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Archives for September 2022

Winnipeg Jets Sign Sam Gagner

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed Sam Gagner to a one-year, $750K contract, giving the veteran forward a new home for the upcoming season.

Gagner, 33, will be joining the seventh team in his long, successful career that has resulted in more than 500 points and nearly 1,000 games. Perhaps best known for the incredible eight-point game that he had in 2012, the versatile center has been an effective middle-six player for some time.

Last season was actually something of a renaissance for Gagner after his career appeared to be winding down. In 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings, he scored 13 goals and 31 points while logging more short-handed ice time than any other player on the team.

It’s that penalty-killing prowess that the Jets may be interested in, given they finished 28th last season in that category, allowing a goal 25% of the time. Since they lost Andrew Copp and Paul Stastny, two of their PK centers, there should be plenty of opportunities for Gagner to take over that role.

With Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Adam Lowry in place down the middle, Gagner may end up playing some wing at even-strength as well, depending on how things shake out. While he has played center a ton in his career, the last few years have seen him line up on the wall quite a bit as well.

It isn’t a real difference-making signing for the Jets but Gagner does represent a nice veteran add on a minimum contract, with the potential for a bit of surplus value if he can fill a need on the everyday roster.

Minor Transactions: 09/02/22

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Just a few weeks from now, NHL teams will be taking the ice to do battle in the preseason. Meanwhile, minor league and European clubs continue to make additions to their own rosters in preparation for the regular season. As always, we’ll keep track of today’s notable minor moves right here.

  • Max Martin, who played 13 games for the Texas Stars last season, has signed a new one-year deal with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2022-23. The WHL champion went undrafted out of junior but had inked a deal with Texas to make the jump to the AHL. After just 22 games, he’ll now compete in the ECHL for the upcoming season.
  • CapFriendly completed a bit of housekeeping today, moving Bogdan Trineyev, Adam Sykora, Adam Edstrom, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Dmitri Ovchinnikov, Marco Kasper, Noah Ostlund, and Mikael Pyyhtia to the “loaned” designation, indicating they will be playing overseas this season. There are no real surprises among the group, though it does include some top prospects that should be in North America in the coming years.
  • Alex D’Orio, who had been on an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins until this summer, has signed with IF Bjorkloven of the Swedish second tier. D’Orio became an unrestricted free agent when the Penguins decided to not issue him a qualifying offer.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Kodie Curran Signs In KHL

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When the Anaheim Ducks signed Kodie Curran in 2020, he came with a considerable amount of hype. Though the offensive defenseman had never before played in the NHL, he had dominated several European leagues, including winning the SHL Most Valuable Player award after putting up 49 points in 48 games. Because of his age, he wasn’t limited to an entry-level contract, so the Ducks gave him a two-year, one-way deal that paid him $1MM in each season.

Unfortunately, that hype quickly evaporated as his high-risk style limited him to the AHL. Curran played in 24 games for the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21, scoring 13 points, and then was waived at the beginning of the 2021-22 season. He would clear, spend most of the year with the Gulls, and then be included in the Hampus Lindholm deal at the deadline, going to the Providence Bruins in the process.

Now, after making $2MM and never seeing the NHL, Curran is headed back overseas. He has signed a one-year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he will once again try to dominate a league outside of North America. Given that he will turn 33 in December, it seems unlikely that he’ll ever get a better chance at the NHL, and with so much success overseas it wouldn’t be surprising to see him finish his career somewhere other than the AHL.

In all, his contract with the Ducks resulted in 29 points in 62 minor league contests.

Jimmy Vesey Signs Professional Tryout

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After being linked to the New York Rangers last month, Jimmy Vesey has agreed to attend camp on a professional tryout, according to CapFriendly. The veteran forward is an unrestricted free agent after his one-year, $800K contract with the New Jersey Devils expired this summer.

It’s been quite a career so far for the 29-year-old Vesey, who was once considered the “next big thing” out of college hockey. Selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, he became such a dominant force at Harvard that there were sweepstakes when he decided not to sign with the Nashville Predators–the team that had picked him.

