Don Sweeney

NHL Snapshots: Engelland, Pastrnak, Eichel

August 20, 2017 at 9:21 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

There were some confused faces a couple of months ago when fading veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland was one of the first players that the Vegas Golden Knights began to negotiate with when the team’s clock started to get the first-crack at negotiating with free agents. Afterall, the long-time veteran was never a blueliner to put up offensive numbers, but it was his defensive skills and speed that had begun to show signs of wear and tear in the last year or two.

Yet, the Golden Knights chose to ink the 35-year old to a one-year, $1MM deal instead of taking one of Calgary’s exposed players in the expansion draft. Perhaps the main reason is that Engelland has been an offseason resident of Las Vegas for the last 14 years, according to Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated. He initially spent two years in Las Vegas starting in 2003, playing for the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers, where he eventually met his wife and then settled down in the city. His knowledge and experience with the fledgling sports city has proven valuable to many Vegas-bound players who are slowly arriving for the team’s inaugural season. The veteran has helped several players including defenseman Nate Schmidt and forward Erik Haula in getting settled before the season starts.

Engelland’s veteran presence and leadership skills should prove valuable to a stable of young defenseman such as Schmidt, Shea Theodore, Luca Sbisa, Brayden McNabb, Jonathon Merrill and Colin Miller amongst several others.

Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News writes that despite an earlier rumor that Boston’s David Pastrnak might be traded which was quickly shot down by Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney, the team’s hopes of signing him to a six-year deal for $6MM annually is not going to happen. Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl’s new eight-year, $64MM deal will only make negotiations with Pastrnak’s camp more challenging for the GM. Richardson writes that he believes Pastrnak’s camp may not ask for the $8.5MM AAV that Draisaitl received, but the Bruins must at least come up to a minimum of $7MM annually to get a long-term deal struck.
Speaking of long-term deals, Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that phenom Jack Eichel has made it explicitly clear that he wants to sign a long-term deal to stay in Buffalo. The scribe also writes that both sides want the extension completed before training camp starts next month. “I’ve made it clear that I want to be a Sabre. I want to be in Buffalo when we start winning,” Eichel reiterated. “I want to reward the city. It’s been two great years. I don’t want to go anywhere else.” After recent extensions for Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, the team must figure out where Eichel’s contract should fit. Harrington suggests a deal around $9MM per year is what Buffalo hopes to ink him to. The 20-year old is coming off a second 24-goal season, but this year he did it in fewer games, having missed 21 games due to a high ankle sprain suffered at the beginning of the season.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins

August 16, 2017 at 8:37 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Boston Bruins

Current Cap Hit: $64,848,335 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry Level Contracts

D Charlie McAvoy (two years remaining, $917K)
D Brandon Carlo (two years remaining, $789K)
F Frank Vatrano (one year remaining, $792.5K)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (two years remaining, $917K)
F Anders Bjork (three years remaining, $925K)

Boston has one of the deeper prospect pipelines in the NHL with upwards of a dozen players in the system on entry-level deals who could earn a call-up before that deal expires. However, this group of five stands the best chance of having a major impact on the Bruins right away in 2017-18.

Carlo, of course, already has a full year under his belt in which he skated in all 82 regular season games and played in over 20 minutes per night, all under the tutelage of one of the best defensive players of his generation: Zdeno Chara. Carlo has already made his #37 overall draft slot look like a steal, but with two more years at under $800K as he develops into a shutdown NHL defender, he could be one of the best blue line bargains in the league.

McAvoy is certainly ready to give Carlo a run for that title though. One of the Calder Trophy favorites for the upcoming season, McAvoy was thrown into the fire last season, making his NHL debut in the Bruins opening round playoff series. McAvoy performed admirably among a ragtag group of replacement players on Boston’s battered blue line and showed that he is more than ready for NHL action. Burning a season off of McAvoy’s ELC was a tough call for GM Don Sweeney and company, but giving McAvoy a taste last year could pay off this year. The former Boston University star and 2016 first-rounder will have all eyes on him in 2017-18.

Burning a year off of Forsbacka Karlsson’s entry-level deal for just one late-season game may have been ill-advised however. The Bruins love “JFK” and his two-way ability and cerebral play at center, with some in the organization and outside observers comparing him to Boston’s own Patrice Bergeron, widely considered the best two-way forward in the game. Those are big expectations to meet, but the Bruins will give Forsbacka Karlsson every chance to earn a regular role this season as they work to develop him into a well-rounded pro. JFK may not have the immediate impact, and expected pay day, of Carlo or McAvoy, but in two years he will certainly be worth more than $917K.

Vatrano has been a revelation for Boston since he was signed as an undrafted free agent, leaving UMass Amherst early in 2015. Vatrano led the AHL in goal scoring in 2015-16 with a stunning 36 goals in 36 games, while tallying 29 points in 83 NHL games along the way as well. Injury and inconsistency slowed down Vatrano’s rapid ascension last season, making 2017-18, his final ELC season, a major year in his career.

