NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – New Jersey Devils
NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – New Jersey Devils
NHL Rumor Mill – April 27, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – April 27, 2020
Recent speculation on the Leafs and Coyotes in today’s NHL rumor mill.
THE LEAFS’ GOALTENDING AND DEFENSIVE NEEDS
NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien recently examined the long-term needs of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Goaltender Frederik Andersen will be due for a new contract after 2020-21 and defenseman Morgan Rielly following 2021-22. The Leafs’ defense needs improvement but limited salary-cap space means they’ll need to get the most out of entry-level blueliners like Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren. Cap constraints could force them to part with players they like but don’t need, like winger Kyle Clifford.
Should the Toronto Maple Leafs consider replacing Frederik Andersen after this season? (Photo via NHL Images)
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel recently debated whether the Leafs should find an upgrade on Andersen between the pipes. Mirtle feels they should at least explore that option, especially if Andersen seeks a raise on his next contract. He pointed out Robin Lehner could be available in this summer’s UFA market. Siegel still thinks the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup with Andersen, but suggested trading for Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray as an option.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen’s future in Toronto will be determined by his performance this season (assuming it resumes this summer) and next, as well as the Leafs’ cap payroll. According to Cap Friendly, they have over $68 million tied up in just 12 players for 2021-22. That won’t leave much wiggle room to sign Andersen to a larger deal. And if the Leafs fail to advance beyond the first round this year and next, they could consider other goaltending options.
As for adding Lehner or Murray this off-season, the Leafs have nearly $77 million invested in 16 players for next season. With the salary cap expected to remain around $81.5 million, they can’t afford to add another netminder unless they intend to trade Andersen. I think they’ll hang onto him for another season and focus instead on improving the blueline.
LATEST ON THE COYOTES
THE ATHLETIC: Craig Morgan speculates Taylor Hall, Michael Grabner, and Brad Richardson stand a good chance of leaving the Arizona Coyotes in the off-season. Hall and Richardson are unrestricted free agents following this season. Hall and his agent want to sign with a playoff contender, and the Coyotes’ second-half swoon could hurt their chances of retaining him. They also have to shed some salary to re-sign him.
Grabner has a year left on his contract worth an annual average value of $3.35 million. However, he was a frequent healthy scratch late in this season, making him a potential cost-cutting candidate.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes GM John Chayka remains hopeful of having productive discussions with the Hall camp. Nevertheless, the Coyotes’ limited cap space will make it difficult to come up with suitable cap space to keep the former Hart Trophy winner in Arizona.
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2020
The latest on the league’s plans to reopen the season, an update on Zdeno Chara, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the NHL’s attempt to complete the 2019-20 season would satisfy some of its sponsorship agreements, recouping roughly half of the $1.1 billion it could lose by canceling the season. Pushing back the start of next season to mid-November could also work in the league’s favor. Physical distancing measures could be reduced or lifted in some NHL cities by that time, allowing teams to sell tickets again.
TORONTO STAR: Damien Cox reports canceling the season could see the NHL’s television contracts with Rogers Sportsnet and NBC Sports carry over for another year. The deal with NBC expires at the end of the 2020-21 playoffs, meaning the league would have to wait another year to negotiate a more lucrative contract.
Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara isn’t thinking about retirement (Photo via NHL Images)
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Despite social distancing measures, Terry Jones believes the city of Edmonton would support being a divisional neutral-site host even if fans would be prohibited from attending games at Rogers Place arena. “I already know of people making preliminary plans to set up big-screen TVs and LED boards in parking lots to watch the games in their cars, drive-in-movie style,” writes Jones.
STLTODAY.COM: Jim Thomas reports Blues president and CEO Chris Zimmerman would love for the league to choose St. Louis as a divisional host city.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Elliott Teaford reports Rutgers University professor Dr. Mitchel Rosen is skeptical of the NHL’s plans to resume action this summer. Citing the potential spread of the coronavirus by personnel in close quarters, the Rangers’ season ticket holder recommends shutting down the season. “We should wait to have more tests available with rapid results, as well as proven, effective treatments,” said Rosen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dr. Rosen’s approach is the sensible one. Like all businesses affected by this pandemic, however, the NHL is trying to find the best option to resume operations at the earliest date while ensuring the safety and health of its employees.
THE SCORE: The current pause in the schedule doesn’t have Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara pondering retirement. The 43-year-old defenseman said he still loves playing the game and his current focus is playing some sort of hockey this season. The only active player from the 1996 draft class, Chara will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I anticipate Chara will sign another one-year, bonus-laden deal with the Bruins for next season. As long as he remains an effective member of their defense corps, the Bruins will keep him in the lineup.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sam McCaig listed the all-time goals and points leaders for all 31 NHL franchises.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of the players on these lists might surprise you.
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 26, 2020
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 26, 2020
A closer look at several teams that could take advantage of a flat salary cap in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.
