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Archives for August 2021

West Notes: Kaprizov, Forsberg, Hertl

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Contract talks for the Wild and RFA winger Kirill Kaprizov hadn’t been going too well but it appears there could be a light at the end of the tunnel.  In an appearance on KFAN (audio link), Michael Russo of The Athletic noted there is a belief that the two sides have basically settled on term with a five-year deal and a price tag somewhere around the $9MM mark.  However, that shouldn’t be taken as a sign that an announcement is imminent as hammering out the year-to-year structure of the deal will still take some time.  A five-year agreement would give Minnesota two extra years of team control; those two seasons at the end of the deal would be the ones where Kaprizov would be eligible for trade protection which undoubtedly will be part of the year-to-year structure discussions.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Predators and winger Filip Forsberg have not yet started discussions on a contract extension, reports Robby Stanley of ESPN 102.5 (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has spent his entire career with Nashville, suiting up in 497 games, many of which have been spent on their top line.  Forsberg has a $6MM cap hit for next season, the final year of his contract and he will undoubtedly be looking for a nice raise to give up a shot at testing the open market next summer.
  • The Sharks have a prominent pending unrestricted free agent in center Tomas Hertl and while some teams want to sign their top UFAs early, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic makes the case (subscription link) for both sides to wait it out. By waiting to see if San Jose is able to bounce back this season, GM Doug Wilson can hold off on deciding whether or not the 27-year-old will be his prize trade asset at the trade deadline while Hertl would get a better idea if San Jose is going to be heading for an extended rebuild which is something he may not want to sign up for.  That route does carry some risk but given the uncertainty surrounding the Sharks right now, waiting may be a good idea here.

Snapshots: Dvorak, Laczynski, Capitals, Mittelstadt

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The Canadiens are believed to have identified Coyotes center Christian Dvorak as their top trade target as they investigate their options following the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels (audio link).  The 25-year-old was the logical speculative target for Montreal in this scenario with Arizona believed to be willing to move him and Dvorak being signed for four more years at $4.45MM while plausibly slotting in on the second line in the role that Kotkaniemi was expected to fill.  The asking price for Dvorak was believed to be high at the draft and with Montreal’s hand being forced here, it could even be higher now.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • In a column he penned for the Flyers’ team site, Philadelphia center Tanner Laczynski indicated that he has resumed on-ice activities after undergoing hip surgery back in April. The 24-year-old was limited to just 19 games last season in his first professional campaign split between the Flyers (five games) and AHL Lehigh Valley (14 contests).  With the additions of veterans Nate Thompson and Derick Brassard this summer, Laczynski may need to wait for injuries to strike before getting another NHL look next season.
  • The left side of Washington’s back end has undergone some changes this summer with Brenden Dillon (trade) and Zdeno Chara (free agency) departing and no one from outside the organization being brought in. As a result, J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington highlights that spot as an area of concern for the Capitals heading into next season with veteran Michal Kempny (who missed all of last season due to injury) and prospect Martin Fehervary (who has just six career NHL games played) as the two lefties behind Dmitry Orlov with veteran Matt Irwin also in the mix.  With minimal cap space and them needing to preserve what little they have for in-season recalls, it’s an area that the Caps may not be able to address before the start of the season.
  • The Sabres have held recent discussions with RFA center Casey Mittelstadt, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The 22-year-old had somewhat of a bounce-back season in 2020-21, recording 22 points in 41 games with Buffalo after spending more than half of the previous year in the minors in between struggling considerably with the big club.

Henderson Silver Knights Hire Tim Speltz

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The Henderson Silver Knights finally have a general manager. The Vegas Golden Knights announced today that Tim Speltz has been hired as GM of the AHL squad, after they did not have someone holding that specific title last season. Kelly McCrimmon, GM of the Golden Knights, explained exactly why Speltz was the choice:

We are very excited to have Tim join our organization. I’ve known him for a very long time, dating back to our days in the Western Hockey League, and he has an outstanding hockey mind. As our organization has developed, we believe that it is important to our staff, players and fans to have a dedicated manager who will be involved in the day-to-day business of the Silver Knights. Tim will do an incredible job leading our efforts in Henderson.

Speltz comes to Henderson from the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he had served as head of amateur scouting the previous three seasons. He and McCrimmon had plenty of battles in the WHL, as leaders of the Spokane Chiefs and Brandon Wheat Kings respectively. Speltz served for 26 years as the GM of the Chiefs, winning two Memorial Cups and the WHL Executive of the Year award twice.

There aren’t many people who are more familiar with the WHL landscape than Speltz, who originally joined the Maple Leafs as the director of western area scouting in 2016. Now he’ll be taking on a brand new role as the GM of an AHL team, but he certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of experience in the hockey world. The Silver Knights went 25-13-1 in 2020-21, finishing first in the Pacific Division. They lost in the division’s tournament playoff final to the Bakersfield Condors, missing out on the John D. Chick Trophy.

St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Tanner Dickinson

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The St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with prospect Tanner Dickinson. CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry a cap hit of $848K.

