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Archives for August 2022

Minor Transactions: 08/04/22

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As the offseason rages on, make sure to keep track of all of the non-NHL transactions going on all around the hockey world. We’ll keep an updated tracker of today’s moves right here:

  • Boston University product and former New York Islanders signee Robert Carpenter has failed to secure an AHL contract for 2022-23, opting to instead sign with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades for the 2022-23 season. Carpenter was let go from the Islanders organization without any NHL looks after just two full seasons with AHL Bridgeport. Joining the Milwaukee Admirals on an AHL contract for 2021-22, though, Carpenter failed to score a point in 11 games, instead spending 19 games in the ECHL with the Everblades, scoring 18 points.
  • While he’ll be attending Columbus Blue Jackets training camp on a PTO, Cole Fonstad has once again assured himself a spot within the organization next year, signing a one-year contract to remain with the Cleveland Monsters. The 22-year-old Fonstad was a WHL champion in 2019 with the Prince Albert Raiders. An unsigned 2018 draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, Fonstad had 20 points in 45 games with Cleveland last year, his first professional season.
  • Daniel Audette, a former QMJHL star and minor leaguer in the Montreal Canadiens organization, has signed a contract in Switzerland. Audette, who split 2021-22 between KHL club Vityaz Podolsk and SHL club Orebro HK, is a talented scorer who has been able to put together productive seasons in every league he’s played in. Per a team announcement, he heads to Lausanne HC on a two-year deal.
  • Former OHL star Sam Miletic, who played 2021-22 with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, has signed a contract with Ostersunds IK of the Swedish second-tier Allsvenskan. Miletic has regressed since an impressive rookie AHL season and will join an Ostersunds club that was just recently promoted from third-tier HockeyEttan.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Snapshots: Laxdal, Clune, Klinkhammer

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The OHL’s Oshawa Generals today named Derek Laxdal the 35th head coach in team history via a press release. Laxdal, 56, had spent the last eight seasons in the Dallas Stars organization. Before he was promoted midseason to the Stars’ NHL bench as an assistant coach in 2019-20, Laxdal was the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars from 2014-15 to 2019.

The news means that Dallas will indeed undergo a complete overhaul of their core coaching staff from last season. The organization replaced a pair of other assistants this offseason, hiring Alain Nasreddine and Steve Spott to replace Todd Nelson and John Stevens. For Laxdal, the news marks a return to the CHL after eight years, last serving there as the head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2010 to 2014. His resume includes an ECHL Kelly Cup win in 2007 and ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2010 as the head coach of the Idaho Steelheads, a pair of WHL championships with the Oil Kings in 2012 and 2014, and a Memorial Cup championship in 2014.

  • The AHL’s Toronto Marlies announced via Twitter today that captain and former NHLer Rich Clune has announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons, moving to a player development role with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clune hadn’t played in the NHL since 2015-16 saw him play 19 games with the Maple Leafs, but since then, he’d been an alternate captain or captain for the Marlies, providing an important leadership voice and mentoring the Leafs’ prospects. Clune joins Toronto’s player development department headed by Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser.
  • Former NHLer Rob Klinkhammer is returning to the Chicago Blackhawks organization as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, per a team release. The news marks Klinkhammer’s retirement after he spent the last six seasons playing in the KHL. Klinkhammer, an undrafted free agent, played for Rockford from 2008-09 through 2011-12 and made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in the 2010-11 season.

Michael Raffl Signs In Switzerland

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Unrestricted free agent forward Michael Raffl has signed a two-year contract with Lausanne HC of the Swiss National League, per a team release early Thursday morning.

The team’s head coach, John Fust, commented on the signing (translated from French):

Michael has proven his worth as a leader in the NHL and on the Austrian national team. He has a versatile profile, since he can play at center or on the wing. We look forward to having him in our organization for the next two seasons.

