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Archives for July 2022

Florida Panthers Sign Chris Tierney

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July 19: The Panthers have now officially announced the signing.

July 16: The Panthers have signed center Chris Tierney, per CapFriendly, who is the second former Ottawa Senator they’ve taken a chance on this offseason, after their earlier signing of Colin White. While we are waiting on the official announcement of the deal, CapFriendly has details on the finances. Tierney is getting a one-year, $750K two-way deal with a hefty $400K AHL salary.

Tierney comes from the Senators organization, and it was there that he was once viewed as a foundational part of their rebuild, a potential middle-six staple for many years. Tierney arrived in Ottawa through the Erik Karlsson trade and was coming off of an impressive year in San Jose where he had 17 goals and 40 points. Tierney’s first year in Ottawa was impressive, and although he only had nine goals he finished with 48 points. From that point, Tierney steadily declined in offensive production, battling injuries along the way, and got to the point where he could only muster 18 points in 70 games, as he did in 2021-22.

Tierney’s two-way game had always been his calling card, but his reliability on that front suffered as well. Tierney’s once-reliable win rate at the face-off dot dipped below 50% and Tierney’s time on the Senators’ penalty kill, where he was once a fixture, all but evaporated. Tierney is only 28 years old, so there is still room for him to bounce back, and he heads to Florida with a chance to re-emerge as an impactful NHL player.

The Panthers have had success in reviving the careers of former Ottawa Senators, just one look at Anthony Duclair’s numbers in Florida confirm that. Tierney’s signing gives him a chance to follow in Duclair’s footsteps and re-establish himself as an NHL option on the Panthers.

Minor Transactions: 07/19/22

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It hasn’t even been a week since free agency opened but things have already slowed to a crawl. After hundreds of NHL contracts were handed out, minor league deals are starting to come fast and furious. We’ll keep track of the notable minor transactions right here.

  • The Manitoba Moose have agreed to terms with three players to AHL deals, bringing back Evan Cormier, Thomas Caron, and Isaac Johnson. Cormier, a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2016, had a .905 save percentage in 14 games for the Moose this season.
  • In addition to first-round pick Emile Poirier, the Laval Rocket have also signed Alex Green and Kevin Poulin to AHL contracts for the upcoming season. Poulin, 32, was excellent for Laval this season, registering a .920 save percentage in 30 appearances.
  • Scott Wilson, Stanley Cup champion and veteran of more than 200 NHL games, has signed another AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers. The 30-year-old winger was a force for the team this season, scoring 24 goals and 40 points in 71 games while being his normal hard-working two-way self.
  • The ECHL’s Allen Americans have added an interesting player fresh out of college hockey. Hank Crone, 24, signed a one-year contract with the Americans after a strong final collegiate season with Northern Michigan University. In 32 games Crone had 44 points and showcased his all-around game as one of the team’s most heavily relied-upon forwards. Crone will make his pro debut in Allen and hope to translate his collegiate success to professional hockey.
  • Veteran professional winger Andrew Johnston was among the British EIHL’s top scorers in 2019-20, and now he’s returning to that league after two successful seasons in France. Johnston has signed a contract for 2022-23 with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers, per a team announcement. The former ECHL journeyman had 31 points in 39 games for the Rouen Dragons of the French Ligue Magnus and will join a Panthers squad eager to improve on last season’s disappointing first-round playoff exit.
  • The Minnesota Wild AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, announced that they have signed three players to one-year, two-way (AHL/ECHL) contracts: Mitchell Balmas, Kevin Conley, and Patrick Curry. Balmas, 24, is a former junior hockey star who led the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in scoring in his final season in juniors. 2021-22 was Balmas’ professional debut and he split time between the AHL and ECHL, and had five points in ten AHL games and 12 points in 17 ECHL games. Conley, 25, is the former captain of the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks and made his professional debut as well last season, with three points in six games for the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Curry, 26, hasn’t quite cut it as an AHL forward yet, with just eight points in 53 career games, but he had a lot of success as an upperclassman at Boston University and had eight points in his five-game ECHL run with the Toledo Walleye.
  • Orli Znojmo of the European ICEHL could have a tough time repeating last season’s run to the playoffs. Two days ago, the team lost their leading scorer, Anthony Luciani, and it seems they’ve lost their captain this offseason as well. Per an announcement from his new club, Radim Matus, Orli Znojmo’s captain, has signed with Eisbaren Regensburg of Germany’s second-tier DEL-2. Regensburg are looking to establish themselves in DEL-2 after being promoted from the German third tier earlier this year, and Matus should be able to help them achieve that goal.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Markus Nutivaara Expects To Be Ready For Training Camp

