Panthers Rumors

More On Erik Karlsson Trade: Pick Conditions, Extension, Colorado

September 13, 2018 at 8:48 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 23 Comments

Perhaps the biggest move of the off-season was completed earlier today, when Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson was traded by the Ottawa Senators to the San Jose Sharks. The return: two-way NHL forward Chris Tierney, rookie forward Rudolfs Balcers, collegiate center and 2017 first-round pick Josh Norris, young depth defenseman Dylan DeMelo, and four draft picks. While the Senators don’t know for sure how the likes of Norris and Balcers will pan out, the players acquired in this deal are somewhat identifiable assets with ascertainable ceilings. The picks carry far more potential; however they also each carry conditions. The earliest possible pick chronologically would be a 2019 first-round pick. The Sharks owe the Buffalo Sabres their first round pick in the next NHL Draft as a condition for re-signing winger Evander Kane, but with the additional condition that they make the playoffs. Should they miss the playoffs – a catastrophic result for a team that now has meteoric expectations – the team could opt to send that pick to Ottawa and their 2020 first-rounder to Buffalo if they so choose. If not, and the Sharks make the playoffs as expected, the Senators will land that 2020 first-round pick.

Ottawa will still have an early pick from San Jose in June though, perhaps even earlier than expected. The condition on that pick is that it is the highest of the second-round picks owned by the Sharks: their own and the Florida Panthers’, which ironically was part of the return from the Sharks’ flip of former Ottawa forward Mike Hoffman earlier this year. Florida is expected to improve this season, but playing in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs means the Panthers face an uphill battle to make the playoffs and could easily end up with a draft slot in the first half of the second round. Whereas, the Sharks should by all accounts be a playoff team and more in the coming season.

Speaking of Hoffman, the Senators learned from that experience with Sharks GM Doug Wilson. As Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston notes, Ottawa threw in what may as well be a “Mike Hoffman Clause”. After San Jose traded for Hoffman only to trade him hours later to one of the Senators’ division rivals, GM Pierre Dorion added a conditional future first-round pick if Karlsson is traded back to the Eastern Conference this season. The pick must be exchanged by 2022 at the latest.

Finally, the Sharks sent a 2021 second-round pick to the Senators that carries two conditions. The pick itself is conditional upon San Jose re-signing Karlsson, whose current contract expires at the end of the season. If the Sharks both appear in the Stanley Cup Final this year and extend Karlsson, that pick becomes a first-rounder. In summary, at worst the Senators will receive a second-rounder in 2019 and the Sharks’ first-rounder in 2020 and at best they receive three first-round picks between now and 2022 and potentially a first-round and early second-round pick next year.

One condition that is already looking good for the Senators is the one that hinges on Karlsson re-signing in San Jose. Although there has been no word from the star defenseman’s camp on his future or thoughts on a contract extension, Wilson already has the future in mind. Although the relatively underwhelming return for a player of Karlsson’s caliber reflects the risk of just one year remaining on his salary, Wilson made the deal with hopes of keeping him around for much longer. Wilson told the gathered media this afternoon that “It’s a long-term approach and we think Erik fits for now and for a long time.” While Karlsson has been clear that he wants to be the highest paid defenseman in the NHL and that would be best served on the open market, the Sharks have the salary cap composition moving forward to meet his contract demands. If the season goes according to plan and the Sharks win or come close to winning the Stanley Cup, with Karlsson playing a key role for what on paper looks like the best defense in the league, he could be tempted to skip free agency and re-sign in San Jose.
Although the Karlsson trade was between just two teams, there is no way to truly evaluate the reverberations of this trade without discussing the Colorado Avalanche. The Senators have changed the tone of their public relations approach following this trade, being clear that they have entered a rebuild. However, the fact remains that the Senators don’t own their first-round pick next season. That selection belongs to the Avs as part of the Matt Duchene trade. With Karlsson’s departure, the team that many pegged to be the worst in the league has now lost their best player and have an even better chance of finishing the season in 31st place. This would also give them the best odds in the NHL Draft Lottery and the best odds of drafting projected franchise center Jack Hughes. However, that fate belongs to Colorado, who now stand a very high chance of seeing an already lopsided return for Duchene reach its maximum value. The 2018-19 Senators season will now likely matter more to Avalanche fans than it does to their own. To make matters worse, publicly committing to a rebuild could mean that Duchene, an impending unrestricted free agent, doesn’t even last the season on the Ottawa roster.

Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars Extend Camp Invites To First-Year Pros

September 7, 2018 at 7:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

With rookie camps underway and veterans soon to join, teams are continuing to formalize professional tryout offers to bring outside contenders into training camp. Some are veterans looking to make the big league roster, others are young players pushing for an entry-level deal or a minor league pact, and fairly frequently some players are just in camp as a favor from the team in their hopes of being noticed elsewhere. It’s often difficult to know whether players have a legitimate shot of breaking camp or not, but their presence is intriguing all the same.

The Florida Panthers especially made some noise today when they released their training camp roster, as it featured the names of two potential first-year pros. Goaltender Evan Cormier, an unsigned former draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, and defenseman Dylan MacPherson will join the Panthers in camp. Cormier, 20, has been the starting goalie OHL’s Saginaw Spirit for the past three and half seasons and was a member of the Canadian World Junior roster in 2014-15 as well. Despite spending a fourth-round pick on him, the Devils opted not to sign Cormier due to underwhelming results at the junior level. Cormier never posted a season save percentage above .900 or a goals against average below 3.00 in four seasons in the OHL. However, he did improve with time and is out to show that he is still developing and has yet to reach his ceiling. MacPherson is out to prove the same thing. The 20-year-old blue liner has been a solid contributor for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers the past two seasons, but has been overshadowed by his fellow defensemen. Although MacPherson still has a year of eligibility remaining at the junior level, he likely feels that moving on to the pro game would better suit his development. The big defender possesses a sound defensive game, but needs to be a more dynamic player if he is to make a difference in the pros. It will be interesting to see if one or both of these young players land a contract with the Panthers or their affiliates.

Ben Gleason is out to accomplish the same thing as MacPherson, as the 20-year-old defenseman finds himself in camp with the Dallas Stars. Gleason, the younger cousin of long-time NHL rearguard Tim Gleason, has a quite different style from his cousin. Gleason is a very productive, offensive-minded defender who led the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in blue line scoring in each of the past three seasons. The puck-mover has registered 125 points in 236 OHL games, not including a massive 18-point postseason outburst this past spring. Gleason has also improved his defensive game of late and was a +29 between the regular season and playoffs in 2017-18. The question now is whether he can replicate that two-way success at the pro level. The stars have a penchant for offensive defenders and a good camp showing could add Gleason to their growing ranks of talented possession defensemen.

NHL Rookie Tournaments Set For Early September

August 31, 2018 at 5:35 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

8/31: The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders have joined to fray, as their rookie camps will clash in prospects game on September 12th at the Isles’ practice facility, the teams announced. This leaves only the Florida Panthers without a competition for their rookies in the coming weeks.

8/24: Before team training camps open up for veterans, the rookies get some work in each year with various rookie tournaments and exhibition games taking place around the continent. This is where you can catch your favorite team:

The most well-known preseason rookie tournament is obviously the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament. The annual tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings is in its 20th year of existence. The format consists of two four-team “divisions” who play a round-robin tournament with the winner of each group earning a berth in the championship game. Featured this year are the Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. The games run from September 7th to September 11th.
Buffalo is again set to host the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge Tournament. Running from September 7th to 10th, it is a single group round robin tournament with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins joining the Sabres on their home ice. This will be the first game action for top overall pick and preseason Calder Trophy favorite Rasmus Dahlin.
Across the border, the three eastern Canadian teams are set to square off in Laval, Quebec, the home of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. The Habs announced a set of three games featuring themselves, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Ottawa Senators on September 7th, 8th, and 9th.
On the other side of the country, a previous rookie tournament has been split in half. The NHL Young Stars Tournament, held in Penticton, British Columbia, will now contain only the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a pair of collegiate teams in a three-day series of games from September 7th to 9th. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames chose not to participate this year and will instead face-off in one singular game in Red Deer, Alberta on September 12th.
The Vegas Golden Knights are set to host the first of a revolving tournament among U.S.-based Western Conference teams. Nicknamed the Vegas Rookie Faceoff, Sin City will be the location of this year’s tournament which also features the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. It will be a three-day, nine-game series taking place on September 8th, 9th, and 11th. The tournament is expected to head to Anaheim next year.
Finally, the NHL’s southeastern squads will square off in Estero, Florida at the home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. The Prospect Showcase will be four days of games between the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, taking place from September 8th to 11th.

