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Luca Sbisa

Luca Sbisa Skating With New York Islanders

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12:30pm: Sbisa confirmed that he will join Islanders camp on a professional tryout.

10:30am: Though it’s not clear if a professional tryout (or even a full contract) is incoming, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports that free agent defenseman Luca Sbisa is present at the New York Islanders veteran skate today. Sbisa is one of the more interesting free agents left on the market, and the Islanders have already shown a willingness to bring in veteran defensemen to battle for spots in camp after inviting Dennis Seidenberg in recent days.

Sbisa, 28, dealt with another injury plagued season in 2017-18 and suited up for just 30 games with the Vegas Golden Knights. He did record 14 points in those games though, which was incredibly his highest total since the 2011-12 season. That production carried over to the postseason where he recorded four assists in 12 playoff contest, but wasn’t enough to prove he deserved an extension with Vegas.

That’s been the theme of Sbisa’s career to this point after being selected 19th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008. There have been just two seasons in which he played at least 80 games, and though that isn’t entirely due to injury there has been a problem staying in the lineup at each of his stops.

The Islanders though could be a fine stop for him as they look for a way to replace their outgoing minutes on the blue line. Though Thomas Hickey re-signed, Calvin de Haan took his talents to Carolina and other peripheral players like Brandon Davidson and Seidenberg won’t be in the mix. There could be an opportunity for a player like Sbisa to sign a short-term deal and rebuild his value, showing that the increased offensive production last season is sustainable if given the chance.

Snapshots: Sbisa, Dubinsky, Nummelin

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With Nate Schmidt now out for the first 20 games of the regular season and Shea Theodore still a restricted free agent, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal speculates (Twitter link) that the Golden Knights could turn to veteran defenseman Luca Sbisa on a PTO deal for training camp.  Vegas is certainly familiar with Sbisa as he played in 42 games (regular season and playoffs) with them last season.  The 28-year-old is one of the top defenders left on the open market and would give the team some extra competition at training camp at the very least and potentially some insurance if Theodore remains unsigned into the season.  Whether it’s Sbisa or someone else, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vegas add another defender heading into training camp.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • While Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky struggled considerably last season, the team didn’t give any thought to buying out the remaining three years of his contract, notes George Richards of the Columbus Dispatch. The 32-year-old spent time as a healthy scratch last year and recorded a career-low 16 points, hardly the type of value they were expecting for someone carrying a $5.85MM cap hit.  Dubinsky has slimmed down over the summer and hopes that his improved speed will help him make more of an impact.  If not, the buyout talk will pick up once again over the summer.
  • Former NHL blueliner Petteri Nummelin announced his retirement today at the age of 45. The ex-Blue Jacket and Wild rearguard has had quite the journey since leaving the NHL, playing in Switzerland, Finland, Norway, and Japan.  He’ll be staying in the game, however, taking on an assistant coaching role in TPS Turku’s system in Finland, his hometown team, per a report from Turun Sonomat in Finland (link in Finnish).

Snapshots: Gulls, Hiller, Sbisa

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The San Diego Gulls, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, are bringing in some fresh faces behind the bench. The team announced that they have hired Sylvain Lefebvre and David Urquhart as assistant coaches for the coming season. The pair will join the staff of former Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins in San Diego. Lefebvre, a well-known name in hockey, has been the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliates – in Hamilton, St. John’s, and Laval – for the past six years, but was not retained by the organization this off-season. He also served as an assistant coach at the NHL and AHL level for the Colorado Avalanche. Lefebvre enjoyed a long NHL career, suiting up for 945 games over 14 seasons with four organizations, including a Stanley Cup-winning campaign with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Urquhart is a more outside-the-box hire, but could help with the development of the Ducks’ young prospects. An assistant coach at McGill University in Montreal for the past six years, Urquhart was also a standout player for McGill in the mid-2000’s. He also got a taste of the AHL, playing in 130 games before joining the coaching ranks. The Gulls missed the playoffs last season for the first time since joining the AHL and are hoping that some new voices behind the bench could make the difference in getting back to postseason and continuing to provide Anaheim with pro-ready talent.

