Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips July 6-9, 2019
Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets avoid arbitration, re-sign defenseman Scott Harrington for three years PAGE 04: The Columbus Dispatch: Young goalie Elvis Merzlikins brings plenty of flair, personality
Cleveland Monsters/Prospects
NHL/Websites PAGE 07: Sportsnet.ca: Grading eight 2018 UFA signings with one year of hindsight PAGE 12: Sportsnet.ca: NHL’s Top 10 UFAs remaining: Latest rumours, reports
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Blue Jackets avoid arbitration, re-sign defenseman Scott Harrington for three years
By Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch – July 5, 2019
The Blue Jackets have solved another piece of their offseason puzzle.
The team re-signed defenseman Scott Harrington to a three-year contract extension Friday worth $4.9 million. Harrington, 26, was a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and had one year left before unrestricted free agency.
He could have filed for salary arbitration by the deadline of 5 p.m. Friday but instead reached agreement on a contract that has an average annual value of $1.63 million per year against the salary cap — keeping his rights under team control through his first two unrestricted seasons.
“Scott Harrington is a very smart, reliable defenseman who made great strides to become a regular contributor on our blue line last season,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a news release.
Harrington was one of two pending restricted free agents the Blue Jackets had on the NHL roster. Zach Werenski is now the team’s only unsigned restricted free agent at the NHL level.
Werenski’s entry-level contract had a salary-cap hit, before performance bonuses, of $925,000 per year. He might command as much as $6 million to $7 million per year on his next deal.
Harrington’s salary is not in the same ballpark as what Werenski will likely get, but he was due for a significant raise from the $700,000 he was paid last season.
After playing sparingly in his first two seasons with the Blue Jackets after being acquired in 2016 from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Harrington became a lineup regular last season. He matched his NHL career- high with two goals and set career marks in games (73), assists (15), points (17), rating (plus-6), shots (54), blocked shots (81) and hits (73).
Harrington skated primarily on the third defense pairing and averaged 13:03 per game. He was also steady in the Stanley Cup playoffs, averaging 13:36 in ice time and adding four assists in 10 games.
“I’m proud of how the season went, personally. It was an opportunity to show, ‘Here’s what I can do,’” Harrington said. “I also realized that while it was great to get into the lineup and show my stuff, I know that I’ve got a lot more to prove, and I think management knows that, too.
“Our team’s got a lot more room to grow. Yeah, it’s exciting that every year we keep making progress in the last three years, but we’re still not there yet.”
Harrington was the fourth player, and third pending restricted free agent, to sign a contract with the Blue Jackets this week. He joined defenseman Ryan Murray, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and free-agent forward Gustav Nyquist, who signed Monday.
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According to CapFriendly.com, the Blue Jackets now have $15,765,918 in cap space to fill the final two spots of a 23-man roster that has 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies signed.
Werenski would make eight NHL defensemen on the roster, and that doesn’t include Vladislav Gavrikov, a 23-year-old Russian rookie who is expected to play for the Blue Jackets.
Should Kekalainen and his hockey operations staff explore the trade market, they have valuable depth on the blue line.
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Young goalie Elvis Merzlikins brings plenty of flair, personality
By Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch – July 7, 2019
The shot is fired from the left wing, sending the puck off the goaltender’s left pad and flipping it over his left shoulder.
As it floats toward the net, end over end, Elvis Merzlikins recovers beautifully. He spots the puck, reaches back and nimbly swats it away with his catching glove — denying a sure goal and sending the action away from HC Lugano’s net in Switzerland’s top professional league.
One player is visibly enthused, even as play continues. It’s the guy who made the save, who drifts backward and bobs his head like he just threw down a monster dunk.
“I am not real goalie,” says Merzlikins, a flamboyant, supremely confident 25-year-old Latvian with a chance to replace Sergei Bobrovsky as the Blue Jackets’ top goalie. “I mean, goalies, we know they are special. They are living in their own world, and they are thinking in their own world. So, I am more the guy ... if I’m gonna make a huge save, I’m gonna pump it up myself, for sure.”
