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CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 6, 2017

Looking back, how Justin Williams trade made sense at the time – DeCock

BY LUKE DECOCK

[email protected]

Amid all the acclaim surrounding Justin Williams’ return to the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend, it’s easy to forget the circumstances that led to his departure eight-plus years later. There’s no arguing with the immediate results – trading the injured Williams for Erik Cole helped boost the Hurricanes into the playoffs in 2009 – but there were obvious long-term consequences.

With the caveat that the trade worked, delivering the Hurricanes a healthy scoring winger and propelling the team all the way to the Eastern Conference finals, it’s still fair to wonder: How did the Hurricanes let one of the greatest clutch players in NHL history slip out of their hands? What was then-general manager Jim Rutherford thinking? It’s safe to say he knew the risks at the time.

“There’s some emptiness in my stomach right now, because I have to trade a player like that,” Rutherford said on that day, March 4, 2009.

A couple key factors played into the trade, which was actually a three-way deal that saw Williams traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Patrick O’Sullivan and O’Sullivan traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Cole, who was traded to Edmonton the previous summer. (O’Sullivan would later play for the Hurricanes, briefly.)

The first, and most important, was Williams’ durability. At the time, he was out indefinitely with a broken hand that came after a torn Achilles tendon that came after a serious knee injury, the second of his career. From the start of the 2007-08 season, Williams had missed 78 of 147 games at the time

of the trade. The Kings, who were a year or two away from contending, could afford to wait for him to get healthy.

There were real questions whether Williams, who was only 27, was going to be plagued with persistent health problems over the course of his career, as some players unfortunately are. As it turned out, that wasn’t the case. Williams broke his ankle in his first full season with the Kings, but hasn’t missed significant time in the seven seasons since.

Then there was the coaching change. Peter Laviolette had been fired three months earlier, and it’s hard to envision Williams being traded under any circumstances with Laviolette behind the bench. Paul Maurice, returning to the franchise after being fired in 2003, didn’t have the same history with Williams. He was hired to get the team into the playoffs and wouldn’t stand in the way of anything that would help right away.

Combine those two dynamics with the win-now desperation that enveloped the franchise in the wake of missing the playoffs in the first two seasons after winning the Stanley Cup, with the Hurricanes in a four-team race for two playoff spots, and that’s how a trade that may seem short-sighted now made perfect sense then – even if the Hurricanes haven’t made the playoffs since.

At the time, I wrote this, albeit not exactly in grammatically correct fashion: “Given this franchise’s history, it’s no surprise that it looked to its past for inspiration – first Paul Maurice, then Cole – what are the odds Williams is back here in 2011?”

It only took six years longer than expected.

What kind of impact will Marcus Kruger have with Canes?

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

[email protected]

It’s hard to say how much of an impact Marcus Kruger will have with the Carolina Hurricanes.

With the Chicago Blackhawks, Kruger was a checking center, asked to do a lot of the dirty defensive work, taking key defensive-zone draws. It’s possible he may do the same for the Canes, taking on the fourth-line center duties that veteran Jay McClement handled the past few seasons.

Kruger did win two Stanley Cups with Chicago. At 27, he is experienced and has played in big games. That’s why the Canes traded for him Tuesday.

“You always want to do as much as you can to help the team out, and I certainly want to take a step and get better and better,” Kruger said Wednesday in a conference call. “I’ll go

there and take the opportunity that’s given. I’ll come in, be myself, help out and try to help the team be successful.

“That’s my mindset. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Canes general manager Ron Francis noted Kruger, who had five goals and 12 assists in 70 games last season in Chicago, was a point-producer as a junior player in Sweden but accepted more defensive responsibilities on the NHL level with the Blackhawks.

“He got a lot of tough assignments and handled those extremely well,” Francis said. “I think it shows the maturity of him as a person and as a player. For us, it’s the leadership ... and ability to show guys how the team is first and foremost.”


Kruger’s landing in Carolina was a bit convoluted. The scuttlebutt before the NHL expansion draft last month was that Kruger, left unprotected by the Blackhawks, either would be traded to the Vegas Golden Knights just ahead of the draft or taken in the draft by the NHL’s new team.

Instead, the Golden Knights picked Trevor van Riemsdyk, then traded the defenseman to Carolina for a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Kruger, after being paid a $2 million bonus Saturday by Chicago, was sent Sunday to Vegas in exchange for “future considerations.”

Then, the trade to Carolina.

“I didn’t expect anything and tried not to think about it too much,” Kruger said. “I knew the possibility was there. Whatever happens, happens. You never know.”

Kruger, drafted in the fifth round by Chicago in 2009, said his memories of the Cup runs in 2013 and 2015 would remain special, saying, “My first NHL game was big for me personally, but the two Stanley Cups and the road to them were unbelievable.”

Canes goalie Scott Darling and van Riemsdyk were a part of that Stanley Cup road in 2015 and were Kruger’s Chicago teammates last season. Forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Joakim Nordstrom also were members of the 2015 Blackhawks.

“You can never have enough guys in your room with playoff experience and more importantly playoff success,” Francis said.

Kruger also has a gold medal from the 2017 World Championship in Germany and France. The Canes’ Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask joined Kruger on the Swedish team that beat Canada for the gold.

“It’s obviously nice to know I’ll be familiar with some of the guys,” Kruger said. “It maybe makes the adjustment a little easier.”

Since season’s end, Francis has traded for and signed Darling to be the Canes’ No. 1 goalie. He signed free-agent forward Justin Williams, a three-time Cup winner and one of the heroes from Carolina’s 2006 Cup run. He traded for van Riemsdyk and now Kruger.

Is that it for the Canes in the offseason?

“I think we’ve made a lot of changes since the end of the season, and we’re comfortable with where we are now,” Francis said. “If anything came along that made us better, we’d look at it but I don’t have anything, per se, in the hopper.”

Canes acquire veteran F Kruger in trade with Vegas

Posted 12:22 p.m. Tuesday

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes busy offseason continued Tuesday as they acquired veteran forward Marcus Kruger from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2018 Draft.

Kruger is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. He also won gold with Sweden in the 2017 IIHF World Championship, bronze in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, silver at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, silver at the 2011 IIHF World Championship and bronze at the 2010 World Junior Championship.

“We were determined to bring in experienced players with winning pedigrees and Marcus is another addition who fits

that mold,” said Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager. “He’s a solid, two-way center who has achieved success both in the NHL and internationally.”

Kruger scored five goals and added 12 assists last season for the Blackhawks while winning 52.3 percent of his face-offs taken. He has scored 33 goals and registrered 105 points in hs 398-game NHL career. He's added 16 points in 87 career playoff games.

His 2017 IIHF World's title came while playing alongside fellow Canes, Elias Lindholm, Victor Rask and Joakim Nordstrom.


Kruger a Strong Add to Canes' Roster

Swedish center brings winning pedigree & bolsters depth

by Michael Smith @MSmithCanes / CarolinaHurricanes.com

July 5th, 2017

On the heels of an active July 1, headlined by the return of Justin Williams to Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes continued to retool their roster over the Fourth of July long weekend.

The Hurricanes on Tuesday acquired center Marcus Kruger from Vegas (via Chicago a few days prior) in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

It was a somewhat quiet and potentially underrated move for the Hurricanes, and the benefits are multifold.

For one, it introduces another player with a winning pedigree to the locker room. Kruger is a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2013, 2015), and he joins 2015 champions Scott Darling and Trevor van Riemsdyk, in addition to Williams, who has captured hockey's most prized trophy thrice.

"I don't think you can ever have enough guys in your room with playoff experience and, more importantly, playoff success," Executive Vice President and General Manager Ron Francis said on a Wednesday conference call. "We have a very young team trying to find their way. We think the guys we picked up this summer not only are very good hockey players but very good people and proven winners. We think that's invaluable in our locker room."

"Just being around the guys [in Chicago] and playing with unbelievable players - what they do every day, how they prepare, how much they want to win, preparing for what you have to do to be successful," Kruger explained. "That was something I got to understand pretty early."

Kruger's international resume is pretty impressive, as well. He captured a gold medal with Team Sweden (and teammates Elias Lindholm, Victor Rask and Joakim Nordstrom) at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. He's also medaled with the Swedish national team at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey (bronze), the 2014 Winter Olympics (silver), the 2011 IIHF World Championship (silver) and the 2010 World Junior Championship (bronze).

There is leadership inherent in a winning background, too.

"It's very new now. If you look at the lineup, it's a little bit younger than in Chicago. I'm probably one of the older guys

now, and that's a little bit different," Kruger said. "I'm just going to come in, be myself and help out in whatever way I can to help the team be successful. That's my mindset."

"For us, it's the leadership and on-ice ability to show guys what it takes to be part of a team, how the team is first and foremost the most important and how when you get everybody buying into that, you have a much better chance of being successful and winning," Francis said.

Kruger, 27, isn't going to be relied upon for consistent point production - he tallied five goals and 12 assists in 70 games in the 2016-17 season - but he remains an extremely valuable player for his defensive acumen. The Swedish center thrives as a penalty killer and, with a 52.3 percent even-strength faceoff win rate in 2016-17, is often turned to in defensive-zone draws. And, as Mark Lazerus noted, Kruger was on the ice in the final minutes of both the 2013 and 2015 Cup-deciding games; as far as defensive responsibilities go, the stage doesn't get any bigger.

"He got a lot of tough assignments and handled those extremely well," Francis said. "I think it shows some maturity of him as a person and player to be able to play in different ways and styles."

"You always want to do as much as you can to help the team out," Kruger said. "I certainly want to take a step and get better and better. I'm going to go there, do my best and take the opportunity that's given."

All for the meager price of a fifth-round draft pick, the Hurricanes solidified their depth down the middle and in the faceoff dot, added a valuable penalty killing piece to already one of the league's best units and brought in another player who understands what it takes on and off the ice to be successful.

"We like him as a player. We like him as a person," Francis said. "We like what he brings to our organization as a leader, as well."

"I got a real good feeling about everything," Kruger said. "I'm happy and excited to be a part of this organization."


Francis, Canes fill holes with busy offseason

Andrew Schnittker, Sports Editor

On April 12, just days after the Carolina Hurricanes regular season ended without a playoff berth, much like the seven seasons before it, general manager Ron Francis and head coach Bill Peters addressed the media at PNC Arena for their annual exit interviews.

Along with analyzing the past season, the third-year general manager and head coach tandem identified needs the team would need to fill externally to end the NHL’s longest postseason drought. Those needs were specific: upgrading a goaltending unit that had spent three years among the league’s worst, adding a third pairing defenseman and picking up some goal scoring and veteran leadership up front.

Three months later, the holes Francis identified in his team have been filled. Throughout the offseason, he acquired goaltender Scott Darling, defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and forwards Justin Williams, Josh Jooris and Marcus Kruger.

“When we looked at things at the end of the season, we talked about doing something with your goaltending,” Francis said at his post-free agency press conference July 1. “We think we addressed that with the addition of Scott Darling. We talked about trying to tweak our five/six d-pair. Not to say Trevor van Riemsdyk is a five/six defenseman, but he’s certainly a guy that can fit into that mix in your group. It gives us a large group that we have and we feel comfortable with in that regard.

“We thought up front we wanted to kind of tweak a little bit and get a little bit more goalscoring; we think we’ve done that. When you look at the big picture, we got Justin Williams who’s won three cups, we got Trevor van Riemsdyk who won a cup, we got Scott Darling who won a cup. We’ve added five cups (seven now with Kruger) into our locker room of young players. We talked about leadership being something we wanted to continue to work on and improve… There’s a lot of guys that have won. That’s what you’re trying to build, that sort of character in your locker room.”

Francis got his first, and arguably most important, move out of the way early. Still in April, just weeks after the regular season, Francis sent a third-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the negotiating rights to Darling, and signed him to a four-year deal worth $4.15 million per season.

The hope is that Darling, who went 18-5-0 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.38 goals-against average for the Blackhawks last season, along with the swap of goaltending coach David Marcoux for Mike Bales, will upgrade a unit that has finished in the bottom five for team save percentage in each of the last three seasons. The Canes roster was whittled down to two goalies after the trade of Eddie Lack, along with defenseman Ryan Murphy, to the Calgary

Flames. Darling will look to become a starting goalie for the first time in his NHL career, with longtime Hurricane Cam Ward as his probable backup.

“I think I’m confident because I’m excited about it,” Darling said the day after signing his contract with Carolina. “I’m going to do everything in my power to be the best starter I can be. I have a good network of goalie friends; I’m going to be picking their brains and asking for help. I’m just trying to do everything that I can do to be successful in that role.”