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Markus Nutivaara’s 2021-22 season lasted all of seven minutes. The veteran defenseman played just 12 shifts in his one and only game for the Florida Panthers on October 29, 2021. He missed the rest of the year and underwent hip surgery around Christmas but recently signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with the San Jose Sharks a few days ago.

Now, Nutivaara expects to be at full strength by the time training camp starts, according to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. That’s a good thing for the Sharks but also his pocketbook, as his contract includes bonuses for games played. According to PuckPedia, Nutivaara will earn $50K at the 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 game thresholds, maxing out at an additional $250K.

Because of his injury-riddled last few years, it’s easy to forget just how effective Nutivaara was as a depth option for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the early part of his career. Over his first three seasons, he played in 207 games, recorded 51 points, and racked up 139 blocked shots. Averaging nearly 18 minutes a night by year three, he looked on his way to becoming a rock-solid second-pairing defenseman who could support a more offensive player in tough minutes.

Given his ability to play both sides of the ice, he may get a similar role in San Jose, though the Sharks’ group is anything but set in stone at this point. With Brent Burns traded and a new head coach still to be announced, the defensive pairings could end up seeing any number of different alignments.

No matter where he plays, health is the key factor for Nutivaara at this point. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent again in a year’s time, meaning this is a great opportunity to get his career back on track with a healthy, productive season. Otherwise, he might find himself out of the mix entirely next summer.

Emile Poirier Signs AHL Contract

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Emile Poirier is coming back to North America, signing a one-year AHL contract with the Laval Rocket. He returns after two years of playing overseas, splitting time between the KHL, SHL, and Slovakian professional league.

Selected 22nd overall in 2013, Poirier would quickly make it to the NHL with the Calgary Flames after an outstanding junior career that blended offensive skill and a good level of physicality. It would be a short-lived stint at the highest level though, as after eight games in his first two professional seasons, Poirier would be stuck in the AHL for the next several years.

In 2018 he would fail to receive a qualifying offer from the Flames when his entry-level contract expired, and after two fairly unspectacular seasons with the Manitoba Moose, it was off to Europe.

Now returning at the age of 27, perhaps the 6’2″ forward can carve out a new role with the Rocket and get his career back on track. Notably, however, this deal is a two-way minor league contract, meaning he will earn a different salary at the AHL and ECHL levels. That suggests his spot with the Rocket is by no means guaranteed, quite a fall for a first-round pick.

That pick was always likely an overreach by the Flames scouting staff–a group who had made Mark Jankowski their top pick just a year earlier. Perhaps buoyed by the confidence of picking three times in the 2013 first round, the Flames took Poirier quite a bit higher than many had him ranked, with NHL Central Scouting even putting him 39th among North American skaters in their final pre-draft list.

More On Johnny Gaudreau’s Free Agent Decision

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The hockey world was shocked last week when top free agent Johnny Gaudreau decided to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, though he maintains it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise. In a lengthy interview on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Gaudreau confirms that he was talking with the New Jersey Devils before eventually deciding to sign with Columbus:

I was only talking to like two or three teams. I was super thankful that Columbus called during that late hour in the afternoon, because I was pretty much going to–I think I was trying to get a deal done with the Devils, and then Columbus called. I was like ’I want to go here” and my agent got it done. 

