Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Offseason Keys 2018

Offseason Keys: Carolina Hurricanes

at CDT | by 2 Comments

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Carolina Hurricanes.

It has already been a busy offseason in Carolina.  They’ve made changes both behind the bench (Rod Brind’Amour replacing Bill Peters) and at GM (Don Waddell replacing Ron Francis) and even have made a trade with the acquisition of Jordan Martinook from the Coyotes.  Despite all of that, they’re still in for a busy summer; here are some keys to making it a successful one.

New Deals For RFAs

While the Hurricanes were active in locking up two key members of their back end a year early with the extensions handed out to defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce, there is still one more to lock up in Noah Hanifin.

The 21-year-old is coming off of his best season, one that saw him post career highs in goals (10), points (32), and average time on ice (18:52) which will certainly help in negotiations.  He also was named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career.  While he hasn’t become the top-pairing player that Carolina envisioned when they made him the fifth overall pick in 2015 yet, he appears to be well on his way towards being an impact blueliner for years to come.  Both Slavin and Pesce surpassed the $4MM mark in their deals (Slavin checks in at $5.3MM) and a long-term pact for Hanifin would undoubtedly check in past that amount as well.  Assuming that happens, that means that Carolina will have four defenders over that price point (Justin Faulk being the other) which would be a drastic increase in spending for a group that had a combined cap hit of just under $9MM this season.

Elias Lindholm is another intriguing restricted free agent that they will need to make a decision on.  His bridge deal has come to an end and his numbers aren’t that much different compared to what they were at the completion of his entry-level deal.  He’s part of their core but it appears he will be more of a role player than a key, impact one.  Lindholm is only 23 but is just two years away from UFA eligibility so another short-term pact would come with some risk.

Goalie Upgrade

Around this time last year, Carolina struck early on the goalie market, acquiring the negotiating rights to Scott Darling from Chicago and they wasted little time signing him to a four-year, $16.6MM contract.  In doing so, they secured their goalie of the future, or so they thought.

2017-18 was not a pretty season for Darling whose first go-round as a starter is one he’d like to forget.  He struggled out of the gate and wound up ceding a lot of playing time to Cam Ward and at the end, his numbers (3.18 GAA and a .888 SV%) were both well below the league average.  Meanwhile, Ward is now 34 and hasn’t posted a save percentage above .910 for six seasons.  Suffice it to say, he’s not a long-term solution either.

It appears that Waddell has reached a similar conclusion as he stated earlier this week that the team can’t bring back the same goalie tandem.  With Darling being tough to deal at this point, that would appear to signal that Ward is on the way out.  While Alex Nedeljkovic is coming off of a nice season at the minor league level, he’s not going to come in and make a big impact right away either.

Accordingly, it looks like they will be looking outside the organization to fill that second spot.  Given how Darling struggled, it stands to reason that they will be looking to find a starter or at least some with some experience in that role.  The free agent market has some platoon options but no clear-cut starters so if they’re looking to bring an undisputed number one in, they may have to go the trade route to do so.

Determine The Shakeup

Carolina’s core has been intact for a while now with Francis preferring to build things up slowly.  With Thomas Dundon’s ownership, that’s widely expected to change.  The question is, who will the casualties be?

Winger Jeff Skinner is one year away from unrestricted free agency and is coming off of a bit of a down season as he failed to hit the 50-point mark for the first time in three seasons.  Despite that, he has been a fairly consistent goal scorer and there would be no shortage of suitors if he was to be made available.

Meanwhile, assuming Hanifin is locked up long-term, that could call into question Faulk’s future with the team.  He also had a down season in 2017-18 but has a long track record of success and he carries a cap hit of just over $4.8MM which is decent value for a legitimate top-four defender.  There would undoubtedly be plenty of interest if he hit the trade block as well.

Of course, it’s certainly possible that a different core player or two get moved and these two stick around.  However, regardless of who goes, it appears that even more changes are coming in Carolina and with most of the moves so far coming off the ice, it’s pretty much a guarantee that the next changes will be on it instead.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by 2 Comments

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Edmonton Oilers.

Following a season that saw them make it to the second round of playoffs, expectations were high in Edmonton.  They had locked up two key contributors in centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl over the summer and they were viewed as a team on the rise.  Unfortunately, things didn’t go anywhere near as planned as the Oilers found themselves out of the playoff race pretty quickly which means changes should be on the horizon this summer.  Here are some keys to their offseason.