Next came a third-pairing defenseman. That part of the defense was not up to par for the Canes next season, with promising youngster Noah Hanifin joined by a rotating cast of Murphy, Matt Tennyson and Klas Dahlbeck. The Canes grabbed van Riemsdyk from the Vegas Golden Knights for a second-round draft pick after Vegas took him from Chicago in the expansion draft. Van Riemsdyk put up five goals, 16 points and a plus 17 in 58 games for Chicago last season, and will look to pair with a rookie, likely Haydn Fleury, to back up the team’s likely top four of Hanifin, Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce.

"I couldn't be happier," van Riemsdyk said via conference call the day of the trade. "It's a great team that's headed in a great direction, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

With the opening of free agency July 1, the Canes turned to a familiar face. They signed forward Justin Williams, a three time Stanley Cup champion (including as a member of Carolina’s own title run in 2006) to a two-year deal worth $4.5 million per season. Williams was brought in to add goal scoring and leadership to a young group that, largely, has not sniffed the postseason. He put up 24 goals and 48 points for the Washington Capitals in 80 games last season, and could even be a candidate to take over Carolina’s vacant captaincy this year.

“In this league, you need to be confident in your abilities,” Williams said. “I’m certainly confident in my abilities that I can help produce offensively. That’s no secret. That’s what I’m here to do, among other things. More importantly, being there and hopefully being a presence, helping this young, talented team take the next step.”

In addition to Williams at forward, the Canes brought in Jooris as a free agent (three goals, 10 points for the Arizona Coyotes last season), and picked up Kruger in what was essentially a three-team trade, giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 2018 fifth-round pick for him after they acquired him from Chicago for future considerations. Those additions add more depth and defensive prowess to the forward group; Kruger is considered one of the best penalty-killing centers in the league.

For the most part now, Francis has done his part. If there’s another move to be made to improve the team, he’s expressed that he will make it, but the bulk of his summer


work is done. The next part of the task falls to Peters. The Canes’ bench boss was very vocal about the need for external additions after 2016-17 and is pleased with the new players his general manager has brought in.

“We had some holes to fill this summer, and we filled them,” Peters said. “If there’s another to make that [Francis] can make that makes sense, he’ll make it, but all the moves that

we’ve made leading up to today have been very solid from my perspective, for sure.”

Coming into the 2017 offseason, the Canes had holes to fill. With the offseason wrapped up for the most part, management has filled them and in doing so given the team a strong chance to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Marcus Kruger gives Hurricanes extra Stanley Cup experience

Center, acquired in trade from Golden Knights, fourth champion added this offseason

by Adam Kimelman @NHLAdamK / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

July 5th, 2017

When forward Marcus Kruger was acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, he became the fourth Stanley Cup-winning player added this offseason.

Kruger, forward Justin Williams, defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and goalie Scott Darling have won the Stanley Cup a combined seven times. Carolina also hired Mike Bales, who won the Cup the past two seasons as goalie coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

One of the youngest NHL teams last season now has some championship pedigree, and Kruger said Wednesday he is happy to be part of it.

"I'm probably one of the older guys now, and that's different," the 27-year-old said. "… I'm going to try to come in and be myself and help out any way I can to help the team be as successful as I can. That's my mindset, and we'll see how it all plays out."

Kruger, traded to Vegas by the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2013 and 2015, along with Darling and van Riemsdyk.

Darling was acquired in a trade with the Blackhawks on April 28, and van Riemsdyk in a trade with the Golden Knights on June 22 after he was selected in the NHL Expansion Draft. Williams, a free agent who won the Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014, agreed to terms on a two-year contract Saturday after playing last season with the Washington Capitals.

"I don't think you can ever have enough guys in your room with playoff experience, and more importantly playoff success," Carolina general manager Ron Francis said.

"That's seven Stanley Cups with those four guys alone coming into our locker room. We have a very young team and they're trying to find their way. We think the guys we picked up this summer not only are very good hockey players but very good people and proven winners."

The Hurricanes' average age last season was 26.8, sixth-youngest in the NHL according to Hockey-reference.com. They'll have seven key players 23 or younger when this season begins: forwards Sebastian Aho (20), Teuvo Teravainen (23), Brock McGinn (23) and Elias Lindholm (23), and defensemen Noah Hanifin (21), Brett Pesce (23) and Jaccob Slavin (23).

Francis said he'd also like to sign 18-year-old center Martin Necas, the No. 12 pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, to an entry-level contract and give him a chance to make the team.

Kruger said he's ready to take a leadership role if needed.

"You always want to do as much as you can to help the team out," he said. "I want to take a step and get better and better. I'm going to go there and do my best and take the opportunity that's given. We'll see how it plays out, but I'm going to do my best every day."

Kruger was used mostly in a defensive role during seven seasons with the Blackhawks. His best offensive output was 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists) in 81 games in 2013-14. He had 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 70 games last season.

"Marcus has always been a guy that comes to the rink every day, and when he's on the ice or off the ice he's giving 100 percent," Francis said. "And in games, he does the same thing."


Charlotte Checkers sign Zack Stortini, Nick Schilkey, Martin Ouellette to AHL contracts

The Canes’ AHL affiliate adds a trio to next year’s roster.

by Brian LeBlanc@bdleblanc Jul 5, 2017, 3:50pm EDT

The Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday announced that three players have signed one-way AHL deals for the 2017-2018 season. Forwards Zack Stortini and Nick Schilkey and goaltender Martin Ouellette will join the Checkers for the start of their season in October.

Stortini is a veteran of 257 games with the Oilers and Predators over six seasons, and has played an additional 556 games in the American Hockey League. Best known as a tough guy, Stortini has racked up 725 penalty minutes in his NHL career to go with more than 1,700 in the AHL.

Schilkey was a non-contract invitee to the Hurricanes’ prospect development camp last week, and joins the Checkers after four years with the Big Ten’s Ohio State

Buckeyes. He finished third in the NCAA with 27 goals last season, and totaled 130 points in his Ohio State career.

Ouellette joins the Checkers from the Philadelphia Flyers organization, where he spent most of last season in the ECHL but made three regular-season appearances and four playoff starts for Lehigh Valley in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He went 5-2-0 in his seven AHL games last season.

Players with one-way AHL deals are not eligible for a callup to the NHL without signing an NHL contract. The one-way designation indicates that the player will be paid the same amount in the AHL or ECHL. Since the deals do not include provisions for the players to be added to an NHL roster, they do not count against the team’s 50-contract limit.

The release from the Checkers is below.

CHECKERS SIGN STORTINI, SCHILKEY AND OUELLETTE TO AHL CONTRACTS Trio agree to one-way deals for 2017-18 season

The Charlotte Checkers today announced that they have signed forwards Zack Stortini and Nick Schilkey and goaltender Martin Ouellette to one-way AHL contracts.

Stortini, a 31-year-old veteran of 12 full professional seasons, has scored 108 points (54g, 54a) and amassed 1,705 penalty minutes in 556 career AHL games with Toronto, Milwaukee, Iowa, Hamilton, Springfield, Oklahoma City, Norfolk, Lehigh Valley, Binghamton and San Jose. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound native of Elliot Lake, Ontario, split last season between Binghamton and San Jose, recording four points (3g, 1a) and 116 penalty minutes in 48 games.

Stortini, who has ranked among the AHL’s top 10 in penalty minutes four times, including a league-high 299 with Norfolk in 2013-14, also played 257 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators between 2006-12, recording 41 points (14g, 27a) and 725 penalty minutes in 257 games. The Oilers drafted Stortini with the 94th overall pick in the third round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Schilkey, 23, begins his first professional season after scoring 130 points (69g, 61a) in 141 games over a four-year career at the Ohio State University, including a senior season that saw him rank third in the country with 27 goals. The 5-foot-10, 173-pound native of Marysville, Michigan, who recently attended the Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect development camp as a free agent invite, previously played junior hockey with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, totaling 108 points (48g, 59a) in 118 games and capturing a Clark Cup in 2014.

Ouellette, 25, enters his fourth professional season after splitting the most recent campaign between Lehigh Valley (AHL), where he posted a 3-0-0 record, 1.06 goals-against average and .968 save percentage in four games, and Reading (ECHL), where he went 15-13-1 with a 2.82 GAA and .907 SV% in 32 outings. He also played four playoff games for Lehigh Valley, going 2-2-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .920 SV%.

For his career, Ouellette, a 6-foot-2, 194-pound native of Saint-Hippolyte, Quebec, owns a 2.30 GAA and .927 SV% in 21 AHL games, all with Lehigh Valley. In the ECHL, he boasts a 2.60 GAA and .912 SV% in 92 career games, all with Reading. The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Ouellette, a University of Maine product, in the seventh round of the 2010 draft.


Hurricanes Get Kruger from Vegas for Draft Pick

JULY 5TH, 2017 MARK SHIVER

The Carolina Hurricanes announced today they have added forward, Marcus Kruger to their roster. The trade with the Vegas Golden Knights sends a fifth-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft to the Golden Knights.

Hurricanes Executive Vice President and General Manager, Ron Francis said this past Saturday after acquiring Justin Williams that he would still be looking for potential players to add to his team. In Kruger, he has found another former Stanley Cup winner, and another former Chicago Blackhawks player with which to build.

Carolina Hurricanes

[TRADE] The #Canes have acquired forward Marcus Kruger from Vegas → Details: http://n.carhur.com/2tFSbXp #Redvolution 11:00 AM - 4 Jul 2017

Meet Marcus Kruger

Kruger is 27 years old and a native of Stockholm. Last season, he scored five goals, 12 assists for a total of 17 points. Kruger had a plus-7 rating in 70 games for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2016-17 season. While his statistics last season do not jump off the page, he has the qualities that Francis is looking for. In the team’s announcement, Francis said,

We were determined to bring in experienced players with winning pedigrees and Marcus is another addition who fits that mold. He’s a solid, two-way center who has achieved success both in the NHL and internationally.

The organization also listed Kruger’s winning history: “Kruger led all Blackhawks forwards in shorthanded time on ice per game (2:13) and was second on the team in faceoff percentage (minimum 100 face-offs), winning 52.3 percent of his even-strength draws. Following the season, Kruger joined Sweden for the 2017 IIHF World Championship, where he won the gold medal along with fellow Hurricanes Elias Lindholm, Victor Rask and Joakim Nordstrom.”

He was drafted in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Blackhawks, picked 28th in the fifth round and 149th overall. He has never put up large numbers offensively, but Gavin Lee at prohockeyrumors.com wrote today: “Kruger is a very effective checking center who has received Selke votes twice in his career, and is generally well-regarded in a shutdown role.” (The Frank J. Selke Trophy is an annual award given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game). As a player with above-average checking skills and a winner’s resume, Kruger should fit nicely into the Francis puzzle.

Lee also broke down Kruger’s salary situation, saying,

After the signing bonus was paid out, Kruger is owed just $1.45 million for the rest of the 2017-18 season despite his cap hit of $3.08 million. Next year his salary is just $2.3 million, meaning the Hurricanes will pay out a grand total of $3.75 million for two years of the checking center. Contracts like that are the lifeblood for a team that simply can’t pay up to the salary cap ceiling.

In other words, the Hurricanes are in a situation where they are more worried about hitting the salary cap floor rather than the cap ceiling. Capfriendly.com has the team’s cap hit, after Kruger, at $57.8 million, just over the cap floor of $55.4 million.

On paper, this should translate into a huge advantage when looking to sign that elusive scoring forward that some say they still need, even after adding Williams and now Kruger. However, the question with the ‘Canes has always been whether owner Peter Karmanos is willing to dole out a big salary at this point.

A Room Full of Cups

Kruger was with the Blackhawks when they won the Stanley Cup in 2013 and 2015. Along with Williams, goalie Scott Darling and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, the Cup-winning player acquisitions that Francis has made this offseason brings invaluable experience into the locker room.


Mike Sundheim With the Kruger deal done, the @NHLCanes have now added players/staff with a combined nine Stanley Cup rings this summer. #Redvolution 11:01 AM - 4 Jul 2017

Add in former Blackhawks forwards Teuvo Teräväinen and Nordström, former Pittsburgh Penguins center Jordan Staal and Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward and there is now a sense of ultimate NHL victory surrounding the team. This is no longer a team full of only “young guns,” but a team with a real history of players who have been to the top. Getting to the top again should be tremendous motivation for the guys who have won a Stanley Cup, and hopefully, they will be able to impart that desire to the younger players.

A look back at a busy NHL Free Agency weekend for the Carolina Hurricanes

By Peter Koutroumpis7/5/2017

RALEIGH, N.C. – There are varying opinions on how much the Carolina Hurricanes roster was enhanced once the National Hockey League (NHL) Free Agency signing period began last Saturday.

Though some remain cautiously optimistic, others indicated that exceptional strides were made.

In taking the next step to infuse varied experience and success levels to compliment a young, homegrown and talented roster that possesses the potential to seriously contend for a playoff spot, executive vice president and general manager Ron Francis dropped a fair amount of ink during the days that followed.

