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Avalanche Notes: Barrie, MacKinnon

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Despite rumors to the contrary, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie is going nowhere reports Denver Post writer Mike Chambers. Chambers secured an exclusive interview with general manager Joe Sakic who indicated that though negotiations could end in discussions with an arbitrator, Barrie is expected to remain a member of the organization. Barrie made $3.2MM last season and is projected to receive a bump along with a long term deal.

Sakic is also set to negotiate with star forward Nathan MacKinnon, who saw his entry level deal expire. MacKinnon had 52 points (21-31) during the 2015-2016 season. The #1 overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft, Chambers reports that MacKinnon is considered part of the core group that includes Gabe Landeskog, Matt Duchene, Erik Johnson, Semyon Varlamov and Barrie. He should receive a hefty raise as a result, whether it comes through a bridge or long term deal.

While the Avs have been unable to make the playoffs since their promising 2013-2014 campaign, Sakic’s patience shows that Colorado is far from making any wholesale changes. While speculation has run rampant over the future of the Avs, it appears Sakic is fine with what he has and will add where he sees fit.

Snapshots: Kopitar, Bryzgalov, Malkin

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According to the Los Angeles Kings team website, Anze Kopitar is set to become their next captain. Yahoo Sports also tweeted that the 28-year-old center was next in line after Dustin Brown.

Despite being the longest tenured captain in Kings’ history, Sports Illustrated’s Allan Muir reported that Brown had fallen out of favor with Kings brass as his production decreased. Muir also speculated that Kopitar would be named the next captain.

The LA Daily News’ Mark Whicker writes that Kopitar’s scoring prowess as well as status within the organization is what secured him as the next captain. Whicker adds that Brown can continue to show the leadership that helped guide the Kings to their first two Stanley Cups in franchise history as the transition is made.

More from the hockey world:

  • Former NHL goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has announced his intent to come back to the NHL according to the NHLPA website.  Bryzgalov last played for the Anaheim Ducks during the 2014-2015 season. The season’s long break apparently ignited the competitive fire in the 35-year-old goalie. Pro Hockey Talk’s Mike Halford writes that it may be a longshot for a comeback.
  • Evgeni Malkin may need elbow surgery writes the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Jenn Menendez. Malkin is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow to examine the extent of the damage. Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford indicated the injury was serious enough, but admitted that the severity of the injury was still unknown. Malkin had 18 points (6-12) in 23 playoff games.

Hurricanes Re-Sign Cam Ward

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The Carolina Hurricanes confirmed that they have re-signed goalie Cam Ward to a 2-year deal. According to the press release, Ward will make $3.5MM in the first year (2016-2017 season), and $3.1MM in the second (2017-2018 season). TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted earlier that the Hurricanes were reportedly close to re-signing the veteran goalie. The deal also includes a modified no trade clause, according to CapFriendly. The salary cap hit will be $3.3MM through the 2017-2018 season.

The 32-year-old netminder is coming off of a 6 year/$37.8MM deal. Last season, Ward posted 23 wins and a .909 save percentage.

Blackhawks Notes: Re-Signing Shaw, Panarin

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After yesterday’s trade that sent Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a couple of draft picks, more in the media are reporting how the move was made to secure restricted free agent Andrew Shaw. But it also appears to be a move made to keep another important winger in the fold.

CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers reports that not only are the Blackhawks keen on getting a deal done with Shaw by the end of the NHL Draft, but they are also looking ahead at re-signing  Artemi Panarin once they can begin in July (per CBA rules). Chicago Tribune writer Chris Hine also tweeted that Shaw’s agent will meet with the Blackhawks at the draft to nail down a contract.