Gaudreau directly answered a question about the Philadelphia Flyers, explaining that though he still maintains it would be nice to play for his hometown team, he knew for quite a while that they wouldn’t be involved because of their cap situation.

Now excited about starting the next chapter of his career in Columbus, Gaudreau related how many players he already knew on the roster and how welcome the organization made him feel right away–including rookie Kent Johnson texting general manager Jarmo Kekalainen to offer up No. 13 before a deal was even signed.

With Patrik Laine next to sign, Johnson and other young players in the mix, and Gaudreau penciled in as a potential MVP-level player for the next few years, the Blue Jackets’ offensive group suddenly looks quite imposing. There is some work for Kekalainen yet to do, with just a bit of cap space available and Laine owed at a minimum a $7.5MM qualifying offer, but fans will be happy to hear just how excited Gaudreau is about the idea of playing in Columbus.

The Devils, who missed out on the star winger, ended up signing Ondrej Palat a few hours later, handing out a smaller contract but still landing one of the top free agent options. They then acquired John Marino from the Pittsburgh Penguins to shore up the defensive end, eating up more of the cap space that could have gone to Gaudreau.

New Jersey Devils Sign Vitek Vanecek

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After acquiring his rights from the Washington Capitals earlier this summer, the New Jersey Devils have agreed to a multi-year deal with Vitek Vanecek. The three-year contract will be worth an average annual value of $3.4MM, and pay salary as follows:

  • 2022-23: $3.55MM
  • 2023-24: $3.75MM
  • 2024-25: $2.9MM

Vanecek had recently filed for salary arbitration, though that process will no longer be needed. Instead, the Devils will buy out two years of unrestricted free agency with the new deal.

A contract like this would be a pretty big gamble for many teams, given how Vanecek has performed so far in his short career, but with plenty of cap room to spare it shouldn’t pose much of a problem for the Devils. The 26-year-old netminder has just 79 regular season appearances to this point and holds a career .908 save percentage, not exactly a sure thing to provide starter-level performance for the Devils moving forward.

In fact, the Capitals chose to go with Ilya Samsonov in this year’s playoffs, before eventually non-tendering him in the offseason. Samsonov signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for one year and $1.8MM, almost half of what Vanecek will make.

That’s not to say there isn’t some potential upside here, as the Czech netminder could still take a step forward and become a true answer in net for New Jersey. The team also has Mackenzie Blackwood under contract at the moment, though it is unclear where his future lies after injuries have derailed his career, and Jonathan Bernier’s playing status up in the air after hip surgery earlier this year.

For a team looking to contend, better goaltending is paramount. Only the Seattle Kraken had a worse team save percentage than the Devils’ .881 last season, as they used seven different netminders to try and stop the puck. Top prospect Nico Daws actually led the way with 25 appearances, and while he does not appear ready for a full-time role just yet, it does seem like his spot will soon be the tandem role with Vanecek.

Where does that leave Blackwood, many will wonder. The young goaltender has been listed in trade speculation for months, but moving him right now would be at an all-time low, after registering an .892 save percentage in this forgettable season. The team couldn’t rely on him as the only option but getting him back on track through the first part of the year and building up some value might be the best course of action in New Jersey.

Markus Granlund Signs In Switzerland

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After two excellent years in the KHL, there’s no North American comeback on the table for Markus Granlund. The veteran forward has signed a new contract with HC Lugano in Switzerland for the upcoming season.

He’ll join countryman Mikko Koskinen, who is also joining Lugano this season, as part of an impressive foreign contingent, especially after how well he took to playing in the KHL. Over two seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Granlund scored 91 points in 91 games, not to mention winning Olympic gold with Finland earlier this year.

Still just 29, it appears as though an NHL return might never happen for the younger brother of Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund. The last time he appeared in an NHL game was during the 2019-20 season for the Edmonton Oilers, and after spending a good chunk of that year in the minor leagues, he bolted for the bigger opportunities overseas.