The most notable signing was announced during a break in the team’s Prospect Camp Red-White scrimmage on Saturday in front of thousands of Summerfest attendees at PNC Arena.

Former Hurricanes right winger Justin Williams, recently a free agent with the Washington Capitals and three-time Stanley Cup champion with Carolina and Los Angeles, agreed to return to Raleigh on a two-year deal that will pay him $5 million during the 2017-18 season, and $4 million during the 2018-19 season.

“We said that we needed goal scoring and veteran leadership, and Justin will bring us both,” Francis said.

“He believes in what we are doing here and is returning to Raleigh to help the Hurricanes take the next step.”

The 35-year-old Williams scored 24 goals and added 24 assists (48 points) in 80 games for the the Caps during the 2016-17 season.

He ranked tied for third in team goals and sixth in points, and was fourth in scoring during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, totaling nine points (3g, 6a) in 13 games.

Williams played 265 regular-season games with the Hurricanes from 2004-2009, and ranks 10th in the team’s North Carolina history in scoring with 201 points (81g, 120a).

He scored seven goals and added 11 assists (18 points) in 25 games for the Hurricanes during the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, as the Hurricanes captured their first championship in franchise history.

Following Williams’ signing, Carolina also announced that the team had agreed to terms with forward Josh Jooris on a one-year contract, a deal that will pay the 26-year-old $775,000 during the 2017-18 season.

“Josh is a versatile player who can play in the middle or on the wing,” Francis said.

“He’s hard-working and competitive, and gives us more flexibility with our group of forwards.”

Jooris, split the 2016-17 season between the New York Rangers and the Arizona Coyotes, totaling 12 points (4g, 8a) and 16 penalty minutes in 54 games.

He has appeared in 173 career NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Rangers and Coyotes, and has tallied 49 points (20g, 29a) and 71 penalty minutes.

The latest addition along the signing timeline following the weekend was forward Marcus Kruger coming to the Hurricanes from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Also a Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015, Kruger was acquired for his experience in winning a championship.

“We were determined to bring in experienced players with winning pedigrees and Marcus is another addition who fits that mold,” Francis noted.

“He’s a solid, two-way center who has achieved success both in the NHL and internationally.”

Kruger, 27, registered five goals, 12 assists (17 points) and a plus-7 rating in 70 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season.

He led all Blackhawks forwards in shorthanded time on ice per game (2:13) and was second on the team in faceoff percentage, winning 52.3 percent of his even-strength draws.

Additional signings supported the organization’s depth in its minor league system in Charlotte with defenseman Dennis Robertson signing for another year, while defenseman Brendan Kichton and goaltender Jeremy Smith became new members of the organization.


Robertson agreed to a one-year, two-way contract that will pay $650,000 at the NHL level or $100,000 in the AHL.

The 26-year-old blueliner totaled 16 points (6g, 10a) and 52 penalty minutes in 65 regular-season games for the Checkers last season.

He ranked tied for third among Charlotte blueliners in plus/minus (+7) during the regular season, and was tied for first among club defensemen in scoring during the Calder Cup playoffs, earning three points (1g, 2a) in five postseason contests

Kichton, 25, signed a one-year, two-way contract for $700,000 (NHL)/$235,000 (AHL) after ranking second among Manitoba Moose defensemen with 23 points (1g, 22a) in 63 AHL games in 2016-17.

He was third among all skaters in assists, and has tallied 141 points (30g, 111a) and 134 penalty minutes in 272 career AHL games with the St. John’s and the Moose.

Smith’s one-year, two-way deal will pay him $750,000 at the NHL level or $225,000 in Charlotte.

The 28-year-old netminder appeared in 10 NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17, and posted a 1-6-1 with a 3.54 goals-against average after making his NHL debut on Feb. 14.

Smith also played 17 AHL games with the San Antonio Rampage in 2016-17, and finished with a 5-8-0 record with a 2.57 goals-against average.

ADDITION OF KRUGER ANOTHER SHREWD MOVE BY UNDERRATED HURRICANES

By: Ryan Kennedy

Jul 5, 2017

GM Ron Francis has quietly had a very effective off-season, and the Hurricanes could be a dark horse to end their playoff drought next season.

Now that the Edmonton Oilers are off the schneid, the Carolina Hurricanes hold the longest current streak of seasons without a post-season in the NHL. The last time Carolina made the playoffs was in 2009, when the team traded away Justin Williams, but still went on to make the Eastern Conference final.

Williams is now back and he’s not the only addition the Hurricanes have made. The franchise just traded for Marcus Kruger, who was a Vegas Golden Knight on paper and a Chicago Blackhawk on the ice before that. Add in goaltender Scott Darling and you have a very nice summer for GM Ron Francis, who has built an underrated team in Raleigh.

Can this team get back to the playoffs in 2017-18? I believe they can. I don’t believe they can contend for the franchise’s second Stanley Cup until they find a true No. 1 center, but hey…baby steps.

What Carolina does have right now is a defense corps that could be the next Nashville. The Hurricanes have a talented, mobile group led by Justin Faulk, with Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and Noah Hanifin all still on their way up, in terms of potential. Adding Trevor van Riemsdyk brings another nice option and another former Blackhawk. Heck, the Canes are practically Chicago South at this point. Along with Kruger, TVK and Darling, the squad already had Teuvo Teravainen, Klas Dahlbeck and Joakim Nordstrom. That culture osmosis could be very good for the Hurricanes.

“It’s just being with the guys there and playing with unbelievable players,” Kruger said. “How they prepare, how much they want to win – that’s something I came to understand pretty early and something I have taken with me.”

Kruger brings two Cup rings with him, while Williams brings two that he won with Los Angeles, not to mention the first

one he got in Carolina. Darling also has a title from his Chicago days and Francis was happy with that part of his acquisitions.

“I don’t think you can ever have too many guys with playoff experience,” he said. “We have a very young team and they’re trying to find their way. The guys we picked up are good players and good people who can help out there.”

What will be most interesting about Kruger is his usage. In Chicago, he was a bottom-six center and ace penalty-killer. But when Jonathan Toews and Artem Anisimov are also playing down the middle, how high can you climb? In Carolina, it sounds like Kruger won’t be pigeon-holed.

“It’s really wide-open,” Francis said. “In Sweden, he was a point producer. In Chicago, he played a defensive role and got a lot of tough assignments. That shows his maturity.”

Carolina already had a shutdown guy in Jordan Staal, but no pivots who have yet to prove themselves top-line material. Perhaps just having a nice assembly of forwards will be enough, especially with that great mobile blueline unit getting the puck up the ice. But it is worth remembering that Carolina is not yet a primetime player.

Top-line centers are very difficult to acquire, even if the Hurricanes were willing to part with some of the blueliners in their pipeline (Jake Bean and Haydn Fleury, for example), so we can’t make any assumptions. The quick NHL adaptation of Sebastian Aho certainly helps things up front, while continued good health for Jeff Skinner is a must.

In adding Kruger, Carolina got better. Francis has made a lot of shrewd moves during his tenure and we should see the rewards soon. As soon as this upcoming season? That’s the big question.


TODAY’S LINKS http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article159716149.html

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article159774439.html http://www.wralsportsfan.com/canes-acquire-veteran-f-kruger-in-trade-with-vegas/16801327/

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/marcus-kruger-strong-addition-to-hurricanes-roster/c-290303414 http://www.technicianonline.com/sports/article_8d975334-61f9-11e7-946b-d795e465dd14.html

https://www.nhl.com/news/marcus-kruger-gives-hurricanes-stanley-cup-experience/c-290304530 https://www.canescountry.com/2017/7/5/15924664/charlotte-checkers-sign-zack-stortini-nick-schilkey-martin-ouellette-ahl-contracts-free-agency

http://thehockeywriters.com/carolina-hurricanes-marcus-kruger-for-draft-pick/ http://trianglesportsnet.com/archives/15529

http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/addition-of-kruger-another-shrewd-move-by-underrated-hurricanes

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Sportsnet.ca / Connor McDavid’s new deal comes with high expectations

Mark Spector

EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers will have Connor McDavid in their lineup for the entirety of his prime, until age 29 at least, and they’ll pay him $100 million for that right.

What a problem to have.

Amid all the online hysteria of how the Edmonton Oilers would afford both McDavid and his No. 2, the yet-to-be-signed Leon Draisaitl, the numbers on McDavid’s contract extension came in a tad lower than expected, announced on Wednesday as such:

A nice, round U.S. $100 million over the maximum eight-year term that makes for an annual average value of $12.5 million, down from a reported $13.25 million that is said to be an accurate depiction of where negotiations were on the day it was reported.

“I can assure you,” said Oilers general manage Peter Chiarelli. “It easily could have been a lot higher in value, and shorter in term.

“Connor was emphatic, as was I, about keeping the team competitive.”

As for McDavid, he will celebrate his 21st birthday this coming Jan. 13, and on July 1, 2018, begin to cash in on the richest contract (per season) in NHL history.

“It’s insane to really think about,” McDavid said. “To think that someone is going to pay me $100 million to do what I would do anyway on a regular day. It’s insane.”

Although exact terms were not made available, it’s a front-end loaded contract, with $86 million paid out in signing bonuses.

What does that mean? Well, averaged out over the term of the contract — if every year paid the same, which it does not — McDavid would receive $10.75 million every July 1, and the other $1.75 million in regular pay instalments over the course of each season.

Accompanying that largesse, of course, will be the pressure of bringing a Stanley Cup to Edmonton.

“For sure there is [pressure], but for me, it just makes me want to get better, work harder,” said McDavid, his parents on hand for the announcement. “You want to earn that money. You don’t want to be someone who signs a deal and kind of shuts it down. That’s not going to be me at all. It’s only driving me more.”

The only way to evaluate these contracts historically is as a percentage of the team’s cap space. At $12.5 million, McDavid usurps 16.7 per cent of the $75-million cap in place for the 2017-18 season. (Of course, the contract does not kick in until the start of the 2018-19 season, so if the cap goes up before July of 2018, the percentage or McDavid’s take will decrease accordingly.)

“Sidney’s second deal, a five-year deal, was [a higher] percentage of the cap,” McDavid’s agent, Jeff Jackson, said of Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Some numbers: Alex Ovechkin’s extension ate up 19 per cent of Washington’s cap when he signed it, while Crosby’s second contract was 17.3 per cent and teammate Evgeni Malkin’s was 15.3 per cent. McDavid’s deal will open at over 16 per cent and presumably fall from there, if the cap continues to rise.

“It was a very different negotiation, more about how the team was going to evolve, where Connor would fit. It was a very interesting process, probably unlike every other,” Jackson said. “It was a very logical discussion that I had with Peter, over several months.”

Now that this deal is complete, the focus turns to Draisaitl, who had 77 points to McDavid’s 100 last season. Is it as easy as saying that 77 per cent of $12.5 million is $9.625 million?

“There have been two other players (Crosby and Wayne Gretzky) who have done what Connor has done at his age,” said Chiarelli, referring to McDavid’s recent haul at the NHL Awards. “He’s a unique player, but he also cares about his teammates, and he expressed that very directly. He wants us to ice a wining team, as we all do.”

Chiarelli will argue that McDavid took less than he could have, which is indisputable, and Draisaitl should do likewise. Mike Liut, Draisaitl’s agent, will argue that his player deserves three-quarters of McDavid’s pay, and so it will go until a number gets agreed upon.

For the Oilers, however, locking up the next greatest player in the game for the next nine seasons means that other players — like Draisiatl — might just take a little less to be an Oiler.

They’ve come a long, long way since Edmonton was a fixture on every player’s no-trade list.

“People should want to come play here,” McDavid said. “We showed last year what we’re capable of, and we’re only going to get better.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.06.2017

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Sportsnet.ca / Big payday in Alex Galchenyuk’s future if he can take next step

Eric Engels

MONTREAL — Opportunity’s knocking, and Alex Galchenyuk must seize it.

The prolific forward put pen to paper on a three-year, $14.7-million contract Wednesday to remain with the Montreal Canadiens and the big payoff is around the corner if he makes good on the promise he’s already shown in his five years as an NHLer.

Not that there haven’t been some bumps in the road since he was drafted third overall in 2012.

While he’s produced 89 goals and 204 points in 336 games, injuries and inconsistency have marked his early career in Montreal. Had it been smooth sailing all along, we might be talking about a long-term extension worth several millions more. Instead, after months of speculation he could be traded, the Canadiens locked the 23-year-old to a cap-friendly deal that buys up a year of his eligibility for unrestricted free agency.


Alex Galchenyuk does not have an nmc/ntc…

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 5, 2017

The team’s brass had held high hopes he could develop into the big centre that had been missing from their depth chart for the better part of the past two decades, but he finished the 2016-17 season as a winger and appears destined to continue as one after general manager Marc Bergevin and head coach Claude Julien designated him to the position at their end-of-season press conference.

