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Mattias Janmark Re-Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have dealt with one of their restricted free agents, re-signing Mattias Janmark to a one-year contract. The deal carries a cap hit of $2.3MM, and will allow the team to avoid the arbitration hearing which had been set for August 3rd. Janmark will remain an RFA at the conclusion of the contract.

This deal is the very definition of a “prove it” contract for Janmark and the Stars, who will see whether the 19 goals he scored last season are a sign of things to come or a result of his 14% shooting percentage. For being almost 26 years old, Janmark doesn’t have a huge history of NHL success since he spent several professional seasons in Sweden and lost an entire year to Osteochrondritis dissecans. As Sean Shaprio of The Athletic tweets, Janmark seems to be the only professional athlete to have ever dealt with that specific disorder, which claimed his entire 2016-17 season following surgery.

Still, he has produced 63 points in 154 games and seems entirely recovered and ready to contribute this season. For $2.3MM he doesn’t have to produce any more than that, but he now has a chance to prove he deserves a long-term deal with an even higher cap hit. Next summer he’ll be in his final year of restricted free agency, meaning any deal would have to buy out almost exclusively UFA years. If he’s going to stay in Dallas and be part of the solution, he’ll have to show that he can be a consistent secondary scoring threat while being responsible enough to contribute on the penalty kill.

Calgary Flames Avoid Arbitration With Mark Jankowski

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The Calgary Flames have settled on a two-year contract with Mark Jankowski, avoiding the arbitration process entirely. The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.675MM. Jankowski was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Friday, but will no longer need to go through it.

Jankowski, 23, played his first full season in the NHL in 2017-18, and rewarded the Flames’ patience with 17 goals. Selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, he’d previously played just a single game in the NHL and looked like he might never become the powerful two-way center that Calgary had hoped for. Now that future looks bright again and he’ll head into next season fighting for a role on the third line. The team did bring in Derek Ryan to help out their center depth, but Jankowski has a much greater upside with his big frame and scoring ability.

That upside could be a huge factor for the Flames this season if they’re going to get back to the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup. Even with outstanding seasons from the top duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, the team didn’t have enough secondary scoring or defensive unity to compete in the Pacific Division. Jankowski, along with newcomers like Elias Lindholm and James Neal, should bring an added punch to the forward group that will allow them to score with anyone in the west, while also being stable enough in their own end to help Mike Smith post another good season.

The two-year deal will carry Jankowski to age 25, at which point he will still be a restricted free agent. Technically he could qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency, but only needs seven more games played to become ineligible. Instead, he’ll be trying to sign a long-term deal that pays him like the first-round pick he was, and solidifies him as the team’s third center option behind Monahan and Mikael Backlund.

Tucker Poolman, Marko Dano Re-Sign With Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets have locked up one of their depth defensemen, signing Tucker Poolman to a three-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $775K and take Poolman right through to unrestricted free agency in 2021. The team has also re-signed Marko Dano to a one-year $800K contract, crossing out another one of their arbitration eligible restricted free agents. Dano was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 30th, but will now not need to travel to Toronto for the meeting.

Though Poolman and Dano both had to get new contracts, the Jets still have a remarkable number of restricted free agents left to sign this summer. Josh Morrissey, Nicolas Kerdiles, J.C. Lipon, Nic Petan and Eric Comrie are all still sitting without contracts. None of those four are scheduled for arbitration though, giving the team some respite from the ticking clock that the hearings brought.

The 25-year old Poolman only played in 24 games with the Jets this season, but also wasn’t given the opportunity to develop in the minor leagues. The former University of North Dakota standout served as the extra man on many nights, something that he may have to suffer through again in 2018-19. When Morrissey is signed, the Jets will have eight defensemen signed to one-way contracts, with Poolman earning the lowest amount of the group. Perhaps he’s fine with the role he’s been given though, as a three-year deal is longer than many expected. It actually buys out a year of unrestricted free agency, but gives Poolman barely a raise on the minimum NHL salary.

For Dano, this may be one of his last chances to prove that he’s an NHL regular. After being selected in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets five years ago, Dano has failed to secure a full-time spot in three different organizations and played only 23 games for the Jets last season. He’ll turn 24 this November and with 45 points in 130 career games, there may not be another one-way contract waiting for him in free agency next summer.

Brandon Montour Settles With Anaheim Ducks

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Brandon Montour has reached a two-year contract settlement with the Anaheim Ducks. Montour was in Toronto for his arbitration hearing today, but will not have to wait for a contract to be awarded. Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports the deal will be worth an average annual value of $3,387,500. Montour will still be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the contract in 2020.