Hence, his bent knee, reverse fist pump after shootout wins, resembling a rock star finishing a killer guitar riff.
Hence, his victory dive into a netless crease, pretending to reach an imaginary football across the goal line.
Hence, his open-armed, palms-up pose to fans behind his net after making a fantastic, sprawling save to thwart a breakaway.
Are you not entertained?
‘I’m gonna dance, for sure’
Nothing will be given to Merzlikins, other than a fair chance.
His main competition to replace Bobrovsky, who joined the Florida Panthers as a free agent last week, is Joonas Korpisalo, the Jackets’ backup the past four seasons.
Korpisalo is also good-natured and is nearly identical in size (6 feet 3, 182 pounds) as Merzlikins (6-3, 183), but that’s where the similarities end.
Elvis is, well, Elvis.
Aside from being one of the world’s top goalies outside the NHL, he is unique.
He blocks more pucks than he absorbs, using outstanding athleticism, and off the ice he is gregarious and charming. He is also unapologetically eager to play in the world’s top professional circuit.
After joining the Blue Jackets to conclude last season, Merzlikins, along with his girlfriend, got a small taste of NHL life. They lived out of a hotel Downtown, exploring the area, while Merzlikins worked on adjustments to his form in 1-on-1 sessions with Blue Jackets goalie coach Manny Legace.
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He also attended games at Nationwide Arena, which is a much bigger place than he’s used to playing.
“Now that I watch the game, I’m liking the songs that are in the arena, so I’m gonna dance, for sure, on them,” Merzlikins said, when asked if he plans to temper his antics in the NHL. “I’m gonna try to steal energy. The fans, the arena, the music — and in Switzerland the fans, when they’re singing — it’s kind of a gift the fans are giving to you. That’s a free energy that you can take.”
Challenge the stars
Merzlikins’ plan is to take full advantage of it.
“I’m more the guy who is taking that energy, and I love to challenge players, especially superstars,” Merzlikins said. “That’s my job, and I love it. Of course, there (will be) times when (they beat) me, but that’s hockey.”
One of those times was a game for Latvia in the 2018 world championships, held at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark. It was a game in Pool B against the U.S., which had a roster headlined by Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.
Other U.S. stars included Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau and the Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson, but Merzlikins prepared most for Kane.
“I wanted to see how he’s playing and what are his main things, how smart he is,” Merzlikins said. “For me, the most important thing was to not get (scored on) by him. All 60 minutes, and more with overtime, (I focused) on him, looking at him. After that game, I saw that I’m ready, that I can jump over (to the NHL) and try the big hockey.”
Latvia lost in overtime, with Atkinson scoring the winner, and Merzlikins reportedly took out his anger on Latvia’s locker room. Prior to the outburst, though, he was named player of the game for making 30 saves — including some great stops against Atkinson, Gaudreau and, yes, Kane.
‘I think I’m crazy’
Merzlikins’ recollection of that game was filled with anecdotes, such as his plan to draw the U.S. into penalties by whining to the officials whenever they touched him.
It nearly worked, too.
“I think I’m crazy,” he said, “and a little bit different than other goalies, right?”
Yes, he is different — on the ice and off. You see, when talking with Merzlikins, there’s no predicting where the conversation will go, which was evident during his first interview after arriving in Columbus.
He shared that his father, who died when Elvis was 3, named him after Elvis Presley, the legendary singer and musician. He said that his girlfriend is half Swiss, half Polish and is studying for a bachelor’s degree in media management. She is also, apparently, a great cook — learning the culinary arts from her stepfather, a Swiss chef.
Merzlikins also said he met a friendly Uber driver named Robert, who became his personal chauffeur and educated the young goalie on local sports interests, especially the Jackets and Buckeyes.
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“At least I have a friend now,” Merzlikins said, laughing.
Oh, and about that first name ... in case you’re wondering, Elvis only likes a couple of Elvis’ songs. Elvis also has nothing on the original’s gyrations.