For all updates on rookie tournament rosters, check in with Roster Resource and their running tracker of roster announcements.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Florida Panthers

August 30, 2018 at 7:47 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

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 2018-19 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.

Florida Panthers

Current Cap Hit: $77,573,332 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Henrik Borgstrom (two years, $925K)
F Denis Malgin (one year, $690K)
D Ian McCoshen (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses:

Borgstrom: $850K
McCoshen: $200K

Total: $1.05MM

Borgstrom followed up a strong freshman college campaign with an even better sophomore year and the Panthers decided to sign him for the stretch run last season, burning the first year of his entry-level deal in the process. While he played a sparing role in their push for the playoffs, he should be a regular in their bottom six to start the year. 2019-20 should be a breakthrough season for him if all goes well and that will be the one that determines whether or not he gets a long-term pact or a bridge deal. Malgin surprised many by making the team two years ago and has spent the majority of his time in the NHL since then. He’s still waiver-exempt though which could have him shuffling back and forth once again (he’ll battle Borgstrom to stay up) but he has done enough to warrant a decent raise on his next contract.

McCoshen was the seventh defender for most of last season and as a result, he spent a lot of time as a healthy scratch. With no turnover on their back end, he’s likely to be in that role once again which means a short-term contract at a rate close to what he’s making now is likely on the horizon.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Troy Brouwer ($850K, UFA)
F Micheal Haley ($825K, UFA)
G Michael Hutchinson ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Derek MacKenzie ($1.375MM, UFA)
F Jamie McGinn ($3.33MM, UFA)
D Alexander Petrovic ($1.95MM, UFA)
F Frank Vatrano ($925K, RFA)
D MacKenzie Weegar ($900K, RFA)

McGinn was brought in last summer largely to offset salary in the Jason Demers trade. He will play in their bottom six once again and then will be looking at a notable pay cut on his next deal. MacKenzie, their captain, has been a fixture on their fourth line but with them being as tight to the cap as they are and the fact he’ll turn 38 next June, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them opt for a cheaper, younger player next summer. Vatrano made an immediate impact after being acquired near the trade deadline last season. If he picks up where he left off, he could wind up doubling his current cap hit without much difficulty.

Brouwer was brought in after being bought out by Calgary earlier this month. It’s a no-risk deal for Florida – if he can lock down a regular spot, that alone will make it worth the money and if he can still produce a little bit, they’ll have a nice bargain. Haley is one of the few pure enforcers left around the league and with the little demand there is for those players, it’s hard to see him getting much of a raise on his next deal.

Petrovic has been a trade candidate for a little while now, especially after his role was reduced under Bob Boughner last season. He opted to sign for just $100K over his qualifying offer but it will be hard for him to get another raise on the open market if he remains in a depth role. Weegar has worked his way into a regular spot in the lineup but is also a player on the fringes. If he can up his average ice time by a few minutes, he’ll have a good case for next summer with arbitration eligibility; otherwise, his next deal should be close to this one.

Hutchinson projects to be the third-stringer that will most likely start in the minors but given how much he’s making to play that role, he’s at least worth a mention here. If he does clear waivers and gets assigned to the AHL, his cap hit will drop to just $275K.