Montour, 24, is a very important part of the Ducks’ defense corps now that Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen have been sent elsewhere in the last 13 months. Suddenly a system that was overflowing for top-four options is just one injury away from installing an unproven prospect or lackluster veteran into an important spot, something the team will try to avoid at all costs this year. Luke Schenn and Andrej Sustr were brought in to replace outgoing veterans Kevin Bieksa and Francois Beauchemin, but neither should be asked for more than bottom-pairing minutes this season. That means Montour, along with Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson will need to take the lion’s share of the work all season long.

The Ducks do have some young players who could have an impact before long, as Jacob Larsson, Marcus Pettersson and Josh Mahura all look to have solid upside. But it’s Montour and the others that will be given every opportunity to show that they are among the league’s best and carry an Anaheim team back to the playoffs. Signing a two-year bridge deal works for both sides, as the Ducks are given a chance to keep evaluating Montour at a reduced cost, while the player can prove he’s deserving of a huge contract in the summer of 2020. Montour will have just one year of restricted free agency remaining when this contract ends, meaning any long-term deal would be quite expensive.

In fact, this deal gives the young right-handed defender a chance to really develop into an elite offensive option before needing his next contract. Montour already recorded 32 points in his first full season with the Ducks, and could easily put up even more than that now that Vatanen will be gone for the whole season. A natural powerplay quarterback, Montour should split the man-advantage duties with Fowler this season. That kind of production, especially from a right-handed defenseman, is widely sought after on the open market. John Carlson, a player who has only twice broken the 40-point mark in a season—the most recent of which being his 68-point 2017-18 campaign—was just given an eight-year $64MM contract extension by the Washington Capitals. While comparing Montour to Carlson directly may be a little unfair, it gives an obvious example of how healthy the market is for puck-moving defensemen on the right side.

The deal leaves the Ducks with plenty of cap space for next season, though they’re certainly not finished this summer. Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie are both still restricted free agents in need of contracts, though neither was eligible for arbitration. The pair should take up a big chunk of the projected $8.7MM remaining cap space, though there may be enough left for a potential trade. While the Ducks have a ton of talent on the roster, their depth is running a bit thin at almost every position. Sustr and Schenn aren’t legitimate top-four options, while Kalle Kossila or Carter Rowney may be their best options for the third-line pivot position if Ryan Kesler can’t start the season. Neither of those are good situations for a team that’s looking to do damage in the postseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Joel Edmundson Avoids Arbitration, Re-Signs With St. Louis Blues

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The St. Louis Blues have avoided arbitration with Joel Edmundson, agreeing to terms with the defenseman on a one-year $3MM deal. Edmundson had a hearing scheduled for tomorrow, but won’t need to make the trip to Toronto. Edmundson will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal, and can start negotiating a long-term extension in January.

The 25-year old defenseman has grown from a second-round lottery ticket into a key part of the Blues defense corps over the last few seasons, logging nearly 21 minutes a night in 2017-18. That growth led to a career-high 17 points last season in 69 games, while averaging more than two minutes a night on the penalty kill and seeing virtually no powerplay time. That kind of responsibility should continue for Edmundson, especially given the other aging left-handed options for St. Louis.

Jay Bouwmeester, who has been a rock for the Blues for so many years, saw his ice time dwindle and injuries hold him to just 35 games last season. Though he’s expected to be ready for training camp despite undergoing hip surgery just a few months ago, Bouwmeester can’t be a long-term option for the Blues as he enters the final year of his current contract. He’ll turn 35 before the season begins and should see his role diminished even further this season. Carl Gunnarsson played 63 games for the Blues last season but is easily replaceable and also entering the final season of his current deal. It seems unlikely that either will be retained next summer for anything more than a one-year deal, giving Edmundson and others like Vince Dunn the chance to really put their stamp on the team.

Edmundson especially could set himself up for a big payday with a good season. Next summer he’ll be just one year away from unrestricted free agency, meaning any long-term contract will be buying out nearly exclusively UFA seasons. Every time that happens the cap hit goes up, which is also likely the reason for a one-year deal being the settling point this time around. The Blues have just over $1MM left in cap space and still have Jordan Schmaltz to re-sign, meaning there wasn’t enough space to pay Edmundson what he’d get on a longer deal. It seems extremely likely then that he’ll be extended in early 2019, and take his place as the top left-handed option for the Blues.

Calgary Flames, Brett Kulak Await Arbitration Decision

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Almost unbelievably, given recent history, another salary arbitration case has gone to hearing today without a contract resolution. The Calgary Flames, defenseman Brett Kulak, and their respective representatives sat down with the arbitrator this morning and Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson says that the parties emerged from the meeting a few hours ago. The two sides now have an approximate 48-hour window to reach an extension settlement on their own terms. Once the formal decision is made on Wednesday, the awarded contract will be final.