“When I was a kid, I’m honest, I tried to dance like him,” Merzlikins said, smiling. “But it’s not good.”
Are you not entertained?
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Grading eight 2018 UFA signings with one year of hindsight
By Rory Boylen, Sportsnet.ca – July 5, 2019
The wild frenzy of NHL free agency on July 1 has passed. We’ve assigned winners, losers and broken down the ramifications of these contracts against the salary cap. There are still some quality players out there on the open market, including Jake Gardiner, Ryan Dzingel, Micheal Ferland — and even Joe Thornton. Sebastian Aho was the first big-ticket RFA off the board, and he came down via an offer sheet, so maybe there are more fireworks to follow in that corner of the market.
We have our initial opinions on how these contracts will work out, but we won’t know for sure how wise any of them were until this time next year. So while analysis and opinion pour in about the 2019 UFAs, it’s also a great time to recall some of the most notable deals given out to last summer’s class and revisit how those have worked out so far.
To do this, we’re just looking at UFAs who signed from July 1 on. So Drew Doughty re-signing an eight- year deal with Los Angeles one year before he became a UFA won’t show up here, nor will Mike Green’s contract, which was signed one day before he hit the market.
With one year in the books, we look back at 2018 and grade some of the contracts given out to UFAs.
1. John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs: Seven years, $11 million AAV
A player of Tavares’ caliber so rarely hits the UFA market in their prime years, so it’ll be hard for this one to ever get a poor grade. Tavares landed in Toronto and posted career-highs in goals (47) and points (88), had the second-most ice time among all Leafs forwards (19:05 per game) and the most on the power play (2:36). His winger, Mitch Marner, is a standalone talent, but it’s no coincidence that he also had a career-best season, finishing as the team’s leading scorer with 94 points, a 25-point jump.
With Tavares and Auston Matthews, Toronto has one of the best one-two punches down the middle, the most important position to load up on in the NHL today. Tavares will turn 29 in September and only has 31 playoff games played in his 10-year career, so he should still have plenty of mileage left. RFA Matthews followed months later with an even bigger AAV on his contract extension. Speculation persists that Marner could approach a Tavares-like cap hit, and UFA winger Artemi Panarin just got more to go to the New York Rangers (and amid reports he took less to do it). Each year the cap goes up, Tavares’ contract comes with a little more value. This one will always grade well.
Signing grade: A+
2. James van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers: Five years, $7 million AAV
JVR was 29 at the time of the signing, and as the best left winger available on last summer’s market, it was an immediate win for Philadelphia that they were able to keep the term to five years instead of the maximum seven. And there are a few more layers that made this a very nice play by former GM Ron Hextall.
Consider that Evander Kane, two years younger with lower goal and point totals, re-signed with San Jose ahead of hitting UFA for the same cap hit at JVR, but for seven years. Kane also got a modified no-trade
7 clause attached to his deal, which allows him to make a list of just three teams to which he’d accept a deal. JVR has no such trade protection, so the Flyers would be able to freely move him anywhere if they choose.
Wanna feel old? Big Maple Leafs fan Jack Hughes says Jake Gardiner and James van Riemsdyk were two of his favourite players growing up. Says they were really nice to him and his brothers.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) June 3, 2019
JVR missed some time in Year 1 with the Flyers, playing in just 66 games, but he scored goals and produced points at a rate just shy of his career-bests. Kane played nine more games than JVR in Year 1 of their deals and ended up with three more goals and eight more points.
Despite the missed time, JVR was third on the Flyers in even-strength goals and tied for first in power- play markers. The Flyers should be better next season and with a new coaching staff, their PP could very well improve over its 17.1 per cent success rate (23rd in the league). JVR would be the primary beneficiary of that, and if all goes according to plan, his first 40-goal season is not out of reach.
Anders Lee was a comparable signing from the 2019 UFA class, re-upping with the Islanders for seven years with the same $7 million cap hit, and full trade protection in the first five years. JVR’s deal is a great one for Philadelphia.
