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Scott Hartnell

Scott Hartnell Announces Retirement

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Though it had become apparent that he would not find an NHL contract this offseason, veteran forward Scott Hartnell confirmed it today when announcing his retirement on Twitter. Hartnell released a long statement thanking every organization he has played for in his 17-year career, and admitting that he’s now looking forward to spending more time with his wife and son.

Hartnell, 36, got a chance last season to return to the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2000 and suited up for 62 regular season games for the Nashville Predators. Finding a way to contribute 13 goals—cracking double digits for the 15th time in his career—he was nevertheless held out of all but four postseason contests and not retained at the end of the year. Those 62 games raised his career total to 1,249 which actually puts him 89th on the all-time list and just ahead of other legendary forwards like Sergei Fedorov, Daniel Alfredsson and Patrik Elias. Hartnell was never quite the offensive player that those three were, but still will finish his career with 707 points and an incredible resume of consistency.

Drafted because of his mix of physicality, leadership and offense for the Prince Albert Raiders, Hartnell assumed a limited role for the Predators right away and played in 75 games as an 18-year old in 2000-01. Though he registered just two goals and 16 points, it would be the only time he would be kept under 12 goals or 24 points in a full season for his entire career. In fact, other than his rookie season, his final season and the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Hartnell would recorded at least 33 points each year while reaching a career-high of 67 in 2011-12 with the Philadelphia Flyers. Those consistent point totals were accompanied by consistent penalty minutes, as the in-your-face forward will finish with 1,809.

With stops in Nashville, Philadelphia and Columbus, Hartnell quickly became a fan favorite and an easy to hate enemy for rival teams all around the league. Getting under the opponent’s skin and riling up a fan base came natural to him, but there is little doubt that he was well respected around the league for his all-out play style.

Scott Hartnell Intends To Play An 18th Season

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While the Nashville Predators told Scott Hartnell nearly three weeks ago that they will not bring him back, that didn’t mean the 17-year veteran’s career is over. While he admitted at the time that he would be OK if his career ended, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Hartnell has indicated that he’s all in and plans to play an 18th season in the NHL next year. The unrestricted free agent just needs to find a new team now.

The veteran forward signed a one-year, $1MM deal to return to Nashville last season after being bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hartnell had a solid campaign acting as a bottom-six forward for the team who can incite energy and hustle in his play. No longer a constant 20-goal scorer, he posted 13 goals for a second year in a row to go with 24 points in 62 games this season.

Due to Nashville’s depth at forward and the youth they are bringing in, Hartnell was no longer a logical option there, but there should be other teams on the lookout for a veteran bottom-six forward. Even though he only played in four games for the Predators in the playoffs, he showed his value against the Winnipeg Jets. In three games, he produced eight hits and was instrumental in helping the Predators to a Game 4 victory. Regardless, he shouldn’t have too much trouble finding another year of work.

 

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Hartnell, Matthews

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The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is less than three weeks away, and teams and pundits around the league are finalizing their rankings. Today, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button released his final list of the top-100 prospects eligible for the draft, and Rasmus Dahlin remains on top. That’s not unexpected, neither is Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina at the number two and three spots respectively.

Where Button’s list may vary from others is where he lists his top two center prospects, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Barrett Hayton. The two young pivots are fifth and seventh respectively, ahead of top defensive prospects like Noah Dobson, Evan Bouchard and Adam Boqvist. Button is also high on towering power forward Serron Noel (#13) and shifty winger Akil Thomas (#17). Joe Veleno, once expected to be selected at the very top of the first round, is way down at #28.

  • Scott Hartnell has begun training for the 2018-19 season, but as Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes in his recent profile on the Nashville Predators free agent, if the 36-year old forward doesn’t find a contract he’s okay with that too. After registering 24 points in 62 games this season there is still reason to believe that Hartnell can be an effective bottom-six player, but it was just a year ago that he was bought out by the Blue Jackets and had to settle for a $1MM contract. If it is the end of his career, he’ll go out with 707 points in 1,249 games—a great career to say the least.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs fans were up in arms last night questioning what it could mean when James Mirtle of The Athletic reported that Auston Matthews had changed agencies. Matthews has followed his agent from CAA to the Orr Hockey Group, with many pointing to the fact that they also represent Connor McDavid and negotiated his league-leading eight-year $100MM extension. Matthews can sign an extension on July 1st, and could be the league’s next highly-paid young star. While it may not match the $12.5MM/year that McDavid will start earning next season, Jack Eichel’s eight-year $80MM deal is certainly within reach.

