t have that two-month in-season window anymore. In fact, it’s less than a month between the start of the regular season and the RFA signing deadline of February 11 in this unique, shortened campaign.

That means for Jack Roslovic, Jesper Bratt, and, most importantly, Mathew Barzal, the clock is ticking. If they are not signed by that date, they cannot play this season at all.

In Roslovic’s case, the negotiations have led to a formal trade request. That doesn’t mean the only way he plays this season is with another team, but it certainly should inspire confidence that he’ll be inking a deal with the Winnipeg Jets anytime soon. The 23-year-old forward hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time in Winnipeg’s deep forward group but did generate 12 goals and 29 points last season in 71 games. Selected 25th overall in 2015 he obviously believes a change of scenery would be beneficial to his career, and it’s hard to argue that at this point given where he’ll still slot in on the Jets depth chart. If Winnipeg doesn’t give in or doesn’t receive an acceptable offer though, that signing deadline will put a lot of pressure on Roslovic to take whatever deal he can get just so he doesn’t spend an entire year away from NHL ice.

For Bratt, it doesn’t seem as contentious, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported recently that the New Jersey Devils forward is still in Sweden and there is a “bit of a gap” between the two sides. New Jersey just spent another $2MM on Sami Vatanen in free agency and, like in all of these situations, every day that passes gives another player a chance to show what they can do at camp. Perhaps playing in the SHL would be an option for the 22-year-old Bratt, but after a 32-point season in 2019-20 you would think he’d want to be part of what they’re building in New Jersey. He has just over a month to get something done if he wants to be there this season.

There are technically some other restricted free agents, including names like Henrik Borgstrom and Aleksi Saarela of the Florida Panthers, but they are already playing overseas and don’t have the kind of track record of the three mentioned.

That brings us to Barzal, who is one of the most fascinating stories of training camp so far. He was listed on the New York Islanders camp roster, but hasn’t appeared on the ice as the negotiations continue. Like any other situation that includes GM Lou Lamoriello, there is little information coming out, but Friedman discussed it today on the radio, explaining that this situation is not like some of the other high profile RFAs that have been in the news lately:

I don’t look at this situation here and see—like we know obviously there is a issue with [Pierre-Luc] Dubois in Columbus and we know there is an issue with [Patrik] Laine in Winnipeg, I don’t get any sense there is an issue with Barzal and the Islanders.

That doesn’t mean they have forever though, as not only has Barzal now missed a chunk of the already-shortened training camp, he’ll need a new deal before that February 11 deadline if he wants to play at all. For the Islanders, who have their eyes fixed squarely on a playoff spot in the tough East Division, missing Barzal even for a single game would have grave repercussions. The heartbeat of their offensive attack, the 23-year-old has 207 points through his first 234 NHL games and is expecting quite the salary bump on any contract.

The deadline isn’t two months into the season anymore. It’s just about a dozen games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: 2021 UFAs, Ontario, Hoglander

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The NHL season is almost here, but with just 56 games and a condensed schedule, it will be over before you know it. Perhaps that doesn’t mean we should look past it already, but it didn’t stop Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic from taking a quick look at the 2021 unrestricted free agent field and giving his thoughts on a few of the top names. There are several elite players included, but like he does when he’s on the ice, Alex Ovechkin steals the spotlight of the piece. That doesn’t mean he’s leaving Washington though, as LeBrun’s colleague Tarik El-Bashir points out:

I’m going to cut to the chase: There’s a 0.00-percent chance of Ovechkin signing with another team, in my opinion. He wants to be a Washington Capital for life, and management and ownership have voiced a similar desire. The big question is how much longer does he want to play? To me, it makes a lot of sense for Ovi to sign an extension that lines up with the one Backstrom inked a year ago. Backstrom’s deal expires after the 2024-25 season.

Among the other players examined are winners of the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, and Stanley Cup, making the entire thing a valuable read for those looking ahead to next offseason. It seems like a long way away right now, but it’ll be here before you know it.

  • Though we’re just a few days away and the schedule has been set, there was technically still some dispute over whether the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators would actually be allowed to host NHL games in their facilities given provincial restrictions. This afternoon, Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Minister released an official ruling allowing those North Division matches to take place. Of course, fans will not be allowed to attend those matches, a restriction that Ian Mendes of The Athletic points out is very unlikely to be relaxed at any point this season.
  • If you took a guess at who was turning heads in Vancouver Canucks camp, Elias Pettersson or Quinn Hughes may come to mind first. But perhaps the most interesting performance has been that of Nils Hoglander, who has routinely flashed his brilliant skill while lining up beside captain Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet highlights that Hoglander performance in his latest piece and suggests that the young forward may just make the NHL out of camp. Selected 40th overall in 2019, Hoglander only turned 20 a few weeks ago but has already wowed the hockey world on multiple occasions with his lacrosse goals.