The interesting point in all of this is that while Panarin had an unbelievable season, general manager Stan Bowman is still moving with caution. Bowman had a tough year with trades as moves for Trevor Daley, and Andrew Ladd didn’t pan out the way he anticipated. Ladd, while effective, didn’t bring the goal scoring or production Bowman hoped for when he traded for the winger in February. Daley never meshed with the Blackhawks after a trade that surrendered fan favorite Patrick Sharp and top prospect Stephen Johns. Sharp helped the Stars to a Central Division title while Johns became a contributor near the end of the season and into the playoffs. Daley was dumped to the Penguins for veteran Rob Scuderi in a move widely seen as a way to move salary and give Daley the opportunity to play somewhere else. It worked for Daley–he played a major role in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Stanley Cup run before succumbing to an ankle injury in the Eastern Conference Final. Scuderi, meanwhile, was flipped for Christian Ehrhoff, who rarely played in Chicago.

Bickell’s albatross of a contract will also remain a cautionary tale for anything Bowman chooses to do in the future. Bickell cashed in on his unbelievable performance in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. At the time, Bickell was rumored to get anywhere from $5MM-$6MM on the open market. The deal sealed by Bowman at the time was seen as a tremendous discount.

Regardless, most pundits will give Bowman the benefit of the doubt when it comes to offering Shaw a new contract because the organization has won 3 Stanley Cups under his watch. The Shaw move is seen as a way to acknowledge the wishes of head coach Joel Quenneville who called Shaw “irreplaceable” back in April. Whether Shaw is as irreplaceable as Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane remains to be seen, but Shaw’s presence has been noted during Chicago’s run of success.

Panarin, on the other hand, put up dizzying numbers in his first NHL season. Once negotiations can begin in July, it will be another test on Bowman’s part in giving him a contract he deserves, but keeping the contract reasonable. Rookies scoring 30 goals in a season doesn’t happen often and the Hawks know that. Bowman will show prudence, but few will question him if it’s Panarin, and not Shaw, who benefits more from the departure of Bickell and Teravainen.

Buyout Candidates: Bickell, Bolland, Cowen

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With the buyout window opening Wednesday evening, there is speculation as to which players will most likely see their contracts bought out. Luke Fox from Sportnet put together a list of players  who might find themselves a victim of buyer’s remorse. Here are a few:

  • Bryan Bickell: After having the playoff performance of a lifetime during the Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup run, Bickell’s contract has been a thorn in the side of the Hawks constant cap worries. Signed to a 4-year, $16MM deal in 2013, the return on investment has been null for the Blackhawks. Some will point to bench boss Joel Quenneville as one of the reasons Bickell never found sustained success after his magical year. Scott Powers wrote in the Chicago Sun Times back in January that Bickell was resigned to his fate, and that it was ultimately up to the Chicago brass as to how they solved the problem. Bickell was shuttled back and forth to AHL affiliate Rockford, and barely saw ice time even when he was up in Chicago. As Fox points out, with only a year left and $4MM owed, if Bickell isn’t traded, he’s most likely to be bought out.
  • Dave Bolland: Another former Blackhawk, Bolland has been injury plagued and unable to produce like he did when he was in Chicago. Back in December, the Hockey News  speculated that Bolland would be an excellent candidate to be removed from the books with 3 years still left on his deal. However, the average hit on the Cap should Florida choose to do this would be $1.833MM per year through the 2021-2022 season. While the Panthers have historically taken on large contracts to remain above the salary cap floor (Brian Campbell comes to mind immediately), this would be a steep price for six seasons of a nearly $2MM hit. One other caveat: Fox reports that Bolland failed a recent physical, which would disqualify his contract from being bought out per CBA rules.
  •  Jared Cowen: The Maple Leafs are in the midst of an epic purge, and already dealt most of the bad contracts from the previous regime. Cowen’s was acquired in the Dion Phaneuf trade, and as Fox notes, general manager Lou Lamoriello already indicated that Cowen would be bought out. TSN (as well as mentioned in Fox’s article) also writes that the Leafs would get a credit for buying the contract out. Mark this one down as a guarantee.

Snapshots: Las Vegas, Johansson, Ladd, Okposo

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The hockey world was abuzz with the confirmation that Las Vegas will in fact be the benefactor of expansion, making it the first of the big four sports in the city.  According to Associated Press writer Greg Beacham,  the fact that the team is bid out by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment lends credence to the thought that the nickname will in fact be the Black Knights. Beacham also points out that despite the financial woes seen in Arizona, the NHL is confident that hockey can flourish in the southwest.