Similar to the Jacob Trouba case – the decision handed down yesterday – it seems like the Flames and Kulak are content to await the arbitrator’s judgement, though. Calgary considers Kulak to be a replacement-level, fringe NHL player. They established that when they filed at the minimum $650K for a two-way contract in their arbitration brief and then enforced it when they placed Kulak on waivers on Friday. Kulak and his reps feel that he has established himself as a regular in the league and is deserving of a one-way deal worth more than $1MM. There is a convincing case to be made on both sides and countless comparable contracts to cite, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a middle ground when even the nature of the contract is in dispute, nevertheless salary and term. It’s been all quiet on both sides in recent days and the next 48 hours seem likely to go unused.

The Flames may also be preoccupied with two more upcoming arbitration cases and willing to take what they get from the arbitrator rather than spend time continuing negotiations with Kulak’s side. Calgary faces forward Mark Jankowski on Friday and goaltender David Rittich on Saturday, two players likely to play a larger role for the Flames this season and beyond than Kulak. Such a busy arbitration schedule is far from the norm for Calgary; beat writer Darren Haynes points out that the Flames have reached the hearing stage of salary arbitration with just one player – Lance Bouma in 2015 – in the last ten years. If nothing changes, they are less than a week away from quadrupling that total.

Brock Nelson Re-Signs With New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders have re-signed Brock Nelson, but only to a one-year contract which means he will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Nelson was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 3rd, but will no longer require the meeting in Toronto. According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, the deal will carry a $4.25MM cap hit.

The 26-year old Nelson is coming off his fourth consecutive season of at least 81 games for the Islanders, though he failed to reach 20 goals for the first time in that stretch. Finishing with 19 tallies and 35 points, Nelson saw a reduction in his playing time given the immediate impact of rookie center Mathew Barzal. Now without John Tavares in the mix the opportunity is there for Nelson to step into a more offensive role, perhaps even centering a line with the wing pair of Anders Lee and Josh Bailey. Whether that opportunity leads to a career-year for Nelson will greatly affect where he stands among unrestricted free agents next offseason, and his worth to the Islanders at the trade deadline.

Selected 30th overall back in 2010, Nelson has been a full-time player for the Islanders now for five years but hasn’t been able to really break out as a top-six center. He does have 188 points in 398 games, but has frustrated Islanders fans with inconsistent play throughout the years. Much of that likely comes from the obvious potential he has to be more than he’s shown, and this may be his last chance to do so in New York. Nelson is coming off a three-year $7.5MM contract and is looking at a substantial raise on the $2.5MM cap hit he’s carried for the past few years. That increased salary won’t take any of the pressure off his back as the Islanders look to contend in the post-Tavares world.

The Islanders were backed into a corner with Nelson if he or they didn’t want to sign a long-term deal. The arbitrator would have only been allowed to award a one-year contract, meaning Nelson could have just waited a few weeks to guarantee his free agency in 2019. Whether the team even wants to sign him long-term isn’t clear though, especially given the uncertainty on the roster right now. Though Barzal looks ready to take on superstar status in the league, the rest of the team is lagging behind and they only added depth pieces in the offseason like Leo Komarov and Valtteri Filppula. If the team struggles, Nelson would be better used as trade fodder at the deadline to help give the team even more future assets to build around.

$4.25MM doesn’t make him a bargain, but teams are always looking to add help down the middle at the trade deadline. Even if the Islanders are in the playoff hunt, new GM Lou Lamoriello may decide that cashing in on an expiring Nelson is the best option. The two sides can’t talk about an extension until January 1, 2019 at which point both will have a better idea of where his market will end up next summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Should The Ottawa Senators Trade Mark Stone?

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The Ottawa Senators have just two weeks to sign Mark Stone before an arbitrator awards a one-year contract that would send him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019. His hearing is scheduled for August 3rd, after which there will still be a short window to get a deal done before the one-year deal is awarded. Getting him signed to a multi-year contract appears to be a priority, but what if the team can’t get him to sign this summer?

If Stone makes it to the arbitration award and the Senators decide not to walk away from it, it would put them in an interesting situation. He wouldn’t be eligible to sign an extension—or even discuss one—until January 1st, 2019 since he’s on a one-year deal, which would also put him just a few months from the end of the season and a potential bidding war for his services on the open market. After all, Stone has developed into one of the most consistent two-way wingers in the NHL and put up 62 points in just 58 games during the 2017-18 season. His ability to create turnovers and strip unsuspecting players of the puck is almost unmatched around the league, and he can be used in many different offensive roles depending on the situation. Though there are other top forwards scheduled for free agency next offseason, Stone would be right among them as one of the top options available.