Finally, the Bruins were able to convince Bjork, a superstar at Notre Dame and the team’s 2014 fifth-round pick, to leave school early and sign on in Boston. The maximum three-year, $925K per ELC was nice motivation, but the team likely had to promise some play time as well. While Bjork’s spot on the team this season is not set in stone, with fellow high-end prospects Jake DeBrusk, Zach Senyshyn, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen clamoring for NHL play time, it seems that he’ll certainly get a chance. If the 2016-17 Hobey Baker candidate can find even remotely similar success in the big leagues compared to his past two NCAA seasons, his three-years of production at under $1MM will look mighty nice on the Bruins’ payroll.

One Year Remaining

D Zdeno Chara ($4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Spooner ($2.825MM, RFA)
F Riley Nash ($900K, UFA)
G Anton Khudobin ($1.2MM, UFA)

While it is a relatively painless 2018 free agency class for Boston, the end of Chara’s contract does loom large. The NHL’s tallest man has been the Bruins top defenseman since he signed with the team originally back in 2006 and very well could continue to be next season. It is possible that the Bruins re-sign Chara, whose cap hit drops from nearly $7MM to just $4MM this year, to a more affordable, short-term contract, but the more likely scenario is that the 40-year-old simply retires. He’ll leave the Boston blue line in much better condition than he found it back in ’06, with Torey Krug ready to lead the next wave of McAvoy, Carlo, and prospects like Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, and Uhro Vaakanainen, but his size, strength, experience, and most of all, leadership, will not be easy to replace. The captain’s absence will be felt before the team even takes the ice for 2018-19 and could lead to the Bruins using the cap space Chara leaves behind to explore the free agent market.

Spooner and the Bruins nearly went to salary arbitration this summer, agreeing to terms on a one-year extension the morning of the hearing. Next year could be a very similar situation, whether Spooner performs or not. If Spooner can bounce back from a down 2016-17 season and prove that he is more than just a one-dimensional power play asset, then the Bruins will have to give him a raise on his new $2.825MM deal. If Spooner yet again struggles with the two-way and positional aspects of the game and is overshadowed by the Bruins’ younger talent, Sweeney will have to decide between bringing Spooner back again at a similar price and using up a roster spot or instead trading him away.

Nash and Khudobin, both signed on July 1st, 2016 to affordable two-year deals, also had incredibly similar seasons last year. Both were very disappointing for much of the year before their play picked up toward the end of the season. Going into 2017-18, Nash faces more pressure as he could take on the full responsibility of being the veteran presence on the checking line with Dominic Moore now gone. If Nash rises to the occasion, the Bruins have shown a fondness and loyalty toward their veteran fourth-liners and could reward Nash with an extension and a raise. If not, he’ll be gone. Khudobin also needs to have a big year, with starter Tuukka Rask in need of more rest than he got last season, but if Khudobin flops or if 24-year-old Zane McIntyre continues to light up the AHL, it seems very unlikely that he will re-sign.

Two Years Remaining

D Adam McQuaid ($2.75MM, UFA)

McQuaid has had a great run in Boston, including a Stanley Cup in 2011, but with injury concerns already an issue and Kevan Miller having passed him up on the depth chart with a very similar playing style, there is little doubt that 2018-19 will be McQuaid’s last in Boston. McQuaid will be 32 that year, playing behind Miller, McAvoy, and Carlo on the right side, with the Bruins’ ample defensive depth in the pipeline pushing for play time. Unless he’s willing to take a major pay cut to keep his seventh-man job, McQuaid will be gone.

Three Years Remaining

D Torey Krug ($5.25MM, UFA)
D Kevan Miller ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Matt Beleskey ($3.8MM, UFA)

The Bruins are surely hoping that by 2020 the likes of McAvoy, Carlo, Zboril, Lauzon, Lindgren, Vaakanainen, and a few other additions here and there will make the end of Krug and Miller’s contracts a non-issue. At that time, Miller will be 32, like McQuaid the year before, and could be on the way out. Krug will be just 29, but four of those other defenseman listed are also lefties and could be a better value on ELC’s and bridge deals than what easily could be an extension worth $7MM annually. With that said, Krug could take on a vital leadership role on the blue line after Chara’s departure and that, coupled with his rising offensive numbers each year, could make him a valuable commodity that the B’s would rather keep around beyond his current contract. The same could go for the reliable Miller, who has really rounded out his game recently. Boston showed their true feelings this summer, opting to expose (and subsequently lose) young Colin Miller in the Expansion Draft rather than risk the same fate for Kevan Miller and his reasonable cap hit over three more years. Miller could be kept around as a solid stay-at-home anchor on the bottom pair beyond 2020.