Two Years Remaining

F Evgeni Dadonov ($4MM, UFA)
F Mike Hoffman ($5.188MM, UFA)
F Jared McCann ($1.25MM, RFA)
D Mark Pysyk ($2.733MM, UFA)

Dadonov’s contract was viewed as a significant risk last summer. While he had produced in the KHL, he had struggled considerably in his first NHL stint. Instead, he rewarded Florida’s faith in him by finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 65 points. All of a sudden, his deal went from a risk to a considerable bargain. Hoffman was brought in on the cheap to strengthen their winger depth. He has averaged 59 points over the last three years and if he comes somewhat close to that in Florida, he’ll be worth the money. McCann hasn’t emerged into a second line player like the Panthers hoped so he’ll get two more years to try to do so on his bridge deal. Even if that doesn’t happen, he could double his current AAV with arbitration eligibility if he repeats his numbers from last season.

Pysyk is a role player but has played well enough to hold down a spot on the second pairing more often than not. For a few hundred thousand under the league average salary, that’s decent value even if he isn’t the flashiest of players.

Three Years Remaining

F Nick Bjugstad ($4.1MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Colton Sceviour ($1.2MM, UFA)

Bjugstad’s second crack at playing the wing resulted in a career year in points with 49. That said, his value on the open market would be higher if he was shifted back to the middle, something that doesn’t appear to be in the cards, barring injury. Sceviour projects to once again be more of a role player but he has been a consistent producer in that spot in recent years, collecting between 23 and 26 points over the last four seasons.

Reimer’s contract was a stunner a couple of years ago as backup goalies never get five years. However, with the way the backup goalie market has gone up lately, his AAV isn’t all that much higher than some of the players who signed this summer and a case can be made that Reimer’s track record is better than some of those other backups. Of course, it’s quite possible – if not likely – that this deal really set the market for number two netminders to get a big raise. With health concerns surrounding Roberto Luongo, the Panthers at least have a stable option to turn to in Reimer whose deal doesn’t look like quite the premium it was when it was first signed.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Aleksander Barkov ($5.9MM through 2021-22)
D Aaron Ekblad ($7.5MM through 2024-25)
F Jonathan Huberdeau ($5.9MM through 2022-23)
G Roberto Luongo ($4.533MM through 2021-22)
D Mike Matheson ($4.875MM 2025-26)
F Vincent Trocheck ($4.75MM through 2021-22)
D Keith Yandle ($6.35MM through 2022-23)

Barkov was able to stay healthy for most of the year and turned in his best performance by far, setting career highs offensively while averaging the second most ice time per game of any forward in the league. He may not get the attention that other top centers do but he is a legitimate front line player. Huberdeau also had his best season by a significant margin and should continue to be a fixture on their top line at an AAV that’s at the lower end for players in that role. Trocheck may be the biggest bargain of the group. He played like a number one center last year (and despite Barkov’s high ATOI, Trocheck as a second liner still had the sixth highest ATOI among NHL forwards) and is getting paid like an average number two or high-end number three. The Panthers quietly have one of the top center groups in the league at a pretty cheap rate overall.

Ekblad’s extension raised some eyebrows and while he improved offensively last season compared to his previous year, he has yet to really take a big step forward in that department that the team was clearly projecting when they signed him. He’s a top pairing player but this deal is still a bit on the pricey side for now. Yandle was one of the more prolific offensive blueliners in the league which is what they brought him in to be. Considering he turns 32 next weekend, the back year or two of the deal could be a bit painful but if he produces like this for a few more years, they’ll be okay with the drop off. Matheson’s contract came out of the blue early last season but it’s more defensible now as he has clearly established himself in their top four and still has some room to take on a bigger role if needed. It’s not a bargain by any stretch at this point but it’s not the overpayment some were suggesting it was last October either.

Luongo has said all the right things about playing out his contract but he’s owed just $7MM in actual salary over the final four years of his deal. He also has had issues staying healthy the last couple of seasons so it’s fair to say his long-term future is actually uncertain. If he retires, Vancouver will be hit hard on salary recapture while the Panthers are still on the hook for a smaller amount for a couple more years until his total cap charge exceeds actual salary paid. Accordingly, retirement isn’t likely even if he doesn’t plan to play for four more years.

