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Erik Karlsson

Erik Karlsson Trade Watch Continues

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After a report yesterday that things were getting closer to a resolution on the Erik Karlsson situation in Ottawa, we have another hockey insider saying trade talks are picking up on the Senators captain. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that there has been a “decided increase” in trade talks over the last day or two, and adds that he believes the Western Conference is still the likely destination.

The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights have both been connected to Karlsson in the past, though there was some doubt in Dallas’ ongoing involvement yesterday. Beyond the Golden Knights there are countless teams that could use a player of Karlsson’s stature, though at this point it is hard to predict who would step up and hand over the immense package that the Senators are looking for. A team like the Edmonton Oilers would obviously love to have a star right-handed defenseman like Karlsson come in, but given their current cap situation it’s not surprising that they haven’t yet been publicly linked. That issue isn’t unique to the Oilers though, as Karlsson carries a substantial $6.5MM cap hit for this season and is likely looking for somewhere around $11MM on a long-term extension.

Karlsson for his part did show up at the Senators golf tournament yesterday and though he still avoided speaking to media, is expected to take part in all of training camp if a trade is not finalized. The Senators are taking medicals this morning and will start the on-ice portion tomorrow—though, as of this writing Karlsson still has not checked in. McKenzie notes that the the “obvious goal” is to try and get something done before those on-ice sessions begin.

Latest On Erik Karlsson Trade Talks

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Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson remains the most prominent defenseman available on the trade front and it there have been a few times already when a move looked imminent.  In an interview on TSN 1050 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger noted that there is a growing sense that a trade could happen in the next day or two.

Similar to what happened with the Canadiens and Max Pacioretty, the beginning of training camp could serve as an artificial deadline in an effort to try to get something done before Karlsson’s situation becomes the focal point of media attention.

Dreger noted that the Stars, who were at one point viewed as the front-runner for Karlsson’s services, do not appear to be in the hunt at the moment.  He suggests that the recent managerial change in Tampa Bay could wind up sparking something while he believes that Vegas could still be in the mix as well despite moving one of their top trade chips in prospect Nick Suzuki to Montreal as part of the Pacioretty deal.  David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal echoes that sentiment, adding (Twitter link) that the Golden Knights have upped their efforts to get a deal done.  It’s believed that Ottawa has already turned down an offer that included six elements – two roster players, two prospects, and two draft picks although that was contingent on the acquiring team working out an extension.

Karlsson is in the final year of his contract with a $6.5MM cap hit and a $7.5MM salary.  The Sens offered him a long-term extension when the window to do so opened up in July and it has previously been reported to range between $10MM and $11MM per season but it was quickly rejected.  It’s likely that if and when he does get moved, his new deal should still wind up between those two amounts.

The 28-year-old is coming off of a bit of a quieter year by his standards but still put up 62 points (9-53-62) in 71 games while logging 26:44 per night, his lowest average since 2011-12.  However, he was slowed down at the beginning of the year with an ankle issue but indicated earlier this summer that he has fully recovered from it.

Karlsson’s status has been one of the dominant storylines of the offseason but it appears that this one could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Snapshots: Seattle, Reinhart, Senators, Jokinen

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While they still don’t officially have a team yet, that isn’t stopping Seattle from starting the process of assembling their front office.  In an interview with 950 KJR (audio link), Dave Tippett (a senior advisor for the prospective franchise) indicated that he plans to begin the search for their inaugural general manager in the spring with the goal of having that person in place by the draft.  Assuming the franchise is eventually granted, we’re still potentially a couple of years away from this team entering the league but that would allow the team ample time to put together its scouting staff which will be crucial as they begin to scout potential picks for not only the regular draft but the expansion one as well.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • While Sabres forward Sam Reinhart is in town and participating in informal skates with the team in advance of training camp, it’s not a sign that a new deal is close to happening. GM Jason Botterill told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that they remain hopeful that they will reach an agreement with the restricted free agent but didn’t provide an update on how negotiations are going.  It’s believed that the 22-year-old is seeking a long-term deal but with the preseason fast approaching, there’s certainly a chance that they could shift their focus to a short-term pact instead.
  • Trade talks regarding Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson have picked up in recent weeks, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. As for their other prominent pending restricted free agents, Garrioch suggests that Ottawa’s belief is that center Matt Duchene and winger Mark Stone could still be a part of their long-term future.  If that’s the case, they won’t be engaging in trade discussions involving those two for a while.
  • Jussi Jokinen’s tryout with the Red Wings actually came at his request and not Detroit’s, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. The veteran winger played for Dan Bylsma (who joined the team as an assistant coach this offseason) back in Pittsburgh and obviously was comfortable with his coaching style.  GM Ken Holland acknowledged that their priority remains to take a look at their younger players but stated that they will give the 35-year-old a few preseason games as well.

