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Capitals Have Four Of Top Eight Unrestricted Free Agents

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The 2017 free agency class may not be the strongest, but the Washington Capitals have the most to gain (or more likely lose) if free agency doesn’t go their way. The Capitals, currently on the ropes, down 3-1, to the Pittsburgh Penguins (Game 5 tonight), have four of the top eight unrestricted free agents, according to Matt Larkin of the Hockey News, as he posts his Top-30 unrestricted free agents this summer.

Unlike previous years, Larkin writes that this year’s class falls short of firepower, which the scribe points out is bad news for the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights, who get a 48-hour window to negotiate with any free agents before any other teams. Regardless, it’s the Capitals who will find themselves on the clock as defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is listed as the number one free agent on the list, while winger T.J. Oshie is third. Defenseman Karl Alzner is ranked fifth, while veteran wing Justin Williams is eighth on their list.

Larkin adds that he believes the Capitals will only be able to ink two of those players and will be forced to let two go. Shattenkirk, who was acquired in a February trade from the St. Louis Blues for their playoff run, has struggled in the playoffs this year, but is listed first due to the fact that blueliners in the prime of their careers, who can play 20 minutes a night, are always rewarded. Whether Washington can keep him at a high price tag is the tough question.

The team is likely to do everything to sign Oshie, however. The 30-year-old winger has had a breakout season with Washington on the first line with Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom. He has tallied 59 regular-season goals in the two seasons he has played for the Capitals since being acquired by trade from the Blues.

The Capitals then have to look at Alzner, a rugged blueliner who at age 28, could get a large contract in a weak year of free agent defensemen, while Williams playoff success could make him a well-paid second-liner as well. The Capitals have to decide what priorities they have as it’s unlikely they can afford to keep all four players.

Montreal Canadiens veteran winger Alexander Radulov, who returned to the NHL last year after a long stint in the KHL, is ranked second on the list, although he has said he would like to resign with the Canadiens. Goaltender Ben Bishop is listed fourth on that free agent list and the 30-year-old netminder should be in high demand. Veterans Martin Hanzal (No. 6), Joe Thornton (No. 7), Radim Vrbata (No. 9) and Patrick Eaves (No. 10) round out the first ten on that list.

 

Snapshots: DeBrincat, Kerdiles, Vegas Goaltending

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Chicago Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat was named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player today, winning the Red Tilson trophy for 2016-17. DeBrincat follows a long line of future NHL players, including (in reverse order) Mitch Marner, Connor McDavid, Connor Brown and Vincent Trocheck. DeBrincat’s 65 goals and 127 points easily paced the league, and he’s added another league-leading 31 in the playoffs.

DeBrincat was held off the scoresheet in game one of the championship series against the Mississauga Steelheads last night, but he likely won’t be kept down for long. The OHL released a reel of every one of his goals, which provides a great example in how he seems to find open space in the slot on a consistent basis. He’ll have to keep that up at the next level, as goaltenders start to stop more of his wicked wrist shots.

  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Nic Kerdiles from the San Diego Gulls, likely due to the fact that Patrick Eaves and Ondrej Kase are still not skating. The young Kerdiles made his NHL debut this year with the Ducks, and is beginning to show why the team took him 36th overall in 2012. In five playoff games with the Gulls, Kerdiles has six points including goals at even strength, shorthanded and on the powerplay.
  • Matt Larkin of The Hockey News put together a list of fifteen possible options for the Vegas Golden Knights in net next season, which interestingly enough doesn’t include Ben Bishop. The Los Angeles Kings goaltender will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and likely the top option on the market. With the Golden Knights already showing they can hang with the big boys by recruiting Vadim Shipachyov, there is no reason to suspect that they couldn’t woo the former Vezina finalist on a short-term deal to show he’s still an elite goaltender. That would also let them take younger goaltenders in the expansion draft and let them develop behind Bishop for a couple of seasons.

Snapshots: Masterton Finalists, Sabres, Worlds

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The NHL has announced its finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The Masterton is awarded to the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey”. Each team nominates their own candidate for consideration, and the top three vote-getters are announced before the awards. The final three are Ottawa’s Craig Anderson, Carolina’s Derek Ryan, and Anaheim’s Andrew Cogliano.