Buyouts

F Jussi Jokinen ($1.33MM in 2018-19)

Retained Salary Transactions

D Jason Demers ($563K through 2020-21)

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Trocheck
Worst Value: McGinn

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

Florida is going to be tighter to the Upper Limit than they’re typically accustomed to for the upcoming season and for the foreseeable future with nearly $50MM on the books for 2020-21 already. The good news is that no one is really in line for a big-ticket contract over the next few years so they should still be able to retain some flexibility moving forward. If ownership is willing to spend near the cap each year, the Panthers should be able to keep this core together without too much trouble.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Troy Brouwer Signs With Florida Panthers

August 27, 2018 at 2:03 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have announced the signing of Troy Brouwer to a one-year one-way contract, bringing in the veteran forward after he was bought out by the Calgary Flames. Brouwer will earn $1.5MM from the Flames in each of the next four seasons, and now add another $850K from the Panthers in 20181-19. Florida GM Dale Tallon had this to say about his new forward:

Troy is a skilled veteran forward with championship experience. He adds depth to our forward group and his leadership will help our developing young core take the next step this season.

Brouwer, 33, comes to the Panthers fresh off the worst offensive season of his career, in which he recorded just six goals and 22 points in 76 games with the Flames. That was the first time he didn’t hit at least double digits in goals, and a substantial drop off from his career-high of 25 just a few years ago with the Washington Capitals. Brouwer doesn’t appear to have a ton of upside left, but could easily find himself a regular on the Florida fourth line this season. He’ll have to fight for that spot though, as the Panthers already have 12 other forwards on one-way deals and other players like Henrik Borgstrom, Owen Tippett, Denis Malgin and Maxim Mamin who could compete for a spot in the NHL.

The contract also leaves the Panthers with just under $2MM in cap space for the upcoming season, though that will increase when they decide to send down some of their excess forwards. They also currently have three goaltenders earning at least $1.3MM this season after signing Michael Hutchinson, and unless they are planning on carry all three when healthy his assignment to the minor leagues will free up some space. Given those pending transactions, signing a veteran option like Brouwer came with little risk for the Panthers and could provide some invaluable leadership as the group tries to make it back to the playoffs. Led by some underrated stars in Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers could surprise other teams in the Atlantic Division this season and put themselves in a position to compete for the Stanley Cup. Brouwer will be able to share some knowledge with the younger players, given that he won a championship in 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks and has played in more than 100 postseason contests.

Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division?

August 24, 2018 at 3:23 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 18 Comments

We’re just over a month away from the 2018-19 NHL season, and players are hitting the ice with teammates to start forming chemistry. All over the league there are individual workouts underway, and rookie tournament rosters being announced. The excitement for the upcoming season is starting to bubble up to the surface, and even the smallest NHL news has fans in a frenzy.

Today, Bovada released their over/under numbers for each team’s point totals and there are some interesting results. Though these aren’t to be taken exactly as predictions for the upcoming season—since betting odds also take into account popularity trends and other factors—fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning should still be extremely satisfied to see their club at the very top with an over/under of 107.5 points. The Lightning are expected to be Stanley Cup contenders once again in 2018-19, and have brought back nearly their entire roster.

The odds though tell a story of competition for the Lightning, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins also find themselves with 100+ point expectations. All three clubs reside in the Atlantic Division and will have to battle each other for the right to go to the Stanley Cup Finals. Not to be forgotten in the Atlantic are the Florida Panthers, who are expected to contend for the playoffs and the Buffalo Sabres who should be much improved.

Who do you think will come out on top of the Atlantic Division in the regular season? Can Toronto take that next step and topple their rivals in Boston? Will Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers take a big leap and contend for the Stanley Cup? Can Rasmus Dahlin turn around a Buffalo blue line? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out in the comments!