Over 335 NHL games, Granlund scored 58 goals and 101 points, reaching a career-high of 19 and 32 in the 2016-17 season with the Vancouver Canucks. He’ll now take his talents to Switzerland, where he should continue to be a dynamic offensive presence.

Evening Notes: Dubois, Kadri, Nill

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As today’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for teams to file for club-elected player salary arbitration came and went, the Winnipeg Jets apparently chose not to file for arbitration with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, says Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription required). The decision didn’t appear as much of a surprise given Dubois’ and the Jets’ situation, and allows both sides to continue discussing a long-term extension or perhaps explore different trade scenarios as has been speculated. Winnipeg had previously issued a $6.65MM qualifying-offer to Dubois in order to retain his rights and give both sides the ability to file for arbitration.

There are several reasons as to why the Jets may have decided not to file for arbitration with Dubois. Firstly, if contract discussions have been amicable and progressive, electing for arbitration and forcing a decision, either through negotiation or arbitration, may have served to disrupt a positive situation. Another reason could be, given the $6.65MM qualifying-offer, Winnipeg would have to file, at minimum, at that number in arbitration with the strong possibility Dubois could be awarded even more. Lastly, because Dubois is two years removed from unrestricted free agency, it was also possible an arbitrator would award the 24-year-old with a two-year contract that would carry him directly to the UFA market in 2024, something not only Winnipeg would want to avoid, but perhaps also the team they could trade him to, if they elected to go down that road.

  • According to Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, who spoke to several sources today, a return of Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche seems less likely than it had previously appeared. One of the market’s most desired players this offseason, Kadri is among the few notable UFAs who has yet to sign, with some speculating that he would like to go to a true contender, and thus those teams would have to work on making room under their salary cap, Colorado included. It’s unclear what, if anything, transpired today to shake Dater’s belief that Kadri could come back to Colorado, but it could mean that the tires are beginning to move on Kadri here on day six of free agency.
  • In a lengthy interview with The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf (subscription required), Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi touched on a number of topics concerning the state of the franchise, including what he expects from the team going forward and why new head coach Pete DeBoer was the right fit for the club. Another name that came up was that of longtime Stars GM Jim Nill, who has been in his position for over nine years now. Nill’s contract is set to expire after this season, leading to some apparent uncertainty about what is to come. Gaglardi was sure to quash that uncertainty, telling Yousuf that Nill was going to be extended. The Stars owner cautioned that what the extension looks like depends on several factors which he couldn’t discuss just yet, but was clear about what he intended for his GM. Of note, Yousuf writes that DeBoer did ask Gaglardi in his interview this summer about Nill’s future with the organization, Gaglardi providing DeBoer with the same assurances on Nill’s future. Still, an extension is a two-way street, and Nill, 64, recently mentioned that he’s “not going to do this forever.”

Latest On Anaheim Ducks Offseason

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A little under three months remain until the start of the 2022-23 NHL regular season, but with the conclusion of the NHL Entry Draft and the first few days of free agency, things feel as though they’re mostly wrapped-up for many teams. At this point, signing some RFA contracts, evaluating what happened at development camp, and making a few more behind-the-scenes hires are all that is left for many organizations. However, as Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek made clear to Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register, his team is not done with their offseason additions (link).

Verbeek mentioned that he would like to add another forward and defenseman to the organization, but before doing so, he wants to make sure the players he brings in are a good fit. Whoever the Ducks add, if anyone, wouldn’t be the first of this offseason, the team making a splash on the opening day of free agency, signing forwards Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome to three and five year contracts respectively. Signing the two veterans seems to mark a turning point for Anaheim, who has been pretty clearly categorized as a rebuilder for the better part of the previous four seasons, last making the playoffs in 2017-18.