Beleskey had a career year in his first season in Boston and his $3.8MM cap hit seemed well worth it. He then had a disastrous year in his second season, plagued by injury and utter ineffectiveness, and his $3.8MM cap hit was the Bruins’ biggest blemish. If the next season or two go more like last year, then Beleskey is unlikely to even make it to 2020 without being traded or bought out. If he straightens out and returns to near 40-point production, then he will surely play out his contract. Beleskey’s hard-nosed brand of hockey may even make him a fan favorite in Boston if he returns to form, which could lead to an extension. The future of Beleskey in Boston is completely unclear, but 2017-18 will make a major difference.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F David Krejci ($7.25MM through 2020-21)
F David Backes ($6MM through 2020-21)
G Tuukka Rask ($7MM through 2020-21)
F Patrice Bergeron ($6.875MM through 2021-22)
F Brad Marchand ($6.125MM through 2024-25)

Few teams in the NHL have their core locked up as well as the Bruins do. While both Krejci and Backes are coming off of down years and their expensive cap hits and four more years of term can seem like a burden on Boston, a return to form is expected in 2017-18 and both players have the physical tools to play out their contracts as reliable top-six skaters. Backes would be 37 at the end of his contract and Krejci would be 35, with neither a lock for any extension.

Even if Krejci and Backes continue to put up just modest numbers relative to their chunk of the salary cap, it is hard to compete with the job the Bruins have done locking up Bergeron, Marchand, and Rask.

It is difficult to argue that Bergeron is not the best two-way forward in the game and he may even be the best of all time. He is the undisputed leader of the Bruins’ forward corps and will take his rightful place as captain once Chara retires. Beyond those intangibles, Bergeron is also a consistent 50-60 point scorer. For all that, the Bruins pay less than $7MM per year for five more years. It is undoubtedly one of the best bargains in the NHL. There is also little concern about Bergeron slowing down. He may be the best bet of any player in the NHL to play into his 40’s due to his style and work ethic. Boston surely plans on having him mentor the likes of Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, and Jack Studnicka into two-way stars in their own right. When Bergeron’s contract expires in 2022, he will still be just 37 years old, despite having 19 seasons of NHL experience. The smart money is on Bergeron signing another short-term deal in Boston after his current contract expires and whenever he does call it quits, it seems inevitable that there will be a spot in the rafters at TD Garden with his name on it.

Challenging Bergeron for one of the best contracts in hockey is long-time line mate Marchand. Marchand inked an eight-year, $49MM extension with the Bruins last summer to avoid the drama of impending free agency in 2016-17. However, Marchand then went and shattered his career highs, recording 85 points – 24 more than his best – and finishing in the top five in the NHL in goals and points. Marchand was named a First Team All-Star and even garnered some Hart Trophy consideration. If Marchand had hit the free agent market this off-season, there is no doubt that he would have made $8MM+ on a long-term deal, in Boston or elsewhere, rather than $6.125MM. Marchand has always been considered a talented two-way player with speed and scoring ability, but if he has really taken the next step toward elite NHL scorer, then then next eight years could be pretty special for Boston.

Finally, there’s Rask, who is signed for four more years at $7MM. Rask gets his fair share of criticism, and maybe more than his fair share in New England, but at the end of the day he is an elite goaltender. Many forget that Rask has the best career save percentage in NHL history, not to mention the top goals against average among all active players. While the game has changed over the years and it is hard to compare Rask to some of the greats of earlier years, the stats state that he is the best of all time which at least implies that he is an elite NHL goaltender. Compared to the $10.5MM that Carey Price will be paid starting in 2018-19 and the current contracts for aging keepers Henrik Lundqvist and Pekka Rinne, Rask’s deal is a steal and he has shown no signs of deterioration at age 30, making the four remaining years likely to be just as stellar as the past four.

Buyouts

D Dennis Seidenberg ($2.2MM this year, $1.2MM in 2018-19 and 2019-20)

F Jimmy Hayes ($567K this year, $867K next year)

Considering his rebirth with the New York Islanders, the Bruins short-term need on the left side of the defense, and the relatively steep cost of the buyout, cutting Seidenberg was regrettable. The Hayes buyout seems far less likely to leave Bruins fans feeling any regret.

Still To Sign

F David Pastrnak

The Bruins have stated that they will not trade Pastrnak and are looking to extend him long-term. The 21-year-old scorer with three NHL seasons and 123 points already is likely to soon join the list of smart long-term deals signed by Boston. Pastrnak scored 70 points in 75 games in 2016-17 and has 80-90 point upside, even in the conservative Boston offense. Even if it costs the Bruins $8MM per year to sign him for the maximum eight years it will be well worth it. Assets like Pastrnak don’t come around very often and when his eight-year deal expires and he’s still just 29 years old and ready for another eight years of elite production, the Bruins will be glad they did what they had to do to keep him.

Best Value – Brad Marchand

Worst Value – Matt Beleskey (for now)

Looking Ahead

The Bruins have been completely uninvolved in the free agent market this summer thus far, presumably opting instead to give their own young players a shot at roster spots this season. With lots of talent making its way to the pro level, that trend doesn’t seem likely to end any time soon. With their core locked up long term at an affordable rate and cheap young talent to fill out the roster, the Bruins are attempting to do one of the most difficult things in sports: rebuilding on the fly. If it works out, Boston won’t have to deal with a difficult cap crunch for many years. If it doesn’t and the Bruins have to dip into the 2018 free agent market, things could get a little tight.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Austin Czarnik

July 18, 2017 at 2:50 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

Tuesday: The team has officially announced the signing.