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Influx Of Foreign Talent A Trend In 2018 Off-Season

August 17, 2018 at 6:46 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

While the NHL free agent market remains flush with talented veteran players, some now beginning to depart for Europe without any leads around the league, NHL teams have quietly imported a fair amount of foreign talent this off-season. While few of these players are stars or even surefire regulars at the NHL level, the fact remains that those on two-way deals slated for depth roles are nevertheless taking those jobs from the current remnants of the market, who at this point would gladly take an AHL assignment with upside. Teams clearly have felt this off-season that taking a chance on a promising foreign player was a better use of a contract than recycling aging domestic veterans. A total of 36 players who played in Europe last season are now headed to North America, where they will suit up for 24 different organizations – showing the popularity of importing talent this off-season. Here are the foreign free agent signings this summer:

D Ilya Lyubushkin (Arizona Coyotes)
F David Ullstrom (Arizona Coyotes)
F Martin Bakos (Boston Bruins)
D Lawrence Pilut (Buffalo Sabres)
F Yasin Ehliz (Calgary Flames)
D Marcus Hogstrom (Calgary Flames)
F Saku Maenalanen (Carolina Hurricanes)
F Dominik Kahun (Chicago Blackhawks)
G Kevin Lankinen (Chicago Blackhawks)
F Jacob Nilsson (Chicago Blackhawks)
G Pavel Francouz (Colorado Avalanche)
F Valeri Nichushkin (Dallas Stars)*
G Patrik Rybar (Detroit Red Wings)
G Mikko Koskinen (Edmonton Oilers)
D Joel Persson (Edmonton Oilers)
D Bogdan Kiselevich (Florida Panthers)
F Ilya Kovalchuk (Los Angeles Kings)
D Eric Martinsson (Minnesota Wild)
D Michal Moravcik (Montreal Canadiens)
D David Sklenicka (Montreal Canadiens)
F Carl Persson (Nashville Predators)
D Filip Pyrochta (Nashville Predators)
G Miroslav Svoboda (Nashville Predators)
D Egor Yakovlev (New Jersey Devils)
F Jan Kovar (New York Islanders)
D Yannick Rathgeb (New York Islanders)
F Michael Lindqvist (New York Rangers)
F Ville Meskanen (New York Rangers)
D Juuso Riikola (Pittsburgh Penguins)
F Lukas Radil (San Jose Sharks)
F Antti Suomela (San Jose Sharks)
F Par Lindholm (Toronto Maple Leafs)
D Igor Ozhiganov (Toronto Maple Leafs)
F Brooks Macek (Vegas Golden Knights)
F Juuso Ikonen (Washington Capitals)
F Maximilian Kammerer (Washington Capitals)
F Dennis Everberg (Winnipeg Jets)

While the obvious highlight of this list is the return of Kovalchuk, inking a substantial deal with the L.A. Kings, the rest are far more than just AHL placeholders. Nichushkin, albeit not a true free agent signing since his rights never left the Stars, is back in Dallas and looking to make an impact. Koskinen is set to be the primary backup to Cam Talbot in Edmonton and, while his role was muddied somewhat by the acquisition of Philipp Grubauer, Francouz is sure to see some action in net with Colorado. Kovar was brought in to be a starter in New York, while Ullstrom – a former Islander – will push for a roster spot with Arizona. After a couple of years abroad, Everberg is back in the league and hoping to find a role in Winnipeg. If Simon Despres, on a PTO with the Montreal Canadiens, earns a contract, he could make a difference as well.

Several more of these players could wind up winning spots in training camp battles, while even more will earn call-ups throughout the year. It is an extensive list and each and every name bears watching as they begin or continue their North American pro careers. Both the risk and upside of bringing over fresh, foreign talent versus sticking with experienced yet stagnant veterans is apparent. For some teams these gambles will fail, while others may find a diamond in the rough.

Retained Salary For 2018-19

August 17, 2018 at 2:18 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Among the ways teams can increase the value of potential trade candidates is by retaining a portion of their salary. These moves are often used on star players who may have declined slightly and are no longer deemed worthy of their big cap hits, or at the deadline in order to fit in as many contracts as possible for the playoff stretch. Any team can retain up to 50% of a player’s salary for the remainder of the contract, though a single player can only be involved in two of these transactions per contract.