First, the Buffalo Sabres sent a third-round pick to the Predators for a chance to sign him before he hit free agency, and then when he turned them down, several clubs put on the full-court press. He decided then to sign with the Rangers, and he would be relatively effective for them in his first three seasons, scoring 16, 17, and 17 goals. A trade then took him back to Buffalo, before stops in Toronto, Vancouver, and New Jersey have led him to today.

Given the fact that he has just 22 goals in 155 games since leaving the Rangers, it makes sense why he might want to go back. One might have expected him to be able to land more than just a PTO but rosters are tight at this point in the summer. He’ll now have to try and showcase his skills and land himself a contract in New York or elsewhere, even if it ends up being a two-way deal.

Vesey has never played a single game in the AHL and would need to clear waivers to be sent there, but at this point in his career, it is unclear whether he will be able to secure a full-time NHL gig.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Three To PTOs

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The time of the tryout is upon us. Now that teams have pretty much filled out their rosters, players left without contracts will begin to accept professional tryouts with invitations to training camps. Just yesterday, Tyler Pitlick and James Neal were both added this way. CapFriendly has added a few more to that list, reporting that Brent Gates, Nikolas Brouillard, and Josh Healey have all signed PTOs with the Anaheim Ducks.

These are not players expected to challenge for NHL roster spots; instead, they will compete to try and secure two-way NHL deals, which would at least give them the chance of a call-up. None of the three have appeared at the highest level to this point, though all have varying degrees of success in the AHL.

Gates, 25, was a third-round pick of the Ducks in 2015 and has bounced back and forth between the AHL and ECHL ever since. This season, he saw 45 games with the San Diego Gulls and set a career-high with 12 goals and 23 points. Gates never did sign his entry-level contract, meaning his exclusive draft rights expired a number of years ago, but he has remained with the organization ever since.

Brouillard, 27, went undrafted out of the QMJHL and played one season in the ECHL before going to school, attending McGill University for three seasons. He has been with the Gulls since, and scored 39 points in 66 games last season–to go along with his 131 penalty minutes.

Healey, 28, was actually a pretty highly sought-after talent out of college a few years ago, and eventually signed with the Calgary Flames. His uber-physical game didn’t translate all that well to the professional ranks, however, and he never did make it to the NHL. The Flames left him unqualified, and after a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators, he played last season on an AHL deal. In 57 games for the Milwaukee Admirals, he scored eight points and racked up 89 penalty minutes.

Latest On Kirby Dach

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With their acquisition of Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames, the Montreal Canadiens looked to have concluded the main portion of their offseason business. Now, they just have a few smaller items of business to complete, namely agreeing on new contracts with their two restricted free agents: center Kirby Dach and Cayden Primeau.

Dach, 21, was acquired earlier in the offseason by the Canadiens as part of a stunning three-team deal that was announced on the draft floor. According to Eric Engels of Sportsnet, the Canadiens and Dach are in contract talks, and “one of the options being discussed” is a four-year pact carrying a $3.5MM AAV. As Engels notes, the deal would carry Dach to within one season of eligibility for unrestricted free agency.

If this is the deal that is ultimately signed between Dach and the Canadiens, a possibility Engels “wouldn’t be surprised” to see, it will certainly be an interesting one to unpack. At this current moment, the body of work Dach has put forth in the NHL is not of $3.5MM AAV quality. Last season Dach scored 26 points in 70 games, and he has not been able to stay consistently healthy in his NHL career.

That being said, though, in surrendering young defenseman Alexander Romanov to acquire Dach, the Canadiens are signaling that they believe there is still significant upside to be mined from the 2019 third-overall pick. There are those who believe Dach was “rushed” to the NHL, and that his playing in the NHL immediately after he was drafted, rather than him having another season to develop in the WHL, has derailed his development.

If the Canadiens are right in their assessment of Dach, and coach Martin St. Louis can help Dach find his footing in the NHL the way he did for Cole Caufield, a $3.5MM cap hit could quickly look like a steal.