At age 33, this is almost certainly the end of Raffl’s nine-season NHL career. Signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as an undrafted free agent out of Leksands IF (then in the second-tier Swedish league, Allsvenskan) in 2013, Raffl immediately became a full-time NHL player at age 25. He would then suit up for 504 games in a Flyers uniform.

In a total of 590 NHL games spent with Philadelphia, the Washington Capitals, and the Dallas Stars, Raffl totaled 89 goals, 90 assists, 179 points, 235 penalty minutes, and a career average ice time of 13:21 per game.

2021-22, his only season spent in Dallas, left something to be desired offensively. Finishing with only seven goals and 16 points on the year in 79 games, it was disappointing production for a player who was given almost 15 minutes per game of ice time. Raffl did have one of the best defensive campaigns of his career, though, so it’s somewhat surprising an NHL team wasn’t willing to bring him on as a defensive specialist in their bottom-six.

Raffl immediately becomes one of Lausanne’s top players, joining former NHLers Miikka Salomaki, Jiri Sekac, and Cory Emmerton at forward. Washington Capitals prospect Damien Riat is also a member of the team.

Arbitration Breakdown: Miles Wood

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The only remaining open team-elected arbitration case is that of New Jersey Devils winger Miles Wood. With his hearing scheduled for August 6, Wood and the Devils have the next two days to agree on a new deal prior to the arbitrator’s hearing beginning.

It’s the third arbitration-related case to be inevitably settled involving the Devils organization this week. The team agreed to terms with both Jesper Bratt and Tyce Thompson earlier in the week before their cases reached arbitration.

Filings

Team: $2.975MM
Player: $3.85MM
Midpoint: $3.4125MM

(via Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

The Numbers

Ever since the Devils drafted Wood straight out of high school with the 100th overall pick in 2013, he’s exceeded expectations every step of the way. His aggressive brand of hockey has endeared him to Devils fans over the years since making his NHL debut in 2016, and the power forward has shown solid streaks of offensive ability as well. The 2021-22 season was one to completely forget for Wood, though. The 26-year-old played in just three games, limited by a hip injury suffered just before the start of the season. He managed to return for a trio of games in late March and early April before being shut down again, going without a point.

With his health issues, the Devils’ moves in free agency, and the development of their younger players, Wood’s role on the Devils moving forward is less clear. It’s obvious that the team still holds him in high regard, though, as evidenced by their arbitration filing of nearly $3MM. He’ll likely battle players like Andreas Johnsson and Tomas Tatar for ice time in the top nine, but any three of those players would be rather expensive fourth-liners.

When an agreement is reached, don’t expect it to be for more than one season. Wood is eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason, and with the team’s crowded pool of prospects and forward talent, his long-term future with the team at this point is anyone’s guess.

2021-22 Stats: 3 GP, 0G 0A 0pts, 4 PIMs, 2 shots, 14:46 ATOI
Career Stats: 326 GP, 65G 56A 121pts, 351 PIMs, 706 shots, 13:23 ATOI

Potential Comparables

Comparable contracts are restricted to those signed within restricted free agency which means UFA deals and entry-level pacts are ineligible to be used.  The contracts below fit within those parameters.  

In the past in this series, we’ve only used comparables whose salary figures were compatible with that of the arbitration filings above. In this case, though, the team’s arbitration filing is high given the unique circumstances, as the best comparables for Wood came in below the $2.975MM mark.

Scott Laughton (Flyers) – Laughton signed a two-year deal with Philadelphia in 2019 following an arbitration filing, carrying a $2.3MM cap hit. Coming off a season in which the former first-round draft pick set career-highs in games played (82), goals (12), assists (20), and points (32), initially, it’s hard to imagine why the Devils filed at a higher number than this (more on that later). In recent seasons, Laughton has continued his progression into a solid middle-six role, developing further offensively and becoming one of Philadelphia’s most important depth pieces. Laughton also had added value as a center (and coming in after playing an 82-game season).