Free Up Cap Room

The Oilers have nearly $65MM tied up in 16 players already for next season, per CapFriendly with some notable restricted free agents to re-sign, including defenseman Darnell Nurse and center Ryan Strome.  Even with the expected increase in the salary cap, that doesn’t leave GM Peter Chiarelli with a lot of wiggle room.

At this point last offseason, many expected that center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the likely casualty.  However, he was shifted to McDavid’s wing at the end of the season (and continues there at the Worlds with Team Canada) so the odds of him moving appear to be considerably less now.  Defensemen Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera are coming off of down seasons but moving one of them with their value lowered isn’t the best asset management.  Kris Russell is a bit cheaper but opinions on him around the league are widely mixed given how prolonged his free agency was two years ago so there may not be a big market for him either.

If they can’t find a suitable trade, the other option to try to clear out money is a buyout.  Winger Milan Lucic has struggled since joining the Oilers and carries a pricey $6MM cap hit.  However, since he has five years left on his contract, a buyout would mean they’d be paying him not to play for them for a decade.  That’s a lot of long-term pain for shorter-term gain as well.

Regardless of whether it’s through a trade, a buyout, or a combination of the two, Chiarelli will need to get creative to free up enough money to address some of their needs over the summer while trying to get back to the postseason.

Decision In Goal

Edmonton has a big call to make between the pipes.  No, it’s not the one that saw 6’7 netminder Mikko Koskinen join the team on a one-year, $2.5MM contract earlier this month.  While they hope he will upgrade the backup position, the decision to be pondered lies with their starter.

Two years ago, Cam Talbot was one of the better goalies in the league and narrowly missed out on being a Vezina Trophy finalist.  Finally, it seemed as if he was going to be the solution to their long-standing goalie concerns.  That swung back the other way in 2017-18.  His goals-against average (3.02) and save percentage (.903) were both below the league average while he led the league in total goals allowed (188).  Those aren’t the numbers of someone who is a long-term solution in goal.

Talbot heads into this summer with one year left on his contract (with a $4.17MM cap hit) which means he’s eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st.  Does the team still view him as their goalie of the future?  If so, the time may be right to see if a new deal can be agreed upon.  If not, do they instead look to deal him and then either sign a free agent or acquire one in return?  (Koskinen is a big wild card to begin with so it’s hard to envision them handing him the number one job right away.)  They can always decide to defer the choice and let next season play out but without a top goaltending prospect that’s close to being NHL ready in their system, going that route may be a risky proposition in itself.

Add Defensive Help

This has been a long-standing concern for Edmonton and while Chiarelli has attempted to improve it over the years with the additions of Adam Larsson, Sekera and Russell, more upgrades are required.

In particular, a true top pairing player would go a long way towards solidifying things.  Their current group is a collection of defenders that are better served in supporting roles than logging the most minutes.  Getting deeper has helped the cause but if they want to get back into contention, finding someone that can push those players into roles they’re better suited for would go a long way.

However, adding that type of defender is much easier said than done, especially considering their salary cap situation.  Washington’s John Carlson can log the heavy minutes and is following up a career year with a strong postseason but he is pretty much out of their price range.  Accordingly, Chiarelli will likely have to turn to the trade market once again where he will hope to make a better move than the one he made to land Larsson two summers ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: New York Rangers

at CDT | by 3 Comments

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the New York Rangers.

While the Rangers were hopeful to be battling it out for a postseason spot, they certainly didn’t hesitate to start selling when they no longer believed a playoff position was feasible.  They were very active at the trade deadline and they certainly will be a team to watch for at the draft with three first-round picks in their pocket.  Beyond deciding how to use those (keep them all, trade up, etc), here are some keys to their offseason.

Find Their Next Coach

In a move that didn’t come as too much of a surprise, GM Jeff Gorton decided to make a coaching change and let veteran head coach Alain Vigneault go.  For a while, it looked like their sights were set on Denver University bench boss Jim Montgomery but instead, he went to Dallas.  As a result, New York is the lone team still on the market for a head coach.

Before they can really identify who is next on their list, Gorton may need to make a decision on just how deep this rebuild will go.  If they want, they can turn this around pretty quick and if that’s the plan, then a more veteran coach might be the way to go.  If they plan to rebuild and restock the cupboards for a couple more years though, a first-year coach becomes a more palatable option.  Considering Montgomery appeared to be their target, the latter is the likelier scenario.