Monday: A day after extending young goalies Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban, the Boston Bruins have come to terms with another one their restricted free agents. According to CapFriendly, two-way forward Austin Czarnik has re-signed with the Bruins on a one-year, two-way deal. Czarnik will make just $675K at the NHL level, which may end up being a bargain for GM Don Sweeney and company after a solid rookie season.

Czarnik, the former captain of the Miami University RedHawks and a highly sought-after college free agent in 2015, has found success in all aspects of the game so far in his pro career. In 2015-16, Czarnik, alongside Boston’s Frank Vatrano and former Bruin Seth Griffith, had a breakout campaign in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, scoring 61 points in 68 games in his first pro season. Czarnik led all AHL rookies in points, and that offensive production earned him an NHL shot last season. The small, shifty center took on an important bottom-six role for the first half of the season, recording 13 points in 49 games and leading the team’s third penalty kill unit. While Czarnik did not show the same offensive explosion, he proved that he had the intelligence, composure, and versatility to be an NHL player. Czarnik was eventually returned to Providence for much of the second half and the postseason, where he again was an offensive juggernaut with 23 points in 22 games, but has earned another shot in Boston in the near future. Czarnik is one of many young forwards who will fight for a roster spot this season, including fellow two-way forwards Noel Acciari and college teammate Sean Kuraly, veteran minor leaguers Tim Schaller and Kenny Agostino, and promising prospect scorers Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Zach Senyshyn, Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen. Czarnik may need some luck to hold off a plethora of NHL-ready talent, but has the advantage of NHL experience on his side.

With Czarnik signed, the Bruins’ only two remaining restricted free agents are a couple of notable names: 21-year-old star winger David Pastrnak and play-making third-line center Ryan Spooner. While Boston is high on Czarnik and other young forwards, with more than enough competition as is, many also believe that they could stand to add another veteran winger into the mix as well. However, such a move will likely come after the extensions for Pastrnak and Spooner are over with. Negotiations with Pastrnak have been ongoing for a while now and Spooner has his arbitration date set for July 26th, so it’s only a matter of time before the Bruins have more news to announce. Re-upping Czarnik is another step in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done in Boston.

NHL Snapshots: Jankowski, Chelios, Pastrnak, Dostie, Hintz

July 9, 2017 at 2:25 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres continue to do some management restructuring today, announcing the hiring of Ryan Jankowski to be the new director of amateur scouting. The team is also promoting Scott Crisp to be the assistant director of amateur scouting. Jankowski, who spent the last four years with Hockey Canada and served as the director of amateur of scouting there, now comes to join Jason Botterill and his new staff. He was responsible for selecting and evaluating players for Canada’s national junior team as well as under-18 and under-17 programs. He has also previously worked as a scout for the Montreal Canadiens and an assistant general manager for the New York Islanders, and had a hand in drafting current Sabres’ Kyle Okposo. Crisp, the team’s former head scout, has been scouting for 17 years, including the Calgary Flames and the Anaheim Ducks.

About a month ago, PHR reported that Chris Chelios was leaving the Detroit Red Wings organization. The part-time assistant coach was reportedly trying to gain a position with the NHL Players’ Association. However, Chelios might not be as gone as some think. According to NBC Sports’ Cam Tucker, Chelios was recently seen at the Red Wings development camp and is still listed as an assistant coach on the team’s website. HockeyBuzz’s Bob Duff interviewed him and Chelios says he just took a leave of absence to explore a possible job with the NHLPA, but had always intended to return to the Red Wings if that didn’t come through. However, there is no indication that he did or didn’t get a position with the NHLPA yet.
WEEI’s Ty Anderson tweets that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said today the team has made no progress on a new contract for restricted free agent David Pastrnak. The 21-year-old first-round pick in 2014 had a breakout season last year, putting up 34 goals and 70 points. The Bruins tweeted they are negotiating with several teams about trades and haven’t closed the doors on unrestricted free agent Drew Stafford.
The Anaheim Ducks signed 2016 fourth-round pick Alex Dostie to a three-year entry-level contract, according to Sportsnet. The 20-year-old center spent the year playing for three teams, including the Gatineau Olympiques and the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL, where he combined to put up 30 goals and 41 assists between the two teams. He also played one playoff game for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls without registering a point.
The Dallas Stars tweeted that 2015 second-rounder Roope Hintz will likely come over to the United States to play hockey this season after a breakout year for HIFK Helsinki team in Finland. The 20-year-old scored 19 goals and 11 assists in 44 games last year.