But if the Canadiens cannot find a way to develop Dach, or Dach simply isn’t as good as many believe he can be, a $3.5MM hit for four seasons could age somewhat poorly. It’s obviously too early to say, and the Canadiens and Dach could still ultimately go in another direction with his next contract. Regardless, the Canadiens have an important decision to make as to how they want to proceed with Dach’s next contract.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign James Neal To Professional Tryout

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have added some big names to their roster this summer, and now they’re going to be giving another big-name player a chance to earn a spot on their team. Per CapFriendly, unrestricted free agent winger and former 40-goal scorer James Neal has signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Blue Jackets.

Neal, 34, split time last season between the St. Louis Blues and their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. In 19 games for the Blues, Neal registered two goals and four points. At the AHL level, Neal fared better, scoring 14 goals and 26 points in 28 games to go along with 12 points in 17 games during the Thunderbirds’ run to the Calder Cup Final.

Neal’s game has declined since his prime, and he isn’t the goal-scoring offensive force he once was. But he has had time over the past two seasons to adjust his game in order to fit lower on a team’s lineup, and now he’ll have a chance to impress coach Brad Larsen and earn a spot on the Blue Jackets’ roster.

On paper, this signing seems to be a way for the Blue Jackets to add an experienced, veteran NHLer to compete with the young players Columbus would ideally like to see make their NHL team. As with any professional sports team, the Blue Jackets are a competitive outfit. They’re not going to hand roster spots to any young player, no matter how talented. Adding Neal on a PTO gives up-and-coming wingers such as Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, Liam Foudy, and Yegor Chinakhov a big-name veteran to compete with for a lineup spot.

Additionally, Neal’s presence could also push players such as Mathieu Olivier or Justin Danforth to defend the NHL jobs they’re currently penciled into. While he might not make the team given the competition he’ll face, this PTO gives Neal an opportunity to show the Blue Jackets organization what he can do. If he performs well, he could potentially earn another two-way deal and serve as useful depth for a Blue Jackets club looking to make some noise next season.

St. Louis Blues Sign Tyler Pitlick To Professional Tryout

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The St. Louis Blues have signed Tyler Pitlick to a professional tryout, inviting him to training camp with the team. The veteran forward spent last season with the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens but hadn’t found a contract this summer so far.

Pitlick, 30, has suited up for 325 games in the NHL but hasn’t been able to find much consistency in recent years. after setting a career-high with 14 goals and 27 points in 2017-18, he’s bounced between five different teams, and scored just one goal in 39 appearances in 2021-22. That just isn’t enough to have teams chasing him, though the Blues do offer an interesting opportunity.

We’ve seen St. Louis sign players after training camp invitations before, and Pitlick’s size and physicality do lend themselves to Craig Berube’s style. Still, it would likely take an injury (or two) for a spot to open, given how many forwards will already be fighting for roster spots. Perhaps Pitlick stands out enough to earn a deal but this may be as much a showcase for the rest of the league as anything else.

Remember, despite signing a PTO with the Blues, Pitlick is still an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team that wants to offer him an NHL contract.

Dallas Stars Sign Jake Oettinger

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The Dallas Stars have signed restricted free agent goaltender Jake Oettinger to a bridge deal, inking him for the next three years. The deal will come with an average annual value of $4MM, and leave him an arbitration-eligible RFA at expiry. General manager Jim Nill explained just how important Oettinger is to the team:

Jake’s performance spoke for itself last season. He has elite physical ability and presence in the net, while also exhibiting phenomenal mental strength in high-pressure situations. Jake’s poise and character off the ice have made him a leader in our locker room. He has shown that he has the skill, work ethic, and poise to excel at the NHL level. He was a key part of the team’s success last season, and we’re excited to see him continue to grow here in Dallas.

Oettinger, 23, was one of three players the Stars selected in 2017 that have gone on to become franchise cornerstones. He was picked between Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson that day, a draft that essentially changed the direction of the team thanks to some savvy scouting. The big netminder took a few years to develop but now sits as the Stars’ no-doubt starter for next season, after recording a .914 save percentage in 48 appearances last year.