Some coaches have been speculatively linked to the Rangers so far.  Boston University’s David Quinn is another college coach that they’re believed to have interest in but it appears he wants to stay where he is while he has already been tabbed to run the bench for the USA at the next World Juniors.  Sheldon Keefe is having another successful season with Toronto’s AHL team and will likely be in the mix as well.  Alternatively, if they want to go with someone more experienced, they could look at veterans such as Dan Bylsma and Dave Tippett or current assistant Lindy Ruff.

Address The Defense

While it wasn’t necessarily a big deal down the stretch, the loss of Ryan McDonagh as part of the deadline day trade with Tampa Bay is something they’re really going to feel in 2018-19.  Kevin Shattenkirk didn’t have a great first season in New York while Marc Staal, while still serviceable, is better used in a lower role, something that may not be an option if their back end is left unattended.

One player who was supposed to help a bit in that regard was Brendan Smith.  Signed to a four-year, $17.4MM extension after joining them at the 2016-17 deadline, he was supposed to solidify their top-four.  That didn’t happen and he eventually cleared waivers.  Now, Gorton is faced with a tough decision – are they better off buying him out, trading with retention, trying to find a swap of bad contracts with another team, or let this ride out?

In the meantime, the Rangers appear to be positioned to give their youngsters a lot of playing time.  Brady Skjei (a pending RFA) is a safe bet to play a big role but players like Anthony DeAngelo, Rob O’Gara, Neal Pionk, and John Gilmour aren’t as proven.  Even though the mantra of a rebuilding team is to let the prospects play, they may still want to add a veteran that can ease some of the pressure and perhaps allow one of those younger defenders to play top minutes at the minor league level.

Re-Sign Their Key RFAs

Not many teams have as many notable restricted free agents as New York does, especially up front.  Skjei is their key defender to re-sign on the back end but four of their top-nine forwards are in need of new deals and all of them have arbitration eligibility.

The most prominent among these is center Vladislav Namestnikov.  He was the key player coming back as part of the McDonagh deal and at the time the trade was completed, he was playing a significant role with Tampa Bay and it looked like he had established himself as a legitimate scoring forward in the NHL.  Things didn’t go so well in his new home, however.  He collected just two goals and two assists in 19 games on Broadway which largely overshadows the 44 points (20-24-44) in 62 games with the Lightning.  Were his struggles just a short-term thing or a sign of things to come?  If they suspect the latter, it’s hard to give him a long-term deal but with him just being two years away from UFA eligibility, a short-term ‘prove it’ deal is quite risky.  This is going to be a particularly interesting case to watch.

Center Kevin Hayes plus wingers Ryan Spooner and Jimmy Vesey are also in need of new deals.  Hayes is coming off of a season where he set career highs in goals (25), faceoff percentage (50.5%), and average time on ice (17:21) which will help his case should it get to a hearing.  Spooner quietly posted the highest point-per-game average of his career and is only one year away from UFA eligibility.  Meanwhile, Vesey’s sophomore campaign was a lot like his rookie year so a shorter contract may be the way they go there.  Any way you look at it, Gorton is going to be quite busy these next couple of months getting this many regulars locked up.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Chicago Blackhawks

at CDT | by 3 Comments

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Chicago Blackhawks.

The bubble was going to burst one day but not many expected things would go that bad that quick as it did for Chicago in 2017-18.  One year after winning the difficult Central Division, things spiralled in the wrong direction as struggles and injuries saw them go from the top to the bottom while finishing 16 points out of sixth place.  Here are some keys to their offseason.

Find A Backup Upgrade

As part of the Artemi Panarin – Brandon Saad swap at the draft last June, Chicago picked up what they thought was their long-term replacement for Scott Darling in Anton Forsberg.  Corey Crawford’s head injury actually resulted in Forsberg leading the way in games played and to put it nicely, he didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.  In 35 appearances, he posted a 2.97 GAA and a .908 SV%, numbers that were below the league average.

Jeff Glass and Jean-Francois Berube also got chances and their performances weren’t any better.  Glass is an unrestricted free agent and there’s a good chance he won’t be back and while Berube has another year left on his deal, he isn’t going to be in the discussion to be Crawford’s backup.  Forsberg is also signed for next season but after the year he had, bringing in someone to try to upgrade would make some sense.

