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Darcy Kuemper

Looking At Darcy Kuemper’s Impending Free Agency

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This past summer, the Colorado Avalanche looked to be in a precarious position with their goaltending. Philipp Grubauer, their regular starter, hit free agency and opted to sign a major $5.9MM AAV contract with the Seattle Kraken, leaving Colorado as a team with Stanley Cup aspirations but no goalie to backstop them to that point. To solve the issue, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic made a deal with the Arizona Coyotes, a soon-to-be division rival, to acquire goaltender Darcy Kuemper for Conor Timmins and two draft picks, including a 2022 first-round pick. The trade allowed Colorado to acquire an accomplished goaltender to get out of their difficult situation, but the long-term implications of the trade were cloudy. Kuemper was acquired as a player with only one year left until free agency, meaning there was no guarantee that this trade would be anything but a one-year marriage. But with the current state of the Avalanche, it’s likely both parties would like to continue their partnership.

The Avalanche sit first in the NHL with a 49-14-6 record, and Kuemper’s play has been a large part of their success. In 48 games this season Kuemper has a 32-9-3 record, a .925 save percentage, and a 2.37 goals against average. His save percentage ranks fourth in the league and this is all factoring in Kuemper’s difficult start to the season. Until Kuemper came back from a lower-body injury in early December his save percentage was mired in the low .900’s. As Peter Baugh of The Athletic notes, since that point when Kuemper returned from injury, he has cemented his place as one of the league’s top goaltenders and has a legitimate chance to finish the season as not only a Vezina Trophy contender but also a Stanley Cup champion.

It may seem like based on all those factors Kuemper is a lock to extend in Colorado, but the reality of his situation is not that simple. Sakic is a patient, calculated general manager who rarely makes deals he does not totally believe are in the best interests of his team. Kuemper is in line for a massive contract this offseason. Scoring is at a high point for this era of hockey, and fewer and fewer teams can truly be counted as having a “franchise” goaltender, meaning an offseason bidding war for Kuemper’s services could be a near-inevitability. Despite his accomplishments, one has to wonder if Avalanche are in the position to be able to outbid other suitors for Kuemper. The expiration of superstar Nathan MacKinnon’s $6.3MM AAV deal after the 2022-23 season looms large on everything Colorado plans to do, and even with that in mind, the Avalanche have a tricky free agent situation this offseason.

Setting aside Kuemper’s situation, the Avalanche still have other major contributors set to hit free agency. Nazem Kadri, the team’s breakout star and crucial top-six centreman, is in line for a major raise having posted 83 points in 65 games this season. Andre Burakovsky is an important winger for the team, and he looks set for an improved contract given his 49 points in 67 games of production. Two strong two-way wingers, Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin (who is now scoring at a 30-goal, 64-point pace) are also on expiring contracts, as pending restricted and unrestricted free agents, respectively. And then there is Josh Manson, the team’s recent trade acquisition, who also is a pending free agent. This is all to say that Sakic and the entire Avalanche front office have a herculean task ahead of them if they want to keep the band together, and Kuemper could be the sort of player who slips through the cracks.

If the way the Avalanche let Grubauer walk is any indication, the team has a certain price they are willing to allocate to goaltenders and are unwilling to go above that number for a player if they don’t deem him worth it, regardless of the sort of dangerous situation holding such a line could get them into. So might they have that line with Kuemper? And if they do, will it be high enough to keep Kuemper away from the major offers he is set to receive from other teams?

Given his recent brilliance and overall resume since becoming a full-time starter with the Coyotes, as well as the overall lack of “franchise” goaltenders across the league, could Kuemper reasonably target an extension near $10MM AAV similar to Carey Price, Sergei Bobrosky, or Andrei Vasilevskiy? He doesn’t have the individual accolades those goalies had when they received their contracts, meaning a figure closer to $6MM AAV where Jacob Markstrom and Connor Hellebucyk sit would probably be more reasonable. But could the market say otherwise? And if so, will the Avalanche be able to keep up?