Signing grade: A
3. David Perron, St. Louis Blues: Four years, $4 million AAV
Part of the St. Louis Blues’ on the fly summer change, Perron was a Day 1 UFA signing who worked out very well even despite being limited to 57 games. Following a career-best 66-point season in Vegas, Perron’s .80 points per game mark with the Blues was the second-best rate of his career. In limited action, Perron led the Blues in points and goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 time, per Natural Stat Trick. That’s great value for the seventh-highest paid forward on the Blues’ depth chart.
Perron is 31 years old and still has three years ahead of him on a great value contract. With young players rising within the Blues organization and age-related decline a decent possibility, 2018-19 could end up being Perron’s best on this contract. His $4 million price tag may never become a problem, but if the Blues do ever need to trade him for cap reasons his modified no-trade clause would only eliminate five teams from the field. It’s likely someone will always be willing to take a crack on a player with his production history, if it ever comes to that. In the meantime, he’s a sneaky strong support player producing above his pay grade.
Signing grade: A
4. Paul Stastny, Vegas Golden Knights: Three years, $6.5 million AAV
Any more term and this would be a very problematic contract — but that the Golden Knights are today over the salary cap (before putting David Clarkson’s $5.25 million on LTIR) makes you wonder if they’d do this same deal again. At the time of signing Stastny, the team didn’t have Mark Stone on the radar and hadn’t yet traded for Max Pacioretty. They needed a second-line centre to support William Karlsson’s inevitable regression from a 43-goal season on a 23.4 shooting percentage and after Tavares, Stastny was the best available centre free agent.
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There’s a defensive element to Stastny’s game that is one of his more valuable components, but for the offence to shine through he needs finishing wingers because he’s a playmaker first and foremost. For the first half of the season, it was very hard to get a read on Stastny in Vegas because he was injured for most of it, but did post nine points in his first 12 games.
Stastny didn’t play more than three games in a row with new linemate Pacioretty until January and things really took off after Stone was acquired and added to that line. In Stastny’s last 17 games of the regular season, he finished with 17 points and then put up eight points in seven playoff games. Given his time missed to injury and how long it took for his full line to come together, we won’t really have a full picture of how well Stastny worked out until we see more of this trio in 2019-20. But in 50 games played, Stastny led all Golden Knights forwards in primary assists and points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, per Natural Stat Trick.
For someone who was brought in on a short, three-year deal to bolster an offence that was expecting its first line to experience some degree of an offensive slow down (which did end up happening), it’s hard to argue Stastny didn’t work out. His cap hit was partly responsible for the Golden Knights having to deal away the likes of Erik Haula and Colin Miller in a cap crunch this off-season, but that can be an acceptable cost for loading the top of your lineup.
Signing grade: B+
Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game.
5. Robin Lehner, New York Islanders: One year, $1.5 million AAV
Even behind some shoddy defences in his career, Lehner had always been a pretty decent NHL goalie. But in his last one with Buffalo, he managed just a .908 save percentage and the Sabres decided a long- term contract extension or an arbitration award would be too rich for them, so they didn’t extend RFA Lehner a qualifying offer and he became a July 1 UFA. Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders swooped in, stealing Lehner at a bargain cost, and the payoff in 2018-19 was considerable.
Behind a much better team defence put together by Barry Trotz, Lehner and teammate Thomas Greiss thrived. The two earned the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals, Lehner posted a .930 save percentage that earned him a nod as a Vezina Trophy finalist, and he led the Islanders to their second playoff series win since 1993. This was a great pickup for the Islanders that came with no risk at all — but that’s what also holds this back from being an A+ value contract.
The Islanders won big in their one year roll of the dice on Lehner, but couldn’t get him re-signed and were thrown back into the UFA goalie market in 2019. This time, they did go long-term, giving 31-year- old Semyon Varlamov four years and $20 million. For a goalie with the injury and consistency issues Varlamov has had in recent years, this one doesn’t seem like a gamble that’s going to pay off.
