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Andreas Athanasiou

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/03/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. The list for today:

Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour*, Tobias Rieder*
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter, Lucas Wallmark
Colorado – Tyson Jost*
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Detroit –Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno, Nick Bjugstad*, Nick Bonino*, Joel Eriksson Ek*, Marcus Johansson*, Jared Spurgeon*
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Jesper Bratt, Nathan Bastian*, Nikita Gusev*, Yegor Sharangovich*
Pittsburgh – John Marino*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Sam Gagner, Detroit Red Wings; Jonathon Merrill, Detroit Red Wings; Kaapo Kakko, New York Rangers

The big news is the addition of five players from Minnesota and one from Colorado, who played each other last night (and twice before that). Tomorrow’s game between the two clubs is expected to be postponed, but it is not clear yet how many matches will be affected.

The Devils are up to 17 players on the list as they deal with the biggest outbreak of the regular season, while the Sabres–who played the Devils on the weekend–are now up to four. Both teams currently have all activities suspended and games postponed.

Marino’s placement for the Penguins comes at a brutal stretch while they’re without almost all of their top options on defense, though again it is not clear if he has tested positive or how long he will be kept away from the team.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/02/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. The Anaheim Ducks are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:

Anaheim – TBA
Buffalo – Taylor Hall*, Rasmus Ristolainen* 
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter; Lucas Wallmark
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Detroit – Sam Gagner, Jonathon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes*, Damon Severson*, Ty Smith*, Matt Tennyson*, Jesper Bratt*
NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jesper Fast, Carolina Hurricanes; Nicolas Beaudin, Chicago Blackhawks; Alex DeBrincat, Chicago Blackhawks; Adam Erne, Detroit Red Wings; Robby Fabbri, Detroit Red Wings

The huge news today is the exploding outbreak in New Jersey, where now 14 players are listed in the COVID Protocol. The Sabres, who played the Devils on Sunday (and Saturday) before they were shut down, also now have two players listed and have shutdown their own operation for the rest of the week.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/01/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. Here is today’s group:

Carolina – Jesper Fast
Chicago – Nicholas Beaudin, Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter; Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jonathon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson*, Janne Kuokkanen*, Michael McLeod*, Pavel Zacha*
NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets

The big news is the huge outbreak in New Jersey, where three games have been postponed because of the ten players on the CPRA list. The Devils will not play for the next week, though obviously test results could extend that even further. Several of these players took part in yesterday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, but thankfully no Sabres players were included here today. It’s important to remember that at least some of the Devils listed are because of travel protocols (Vatanen, Dell), or, in the case of Carrick because he left the team for the birth of a child.

Laine meanwhile hit the ice today for the first time since his trade to the Blue Jackets after serving his 48-hour quarantine. He’s expected to be in the lineup tomorrow night to make his Columbus debut.

Kakko too was added today for the Rangers, who recalled Jonny Brodzinski from the AHL earlier today. The young forward has two goals in eight games and will now miss some time as he moves through the protocol. The Rangers play this evening against the Penguins and Thursday against the Capitals.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/31/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. Here is today’s group:

Carolina – Jesper Fast
Chicago – Nicholas Beaudin; Adam Boqvist; Ryan Carpenter; Alex DeBrincat; Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine
Dallas – Andrej Sekera*
Detroit – Adam Erne; Robby Fabbri; Sam Gagner; Jonathon Merrill; Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – TBA
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood; Connor Carrick; Aaron Dell; Kyle Palmieri*; Sami Vatanen*; Travis Zajac
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov; Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

No word yet on the status of Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte who were both on the list Saturday, but the list now says TBA, suggesting the two could be activated soon.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/30/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. Here is today’s group:

Carolina – Jesper Fast
Chicago – Nicolas Beaudin*, Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter*, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Connor Carrick*, Aaron Dell, Travis Zajac
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes; Dmitry Orlov and Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Of today’s new additions to the list, a growth in the group of Blackhawks should not come as much of a surprise after the team canceled practice today in response to growing concerns about COVID. Both Beaudin and Carpenter played in Chicago’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, but the hope is that no other players or staff were infected at that time and the cancellation of practice will stop any further spread and hopefully prevent the Blackhawks from being the next team to see games postponed.

As for Carrick, the Devils defenseman left the team to return home to his wife for the birth of their child. While this departure falls under the COVID protocol, it does not pose a threat to any other team members. The Devils do however still have several other players on the list.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/29/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. The list is in:

Carolina – Jaccob Slavin, Jesper Fast
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine*
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Aaron Dell, Travis Zajac*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Warren Foegele, Carolina Hurricanes; Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes; Jordan Martinook, Carolina Hurricanes; Curtis McElhinney, Tampa Bay Lightning; Tucker Poolman, Winnipeg Jets

Zajac’s appearance comes as no surprise after the Devils announced this morning he would not travel with them to their next two games. He joins Blackwood and Dell on the sidelines. Lizotte’s addition is a bit concerning, given that he took part in last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild after Athanasiou was already ruled out.