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Central Notes: Buchnevich, Wheeler, Wild, Kuemper

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Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich has been cleared from COVID protocol, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  As a result, St. Louis – who has had 21 different players unavailable due to positive tests in recent weeks – now doesn’t have anyone missing for that reason (though defenseman Scott Perunovich is out with an unspecified injury).  Buchnevich will be a welcome addition back to the lineup for the Blues as he sits tied for second in team scoring with 14 goals and 21 assists in 34 games.  St. Louis had an open roster spot so they didn’t need to make any corresponding roster move to bring him back onto the active roster.

More from the Central:

  • Jets winger Blake Wheeler could return to the lineup this weekend, reports Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe. The captain has missed nine straight games with a knee injury, an amount that could have been much higher had it not been for the COVID-related postponements.  Wheeler has only scored once in 22 games this season but had 16 assists which is still tied for third on Winnipeg despite missing more than a month.
  • Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin has resumed skating as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, relays Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link). He was injured blocking a shot a week and a half ago.  His pending return will be welcome with Jared Spurgeon expected to be eased back into the lineup; McLellan adds that it’s unlikely that the captain – who is working his way back from a lower-body injury – will play both ends of the upcoming home-and-home with Chicago.
  • While Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper left Monday’s game against Minnesota with an injury, he isn’t expected to miss any time, mentions Mike Chambers of the Denver Post (Twitter link). He’ll serve as the backup goaltender tonight and is slated to start on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Darcy Kuemper, Cale Makar Placed In COVID Protocol

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7:05pm: At this rate the Avalanche aren’t going to get through the game with a team. Cale Makar has also been placed in the protocol just as the game is starting. The team will be short a defenseman, a forward, and a goalie.

6:41pm: Less than 30 minutes before their game is set to begin, the Colorado Avalanche have announced that Darcy Kuemper won’t be in the net as expected. The goaltender has been added to the COVID protocol, leaving Pavel Francouz to make the start.

Kuemper joins J.T. Compher and Andre Burakovsky who were placed in the protocol just two hours ago, and Devon Toews who went in a few days ago. The team was already expected to play shorthanded upfront, but now appear to need a last-minute replacement to serve as the backup for tonight’s game. They faced a similar situation earlier this season when Kuemper was a late scratch due to injury; Justus Annunen showed up partway through the game that time, but it’s doesn’t look like that’s the plan here. An EBUG–Dustin Smith, according to play-by-play broadcaster Marc Moser–will be the backup.

Not only that, but Francouz himself hasn’t even played in an NHL game since the 2019-20 season. The 31-year-old played four games at the AHL level on a conditioning stint, but was only activated off long-term injured reserve four days ago. He’s now the team’s only option tonight, and perhaps moving forward. If Kuemper has tested positive and is symptomatic, he’ll have to quarantine (on the road) for a minimum of ten days.

Injury Updates: Kuemper, Byram, Boqvist, Murphy

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It appears as if Colorado’s goaltending situation will be tenuous for a little while.  Following last night’s victory in Montreal, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that starting netminder Darcy Kuemper could be out for two days or two months, meaning that there’s no timeline for his return.  Kuemper is believed to have suffered his upper-body injury at Wednesday’s morning skate after taking a high shot which, coupled with Bednar’s comment, suggests that the veteran may be dealing with a concussion.  With Pavel Francouz only beginning his LTI conditioning loan on Wednesday, it will be Jonas Johansson’s crease for the time being.

Other injury news from around the league:

  • Still with the Avalanche, Chambers notes in a separate column that defenseman Bowen Byram’s injury isn’t a concussion but that it does pertain to the head injury he just came back from. That return only lasted two games and it wouldn’t be surprising of Colorado errs on the side of caution when it comes to determining when he returns.  When healthy, the 20-year-old has impressed with nine points in 13 games while averaging nearly 20 minutes a night on the back end.
  • The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated center Jesper Boqvist from injured reserve. The 23-year-old has missed the last couple of weeks due to an upper-body injury and has split his season between New Jersey and their AHL affiliate in Utica.  With the Devils, he has one assist in five games but has eight points in seven minor league contests.  New Jersey had an open roster spot so no one needed to be sent down to make room for Boqvist on the active roster.
  • The Blackhawks have placed defenseman Connor Murphy in concussion protocol, relays Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune. There is no timetable for his return.  The veteran is second to Seth Jones in ATOI for Chicago’s defensemen at just under 22 minutes a night while leading the team in blocked shots with 48.