Though it remains as a possibility that Galchenyuk could find his way back to the middle over the course of his new contract — it would greatly benefit the Canadiens if he could — it would be hard to consider it a probability at this point.

“He’s aware of the improvements he needs to make to be the centreman he hopes to be,” said Bergevin on April 24. “But for now, the best place for him is on the wing.

“This season really opened his eyes.”

It wasn’t an easy one.

Galchenyuk had produced 30 goals and 56 points as part of a breakout campaign in 2015-16. It was widely believed he’d establish himself among the league’s elite scorers in the final year of a bridge contract that averaged out to $2.8 million in each of the last two seasons. But after notching 23 points in his first 25 games as the team’s top centre, a knee injury took him out of the lineup for 21 games and set him back considerably. He managed just six goals and 11 assists in his last 31 games, finishing off the season with 17 goals and 44 points, before adding just three assists in Montreal’s six-game loss to the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“We’re hoping he took a step back to take two steps forward next year,” said Bergevin this spring.

Galchenyuk has to be on that wavelength too — if he wants to cash in the way some of his peers already have.

Players who have scored at a similar pace — Colorado’s Matt Duchene, Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau and San Jose’s Logan Couture — signed for at least five years at average annual salaries north of $5.8 million coming out of bridge deals with their respective teams. You have to think that had Galchenyuk been confident he could lock down a similar deal, he’d have filed for arbitration and settled in for a tough negotiation with Bergevin.

“We’re happy and Marc’s happy,” Galchenyuk’s agent Pat Brisson told Sportsnet Wednesday. “He’s got a good opportunity here, and we know he’ll take advantage of it.”

The ball’s in Galchenyuk’s court, and there are no illusions about what will push him over the edge.

“He’s a great young player, but at the same time it’s a hard league and you’ve got to be able to do it every night,” was how teammate Shea Weber put it on April 24. “We’ve seen glimpses of it, but I don’t think he’s tapped into how good he can be. One day he’s going to realize it, like all young guys do, and he’s going to get it.”

On a team that finished 15th in goals-for this past season, the hope has to be that Galchenyuk “gets it” now. If he does, the Canadiens will get the best end of this deal and Galchenyuk will set himself up for a flush future.


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Sportsnet.ca / Top 10 NHL UFAs of 2017: Best of the rest still available

Luke Fox

National Hockey League general managers may need to dig a little deeper, and jobless players may need to lower their asking prices, but there are still a few gems — or at least some worthy gambles and depth additions — to be unearthed from the 2017 UFA market.

As the dust clears from the frenzy of signings over the July long weekend, we examine the latest buzz surrounding the top unrestricted free agents still lingering on the market.

1. Andrei Markov

Age: 38

Position: Defence

2016-17 salary cap hit: $5.75 million

Bargaining chips: A top-pair defenceman since forever. Completed his 11th NHL season registering between 30 and 64 points.

The latest: Yes, Markov is old. But he easily ranks first among all remaining UFA defencemen in assists (30), points (36), plus/minus (+18) and time on ice (21:50). He’s old but fit.

Markov, who acts as his own agent, expressed a desire to stay in Montreal “for the rest of my life” on garbage-bag day, then came in hot with a request for a raise: two years and $12 million.

Montreal reportedly countered with a final one-year offer, and the sides have hit a standstill.

A radio report out of Montreal had Markov reaching out to the Philadelphia Flyers, but they weren’t interested in matching his price either. Flyers GM Ron Hextall refuted the report.

Teams like the player. The price? Not so much.

“He became a UFA July 1, and I made it clear that we’d like to have him back,” Habs GM Marc Bergevin said on Sunday. “But there’s [only] so much we could do.”

According to as source, Andrei Markov is looking for a 2 years contract / $12M total ($6M per season) #tvasports

— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 27, 2017

Ron Hextall said he has NOT had any discussion with Markov's agent "Don't believe everything you read" he told me. #FlyersTalk

— John Boruk (@JohnBorukCSN) July 5, 2017

2. Thomas Vanek

Age: 33

Position: Right wing


Bargaining chips: Nine-time 20-goal guy. Easily one of the most productive offensive players on the open market. Accustomed to changing teams. Can play both wings and boost your power play.

The latest: A strong showing on a bad 2016-17 Red Wings team earned Vanek a trade to Florida, where the rental put up 10 points in 20 games as a Panther.

Vanek’s scoring touch will earn him another shot in the league, and a handful of teams have kicked tires here.

No UFA remaining on the board had more assists (31) or points (48) this past season than Vanek, who averaged just 14:37 in ice time over 68 games.

The Red Wings didn’t rule out bringing him back when he was traded to Florida. The winger hopped on Buffalo radio and said he’d be open to going back there as well.

Red Wings & Thomas Vanek camp have touched base but I'm not sure how much interest Detroit has in doing a deal. About five teams involved.

— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) June 27, 2017

While Jason Pominville is back, I would not expect a similar reunion with Thomas Vanek. He and the Sabres have not talked.

— John Vogl (@BuffNewsVogl) June 30, 2017

3. Jaromir Jagr

Age: 45


2016-17 salary cap hit: $4 million

Bargaining chips: Second all-time in NHL scoring. First all-time in NHL hair.


The latest: Travelling Jagr’s most recent employer, the Florida Panthers, announced they will be embracing a youth movement up front, but there are 30 other teams out there.

Older and more fun than sin, Jagr is still putting up top-six-calibre stats in his dotage. He scored a respectable 16 goals and 30 assists this past season. Even more impressive? The guy didn’t miss a single game.

Despite his Twitter jokes to the contrary, Jagr has interest in the NHL. He can boost your power play and sell some tickets. Heading home to the Czech league (and skating in the Olympics?) remains an option. Hanging up the blades is not.

Everywhere I look,I read:all FA getting calls from10-12teams. Me0 calls.On the contrary,I'm trying to call them,and no ones picking up.

— Jaromir Jagr (@68Jagr) June 29, 2017

FA 1994- all GMs called , FA 2017- 0 calls pic.twitter.com/7uLJm95CAB


There is believed to be a fair amount of interest in Jaromir Jagr despite jokes from @68Jagr earlier this week.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 1, 2017

Radulov at 5v5 last year: 8 goals and 23 assists in 1113 minutes.

Jagr at 5v5 last year: 8 goals and 25 assists in 1129 minutes.

Too old?

— Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) July 2, 2017

4. Mike Fisher

Age: 37

Position: Centre


Bargaining chips: Captain material. A 20-goal scorer six times over. More than 1,000 regular-season and 134 post-season games of experience. Can win draws, play up and down the lineup, plus help both special teams.

The latest: The best centreman still floating on the open market (18 goals and 42 points in 2016-17) is taking time to decide if he wants to play another season or retire.

“I love playing the game, I love being around the guys,” Fisher said at the team’s dressing-room cleanout. “At the end of the day, this is a game. It’s an important part of my life, but it’s not everything. There’s other decisions and other people involved.

“For me it’s faith, family and then hockey.”

The Predators would likely welcome Fisher back on a one-year deal at a lower rate, but they signed Nick Bonino on July 1 as insurance.

#Preds GM David Poile gives update on restricted free agents and latest on Mike Fisher. pic.twitter.com/YDVXpZXSul

— 102.5 The Game (@1025TheGame) July 1, 2017

5. Cody Franson

Age: 29

Position: Defence


Bargaining chips: Is there better UFA defenceman under the age of 30? No one else is even in the ballpark.

The latest: A youngish, right-shot D-man who would improve most teams’ third pairing (and a few teams’ second pairing) is still out there.

Such was the case the last time Franson hit free agency, in the summer of 2015, before he finally inked a deal with Buffalo in early September.

The 6-foot-5 B.C. native can throw a hit and move a puck. Teams are calling. He’ll land a job.

D Cody Franson has teams calling, looking for right fit. Former Vancouver Giant.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) July 1, 2017

Can't help but think teams are missing the boat on Cody Franson: pic.twitter.com/6OnLoTMOqh

— Tracer (@OftenBlunders) July 1, 2017

6. Brian Campbell

Age on July 1, 2017: 38

Position: Defence


Bargaining chips: Stanley Cup champion. Lady Byng winner. More than 1,000 games and 500 points. Still healthy (80 games played in 2016-17) and can log minutes (18:25).

The latest: Campbell took a massive “hometown” discount last summer when he returned to Chicago on the cheap, and if the veteran is willing to play for a similar rate this season, he’ll be a bargain.

When the Blackhawks’ season ended, however, Campbell told reporters his interest is only in staying in Chicago.

If Carolina signs Brian Campbell or Johnny Oduya, the #Canes could put out a Flying V of former #Blackhawks players.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) July 4, 2017

Hi,

My name is Brian Campbell. You might've heard it's CHI or bust for me. Try offering me fair $$ and see if that holds. I can still play. pic.twitter.com/XFyLRGTnT8

— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) July 4, 2017

7. Drew Stafford

Age on July 1, 2017: 31

Position: Right wing / Left wing


Bargaining chips: Four-time 20-goal man. The best winger under the age of 32 still standing. Versatile enough to play either side, top six or bottom six.

The latest: Stafford spoke to WEEI in Boston on the eve of free agency and said “100 per cent” his first choice would be to sign on as a Bruin.

“It’s all about fit and opportunity. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t,” said Stafford, who was rented from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline.

“I could’ve come here and been a poor fit and things could have went the opposite here, but I got here, and it felt like it was a great fit. I was able to play a few different roles, but I was able to get a little bit of offense going and the goal-scoring that I know I can still produce in this league.”

One of the best bargains out there that is worth the risk/reward clearly for me is Drew Stafford at just 31 still has lots left in tank!

— Brian Lawton (@brianlawton9) July 3, 2017

Sweeney said he's kept in touch with Drew Stafford's people

— Matt Kalman (@MattKalman) July 1, 2017

8. Jussi Jokinen

Age on July 1, 2017: 34

Position: Left wing


Bargaining chips: One-time 30-goal scorer. Hit 60 points as recently as 2015-16. More than 500 career points. Can play any forward position.

The latest: Jokinen saw his shooting percentage dip to 9.3 per cent this past season and was, somewhat surprisingly, bought out by the Panthers after one down year.

He’s not worth the $4 million he was making in 2015-16, but Jokinen would be an excellent third-line addition.


Lots of ?s on Jussi Jokinen as a 3C. Pretty solid option. Will be cheaper than Bonino and Hanzal. Very good 3C. pic.twitter.com/SzyuqCuzGf

— Dave Shapiro (@BlueSeatBlogs) June 30, 2017

9. Mark Streit

Age on July 1, 2017: 39

Position: Defence


Bargaining chips: Stanley Cup champion. More than 780 games and 430 points as an NHLer. Can quarterback a power-play unit and make a sharp first pass. Skates nearly 20 minutes a night.

The latest: The veteran Swiss defenceman was mostly a healthy scratch throughout the Penguins’ Stanley Cup run and was rented at the deadline for depth purposes only.

On a weaker team at a reduced cost, Streit provides the second-best UFA option to Markov in terms of an experienced offensive defenceman. Streit possesses great vision and can help transition the puck from the back end. He’s more of a power-play specialist and second- or third-pairing guy at this point.

Well done Mark Streit, winning the Stanley-Cup 2017, The Holy Grail of #Hockey! #NHL #Penguins #Pittsburgh #Streit pic.twitter.com/xyvvtNhHgu

— Lawrence A. Sautter (@sautterlas65) June 14, 2017

10. Brian Gionta

Age on July 1, 2017: 38



Bargaining chips: Solid leader. Very durable for his age (averaged 16:36 over 82 games in 2016-17). One-time 48-goal scorer still capable of 35 points as a secondary scorer.

The latest: The Buffalo Sabres haven’t closed the door on bringing back their captain just yet, but it hardly looks good at this point — especially with the addition of veteran right wing Jason Pominville.

“I’ve always had a ton of respect for Brian,” Sabres GM Jason Botterill told reporters last week. “He was a player I got to know a little bit during my time in Rochester just with him being a Rochester native. We’ll continue to see how our roster organizes with things here, but I’m well-aware of the assets and how valuable Brian can be.

“But it’s also a situation where we’re very excited to bring Jason in from a leadership standpoint, too.”

Botterill says he has not moved on from Brian Gionta and "will continue to have discussions with him." #Sabres

— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) July 1, 2017

More unsigned notables: Jhonas Enroth, Johnny Oduya, Alex Chiasson, Dennis Wideman, Roman Polak, Jarome Iginla, Matt Cullen, Shane Doan, Brooks Laich, Francois Beauchemin, John-Michael Liles, Nikita Nesterov, Dwight King, Teddy Purcell, Brandon Pirri, P.A. Parenteau, Jiri Hudler, Viktor Stalberg, Jay McClement, Rene Bourque

Nikita Nesterov is down to two options in the NHL and also two teams in the KHL. Final decision by Saturday.

— Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) July 5, 2017


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Sportsnet.ca / Rinne says Nashville ‘will win a Cup’ in Players’ Tribune piece

Emily Sadler

They say winning the Stanley Cup is one of the hardest things in sports.

Losing the Cup? That might be even harder. Just ask Pekka Rinne.

The Nashville Predators goalie backstopped his team to its first-ever Stanley Cup Final this spring before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Carl Hagelin’s empty-net goal was the final blow.

“I didn’t cry. Not right then, anyway. At first — I don’t even know how to describe it. It was just this emptiness,” Rinne wrote in a piece in The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday. “All of a sudden, they scored. And that was just … it. Suddenly, you moved around, and it felt super heavy. And your body felt heavy. And you felt so tired. You couldn’t cry, not even if you wanted to.

“We lost. It was over. There was nothing there.”

Pekka just hitting us right in the feels. A must read. #Preds #Smashville https://t.co/HxaAHJ3rri

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) July 5, 2017

The tears did eventually come, however. And now, the words.

“Now it’s a couple of weeks later, and I’ve been able to distance myself a little from that feeling — and from this season. I’ve been able to get a little more perspective on it all. And the first thing that came to mind was that I wanted to write this letter to our fans,” Rinne wrote. “Because I wanted to let them know that the amazing journey we’ve been on during these playoffs, and this season, and these last few years, and even this last decade — it’s cut both ways. It’s been our journey, but it’s been everyone’s journey. It’s been about our growth as a hockey team, but it’s been about our growth as a hockey city, just as much.

It’s been a Predators thing. But it’s been a Nashville thing.”

In the piece, Rinne reflects on his love for Nashville, and how much the city shone in the hockey world’s spotlight. He also makes a pretty big promise…

"Eventually, I guarantee it — Nashville will win a Cup.

All the great hockey towns do." https://t.co/OF1McT2ESU

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) July 5, 2017

Here are a few excerpts:

On being drafted to… Nashville?

I’ll never forget turning to my agent, when we heard it was the Predators, and giving him this … look. This look that was just, like, No clue, man. Beats me. I don’t know where that is. What do you got? You know, expecting him to fill me in. And that’s when I saw the look on his face — he’s also Finnish — which was just priceless: It was the same look I had.

He didn’t know where Nashville was either.

On playing for the fans:

As the years went by, though … and as I grew to appreciate Nashville as a hockey city more and more … one thing really began to eat at me: That the Predators, as a team — we weren’t holding up our end of the bargain. The fans were doing their part, for sure, and had turned this into a hockey city. But we weren’t doing ours — we weren’t performing like the sort of team that a hockey city deserved. We weren’t contenders.

On what P.K. Subban is really like:

What surprised me most about P.K., as I got to know him this year, was how laid back he is. I think, just from knowing him only through the media and on social media, and stuff like that … you see him as this big celebrity, almost. This super loud guy. And I think I kind of half expected him to be that same guy in person — showtime all the time. But when you meet him, he’s just a really good dude, easy to talk to, very impressive. And somehow you always leave an interaction with him with a smile on your face. He just does his thing.

And I think that’s how P.K.’s personality — and his level of play, of course — really left its mark on our team this year in a significant way. No matter what happened, on the ice or off, good or bad, all season long — it felt like we hung in there and we kept it positive. We just did our thing.

On winning a Stanley Cup in Nashville:

I just wanted to say thank you, to everyone — for letting me grow along with you as we’ve gotten to where we are now. And we’re not all the way


there yet … but it’s like my man P.K. said: Let’s get there next year. And if not next year, then the year after that, or the year after that, or the year after that.

But eventually, I guarantee it — Nashville will win a Cup.

All the great hockey towns do.


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Sportsnet.ca / Five ‘fun’ destinations for 45-year-old UFA Jaromir Jagr

Rory Boylen

Most of the biggest free agents are off the market, but any team in need of a legendary veteran presence and the most famous mullet in the world is still in luck.

We know for sure that 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr will not be returning to the Florida Panthers. Jagr himself has tweeted about the lack of interest from GMs around the league.





NHL fans, of course, are hoping someone steps up to sign the second-highest point-getter in NHL history. While the league as a whole gets faster and team building emphasizes speed more and more each season, Jagr is certainly the antithesis to that focus. But what he lacks in footspeed, he makes up for in smarts and positioning.

Watch Jagr live and you’ll see a player who zigs, zags and uses his body to create space. He’s not quick, but he knows where to be and where his linemates will be to get them the puck. He’s not going to win any Art Ross Trophies, but in Florida the numbers indicate he was a hugely positive possession contributor.

Top TOI w/ Jagr

Corsi WITH Jagr / AWAY from Jagr

Barkov: 57% / 41%

Yandle: 53.6% / 48.8%

Ekblad: 56.7% / 49.3%

Huberdeau: 55.6% / 47.1% https://t.co/9IgTbojc0U

— WheatNOil (@WheatNOil) July 5, 2017

Jaromir Jagr, at age-44, is posting a relative Corsi For of 6.6, Top 20 in the league and his 2nd best mark since we can track it (2007-08) pic.twitter.com/Qt12DlWVM8

— Hockey Reference (@hockey_ref) March 1, 2017

Jagr made $3.5 million and $4 million against the cap before bonuses in his last two contracts with Florida. He may be willing to settle for a little less, but it’ll still likely cost a couple million to sign him. Here, we look at a few destinations where it would be awfully fun and interesting for Jagr to sign.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

This is the return everyone wants to see, right? The Penguins currently have a little more than $11 million in cap space with RFAs Conor Sheary and Brian Dumoulin to sign so it’s conceivable they could afford Jagr on a one-year deal.

Jagr would be another productive veteran weapon who could slot on the wing of any line. On a team with this kind of star power, Jagr may be able to come back up into the 50-point range and maybe even approach 60 points for the third time in five seasons. The problem is that this team is flush with wingers, so they don’t really need Jagr — if they’re going to add, it’s more likely to be on defence.

But how cool would it be to see the mullet return to where it all began? He left Pittsburgh 16 years ago as a 29-year-old.

CALGARY FLAMES

Could Jagr be a fit on a line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan? He’s certainly used to playing with youngsters.

The Flames hope to get more from Sam Bennett next season and took a flyer on Curtis Lazar at the trade deadline with the hopes he can find some offence again. But for a team that’s all-in on chasing the Cup after acquiring Mike Smith and solidifying the defence with Travis Hamonic, they could maybe use someone a little more predictable. Enter Jagr. It’d be a surprise if he signs with the Flames, but if the team can get him cheap enough, they could potentially offer Jagr good minutes with top players and a chance to win that he didn’t have in Florida this past season.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

This is unlikely for a couple reasons.

1. The Capitals have just $5.5 million in cap space with backup Philipp Grubauer still to sign and still another depth forward (on top of a potential Jagr) to add, meaning he’d probably get the smallest pay day here.

2. Jagr’s first go with Washington from 2001-04 was rocky, after the team traded for the defending Art Ross winner and signed him to a seven-year, $77-million deal. The expectations were set extremely high and Jagr didn’t live up to them despite leading the team in scoring in both of his two full seasons and averaging better than a point per game.

Still, it would be cool to see Jagr return and perhaps get some of these fans back on his side late in his career. If he helped the Caps finally get past the Pens in the playoffs, he’d be a fan-favourite instantly.

His contract may call for an apology from Alex Ovechkin, though.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Remember, this list is about the most “fun” destinations, and Jagr in Sin City would surely be that.

Vegas is all about the future and doesn’t look competitive in the West at all right now, but Jagr would be a big, marketable name to draw attention to the team and bring a little offence, which will be lacking. And assuming they could get him without a no-trade clause, or at least a limited one, the Golden Knights could move him at the trade deadline for a pick.

Jagr playing his golden years for the Golden Knights. Perfect.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

OK, so Jagr wouldn’t get a chance to win here either, but after admitting to being in a rebuild and still signing the likes of Michael Del Zotto and Sam Gagner this summer, the Canucks appear set on keeping their youth on the farm and doing their darnedest to stay out of the basement.

There would be some interesting potential lines for Jagr to join in this scenario. He could saddle up with the Sedins to form an extremely slow, cycling, old-man line, or he could play alongside Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson on a second line. Heck, put him on the third line and have Jagr/Gagner that far down the lineup and for use on the power play.


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Sportsnet.ca / Igor Larionov on what went wrong with Yakupov in Edmonton

Emily Sadler

Nail Yakupov is in need of a fresh start, and the Avalanche are hoping he can find it in Colorado.

The club signed the UFA winger to a one-year deal worth $850,000 on Tuesday, with general manager Joe Sakic calling the 23-year-old a “skilled winger who will add depth to our lineup.”

Yakupov deal with COL is for $875K. Avalanche giving chances to some forwards.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 4, 2017

Yakupov didn’t live up to the lofty expectations that come with being the No. 1-overall pick — especially in a hockey-crazed Canadian market like Edmonton.


Player agent and retired NHLer and Hall of Famer Igor Larionov believes coaching — particularly the number of coaches Yakupov’s had — has contributed to his client’s inability to translate his potential into NHL success.

Yakupov’s career in Edmonton began with Ralph Krueger behind the bench.

“Ralph knew right away, he told me right away, he said ‘I like his speed, I like his hunger, I like his nose for the goal,'” Larionov explained during an interview on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.

“He knew what to expect. He knows how to find the key to the player,” Larionov said of Krueger, who focused Yakupov’s play around even-strength and power-play ice time while keeping the youngster out of late-game situations. “So that was kind of the message sent to Nail, and he was fine with that.”

The Jeff Blair Show

Igor Larionov believes Yakupov wasn't managed correctly in Edmonton

Originally aired July 05 2017

That approach, Larionov explained, resulted in a respectable 2012-13 season: 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points in a lockout-shortened rookie campaign.

Krueger — and the patient approach he brought — lasted just one season, as he was replaced by Dallas Eakins in June 2013. Eakins would hold the position for a season and a half, with Todd Nelson stepping in temporarily before Todd McLellan took over in May 2015.

Yakupov, of course, struggled to find his game throughout the remainder of his time in Edmonton, tallying a total of 50 goals and 111 points in 252 games played while wearing an Oilers sweater.

“I don’t want to blame anybody [that came] after Ralph, but I guess sometimes the player [can get] confused,” Larionov said. “Nail was making some mistakes, some turnovers, it’s normal. Everybody makes mistakes, especially young players. Krueger had patience and was kind of learning through the process of every game.”

Larionov believes it all boils down to confidence, which is something Yakupov continued to struggle with after being traded to St. Louis in October 2016.

The trade out of Edmonton brought some relief from the spotlight, but a dip in playing time and points. He finished the season with just three goals and six assists in 40 games in 2016-17, watching a number of games from the press box.

He was not given a qualifying offer by the Blues, and became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Nail Yakupov is a good person with a unique skill set.

Players grow and learn at different rates.

Wish him the best of luck in Colorado

— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) July 4, 2017

We have yet to see if Yakupov can turn things around with Colorado, but clean slate — and perhaps a boost in confidence — could go a long way in this case.


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Sportsnet.ca / Analyzing what the Edmonton Oilers should have to pay RFA Leon Draisaitl

Jonathan Willis

This article has been updated and was originally published on May 11.

Leon Draisaitl‘s stunning five-point performance in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks and his team-leading 16-point performance through Edmonton’s playoff run made a compelling case for himself as the clock ran out on his entry-level contract.

Edmonton was one win away from a spot in the Western Conference Final and wouldn’t have been in that position without Draisaitl. Not only did he lead the team in scoring, but his reassignment to centre allowed

the Oilers to finally counter Ryan Getzlaf. Draisaitl should be regarded as the club’s most valuable post-season asset.

This puts the third-year player in an optimal position as he negotiates a new contract.

It seems unlikely at this point that Edmonton will attempt to sign Draisaitl to a “bridge deal”, a short-term contract some restricted free agents get between entry-level salary restrictions and the big money of unrestricted free agency. Instead, the Oilers will probably opt for a longer-term contract.

For most young stars, the cap hit on this kind of deal is relatively easy to project, as it correlates closely to their scoring in the previous year. This is quickly illustrated by a look at forwards with platform years similar to Draisaitl’s 2016-17 season who signed extensions for five or more years:

With a few exceptions, there’s a clear linear relationship between regular season points-per-game and annual salary. Patrice Bergeron signed his post-entry-level deal early in the cap era, and so was underpaid relative to current stars. Jordan Eberle took longer to reach the NHL and was thus older than most of the players listed here, reducing his potential upside. Nicklas Backstrom got a 10-year term on his deal, back before the league negotiated an eight-year term limit during the 2012 lockout.

Backstrom deserves notice for an additional reason, however. He was the linemate of Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin during his entry-level deal, and there was a widespread perception that this partnership boosted his scoring totals. There’s little doubt this limited his ability to command maximum cap hit on his second NHL contract.