Sam Bennett (Flames) – Bennett also signed a two-year deal in 2019 following an arbitration filing for only $250K more than Laughton’s, coming in at $2.55MM. Bennett’s numbers the prior season were worse than Laughton’s, posting 27 points in 71 games, but five points in five playoff games plus a longer track record of offensive success than Laughton gave him a bit of an edge. Bennett has also broken out offensively later in his career, albeit with a different team. Given Bennett had also been tasked with playing in a top-six role at times, something that’s more rarely been asked of Wood, he had a bit more clout, again, especially given his higher draft position and his ability to play center.

Projection

There are always surprises in hockey, undoubtedly. But it’s hard to imagine the arbitrator awarding a figure closer to Wood’s number, given his lack of play in 2021-22 and a host of comparables that come in below even the team’s filing.

If Wood had played this season, we could be looking at an entirely different story. Another 30+ point season could have very well cemented his value in at least the $3MM range, and an award close to his $3.875MM filing wouldn’t be extraordinary. But with Wood coming off a season in which he played virtually no hockey, it’s nearly impossible to project how he’ll perform next season, especially with his spot in the lineup uncertain. Because of that, it seems likely the arbitrator will side closer to the team’s filing.

Given that the Devils filed for club-elected salary arbitration in the first window, there are a few restrictions worth keeping in mind (per CapFriendly), one of which explains the team’s high salary filing. Wood can’t be awarded less than 85% of his previous year’s combined base salary and bonuses, which, despite a $2.75MM cap hit previously, was backloaded with $3.5MM worth of compensation in his final season. That $2.975MM value that New Jersey filed at is the minimum possible award for Wood.

If it reaches an arbitration ruling, Wood can only accept a one-year deal, given he’s in his final year of restricted free agency. Additionally, since they elected for arbitration, the Devils can’t walk away from the arbitrator’s ruling.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Kailer Yamamoto

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The Oilers have reportedly settled with one of their restricted free agents, avoiding an arbitration case. Per a team announcement, the Oilers and RFA forward Kailer Yamamoto have settled on a two-year contract with a $3.1MM average annual value.

The financial structure of the deal is as follows:

22-23: $3MM
23-24: $3.2MM

Yamamoto, 23, is coming off of the most productive season of his young career, save for a 27-game run in 2019-20 where he had 26 points. Yamamoto, often playing next to former Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl, scored 20 goals and 41 points in 81 games. He also chipped in seven points in 14 games during the Oilers’ run to the Western Conference Final. It’s similar production to another one of the Oilers’ young wingers, Jesse Puljujarvi, who also settled before his own arbitration case, receiving a deal with a $3MM cap hit.

Perhaps the best development in Yamamoto’s play has been the recent refinement of his overall game. Some might look at the five-foot-eight winger and immediately peg him as an offense-first, perimeter player. But what might be surprising to those people is that Yamamoto actually spent more time killing penalties in 2021-22 than he did on the power play. Yamamoto averaged 1:09 short-handed ice time per game and 0:49 of average power play ice time per game. Yamamoto isn’t going to win Selke trophies, don’t get the wrong idea here, but his time spent short-handed is genuinely encouraging and an indication that he’s found a way to remain an impactful NHLer even if he’s in a scoring slump.

A $3.1MM cap hit is a fair number for what Yamamoto provides, and it allows the Oilers to re-engage with him on long-term extension talks as a restricted free agent in two years’ time.

The Oilers are now over the salary cap, but they will get relief in the form of Oscar Klefbom and Mike Smith being placed on long-term injured reserve. They still have Tyler Benson and Ryan McLeod as RFA’s to sign, so they’re not out of the woods just yet. A trade may be necessary to help their salary cap situation, although they could also opt to carry less than the maximum number of players on their roster and slowly accumulate cap space as the season goes on.