The big news is the three Carolina players that are out of the protocol, along with Laine finally arriving in Columbus to start his 48-hour quarantine.

Importantly, no other Golden Knights players appeared on the list today, a good sign that they can potentially get back on the ice in the coming days. The league had reserved judgement on their next few games after postponing Thursday’s affair against the St. Louis Blues. Pietrangelo remains the only player held out, though their training facilities are still locked down.

*denotes new addition

Los Angeles Kings Sign Andreas Athanasiou

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December 29: The Kings have officially announced the Athanasiou contract, which comes in at the one-year, $1.2MM terms that were reported. The speedy forward will be a restricted free agent again when the deal expires.

December 28: The Los Angeles Kings are getting faster. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Andreas Athanasiou is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Kings, giving him a place to play with training camp just a few days away. Friedman adds the salary is expected to be around $1.2MM.

Athanasiou, 26, is one of the most exciting and yet frustrating players in the NHL, all at the same time. The fourth-round pick has incredible speed and skill, which resulted in a 30-goal season during the 2018-19 campaign, but too often tries to do it all himself or fails to capitalize on the talents of his linemates. Last season, his fifth with the Detroit Red Wings, he scored just ten goals and 24 points and was a -45 before a midseason trade took him to the Edmonton Oilers. The hope was that his speed could fit in beside Connor McDavid, but Athanasiou quickly found himself pushed down the Oilers lineup and he recorded just two points in 13 games for the team.

In the offseason, Edmonton decided to not even extend Athanasiou a qualifying offer, despite trading two second-round picks (and Sam Gagner) for him just a few months earlier. That decision was because of the $3MM salary the offer would have carried, but it still was a surprising move given the draft capital they had shelled out to acquire him. Now, after a long wait, Athanasiou will finally get a chance to prove that he can still be an effective weapon at the NHL level.

There’s no doubt that he can score, but it’s hard to know exactly how to best maximize Athanasiou’s talent. In Los Angeles, it seems unlikely that he would be a good fit beside slower veteran names like Anze Kopitar or Jeff Carter, but perhaps he could form a lightning-fast trio with Adrian Kempe and Austin Wagner. No matter where he fits in, it’s a worthwhile gamble for a team looking to turn things around after a few poor seasons.

Like some of the other late-offseason signings, Athanasiou also represents a potential deadline trade chip. If he receives an opportunity on the powerplay or starts the season hot, maybe the Kings can cash in for a couple of draft picks of their own.

Free Agent Profile: Andreas Athanasiou

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It’s amazing how much the perception of a player can change within a year.  Free agent winger Andreas Athanasiou is only the latest example of this.  Following 2018-19, he appeared to be a core player that could be part of Detroit’s long-term plans.  One year later, he had been traded and ultimately was non-tendered by Edmonton last month (meaning he wasn’t part of our Top 50 UFA list) and remains unsigned more than a month into free agency.

So how did things get this far?  He is, after all, only a year removed from scoring 30 goals with the Red Wings.  However, things didn’t go anywhere near as well with them last season as he just 10 in 46 games before his former GM in Ken Holland came calling, second a pair of second-round picks to get Athanasiou with the Oilers.  Unfortunately for them, the 25-year-old didn’t improve as he had a limited role down the stretch and in the postseason.  The pandemic levelling out the salary cap didn’t hurt either as all of a sudden, his $3MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights was too rich so he was set free.

But even with that, it’s noteworthy to see him still unsigned at this point.  He can play all three forward positions (although he’s better on the wing than down the middle) and he’s at the point where he should be entering the prime of his career.  But at the same time, the fact that he didn’t fit in with Edmonton is telling and is likely giving teams some pause.  On paper, the speedster seemed like a good option for the Oilers but it just didn’t come to fruition.

While the days of labelling players as top six-only options have come and gone as teams now run more offensively-oriented third lines, Athanasiou could still be classified as such.  He’s not the best in his own end which makes him a less than ideal fit on a checking or energy line so that limits his options somewhat.  But still, there should be a landing spot for him in a middle-six role, one that likely sees him slotted on the third line with the upside to move up if he plays well.

Potential Suitors

A lot depends on where Athanasiou’s price tag is at right now.  On the surface, his best bet in terms of finding an ideal fit is a lower-priced one-year deal that gives him a shot at rebuilding some value.  He’d still be controllable through arbitration but if he plays well, the higher price may be something that the team is willing to pay.  Going with that approach also gives him the most opportunities to sign as if he’s seeking a deal that was close to his previous one, he’ll price himself out of the budgets for most teams.  The potential fits below keep that in mind.