Alexei Emelin, Scott Harnell Unlikely To Return To Nashville Predators

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The Nashville Predators are starting their offseason a little earlier than they expected, after being eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round. Now they have to face the tough decisions of who to bring back, including those who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that it is unlikely that Alexei Emelin will be back with the team in 2018-19, and that they’ve already made the decision to not offer a contract to Scott Hartnell. Both players will become UFAs on July 1st.

Emelin was brought in last summer in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights, after the team had selected him in the expansion draft. Nashville sent a third-round pick back to the Golden Knights, adding Emelin to help while they dealt with an injury to Ryan Ellis. Unfortunately, Emelin wasn’t all that effective in his one season in Nashville and would see his minutes reduced dramatically in the postseason. In 76 regular season games he registered just nine points, but did continue to be a physical presence racking up 181 hits (second on the team to only Austin Watson).

The 32-year old defenseman is coming off the final season of a four-year $16.4MM contract he signed in 2013, and will likely have to settle for something much smaller this summer. Though there will certainly be interest in him as a depth defenseman with experience playing against top competition, it doesn’t look like he can any longer be the minute-munching top-4 option he once was.

For Hartnell, it may be getting close to the end. The 36-year old winger did register 24 points in 62 games in his return to Nashville, but was essentially unused in the playoffs and doesn’t have a clear future. Bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer, there may be some interest from around the league on another one-year deal, but there isn’t much evidence he can be an impact player anymore. The former 37-goal scorer could have to settle for an incentive-based contract for 2018-19, if he decides to keep playing.

Minor Transactions: 12/13/17

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The transaction freeze is coming quickly in the NHL, as all 31 teams will lock down their rosters between December 19-27th. That means they have just a few days left to make any trades or waiver assignments they need, leading to daily intrigue around the league. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves of the day right here.

  • The St. Louis Blues have swapped backup goaltenders, sending Ville Husso back to San Antonio while calling up Jordan Binnington from the Providence Bruins. The Blues of course don’t have a primary affiliate this season, which explains why their prospects are scattered throughout the league. Husso had been up to fill in for the injured Carter Hutton, but needs playing time of his own to continue his development. Enter Binnington, who can backup Jake Allen for the time being.
  • The Nashville Predators have sent Frederick Gaudreau back to the AHL according to Adam Vingan of the Tenessean meaning that Scott Hartnell or Ryan Johansen are likely back tonight. Gaudreau has three points in 17 games this season.
  • Ville Pokka has been recalled by the Chicago Blackhawks while Cody Franson is moved to injured reserve. The Blackhawks have been waiting for Pokka to make his mark in the NHL since acquiring him in 2014, but he’s continued to struggle with defensive miscues throughout his career. If he does get into the lineup, it would be his NHL debut and a chance to prove that his offensive value can overcome any lapses in his own end.
  • Ben Harpur has been sent back to the AHL by the Ottawa Senators, though it’s not clear why yet. Head coach Guy Boucher recently said that Mark Borowiecki wasn’t close enough to return yet, and Chris Wideman is still out long-term. Harpur’s assignment leaves the Senators with just six healthy defensmen on the active roster, meaning another move is likely to follow. In the meantime the team has called up forward Nick Paul, bringing him back after his latest stint in the AHL. Paul, a 22-year old winger, has played four games with the Senators this season but has been held scoreless.
  • Arizona has recalled Joel Hanley from the AHL, bringing the 26-year old back for the third time this year. Hanley has played four games for the club this year, and is eligible to be brought up and down as he cleared waivers just a week ago. The team had sent Kyle Capobianco back to the minor leagues to keep him in game action, but needed another defenseman with Niklas Hjalmarsson still not ready to return.
  • The New Jersey Devils have brought Nick Lappin up from the AHL to replace Marcus Johansson, who ends up on injured reserve for the second time this year. Lappin had been tearing up the minor leagues with 12 goals in 23 games, continuing his pattern of finding the back of the net with ease. Johansson is out with an ankle bruise suffered on Saturday.
  • Duncan Siemens has been reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage, as the Colorado Avalanche continue to try and spark something in the first-round pick. Siemens was selected 11th-overall in 2011, but hasn’t been able to crack the NHL for any length of time. In five career games, he has zero points.