Draisaitl enjoyed a similar advantage this season, spending the majority of his time benefitting from the talents of generational centre Connor McDavid, his linemate at even-strength and collaborator on Edmonton’s first-unit power play.

If we set confounding factors aside for a moment, however, and look solely at that relationship between platform season and points-per-game, we find that Draisaitl’s 0.94 points-per-game this season generally corresponds with a cap hit of between $6 million and $6.5 million per season on a long-term extension.

However, that relationship fails to take into account escalation in pay as the salary cap rises. Two more recent signings provide helpful context.

Aleksander Barkov signed a six-year contract with the Florida Panthers midway through the 2015-16 season. Barkov, like Draisaitl, is a 6-foot-3 left-shooting centre. He had 30 points in 38 games (0.79 points-per-game) at the time of his contract extension, well behind Draisaitl’s numbers this year. Nevertheless, his new deal came with an average cap hit of $5.9 million, just outside the historic range for a player of Draisaitl’s caliber.

Johnny Gaudreau also signed a six-year deal in 2016, extending with the Calgary Flames in October. He had scored 78 points in 79 games (0.99 points-per-game) and was rewarded with a $6.75 million annual payment on his new deal, which would seem to fit with the established range for Draisaitl. However, Gaudreau is a 5-foot-9 winger, and both size and position work against him in comparisons to Draisaitl.

Those two data points suggest that our initial estimate may be too low for Draisaitl. His playoff work is also excluded from that estimate, and would tend to drive the price upward.

However, two other factors should work in Edmonton’s favour as the team negotiates a new deal.

The presence of McDavid, the NHL’s regular season scoring leader, cannot be ignored. He was on the ice for nearly two-thirds of Draisaitl’s even-strength points this year and virtually all of his power play scoring. That presence undeniably helped boost Draisaitl’s offensive totals.

There’s also a contractual oddity that needs to be considered, an artifact left over from Draisaitl’s first season. As a rookie, Draisaitl played 37 NHL games. That was enough to burn the first year of his entry-level deal, but not enough to count as an accrued year towards unrestricted free agency.

In other words, even though Draisaitl has played three seasons in the league, he still has five to go before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, rather than the usual four. Theoretically, that should work to lower his contract ask, since restricted free agents earn less than unrestricted free agents.


In practice, the drag seems to be minimal. Gaudreau had the same impediment and additionally didn’t meet the experience threshold for offer sheets (Draisaitl does) and still secured favourable terms on his recent contract.

Where does that leave Draisaitl and the Oilers? Anze Kopitar’s seven-year, $6.8 million AAV second contract looks like a reasonable benchmark. Kopitar’s size, position and point totals all match well. The cap was lower then, and the Kings were a worse team, years away from their future playoff success. However, Kopitar had a better multi-year track record and crucially didn’t have McDavid for a linemate.

Combine that sort of total with a new deal for McDavid, whose own entry-level contract expires in the summer of 2018 with an extension expected to be around $13.25 million AAV, and the Oilers will be adding a substantial cap commitment. If nothing else, that underscores how important it is for Edmonton to have success very soon, before McDavid’s new deal kicks in, and before financial realities force the team to make sacrifices elsewhere on the roster.


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Sportsnet.ca / Every player on KHL’s Dynamo Moscow team is now a free agent

Mike Johnston

In a bizarre story coming out of the KHL, every player on Dynamo Moscow is now a free agent.

According to various Russian reports, the team has significant debts and players haven’t been paid in several months.

The league released the following statement:

“As a result of HC Dynamo Moscow’s failure to honour its contractual obligations, no fewer than 42 players who were under contract with the club, or in receipt of a concrete offer from the club, have had their agreements with Dynamo annulled and have therefore been assigned Unrestricted Free Agent status.”

Dynamo finished fourth place overall this past season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, losing to eventual Gagarin Cup champion SKA Saint Petersburg.

Still unclear if Dynamo Moscow will get to play this season.

— Aivis Kalniņš (@A_Kalnins) July 5, 2017

Back in May, KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko announced the Metallurg Novokuznetsk team would be removed from the league for the 2017-18 season due to financial reasons.

Chernyshenko explained at the time that seven of the KHL’s 29 teams were often late when it came to paying players and that “The KHL will not stand for this.”


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Sportsnet.ca / Connor McDavid’s new deal comes with high expectations

Mark Spector

EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers will have Connor McDavid in their lineup for the entirety of his prime, until age 29 at least, and they’ll pay him $100 million for that right.

What a problem to have.

Amid all the online hysteria of how the Edmonton Oilers would afford both McDavid and his No. 2, the yet-to-be-signed Leon Draisaitl, the numbers on McDavid’s contract extension came in a tad lower than expected, announced on Wednesday as such:

A nice, round U.S. $100 million over the maximum eight-year term that makes for an annual average value of $12.5 million, down from a reported $13.25 million that is said to be an accurate depiction of where negotiations were on the day it was reported.

“I can assure you,” said Oilers general manage Peter Chiarelli. “It easily could have been a lot higher in value, and shorter in term.

“Connor was emphatic, as was I, about keeping the team competitive.”

As for McDavid, he will celebrate his 21st birthday this coming Jan. 13, and on July 1, 2018, begin to cash in on the richest contract (per season) in NHL history.

“It’s insane to really think about,” McDavid said. “To think that someone is going to pay me $100 million to do what I would do anyway on a regular day. It’s insane.”

Although exact terms were not made available, it’s a front-end loaded contract, with $86 million paid out in signing bonuses.

What does that mean? Well, averaged out over the term of the contract — if every year paid the same, which it does not — McDavid would receive $10.75 million every July 1, and the other $1.75 million in regular pay instalments over the course of each season.

Accompanying that largesse, of course, will be the pressure of bringing a Stanley Cup to Edmonton.

“For sure there is [pressure], but for me, it just makes me want to get better, work harder,” said McDavid, his parents on hand for the announcement. “You want to earn that money. You don’t want to be someone who signs a deal and kind of shuts it down. That’s not going to be me at all. It’s only driving me more.”

The only way to evaluate these contracts historically is as a percentage of the team’s cap space. At $12.5 million, McDavid usurps 16.7 per cent of the $75-million cap in place for the 2017-18 season. (Of course, the contract does not kick in until the start of the 2018-19 season, so if the cap goes up before July of 2018, the percentage or McDavid’s take will decrease accordingly.)

“Sidney’s second deal, a five-year deal, was [a higher] percentage of the cap,” McDavid’s agent, Jeff Jackson, said of Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Some numbers: Alex Ovechkin’s extension ate up 19 per cent of Washington’s cap when he signed it, while Crosby’s second contract was 17.3 per cent and teammate Evgeni Malkin’s was 15.3 per cent. McDavid’s deal will open at over 16 per cent and presumably fall from there, if the cap continues to rise.

“It was a very different negotiation, more about how the team was going to evolve, where Connor would fit. It was a very interesting process, probably unlike every other,” Jackson said. “It was a very logical discussion that I had with Peter, over several months.”

Now that this deal is complete, the focus turns to Draisaitl, who had 77 points to McDavid’s 100 last season. Is it as easy as saying that 77 per cent of $12.5 million is $9.625 million?

“There have been two other players (Crosby and Wayne Gretzky) who have done what Connor has done at his age,” said Chiarelli, referring to McDavid’s recent haul at the NHL Awards. “He’s a unique player, but he also cares about his teammates, and he expressed that very directly. He wants us to ice a wining team, as we all do.”

Chiarelli will argue that McDavid took less than he could have, which is indisputable, and Draisaitl should do likewise. Mike Liut, Draisaitl’s agent, will argue that his player deserves three-quarters of McDavid’s pay, and so it will go until a number gets agreed upon.

For the Oilers, however, locking up the next greatest player in the game for the next nine seasons means that other players — like Draisiatl — might just take a little less to be an Oiler.

They’ve come a long, long way since Edmonton was a fixture on every player’s no-trade list.

“People should want to come play here,” McDavid said. “We showed last year what we’re capable of, and we’re only going to get better.”


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Sportsnet.ca / Big payday in Alex Galchenyuk’s future if he can take next step

Eric Engels


MONTREAL — Opportunity’s knocking, and Alex Galchenyuk must seize it.

The prolific forward put pen to paper on a three-year, $14.7-million contract Wednesday to remain with the Montreal Canadiens and the big payoff is around the corner if he makes good on the promise he’s already shown in his five years as an NHLer.

Not that there haven’t been some bumps in the road since he was drafted third overall in 2012.

While he’s produced 89 goals and 204 points in 336 games, injuries and inconsistency have marked his early career in Montreal. Had it been smooth sailing all along, we might be talking about a long-term extension worth several millions more. Instead, after months of speculation he could be traded, the Canadiens locked the 23-year-old to a cap-friendly deal that buys up a year of his eligibility for unrestricted free agency.

Alex Galchenyuk does not have an nmc/ntc…

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 5, 2017

The team’s brass had held high hopes he could develop into the big centre that had been missing from their depth chart for the better part of the past two decades, but he finished the 2016-17 season as a winger and appears destined to continue as one after general manager Marc Bergevin and head coach Claude Julien designated him to the position at their end-of-season press conference.

Though it remains as a possibility that Galchenyuk could find his way back to the middle over the course of his new contract — it would greatly benefit the Canadiens if he could — it would be hard to consider it a probability at this point.

“He’s aware of the improvements he needs to make to be the centreman he hopes to be,” said Bergevin on April 24. “But for now, the best place for him is on the wing.

“This season really opened his eyes.”

It wasn’t an easy one.

Galchenyuk had produced 30 goals and 56 points as part of a breakout campaign in 2015-16. It was widely believed he’d establish himself among the league’s elite scorers in the final year of a bridge contract that averaged out to $2.8 million in each of the last two seasons. But after notching 23 points in his first 25 games as the team’s top centre, a knee injury took him out of the lineup for 21 games and set him back considerably. He managed just six goals and 11 assists in his last 31 games, finishing off the season with 17 goals and 44 points, before adding just three assists in Montreal’s six-game loss to the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“We’re hoping he took a step back to take two steps forward next year,” said Bergevin this spring.

Galchenyuk has to be on that wavelength too — if he wants to cash in the way some of his peers already have.

Players who have scored at a similar pace — Colorado’s Matt Duchene, Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau and San Jose’s Logan Couture — signed for at least five years at average annual salaries north of $5.8 million coming out of bridge deals with their respective teams. You have to think that had Galchenyuk been confident he could lock down a similar deal, he’d have filed for arbitration and settled in for a tough negotiation with Bergevin.

“We’re happy and Marc’s happy,” Galchenyuk’s agent Pat Brisson told Sportsnet Wednesday. “He’s got a good opportunity here, and we know he’ll take advantage of it.”

The ball’s in Galchenyuk’s court, and there are no illusions about what will push him over the edge.

“He’s a great young player, but at the same time it’s a hard league and you’ve got to be able to do it every night,” was how teammate Shea Weber put it on April 24. “We’ve seen glimpses of it, but I don’t think he’s tapped into how good he can be. One day he’s going to realize it, like all young guys do, and he’s going to get it.”

On a team that finished 15th in goals-for this past season, the hope has to be that Galchenyuk “gets it” now. If he does, the Canadiens will get the best end of this deal and Galchenyuk will set himself up for a flush future.


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Sportsnet.ca / Top 10 NHL UFAs of 2017: Best of the rest still available

Luke Fox

National Hockey League general managers may need to dig a little deeper, and jobless players may need to lower their asking prices, but there are still a few gems — or at least some worthy gambles and depth additions — to be unearthed from the 2017 UFA market.

As the dust clears from the frenzy of signings over the July long weekend, we examine the latest buzz surrounding the top unrestricted free agents still lingering on the market.

1. Andrei Markov

Age: 38

Position: Defence


Bargaining chips: A top-pair defenceman since forever. Completed his 11th NHL season registering between 30 and 64 points.

The latest: Yes, Markov is old. But he easily ranks first among all remaining UFA defencemen in assists (30), points (36), plus/minus (+18) and time on ice (21:50). He’s old but fit.

Markov, who acts as his own agent, expressed a desire to stay in Montreal “for the rest of my life” on garbage-bag day, then came in hot with a request for a raise: two years and $12 million.

Montreal reportedly countered with a final one-year offer, and the sides have hit a standstill.

A radio report out of Montreal had Markov reaching out to the Philadelphia Flyers, but they weren’t interested in matching his price either. Flyers GM Ron Hextall refuted the report.

Teams like the player. The price? Not so much.

“He became a UFA July 1, and I made it clear that we’d like to have him back,” Habs GM Marc Bergevin said on Sunday. “But there’s [only] so much we could do.”