Reload Up Front

The Blackhawks have long been right up against the Upper Limit and 2017-18 was no exception.  With most of their locked up on long-term, big money contracts, that isn’t likely to change, even with the expected increase in the salary cap.  They currently have just over $67.5MM tied up in 16 players for next year, per CapFriendly, an amount that includes winger Marian Hossa ($5.275MM) who is likely headed back for LTIR next season.

The good news for Chicago is that they don’t have many pricey free agents to re-sign.  Winger Anthony Duclair’s $1.2MM qualifying offer is the most expensive of the restricted free agents (and with the year he had, he may not get one) while winger Vinnie Hinostroza is in line for a raise on the $717K he earned but neither of them are going to break the bank.

The bad news is of those 16 skaters under contract, only seven (excluding Hossa) are forwards.  They basically have to try and build half of a forward unit and will need to add a couple of top-six pieces if they really want to bolster that unit.  They have a good collection of young, cheap forwards headed up by Alex DeBrincat and Nick Schmaltz but they aren’t ready to shoulder the load just yet so putting some of those youngsters in lesser roles to start would be ideal.  GM Stan Bowman is going to be busy this summer and this forward unit may look a whole lot different a few months from now.

Decision On Anisimov

Around the trade deadline, most of the pieces that Chicago had to trade were expiring contracts but one player that was garnering some interest was center Artem Anisimov.  He had a down year offensively and saw a bit of time in the bottom six, not an ideal place for someone signed for $4.55MM for three more years.

With Jonathan Toews entrenched long-term as their top center and Schmaltz looking like he could be their number two option in the not-too-distant future, there’s a possibility that Anisimov becomes expendable, especially if they have plans for adding some top-six help up front in free agency.  Also, if they want to shake up the core up front, he’s the logical fit to move as Toews, Saad, and Patrick Kane aren’t going to go anywhere.

Centers are always in high demand and once the top few go when the market opens up in July, Anisimov would be an intriguing fallback plan for a team that strikes out.  However, at the same time, Chicago’s depth down the middle is also relatively inexperienced beyond Toews so even though he’s coming off of a down year and is a bit pricey for his production, keeping Anisimov around as an insurance policy isn’t a bad idea either.  Bowman will certainly have an interesting decision to make on the 29-year-old’s future in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Vancouver Canucks

at CDT | by 2 Comments

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Vancouver Canucks.

This past season was yet another rough one in Vancouver as they failed to pass the 75-point mark for the third straight year while finishing seventh in the Pacific Division for the second time in a row.  As a result, the Canucks now find themselves in a full rebuild mode as they head into what should be an interesting summer.  Here are some keys to their offseason.

Replace The Sedins

Back in April, both Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin decided that they would be hanging up their skates at the conclusion of the season.  This is the end of an era as the twins were key cogs in Vancouver’s attack for 17 seasons and have been the faces of that franchise for a long time.  The nostalgic element aside, the two are core players that will need to be replaced.

With both carrying $7MM cap hits on their last contracts, the Canucks now have a lot of cap room this summer.  If they want, they can be active on the free agent market or perhaps try to leverage their space in a trade and add a younger asset or two in exchange for taking on a big contract from a cap-strapped team.

That said, even though they can go this route, should they?  As a team that has made a stated commitment to a youth movement, perhaps they would be better served letting some of their younger players and prospects take on a bigger role for 2018-19 to see how they handle the extra responsibility. Vancouver has quietly assembled an intriguing group of prospects up front and some are likely ready for the challenge.

Whichever way they decide to go, this is a decision that will need to be made sooner than later, if it hasn’t already.  Once the trade activity starts to pick up closer to the draft, they’ll need to have made their choice on how they plan to replace the Sedins to know how (or if) they’ll be utilizing their cap space.

Explore A Boeser Extension

Considering he has played all of 71 career games in the NHL, it seems strange to think that winger Brock Boeser has now completed two seasons out of his three-year, entry-level deal which makes him eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st.  After tying for the team lead in scoring in 2017-18 despite missing 20 games due to a back injury, it’s safe to say that the Canucks are going to want to lock him up to a long-term deal.

The big questions here are going to be how much will it cost and is it worth it for Boeser to sign now considering he has less than one full season under his belt?  A duplicate performance in 2018-19 would only boost his value in talks a year from now if no extension is reached.  Accordingly, Boeser holds a lot of leverage here as unless Vancouver comes to the table with a significant offer, potentially in the $6MM-$7MM range, he can just wait until next summer and still land a big second contract.