Anderson was forced to take an extended hiatus while his wife was battling cancer. The netminder returned to action after a long stretch away from the rink, and immediately posted a shutout against the New York Islanders in February as he continued his dominance of the crease. His .926 save percentage this season was second among goalies who had played more than 30 games, and was a huge factor in his team making the playoffs. Ryan is a 30 year-old rookie, and spent his entire career toiling in the minors and overseas before finally getting his shot at an NHL roster spot. Cogliano has been unbelievably resilient and tough in his impressive ironman streak, playing over 800 straight games since entering the league. If he has another few seasons of perfect attendance, he could break ironman records thought hopelessly lost to ancient hockey history. The Masteron winner will be announced on June 21st at the NHL Awards show in Las Vegas, which will also feature the announcement of the Golden Knights’ roster selections.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers gave insight into Blackhawks players possibly travelling to compete in the World Championships. Ville Pokka will not compete for Finland, apparently due to a contract issue. Artem Anisimov will not play for Russia, which is a big blow for that squad, as his size and unique skillset would have been useful. He is still nursing a lower-body injury which impacted his play in the team’s first-round exit. Patrick Kane is unlikely to play for the United States, but has made no official comment on the matter.
  • The Buffalo News reflects on the season-long failure of the Sabres to provide their goalies support. Looking forward to a new GM and head coach hire, fans are hopeful for higher standards and less streakiness. This offseason, it seems as though providing goal support for Jack Eichel will be paramount, as the team struggled mightily to find steady production. Comments from players are looking forward to revamping their play style next season at even strength, by not allowing such a disparity in shot opportunities. Offensive help in terms of UFAs will be difficult to find, as there is sparse selection. T.J. Oshie, Radim Vrbata, Kris Versteeg, and Patrick Eaves are all names that should intrigue the Buffalo front-office – though it is uncertain which will still remain unsigned come July 1st.

Calgary Expected To Look Elsewhere For Goaltending

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The Hockey News Lyle Richardson believes Calgary Flames goaltender Brian Elliott’s tenure with the team is over. After a season of struggles, culminating getting pulled in Game 4 of their playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, the team is expected to look elsewhere for help behind the net next season.

Elliott, who was acquired last year from the St. Louis Blues for a 2016 second-round pick (Jordan Kyrou) and a 2018 third-round pick, never put up the kind of season the Flames had hoped for. He finished the season with a 2.55 goals against in 49 contests and a .910 save percentage. Those numbers were way below his usual numbers. Last year for the Blues, he played in 41 games with a 2.07 GAA and a .930 save percentage. However, Elliott’s 3.88 GAA in the four playoff games against the Ducks left a lot to be desired by Calgary. A soft goal by Anaheim’s Patrick Eaves at 5:38 in the first period of Game 4, which was enough for Calgary head coach Glen Gulutzan to remove him in favor of Chad Johnson.

While Johnson, also an unrestricted free agent, may be retained by the Flames, both writers believe they will have to look at either the free agent or trade market to find their next goaltender.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Ben Bishop may be at the top of their wishlist. Bishop, who is an unrestricted free agent, is the top goaltender on the market and Calgary came close to trading for him last offseason before choosing to trade for Elliott instead. He is coming off a two-year deal in which he made 4.76MM this year and was traded to Los Angeles in February. He fared well in 2015-16 in Tampa Bay, playing in 61 games and finishing with a 2.06 GAA and a .926 save percentage. However, he didn’t play as well this year, allowing a 2.55 GAA in 32 games with Tampa Bay and a 2.49 GAA in seven games with Los Angeles. Despite those struggles, many experts believe his price tag may be in the $7MM range as there are several teams on the market looking for goalies.

Other free agent options, according to Richardson are Philadelphia’s Steve Mason, Chicago’s Scott Darling and Ottawa’s Mike Condon. Mason, who had a monster rookie-year in 2009-10, has never been able to duplicate that (with the possible exception of the 2014-15 season). Darling has been a veteran backup for the Blackhawks and never had an opportunity to start full-time, while Condon has had some success, but also was both waived and traded for a fifth-round pick only a year ago.