New Jersey Devils Sign Sami Vatanen

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The New Jersey Devils have brought back a familiar face, signing free agent defenseman Sami Vatanen to a one-year deal. The contract is worth $2MM this season and leaves him an unrestricted free agent once again next offseason.

Vatanen, 29, spent parts of three seasons with the Devils before a midseason trade took him to the Carolina Hurricanes last year. As he was dealing with an injury at the time, he failed to play in a single regular season game with the Hurricanes before the season was shut down. He did suit up seven times in the postseason, but that’s all the Hurricanes have to show for a package that included Janne Kuokkanen and a 2020 third-round pick. Now the Devils have their cake and are eating it too as Vatanen returns on a very reasonable deal.

The Devils had already added some new faces to the back end this offseason, acquiring Ryan Murray from the Columbus Blue Jackets and signing Dmitry Kulikov to a one-year deal. With Vatanen’s new short-term deal, it means only Damon Severson is signed through the 2022-23 season among Devils (one-way) defensemen. That could lead to some pretty impressive turnover in the coming months, especially when considering the organization has several top defensive prospects like Ty Smith, Reilly Walsh, and Kevin Bahl waiting in the wings.

Of course, even though Vatanen is coming in late to the party, that doesn’t mean he’s a player to overlook. The veteran defenseman has been a do-it-all option throughout his entire career, lining up in all situations and logging huge minutes. In 434 games he has recorded 194 points, a nice 82-game average of 36. It’s hard to find that kind of offensive production on the free agent defensive market at any time, let alone a few days before the season begins. Vatanen, who is right-handed, also has experience playing both sides and could end up on the left regularly in New Jersey.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Egor Afanasyev Loaned Back To KHL

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After finishing in fourth place at the World Junior Championship, Egor Afanasyev is on his way back to the KHL. The Nashville Predators have loaned the young forward back to CSKA Moscow, where he had been playing earlier this season.

Afanasyev, 19, was the 45th overall selection in the 2019 draft after dominating the competition in the USHL. He played for the Windsor Spitfires in 2019-20 and once again showed his impressive blend of power and skill, scoring 31 goals and 67 points in 62 games. The 6’3″ winger is a force when he comes flying down the wall and should be a good fit in the North American professional game when he eventually comes over.

For now, he’ll continue his development in Russia where he had three points in four KHL games and a pair of goals in two MHL games before joining the national junior team. Since Afanasyev won’t turn 20 until later this month, his entry-level contract (signed in 2019), should slide again and kick in for the 2021-22 season. That is of course he makes a late-season debut on the Predators and plays in seven games, but that seems an unlikely scenario at this point.

Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes To Share AHL Affiliate

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When news broke that three AHL teams would be pulling out of the 2020-21 season, it left a question of what the NHL affiliates would do with their minor league players and prospects. An early report had the St. Louis Blues sending players to the Utica Cometa, while just yesterday it was announced that the Florida Panthers will be sharing the Syracuse Crunch with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, a similar agreement has been formed between the Nashville Predators, who are normally affiliated with the opting-out Milwaukee Admirals, and the Carolina Hurricanes who will share the Chicago Wolves.

Admirals GM Scott Nichol explained the confidence the organization has that their prospects will still have a strong developmental season:

We want to thank the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Wolves organizations for the opportunity to partner with them for this coming season. With our players skating for Chicago in the AHL and others competing in European leagues and with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, we are confident about where our prospects will continue their development during this unprecedented season. We look forward to resuming our relationship with the Admirals in the 2021-22 campaign.

The Wolves and the rest of the AHL are set to begin in early February if all goes according to plan. They’ll have quite the squad this year after picking from two NHL organizations, an easy explanation of why the independently-owned franchise would be interested in a situation like this. It’s not ideal for the Hurricanes or the Predators, but sacrifices have to be made in this unique season.

Boston Bruins Name Patrice Bergeron Captain

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Since Zdeno Chara left to sign with the Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins have been without a captain. It was clear who would be next, but today it has become official. Patrice Bergeron has been named the 20th captain in team history.