  • A former Duck is not looking to return to the NHL. Jonas Hiller, now 36, has not played an NHL game since the 2015-16 season, when he struggled greatly as the backup for the Calgary Flames. However, prior to that unfortunate campaign, Hiller spent seven years as one of the best and most consistent goalies in the league for Anaheim and even found success in his first season in Calgary. Since he left the league, he has also done well for himself, playing for EHC Biel-Bienne of the NLA in his native Switzerland. Last year in particular, Hiller was one of the best goalies in the league. Given that recent success and his impending free agency, some speculated that he might eye an opportunity to return to the NHL next summer. However, that thought was put to rest today when Biel-Bienne announced a one-year extension for their star keeper. Barring an otherworldly performance over the next two seasons, it seems unlikely that Hiller would want or be able to return to the NHL at age 38 when his current contract expires.
  • Another former Duck, and former teammate of Hiller’s, defenseman Luca Sbisa is still weighing his options for the coming season. No sooner did a report come out yesterday claiming Sbisa could receive a PTO from the Vegas Golden Knights that agent Andre Rufener now tells the Swiss Hockey News that Sbisa has already received a PTO offer from an “unnamed team”. Rufener also states that there is considerable interest in his client and that several teams are weighing a contract offer. It seems that Sbisa is inclined to hold out for that solid offer rather than accept a PTO at this point in time. With so much noise surrounding the 28-year-old blue liner, it seems likely that he will find a new NHL home before the puck drops on the new season.

Pacific Notes: Voynov, Theodore, Gusev, Sbisa

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Despite rumors this morning that former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov has been cleared to talk to NHL teams, Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that a source told him the NHL has not cleared the 28-year-old defenseman who left the NHL in 2014 after he was suspended by the league due to a domestic abuse case.

Voynov, who has played the past three years in the KHL, has indicated he’d like to return to the NHL and looked to be close to getting that opportunity in July when he was granted an expungement of his domestic abuse conviction. The Kings still own the rights to Voynov as he currently sits on the voluntary retirement list. Assuming he gets cleared at some point, Voynov would have to find a team interested in him, which might be difficult. Then that team would have to trade for his rights as the Kings have showed no interest in bringing the blueliner back.

Shannon added that if the NHL eventually decides to allow Voynov to return, he still would face a suspension from the league. The league, union and Voynov’s agent are all discussing his return.

  • Las Vegas Review Journals’ David Schoen reports there is little new information on the contract status of restricted free agent defenseman Shea Theodore. The scribe writes that with just three and a half weeks remaining until the start of training camp, there is some concern the 23-year-old blueliner might opt to hold out rather than settle. While there is no word how far apart they are in negotations, Theodore has expressed interest in signing a long-term deal and is likely to get money comparable to other deals signed by New Jersey Devils’ Damon Severson (six years, $25MM) and New York Rangers’ Brady Skjei (six years, $31.5MM), although a bridge deal isn’t out of the question either.
  • After recently meeting with Russian forward Vladimir Tkachyov a couple of days ago, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee was also seen immediately after that in St. Petersburg at a preseason KHL game involving SKA, the team that Nikita Gusev plays for, tweeted international reporter Igor Eronko. The highly-touted 26-year-old, whose rights are owned by the Golden Knights, will be a free agent next season and the team has made it clear they would like to bring him over for the 2019-20 season. Gusev has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last four seasons.
  • In another Golden Knights note, The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins tweets that he’s heard a rumor that Vegas is considering offer defenseman Luca Sbisa a PTO in the coming days. Sbisa produced a solid season for the Golden Knights when he wasn’t injured. Unfortunately, Sbisa only managed to be healthy for 30 contests, but proved to be a valuable leader. His offense also improved as he had 14 points in those 30 games, good second on his career-totals.