Defensive Decisions

In terms of free agents, the Canucks don’t have many players to re-sign (just Troy Stecher and Derrick Pouliot, both restricted free agents).  However, they have a trio of decisions to make when it comes to their back end.

The first one involves Alexander Edler.  The oft-injured veteran is set to enter the final year of his contract and considering where the team is in its rebuilding cycle, the time may be right to move him.  However, Edler has been loyal to Vancouver in the past so an extension isn’t out of the question either.  If they do decide to try to trade him, doing so in the offseason makes a lot of sense as they should get better value for him now than in an in-season trade.  He will, however, have to waive his no-trade clause should a trade be agreed upon.

Then there’s Chris Tanev, who has also battled significant injury trouble the last couple of years.  He has a couple of years left on his contract but again, with the team rebuilding, does he have more value to a contender than he does in Vancouver?  Teams have called on him before and that’s likely to happen again this offseason.  GM Jim Benning hasn’t wanted to move him yet but there’s a chance that could change in the coming months.

The other player is Ben Hutton.  He had a particularly rough season, going from a key cog on their back end to a frequent healthy scratch while seeing his numbers drop across the board.  He has one year left on his deal before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency but a repeat performance from 2017-18 would make him a non-tender candidate.  His trade value is lower now which will make a decision here a bit trickier.  Is it better to move him for a lesser return now or see if he can play his way back into a regular role, knowing that if he struggles again, they could lose him for nothing by not qualifying him?

Most of Vancouver’s back end is under contract but there are still quite a few decisions that Benning will have to make in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Detroit Red Wings

at CDT | by 2 Comments

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

It turns out that missing the postseason wasn’t just a one-off for Detroit.  After seeing their streak of 25 straight playoff appearances come to an end in 2016-17, the Red Wings followed that up with a lesser showing this past season, seeing their point total drop from 79 to 73.  With a rebuild and a youth movement on the horizon, here’s what is on Detroit’s to-do list this offseason.

Reshape The Defense

The Red Wings have typically spent a lot of money on their back end and this season was no exception as their seven regulars carried a cap charge of over $25MM.  Unfortunately for them, they haven’t got a lot of bang for their buck.  Their back end is fairly old with three players aged 34 or older and for a rebuilding team, that’s not ideal.

They will also be tasked with either replacing or re-signing their top defender from this year (in terms of points and average ice time) as Mike Green is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July.  His season ended prematurely with a spine injury but he’s expected to be ready for next season so his market shouldn’t suffer too badly.  On the one hand, it’s reasonable to think GM Ken Holland will want to bring him back because of his importance to the team but on the other, he’ll turn 33 soon after the season gets underway.  Re-signing him would give them four players 33 or older on defense, not exactly the typical route for a rebuilding team.

Given their salary cap constraints (they were in LTIR all season), it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to move out one of their veterans (even if Green leaves) to free up some extra cap room while opening up a spot for one of their young defenders to make a push for a roster spot.

Assess The Goalie Situation

There are a couple of decisions to be made between the pipes.  For starters, with Petr Mrazek being dealt near the trade deadline and Jared Coreau struggling down the stretch, Holland needs to find a backup to starter Jimmy Howard.  Do they look for a one-year stopgap or take a run at someone who can step into the number one role if need be?

A decision also needs to at least be pondered when it comes to Howard’s situation.  He will be entering the final year of his contract in 2018-19 with a cap hit just shy of $5.3MM.  His play in recent years has varied considerably; this past season, he posted numbers slightly below the league average but in 2016-17, he was one of the better starters in the league.  Which is the real Howard?  The latter is someone to commit to bringing back but the former isn’t.

At 34, Howard isn’t the goalie of the long-term future.  However, they don’t really have a can’t-miss youngster in the system either so there isn’t anyone knocking on the door.  Accordingly, there’s a case to be made to try to keep Howard around for another few years as a bridge to whoever comes next.  Sooner than later though, they’re going to have to acquire that next netminder.

Contract For Larkin

Dylan Larkin’s progression through his first three NHL seasons has been rocky at times but the good has far outweighed the bad.  After taking a step back in his sophomore campaign, the 21-year-old took a big step forward in 2017-18, posting career highs in assists (47) and points (63) to lead the Red Wings in scoring.  He also successfully transitioned back to playing center.  All in all, it was a nice platform season as he enters restricted free agency for the first time.