Poll: How Many Pending UFAs Will Stay With Ottawa?

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The Ottawa Senators made waves last night when they released a bizarre marketing video that seemed intended to settle down fans and sponsors upset with the direction of the team. Owner Eugene Melnyk and defenseman Mark Borowiecki discussed the roster, and how it may look completely different over the next 12 months. Melnyk even went so far to say there will be 10 “new”—rookies or players who played around ten games last season—on the roster this season and 15 or 16 in 2019-20. While that seems difficult to pull off for the 2018-19 season given the veteran group that is there right now, perhaps there is huge turnover coming in the next few weeks and months.

When looking at the Senators salary structure, there is certainly a few things that stick out. Only Bobby Ryan is signed for more than three seasons, and just Marian Gaborik and Zack Smith are even under contract that long. Almost the entire roster is set to hit unrestricted free agency in either 2019 or 2020, meaning there is a good chance they could have a much different looking group down the line.

That different look though is predicated on the idea that the Senators won’t re-sign any of their pending free agents. While Erik Karlsson seems like he’ll be gone soon and at the very least won’t be re-signing with Ottawa, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene have both remained open to the idea. Beyond them though are other key players like Ryan Dzingel and Chris Wideman, both scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2019.

So how many of those pending UFAs will stick around? Vote below for all the players who you believe will re-sign with the Ottawa Senators before the beginning of the 2019-20 season. Leave your comments on where you think they are heading below!

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Ottawa Senators Preparing For Huge Roster Turnover

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Late last night after much of the hockey news had died down for the day, the Ottawa Senators released a video of defenseman Mark Borowiecki and owner Eugene Melnyk discussing the future of the organization. Touching on subjects from dressing room leadership to overcoming the low expectations for 2018-19, Melnyk made clear he would be staying with the franchise for a long time and will not move it from Ottawa. He also noted an interesting point about roster construction, explaining how quickly the rebuild will get underway:

This coming year we’re going to have 10 out of the 22 players are going to be new. Meaning they’re either rookies or they’ve played maybe under 10 games last year. Then the following year, it’s going to go up to about 15 of the 22, maybe 16. So that’s a total turnover you know, which is exactly what should be in a rebuild. 

Stripping your roster down to the studs and letting a group of young players grow and mature together is often a strategy for struggling teams who want to rebuild, and the Senators saw a similar situation play out just down the road in Toronto a few years ago. In fact, when the Maple Leafs traveled to Ottawa to open the season in 2016 they had seven rookies in the lineup including Auston Matthews, who scored four times despite the loss. That would appear to be the blue print for Melnyk and the Senators as they look to pull a similarly speedy rebuild.

The question though becomes how do they achieve the goal of having 10 rookies on the roster at the beginning of the year. The team currently has at least 19 players—Mark Stone, Bobby Ryan, Matt Duchene, Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Dzingel, Tom Pyatt, Magnus Paajarvi, Max McCormick, Colin White, Marian Gaborik, Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, Chris Wideman, Ben Harpur, Thomas Chabot, Craig Anderson, Mike Condon and Borowiecki—who played more than 10 games for the organization last season and should at the very least be battling for roster spots. While perhaps Melnyk was exaggerating and players like White and Chabot would still be considered “rookies” given their relative youth and inexperience, it seems likely that there will be substantial turnover in the rest of the group.