The oddest part of this is that Lehner left to take another one year deal with Chicago, — which already has a starter in Corey Crawford — for the same $5 million Varlamov got from New York.
In a one year look, you couldn’t have asked for anything more than what the Isles got from Lehner. But because they couldn’t keep the soon-to-be 28-year-old for any longer, and had to make a riskier bet on an older goalie with term Lamoriello loses a few points for how this one played out.
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Signing grade: B+
6. Petr Mrazek, Carolina Hurricanes: One year, $1.5 million AAV
Not that long ago Mrazek was a goalie on the rise with the possibility of becoming elite and taking over from Jimmy Howard in Detroit. But it all unravelled rather quickly and after he was moved off to the goalie graveyard in Philadelphia he became a UFA who was scooped up on the cheap by the Hurricanes.
It took the 27-year-old some time to settle in. Waiver-wire pickup Curtis McElhinney was the early success story for the Canes, but Mrazek had a pretty good December that put him back on the map. He cooled again in January, but from Feb. 1 to the end of the regular season Mrazek’s .938 save percentage stood only behind Ben Bishop and Philipp Grubauer.
Mrazek’s playoffs were a little hit and miss. Carolina got past Washington despite the fact he was below a .900 save percentage, and then an injury put McElhinney back in the net. The last two games Mrazek played were against Boston, and he allowed 10 goals against.
He did not work out as well for Carolina as Lehner did on the Island — a big reason the Canes finally pushed through is they also found a great deal of offence in the second half. Carolina was, however, able to retain Mrazek on another short term (two years) deal, with a pay increase. It wasn’t longer because there’s still some uncertainty to him, but in no way has this been a bad investment by GM Don Waddell.
Signing grade: B
The Carolina Hurricanes bring back Petr Mrazek on a 2-year deal. Mrazek combined with Curtis McElhinney for a solid 1A, 1B type situation last year but he'll be asked to take on a bigger load this season. Only time will tell if he's up to the task #TakeWarning pic.twitter.com/2T7HIGNvKh
— The Point (@ThePointHockey) July 1, 2019
7. Tyler Bozak, St. Louis Blues: Three years, $5 million AAV
I mean, it’s really difficult to dump on any moves Doug Armstrong made last summer in assembling this year’s Blues since they won the Stanley Cup. Having Bozak as their third-line centre was a help, and he contributed 13 points in 26 playoff games. But coming off the UFA market, he was making $500,000 more against the cap than Nazem Kadri was to play the same role in Toronto — and where Kadri is good enough to be a second-line centre, Bozak is best used on the third.
That’s where the issue of value comes in — should a third-liner, even a centre, make $5 million against the salary cap? St. Louis didn’t have any issues with this in 2018-19, but with six RFAs still to sign the Blues could start feeling the pinch from that even this summer. Next year Brayden Schenn and Alex Pietrangelo are UFA eligible and Vince Dunn will be an RFA. Bozak could squeeze them a bit more by then.
The Blues have only two more years committed to Bozak, so it’s not completely unmanageable. But for a player who isn’t exactly dominant defensively and only managed 38 points in 2018-19, that’s a heavy salary to dole out. Everything worked out just fine for St. Louis in 2019, but that doesn’t mean this was a steal, or even a good contract.
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Signing grade: C
Tyler Bozak calls St. Louis the “Hockey Capital of the World” during the #Blues Cup Parade yesterday pic.twitter.com/6i8S5NeWnU
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 16, 2019
8. James Neal, Calgary Flames: Five years, $5.75 million AAV
The Flames’ top line was already great and the draft weekend pickup of Elias Lindholm turned out fantastic in bolstering that trio. But they still needed a goal scorer to back them up on the second line and GM Brad Treliving bet on Neal being that guy. And, really, it wasn’t a bad idea at the time at all. This grade is admittedly coming in complete hindsight.