The trade market could be another option for the Flames, as the Pittsburgh Penguins will likely look to move Marc-Andre Fleury after the great rookie season from goaltender Matt Murray. The 32-year-old netminder has shown he still has it, leading the Penguins to their first-round playoff series win over Columbus. However, his numbers don’t stand out that much as he finished the season with a 3.02 GAA in 32 contests this season.

The price for any goaltender may be high as many believe that the Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders could be looking for a netminder.

Which Players Could Make The Most Money These Playoffs?

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Every year, there are players who step up their games in the postseason, provide big memories and are rewarded with even bigger paychecks. From Alex Killorn’s playoff dominance helping him land a seven-year deal, to Dave Bolland turning Stanley Cup magic into a huge contract with the Florida Panthers a few years later. Some work out fine, while others aren’t quite worth it (sorry Dave).

With that said, there is always money to be made with a solid playoff run and this year is no exception. Let’s take a look at some of the players who could give themselves some leverage this summer, should they pay off this spring.

T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals – Oshie obviously is going to be one of the most sought after free agents this summer regardless, and along with Alexander Radulov and Joe Thornton won’t have a tough time finding a job no matter what. But after a season in which he broke out and scored 30 goals for the first time, he could make himself indispensable for the Capitals by helping them get over their playoff stumbles. For a player who historically didn’t perform all that exceptionally in the postseason with St. Louis, Oshie upped his game in his first go-round with the Capitals last year scoring 10 points in 12 games. If he shows that he’s the answer to the struggles Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom have had taking this team to the finals, the team might just have to find a way keep him around for the foreseeable future. It’s just too bad that NHL playoffs don’t go to shootouts, or Oshie would have it locked up. Matt Hunwick

Matt Hunwick, Toronto Maple Leafs – With Nikita Zaitsev out for at least the first game of their series, the Maple Leafs are going to lean on veteran defender Hunwick to log important minutes alongside Morgan Rielly. At 31, Hunwick is an unrestricted free agent this summer and is playing for his NHL future. Since Zaitsev was the Leafs’ leader in ice time this season, there will be plenty of minutes to go around—especially with the obvious distrust between Mike Babcock and Martin Marincin, who will draw into the lineup. If the Leafs could ever find a way to get past the Capitals in the first round, it would likely be because of a Herculean effort from Hunwick on the top pairing.

Patrick Eaves, Anaheim Ducks – Is Eaves really a 32-goal man? Many teams likely don’t think so, and as we examined a few weeks ago maybe they shouldn’t. With a solid postseason, continuing the absolute tear he has been on since he joined the Ducks—he scored 11 goals in 20 games for the team, including seven in his final eight games—he could legitimately turn this dream season into a multi-year deal. Eaves has always been considered a good defender, and if he can convince a team that he can be an offensive contributor when the games get harder and the powerplays fewer, he’ll easily break his current record of $1.4MM in a single year.

Martin Hanzal, Minnesota Wild – For years, people have been waiting for Hanzal to put it all together and become a top-line center in the NHL. He’s 30 now, and most of us have moved on from that idea and come to see him as the solid middle-six player that he is. But all it takes is a little spark—like 13 points in 20 games down the stretch for the Wild—for all that potential to come rushing back into people’s minds. If he’d finished the year out with Arizona, he would have been looking at a solid but unspectacular deal in the offseason. Instead, if he can take the Wild deep into the playoffs he may be looking at a career-making contract. After playing 21 minutes in the Wild’s heartbreaking loss in game 1, he needs to step it up even further if he wants to cash in.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

PHR Originals: 3/27/17 – 4/1/17

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Pro Hockey Rumors had a number of original articles this week as the regular season winds down and the playoffs beckon. Here are a few from the past week:

  • Brett analyzed the Edmonton Oilers’ first line dominance and how it has played a tremendous role in the success of the team this season.  While the Oilers’ renaissance certainly got its jumpstart from Connor McDavid, it’s the play of others who have certainly helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
  • Meanwhile, I took a closer look at the rebuild situation that the Red Wings are facing and some concerning elements that have arisen over the past few years that GM Ken Holland will have to navigate.
  • Gavin highlighted the surprising yet impressive performance by Patrick Eaves, who has notched 29 goals this season between the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks. He also notes that no one in the hockey world–including your humble writers here at PHR–saw this performance coming. In addition to Eaves, Gavin wrote about Toby Enstrom and how after going through a season ending knee surgery, it may be in the Jets best interest to find a way to have him waive his no movement clause.
  • Finally, Gavin also answered many of your questions during a live chat. In addition to providing sound hockey analysis, he’s also open to fantasy baseball advice for replacing Jeurys Familia.

30 After 30: Patrick Eaves And Career Highs

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When Patrick Eaves re-signed with the Dallas Stars last summer, it didn’t seem like anything spectacular. He was a 32-year old third line winger taking another one-year deal to stay in Dallas. He’d done it the past two years, and was actually taking a pay cut this season. We even included him on the “Minor UFA Signings” list, because of all the bigger deals that happened on July 1st. We were wrong, and so was just about everyone else. Patrick Eaves

You can forgive us though, as after all Eaves’ previous career high in goals was 20, and had happened over a decade ago during his rookie season at age 21. He hadn’t even cracked 15 since, with several seasons in single digits. He quite simply was a minor UFA signing at this point, able on the penalty kill but not expected to do much else. A defensive forward who could be relied on to work the tough minutes and allow players like Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn to produce offensively against weaker opponents.

Instead, Eaves won a job alongside those superstars and on the powerplay, resulting in immediate production. In his first 25 games, Eaves had 10 goals and 18 points, almost half of which came with the man advantage. Dallas had found something, and despite their team struggles this season Eaves has had a year to remember.

At the deadline Eaves was sold off to the highest bidder, that team proving to be the Anaheim Ducks, who were desperate for a winger to play with Ryan Getzlaf. The Stars would recoup a second-round pick—that could become a first—for what was initially considered a “minor signing”. Eaves wouldn’t disappoint as through 15 games with his new club he has another seven goals, all of which coming at even strength. He’s up to 28 now on the season, and with just two more in the final five games he could join some rare company.

Since the NHL came back in 2005-06, there have only been 28 players to score 30 or more goals in a season after the age of 30. Of that group, only five—Radim Vrbata, Mike Sillinger, Mike Knuble, Chris Clark and Mikael Samuelsson—were cracking 30 for the first time in their careers, as Eaves would be this season.

It’s interesting to note though, that the group doesn’t set a fantastic precedent. Three of those players were either immediately ineffective or out of the game entirely soon after, with only Sillinger and Vrbata providing any staying power. Perhaps Eaves will be an exception, but his performance this year should not signify some sort of newfound ability that will make him an effective option down the line. Both Sillinger and Vrbata both had much more previous offensive success, if falling short of the 30 goal mark. Teams should be wary of paying for this year’s production in the future.

But for now, Anaheim should be happy they jumped on board during his career year and Dallas should be ecstatic for selling high on a minor asset. For Eaves, it might never happen again.

Stars Notes: Nichushkin, Expansion, Honka

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When Valeri Nichushkin left for the KHL last summer after having trouble with Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff, the team lost one of its best young assets to a rival league. The former 10th-overall draft pick had put up 34 points in his rookie season, then missed most of the next year after hip surgery but came back with another solid 29 point season as a 20-year old last year. He looked like a star (pun intended) in the making in Dallas, ready to break out over the next few seasons.

Well, breakout he did, just on the wrong continent. With 24 points in 36 games, Nichushkin was outstanding for CSKA Moscow when he was healthy. He is under contract for one more season with the Russian team, but Jim Nill was on the radio today saying (via Mark Stepneski of NHL.com) that he would like to bring him back to North America eventually. The now 22-year old would be a nice addition if they could get him under contract, as they’re likely losing Ales Hemsky, Patrick Sharp and Jiri Hudler this year—not to mention Patrick Eaves and Lauri Korpikoski, who they dealt at the deadline.