Options For The Oilers To Replace Andrej Sekera

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Normally, it takes training camp before any teams begin scrambling for an unanticipated injury replacement among the leftovers of the market. It is unclear how long the Edmonton Oilers knew about the injury to defenseman Andrej Sekera – they announced the surgery today indicating they knew of the injury prior – but what is clear is that the team will need to add another body to the mix in Sekera’s stead. Out indefinitely with a torn Achilles tendon, Sekera is likely to miss a substantial amount of time and extremely unlikely to be back at 100% at any point in the 2018-19 season. It is no coincidence that with Sekera missing most of last season due to a knee injury, the Oilers defense struggled on all fronts. Sekera had easily been the team’s top defender over the two years prior and this will now be the second straight season where he cannot be relied upon. The team must do something to avoid another frustrating campaign on the blue line, but what?

In replacing Sekera, Edmonton will likely target a right-handed defenseman. Although Sekera is a lefty himself, the team is set on the left side regardless with Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, and Kris Russell. There is also free agent addition Kevin Gravel, also a left-handed defenseman, though he is best suited for his current extra man slot. The right side however poses questions behind Adam Larsson, with Matt Benning likely slated for the second pair and now a hole on the third pair. It is unlikely that the Oilers want to press Benning into a top-four role this season, nor do they want a left-handed depth option like Gravel, Ryan Stanton, or Keegan Lowe as a regular on the right side. As such, they are likely looking for a second-pair caliber righty.

The easy answer is the free agent market. In a relatively stagnant summer, there remains ample talent available in unrestricted free agent defensemen. However, the Oilers are not in the most flexible of positions. The team currently has all but approximately $5MM in cap space committed to their roster which doesn’t include restricted free agent defenseman Nurse, still in need of a new contract. If and when Nurse re-signs, the team will be left with little to no cap space. Fortunately, at this point in the summer they face little competition on the free agent market and could negotiate several tryout deals with available defenders, signing one or more after the start of the season once Sekera’s $5.5MM cap hit can be buried on injured reserve. Yet, the pickings are slim on the right side. Cody Franson could be the team’s best bet with Paul Postma potentially as the next-best option. Ryan Sproul or Frank Corrado could be younger dark horse candidates, while the team could possibly look at veteran Kevin Bieksa. However, if the Oilers consider overloading on lefties as they would have anyway with Sekera, then Toby Enstrom, Luca Sbisa, Alexei Emelin, Johnny Oduya, or even old friend Brandon Davidson jump out as attractive options.

If the team is set on adding a right-hander and not sold on the available free agents, they could also wait for training camp cuts. While there is no guarantee that the right player would wind up on waivers, it’s also well within the realm of possibility. Robert Bortuzzo, Nate Prosser, Jake Dotchin, Steven Kampfer, Brad Hunt, Alex Biega, and Adam McQuaid – a former favorite of Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli in Boston – are just some of the names who could wind up on the waiver wire and fit in on the right side of the Edmonton blue line. It would not be a surprise to see the team sign multiple defenders to PTO’s and also keep an close eye on who gets cut from training camps.

Finally, Edmonton could simply stand pat and attempt to replace Sekera internally. On paper, it doesn’t seem like the Oilers have the pieces to do so effectively, but some of their defensive prospects have not yet been given the opportunity to show what they can do at the NHL level. Many will clamor for recent first-round pick Evan Bouchard to get a shot at sticking with the team. Although very talented – and a right shot – it would be asking a lot for the 18-year-old to step into the top pro game and succeed. It’s not unprecedented, but it is unlikely. Recent Swedish import Joel Persson, currently on loan to his SHL club, is a 24-year-old righty who could be an intriguing experiment and has more experience with the pro game. William Lagesson, on loan in Sweden last season but now back in North America, is a left-shot defenseman but played on the right side frequently during his college days at UMass and is a very safe defensive player who could be a stopgap. Elsewhere in the system, small puck-mover Ethan Bear and hulking Ryan Mantha are both righties who could provide some different style options alongside Lagesson in the AHL. Between these young possibilities and some veteran depth, the Oilers could opt to just let camp battles decide who steps into Sekera’s shoes.