Neal had just scored 25 goals for the Vegas Golden Knights a season prior and in the five previous seasons before signing with the Flames, Neal’s 0.37 goals per game ranked 16th in the league among players with at least 250 games played. But in Calgary, he couldn’t get off the third line, had just four goals in the 2018 portion of the calendar and finished with only seven in 63 games. The risk with Neal, who was 30 at the time of the signing, was supposed to be a potential decline in the last year or two. No one could have foreseen the kind of collapse that came right away.
The (potentially) good news is that his horrendous five per cent shooting should come up, right? Even if he doubled that in 2018-19 it would still be beneath his career-average shooting percentage and he would have wound up with 14 goals in 63 games. Still — not great for so much money.
Neal’s contract is part of the reason why the Flames aren’t involved in the summer market in 2019, taking them out of the running for the likes of Mats Zuccarello or Gustav Nyquist. Maybe they’ll eventually be able to find a trade partner to offload the player, but it’s hard to imagine them doing so without either also giving up a solid asset or retaining some salary. If just 20 goals from Neal is considered a success now, this will never be a good value contract.
Signing grade: F
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NHL’s Top 10 UFAs remaining: Latest rumours, reports
By Luke Fox, Sportsnet.ca – July 8, 2019
One week after the madness, here we sit.
National Hockey League general managers will need to dig 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 2019’s UFA class after the July 1 frenzy.
We round up the rumours and assess the value of the free agents who are taking a more patient approach this summer (in some cases, that’s even by choice) and are still up for grabs a week after Canada Day.
1. Jake Gardiner
Age: 28
Position: Defence
2018-19 salary cap hit: $4.05 million
Gardiner, a Minnesota native, enjoyed being a Maple Leaf, and despite his defensive lapses — which can be magnified — the Leafs weren’t happy to let him walk.
The Canada Day acquisition of Tyson Barrie, however, officially brings Gardiner’s tenure in Toronto to a close. (Rumour had it, the defenceman was partly waiting to see if there was a way Kyle Dubas could make room for a return.)
That Gardiner’s back ailed him during the post-season and he considered surgery should serve as a yellow flag for pursuant teams.
Yet he’s a solid power-play quarterback, an excellent skater and passer, and a 50-point defender when healthy. He should be trying to fetch a long-term deal in the ballpark of $6 million to $7 million annually, using Tyler Myers’ deal in Vancouver as his base.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens were rumoured to be interested in Gardiner, while the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons reported Florida, L.A. and hometown Minnesota as some of the player’s preferred destinations.
I made a case for Detroit’s Steve Yzerman to inquire.
Now that Habs GM Marc Bergevin swung and missed on the Sebastian Aho offer sheet, does Gardiner become his next serious target? Or will lefty Ben Chiarot — signed last week — suffice?
The New Jersey Devils certainly have the cap and roster space to take a run here.
How much of the delay is based on Gardiner carefully selecting his next home versus clubs being wary of the puck-mover’s injured back?
For our money, he’s the best talent still unclaimed.
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2. Ryan Dzingel
Age on July 1: 27
Position: Centre / wing
2018-19 salary cap hit: $1.8 million
Dzingel has increased his production every year since breaking into the league in 2015-16 and is coming off back-to-back 20-goal, 40-point campaigns. He’s a versatile, speedy forward who can play any position up front, and he put up more points per game (0.72) in 2019-20 than anyone else still hanging around the open market.
Dzingel’s healthy-scratching by John Tortorella during the Blue Jackets’ playoff run may have harmed his standing, or at least reinforced the theory that he’s unwilling to pay a physical price for his goals, but he’s a late bloomer whose most productive days could still lie ahead.
Prior to being traded to Columbus from Ottawa at the deadline, Dzingel reportedly turned down a five- year extension offer worth in excess of $20 million.
A comparable Dzingel could use is Jordan Eberle, who inked a five-year, $27.5-million deal to remain an Islander. Eberle is a more proven commodity, but Dzingel is younger and put up significantly more goals (26 vs. 19) and points (56 vs. 37) in 2018-19.
Dzingel’s buzz was muted on July 1, and the door on a return to Columbus appears shut.
The Blackhawks and Avalanche are a couple teams that have reportedly expressed interest.