Best Of What’s Left

July 1, 2017 at 8:55 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 2 Comments

As we close in on the end of an only moderately crazy July 1st, there are quite a few names that remain from our Top-50 Free Agents list. Here are the best of what remains, and an update on each:

Alexander Radulov (#2) – Radulov is apparently playing two serious suitors off one another – Montreal and Dallas. Nothing has substantially changed since that was reported by Pierre Lebrun at mid-day. Perhaps a deal is sorted out tomorrow, but the main issue seems to be term. Radulov had a solid season in Quebec, but perhaps his Nashville baggage is scaring the GMs away from a long-term commitment. Many might cite the Russian factor here as the holdup, but the bigger deal is that Radulov only has one successful NHL season under his belt this decade. 54 points is impressive, but it’s a small sample size.

Patrick Marleau (#6) – The longer this trails on, the more likely it would seem that Marleau is headed away from Northern California for the first time in his career. We at PHR generally believed he would remain, but other teams are pushing hard for his services. Darren Dreger reported hours ago that four teams were in the mix – San Jose, Dallas, Anaheim, and Toronto. Dallas seems intent on landing a big name, and Toronto has been active all afternoon. It’s hard to see Marleau going to the rival Ducks, but anything can happen. Kevin Kurz of NBC Sports California believes that the other franchises have offered the veteran winger more lucrative contract opportunities. It’s uncertain how much of this is posturing for a better deal from the Sharks, or whether he is serious about moving on.

Thomas Vanek (#9) – Vanek is apparently still in talks with multiple suitors, according to the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. There hasn’t been much smoke around Vanek, but I would expect things to heat up in the coming days. Although he’s slowed a step, he’s arguably one of the best forwards available and he won’t be exorbitantly expensive. He’s productive at 5 on 5 and he would be a solid fit in many teams’ top-six forward groups. Florida seems content to move on, but that could always change.

Jaromir Jagr (#13) – Perhaps the ageless wonder finally has worn out his welcome. According to his own twitter, he hasn’t received any calls. It’s shocking to see him go without any substantial interest, because he can certainly still produce. In this copycat league, it seems every franchise is trying to mimic the speedy model that has seen recent success. Perhaps a slowed Jagr is becoming a tougher sell. He’s definitely going to settle for less money than he was hoping for.

Andrei Markov (#14) – With the reports that Markov wants a two year contract with a $6 MM AAV, it’s not surprising that Montreal walked away. With Karl Alzner now in the fold, they have a lot of money already allocated to the blueline. They could always circle back, but Markov still provides a unique and valued skillset at his age and is likely to find a home elsewhere. Any team with a poor powerplay could be the one that gives the old-timer the contract he wants.

Mike Fisher (#18) – With Nashville acquiring Nick Bonino, and hinting that he will be their second line center, it seems a safe bet that Fisher may retire. If he wants to return, it would be on a sweetheart deal. Fisher has shown little interest in moving away from Tennessee.

Drew Stafford (#21) – Stafford had a rough year, but it’s difficult to imagine he won’t be a bargain for whichever team snags him. His 21 points last season through 58 games were easily a career low, but he’s only one year removed from a 21-goal season in Winnipeg. Boston GM Don Sweeney hasn’t cut off ties, apparently, according to CBS Boston’s Matt Kalman. Other than that, we’re pretty much in the dark. At this point, he’d be a low-risk top-nine player for any team looking to fill out their forward corps. Interest should pick up.

Cody Franson (#22) – Franson is arguably the most coveted defenseman that remains, as he performed admirably on a dreadful Sabres squad. It will be interesting to see the sort of money he will command. Today has been a day where both the money and term for most contracts has been remarkably reasonable. As the free agent bonanza drags on into day two, it begs the question of whether the prices will come down ever further. Franson can step in and contribute on a second pairing, but teams should be wary of giving him too many minutes. As a right-handed shot, his value is only increased, but will teams who missed out on Alzner and Shattenkirk be interested in allocating a good portion of that money to Franson instead?

Evening Notes: Flames, Sound Tigers, Rinaldo

June 13, 2017 at 6:57 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 4 Comments

The Calgary Flames have opted to go with the 7 F/ 3 D / 1 G protection scheme, per Kristen Odland. With the team having both Dennis Wideman and Michael Stone hitting unrestricted free agency, this seems like a no brainer. Still, it is worthy of note that the team will not opt to protect any but the likely three of Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton, and T.J. Brodie. As mentioned by PHR’s own Gavin Lee, Troy Brouwer seems the most likely candidate for a claim, though a smart move on Vegas’ part would be to opt for underrated prospect Hunter Shinkaruk.

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have inked two players to amateur tryout contracts. A 5’9″ winger from Boston College, Matt Gaudreau is most notable for being the younger brother of Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau. Matt is more of a depth player, potting only 8 goals in his senior year. By comparison, Johnny Gaudreau scored 36 goals to accompany his 45 assists in his junior year at the same school. John Stevens also has an NHL tie-in, as he is the son of the L.A. Kings head coach of the same name. Stevens (the player) is far safer of a bet to make an impact, as he had showed offensive growth before being sidelined by an injury his senior year at Northeastern. His advantage in size should also give him an edge, as he has 5 inches in height and 35 pounds on the younger Gaudreau.
Boston’s Zac Rinaldo will not be extended an offer to re-join the team, per Andy Strickland. Rinaldo will become an unrestricted free agent, as he is 26, although the market for him will essentially be non-existent. Of note is the fact that Boston GM Don Sweeney traded a 3rd-round draft selection to Philadelphia to acquire his services in the summer of 2015. Rinaldo was waived and played no games for the team in 2016-17 after being suspended for a combined 10 games in the NHL and AHL the year prior. He only competed in 29 contests in Providence this season. The Bruin fanbase certainly hasn’t been enthusiastic about the organization’s asset management and this will only add fuel to that fire.