The 35-year-old center has spent his entire career in Boston, debuting in 2003 just a few months after being selected 45th overall. At just 18 he scored 16 goals and 39 points, quickly showing that there was greatness in him. Though the next season would be spent in the minor leagues thanks to an NHL lockout, Bergeron would never really look back, hitting the 30-goal and 70-point mark in his second season with Boston. In all, he’s totaled 1,089 games and 869 points, while tying the NHL record with four Selke Trophy wins as the league’s best defensive forward.

In 2011 he took home the ultimate prize, winning the Stanley Cup after scoring 20 points in 23 games. His overall playoff performance has always been outstanding, with 111 points in 149 career postseason games.

It’s more than just his on-ice performance though. Bruins president Cam Neely touched on the other qualities that make Bergeron a perfect choice for captain:

It’s a privilege to name Patrice the 20th Captain of the Boston Bruins. For 16 seasons we have all watched Patrice grow not only into an elite player but also a tremendous leader. Patrice represents the Bruins organization and our fans with integrity, determination and class. On and off the ice he embodies what it means to be a Bruin, and we couldn’t be prouder that he will lead our team as Captain.

Though Bergeron takes his rightful place among the greatest Bruins of all-time, there could potentially be another captain change not too far down the line. He’ll turn 36 in July and is only under contract through the 2021-22 season. While there is obviously plenty of game left in his boots, you never know when he’ll hang them up. Bruins fans should cherish this time with Bergeron donning the “C” before the sweater heads to the Hall of Fame.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  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 2020-21 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.

St. Louis Blues

Current Cap Hit: $84,550,315 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

Jordan Kyrou (one year, $758K)
Robert Thomas (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses
Thomas: $425K

Despite not always seeing minutes in the top six, Thomas has quickly established himself as a reliable secondary scorer and had a shot at a 50-point year last season had it not been for the pandemic.  Assuming he’s able to produce at a similar level in 2020-21, he should have enough of a track record to make a long-term deal at least possible.  Having said that, their cap situation may force them into a bridge pact, one that will cost at least three times as much as his current contract.  Kyrou has yet to establish himself as a regular and while he should have the opportunity to do so this season, a one-year deal close to his $874K qualifying offer may make the most sense for both sides unless he has a breakout year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Ivan Barbashev ($1.475MM, RFA)
G Jordan Binnington ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Tyler Bozak ($5MM, UFA)
F Jacob de la Rose ($700K, RFA)
D Vince Dunn ($1.875MM, RFA)
D Carl Gunnarsson ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Zach Sanford ($1.5MM, RFA)
F Jaden Schwartz ($5.35MM, UFA)
F Alex Steen ($5.75MM, UFA)

Schwartz is one of the more intriguing potential unrestricted free agents in the class of 2021.  He has put up at least 55 points in five of the last seven seasons and one of the two he didn’t was an injury-shortened 2015-16 where he missed 42 games.  But the other was just two years ago where he struggled mightily which may still be fresh in the minds of general managers.  In a normal free agent market, the 28-year-old would be a safe bet for a contract of anywhere from five-to-seven years with an AAV somewhere in the $6.5MM range.  But we saw the UFA market really hit wingers hard back in October and with the financial environment likely to be the same this summer, we could be looking at a similar trend.  On the other hand, that could work well for the Blues in their efforts to re-sign him.

Steen’s playing days have come to an end but he won’t collect his salary if he retires so instead, he’ll be heading for LTIR with the team eventually using that money to formally sign Mike Hoffman next week.  Bozak is someone who had been in trade speculation for most of the offseason given his contract and declining role but he remains and will likely once again serve as the number three center.  He’ll be 35 on this next deal so a 50% pay cut seems probable given his drop in offensive production but his ability at the faceoff dot should help his market.  Sanford has emerged as a capable third liner which should allow him to get a decent raise despite the market for bottom-six forwards taking a hit lately and Barbashev is in a similar situation although he may start on the fourth line.  As for de la Rose, he’s a capable filler but they’ll need to keep that roster spot for someone at the league minimum whether it’s him or someone else down the road.

Dunn just recently signed his deal and did relatively well given that he’s coming off of his quietest offensive season yet and didn’t have a whole lot of leverage.  With the expiring contracts coming off the books up front, it wouldn’t be surprising if he is one of the first players that the Blues try to lock up, perhaps as soon as March 12th (this year’s equivalent of the usual January 1st threshold for players on one-year deals being eligible for extensions).  With him being arbitration-eligible now, his price tag should double at the very least.  Gunnarsson is a bit expensive for the reserve defender that he now is.  That’s a spot they’ll be looking to spend about half of that spot on for next year and that’s about what his ceiling will be on his next deal.