The only thing that is for sure is that Sekera is not going to be suiting up for Edmonton any time soon. Whether the team finds a way to add a capable free agent, gets lucky on the waiver wire, or trusts their young depth, the Oilers will need someone to step up in his stead. An injury to a top defenseman is not how they wanted to begin the season, but the Oilers now have some time to figure it out before the puck drops on the new campaign.

Poll: How Many Remaining Veteran Free Agents Will Sign?

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With just one day left in July, free agents have had a month to find employment in the NHL. Last summer, there were less than 20 unrestricted free agents signed after the end of July through the beginning of the regular season. This off-season, there are a plethora of notable names left on the market, but at this point is is unlikely that they all find a new home in the league. The question now is how many of these top names get lucky.

Rick Nash could find a landing spot if he wanted to. The six-time All-Star is currently evaluating his future in hockey versus his health after suffering yet another concussion this season. Should he decide to return, he would likely have more than a few teams interested in a short-term deal.

If Nash opts not to return, the top-scoring forward from last season left on the market is actually Mike Cammalleri. Cammalleri, 36, quietly put up 29 points last season after a hot start with the Los Angeles Kings and then a trade to the Edmonton Oilers. The former point-per-game player is not quite that kind of scorer any more, but could still contribute to a number of teams.

Benoit Pouliot was a perennial 30-point player until he turned 30 and has struggled the past two years. In the right situation, he could still make an impact. The same goes for Mark Letestu, Drew Stafford and Jannik Hansen. Ales Hemsky was highly productive before injuries derailed his career, but remains a possible high-ceiling gamble if back at 100%.

Other available forwards bring more of a two-way game such as Daniel Winnik, Scott Hartnell, Scottie Upshall, Chris Stewart, Antoine Vermette, Jussi Jokinen, Tommy Wingels, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward, Dominic Moore, Matt Stajan, and Lee Stempniak. There are also some younger options like Alex Chiasson, Nick Shore, Logan Shaw, Tomas Jurco, and Freddie Hamilton.

On the blue line, Luca Sbisa is reportedly drawing interest from several teams across the league. Although he suited up for just 30 games with the Vegas Golden Knights, he managed to register 14 points and plays a strong checking game. It would seem that Sbisa is in line for a contract at some point.

But what about Toby Enstrom? A free agent for the first time in his long career, the well-respected veteran was expected to land a contract early on but still remains unemployed. Enstrom has always been a reliable presence on the back end, but at 33 years old, he has shown signs of slowing down.

Other aging options on defense include Alexei Emelin, Johnny Oduya, Kevin Bieksa, Dennis Seidenberg, Kyle Quincey, Paul Martin, Josh Gorges, and Jason Garrison. However, experience may not be able to outweigh ability with many younger defenseman still out there. Brandon Davidson, Cody Franson, and Paul Postma seem like players who should be signed, while Justin Falk, Frank Corrado, Ryan Sproul, and Duncan Siemens are all intriguing targets as well.

In net, the options are pretty straightforward. One would think that Kari Lehtonen, Steve Mason, and Ondrej Pavelec had all done enough in their careers to earn a continued stay in the NHL, especially when there are no other legitimate goaltenders available at this point. Yet, its hard to pinpoint three teams that need another option in goal. These three keepers may need to wait until injuries strike to find work.

So, how many of these remaining free agents will sign before the season starts?

Free Agent Profile: Luca Sbisa

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With many veteran defensemen continuing to look for work, it might take a while for them to find a home for the upcoming season. With Dan Hamhuis being the top remaining unsigned defenseman on our Top 50 UFA list, not far behind him is Luca Sbisa.