Regardless of whether Verbeek wants to add more talent, the Ducks are going to have to look to add salary considering they currently sit just under $9.3MM below the salary cap floor. Anaheim’s cap situation is not for a matter of trying, considering their signings of Vatrano and Strome, but they will have to find additional salary to take on. before the start of the season. Many of the most prized UFAs on the market have since signed, but two, who will command a significant salary, remain: forward Nazem Kadri and defenseman John Klingberg. However, neither has been connected to Anaheim thus far.

With the talk of Anaheim needing to add salary, failing to give qualifying offers to forwards Sonny Milano and Sam Steel would seem to be a counter-intuitive decision. However, Verbeek told Teaford, “It boiled down to role. What role would they play and did it make sense with the dollars?” The GM added that their individual mixed results also played a role in his decision. Both former first-round picks, Steel finished this season with six goals and 14 assists in 68 games, while Milano had a somewhat of a breakout season, tallying 14 goals and 20 assists in 66 games.

Finally, Verbeek discussed his hiring of Craig Johnson as an assistant coach, noting that he felt Johnson would be a key piece in developing their players. As Verbeek said, “I don’t subscribe to the idea that once you’ve made the NHL that development time is over.” That sentiment is of course very relevant for Anaheim as they work their way out of this rebuild, expecting to be lead by a young core including Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, and Jamie Drysdale.

Calgary Flames File For Salary Arbitration With Matthew Tkachuk

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The Calgary Flames announced via Twitter this evening that they have filed for salary arbitration with star forward and current RFA Matthew Tkachuk ahead of today’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for club-elected salary arbitration. Tkachuk had declined to file for salary arbitration prior to yesterday’s deadline for player-elected arbitration, with many expecting the Flames would decline to do so as well. Now, the two sides will have until Tkachuk’s hearing to negotiate an agreement on a new contract, otherwise the matter will be put in the hands of an arbitrator.

The decision to elect arbitration is an interesting one from Calgary’s perspective, but could realistically provide them with advantages in the negotiation process with Tkachuk. The main advantages for Calgary, as cited by PuckPedia, are to eliminate the possibility of an offer-sheet and to prevent Tkachuk from unilaterally accepting the $9MM qualifying-offer the Flames previously made in order to retain the forward’s rights. Though an offer-sheet could conceivably solve the negotiation issues for both sides were Calgary to match, it could also come in the form of a deal the Flames would strongly prefer not to make, but still not worth declining and taking the applicable draft picks. Removing Tkachuk’s ability to accept the qualifying offer also provides the Flames with leverage by preventing Tkachuk from simply ending the negotiation with a one-year deal that would take him straight to the UFA market next summer. Now, Calgary can continue negotiations with Tkachuk without the looming threat of another team forcing an offer on them or Tkachuk unilaterally ending it by accepting the qualifying-offer.

Although he elected not to pursue arbitration, there is still benefit to arbitration for Tkachuk. Now, Calgary must file, at the very least, at the $9MM qualifying-offer. Tkachuk will of course file at a higher number and while the arbitrator may rule in his favor, or for Calgary, or at some number in between, he will be guaranteed at least the same $9MM salary next season.

With the departure of fellow star winger Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk a UFA after this upcoming season, the Flames have been left in a difficult position with their future. The organization will need to decide if it wishes to continue as a contender and work to replace Gaudreau, or lean towards a rebuild, and if so, what that means for Tkachuk. At the same time, it forces the difficult decision onto Tkachuk, who must decide if he wants to commit to Calgary for the long haul or if he, like Gaudreau, wants to move on. Presumably, negotiations have been taking place and even if they have been amicable, the two sides may have hit an impasse where progress seems impossible. By filing for arbitration, both parties now have a hard and relatively immediate deadline to come to an agreement, which may move the needle.

No date and time is yet known for any specific arbitration hearings, but a schedule is expected shortly. Hearings will run between July 27th and August 11th. Thus, Tkachuk’s 2022-23 contract will be certain no later than August 12th.

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