According to as source, Andrei Markov is looking for a 2 years contract / $12M total ($6M per season) #tvasports

— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 27, 2017

Ron Hextall said he has NOT had any discussion with Markov's agent "Don't believe everything you read" he told me. #FlyersTalk

— John Boruk (@JohnBorukCSN) July 5, 2017

2. Thomas Vanek

Age: 33



Bargaining chips: Nine-time 20-goal guy. Easily one of the most productive offensive players on the open market. Accustomed to changing teams. Can play both wings and boost your power play.

The latest: A strong showing on a bad 2016-17 Red Wings team earned Vanek a trade to Florida, where the rental put up 10 points in 20 games as a Panther.

Vanek’s scoring touch will earn him another shot in the league, and a handful of teams have kicked tires here.

No UFA remaining on the board had more assists (31) or points (48) this past season than Vanek, who averaged just 14:37 in ice time over 68 games.

The Red Wings didn’t rule out bringing him back when he was traded to Florida. The winger hopped on Buffalo radio and said he’d be open to going back there as well.

Red Wings & Thomas Vanek camp have touched base but I'm not sure how much interest Detroit has in doing a deal. About five teams involved.

— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) June 27, 2017


While Jason Pominville is back, I would not expect a similar reunion with Thomas Vanek. He and the Sabres have not talked.

— John Vogl (@BuffNewsVogl) June 30, 2017

3. Jaromir Jagr

Age: 45



Bargaining chips: Second all-time in NHL scoring. First all-time in NHL hair.

The latest: Travelling Jagr’s most recent employer, the Florida Panthers, announced they will be embracing a youth movement up front, but there are 30 other teams out there.

Older and more fun than sin, Jagr is still putting up top-six-calibre stats in his dotage. He scored a respectable 16 goals and 30 assists this past season. Even more impressive? The guy didn’t miss a single game.

Despite his Twitter jokes to the contrary, Jagr has interest in the NHL. He can boost your power play and sell some tickets. Heading home to the Czech league (and skating in the Olympics?) remains an option. Hanging up the blades is not.





There is believed to be a fair amount of interest in Jaromir Jagr despite jokes from @68Jagr earlier this week.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 1, 2017

Radulov at 5v5 last year: 8 goals and 23 assists in 1113 minutes.

Jagr at 5v5 last year: 8 goals and 25 assists in 1129 minutes.

Too old?

— Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) July 2, 2017

4. Mike Fisher

Age: 37

Position: Centre


Bargaining chips: Captain material. A 20-goal scorer six times over. More than 1,000 regular-season and 134 post-season games of experience. Can win draws, play up and down the lineup, plus help both special teams.

The latest: The best centreman still floating on the open market (18 goals and 42 points in 2016-17) is taking time to decide if he wants to play another season or retire.

“I love playing the game, I love being around the guys,” Fisher said at the team’s dressing-room cleanout. “At the end of the day, this is a game. It’s an important part of my life, but it’s not everything. There’s other decisions and other people involved.

“For me it’s faith, family and then hockey.”

The Predators would likely welcome Fisher back on a one-year deal at a lower rate, but they signed Nick Bonino on July 1 as insurance.

#Preds GM David Poile gives update on restricted free agents and latest on Mike Fisher. pic.twitter.com/YDVXpZXSul

— 102.5 The Game (@1025TheGame) July 1, 2017

5. Cody Franson

Age: 29

Position: Defence


Bargaining chips: Is there better UFA defenceman under the age of 30? No one else is even in the ballpark.

The latest: A youngish, right-shot D-man who would improve most teams’ third pairing (and a few teams’ second pairing) is still out there.

Such was the case the last time Franson hit free agency, in the summer of 2015, before he finally inked a deal with Buffalo in early September.

The 6-foot-5 B.C. native can throw a hit and move a puck. Teams are calling. He’ll land a job.

D Cody Franson has teams calling, looking for right fit. Former Vancouver Giant.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) July 1, 2017

Can't help but think teams are missing the boat on Cody Franson: pic.twitter.com/6OnLoTMOqh

— Tracer (@OftenBlunders) July 1, 2017

6. Brian Campbell

Age on July 1, 2017: 38

Position: Defence


Bargaining chips: Stanley Cup champion. Lady Byng winner. More than 1,000 games and 500 points. Still healthy (80 games played in 2016-17) and can log minutes (18:25).

The latest: Campbell took a massive “hometown” discount last summer when he returned to Chicago on the cheap, and if the veteran is willing to play for a similar rate this season, he’ll be a bargain.

When the Blackhawks’ season ended, however, Campbell told reporters his interest is only in staying in Chicago.

If Carolina signs Brian Campbell or Johnny Oduya, the #Canes could put out a Flying V of former #Blackhawks players.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) July 4, 2017

Hi,

My name is Brian Campbell. You might've heard it's CHI or bust for me. Try offering me fair $$ and see if that holds. I can still play. pic.twitter.com/XFyLRGTnT8

— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) July 4, 2017

7. Drew Stafford

Age on July 1, 2017: 31

Position: Right wing / Left wing


Bargaining chips: Four-time 20-goal man. The best winger under the age of 32 still standing. Versatile enough to play either side, top six or bottom six.

The latest: Stafford spoke to WEEI in Boston on the eve of free agency and said “100 per cent” his first choice would be to sign on as a Bruin.

“It’s all about fit and opportunity. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t,” said Stafford, who was rented from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline.

“I could’ve come here and been a poor fit and things could have went the opposite here, but I got here, and it felt like it was a great fit. I was able to play a few different roles, but I was able to get a little bit of offense going and the goal-scoring that I know I can still produce in this league.”

One of the best bargains out there that is worth the risk/reward clearly for me is Drew Stafford at just 31 still has lots left in tank!

— Brian Lawton (@brianlawton9) July 3, 2017

Sweeney said he's kept in touch with Drew Stafford's people

— Matt Kalman (@MattKalman) July 1, 2017


8. Jussi Jokinen

Age on July 1, 2017: 34

Position: Left wing


Bargaining chips: One-time 30-goal scorer. Hit 60 points as recently as 2015-16. More than 500 career points. Can play any forward position.

The latest: Jokinen saw his shooting percentage dip to 9.3 per cent this past season and was, somewhat surprisingly, bought out by the Panthers after one down year.

He’s not worth the $4 million he was making in 2015-16, but Jokinen would be an excellent third-line addition.

Lots of ?s on Jussi Jokinen as a 3C. Pretty solid option. Will be cheaper than Bonino and Hanzal. Very good 3C. pic.twitter.com/SzyuqCuzGf

— Dave Shapiro (@BlueSeatBlogs) June 30, 2017

9. Mark Streit

Age on July 1, 2017: 39

Position: Defence


Bargaining chips: Stanley Cup champion. More than 780 games and 430 points as an NHLer. Can quarterback a power-play unit and make a sharp first pass. Skates nearly 20 minutes a night.

The latest: The veteran Swiss defenceman was mostly a healthy scratch throughout the Penguins’ Stanley Cup run and was rented at the deadline for depth purposes only.

On a weaker team at a reduced cost, Streit provides the second-best UFA option to Markov in terms of an experienced offensive defenceman. Streit possesses great vision and can help transition the puck from the back end. He’s more of a power-play specialist and second- or third-pairing guy at this point.

Well done Mark Streit, winning the Stanley-Cup 2017, The Holy Grail of #Hockey! #NHL #Penguins #Pittsburgh #Streit pic.twitter.com/xyvvtNhHgu

— Lawrence A. Sautter (@sautterlas65) June 14, 2017

10. Brian Gionta

Age on July 1, 2017: 38



Bargaining chips: Solid leader. Very durable for his age (averaged 16:36 over 82 games in 2016-17). One-time 48-goal scorer still capable of 35 points as a secondary scorer.

The latest: The Buffalo Sabres haven’t closed the door on bringing back their captain just yet, but it hardly looks good at this point — especially with the addition of veteran right wing Jason Pominville.

“I’ve always had a ton of respect for Brian,” Sabres GM Jason Botterill told reporters last week. “He was a player I got to know a little bit during my time in Rochester just with him being a Rochester native. We’ll continue to see how our roster organizes with things here, but I’m well-aware of the assets and how valuable Brian can be.

“But it’s also a situation where we’re very excited to bring Jason in from a leadership standpoint, too.”

Botterill says he has not moved on from Brian Gionta and "will continue to have discussions with him." #Sabres

— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) July 1, 2017

More unsigned notables: Jhonas Enroth, Johnny Oduya, Alex Chiasson, Dennis Wideman, Roman Polak, Jarome Iginla, Matt Cullen, Shane Doan, Brooks Laich, Francois Beauchemin, John-Michael Liles, Nikita Nesterov, Dwight King, Teddy Purcell, Brandon Pirri, P.A. Parenteau, Jiri Hudler, Viktor Stalberg, Jay McClement, Rene Bourque

Nikita Nesterov is down to two options in the NHL and also two teams in the KHL. Final decision by Saturday.

— Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) July 5, 2017


1070684 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Rinne says Nashville ‘will win a Cup’ in Players’ Tribune piece

Emily Sadler

They say winning the Stanley Cup is one of the hardest things in sports.

Losing the Cup? That might be even harder. Just ask Pekka Rinne.

The Nashville Predators goalie backstopped his team to its first-ever Stanley Cup Final this spring before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Carl Hagelin’s empty-net goal was the final blow.

“I didn’t cry. Not right then, anyway. At first — I don’t even know how to describe it. It was just this emptiness,” Rinne wrote in a piece in The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday. “All of a sudden, they scored. And that was just … it. Suddenly, you moved around, and it felt super heavy. And your body felt heavy. And you felt so tired. You couldn’t cry, not even if you wanted to.

“We lost. It was over. There was nothing there.”

Pekka just hitting us right in the feels. A must read. #Preds #Smashville https://t.co/HxaAHJ3rri

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) July 5, 2017

The tears did eventually come, however. And now, the words.

“Now it’s a couple of weeks later, and I’ve been able to distance myself a little from that feeling — and from this season. I’ve been able to get a little more perspective on it all. And the first thing that came to mind was that I wanted to write this letter to our fans,” Rinne wrote. “Because I wanted to let them know that the amazing journey we’ve been on during these playoffs, and this season, and these last few years, and even this last decade — it’s cut both ways. It’s been our journey, but it’s been everyone’s journey. It’s been about our growth as a hockey team, but it’s been about our growth as a hockey city, just as much.

It’s been a Predators thing. But it’s been a Nashville thing.”

In the piece, Rinne reflects on his love for Nashville, and how much the city shone in the hockey world’s spotlight. He also makes a pretty big promise…

"Eventually, I guarantee it — Nashville will win a Cup.

All the great hockey towns do." https://t.co/OF1McT2ESU

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) July 5, 2017

Here are a few excerpts:

On being drafted to… Nashville?

I’ll never forget turning to my agent, when we heard it was the Predators, and giving him this … look. This look that was just, like, No clue, man. Beats me. I don’t know where that is. What do you got? You know, expecting him to fill me in. And that’s when I saw the look on his face — he’s also Finnish — which was just priceless: It was the same look I had.

He didn’t know where Nashville was either.

On playing for the fans:

As the years went by, though … and as I grew to appreciate Nashville as a hockey city more and more … one thing really began to eat at me: That the Predators, as a team — we weren’t holding up our end of the bargain. The fans were doing their part, for sure, and had turned this into a hockey city. But we weren’t doing ours — we weren’t performing like the sort of team that a hockey city deserved. We weren’t contenders.

On what P.K. Subban is really like:

What surprised me most about P.K., as I got to know him this year, was how laid back he is. I think, just from knowing him only through the media


and on social media, and stuff like that … you see him as this big celebrity, almost. This super loud guy. And I think I kind of half expected him to be that same guy in person — showtime all the time. But when you meet him, he’s just a really good dude, easy to talk to, very impressive. And somehow you always leave an interaction with him with a smile on your face. He just does his thing.

And I think that’s how P.K.’s personality — and his level of play, of course — really left its mark on our team this year in a significant way. No matter what happened, on the ice or off, good or bad, all season long — it felt like we hung in there and we kept it positive. We just did our thing.

On winning a Stanley Cup in Nashville:

I just wanted to say thank you, to everyone — for letting me grow along with you as we’ve gotten to where we are now. And we’re not all the way there yet … but it’s like my man P.K. said: Let’s get there next year. And if not next year, then the year after that, or the year after that, or the year after that.

But eventually, I guarantee it — Nashville will win a Cup.

All the great hockey towns do.


1070685 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Five ‘fun’ destinations for 45-year-old UFA Jaromir Jagr

Rory Boylen

Most of the biggest free agents are off the market, but any team in need of a legendary veteran presence and the most famous mullet in the world is still in luck.

We know for sure that 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr will not be returning to the Florida Panthers. Jagr himself has tweeted about the lack of interest from GMs around the league.





NHL fans, of course, are hoping someone steps up to sign the second-highest point-getter in NHL history. While the league as a whole gets faster and team building emphasizes speed more and more each season, Jagr is certainly the antithesis to that focus. But what he lacks in footspeed, he makes up for in smarts and positioning.