Dickinson, 19, is a fourth-round pick, 119th overall, of the Blues from the 2020 draft. He was picked out of the OHL after scoring nine goals and 40 points for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but may be better known from his recent World Junior Summer Showcase performance with Team USA.

In 2020-21, since the OHL was not in session, Dickinson played three games with the Utica Comets of the AHL. He was held scoreless and still has quite a bit of work to do before he’s really to be considered an NHL prospect. The undersized forward was last listed at 6’0″ 170 lbs, but that’s very generous and it remains to be seen how he will handle the grind of a full professional season.

For now, he’ll likely head back to junior hockey–he’s not yet eligible for the AHL–where he can continue to build on the performance he showed this summer. His entry-level deal will slide forward should he fail to play in the NHL.

Latest On Casey Cizikas

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No, the New York Islanders have not officially announced any contract for Casey Cizikas, but details of the expected deal are starting to drip out. Earlier this month, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet heard that the Islanders had a six-year deal with Cizikas that would carry an average annual value of $2.5MM. The insider was clear that he couldn’t confirm it though, something that has become par for the course in the Lou Lamoriello era.

Today, Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweets that the report from Friedman appears to be accurate, he is also hearing that Cizikas has signed a six-year contract with an annual average value of around $2.5MM. Staple notes that the AAV could end up being slightly higher, something that won’t be known until the contract is actually filed (and even then there’s no guarantee from this Islanders front office).

Cizikas, 30, is pretty obviously not leaving the Islanders, given there would have been plenty of interest in him elsewhere on the open market. Though he is a true bottom-six option, likely unable to play any higher than that on a contending club, there’s real value in what he brings to the ice every night. A strong defensive presence, a physical player, and a lynchpin of the Islanders’ four-line structure, he represents a fixture of the team even scoring just a handful of points each season.

In 2020-21, he had seven goals and 14 points in 56 regular season games but was a huge part of the team’s success in the playoffs. Cizikas won 142 of his 232 postseason faceoffs (61.2%), including a huge chunk of them in the defensive end. His presence frees up the team’s more talented offensive players to do exactly that–play offense–while neutralizing the opposition’s best as much as possible.

A six-year deal may seem like a lifetime for a player that resides near the bottom of the lineup, but it’s likely the only way that the Islanders could keep his cap hit down. A $2.5MM salary will allow the team to spend money elsewhere, like on free agents Kyle Palmieri and Zach Parise, who are both expected to also have deals signed with the team but not announced.

Even if Cizikas’ play falls off a cliff, there’s not a ton of risk here for the Islanders. Nearly half of his expected cap hit could be buried in the minor leagues if necessary, leaving around $1.35MM each season on the books near the end of the deal. That obviously doesn’t cripple a team’s finances, but keeping his cap hit relatively low over the next few years will only help the Islanders in this window of Stanley Cup contention they have opened.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Patrick Sharp To Join UVM Coaching Staff

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Another former NHL forward is joining the coaching staff of his amateur team, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Patrick Sharp is joining the University of Vermont program as a coaching advisor. Sharp played two seasons for UVM before turning pro in 2002.

Now 39, Sharp retired in 2018 after 939 regular season games in the NHL. A third-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2001, he is best known for his long tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks, which saw him set career highs with 36 goals and 78 points while hoisting the Stanley Cup three times. His two-way ability led to four different seasons of 30+ goals and Selke Trophy votes in five consecutive seasons including a fourth-place finish in 2008.

For the last few years, Sharp has been with NBC as a studio analyst but now appears to be taking a different path in his hockey career. In his 65 games with Vermont as a player, he scored 25 goals and 53 points, earning ECAC All-Rookie honors in 2001. He’ll now try to help his alma mater develop the next wave of college prospects.

Poll: Should The Canadiens Match The Jesperi Kotkaniemi Offer Sheet?

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The biggest news in the hockey world right now is the offer sheet that the Carolina Hurricanes signed with Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Montreal Canadiens have just a few more days to decide whether or not to match the one-year $6.1MM contract and keep Kotaniemi or let him go to the Hurricanes in exchange for first- and third-round picks.

The decision, some say, is an easy one—it’s the answer that many disagree on.

The Canadiens could just wave goodbye, collect their picks and go after another center, knowing that Kotkaniemi is not worth anywhere near that $6.1MM price tag this season. The deal would force either team to extend a qualifying offer of the same amount moving forward, though if the player is willing, an extension could also be worked out at a lower number. Two picks could help Montreal in a search for a different player, with many pointing to Jack Eichel as the name they could pursue with some added draft capital.

Because he has disappointed up until now, it’s easy to forget just how young and talented Kotkaniemi is. He turned 21 just last month and already has 200 NHL games under his belt. He has scored just 84 points in those games, including 12 in 29 postseason appearances, but there is obviously room to grow. Even if he was perhaps a mistake at third-overall in 2018–the existence of Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes would certainly argue so–that doesn’t mean he’s a worthless asset. In fact, it seems likely that the Canadiens could have gotten at least a late-first and a third for him had they decided to trade Kotkaneimi this offseason, probably more.