We’ve heard for months that Karlsson may be on the block, speculation that will only increase given his complete absence from this video, but other players including Stone and Duchene are both heading into the final years of their contracts and could be shipped out for prospects and picks. If the Senators are committed to a full scorched earth rebuild, they are powerful assets in trade.

At the very least, we should expect the Senators to be involved in trade talks all season. Even though Melnyk and Borowiecki seem excited about playing the underdogs this year, the amount of roster turnover that the owner mentions isn’t possible without some transactions coming through the pipe quickly. Camp starts in just a few days and Senators rookies should be licking their chops on the opportunity that is apparently there for the taking.

2018-19 Season Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

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With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Last Season: 54-23-5 record (113 points), third in the Atlantic Division (lost to Washington in the Eastern Conference Finals)

Remaining Cap Space: $2.646MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Cameron Gaunce (free agent, Columbus); Kevin Lynch (free agent, Syracuse Crunch (AHL))

Key Departures: F Chris Kunitz (free agent, Chicago Blackhawks); D Andrej Sustr (Anaheim Ducks); F Matthew Peca (Montreal Canadiens); F Erik Condra (Dallas Stars); Mathew Bodie (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)); F Alex Gallant (Vegas Golden Knights)

[Related: Lightning Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Nikita Kucherov – The 25-year-old superstar quietly signed a eight-year, $76MM extension this offseason and after breaking the 100-point barrier, many wonder if Kucherov takes another step this season. He broke the 100-point barrier last year as his assist totals took a jump, most likely in part because of his success playing next to center Steven Stamkos.

However, is there more that Kucherov can do to help the team capture a Stanley Cup? The winger took his game up a notch after the 2016-17 season when he jumped from 30 to 40 goals. Then last season, he took those assists up a notch, raising his assist totals from 45 to 61, while maintaining his goal-scoring prowess as he still tallied 39 goals last season.

The real question is whether the 100-point performance last season is just Kucherov scratching the surface of his potential or whether he will slip back to his 80-pont ways. No matter what, he remains one of the best plaeyrs in the NHL, but one wonders how much better he can be.

Key Storyline: General manager Steve Yzerman has never been shy of making a big trade to add talent for their Stanley Cup run. He did that at the trade deadline last year when the team went out and acquired two key pieces for their run when they got defenseman Ryan McDonagh and winger J.T. Miller, both who were critical to their playoff run. Unfortunately, they hit the Washington Capitals’ wall and failed to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, but they were extremely close.

The team didn’t make many moves in the offseason, but were rumored to be in on a potential Erik Karlsson trade and at one point it looked like it was a done deal. However, the team may not have been ready to part with talented defenseman Mikhail Sergachev at the time. However, with Karlsson still in Ottawa, don’t be shocked if the Lightning do everything it can to bring the star defenseman aboard. If the team could find itself with a top-four of Victor Hedman, McDonagh, Karlsson and Sergachev, the team’s defense might be the best in hockey.

Overall Outlook: There may be only eight teams that could be considered legitimate candidates to win the Stanley Cup this year and Tampa Bay would likely be considered among the top two or three teams this year. With their offensive success throughout their forward lines as well as a developing defense with two solid top-two defenders on the roster and the most talented young goaltender in the NHL at the moment in Andrei Vasilevskiy, the team is in good hands for the 2018-19 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Nurse, Karlsson, Crawford, Seattle