Injury Updates: Ducks, Hartnell, Zibanejad, Dadonov, Mason

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Ducks centers Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler have both returned to practice, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register.  Of the two, it’s Getzlaf (fractured cheekbone) that will be the quickest to return as he is hoping to play sometime next week, potentially as early as Monday.  As for Kesler, who has yet to suit up this season after undergoing hip surgery in June, his return date is still in question but there is a possibility he will accompany Anaheim on their six-game road trip next week, though that may just be to continue to skate with the team.

More injury news from around the NHL:

  • Predators winger Scott Hartnell has returned to practice and could be ready to return to the lineup on their upcoming three-game road trip, reports Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. He has been out since November 11th due to a lower-body issue.  The veteran had gotten off to a good start with Nashville prior to the injury, collecting seven points in 16 games.
  • Rangers center Mika Zibanejad will not be able to return tonight against the Devils, notes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. He is dealing with concussion-like symptoms sustained from a hit on November 24th although they were late to appear as he actually suited up in their next game before missing four straight.  There’s no timeframe for when he might get the green light to return.
  • It appears that Florida could get winger Evgenii Dadonov back sooner than expected. He has resumed on-ice workouts and head coach Bob Boughner told Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ team site (Twitter link) that Dadonov will be back sooner than later.  The 28-year-old is dealing with a shoulder injury, one that was originally expected to keep him out four-to-six weeks.  He’s just two weeks into that so it appears that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery.
  • Jets goaltender Steve Mason has passed through concussion protocol, reports Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun (Twitter link). Head coach Paul Maurice said that the earliest he will be activated off injured reserve will be on Monday and that depends on how Mason’s workout goes later today.

Snapshots: MacArthur, Predators, Matthews, Zajac

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Clarke MacArthur failed his physical before the season, and according to GM Pierre Dorion on TSN radio he likely won’t be playing at all this year. MacArthur is not with the team and has moved to Florida, which could signal the disappointing end to a solid career.

MacArthur came back for the Senators just before the playoffs last year, and was an integral part of their run to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. His career was derailed by head injuries, but he was once a consistent offensive producer and reliable top-six winger. In 552 games he scored 304 points. Dorion did admit that they’d look at bringing him back in should he want to play next season, as he’s under contract for $4.65MM per season through 2019-20. More likely he’ll spend the next few seasons on long-term injured reserve.

  • The Nashville Predators also have some bad news when it comes to injuries, as the team announced Yannick Weber and Scott Hartnell would each be out several weeks with their respective injuries. While Nick Bonino is back from his injured reserve stint, losing Weber and Hartnell will put some more stress on the Predators’ depth chart. Luckily, the team already relies so heavily on their top three defensemen that Weber’s role shouldn’t be too difficult to fill. While Hartnell is a bit tougher, there are several young wingers ready to step into the situation.
  • The New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs could each get a boost to their forward group when they meet on Thursday night, as both Travis Zajac and Auston Matthews have a chance to play. Zajac was back at practice centering the top line for the Devils today, while Matthews was on the ice for an hour with a few teammates despite being given the day off. The Devils and Maple Leafs each have 24 points through the first part of the season, and it should be a good matchup on Thursday especially if both get their top centers back.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators

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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 2017-18 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.

Nashville Predators

Current Cap Hit: $68,913,333 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Kevin Fiala (Two years remaining, $863K)
G Juuse Saros (One year remaining, $693K)

Potential Bonuses

Fiala: $500K
Saros: $183K

Total: $683K

A team that is designed for a Stanley Cup run probably shouldn’t have too many players on entry level contracts and the Predators have just the two. Fiala is the team’s top young potential star as the former 2014 first-rounder found himself getting called up to the Predators and logged 54 games last year, scoring 11 goals. He even managed to cement himself in the starting lineup and played in five playoff games, scoring two goals, but then broke his femur and his playoffs were cut short. Nevertheless, the team is expecting a big year from the young wing and some even have him penciled in on the team’s second line. As for Saros, the 22-year-old goalie had a pretty good showing last year, playing in 21 contests (19 starts) and putting up a 2.35 GAA and a .923 save percentage. He should be able to shoulder the load as the backup and right now looks to be Nashville’s goaltender of the future.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Alexei Emelin ($3MM, UFA)
F Scott Hartnell ($1MM, UFA)
F Cody McLeod ($800K, UFA)
D Yannick Weber ($650K, UFA)
D Matt Irwin ($650K, UFA)
D Anthony Bitetto ($613, UFA)
F Miikka Salomaki ($613K, RFA)