Teams meanwhile are limited to three retained salary transactions on the books at any one time, and they cannot in aggregate equal more than 15% of the cap ceiling. That means, for this season a team can retain up to $11,925,000 in salary given the $79.5MM cap ceiling. Some teams have already started in on that number given the previous retained salary transactions that they are still paying off. Below is a list of all the active contracts involved in transactions like this:

Arizona Coyotes

Mike Smith – Retained $1,416,667 per season through 2018-19

Boston Bruins

Matt Beleskey – Retained $1,900,000 per season through 2019-20

Carolina Hurricanes

Marcus Kruger – Retained $308,333 per season through 2018-19

Florida Panthers

Jason Demers – Retained $562,500 per season through 2020-21

Ottawa Senators

Dion Phaneuf – Retained $1,750,000 per season through 2020-21

Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel – Retained $1,200,000 per season through 2021-22

Vancouver Canucks

Roberto Luongo – Retained $800,000 per season through 2021-22

Vegas Golden Knights

Derick Brassard – Retained $2,000,000 per season through 2018-19

While these transactions are hardly crippling the above teams, they are something to remember when the trade deadline rolls around and clubs are trying to swap contracts. Teams like Toronto and Vancouver who have retained salary for another four years might not want to get into a similar situation and lock up two of their three possible options for the future.

The other question surrounding retained salary transactions will be how they affect the upcoming CBA negotiations, after teams like Vegas have acted as a sort of middle man. Brassard was never really part of the Golden Knights, only coming there on his way from Ottawa to Pittsburgh in order to reduce his salary for the Penguins. Though Vegas received compensation, it is not how the rule was intended to be used.

Florida Panthers Sign Mark Letestu To PTO

August 14, 2018 at 2:08 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Professional tryout season is upon us, and the Florida Panthers have announced that veteran center Mark Letestu will join them in training camp this year. A “PTO” as it is referred to is an agreement to have a player in camp without any obligation to sign them to an NHL contract. Many players on tryouts will eventually earn a deal somewhere—though, as the Edmonton Oilers found out not necessarily with the team they’re working with—but nothing is guaranteed for Letestu this time around. The 33-year old will be battling for his NHL life after spending the end of last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic in fact tweets that if Letestu can’t find a one-way deal with the Panthers, there could still be a two-way contract waiting for him in Columbus. The two sides had talks recently, and the veteran center had several two-way contract offers. Though last season didn’t go as planned first in Edmonton and then Columbus, there is a good chance that Letestu can still be an effective player. It was just two seasons ago that he recorded 16 goals and 35 points for the Oilers before being one of their best players in the postseason.

For a Panthers team that is looking to compete in a tough Atlantic Division, giving a chance like this to Letestu makes sense. The team isn’t incredibly deep down the middle, and has several unproven young players trying to lock down spots in the bottom-six. Battling out a veteran like Letestu for that opportunity can only improve their performance, and there is a real possibility that he has enough left in the tank to contribute this season. For what would likely be a one-way contract under $1MM, he may be able to snag a spot on the Panthers roster.

Chase Balisy Signs With Ottawa Senators

August 10, 2018 at 9:27 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

The Ottawa Senators have dipped into the unrestricted free agent pool, signing Chase Balisy to a one-year two-way contract. The deal will pay $650K in the NHL and $135K in the AHL. Balisy became a Group VI UFA when he failed to play in 80 games with the Florida Panthers, instead given just eight contests in 2017-18 after several years in the minor leagues.

Originally selected by the Nashville Predators in 2011, Balisy never did sign with the organization after four solid years at Western Michigan University. Instead he played a year in the minor leagues before signing his entry-level deal with the Florida Panthers in 2015 and another one-year contract in 2017 after not getting a qualifying offer from the club. In four minor league seasons Balisy has proven himself to be a capable offensive player, but was held scoreless in his eight-game NHL stint with the Panthers. It’s unlikely he’ll be asked to make any impact on the NHL club in Ottawa, though he could be used as an injury replacement if necessary.

Instead, he’ll likely return to the minor leagues and try to give the Belleville Senators another experienced option up front. The AHL squad went 29-42-5 last season but have made wholesale changes to the coaching staff and much of the roster. Like any organization around the minor leagues, Belleville will try to bring about a culture of winning for their young players as they continue to develop future NHL talent. Veteran options like Balisy are a big part of that, and he should end up logging important minutes for the minor league squad.

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