Clearly, Detroit is going to want to sign Larkin long-term.  However, they have quite a few others to lock up this summer (including fellow RFAs Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha) while replacing or re-signing Green won’t be cheap either.  The expected increase in the salary cap will help but they won’t be able to give all three youngsters lengthy deals.  Considering Larkin’s importance to the team, there’s a good chance that they’ll work to try to get a long-term pact done with him quickly and then try to pencil in their other signings over the course of the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: New York Islanders

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the New York Islanders.

While the season for the Islanders started on a high note, especially on offense, the New York Islanders came back to earth in the second half as the Islanders limped to the finish line knowing they had no chance to compete for a playoff spot. Injuries to the defense as well as goaltending troubles haunted them for much of the year.

Sign John Tavares

Perhaps when the team was winning early on and the offense was one of the best in the NHL or when the team won their bid on the Belmont properties and started plans to build a new stadium there, the Islanders might have felt confident about re-signing star center John Tavares. However, after one stretch in which the team won just 17 of 55 games, the star may be ready to move on to a team that has a better shot at being making the playoffs on a more continuous basis.

Regardless, the Islanders didn’t even consider the idea of trading Tavares at the trade deadline to a point that there were few to no rumors flying around at that time. Do they have an idea that he has always intended to sign? Or is the team just hoping he will return to the franchise?

While most experts are starting to believe that Tavares is likely to move on, it also wouldn’t be that surprising if he opted to sign a long-term, maximum deal and stay on Long Island for the rest of his career. Regardless of his decision, the Islanders will either move forward with him or without him, then placing Mathew Barzal at the forefront of the franchise.

Upgrade their defense

The Islanders had few positives when it came to their defense. Looking like geniuses when they traded veteran Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames for a boatload of draft picks, the Islanders defense then faltered when Johnny Boychuk and Calvin de Haan went down with injuries for large chunks of the season. Instead, the Islanders found themselves with few top-four defensemen for much of the season and struggled giving up goals.

While some of the goaltending play can be blamed as well, the defense is what struggled and with a number of their blueliners hitting unrestricted free agency, including de Haan and Thomas Hickey, the team has a few decisions to make as well as have to figure out how to upgrade it. Boychuk, when healthy is a solid top-four defender, but at age 34 and four years remaining on his contract at $6MM AAV, how much can they count on him? The team needs to either move some of its picks in trades for top veterans or sign some key free agents to fill some of those gaps.

Find their goaltender

While the Islanders are finally free of starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak’s long deal and are unlikely to bring him back, the next question is where do they go to find a new starting goaltender. While they do have two talented prospects in Ilya Sorokin and Linus Soderstrom, neither is an answer for this upcoming season. Sorokin has already said he doesn’t intend to sign with the Islanders under entry-level contract conditions, while Soderstrom is coming off season-ending surgery at the beginning of 2018. Neither would likely have been ready to jump into the NHL anyway.

That will force the team to either trade for a goalie, such as Washington’s Philipp Grubauer, or more likely find a stopgap solution on the free agent market, although the free agent goalie market is quite weak this offseason. Players such as Carter Hutton or Robin Lehner aren’t sure things. The team had some success with AHL goalie Christopher Gibson, but he eventually struggled as well. The team does still have Thomas Greiss under contract for two more years, but that isn’t a better option.

 

 

Offseason Keys: Montreal Canadiens

at CDT | by 4 Comments

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Montreal Canadiens.

Not a lot went right in Montreal this season.  A year after winning the Atlantic Division, they found themselves out of the playoff race in a hurry while many of their key players were injured or struggled considerably.  As a result, plenty of changes are expected again this coming summer.  Here are their keys to offseason success.

Add Center Help

This one has been at the top of the list for a long time now.  GM Marc Bergevin attempted to address it last summer with the acquisition of Jonathan Drouin with the hopes that he could play down the middle but that experiment didn’t go as well as intended.  Bergevin himself even admitted that in a perfect world, Drouin would be on the wing.  Needless to say, a true number one center is at the top of the priority list.

The need at that position doesn’t stop there, however.  Phillip Danault (a pending RFA) slots in as their number two but he’s more ideally suited for a third-line role.  There are no other in-house options and even if Tomas Plekanec gets his wish and signs with the Canadiens in the summer, he’s not a fit in that role either.  Basically, they also need a number two unless they’re content with keeping Drouin away from his natural position.  Finding one top-six center is hard enough so two is going to be a real challenge.