SPORTSNET: Luke Fox listed six clubs he believes could benefit from the salary cap remaining at $81.5 million next season, using their cap room to take on a bad contract in exchange for a “tasty kickback”. He points to the Arizona Coyotes getting draft picks and young players for taking on the contracts of Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Hossa, the Carolina Hurricanes receiving the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round selection in the 2020 draft for acquiring and buying out Patrick Marleau, and the New Jersey Devils getting P.K. Subban for a song.
The Ottawa Senators have over $12.25 million coming off the books next season as Ron Hainsey, Craig Anderson, and Mikkel Boedker become unrestricted free agents. He feels they must spend just to reach the salary-cap floor.
SPECTOR’S NOTE Cap Friendly indicates the Senators have over $41.9 million invested in just nine players for next season. General manager Pierre Dorion must spend just to ice a full roster. Some of those dollars, as Fox indicated, will go toward restricted free agents like Chris Tierney, Anthony Duclair, and Connor Brown. There’s talk they could bring back Hainsey for one more year. Nevertheless, they should still have plenty of cap dollars to take on a big contract in return for also getting a high pick or prospect.
Then again, the Senators are already well-stocked with draft picks and prospects. Dorion could instead use some of that depth and their cap space to land a quality player still in his playing prime that could provide immediate help.
The rebuilding New Jersey Devils should have roughly $29 million in cap room. RFAs include Mackenzie Blackwood and Jesper Bratt.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils have over $55.2 million committed to 13 players. Depending on how much ownership is willing to spend, and who is sitting in the general manager’s chair whenever the off-season begins, they could be well-positioned to weaponize some of that cap space.
Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake (Photo via NHL.com).
The Los Angeles Kings are another rebuilding club that has stocked up on draft picks. Fox suggests GM Rob Blake knows he’s not a year or two from contention and could be ready to deal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blake has seven picks in rounds two through four of this year’s draft and six in the same rounds next year. He has over $60 million tied up in 16 players and all his core talent under contract for next season.
However, some of those are aging players like Jeff Carter, Jonathan Quick, and Dustin Brown carrying hefty contracts beyond next season. Blake might not be keen to take another toxic contract.
Unlike others on this list, the Colorado Avalanche is a bona fide Stanley Cup contender. GM Joe Sakic has decisions to make regarding free agents Andre Burakovsky, Vladislav Namestnikov, Tyson Jost, Valeri Nichushkin, Ryan Graves, and Nikita Zadorov. Nevertheless, Fox feels Sakic’s cap space gives him the option of chasing an established player and/or landing some additional draft picks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avs have over $59.1 million committed to 10 players. Some of his free agents, like Burakowsky and Graves, will be in line for significant raises. Depending on the cost of re-signing or replacing his free agents, the savvy Sakic should have enough wiggle room to bolster his roster depth next season.
Montreal Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin has been hoarding cap space for some time. Combined with his depth in draft picks, he should have enough to land a big fish that puts his club back into contention.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Habs have over $63 million invested in 16 players, with Max Domi and Victor Mete as their most notable free agents. They have 14 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, including 10 in rounds two through five. They also have eight picks in rounds three through five next year. Bergevin undoubtedly intends to use some of those picks as trade chips to pry away a quality player or two from a cap-strapped club in the offseason.
The Columbus Blue Jackets still must re-sign Pierre-Luc Dubois. Fox believes they’ll have enough cap room to bolster their lineup for next season, especially after re-signing goalies Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins for a combined $6.8 million AAV.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I disagree with Fox here. The Jackets have over $75 million tied up in 19 players. Dubois’ completing his entry-level contract, but he’s still going to be in line for a substantial pay bump. They must also decide if they’ll re-sign or trade winger Josh Anderson, who has arbitration rights.
Regardless, Dubois’ new contract won’t leave much room to take on an additional salary. They could be facing a dollar-for-dollar deal if they hope to boost their offense, which is their biggest need right now.
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2020
More details on the plan to resume the schedule, plus the latest on Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports the NHL and NHL Players Association have established a Return to Play Committee engaged in discussions to draft plans to reopen the season when it’s safe to do so. The league has to determine whether it can safely resume amid a pandemic and whether the players will agree to it.
“Gary Bettman, Bill Daly, and senior VPs Colin Campbell and Steve Hatze Petros represent the NHL, while the NHLPA is represented by Don Fehr, Mathieu Schneider, general counsel Don Zavelo, divisional rep Steve Webb, and active players John Tavares, Connor McDavid, James van Riemsdyk, and Ron Hainsey. Medical advisers from both the league and union are added to the calls when appropriate.”
Decisions to resume will ultimately be made by local governments and public health agencies. League deputy commissioner Bill Daly was asked to clarify comments to TSN on Friday in which he suggested one or more positive COVID-19 tests among the participants wouldn’t necessarily shut the whole thing down. Daly said he wouldn’t get into hypotheticals. “I’m fully comfortable with our level of knowledge and the experts we have retained to make the right decisions,” he said.