Binnington is another particularly interesting pending UFA.  His track record isn’t the longest at just two NHL seasons, one that was elite and one that was decent.  Because of the lack of experience, how he fares in this shortened campaign where he’s in a situation where it shouldn’t be a platoon will really go a long way in determining if he adds a couple million to his price tag or it stays close to where it currently is.

Two Years Remaining

F Sammy Blais ($1.5MM, RFA)
D Robert Bortuzzo ($1.375MM, UFA)
F Kyle Clifford ($1MM, UFA)
G Ville Husso ($750K, UFA)
F Mackenzie MacEachern ($900K, UFA)
D Colton Parayko ($5.5MM, UFA)
F David Perron ($4MM, UFA)

Perron has been quite the bargain since rejoining the Blues and has provided above-average production inside their top six for a price that typically is below market value (this past offseason being the exception).  Even with the market being what it is, if he hovers around a 50-point pace the next two years, he should still be able to get a deal around this price tag.  Blais’ contract felt a little high at the time and the deflated market for physical forwards only cemented that.  St. Louis feels that he has some offensive upside but he’ll need to put up more than a handful of goals if he wants to be qualified at $1.6MM in 2022.  Clifford came over in free agency, taking a fairly significant dip in pay along the way while MacEachern landed a small raise.  Both are on market value deals for 12th and 13th forwards.

Parayko is the most notable player out of this group.  The departure of Alex Pietrangelo should pave the way to step into an even bigger role that could approach the 25-minute mark.  An uptick in offense has been expected for a while but if that doesn’t come, his pay bump could be limited a bit as a result.  But if he can establish himself as a 40-point player or more and become that high-end all-around blueliner, he could command something around the $8.8MM that Pietrangelo received from Vegas.  Bortuzzo is a capable sixth defender although the contract may be a small overpayment given some of the recent deals that have been signed.  This is a spot that’s likely to be filled by a prospect when the deal is up.

Husso has long been billed as a goalie of the future for the Blues and was ahead of Binnington on the depth chart not that long ago.  However, he’s 25 and has yet to make his NHL debut.  He’s going to have an opportunity to at least show that he’s an NHL-caliber goaltender over these next two years but unless Binnington falters or is injured, Husso shouldn’t be in a spot to really cash in on the open market at the price point that other top backups have received in the $3.5MM range.

Three Years Remaining

F Ryan O’Reilly ($7.5MM, UFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Tarasenko ($7.5MM, UFA)

O’Reilly, the new captain, has fit in quite well since joining the Blues.  He’s never going to contend for a scoring title but he’s quite strong in his own end and remains one of the top faceoff players in the league, especially among top-liners.  He’ll be 33 when this deal is up and while that might hurt his market, it’s quite possible that his next contract comes in at a similar amount.  Tarasenko didn’t hide his feelings about wanting the captaincy but his recurring shoulder troubles certainly didn’t help his candidacy (nor does it help his odds of a similar-priced deal three years from now).  He will miss a good chunk of the season which makes him LTIR-eligible although if they believe he’ll be back at some point (which seems to be the indication), they’ll only be able to fill his absence internally.  Sundqvist stepped into a bigger role in 2018-19 which earned him this contract but he still primarily is in the bottom six which makes this contract one that’s above market value.

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2020 Year In Review: May

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2020 was certainly a unique year away from the rink.  However, it was also a year that featured several big trades and free agent signings, coaching changes, and much more.  Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis.  Next up is a look at May where the format for the NHL’s return started to take shape.

Boedker Goes Overseas: After seeing his role whittled down to just limited minutes in the few games he got to suit up for, veteran winger Mikkel Boedker decided to eschew the NHL free agent market, instead signing a two-year deal with Lugano of the Swiss NLA.  The 31-year-old was a capable secondary scorer in the NHL for several years with Arizona and San Jose (plus a brief stint with Colorado) but after joining Ottawa in 2018, his production dipped sharply and he had just nine goals in 91 games in his two seasons with the Sens, hardly ideal production for someone with a $4MM cap hit.  So far this season, Boedker has four goals and nine assists in 19 games, a level of production that won’t help get him back on the NHL radar.