Expansion Primer: Boston Bruins

June 11, 2017 at 4:02 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

While the Boston Bruins have a legion of talented young players pushing for major roles, they are still a team that is defined by a veteran core: 2011 Stanley Cup winners Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, and Tuukka Rask. Add young mainstays like David Pastrnak and Torey Krug and 2016 free agent acquisition David Backes to the mix and it may seem like the Bruins would be in a tough position with expansion like many other deep veteran teams.

However, the expansion process, while burdensome for some, gives the Bruins just enough space to protect all of their most valuable players including that entire core. They still face some tough decisions, but none that will drastically alter the franchise on June 21st.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
David Krejci (NMC), Patrice Bergeron (NMC), Brad Marchand, David Backes (NMC), Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes, Riley Nash, David Pastrnak, Ryan Spooner, Tim Schaller, Alexander Khokhlachev

Defense
Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara (NMC), Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Colin Miller, Joe Morrow

Goaltender
Tuukka Rask (NMC), Anton Khudobin, Malcolm Subban

Notable Exemptions

Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Frank Vatrano, Austin Czarnik, Zane McIntyre

Key Decisions

With Bergeron, Krejci, and Backes having No-Movement clauses and Marchand and Pastrnak two of 2016-17 top scorers, Boston is locked into a 7-3 protection scheme. Chara also has a No-Movement clause and Krug isn’t going anywhere so that’s five forward spots and two defensive spots locked up (Rask has a NMC as well if that was even a question). So which three Bruins get the final spots?

There have been many rumors this off-season, and even before the season ended, that perhaps Ryan Spooner’s time had run out in Boston. The 25-year-old center clashed with former coach Claude Julien and, after a brief rejuvenation, also lost play time under replacement Bruce Cassidy, including scratches in the playoffs. However, Spooner is still a top-end passer and a power play expert and the Bruins won’t just let him go for nothing. If Spooner hasn’t been traded before protection lists are due, he is guaranteed a slot. Whether or not he is still traded after the Expansion Draft remains an unknown.

For the final forward spot, the Bruins face a tough decision, but one with few negative repercussions. Jimmy Hayes has been a disaster in Boston and Tim Schaller is nothing more than fourth liner, so neither likely even gets consideration, nor would Vegas be interested unless otherwise incentivized, as has been rumored with Hayes. Alexander Khokhlachev left the organization last summer to play in the KHL, and little attention has been paid to his absence. The Golden Knights have drawn the interest of Russian players, but drafting Khokhlachev, who never proved his NHL viability in Thus, the decision comes down to Matt Beleskey and Riley Nash. Beleskey had a career year in Boston in 2015-16, the first of a five-year deal, and seemed to fit in well with the Bruins. After a brutal, injury-riddled 2016-17 campaign, that fit is in doubt and there have been rumors that the team might look to trade a pick to Vegas in order for them to take the remaining three years and $11.4MM off of their hands. However, a healthy Beleskey could be far more valuable than Nash, who struggled to produce in his first season with the Bruins. Yet, Nash is a versatile veteran forward and a key penalty killer who makes just $900K next year. Hayes, Beleskey, and Nash all fulfill the 40/70 qualification and two will be exposed, so the team won’t have to worry about that requirement.

On defense, the decision holds some more weight. If Boston is unable to entice the Knights into selecting Hayes or Beleskey, it seems most likely that a defenseman will be chosen. The team must choose whether they want to protect long-time Bruin Adam McQuaid, exciting young player Colin Miller, or perhaps the most complete player of the group, Kevan Miller. Joe Morrow was once a top prospect, but his time to reach those lofty expectations in Boston has come and gone and the Bruins would be happy if Vegas chose to take him instead of one of the other two. Assuming that doesn’t happen, this becomes a big decision. Colin Miller is just 24 years old and an offensively-minded puck-mover, whereas Kevan Miller and McQuaid are very similar stay-at-home types. Colin Miller was also a major piece of the Milan Lucic trade from just two years ago. However, his development has had its fair share of bumps and Kevan Miller has definitely established himself as a more complete player. McQuaid also is in the mix and could be the beneficiary of club loyalty and a desire to have a seasoned vet behind young centerpieces Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo on the right side of the blue line. All three players meet the 40/70 qualification and have term on their contracts, so again meeting that one-player quota won’t be a concern.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F/3D/1G