Other news around hockey:

  • Marcus Johansson and the Washington Capitals appear ready to battle over money reports Chuck Gormley at CSN Mid Atlantic.  Johansson had another stellar season for the Capitals, registering 46 points in the regular season and adding 7 more in the playoffs. But Gormley writes that it might not be enough for Capitals GM Brian MacLellan, who believes a hometown discount won’t happen. Gormley also points out that Johansson is a valuable commodity, playing both wings and center for head coach Barry Trotz. Johansson isn’t the only one up for a contract, as defenseman Dmitry Orlov, and forwards Tom Wilson, and Michael Latta headline the restricted free agents the Capitals must re-sign.
  • ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun  penned that unrestricted free agent forward Andrew Ladd is most likely moving on from the Chicago Blackhawks. The 30-year-old winger was dealt to the Blackhawks in February but knew the Hawks had salary cap restrictions. While Ladd provided a spike in production, scoring 8 goals and 12 points in his return to Chicago, the Blackhawks were bounced by the Blues in 7 games in the first round of the playoffs. Ladd notched a goal and an assist in the seven games. LeBrun writes that Ladd is looking to join a contender, and is also considering his family’s wishes on where he goes next.
  • LeBrun also reported that New York Islanders forward Kyle Okposo is all but headed to free agency. The 28-year-old winger was a major contributor with 64 points (22-42) and will be a hot commodity once the window opens for free agents. LeBrun points out that Okposo’s age and scoring acumen are the main reasons teams will chase after him in July.

Free Agent Focus: Washington Capitals

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The 2015-2016 Washington Capitals were a pick by many to win the Stanley Cup after breezing through the regular season and capturing the President’s Trophy as the top point getter in league. But once again facing the now champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals found history repeating itself and lost to their rival in six games.

Cap Space: $12,788,204 (via CapFriendly)

Key UFAs: Winger Jason Chimera still registered 20 goals and 40 points in a full 82 games. It was the first time Chimera registered 20 goals in a season since the 2011-2012 campaign. Though he was quieter in the playoffs, Chimera was valuable as a third line wing and also spent time on the second power play unit. A return to Washington isn’t out of the question, but according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, Chimera is keeping his options open after one of the best seasons of his career.

Other UFAs: F Mike Richards, D Mike Weber.

Key RFAs: D Dmitry Orlov and F Marcus Johansson. Orlov notched 8 goals and 21 assists and played all 82 games, averaging 16:02 on the ice. His playoff numbers were dismal, but he was one of many Capitals who failed to produce in the postseason.  Johansson not only produced in the regular season with 46 points (17-29), but he also registered 7 points in 12 playoff games. The Capitals and Johansson have a history of negotiations and after an arbitrator ruled in favor of Johansson last year, it will be interesting to see how the Capitals value Johansson during negotiations.

Other RFAs: F Tom Wilson, F Michael Latta.

Red Wings Notes: Datsyuk, Howe, And Blashill

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The hockey world mourned with the Detroit Red Wings when legend and ambassador Gordie Howe passed away last Friday at the age of 88.  Tributes poured in, and San Jose even included a video tribute during the first intermission of last night’s Stanley Cup Final Game 6.

Howe’s wake will be held at the Joe Louis Arena tomorrow and open to the public to offer their respects. Howe’s death also affects the ramifications of the discussion between General Manager Ken Holland and Pavel Datsyuk on his expected retirement. Datsyuk’s contract will prove to hamper the Red Wings as it was extended when Datsyuk was 35. This of course means the full amount of his final year, $7.5MM, will remain on the books despite his retirement.

Already with the season over, speculation has run rampant over where the contract will be moved should Datsyuk indeed retire. The most likely places for his contract to be dealt to are Arizona, or Carolina. Most pundits have Arizona as the front runner since they have nearly $37MM of cap room to work with according to General Fanager. Once the meeting between Holland and Datsyuk takes place, it’s expected that the Red Wings will move accordingly to rid themselves of the contract. One element that Ken Holland has mentioned is his unwillingness to include a prospect or high draft pick to dispose of the contract. That may prove problematic since teams know how the contract hinders any offseason moves the Red Wings would want to make.