  • According to Stepneski, Nill also said that he likely will protect Nichushkin in the upcoming expansion draft, something that would complicate things quite a bit. Protecting Nichushkin would leave one of Antoine Roussel, Brett Ritchie, Radek Faksa or Cody Eakin exposed, none of whom the Stars could afford losing for nothing. While leaving Nichushkin exposed isn’t perfect, it would be hard to see Vegas taking a swing at him not knowing for sure if he’d ever come back to the NHL. Perhaps the Stars will work out a deal with the Golden Knights on who to take, as they currently look like they’ll lose an effective player in the draft.
  • Julius Honka will be back up with the NHL team at some point, to play another 8-10 games with the big club before the end of the season. The top prospect played 10 games earlier in the season for the team, and has thrived at the AHL level for three straight years. There will be no playoff run for the Texas Stars of the AHL this season, as they currently sit in seventh place in their division with a 27-29-4 record.

Dallas Stars Sign Curtis McKenzie To One-Year Extension

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The Stars have completed their expansion draft protection, signing Curtis McKenzie to a one-year, $700K extension. They also have announced a two-year entry-level deal for goaltending prospect Landon Bow. Both contracts will begin during the 2017-18 season. Curtis McKenzie

As we predicted when the Stars extended Adam Cracknell earlier this week, McKenzie was the obvious choice for the Stars to extend and fulfill their expansion draft requirements up front. While Brett Ritchie or Radek Faksa could have been exposed to cover the requirements, both will likely be protected by the team. They now have Cracknell, McKenzie and Dan Hamhuis as expansion draft fodder that fill the 70/40 requirement.

McKenzie has played 43 games for the team this season, recording 11 points and 67 penalty minutes. His fourth-line role has been expanded slightly of late after the Stars shipped Patrick Eaves and Lauri Korpikoski out of town at the deadline. Whether he continues in that role next season is still to be determined, but he’ll benefit from the expansion draft with some guaranteed money. The 26-year old actually has two game-winning goals this season, and does have a bit of offensive upside to his game.

In his first season of professional hockey in 2013-14, McKenzie broke out with 65 points in 75 AHL contests. He has followed it up with more solid minor league numbers, though his impact at the NHL level has been less noticeable.  For a Stars team that will need to reload this offseason and try again while Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are in their prime, McKenzie and his relatively low cap-hit could come in handy in their bottom-six.

Bow on the other hand is a 21-year old undrafted goaltender that has split time between the ECHL and AHL this season. His numbers while in the American league are poor, but has shown at least enough ability to be an intriguing lottery ticket. Goaltenders often mature much later into their game than other positions, and Bow was exceptional in his final season of junior hockey after already being passed over in the draft. Probably nothing more than organizational filler, he at least is worth an ELC to see what he can do. The Stars need all the goaltending help they can get, as the tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi continue to struggle at the NHL level.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Which Team Had The Best Trade Deadline?

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The trade deadline came and went with something of a whimper yesterday, with most of the heavy lifting done in the days prior. Martin Hanzal, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brian Boyle and Patrick Eaves were all among players moved days ahead of the deadline, and Pierre LeBrun of TSN believes that may have actually been a mistake. In his latest column, he discusses the low prices teams paid on deadline day as very few big names entered the market. Obviously, it may have been a completely different story had those names made it to the last few minutes, but we’ll never know.

Our own Zach Leach broke down the deadlines for each of the different divisions (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Pacific and Central), but who was the biggest winner of them all?

Vancouver finally decided to move out some aging veterans and received two fairly well established prospects, something the team has seemed to lack for years. Tampa Bay moved out Valtteri Filppula’s contract to save them a huge headache at the expansion draft and when re-signing their restricted free agents. Washington added the best player available to an already dominant squad, and perhaps more importantly blocked their rivals from doing the same.

So which team did have the best trade deadline overall? For this question we’ll include the moves made prior to the day itself. Make sure to leave us a comment down below explaining your choice.

(Mobile users click here to vote!)

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