 

Calgary Flames Re-Sign Andrew Mangiapane

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August 3: PuckPedia reports that Mangiapane is paid his $5.8MM cap hit evenly across each of the three seasons, but he’ll receive a $4.8MM salary and $1MM signing bonus in year one of the contract. The rest of the deal is paid in full in base salary.

CapFriendly reports that Mangiapane’s deal carries an eight-team no-trade list for the final two seasons it runs.

August 2: The Calgary Flames were up to some late-evening business, announcing that they have re-signed forward Andrew Mangiapane to a three-year deal, avoiding arbitration. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported the contract carries a $5.8MM AAV, bringing the total value to $17.4MM. The forward’s arbitration hearing was scheduled for this Friday, August 5th. By avoiding arbitration, Calgary now has access to the second buyout window, which will likely begin on Saturday, says Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. According to CapFriendly, the Flames are now left with just over $1.26MM in available cap space.

By signing Mangiapane, Calgary is effectively buying out two years of unrestricted free agency, the 26-year-old set to hit the open market next summer. After having star forward Johnny Gaudreau leave via free agency and Matthew Tkachuk announce that he would not re-sign in Calgary after next season, forcing a trade, having some certainty with one of their other key forwards and goal scorers is surely a relief for the Flames. Although the signing leaves them with very little cap space, it completes all pending arbitration cases, meaning their offseason work is likely complete.

For the player, this signing gives Mangiapane a large raise over his previous $2.425MM cap hit that he had over the past two seasons at a reasonably fair rate in the market. As CapFriendly cites, Mangiapane’s comparable players include Jakub Vrana ($5.25MM AAV over three years), Anthony Mantha ($5.7MM over four years), and Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8MM over four years). Prior to the 2021-22 season, Mangiapane had made a career as a solid secondary scoring option, tallying as many as 18 goals in a season, coming in 56 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. This year, however, Mangiapane broke out in a big way, scoring 35 goals to go with 20 assists.

In addition to scoring, Mangiapane brings durability and stability to the Flames lineup, having not missed a game in either of the previous two seasons, as well as 68 of their 70 games in 2019-20. Finally, with the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, Mangiapane does figure to see additional opportunities offensively and on the powerplay along with newly-acquired superstar Jonathan Huberdeau, which could stand to increase his value and production going forward.

Free Agent Profile: Calvin De Haan

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When it became clear that the Chicago Blackhawks would be pursuing a no-holds-barred teardown under new GM Kyle Davidson, many presumed that, at the very least, any player on an expiring deal in Chicago would be dealt by the team at the trade deadline. Davidson traded Ryan Carpenter and Marc-Andre Fleury, two players on expiring deals, but one of the team’s top pending unrestricted free agents, Calvin de Haan, stayed put. It seemed curious that a veteran, experienced defenseman with a defense-first game like de Haan would not be dealt as a deadline rental, but that’s exactly what happened.

Now, de Haan’s offseason free agent market is looking a lot like his trade market: curiously slow. Expecting a vibrant, robust market for de Haan would have been a mistake. The veteran of over 500 NHL games has been on the decline, and his health has been a nagging problem since he began his professional career. De Haan has played in a full 82-game season just once, which is worrying due to the fact that he made his NHL debut in 2011-12. He’s had every opportunity but just hasn’t been able to remain available consistently.

Additionally, de Haan’s game has become a bit one-dimensional. In a league where the two-way, transitional defenseman is in vogue, de Haan’s game is a bit of a throwback. To say de Haan is “defense-first” would be an understatement. He’s “defense-only” at this point in his career, with little in the way of offensive utility. He had just eight points in 69 games, and his issues with shoulder injuries have taken a toll on his puck skills. But, even with all that in mind, it still is a bit of a surprise to see de Haan unsigned in August, especially given the leaguewide sentiment of “you can never have too many capable defensemen.”