But now that the Hurricanes have forced their hand, it’s one or the other. Overpay a player who has not lived up to the hype to this point and is obviously not fully trusted by the coaching staff, or take that package (and only that package) as compensation. If they do match it, Montreal can’t trade Kotkaniemi for a year, meaning there’s no sign-and-flip coming.

For whatever you think of the player, it’s not easy to watch a third-overall pick walk out the door just six weeks after his 21st birthday. There’s a very real chance that Kotkaniemi not only lives up to his billing as a top-six center, but he could still be exactly what the Canadiens are looking for as a long-term complement to Nick Suzuki down the middle.

It’s not an easy decision for Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, but perhaps it is for you! Cast your vote below and explain your thoughts in the comment section.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 08/31/21

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It’s the last day of August and training camps are right around the corner. European, minor league and junior teams continue to finesse their rosters with an eye on opening day, meaning there are still lots of minor transactions happening daily. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable ones right here.

  • You know James van Riemsdyk and Trevor van Riemsdyk, but today another brother signed a new contract. Brendan van Riemsdyk, 25, signed a deal with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He was supposed to play for Reading in 2020-21 as well after leaving Northeastern University, but the Royals opted out of the season, leaving him playing for the Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL.
  • Matthew Wedman, a seventh-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2019, has signed a new contract with the Atlanta Gladiators for 2021-22. The Panthers never did sign him to an entry-level contract, meaning he is an unrestricted free agent after never quite taking the next step in the WHL. Last season for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he posted eight points in 34 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Chicago Blackhawks Extend Connor Murphy

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With just one year left on his current deal, Connor Murphy was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. No more, as the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman has inked a four-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2025-26 season. The deal comes with a $4.4MM cap hit. Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman explained exactly why he did the deal now:

When we acquired Connor in the summer of 2017, we had visions of him growing as both a player and leader in our organization for many years. He has transformed into a defenseman capable of matching up with the opponent’s best players and someone we trust to help us preserve a lead in the final minutes. Connor’s voice carries weight in our locker room as a veteran presence and we’re thrilled that his development and leadership will continue as a Blackhawk.

Murphy, 28, has come so far since arriving in Chicago that a $4.4MM cap hit now appears to be a bit of a discount for the Blackhawks. The former Arizona Coyotes defenseman was acquired in a deal for Niklas Hjalmarsson and was already making $3.85MM per season. That small raise is a win for Chicago given how much responsibility Murphy has taken on over the last couple of years, including averaging more than 22 minutes a game in 2020-21. He led the team in both even-strength and shorthanded ice time, being matched against the opponent’s best every night.

A four-year extension buys out his age 29-32 seasons, meaning there likely isn’t a steep decline during the contracted years, though any long-term deal does come with some obvious risk. Murphy has never been a very effective offensive player and has a career-high of just 19 points, meaning his entire value comes from his defensive ability. If that falters at all, the Blackhawks would be paying a healthy contract to a player with little impact on the game.

It seems obvious that the Chicago management team wasn’t completely sold on some of the young players that have come through the system in recent years. Henri Jokiharju and Adam Boqvist have both been traded, while this summer they brought in veterans like Seth Jones and Jake McCabe on long-term deals. Murphy will be expected to be the third member of that core group of defenseman as they look to get back into playoff contention. Those three-Murphy, Jones and McCabe–will now carry a combined cap hit of $17.9MM in each of the three seasons after this one.

Snapshots: Couturier, Oilers, Chechelev

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The eight-year, $62MM contract extension that the Flyers and center Sean Couturier agreed on last week appeared to be a bit of a bargain considering what top pivots have been getting and the scarcity of impact centers hitting the open market.  Speaking with reporters, including Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Couturier suggested that he left some money on the table, saying that he didn’t want to “break the bank”, calling it “another way to try to help the team”.  Speculatively speaking, given that GM Chuck Fletcher called the 28-year-old their best player right now, it will be worth monitoring to see if they try to make Couturier’s contract the ceiling in terms of their contract hierarchy.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Oilers are believed to be looking for a right-shot defenseman that could split time between the NHL and AHL, suggests Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. Edmonton has limited veteran depth when it comes to their minor league pool so having someone with some NHL experience that can play on the third pairing when needed while being able to clear waivers and worth with their prospects would certainly be beneficial.  It’s getting close to the time where PTO agreements will start to be signed and it wouldn’t be surprising to see if this is how the Oilers try to fill this spot.
  • Flames goaltending prospect Daniil Chechelev will play in North America this season, his agent Aljoša Pilko of CAA Hockey announced (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a fourth-round pick of Calgary (96th overall) back in 2020 and split last season between the VHL and MHL, playing in 40 games in total.  Calgary already has five goalies under contract for 2021-22 so Chechelev may be headed for the USHL as he was selected in the 15th round of their draft by Sioux City back in 2020.  That would give him a chance to get acclimated to the smaller North American surface before possibly signing for 2022-23.

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