Partner For Weber

Lost in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade two summers ago with Nashville is the fact that Shea Weber has not had a top-notch partner to play with like he did with the Predators.  Two years ago, Nathan Beaulieu and Alexei Emelin saw the bulk of the minutes.  The former was traded to avoid being left unprotected in expansion while the latter was left unprotected (and was picked) in expansion.  Back to the drawing board they went.

Montreal’s big offseason signing on the back end last summer was Karl Alzner and his style of game doesn’t mesh with Weber’s so those two didn’t see much five-on-five time together.  That wound up resulting in rookie Victor Mete spending a lot of time in that role.  The results were mixed and ultimately, he’s not an ideal solution there at this stage of his development and neither is the collection of depth defenders that they have on the roster.  Basically, it’s back to the drawing board again.

Unfortunately for the Canadiens, the UFA market for left-shooting rearguards isn’t exactly robust so their options to improve there are limited.  Accordingly, this void may have to be filled via a trade as if they have eyes on contending for a playoff spot next season, it’s hard to imagine them wanting Mete back in that spot full-time.

Decision On Pacioretty

Like many of Montreal’s top players, it was a tough year for winger Max Pacioretty.  He tallied just 17 goals in 64 games, failing to reach the 30-goal mark after doing so the previous four years.  He was also prone to several stretches where he struggled and for the first time, trade speculation started to pick up.

Ultimately, he wasn’t dealt at the trade deadline as the asking price was said to be too high, same for most of the non-rental wingers that were made available.  However, that speculation is sure to be back in full force in the weeks to come.

Pacioretty is entering the final year of a team-friendly deal that carries an AAV of $4.5MM.  He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and will certainly be looking for a considerable raise.  Is Bergevin going to be comfortable handing that out to a player who turns 30 in November?  If not, the time may be right for a trade, at least on the surface.

However, with the stated goal to get back to the postseason, trading a top forward (and their captain) may be somewhat counterintuitive.  Quality goal scorers are hard to find and on a team that struggled to score, dealing Pacioretty would only make a big problem even worse.  It’s not going to be an easy decision to make either way but this feels like a situation that needs to be addressed before next season begins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Arizona Coyotes

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Arizona Coyotes.

Last summer, GM John Chayka made a pair of big trades in an effort to shore up the roster, bringing in Derek Stepan, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Antti Raanta.  The end result wasn’t much different than the year before as they finished last in the Western Conference which is a sign that Arizona is likely to be active again this offseason.  Here is what is on the horizon for them.

Rebuild The Offense

With extensions handed out to Raanta and Darcy Kuemper after they acquired him from Los Angeles, the Coyotes have some stability between the pipes.  They’ve been active in terms of adding to their back end in recent years with Hjalmarsson, Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, and Jakob Chychrun.  That leaves their forward group to be rebuilt.

There is a young nucleus in place led by Clayton Keller but it’s still a largely inexperienced group.  Their oldest forward heading into next season is Dave Bolland (who hasn’t played due to injury the last two years and has one more season left on his contract).  After that, it’s Stepan who is only 27.  He’s a nice veteran piece that fits in with this young group but the Coyotes need a couple more players like him to help shoulder the load and give them more threats up front.

Fortunately for Arizona, salary cap constraints won’t be a problem.  They finished 2017-18 under the cap by more than $16MM so they have plenty of wiggle room to work with.  At some point, they’re expected to become more active in terms of spending and with a lot of teams projecting to be tight to the Upper Limit this offseason, this may be their window to take advantage.

Determine Ekman-Larsson’s Future

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been a fixture on the back end since 2010-11 and has become one of the more underrated blueliners in the league.  He is set to enter the final year of his contract next season and with that, questions about his future with the Coyotes are inevitable.

In fact, they’ve been around for a while already.  Towards the trade deadline, GM John Chayka did his best to try to quash any speculation regarding Ekman-Larsson’s future but while he obviously wasn’t dealt back in February, the scuttlebutt will only intensify if he enters the season with no extension in hand.

Ekman-Larsson is set to earn $7MM in salary (with $5.5MM cap hit) for next season and his next contract should eclipse that salary as contracts continue to grow.  Given their payroll parameters, can they afford to keep him and build an eventual playoff contender around him?  Will Ekman-Larsson want to stay if spending stays at the floor?

If the answer to either of those questions is no, then he becomes a prime candidate to be dealt and the offseason may be the best time to do so; we’ve seen how much of a constraint the salary cap can be towards the trade deadline.  Officially, the two sides can’t come to terms on an extension before July but Chayka would be wise to have a backup plan or two in place if the two sides can’t find common ground on a new contract.