In the East, New Jersey is likely to keep some spots open for younger players but Athanasiou is young enough that a good season could see him become a part of their longer-term core.  With three offensive lines, there’s a spot for him to play on and as they have the most cap space in the league, he may be able to garner more from them than certain other teams.  One of those other teams would be Boston.  They’re not likely to have a lot of cap space by the time Jake DeBrusk’s deal gets done but if they are indeed committed to going with the back end they currently have, they should have enough room to add some more help up front.  Secondary scoring has long been an area that they’ve wanted to improve and while Craig Smith will help, Athanasiou would give them a boost.  Florida has already lost Evgenii Dadonov while Mike Hoffman remains unsigned.  They’ve added Patric Hornqvist and some other depth options but more help is needed up front and like the Devils, they have the cap room to go higher for Athanasiou than most do.

Out West, the Kings are a team that’s trying to get younger so while the idea of shopping for veterans on the open market doesn’t really appeal to them, Athanasiou is young enough that he should pique their interest and there is certainly a middle-six role available on their current roster.  Anaheim is a team that needs to get younger up front and with Ryan Kesler heading for LTIR once again, there should be room to add and Athanasiou would fit in well with some of their up-and-coming quicker players.  Vancouver has lost some of their forward depth this offseason both in terms of a top-six player (Tyler Toffoli) and secondary scoring (Josh Leivo).  It would take either Micheal Ferland heading back to LTIR or some other cap-freeing moves from GM Jim Benning but the Canucks are quickly becoming an up-tempo team which would suit Athanasiou well.

Projected Contract

A one-year deal is probably the best fit for both Athanasiou and his eventual team and he isn’t eligible for performance bonuses.  At this point, the maximum he could look to get would be around the $2MM mark and even that may be hard to get with so many others still unsigned as well.  Accordingly, something closer to $1.25MM and $1.5MM should be what his next deal checks in at.  While that’s a big cut from $3MM, a bounce back season would certainly position himself for a much bigger pay day through arbitration next offseason.  Even if non-tendered, he’d at least be coming off of a better season before hitting the market.  For Athanasiou, the best approach for 2020-21 may be to take a short-term hit financially to set himself up for a better deal down the road.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Athanasiou, Predators, Smith, Strome

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The Canucks are among the teams that have spoken to agent Darren Ferris regarding UFA winger Andreas Athanasiou, Ferris told TSN 1040 (audio link).  However, talks didn’t go too far with Ferris suggesting that Vancouver’s preference is to add on their back end first.

The 26-year-old was non-tendered by Edmonton earlier this month as they felt a $3MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights was too steep for their liking.  He’s coming off a tough season with just 11 goals and 15 assists in 55 games between the Oilers and Red Wings (who acquired two second-round picks and Sam Gagner for Athanasiou near the trade deadline) but he’s only a year removed from a 30-goal season which makes him one of the more intriguing buy-low targets available and there is an opening in Vancouver’s top six following the departure of Tyler Toffoli to Montreal.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Predators are involved in daily discussions with remaining restricted free agents Luke Kunin and Rem Pitlick, notes Brooks Bratten of their team website. Kunin was the centerpiece of the draft day trade that sent Nick Bonino to Minnesota and is coming off a 15-goal season while Pitlick had 36 points in 63 games with AHL Milwaukee.  Neither player is eligible for salary arbitration and their qualifying offers will expire at 4:00 PM CST on Sunday.
  • Blackhawks winger Zack Smith still hasn’t been cleared medically following his back surgery in March, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. At the time of the procedure, the recovery period was expected to be three-to-four months but it’s well past that now.  His agent Allain Roy indicated that Smith is making slow progress so it’s still possible that he’ll be ready for next season.  A speculative buyout candidate earlier this month, Chicago wasn’t able to go that route with Smith because of the injury.
  • Still with the Blackhawks, it appears that it will be a while before a deal is done with center Dylan Strome. The restricted free agent doesn’t have arbitration rights and an offer sheet isn’t likely forthcoming so there’s no immediate rush.  To that end, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that there hasn’t been much discussion about a contract yet.  The 23-year-old has 89 points in 116 regular season games with Chicago since being acquired from Arizona where he struggled to live up to his draft billing as the third-overall pick in 2015.

Ten Notable Non-Tenders

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Lost in the shuffle on the marathon second day of the draft is that Wednesday also represented the deadline for qualifying offers to be tendered.  The flattening of the salary cap increased the concerns about salary arbitration which has certainly affected the quality of players that are now set to hit the open market on Friday.  As these players will not be a part of our annual Top-50 UFA Rankings, here’s a rundown of ten notables to keep tabs on over the coming days, listed in alphabetical order.