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Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is one of the more prominent remaining restricted free agents and the belief for quite some time has been that he will inevitably sign a short-term bridge contract.  However, there is nothing imminent on the contract front for the 23-year-old, agent Anton Thun told Postmedia’s Jim Matheson.  A two-year deal with a cap hit around $3MM has been the expected outcome but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the sides change gears and look at a one-year contract if they can’t bridge the gap on the two-year pact in the coming days.  Matheson adds that Nurse will not be at training camp next week without a deal in place.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Senators have received a trade offer for defenseman Erik Karlsson that features six elements in it, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (audio link). The offer is believed to consist of a pair of roster players, two prospects, plus a pair of draft picks although it’s contingent on Karlsson agreeing to a long-term contract extension.  Dreger notes that the offer came in several weeks ago without a deal happening but that at least provides a better idea of what Ottawa is looking for in order to move their franchise player.
  • The health of Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has been in question for a while dating back to last season. While he has made progress, team president John McDonough acknowledged to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times that he hopes the netminder will be ready when training camp opens up next Friday.  Crawford is believed to have not taken part in on-ice sessions since mid-February so even if he is physically ready to practice, it will take a while for him to get game ready.
  • While the Seattle group secured additional investors and completed negotiations on multiple arena agreements yesterday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly cautioned that this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be ready to begin playing in 2020-21. Instead, he told reporters, including ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, that the Board of Governors is eyeing 2021-22 as the potential start date, assuming Seattle eventually goes through the approval process.  He added that there won’t be a vote from the board at their next meeting with Seattle’s representatives on October 2nd.

Is Vancouver Looking To Make A Big Splash?

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It is no secret that the Vancouver Canucks do not operate like a typical rebuilding team. Make no mistake, the team has accrued plenty of talented young building blocks over the past few years: Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen, Adam Gaudette, Quinn Hughes, Olli Juolevi, Thatcher Demko, Michael DiPietro and the list goes on. However, the team has also gone about business as usual, signing free agents and at times even overpaying to add veterans to the roster. Over the past two off-seasons, Vancouver has taken roster spots away from younger players in order to sign the likes of Erik Gudbranson, Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson, Thomas Vanek, Darren Archibald, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Tim Schaller and more. The moves have put the team no closer to being a contender. The Canucks have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since their 2011 Stanley Cup Final appearance and have failed to reach the postseason altogether in each of the past three years. It seems unlikely that the trend will change any time soon, either.

The Province’s Ed Willes is worried that things might get even worse. Willes claims that recently departed team president Trevor Linden ” lost his job because he favored a patient, methodical approach to the team’s rebuild”. With Linden gone, the team has been even more aggressive than usual this summer in targeting older players. Vancouver made an offer to John Tavares that was rejected and more recently has been linked to Erik Karlsson. While he isn’t convinced the team has the means to acquire Karlsson, the fear is that some player will come along on the trade market that they can afford and will deplete their promising prospect ranks to acquire. Willes firmly believes that Benning and the Canucks are in the hunt for a cornerstone player, no matter the cost.

Just as it has in recent years, even adding an elite veteran player is unlikely to get the Canucks to where they want to be. As it is currently composed, the team lacks the supporting cast to be a true contender. The greatest strength of the organization is the youth waiting in the wings, with at least two goaltenders, four defensemen, and eight forwards under the age of 25 that are all almost universally expected to be NHL regulars for a long time to come. Yet, the cost of adding a marquee player would be a package of those exact players or upcoming (early) draft picks. The patient approach that Linden fought for could transform the Canucks into one of the league’s top teams in five years time. An impatient acquisition could cost them what progress they have made and, in Willes’ opinion, cost them fans as well. So perhaps the question is not “is Vancouver looking to make a big splash?”, but “should Vancouver be looking to make a big splash?” and the answer seems to be a convincing no.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning

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

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Projected Cap Hit: $76,853,780 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry Level Contracts

D Mikhail Sergachev (two years, $894K)
F Anthony Cirelli (two years, $728K)
F Brayden Point (one year, $687K)

Potential Bonuses:

Sergachev: $850K
Cirelli: $183K
Point: $183K

Total: $1.22MM

After a impressive rookie campaign, the Lightning knew they had a special player in Point, who proceeded to have a breakout year as the team’s second-line center. Point, who is good enough to be a No. 1 center, provided the team with a 32-goal, 66-point season. Now in his third year, Point could really walk away with a huge payday if he can equal or even better on that performance this year. Cirelli looks to have the third-line center spot locked down after the 21-year-old had a successful, but short stint, last season. He posted five goals and 11 points in 18 games last season and played in all 17 games of the playoffs, adding a pair of goals.