Forwards

David Krejci (NMC)
Patrice Bergeron (NMC)
David Backes (NMC)
Brad Marchand
David Pastrnak
Ryan Spooner
Riley Nash

Defensemen

Zdeno Chara (NMC)
Torey Krug
Colin Miller

Goalie

Tuukka Rask (NMC)

The general rule of expansion (and just common sense) is that if you’re allegedly willing to trade a draft pick to move a player, like Matt Beleskey, you’re probably happy with taking the risk of leaving him unprotected as well. Riley Nash played his best hockey toward the end of the season and that effort level next season at only $900K is tough to pass up. Still, the Bruins are unlikely to lose a forward, unless they do make a trade, because of the superiority of the players that they could potentially expose on defense. Kevan Miller is likely the best defenseman of the three, but Colin Miller brings a unique skill set from he and Adam McQuaid and has youth and potential on his side. Vegas would likely jump on the chance to take a young, offensive defenseman like Colin Miller, while there may be several defenseman of similar caliber to Kevan Miller and McQuaid available. Protecting Colin Miller may in fact be the Bruins’ best chance of retaining all three. If Vegas does pass up on a defenseman, it will be to take a goalie. No, not Anton Khudobin. Khudobin finished the season with a stretch of some of his best play since his last stint in Boston, but Vegas has more than enough options for backups that Khudobin won’t be of interest. Instead, young keeper Malcolm Subban could be the pick. Subban has been passed up by Zane McIntyre on Boston’s organizational depth chart and simply doesn’t appear destined to be an NHL regular with the Bruins at any point. Vegas GM George McPhee has stated that the team will likely draft many goalies and a minor leaguer with some promise would not be a wasted pick. Subban would also be the most harmless pick the Bruins could endure.

Offseason Keys: Boston Bruins

June 10, 2017 at 2:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Boston Bruins.

It was a bit of an up-and-down year for the Bruins. They found themselves scuffling midseason which resulted in long-time coach Claude Julien being let go with Bruce Cassidy taking over. That seemed to give them a lift as they worked their way into a playoff spot although they were ousted by Ottawa in the opening round. One key decision has already been made by GM Don Sweeney when he lifted the interim tag off of Cassidy shortly after being eliminated. What else will Boston be looking to accomplish this offseason?

New Deal For Pastrnak

After not taking a big step forward in his sophomore campaign, David Pastrnak changed that this past season in a big way. He more than doubled his point production and finished second in the team in goals and points behind only Brad Marchand. From a contractual standpoint, the breakout couldn’t have come at a better time as he’s slated to become a restricted free agent at the beginning of July.

Fortunately for Boston fans, progress is already being made on a new deal as Sweeney noted last week that talks were “moving in the right direction”. Both sides are believed to be interested in foregoing the short-term bridge contract and are focusing on a lengthy agreement.

Given the type of season he just had, the 21 year old is going to land a massive raise from the $925K he has earned each of the last three seasons. Based on some of the comparable contracts signed last summer (such as Calgary’s Sean Monahan, Nashville’s Filip Forsberg, and Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele), there’s a strong case to be made that Pastrnak could see his cap hit around the $6MM mark for next year and beyond.

Decide On Spooner’s Future

After a strong 2015-16 season, expectations were high for Ryan Spooner. Unfortunately for the Bruins, he didn’t live up to those expectations as his numbers took a dip across the board while seeing his ice time drop and his position changing from center to the wing most nights. He also found himself a healthy scratch at one point in the playoffs.

As the year progressed, Spooner found himself mentioned in trade talk on quite a few occasions, something that has carried over into the early goings of the offseason as well. It’s not surprising that there is interest around the league either as he’s just a year removed from a 49 point season and is still just 25 years old. His time in Boston appears to be at a crossroads though.

Sweeney needs to decide whether or not Spooner is part of the plans long-term. If so, then they’ll need to work out a new contract as the forward is heading for restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility. If not, there’s a good chance that he’ll be on the move between now and the NHL Entry Draft later this month and couple be dangled to fill a hole on their back end.

Add A Top Four Left Shot Blueliner

At the age of 40, captain Zdeno Chara has shown that he could stand to benefit from a reduced workload as he enters the final year of his contract. However, their depth on the left side isn’t particularly strong with only Torey Krug having proven himself as a top four defender. There is cause for optimism on the opposite side with youngsters Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy so the Bruins can focus on trying to add on the left side of the ice.

The free agent market isn’t particularly deep on the back end and while there are players who could slot into a second line role, most are only shorter-term solutions. Sweeney has already suggested the team isn’t likely to be too active in free agency which means they’ll likely turn to the trade market. Reports have Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin as a target although the Wild don’t appear to be ready to make a trade at the moment.