Brooks indicates Toronto and Columbus are among the leading candidates to be part of the four regional division hosts. A Canadian host city would mean lower costs to stage part of the schedule because of the lower Canadian dollar.
All teams would hold training camps of up to three weeks at their assigned locations. Depending on how far a team advances in the playoffs, those players could face being isolated from their families for up to four months.
Player health will be an issue, especially for those with medical conditions like Montreal’s Max Domi, the New York Rangers’ Kaapo Kaako, and Minnesota’s Luke Kunin, who are Type 1 diabetics and more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus. Testing, travel restrictions, and family matters will be other issues facing the committee.
Boston Bruins president Cam Neely
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This report provides an interesting glimpse into the myriad of challenges facing the league and the PA in their attempt to complete the season and crown a Stanley Cup champion. Both sides appear busy behind the scenes trying to address those issues. It appears they want the players to return to their clubs by May 15, open training camps in those four host cities by June 1, and resume play by late-June.
NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins president Cam Neely said the league and the players are on board to do whatever possible to complete the season. “If that means playing into the summer then we’re all willing to do that. The feeling is there’s an opportunity to be able to push next season back and still get an 82-game schedule in next year. Everything is on the table to try and get the (2019-20) season completed.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Every option is being considered, but the preference certainly seems to be a full completion of the current schedule and staging a full playoff format.
That could mean awarding the Stanley Cup by early September, holding a brief offseason period from mid-September into mid-October to stage the draft, open the free-agent period, and allow for salary-arbitration hearings. That could be followed by a two-three week training camp, with the 2020-21 season starting up in mid-November and the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs ending in late June or early July.
THE SCORE: Should the NHL schedule resume in empty arenas, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper feels the players will quickly adjust to the absence of fans. He believes the players won’t notice a thing once the competitive juices and physical play begins.
SPORTSNET: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sent a message of love and support to his fellow Nova Scotians as the province grieves the senseless deaths of 22 people during a shooting rampage by a lone gunman last weekend. “I’m in Pittsburgh, but being from Nova Scotia, my heart and mind is home with all of you,” said the Cole Harbour native.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like everyone, I was shocked and horrified by what happened last weekend. I was raised in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Many of my family still live there. I regularly drive through the area where many of those murders took place on route to visit my folks. My heart goes out to the victims’ families and friends.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has resumed skating as he rehabs from his March 2 core muscle surgery. He’s expected to be fully recovered when the season resumes.
NHL Rumor Mill – April 25, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – April 25, 2020
More Alex Pietrangelo conjecture plus some recent Devils speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.
THE LATEST ON PIETRANGELO
STLTODAY.COM: In his latest Q&A live chat with his readers, Jim Thomas was asked how the St. Louis Blues could free up sufficient salary-cap room to re-sign team captain Alex Pietrangelo, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. He feels the most likely scenario is trading goaltender Jake Allen and buying out the final season of veteran forward Alexander Steen’s contract.
What can the St. Louis Blues do to free up salary-cap space to re-sign Alex Pietrangelo? (Photo via NHL Images)
Thomas doesn’t consider buying out Justin Faulk as an option, in part because it would be more costly to the Blues for much longer than buying out Steen or Tyler Bozak. He also speculated the re-signing of Marco Scandella means at least two players must come off the current roster to re-sign Pietrangelo and doesn’t see Jaden Schwartz being moved in a cost-cutting deal.
If Pietrangelo wants the biggest possible deal, Thomas speculates the blueliner could move on. Despite the possibility of a flat cap next season, he feels there will be enough teams willing to pay big bucks for Pietrangelo. Thomas doubts the Toronto Maple Leafs will be among them, as they have over $76.9 million invested in next season’s cap payroll.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo wants to stay in St. Louis and the Blues want to keep him, but he also wants to be paid what he considers fair market value. Reports throughout this season suggest that’s over $9 million annually.
If he’s unwilling to come down from that or the Blues can’t free up sufficient cap room, he’ll be playing elsewhere next season. Unless the Leafs shed a considerable amount of salary, he won’t be coming to Toronto.
DEVILS
NORTHJERSEY.COM: Abbey Mastracco believes the New Jersey Devils could attempt to bring in a short-term veteran winger or two to bridge the gap until those in their farm system are ready to join the roster.
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): In a recent mailbag segment, Corey Masisak suggested the Devils could attempt to add an impact defenseman in the off-season. He thinks they’ll try to do that via the trade route, like the New York Rangers last summer when they acquired Jacob Trouba from the Winnipeg Jets. If they shop one of their first-round picks, Masisak felt it could be for that impact blueliner or a first-line winger.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs are two cap-strapped clubs the Devils could target in the trade market. The Lightning might be forced to part with winger Alex Killorn or Ondrej Palat to re-sign Mikhail Sergachev. Leafs wingers Kaspari Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson could be available, but Toronto would have to include something else if they want the Devils’ third first-rounder.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Killorn and Palat have no-trade protection and probably won’t waive it to join a rebuilding club. Kapanen and Johnsson lack such protection and would be more viable trade options.