Despite all the flaws in his overall profile, there still is a place for de Haan in the NHL. His usage has been remarkably consistent throughout his career. He got around 19-20 minutes of ice time per game earlier in his career and now gets around 18 minutes a night with second-unit penalty-killing duties. While some could see his defensive style to be one-dimensional and a negative to his game, others could see value in the steadiness and safety he provides. To use a popular hockey cliche, de Haan is a defenseman who is best when he’s not noticed, and de Haan has become adept at remaining anonymous on the ice as he’s aged. That style isn’t for everyone, but it’s hard to believe that there aren’t any teams in the NHL who want to add that to their roster, even if he does have to spend some time on injured reserve.

Stats:

2021-22: 69 GP, 4G 4A 8pts, -21 rating, 33 PIMs, 107 shots, 18:57 ATOI

Career: 520 GP, 19G 100A 119pts, 0 rating, 195 PIMs, 736 shots, 19:29 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Based on de Haan’s overall profile, he fits best with a team in need of a steady, veteran defenseman to stabilize their blueline and help them integrate young defensemen into the fold. Given de Haan’s status as a still unsigned free agent, he may not be in a strong enough position to be able to pick and choose his destinations. While he undoubtedly would like to sign with a contender, a mentorship role on a younger team could be a better fit at this stage of his career. Additionally, with cap space at an absolute premium, he may only receive the sort of contract he desires from a team with lots of cap space, and most teams with cap space right now are ones not in a “win-now” phase.

One potential fit for de Haan is the Buffalo Sabres. They had an encouraging season last year, but their team is still remarkably young, especially on defense. Their oldest defender who projects to be in their nightly lineup is Ilya Lyubushkin, who is 28 but has just 211 NHL games under his belt, and just seven career playoff contests. The next-oldest defenseman likely to make their NHL roster is Jacob Bryson, who is just 24 and made his NHL debut in 2020-21. If we assume Mattias Samuelsson will partner with Rasmus Dahlin on the team’s first pairing, as he did at times last season, and Owen Power will slide into a second-pairing role next to Lyubushkin, the Sabres have a possible opening for de Haan on their third pairing next to Henri Jokiharju. Jokiharju, a defenseman with puck-moving ability, could be a solid partner for de Haan and someone whose game could be improved thanks to the stability de Haan would provide.

Additionally, the Sabres have a glut of tweener defensemen in their organization, names like Lawrence Pilut, Chase Priskie, and Kale Clague, who could insulate team from a de Haan injury. They also have nearly $20MM in available salary cap space and just one remaining free agent to tie up, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. While there hasn’t been a bidding war for de Haan’s services by any means, the Sabres could make any de Haan deal fit onto their books quite smoothly.

Another fit could be a return to his former team, the New York Islanders. The Islanders’ top-four on defense looks set. The Adam Pelech–Ryan Pulock pairing isn’t going to change anytime soon, and summer trade acquisition Alexander Romanov will likely get a long look next to breakout star Noah Dobson. Their bottom pairing, though, looks a bit more open. Scott Mayfield will play on the right side, but who will be his partner? The team could opt to go young and stick Robin Salo in the role, but if he’s not ready they could be forced to give Sebastian Aho regular minutes, which might not be ideal if the team is intent on returning to the playoffs. De Haan would fit into their current salary cap puzzle and give Salo veteran competition for that third-pairing role, as well as give the Islanders yet another defense-first option to fit into their style of play.

He has familiarity with the organization and a clear place to play in the lineup if the youngsters aren’t ready. Might the team prefer to stick a more up-tempo, pace-pushing option next to Mayfield? Sure, but giving de Haan a contract and a chance to win that job wouldn’t hurt, either.

Projected Contract:

De Haan ranked 49th on PHR’s 2022 Top 50 UFAs list, and was projected to earn a one-year, $1.5MM deal from the Ottawa Senators. A role on the Senators as either a seventh defenseman or competition to Erik Brannstrom for a third-pairing role could make sense, but maybe not at the $1.5MM cost we projected, especially if Senators GM Pierre Dorion is still seeking a big-name defensive addition.