MLive.com’s Ansar Khan answered a lot of questions regarding head coach Jeff Blashill and the hiring of assistant coaches this offseason. Doug Houda and former Wild interim head coach John Torchetti were added in the past few weeks. Blashill came under fire for the regression of many players, namely forwards Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar, who were both expected to carry the team offensively. Blashill lost Tony Granato to the University of Wisconsin, where Granato once played and now serves as the head coach. Additionally, assistant coach Pat Ferschweiler was moved to the press box after the power play was dismal in the Red Wings first round loss to Tampa Bay.

St. Louis Blues Hire Mike Yeo As Associate Coach

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With the retirement of head coach Ken Hitchcock expected after the 2016-2017 season, the St. Louis Blues added former Wild boss Mike Yeo as an associate coach and head coach in waiting. According to the team’s official release, Rick Wilson will also be brought aboard as an assistant coach and the expectation is that Yeo will take over as the head coach upon Hitchcock’s retirement. The deal is over three years.

The news is an interesting wrinkle as Yeo was tasked with guiding a winner in Minnesota, which never materialized despite consecutive playoff appearances. Yeo failed to move the team past the second round of the playoffs, losing both times to the Chicago Blackhawks in both the 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 seasons. Yeo’s Wild also lost to the Blackhawks in the 2013 playoffs, but that time in the first round. Upon his firing this past February, General Manager Chuck Fletcher said that the team’s struggles led to Yeo’s departure.

Yeo is now tasked to work alongside Hitchcock with a team that exorcised some playoff demons by finally advancing to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2001. The pressure remains on as the Stanley Cup Final drought extends another year.

Hitchcock’s future has been murky at times, but this year’s success earned him a final year on the bench and the ability to retire on his own terms. Though the Blues roster is more complete in terms of talent, especially in the net, Yeo is hardly walking into an ideal situation.

The Blues first have to determine who to re-sign with captain David Backes, and winger Troy Brouwer among others scheduled to hit the market. Jaden Schwartz is a restricted free agent, and will command a much higher salary than the $2.35MM he was making before. General Manager Doug Armstrong has his work cut out for him in deciding who to keep, and possibly, who to shuttle to maintain the depth and prowess that powered the Blues out of past playoff failures.

Inevitably, Yeo will be measured against the more recent success and his ability to take the Blues to not only a Stanley Cup Final, but to finally bring the trophy home for the franchise. His failures with the Wild serve as a cautionary tale, but that was a team heavily dependent upon stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. With more balance throughout the lineup and a much more stable presence in the net, Yeo and the Blues might be what each other need to finally reach the promised land once Hitchcock steps away.

Minor NHL Transactions: 6/13/16

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Some free agent signings to report around the NHL:

  • The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defenseman Mark Barberio to a 2-year deal worth $1.5MM. The 26-year-old spent last season with the Canadiens before a concussion ended his season in March. Barberio had two goals and ten points in 30 games last season.
  • The Nashville Predators inked G Marek Mazanec to a one-year, $575,000 deal according to a team report. The 24-year-old netminder was signed to a two-way contract and spent the 2015-2016 season playing for the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s AHL affiliate.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a 3-year deal with 18-year-old  forward Sebastian Aho. The cap hit is $925,000. Aho was a second round pick for the Hurricanes in the 2015 draft and spent last season in the Finnish league Liiga where he registered 45 points in as many games. Aho will also play for Team Finland in the World Cup of Hockey.  They also inked 19-year-old forward Aleksi Saarela to a two year, entry level deal.  Saarela was acquired as part of the Eric Staal deal prior to the trade deadline.
  • The Calgary Flames signed G David Rittich to a one-year, $925,000 deal. A team report stated that the 23-year-old Czech netminder agreed to a two-way contract. Rittich spent last season with BK Mlada Boleslav of the Czech Extraliga.

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