Sbisa is coming off an unusual season. Having been practically written off after a disappointing 2016-17 season with the Vancouver Canucks, the Vegas Golden Knights stepped in and selected the 28-year-old blueliner. While his contract might have been the biggest issue while in Vancouver (he was making $3.6MM for the previous three years), Sbisa proved that he wasn’t good enough to be a top-four defenseman when with Vancouver.

However, after being acquired by Vegas, suddenly Sbisa’s game showed up as the veteran started the season as a top-four defenseman and quickly found himself averaging more than 20 minutes per game. He was paired with Nate Schmidt and was even one of the leaders of the team as he wore an “A” on his sweater. With the team expected initially to move out some of their pending unrestricted free agents at the trade deadline, Sbisa looked to be a potential major trade chip for Vegas. Unfortunately, injuries got the best of Sbisa as the veteran missed chunks of time with numerous injuries and in the end played just 30 games.

By the time Sbisa came back, long after the trade deadline, the 28-year-old saw his playing time shrink as he took a third-pairing role late in the season and into the playoffs. In fact, his demotion seemed to be more of a result that other players played better after Sbisa was injured and because of that, the veteran saw a reduced role — not necessarily because he was playing poorly. Rather than bring him back on a reduced contract, the Golden Knights instead opted to sign veteran Nick Holden to take his place and supposedly never even made an offer to Sbisa.

Regardless, in just those 30 games Sbisa showed some promise if he can prove he can stay healthy. Despite those limited games, Sbisa proved he can provide offense as he tallied 14 points. Shockingly, that’s his second-highest point total in his 10-year career. He did, however, have one of the worst Corsi-For percentage of his career at 43.8 percent, which didn’t help.

Potential Suitors

While an offer could come at any time, many of the veteran defensemen looking for work may have to wait a while as teams assess their strength and weaknesses over the summer. Sbisa has a lot to offer and despite a 10-year career, he is just 28 and should easily be able to handle a third-pairing role with most teams.

There have been some rumors that Sbisa, who spent three years in Vancouver, might be looking to return to the Canucks who are short on depth options at that position, so that is a legitimate possibility. There have also been reports that the Chicago Blackhawks might be interested in bringing Sbisa into their depleted blueline although the same rumor exists for Hamhuis. He might also be a good third-pairing option in Toronto.

Projected Contract

Before free agency, we predicted Sbisa would garner a two-year, $4.2MM contract, but with little interest so far, it would be more likely that Sbisa will have to settle for a one-year deal and be forced to show that he isn’t as injury prone as he was in 2017-18. It’s far more likely a one-year, $1MM deal or just above it is the most likely possibility.

Value Still Available Among UFA Defensemen

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The free agent market is almost tapped, with Patrick Maroon and his on-again-off-again deal with the St. Louis Blues the last of the real impact players available. That is other than Rick Nash, who still hasn’t announced a decision one way or another on whether he’ll play next season. But beyond the big names there are still a few options for teams who want to add reliable NHL defensemen, and at this point in the summer they should come at a relatively inexpensive price.

Dan Hamhuis is the belle of the ball among those names, and would still represent an upgrade for many teams around the league. Though the Dallas Stars’ defensive work in 2017-18 isn’t something to hold up an example of championship caliber play, Hamhuis is still an effective option at age 35. Logging more than 20 minutes a night last season, Hamhuis and teammate Greg Pateryn were tasked with shutting down the opponent’s best players, while also seeing huge penalty kill time each and every night. The veteran defenseman excelled in the role, and even posted 24 points on the season—almost all of which came at even strength.

If there’s something to be said about experience, Hamhuis would deliver on that front as well. With over 1,000 games in the NHL, he’s quietly been one of the most consistent two-way defensemen in the league for the past decade and a half. He moves the puck quickly and effectively, can be hard-matched against superstars, and could likely be had on a short-term deal at this point. If Hamhuis still wants to play—which he apparently does, according to his Sportsnet radio appearance recently—several teams around the league should be in touch.