Snapshots: Olympics, Blackwell, Crosby

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Each country participating in the upcoming Olympics had to submit their long list of 50 skaters and five goalies by last Friday.  While those lists weren’t made public, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment that Canada was granted a special exemption to add a sixth goaltender to their list in Canadiens netminder Carey Price who is currently out indefinitely after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.  The other five goalies are Darcy Kuemper, Carter Hart, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Binnington, and Mackenzie Blackwood.  Canada’s Olympic committee recently announced a vaccination mandate in order to participate which makes Blackwood’s presence on here noteworthy as he is believed to be one of the four NHL players currently not vaccinated.  LeBrun mentions that the Devils’ goalie is working through the process of getting that done which should make him eligible to participate in the tournament in February if selected.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Kraken center Colin Blackwell has resumed light skating as he works his way back from a lower-body injury that kept him out of training camp, notes Marisa Ingemi of the Seattle Times. He’s hoping to avoid surgery but it appears he’s still a few weeks away from returning.  Blackwell was selected back in expansion after picking up 12 goals and 10 assists in 47 games (all career highs) last season with the Rangers.
  • Penguins center Sidney Crosby returned to practice today after missing the last four team skates, relays NHL.com’s Wes Crosby. He indicated that he has yet to go through any physical or faceoff drills which will need to happen before he can return.  Crosby, who is working his way back from wrist surgery that carried a minimum recovery time of six weeks, has missed just more than that and hasn’t pegged a target date for him to make his season debut.

Colorado Avalanche Acquire Darcy Kuemper

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The Colorado Avalanche missed out on retaining their starting goaltender when Philipp Grubauer decided to sign with the Seattle Kraken, but have found a replacement. The Avalanche have traded defenseman Conor Timmins, a 2022 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 third-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for Darcy Kuemper. 

The Avalanche can likely afford a price like that, given how many good young defensemen they already have in the organization, but it’s still a lot to pay for a goaltender under contract for just one season. There’s obviously a chance he will sign an extension with Colorado, but until he does, the Avalanche are pushing a few important chips to the middle after losing the bidding on Grubauer. During today’s TSN coverage of the trade deadline, Pierre LeBrun explained that Frederik Andersen was Colorado’s backup plan if they couldn’t re-sign Grubauer, but the former Toronto Maple Leafs netminder couldn’t wait and ended up with the Carolina Hurricanes when a strong offer was tabled.

There was really no other option for the Avalanche after the goalie carousel had stopped spinning today. The team needed a strong, experienced option that could potentially help them contend for the Stanley Cup, and those weren’t readily available on free agency or the trade market. Kuemper was the obvious choice, given his strong play over the last few years and overall NHL resume.

In 242 appearances, the 31-year-old netminder has posted a .917 save percentage, including a .922 in his three years with Arizona. He finished fifth and seventh in Vezina voting the two years previous to this season, and recently led Team Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championship. He will now be asked to carry a heavy load for the Avalanche, splitting time with Pavel Francouz but being the obvious starting option. Kuemper’s never really had this kind of a dominant team in front of him, except perhaps for the start of 2017-18 when he served as the backup for the 45-29-8 Los Angeles Kings. During that 19-game stretch, he posted a 10-1-3 record with a .932 save percentage, numbers the Avalanche hope repeat now that he’s on a Cup contender in Colorado.

For Arizona, today played out perfectly as they waited to move Kuemper until a team was in a desperate situation. The team will not only add another high pick to their overflowing cupboard–they will now pick seven times in the first two rounds of 2022—but also bring in Timmins, a legitimate defense prospect that could very well slide in on the top pairing beside Jakob Chychrun. It’s not that Timmins projects to be that high on most depth charts, but the Coyotes only have a few NHL-level defensemen on the books.