So, if there is any indication that Stone won’t sign a multi-year contract in the next two weeks should the Senators consider trading him? The team has already lost Mike Hoffman this summer to the Florida Panthers, and traded Dion Phaneuf at the deadline to free up some cap space last season. If it’s to be believed that captain Erik Karlsson is the next one out the door, what is left for Stone to accomplish this season for the club? The Senators aren’t expected to compete for the playoffs let alone the Stanley Cup, and could be several years away from contention given that they also owe their 2019 first-round pick to Colorado for Matt Duchene—who is also scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019. Would moving Stone following his arbitration hearing be the ideal time? Should the team be considering it even if they can work out a multi-year deal with their 26-year old forward? Or is waiting to see how the team reacts this year the best option?

Cast your vote below and explain how you’d be approaching the situation in Ottawa if you were GM Pierre Dorion. Is Stone part of the turnaround, or just an asset to get a head start on the incoming rebuild?

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Winnipeg Jets’ Jacob Trouba Awarded One-Year, $5.5MM Contract From Arbitrator

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Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba was awarded a one-year, $5.5MM contract from an arbitrator, according to Elliotte Friedman. The deal is an even split down the middle as the Jets submitted a $4MM bid, while Trouba requested a salary at $7MM.

The deal is very cap friendly for the Jets who could have seen a much larger sum awarded to Trouba. The Athletic’s Sean Tierney reports that the salary comparisons included Duncan Keith, Andrej Sekera, Tyler Myers, Justin Schultz, Colton Parayko and Jeff Petry.

Now with the deal complete, the Jets must turn their attention to their other restricted free agents. The team still has to deal with Brandon Tanev, Marko Dano, Tucker Poolman, Josh Morrissey, Nicolas Kerdiles, Eric Comrie, Nicolas Petan and J.C. Lipon. With the Trouba deal, the team will have less than $13MM in cap space to lock them up. However, that number will be reduced even further once performance bonuses have been added into the cap, making it closer to $9.3MM.

Regardless, the biggest concern was Trouba’s deal, which the team has 48 hours to accept it (which they will) or allow him to walk away now as an unrestricted free agent. While this relieves immediate pressure, the one-year deal suggests the team must go through the same process once again next season as he will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights for the 2019-20 season before he will become an unrestricted free agent. The team has to hope they can come to a long-term agreement at some point in the next year before losing him before the 2020-21 season. With the possibility that Trouba is not interest in signing long-term with the Jets, Trouba’s name could find itself in the rumor mill for quite a long time. The team, however, cannot talk extension until Jan. 1, 2019.

Anaheim Ducks, Brandon Montour Submit Arbitration Briefs

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Salary arbitration is popular in the NHL this year. A process that often acts more as a looming threat to accelerate and finalize contract talks rather than for it’s actual intended use, arbitration has nonetheless been a much greater story line already this off-season compared to most. A decision for Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba is expected at some point today barring a last-minute agreement between both sides, the Calgary Flames and defenseman Brett Kulak have exchanged figures and seem likely to sit down for their scheduled hearing tomorrow, and now a third case is going through the motions ahead of a Tuesday hearing date.

Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reports that the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Brandon Montour have exchanged arbitration briefs and requested salary figures this morning. Friedman states that the team side has filed at $1.5MM, while the player side has filed at $4.75MM. Friedman adds that, while the team decides the length of a player-elected arbitration decision, Montour is hopeful for one year while the team is asking for two. Montour is three years away from unrestricted free agency, meaning a contract of either length would expire under team control.

The exchange of arbitration figures today comes after a report yesterday that Ducks GM Bob Murray was still holding out hope that a bridge deal could be agreed upon. Often the formal submission of briefs is enough to get both sides on the same page and eager to keep the decision between them. The filing figures set a midpoint of $3.25MM. If the two sides use that as a starting point for a bridge deal, a three-year term would likely fall below that point – as Montour would then hit the free agent market – while anything longer would likely come in above it as prime UFA years are chewed up.

Montour is an interesting case as a player who has been very successful in limited game played before becoming arbitration eligible. Montour, 24, has only 107 NHL games to his credit, but has been a consistent scorer and top-four regular for Anaheim after honing his game at the college level with UMass. There aren’t many good comparisons of past arbitration-eligible contracts for players with this skill level but lack of experience. For something to compare it to, both the Edmonton Oilers’ Matt Benning and New York Islanders’ Ryan Pulock are similar players who signed two-year deals worth $1.8MM and $2MM respectively this off-season. Neither is as well-rounded as Montour and neither had arbitration rights, meaning the decision is likely to come in above that point. However, Montour’s side may have a tough case – if it gets to that point – arguing that he is worth the full $4.75 given his limited games played in the league.

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