Sergachev has two years remaining on his contract and the 20-year-old defenseman had an up and down season, but still posted a nine-goal, 40-point season. He did have trouble getting regular minutes as the team often lost faith in his defensive play along with some immaturity issues. Regardless, the left-handed shot actually proved to head coach Jon Cooper that he can play on the right side, solving their depth issues on the right side. Sergachev should continue to develop his skills and also be in line for a big payday in two years.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry Level

D Anton Stralman ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Braydon Coburn ($3.7MM, UFA)
D Dan Girardi ($3MM, UFA)
F Yanni Gourde ($1MM, UFA)
F Cedric Paquette ($1MM, RFA)
D Slater Koekkoek ($865K, RFA)
D Jake Dotchin ($813K, RFA)
F Adam Erne ($800K, RFA)
F Andy Andreoff ($678K, UFA)
F Cory Conacher ($650K, UFA)

For a team known for its defensive depth on its defense, it’s a little shocking to see that they only have three players signed after the 2018-19 season. Almost all of the team’s defense become free agents, restricted or otherwise, including Stralman, Coburn, Girardi, Koekkoek and Dotchin. With the team heavily laden in long-term deals, the team might be willing to allow Stralman, Coburn and Girardi to walk at the end of the year. All three are solid players, but there might not be any cap room to extend any of them, especially if the team has to give long-term deals to both Sergachev and Point. Stralman’s situation will be the most interesting as he’s a solid defenseman that complements his partner quite well and was the veteran who mentored Sergachev last season. Coburn and Girardi are likely expendable. Koekkoek and Dotchin will only be restricted free agents, but neither got a lot of playing time with the team, especially after the team added defensive talent at the trade deadline. However, both could play bigger roles this year, or within two years.

Another interesting decision the team will have to make is Gourde, who posted a breakout season in his first full season. The 26-year-old spent many years working on his game in the AHL before finally catching on with the Syracuse Crunch in 2014. From there he worked his way up before catching the team’s eye in training camp to win a spot. The result was a 25-goal, 64-point performance and now he has to prove he can duplicate that performance this season to get a big boost in his pay. For $1MM, Gourde may be the best bargain on the team, but he could get pricey quickly.Read more

Craig Anderson Content To Stay With Senators

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It wasn’t long ago that Craig Anderson had requested a trade out of Ottawa and the Senators were looking to oblige him. The well-liked and respected goalie was coming off of a difficult season that saw him post a .898 SV% and a 3.32 GAA as the starter for the second-worst team in the NHL last year.  He also had to keep his family in mind, as his wife – who had finally beaten her publicized battle with cancer – and kids still reside in Florida. Fast forward about eight weeks and the veteran goalie has changed his tune.

Whether it be due changes to those personal circumstances, a change of mind about his role in Ottawa, or simply due to lack of interest in the trade market, it seems that Anderson is okay with sticking around with the Senators. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that Anderson is ready for a “fresh start” with the team. The 37-year-old still has two years remaining on his contract and now says he wants to stay in Ottawa and make the best of what are likely the twilight years of his career. Anderson was quoted as saying “Ottawa. I’ve been there for eight years now, and that’s my home. I’ve got no interest in going anywhere else”.

Ironically, Anderson mentioned that he was “too old for drama” when talking about wanting to make things right with the Senators and their fans. No team in the league, or perhaps all of sports, has been more embroiled in drama of late than Ottawa. Although the situation surrounding Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, and their significant others – a situation that Anderson claims he was unaware of – has been resolved with Hoffman’s trade, there is still the matter of problematic owner Eugene Melnyk and a dwindling fan base who may watch their team finish dead last this season and potentially give away the first overall pick. The Senators are not short on controversy, and while Anderson might be talking about his own contentious relationship with the team due to his inconsistent pay and perceived poor value, he is not out of the woods yet when it comes to dealing with drama.

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