Zub To Ottawa: One of the more sought-after international free agents this year was defenseman Artem Zub.  He had offers from several teams but ultimately chose to sign with Ottawa, inking a one-year deal for the entry-level max of $925K plus another $850K in bonuses.  Zub has been a quality defenseman on a strong KHL team in St. Petersburg and is expected to contend for a roster spot with Ottawa in training camp.

Extension For Halak: Veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak decided that he didn’t need to test the UFA market again and instead opted to stick around with Boston, signing a one-year deal.  The contract actually carries a lower AAV than his previous one at $2.25MM but it also contains a $1.25MM bonus if he plays in ten games, a likely outcome even with the shortened schedule as long as he stays healthy.  The 35-year-old has been quite effective since joining Boston two years ago, posting a 2.36 GAA with a .921 SV% in 71 games to help form one of the top goaltending tandems in the league with Tuukka Rask.  Both netminders are slated to become unrestricted free agents in July but for now, the duo remains intact.

Playoff Format: While it took a bit longer before we actually got to see it, the 24-team postseason format was agreed to as both the NHL and NHLPA continued to work their way through negotiating their eventual return.  The one-time provision yielded some notable upsets with Pittsburgh and Edmonton being among the teams that were sent home in the Qualifying Round.  While the format for the 2020-21 season is also different than usual, it will instead feature in-division playoffs only for the first two rounds and then re-seed from there.

Lehtonen To Toronto: One of the bigger surprises of the month was Finnish defenseman Mikko Lehtonen’s sudden termination of his KHL contract with a note that he was heading to the NHL.  It turns out that Toronto was his destination as the 26-year-old signed a one-year, entry-level deal worth $925K.  While he didn’t receive any bonuses like Zub, Lehtonen will have a shot at testing the open market once again next summer without any entry-level restrictions this time and a good showing with Toronto would certainly give him an opportunity to land a considerably richer deal this coming summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Carson Focht

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed Carson Focht to a three-year, entry-level contract. The fifth-round pick has played parts of the last two seasons with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL and before that suited up for the Tri-City Americans.

Focht, 20, scored 56 points in 61 games for the Hitmen last season and was a sort of utility knife for the team, used in all situations. Though his offensive numbers aren’t as impressive as some other forward prospects, his versatility and polish suggest he may find success at the professional level. That should start this season with the Utica Comets, as he is of age to play in the AHL regardless of whether the WHL starts up or not.

The Canucks are up to 44 contracts for the year, meaning they still have some extra room to add should they feel more depth is required. Focht’s deal will kick in this season but he will be waiver-exempt.

Latest On Patrik Laine

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When Patrik Laine took the podium to do his first media availability of training camp, one of the first questions was about the trade rumors that followed him all offseason. “I’m here, aren’t I?” said Laine, who wouldn’t really comment on the continued speculation and instead wanted to focus on the upcoming season. That didn’t slow down the rumors though, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote about it in his latest 31 Thoughts column and now David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the Carolina Hurricanes are still interested.

The Jets are apparently looking for Brett Pesce and Martin Necas in return for the enigmatic sniper, though obviously, trade talks can move in any direction at any time.

Laine, 22, may be inconsistent, but he is also one of the best pure goal scorers in the entire NHL. In 305 career games, he has 138 goals, including a 44-goal sophomore campaign. His current contract, a two-year bridge deal signed in 2019, is due to pay him $7.5MM this season and expires in the summer. He’ll still be a restricted free agent and in line for a huge raise on any sort of long-term deal, something that he appears not to want to sign with Winnipeg.

For what it’s worth, the Hurricanes do have a strong contingent of Finnish players, including their two top forwards Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Laine would seem a perfect fit with those two, who can generate offense at an elite level already. Whether the team would ever be willing to part with enough to make Winnipeg pull the trigger is unclear, given the early reports of what is being discussed.

Pesce, a 26-year-old rock-solid defender is one of the most valuable contracts on the team, given he’s signed through the 2023-24 season at a $4.025MM cap hit. The right-shot doesn’t provide a ton of offensive upside but can be thrown over the boards nearly every second shift to soak up tough defensive matchups on a nightly basis. Necas meanwhile is still waiting for his real breakout after being the 12th overall pick in 2017. The 21-year-old center had 16 goals and 36 points last season but appears to have even more to give as a top-six option. The Jets are obviously not going to take scraps for their star winger, nor should they.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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