The team, already immersed in quality defenders, picked up another veteran defender in Emelin this offseason in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, who picked him from the Montreal Canadiens in the expansion draft. A solid veteran, Emelin, should fill in for the injured Ellis until he returns in December and then provide some veteran depth throughout the rest of the season, which should keep Nashville’s defensive corps as strong as it had always been and he will likely be allowed to move on when his contract expires next year.

Hartnell returns to Nashville after 10 years. Originally drafted in the first round by Nashville in 2000, the 35-year-old forward played six years for the Predators before being traded to Philadelphia. He has scored 314 goals, but only managed 13 in his last year in Columbus. The team hopes his presence will spark the team for another Stanley Cup run. The rest, including Weber, Irwin and McLeod

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Nashville Predators Sign Scott Hartnell

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The Nashville Predators will bring back a very familiar face, inking Scott Hartnell to a one-year deal worth just $1MM. This comes just after the Columbus Blue Jackets bought out the final two years of his contract, making him a free agent. Hartnell of course was drafted by the Predators sixth overall in 2000, and played the first six years of his pro career there.

Hartnell then moved on to Philadelphia and stayed there for another seven years before ending up in Columbus for the past three campaigns. He has had a steady career until he struggled this past year. His 13 goals and 24 assists are his lowest numbers (not including 2012-13) since the 2002-03 season when he was with Nashville. To make matters worse, Hartnell scored no points in four playoff games this year. One reason for his declining production was the fact that Columbus began giving more playing time to their younger players, cutting his own.

Now the 35-year-old wing will rejoin Predators’ head coach Peter Laviolette, who he worked with in Philadelphia from 2009-2013. Hartnell has never won a Stanley Cup championship, but went to the Stanley Cup finals once, back in 2010 with Laviolette as his coach. Hartnell will try to rebound from an underwhelming season, despite scoring 51 goals combined in the previous two years with Columbus.

Columbus Blue Jackets Buy Out Scott Hartnell

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have bought out the remaining two years on Scott Hartnell’s contract, making him a free agent. Hartnell didn’t need to be placed on waivers like a normal buyout because of his full no-movement clause. Columbus will take on a cap-hit going forward as follows: Scott Hartnell

  • 2017-18: $1.5MM
  • 2018-19: $3.0MM
  • 2019-20: $1.25MM
  • 2020-21: $1.25MM

Our own Seth Lawrence listed Hartnell as a potential buyout option last month—along with Antti Niemi who has already been bought out and Kevin Bieksa who remains under contract—and explained why the team needed to move on from the forward, mostly pointing to expansion draft concerns. Hartnell was never asked to waive his NMC for the draft because the team had a deal worked out with Vegas for quite some time to take David Clarkson’s contract off their hands. Clearing him now is just making even more room for the Blue Jackets to make an impact in this summer’s free agency.

Rumored to be interested in everyone from Joe Thornton to Ilya Kovalchuk, the Blue Jackets will now have just under $13MM in cap space this summer, though much of it will be accounted for with internal options. Both Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson need new contracts as restricted free agents, and though neither of them have arbitration rights yet both deserve large raises. The team needs every penny of room, thus the buyout.

For Hartnell, it’s a tough ending to what was a pretty excellent start in Columbus. Scoring 60 points in his first year with the team, he fell all the way down to 37 this year as his role was diminished due to the emergence of some young players. Still one of the better 5-on-5 players in the league, his salary can be better used elsewhere. With the team already making a huge splash to bring in Artemi Panarin, it’s clear that they want to compete right now.

It’s rough timing for Hartnell, just a few months after turning 35. Now any contract he signs with another team will come with certain restrictions that will lower his leverage. Not expected to sign anywhere long-term, he does instantly become an interesting option for many teams on the open market at a reduced price. A player who 20+ goals in nine different seasons doesn’t come along every day, and even if he’s not a 50+ point player any longer he can still help a team’s bottom six.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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