The team has been desperately needing an influx of young talent and GM Bill Armstrong has done exceptional work this offseason to bring it in. The team has used cap space several times to add assets, while also flipping their most valuable pieces for future talent. Kuemper was unlikely to be in net the next time the Coyotes were competitive, so why not move him now when the price is so high.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider was first to report the trade

Offseason Notes: Kuemper, Nemeth, Wideman

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The Arizona Coyotes moved out Adin Hill this offseason and have Antti Raanta scheduled for free agency in two days, but that doesn’t mean they won’t listen on their other goalie. Darcy Kuemper is generating interest around the league according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, who lists the Toronto Maple Leafs as one team involved. The Coyotes–who have used their available cap space several times this offseason to acquire future assets–may be willing to retain some of Kuemper’s $4.5MM salary to get a deal done but the price is “quite high” according to Pagnotta.

The 31-year-old Kuemper had just a .907 save percentage this season, but showed off his skills at the World Championship, taking Team Canada to a gold medal. For his career, he has posted a .917 in 242 NHL games, a number that would certainly be interesting to several contenders looking for a tandem option. Toronto GM Kyle Dubas has been very clear over the past week that the team’s top priority is finding a partner for Jack Campbell, given Frederik Andersen appears to be heading to market. Kuemper could be that option for them or another team, though it will come at a cost.

  • The New York Rangers could be adding some size to their young defensive group, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the team is expected to sign Patrik Nemeth when free agency opens this week. The 6’3″ Nemeth spent this season with the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, totaling 10 points in 52 games. He earned $3MM in each of the last two seasons, but could be taking a bit of a pay cut according to Brooks, who expects a two or three-year deal to be completed with an average annual value between $2.25MM and $2.75MM. The 29-year-old would certainly add some defensive responsibility to a blueline already brimming with offensive talent, though where he exactly fits would have to still be determined.
  • After an outstanding season in the KHL, Chris Wideman could be returning to North America to join the Montreal Canadiens. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Wideman is a “good bet” to end up in Montreal when free agency opens. The 31-year-old defenseman led all KHL defensemen in scoring this season with 41 points in 59 games and then helped the U.S. win bronze at the World Championship. He last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season and recently opened up about the Uber incident while with the Ottawa Senators that may have considerably changed his career path.

Arizona Coyotes Executive Brian Daccord Resigns

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The Arizona Coyotes and GM Bill Armstrong sure have their work cut out for them this summer. With just a dozen 2020-21 regulars under contract beyond this season – eight forwards, three defenseman, and a goalie, no first-round pick due to forfeiture, and the impending NHL Expansion Draft, there was already more than enough for the team to handle as they look to improve ahead of next season. Now, there will be one less mind to help out. As confirmed by Coyotes beat writer Craig Morgan, Special Assistant to the GM and Director of Goaltending Personnel Brian Daccord has resigned from his position. He follows Assistant GM’s Lindsay Hofford and Steve Sullivan out the door, all in the past nine months, leaving behind a desolate front office.

Daccord was in fact Armstrong’s first hire after he landed the Arizona GM job in September. Morgan describes Daccord as Armstrong’s “right-hand man” and someone who held many different responsibilities. Many of those duties involved goaltending, which was a bright spot this season in the desert with Darcy Kuemper’s continued strong play and Adin Hill taking a step forward. However, it could quickly become an area of concern with Kuemper a fixture in the trade rumor mill, Hill potentially exposed to expansion, and veteran Antti Raanta heading for free agency, without much in the way of high-end talent in the pipeline. Perhaps even more important though is that Morgan notes that Daccord was also heavily involved in recommending front office hires to Armstrong. Not only must the GM replace his two departed assistants, but he now must replace the man who was supposed to help him with the selection process. Entering his first full off-season, this could already be a do-or-die summer for Armstrong with so many major decisions on his plate and not much support.