Boston has a lot going for them when it comes to seeking out a fit via trades. For starters, they have a fair bit of cap space to work with as they have roughly $62.5MM committed to 18 players via CapFriendly with Pastrnak and Spooner as their most prominent players to re-sign. They also have put together a strong prospect pool and could conceivably flip a couple for the right player. Sweeney didn’t cash in some of his prospect chips last summer but that could certainly change this time around.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Boston Bruins In Pursuit Of Jonas Brodin

June 8, 2017 at 4:33 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

Though the biggest task for the Minnesota Wild this summer is new deals for Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund, the more pressing decision will be what to do with their glut of defenders prior to the expansion draft. Recently, our own Brian La Rose brought up the problem in his Offseason Keys piece for the Wild, indicating that losing either Jonas Brodin or Mathew Dumba for free in the draft would be a mistake. Enter the Boston Bruins, who today were reported by Joe Haggerty of CSNNE to be in discussions with the Wild over Brodin, an interest that goes all the way back to the trade deadline.

While it’s been clear since the season ended that the Bruins needed help on defense, Haggerty notes that it is on the left side in particular that they could use a top-4 player to pair with Charlie McAvoy next season. With news that Sami Vatanen has teams “lining up” for him recently, the Bruins likely won’t be one due to his handedness. Instead, the 23-year old Brodin is a perfect candidate if they can find a package that interests the Wild. On paper, the potential match of Ryan Spooner and a first-round pick suggested by Haggerty makes some sense, acquiring another player who needs protection seems out of the question for the Wild. It’s not only their defensive group who they’ll have trouble protecting, but up front as well since they have three no-movement clauses to deal with.

It will be interesting to see how the negotiations shake out, and if the Bruins give up their first-round pick in the process. As we examined recently, the Bruins are open to moving their top pick given that they’ve selected five times in the first round over the past two seasons, and have added a number of talented players—like Brandon Carlo, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Anders Bjork—in the middle rounds as well. This may be the perfect time to dangle the 18th-overall pick in a deal to acquire some defensive help, and try to go after the Stanley Cup once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Side Deal Dilemma: Beleskey vs. Hayes

June 6, 2017 at 7:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

On Sunday, the Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy suggested that the Bruins attempt to sway the Vegas Golden Knights into selecting Matt Beleskey in the Expansion Draft by offering up a third or even second-round pick. Conroy lists Boston’s depth in young left wingers – Frank Vatrano, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, Danton Heinen, and Anders Bjork to name a few, Beleskey’s drop-off in production and injury problems in 2016-17, and simply the three years and $11.4MM remaining on his contract as reasons why the Bruins should push to have the veteran power forward leave town.

Yet, ask most Bruins fans and they would say that the player they would most like to see selected in the Expansion Draft is Jimmy Hayes. The “Pride of Dorchester” has not been very successful during his home town tenure. After Boston swapped Reilly Smith for Hayes with the Florida Panthers in 2015, his scoring fell off from 35 points in his final season with the Panthers to 29 points in his first season with the Bruins and then to a miserable five points in 58 games in 2016-17. At the price of $2.3MM for one more year, Hayes too is a drain on cap space that many would be willing to give up a pick to move.

So which is the greater of two evils? The fact often forgotten when referencing Beleskey is that in 2015-16, his first season in Boston, Beleskey recorded a career-best 37 points. It wasn’t quite the same per-game production as his final season with the Anaheim Ducks, but Beleskey was still a valuable contributor up front. Beleskey’s hit and blocked shot totals also skyrocketed last season, as he played the integral role of replacing the toughness lost when Milan Lucic departed. Beleskey has acknowledged that he struggled with injuries in 2016-17, which was the main reason he registered just eight points in the regular season and was only active for three of the Bruins’ six playoff games. Those numbers are bound to improve in 2017-18, as Conroy himself noted. If Beleskey can get healthy and return to 40-point scoring range and to his dominant physical game, those final three years may be well worth it. However, that is a big if. Hayes has performed much worse in the same two seasons as Beleskey and doesn’t have the injury excuse to fall back on. What he does have is just one year remaining. If the Bruins were to give up a draft pick to persuade George McPhee and the Knights to take one of the two players, it would be a better investment to remove three years and over $11MM if they are unsure about Beleskey than for just one more year of a little over $2MM for Hayes, especially if that investment is a high pick. Boston has prospect depth on the right side as well as the left, as top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn will surely push for a job in camp, but Hayes’ contract doesn’t block development the way Beleskey’s could. The Bruins may be better off simply buying Hayes’ final year out if they really wanted to, but the same can’t be said for what would amount to a six-year hit to cut Beleskey.

It seems unfair to jump to conclusions about Beleskey based on one injury-riddled season and if the question was who is more likely to be the better player moving forward between he and Hayes, Beleskey is the easy pick. The Bruins have even stated that a top-six winger is an off-season priority for the team and Beleskey may be their best in-house solution and certainly better than Hayes. However, the question of who the Bruins should try to pawn off on Vegas, should they go that route, should also be Beleskey, as his contract situation and concerns about his long-term durability outweigh the short-term burden Hayes adds. Conroy may be on track with his predictions, though many fans may be disappointed by losing both Beleskey and a draft pick for nothing, but with so many questions surrounding the Expansion Draft for not just Boston, but all 30 teams, this scenario is far from certain.

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