It doesn’t just stop with Hamhuis though, as there are several other defensemen who could still add some value around the league. Luca Sbisa dealt with injury for much of last season and was pushed down the depth chart in Vegas, but can still skate and is still young enough—he’ll still be 28 at the start of the season—to have a bounce-back campaign. Toby Enstrom has had a career similar to Hamhuis in that he’s been a consistent two-way defenseman, but is coming off his worst season in the NHL and has injury concerns. He’s 33 now but still wants to play, and could be a good pickup for a bottom pairing somewhere.

One of the more interesting names is Alexei Emelin, who hits free agency after disappearing from the spotlight by playing down in the lineup in Nashville. The 32-year old was once a highly touted defensive option who was feared for his open ice hitting, but filled a depth role for the Predators as they waited for Ryan Ellis’ return midseason. Emelin ended up playing in 76 games for Nashville, but saw his usage decline sharply in the playoffs. Still, there’s obvious upside for any team looking at Emelin in a bottom pairing role, as he’s shown the ability to log big minutes at times without hurting his team. No one is going out of their way to sign him to an expensive multi-year deal, but if he decides to forego returning to Russia for a short-term NHL contract there should still be plenty of interest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Vegas Signs Nick Holden To Two-Year Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights are adding a reliable body to the blue line, reportedly adding defenseman Nick Holden. While the team has yet to officially announce the deal, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Holden will sign for two years at $4.4MM, with an AAV of just over $2MM. The Golden Knights outbid the Boston Bruins who trying to keep him in the fold.

Holden provides the Golden Knights depth after the team parted ways from Luca Sbisa and a two-year deal keeps the team nice and short, which is what the Golden Knights were able to do with center Paul Stastny, who signed a three-year pact. Holden provides Vegas with a veteran defensive presence, but his best attribute is his size as he stands 6-foot-4.

Holden spent the last two years with the New York Rangers, but was traded at the deadline for a third-round pick and a lower-tier prospect to the Boston Bruins. However, the 31-year-old blueliner’s game is starting to decline as his numbers dropped from a year ago. After an 11 goal and 34 point season in 2016-17, he finished with four goals and 17 points between the two teams this season.

UFA Notes: Van Riemsdyk, Rieder, Chimera, Brodziak, Sbisa

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The Blue Jackets have reached out to representatives for winger James van Riemsdyk during this week’s interview period, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link).  However, it appears that they’re not going to be able to land the 29-year-old.  He’s coming off of a career year in goals with 36 despite playing less than 15 minutes per game and has scored at least 27 goals in four of the last five seasons.  (The one year he didn’t was one where he had injury troubles but scored at a 29-goal pace.)  Meanwhile, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that there are eight teams still in the mix for van Riemsdyk but that his previous team, Toronto, is not believed to be among them.

Other notes from unrestricted free agency:

  • The Canucks spoke with winger Tobias Rieder’s agent today, reports Sportsnet 650’s Rick Dhaliwal (via Twitter). The two sides are expected to speak later as well.  Rieder went unqualified by the Kings on Monday and he has interest from roughly half a dozen teams around the league.
  • There appears to be mutual interest between the Oilers and winger Jason Chimera, reports TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link). The 39-year-old is from Edmonton and with the team having limited cap space this summer, they’re going to be shopping for bargain deals.  Chimera is coming off of a quiet year split between the Islanders and Ducks where he scored just three times but he put up 20 goals in each of the previous two seasons.
  • Center Kyle Brodziak is expected to narrow his list of teams he’s considering down to three later today, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector tweets. He adds the Oilers could very well be the favorite to land him which bring things full circle for the 34-year-old, who was drafted in the seventh round by Edmonton back in 2003.  Brodziak is coming off his best offensive performance (33 points) since 2011-12.
  • Vegas has yet to make defenseman Luca Sbisa an offer, his agent told Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link). He had an injury-riddled campaign that saw him play in just 30 regular season games although he still managed to put up 14 points, his highest total in six years.  He was a regular for the most part during the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final but it appears he will be playing elsewhere in 2018-19.

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