Watch Jagr live and you’ll see a player who zigs, zags and uses his body to create space. He’s not quick, but he knows where to be and where his linemates will be to get them the puck. He’s not going to win any Art Ross Trophies, but in Florida the numbers indicate he was a hugely positive possession contributor.

Top TOI w/ Jagr

Corsi WITH Jagr / AWAY from Jagr

Barkov: 57% / 41%

Yandle: 53.6% / 48.8%

Ekblad: 56.7% / 49.3%

Huberdeau: 55.6% / 47.1% https://t.co/9IgTbojc0U

— WheatNOil (@WheatNOil) July 5, 2017

Jaromir Jagr, at age-44, is posting a relative Corsi For of 6.6, Top 20 in the league and his 2nd best mark since we can track it (2007-08) pic.twitter.com/Qt12DlWVM8

— Hockey Reference (@hockey_ref) March 1, 2017

Jagr made $3.5 million and $4 million against the cap before bonuses in his last two contracts with Florida. He may be willing to settle for a little less, but it’ll still likely cost a couple million to sign him. Here, we look at a few destinations where it would be awfully fun and interesting for Jagr to sign.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

This is the return everyone wants to see, right? The Penguins currently have a little more than $11 million in cap space with RFAs Conor Sheary and Brian Dumoulin to sign so it’s conceivable they could afford Jagr on a one-year deal.

Jagr would be another productive veteran weapon who could slot on the wing of any line. On a team with this kind of star power, Jagr may be able to come back up into the 50-point range and maybe even approach 60 points for the third time in five seasons. The problem is that this team is flush with wingers, so they don’t really need Jagr — if they’re going to add, it’s more likely to be on defence.

But how cool would it be to see the mullet return to where it all began? He left Pittsburgh 16 years ago as a 29-year-old.

CALGARY FLAMES

Could Jagr be a fit on a line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan? He’s certainly used to playing with youngsters.

The Flames hope to get more from Sam Bennett next season and took a flyer on Curtis Lazar at the trade deadline with the hopes he can find some offence again. But for a team that’s all-in on chasing the Cup after acquiring Mike Smith and solidifying the defence with Travis Hamonic, they could maybe use someone a little more predictable. Enter Jagr. It’d be a surprise if he signs with the Flames, but if the team can get him cheap enough, they could potentially offer Jagr good minutes with top players and a chance to win that he didn’t have in Florida this past season.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

This is unlikely for a couple reasons.

1. The Capitals have just $5.5 million in cap space with backup Philipp Grubauer still to sign and still another depth forward (on top of a potential Jagr) to add, meaning he’d probably get the smallest pay day here.

2. Jagr’s first go with Washington from 2001-04 was rocky, after the team traded for the defending Art Ross winner and signed him to a seven-year, $77-million deal. The expectations were set extremely high and Jagr didn’t live up to them despite leading the team in scoring in both of his two full seasons and averaging better than a point per game.

Still, it would be cool to see Jagr return and perhaps get some of these fans back on his side late in his career. If he helped the Caps finally get past the Pens in the playoffs, he’d be a fan-favourite instantly.

His contract may call for an apology from Alex Ovechkin, though.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Remember, this list is about the most “fun” destinations, and Jagr in Sin City would surely be that.

Vegas is all about the future and doesn’t look competitive in the West at all right now, but Jagr would be a big, marketable name to draw attention to the team and bring a little offence, which will be lacking. And assuming they could get him without a no-trade clause, or at least a limited one, the Golden Knights could move him at the trade deadline for a pick.

Jagr playing his golden years for the Golden Knights. Perfect.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

OK, so Jagr wouldn’t get a chance to win here either, but after admitting to being in a rebuild and still signing the likes of Michael Del Zotto and Sam Gagner this summer, the Canucks appear set on keeping their youth on the farm and doing their darnedest to stay out of the basement.

There would be some interesting potential lines for Jagr to join in this scenario. He could saddle up with the Sedins to form an extremely slow, cycling, old-man line, or he could play alongside Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson on a second line. Heck, put him on the third line and have Jagr/Gagner that far down the lineup and for use on the power play.


1070686 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Igor Larionov on what went wrong with Yakupov in Edmonton

Emily Sadler


Nail Yakupov is in need of a fresh start, and the Avalanche are hoping he can find it in Colorado.

The club signed the UFA winger to a one-year deal worth $850,000 on Tuesday, with general manager Joe Sakic calling the 23-year-old a “skilled winger who will add depth to our lineup.”

Yakupov deal with COL is for $875K. Avalanche giving chances to some forwards.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 4, 2017

Yakupov didn’t live up to the lofty expectations that come with being the No. 1-overall pick — especially in a hockey-crazed Canadian market like Edmonton.

Player agent and retired NHLer and Hall of Famer Igor Larionov believes coaching — particularly the number of coaches Yakupov’s had — has contributed to his client’s inability to translate his potential into NHL success.

Yakupov’s career in Edmonton began with Ralph Krueger behind the bench.

“Ralph knew right away, he told me right away, he said ‘I like his speed, I like his hunger, I like his nose for the goal,'” Larionov explained during an interview on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.

“He knew what to expect. He knows how to find the key to the player,” Larionov said of Krueger, who focused Yakupov’s play around even-strength and power-play ice time while keeping the youngster out of late-game situations. “So that was kind of the message sent to Nail, and he was fine with that.”

The Jeff Blair Show

Igor Larionov believes Yakupov wasn't managed correctly in Edmonton

Originally aired July 05 2017

That approach, Larionov explained, resulted in a respectable 2012-13 season: 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points in a lockout-shortened rookie campaign.

Krueger — and the patient approach he brought — lasted just one season, as he was replaced by Dallas Eakins in June 2013. Eakins would hold the position for a season and a half, with Todd Nelson stepping in temporarily before Todd McLellan took over in May 2015.

Yakupov, of course, struggled to find his game throughout the remainder of his time in Edmonton, tallying a total of 50 goals and 111 points in 252 games played while wearing an Oilers sweater.

“I don’t want to blame anybody [that came] after Ralph, but I guess sometimes the player [can get] confused,” Larionov said. “Nail was making some mistakes, some turnovers, it’s normal. Everybody makes mistakes, especially young players. Krueger had patience and was kind of learning through the process of every game.”

Larionov believes it all boils down to confidence, which is something Yakupov continued to struggle with after being traded to St. Louis in October 2016.

The trade out of Edmonton brought some relief from the spotlight, but a dip in playing time and points. He finished the season with just three goals and six assists in 40 games in 2016-17, watching a number of games from the press box.

He was not given a qualifying offer by the Blues, and became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Nail Yakupov is a good person with a unique skill set.

Players grow and learn at different rates.

Wish him the best of luck in Colorado

— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) July 4, 2017

We have yet to see if Yakupov can turn things around with Colorado, but clean slate — and perhaps a boost in confidence — could go a long way in this case.


1070687 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Analyzing what the Edmonton Oilers should have to pay RFA Leon Draisaitl

Jonathan Willis

This article has been updated and was originally published on May 11.

Leon Draisaitl‘s stunning five-point performance in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks and his team-leading 16-point performance through Edmonton’s playoff run made a compelling case for himself as the clock ran out on his entry-level contract.

Edmonton was one win away from a spot in the Western Conference Final and wouldn’t have been in that position without Draisaitl. Not only did he lead the team in scoring, but his reassignment to centre allowed the Oilers to finally counter Ryan Getzlaf. Draisaitl should be regarded as the club’s most valuable post-season asset.

This puts the third-year player in an optimal position as he negotiates a new contract.

It seems unlikely at this point that Edmonton will attempt to sign Draisaitl to a “bridge deal”, a short-term contract some restricted free agents get between entry-level salary restrictions and the big money of unrestricted free agency. Instead, the Oilers will probably opt for a longer-term contract.

For most young stars, the cap hit on this kind of deal is relatively easy to project, as it correlates closely to their scoring in the previous year. This is quickly illustrated by a look at forwards with platform years similar to Draisaitl’s 2016-17 season who signed extensions for five or more years:

With a few exceptions, there’s a clear linear relationship between regular season points-per-game and annual salary. Patrice Bergeron signed his post-entry-level deal early in the cap era, and so was underpaid relative to current stars. Jordan Eberle took longer to reach the NHL and was thus older than most of the players listed here, reducing his potential upside. Nicklas Backstrom got a 10-year term on his deal, back before the league negotiated an eight-year term limit during the 2012 lockout.

Backstrom deserves notice for an additional reason, however. He was the linemate of Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin during his entry-level deal, and there was a widespread perception that this partnership boosted his scoring totals. There’s little doubt this limited his ability to command maximum cap hit on his second NHL contract.

Draisaitl enjoyed a similar advantage this season, spending the majority of his time benefitting from the talents of generational centre Connor McDavid, his linemate at even-strength and collaborator on Edmonton’s first-unit power play.

If we set confounding factors aside for a moment, however, and look solely at that relationship between platform season and points-per-game, we find that Draisaitl’s 0.94 points-per-game this season generally corresponds with a cap hit of between $6 million and $6.5 million per season on a long-term extension.

However, that relationship fails to take into account escalation in pay as the salary cap rises. Two more recent signings provide helpful context.

Aleksander Barkov signed a six-year contract with the Florida Panthers midway through the 2015-16 season. Barkov, like Draisaitl, is a 6-foot-3 left-shooting centre. He had 30 points in 38 games (0.79 points-per-game) at the time of his contract extension, well behind Draisaitl’s numbers this year. Nevertheless, his new deal came with an average cap hit of $5.9 million, just outside the historic range for a player of Draisaitl’s caliber.

Johnny Gaudreau also signed a six-year deal in 2016, extending with the Calgary Flames in October. He had scored 78 points in 79 games (0.99 points-per-game) and was rewarded with a $6.75 million annual payment on his new deal, which would seem to fit with the established range for Draisaitl. However, Gaudreau is a 5-foot-9 winger, and both size and position work against him in comparisons to Draisaitl.

Those two data points suggest that our initial estimate may be too low for Draisaitl. His playoff work is also excluded from that estimate, and would tend to drive the price upward.

However, two other factors should work in Edmonton’s favour as the team negotiates a new deal.

The presence of McDavid, the NHL’s regular season scoring leader, cannot be ignored. He was on the ice for nearly two-thirds of Draisaitl’s


even-strength points this year and virtually all of his power play scoring. That presence undeniably helped boost Draisaitl’s offensive totals.

There’s also a contractual oddity that needs to be considered, an artifact left over from Draisaitl’s first season. As a rookie, Draisaitl played 37 NHL games. That was enough to burn the first year of his entry-level deal, but not enough to count as an accrued year towards unrestricted free agency.

In other words, even though Draisaitl has played three seasons in the league, he still has five to go before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, rather than the usual four. Theoretically, that should work to lower his contract ask, since restricted free agents earn less than unrestricted free agents.

In practice, the drag seems to be minimal. Gaudreau had the same impediment and additionally didn’t meet the experience threshold for offer sheets (Draisaitl does) and still secured favourable terms on his recent contract.

Where does that leave Draisaitl and the Oilers? Anze Kopitar’s seven-year, $6.8 million AAV second contract looks like a reasonable benchmark. Kopitar’s size, position and point totals all match well. The cap was lower then, and the Kings were a worse team, years away from their future playoff success. However, Kopitar had a better multi-year track record and crucially didn’t have McDavid for a linemate.

Combine that sort of total with a new deal for McDavid, whose own entry-level contract expires in the summer of 2018 with an extension expected to be around $13.25 million AAV, and the Oilers will be adding a substantial cap commitment. If nothing else, that underscores how important it is for Edmonton to have success very soon, before McDavid’s new deal kicks in, and before financial realities force the team to make sacrifices elsewhere on the roster.


1070688 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Every player on KHL’s Dynamo Moscow team is now a free agent

Mike Johnston

In a bizarre story coming out of the KHL, every player on Dynamo Moscow is now a free agent.

According to various Russian reports, the team has significant debts and players haven’t been paid in several months.

The league released the following statement:

“As a result of HC Dynamo Moscow’s failure to honour its contractual obligations, no fewer than 42 players who were under contract with the club, or in receipt of a concrete offer from the club, have had their agreements with Dynamo annulled and have therefore been assigned Unrestricted Free Agent status.”

Dynamo finished fourth place overall this past season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, losing to eventual Gagarin Cup champion SKA Saint Petersburg.

Still unclear if Dynamo Moscow will get to play this season.

— Aivis Kalniņš (@A_Kalnins) July 5, 2017

Back in May, KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko announced the Metallurg Novokuznetsk team would be removed from the league for the 2017-18 season due to financial reasons.

Chernyshenko explained at the time that seven of the KHL’s 29 teams were often late when it came to paying players and that “The KHL will not stand for this.”


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