Deal For Domi

Heading into 2017-18, center Max Domi was viewed as a key cog of Arizona’s future.  Despite an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, he still played at a point-per-game level equal to that of his rookie year where he put up 52 points.  Unfortunately for him and the Coyotes, this past season was a rough one that saw him score just nine times despite playing in all 82 regular season games.

The 23-year-old now enters the offseason in need of a new contract and is the most intriguing of Arizona’s free agents.  In a time where bridge deals are becoming less and less frequent, will the Coyotes follow that path and commit long-term or opt for a shorter-term, ‘prove it’ type of contract which, given the year he had, makes a lot of sense?

Alternatively, there is another type of deal out there and that’s a trade.  Chayka was receiving interest on Domi leading into the trade deadline but he wasn’t too interested at that time.  The interest is bound to be there again in the coming months and if the team decides to shake up its forward group, Domi may make some sense to move even though it may be when his value is relatively low.  It’s not as prominent of a decision as their own with Ekman-Larsson but Domi’s case is still an important one to watch for.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Ottawa Senators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Ottawa Senators.

Fresh off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final, expectations were high in Ottawa heading into the season.  However, a slow start led to a blockbuster trade with the acquisition of Matt Duchene but that didn’t change their fortunes.  Their struggles continued throughout the year and after narrowing missing the Stanley Cup Final, they found themselves finishing 30th overall.  Here are the keys to their offseason.

Karlsson’s Future

As the trade deadline got closer and closer, speculation increased regarding the future of defenseman Erik Karlsson.  It got to the point where it was looking more and more like he would be dealt with Vegas emerging as a potential landing spot.  The deal wound up being scuttled but as the draft gets closer, the discussions will only intensify.

Adding to the intrigue here is Karlsson’s contract status as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018-19.  GM Pierre Dorion confirmed last month that he will make an offer to Karlsson’s camp on July 1st but for a team that isn’t typically among the top spenders in the NHL, can they afford to give him the contract he’s expected to command?

Whether it’s a trade or a contract extension, Dorion has a big decision to make.  This is something that conceivably can’t drag out into next season; this is one of those situations that won’t be helped by the media attention it would be bound to get if there wasn’t a resolution by October.

Decide On Buyouts

In his end-of-season press conference, Dorion suggested that the Sens may be willing to buy out players this summer and even acknowledged that he had discussed the possibility with some players during their exit interviews.  Doing so would free up some cap space to work with but as they’re not a team that typically spends to the Upper Limit, paying more players not to play for them (they’re already retaining on Dion Phaneuf) may not be the greatest move either.

In terms of who they could be looking at, winger Marian Gaborik comes to mind.  He was acquired in the Phaneuf trade but his presence was more about of balancing salary than filling a need.  While he played better in Ottawa, he still has three years left (with nearly $11MM in total salary) on his contract and is injury-prone.  Alexandre Burrows, another winger, cleared waivers at the trade deadline and with one year and $2.5MM left on his deal, he would be a more affordable buyout.  Winger Bobby Ryan has been tied to the Karlsson trade speculation but if they can’t unload his contract in a trade, it’s hard to imagine they would buy him out with four years and $30MM remaining on it; that’s just too rich for a smaller-market team.

Contract For Stone

All the discussion surrounding Karlsson has drawn most of the headlines which has allowed Mark Stone’s contract situation to go under the radar somewhat.  He’s set to become a restricted free agent in July (with a qualifying offer of $4.5MM which he’ll undoubtedly receive).  He’s also arbitration-eligible and most importantly, is only a year away from UFA eligibility.

His performance in 2017-18 gives him a lot of leverage to work with.  Despite missing 24 games, he still posted 62 points, surpassing the point-per-game mark for the first time in his career.  That stat is going to look awfully good in an arbitration filing if it gets that far.

Ryan’s contract carries a $7.5MM cap hit and there’s a strong case to be made that Stone’s next deal should surpass his as the 25-year-old has out-produced Ryan in each of the last four years while emerging as a legitimate top-line player.  If Ottawa deems that too rich of an ask, then all of a sudden he becomes a prime trade candidate at some point throughout the year.  If they do reach an agreement, will that have an impact on Karlsson; can they afford to keep both long-term?  The safe bet here is that Stone and the Senators come to terms on a long-term deal but it’s going to be a very big one when they do put pen to paper.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top