It’s difficult to exactly project de Haan’s next deal, as on paper he’s more qualified than the veteran defensemen who have received one-year, two-way league minimum deals this summer.

But, on the other hand, he’s also had issues with availability and many teams place value on a defenseman who is able to stay in the lineup and remain healthy. It’s definitely possible that de Haan has to settle for a minimum contract with a sizeable minor-league guarantee, but that doesn’t seem likely. A one-year deal with one of the above clubs at a cap number similar to our $1.5MM projection seems like a reasonable outcome for his free agent journey, even if the ultimate number does come in a bit closer to $1MM.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Financial information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Emil Bemstrom

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed their last remaining restricted free agent, inking forward Emil Bemstrom to a two-year deal worth $900K per season through 2023-24.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen spoke on the deal:

Emil is a skilled and offensive forward who has the ability to find the back of the net with an accurate shot. He is young and still developing but we believe he has a lot of potential to become an important part of our organization over the next few seasons.

Bemstrom battled injury in 2021-22, but managed six goals, five assists, and 11 points in 43 games. Over the past three seasons in the NHL, the 23-year-old has 36 points in 117 games.

Drafted in the fourth round in 2017, Bemstrom has already made more of an impact than most expected given his draft position. He has yet to match his 10-goal, 20-point rookie season in 2019-20, but injuries have limited him to a combined 61 games over the past two years. A healthy campaign could do wonders for Bemstrom’s development.

Calgary Wranglers Announce Name, Sign Five Players

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After announcing their name yesterday, Calgary’s AHL affiliate has signed five players to AHL contracts for 2022-23. Formerly known as the Stockton Heat, the Calgary Wranglers will begin play at the Scotiabank Saddledome next season.

The five players signed were goalie Daniil Chechelev (whose NHL rights are owned by Calgary), defenseman Simon Lavigne, center Mitch McLain (signed to a two-year deal), defenseman Rhett Rhinehart, and center Brett Sutter.

Chechelev, just 21, was Calgary’s 96th overall selection in the 2020 draft. He played last season in Stockton on an AHL deal, having yet to sign his entry-level contract. He was sent to the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks for the vast majority of the season, where he compiled a 12-12-5 record, 3.64 goals against average, .894 save percentage, and one shutout. He sits fifth on the organization’s depth chart behind Oscar Dansk and Dustin Wolf, and he’ll likely be loaned back to the ECHL this season.

Lavigne joins the Wranglers after serving as the captain of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada last season, notching six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 65 games. McLain, 28, signs a two-year pact in Calgary after scoring 17 goals in 76 games last season with the Milwaukee Admirals. Rhinehart posted 27 points in 53 games last year as an alternate captain with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Sutter joins his father’s organization after spending the last five seasons as the captain of the Ontario Reign.

Minor Transactions: 08/03/22

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It’s been a busy start to the month of August, with the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils both getting some of the biggest RFAs left on the board signed within the past 48 hours. It’s busy elsewhere in the hockey world, too, and former (or possibly future) NHLers are making their way around the minor leagues in North America and professional leagues in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves today right here.

  • After splitting last season between the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Chicago Wolves, former Colorado Avalanche defense prospect Chris Bigras will try his hand in Europe for the first time. Per the team, the KHL’s only Kazakhstani club, Barys Nur-Sultan, has signed him to a one-year deal for the 2022-23 season. Bigras hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since he appeared in 15 with Colorado during the 2017-18 season.
  • Defenseman Cole Hults is heading to the Italian club HC Bolzano in the ICEHL after just two seasons in the AHL, per a team release. Hults played in 54 games last season with the Tucson Roadrunners while under contract with the Arizona Coyotes, registering 17 points. He’ll join his older brother Mitch on the team.

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