Andreas Athanasiou (Edmonton)

Back at the trade deadline, the Oilers dealt a pair of second-round picks and Sam Gagner to secure the speedster, one that GM Ken Holland had plenty of familiarity with from his own days with Detroit.  While the winger was having a tough season, he’s only a year removed from a 30-goal campaign.  In a normal salary cap world, his $3MM qualifier would have been tough to swallow but still would have happened.  Instead, he hits the open market with Edmonton not getting much return for those two fairly high picks while becoming an intriguing bounce-back target for some teams.  He won’t get paid like a 30-goal scorer but as a third-liner with upside, he’ll land one of the bigger contracts out of this group of players if not the biggest.

Matt Benning (Edmonton)

There was a time that the Oilers hoped that Benning could step into a role on their second pairing but it didn’t come to fruition.  However, he has been a serviceable third-pairing player over the past few years but a cap-strapped Oilers team couldn’t justify qualifying him at $1.95MM.  Given that he’s a right-handed shot in a market that doesn’t have a lot of them, he should have interest from a few teams.

Nick Cousins (Vegas)

On the surface, a $1MM qualifying offer to a player who had 25 points in 65 games and got into 17 postseason contests doesn’t seem too pricey.  But this is a case where the potential for a higher award through arbitration is a risk that Vegas didn’t want to take with Cousins.  It’s the second-straight year that the 27-year-old was non-tendered for this reason after Arizona did the same thing a year ago.  A versatile depth player, he should be able to land somewhere for around the same contract as he played on this past season.

Anthony Duclair (Ottawa)

Despite finding an opportunity to play a bigger role than he had at any other point in his career, it seems as if Duclair may have overplayed his hand in contract talks.  After scoring 23 goals this season, he opted to represent himself in contract negotiations against the recommendation of GM Pierre Dorion who indicated that a sizable raise was offered before getting to this point.  Still just 25, Duclair becomes a very interesting addition to the open market but having bounced around the league already (he has played for five different teams in six NHL seasons), it’s hard to tell how strong his market may be.

Vinnie Hinostroza (Arizona)

A year ago, it looked like the 26-year-old was set to be a useful part of Arizona’s long-term plans.  He was coming off of a career-best 16-23-39 stat line and was pushing for a spot in their top six.  Things went sideways this year though as he potted just five goals in 68 games which made a $1.5MM qualifier untenable.  Hinostroza could fit on a third line for some teams and should have a fair bit of interest.

Dominik Kahun (Buffalo)

This was one of the more surprising non-tenders of the group.  Although Kahun has just two years of NHL experience, he’s arbitration-eligible since he’s 25.  He followed up a 37-point rookie campaign with 31 points this pandemic-shortened season (including four in six games with Buffalo after being acquired in a deadline day deal from Pittsburgh) while he also missed time with a concussion and a knee injury.  With his point per game average, he played at a 45-point full-season pace.  Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams has indicated they are interested in retaining the winger but if he makes it to the open market, he should be one of the most sought-after players from this list.

Mark Jankowski (Calgary)

While he had shown progress in his development over his first two full NHL seasons, things went off the rails in 2019-20.  Jankowski scored just five times in 56 games and while he wouldn’t have been able to get much more than his $1.75MM qualifier in arbitration, that was still too high of a price tag for Calgary’s liking.  Still just 26, Jankowski now heads to an open market that isn’t exactly loaded in available centers so while a pay cut is likely, he should have no issues finding a new team.

Dominik Simon (Pittsburgh)

A natural center, Simon has spent the majority of his time with Pittsburgh on the wing, playing on all four lines along the way.  While not a gifted point producer, he has surpassed 20 points in each of the last two seasons while posting above-average possession numbers.  Owed a qualifier of less than $800K, the fear of arbitration sealed Simon’s fate on a cap-strapped Penguins squad.

Troy Stecher (Vancouver)

In 2018-19, Stecher looked to be on the verge of securing a spot in Vancouver’s top four after averaging nearly 20 minutes a night and chipping in with 23 points.  But the return of a healthy Chris Tanev and the addition of Tyler Myers helped push the 26-year-old onto the third pairing and a much lower ATOI than usual.  A $2.325MM qualifier is a bit high for someone in that role but there should be a few teams that see him as a potential fourth or fifth option which makes him a notable addition to the UFA market.

Lucas Wallmark (Florida)

One of the notable parts of the Vincent Trocheck deal, Wallmark was coming off of a league-minimum salary which means this non-tender was solely arbitration related.  The 25-year-old only has two full NHL seasons under his belt, putting up 25 and 23 points in each while posting a faceoff percentage that’s a bit above the 50% mark each time.  There is still some upside with Wallmark and with a weak market down the middle, he’ll have no trouble generating interest.

While these players (among the others that were non-tendered) can become unrestricted free agents on Friday, some teams will still be negotiating with their players to try to get them at a lower salary than either their qualifying offer or their expected arbitration salary.  Usually, a handful wind up re-signing so at least for some of these players, their fates may not be completely sealed yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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