As for Daccord, the respected hockey mind is sure to find work elsewhere, if he hasn’t already. A professional goalie in Switzerland during his playing career, Daccord has worked his way up the coaching ranks from assistant coach at his alma mater, Merrimack College, to goalie coach positions with the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and in Germany, and finally to a front office position overseeing goaltending personnel, among other things. One possible landing spot could be with the Ottawa Senators, where son Joey Daccord is himself a goaltender.

Hockey Canada Announces 2021 World Championship Roster

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The IIHF World Championship roster is always a little different. Because the tournament takes place during the NHL playoffs, many players are unable to attend. Many others choose not to participate because of injuries they sustained during the season, meaning there are often some interesting choices that compete for their country.

Like the U.S. roster that was officially released just a few days ago, the Canadian contingent looks even more odd than normal. Not only does the management team have injuries and the postseason to deal with, but many players haven’t seen their families for months and just want to spend some quality time at home.

Though the initial paperwork had been reported on recently, the full official roster is as follows:

G Adin Hill
G Darcy Kuemper
G Michael Dipietro

D Braden Schneider
D Colin Miller
D Owen Power
D Sean Walker
D Mario Ferraro
D Troy Stecher
D Nicolas Beaudin
D Jacob Bernard-Docker*

F Liam Foudy
F Dillon Dube
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan
F Gabriel Vilardi
F Adam Henrique
F Justin Danforth
F Nick Paul
F Brandon Hagel
F Michael Bunting
F Connor Brown
F Max Comtois
F Brandon Pirri
F Andrew Mangiapane
F Cole Perfetti

Like the U.S. squad, which includes draft-eligible Matthew Beniers, the Canadians have decided to take along his University of Michigan teammate Power. The 18-year-old Power is expected to challenge for the first overall selection this season and will get a chance to showcase his talents on the international stage, after being denied his opportunity to compete at the World Juniors.

*added after the initial roster was announced

Pacific Notes: Vlasic, Kuemper, Hill, Vegas

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With the Sharks missing the playoffs the last couple of years, it’s fair to wonder if some of the veterans may be hoping for a change of scenery.  Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was among those asked about that today and he told reporters, including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, that he has no intention of going anywhere:

I’m here to the end.  I’ve signed here for 20 years; I’m going to be here for 20 years. I would’ve signed somewhere else if I didn’t want to be here. I want to win in San Jose.

20 years isn’t an exaggeration either.  The 34-year-old just wrapped up his 15th NHL season and still has five years left on his deal with a $7MM AAV.  Between that and a no-move clause that Vlasic acknowledged today he didn’t even know he had until recently, it’s safe to say he’ll be in a Sharks uniform for a while yet.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • Coyotes goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Adin Hill will be Canada’s tandem for the upcoming World Championships, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link). This will be Kuemper’s second time at the Worlds after playing in the 2018 event while Hill will be playing at the international level for the first time.  It’s worth noting that Hill is a pending restricted free agent and several players have declined offers from their respective countries as a result of the nearing expiration of their contract.
  • While meeting with the media to discuss the purchase of his expansion Indoor Football League franchise, Golden Knights owner Bill Foley told the media, including SinBin.Vegas (Twitter link) that a pair of veterans have concerning injuries. Defenseman Alec Martinez has been dealing with a lingering lower-body issue that he was finally unable to play through while winger Max Pacioretty’s upper-body injury is worse than the team initially thought.  Martinez missed Monday’s game while Pacioretty has been out for a week with Vegas having to dress just 15 skaters on Monday due to salary cap constraints.
  • Having played that game shorthanded, the Golden Knights have now been granted cap-exempt recalls. Their farm team in Henderson announced (Twitter link) that forward Dylan Sikura and defenseman Brayden Pachal have been recalled, suggesting they’ll be in the lineup for Vegas on Wednesday in San Jose.  Sikura has been held off the scoresheet in five games this season while if Pachal plays, it will be his NHL debut.

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