It was the playoffs where he really showed what he could do, though, posting a .954 in seven games to almost steal the first round from the Calgary Flames. With a bright future ahead of him and Robertson still to sign, a bridge deal always made sense for the young netminder. A $4MM cap hit still pays him handsomely while setting Oettinger up for an even bigger deal a few years down the line.

For Dallas, kicking the can down the road a few years was integral, as Jamie Benn’s $9.5MM will be coming off the books after the 2024-25 season. Esa Lindell, Ryan Suter, and Radek Faksa are also scheduled to be unrestricted free agents that summer, meaning Nill and the rest of the front office will finally get some flexibility back. A longer contract is expected for Robertson, who has already established himself as an elite offensive player in the league after scoring 41 goals and 79 points this season.

The Stars still have more than $6.3MM for that contract and could create more by waiving someone before the season begins (or sending one of their entry-level players back down). All of that space will likely be needed for Robertson’s contract, meaning this deal for Oettinger was never going to be able to get much bigger.

While there is no guarantee that he lives up to it, early returns on the big Minnesota native are promising. If Oettinger takes another step forward next season and starts putting up .920 save percentages, a $4MM cap hit will look like quite the bargain.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Who Will Win The Central Division?

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A few days ago, we asked the PHR community to predict which team would end up winning the Pacific Division, and there ended up being two clear leaders. The Vancouver Canucks Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks combined for less than 19% of the vote, with the rest nearly split in half between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.

The Oilers came out a few percentage points ahead after adding netminder Jack Campbell and bringing back Evander Kane. Calgary’s remade roster with Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri still holds plenty of confidence, a stark change from the days after Jonny Gaudreau’s departure.

While that division is apparently a two-horse race, we now move to the Central, where the vote might not be as close (though maybe it should).

Last year, the Colorado Avalanche would end up taking it after going 56-19-7 in the regular season. They would ride that success all the way to a Stanley Cup championship, and return as the presumptive favorites to take the division once again.

However, there are some changes in Colorado. Kadri, who was an incredibly important play driver for the team last season, has departed to Calgary, while Darcy Kuemper was replaced with Alexandar Georgiev. Andre Burakovsky’s depth scoring has disappeared, and while the team still looks like a very strong contender–having a defense corps led by Cale Makar and Devon Toews will do that–there may be a few chinks in the armor after the dream season.

The Minnesota Wild were second last year, but don’t think they weren’t a powerhouse in their own right. The team finished with a record of 53-22-7, which would have put them first in the Pacific, and went into the playoffs on an 8-1-1 streak. While Kevin Fiala has been sent packing after an outstanding year, the development of Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi means there is still plenty of excitement in Minnesota.

Next was the St. Louis Blues, with their own 109-point campaign, but there is a big question mark in net for next season. Ville Husso, who had emerged as the more reliable option during the year, is gone, leaving Jordan Binnington with Thomas Greiss as his backup. With Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko both headed into their final year under contract, it will be interesting to see what direction the Blues go in this year.

It’s not often you can say a team with Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn on it is driven by youth, but that’s exactly the case for the Dallas Stars, who will are ready to hand the keys over to the dynamic trio of Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, and Jake Oettinger. All three were selected in 2017 and all three look like stars in the league at this point. The question for Dallas, of course, is that Robertson and Oettinger remain unsigned to this point.

The Nashville Predators were able to land Nino Niederreiter and Ryan McDonagh, adding some depth and Stanley Cup experience to the roster as they try to take another run at the division crown. The emergence of Tanner Jeannot has given them another weapon, while Yakov Trenin has also looked like he could be a difference-maker if given the opportunity.

Then there are the Winnipeg Jets, who many picked as contenders last year and far fewer are dubbing them that this time around. While there are still some outstanding pieces there, it’s getting harder and harder to see how they will keep up without Connor Hellebuyck getting back to Vezina-level goaltending.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes, meanwhile, are both trying to lose–at least enough to secure a high draft position. The rebuilding clubs shouldn’t pose much of a threat in the division, especially after the deadline when they sell off any pieces that are performing at a high level.

So now we ask you, PHR readers, to make your pick for who will win the Central Division in 2022-23! Vote in the poll below and explain your thoughts in the comment section.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

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