The NHL UFA market has 7 forwards left who had 30-plus points last year.
Two are under the age of 35:
Dzingel, 27, 56 pts
Ferland, 27, 40 pts
If you're the Oilers, those are the two guys that might be impactful beyond a stopgap/reclamation role.
I doubt they land either.
— Jonathan Willis (@JonathanWillis) July 8, 2019
3. Micheal Ferland
Age on July 1: 27
Position: Left wing / Right wing
2018-19 salary cap hit: $1.75 million
Age and injuries forced power forward Wayne Simmonds to settle for a one-year deal in New Jersey. Power forward Ferland, however, is seeking a deal with term and the late bloomer should be in for a significant raise after back-to-back 40-point campaigns and a career-best plus-13 rating.
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There has been some buzz that Calgary’s Brad Treliving would like to reacquire Ferland, although he would need to move some salary out via trade (James Neal? Michael Frolik? T.J. Brodie?) to do so.
Carolina has plenty of cap space and should be in the running to bring Ferland back. He was a fine fit with the Jerks.
4. Joe Thornton
Age on July 1: 40
Position: Centre
2018-19 salary cap hit: $5 million
When the ageless Jumbo Joe announced at the NHL Awards that he was keen to keep playing, GM Doug Wilson described the news as “a pleasant surprise.”
The cap-crunched Wilson let UFAs Joonas Donskoi and captain Joe Pavelski walk for more money elsewhere Monday as he made re-signing RFA Timo Meier a priority (nice deal, by the way) and now turns his sights on RFA Kevin Labanc.
“I think you know the relationship we have with Jumbo. He and I have had conversations and talk every couple days. We’ll get that resolved in due time,” Wilson said of Thornton’s inevitable extension.
“Just getting Timo done as recently as we did was where most of my focus was. We’ll start exploring whatever else we may do.”
Question: If an active Jim Rutherford can be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame, why can’t we just slide Jumbo in there already?
It’s the goats birthday today! Joe Thornton it’s always an honor to watch you play it puts a smile on my face like a kid in a candy store! 40 years young and can’t wait for the new season pic.twitter.com/jcKmH5vPBi
— Harris (@RHarris_19) July 2, 2019
5. Ben Hutton
Age on July 1: 26
Position: Defence
2018-19 salary cap hit: $2.8 million
Of all the UFAs still floating out there, none averaged more time on ice than Hutton (22:21). The left- shot defender is coming off a nice little bounce-back season after a dismal 2017-18 but was curiously not qualified by the Vancouver Canucks, and they lost a 26-year-old defenceman for nothing.
No doubt, Jordie Benn is an upgrade from Hutton as a third-pairing guy in Vancouver, so now does Montreal (Benn’s former club) take a look at Hutton? The L.A. Kings are also reportedly interested here.
We wonder if the Ottawa-area native would consider the Sens, who have plenty of cap space and could use more experienced NHLers.
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If you’re a believer in plus/minus, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture here: Hutton has been a dash-21 or worse in three of his four NHL seasons. He’s a fifth-rounder who took a step last season, and at 26 his best days should still lie ahead. Next to Gardiner, he’s the most intriguing defenceman available.
Nothing imminent on Ben Hutton front. Don't expect anything to happen today. Several teams still in pursuit to varying degrees, including MTL & LA (@DennisTFP reported earlier LA initial offer was turned down, they could circle back).
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 1, 2019
The longer Ben Hutton stays on the market, the more I suspect the #Canucks are working on a Chris Tanev trade. That would allow Jordie Benn to slide to the right and open up a spot for Hutton to return.
— Stephan Roget (@StephanRoget) July 2, 2019
6. Justin Williams
Age: 37
Position: Right wing
2018-19 salary cap hit: $4.5 million
Age ain’t nothin’ but a number. Mr. Game 7 enjoyed his most productive season (23 goals, 53 points) in seven years last winter with the Hurricanes, captaining Carolina to its best season in a decade. Teammate-turned-coach Rod Brind’Amour called Williams the club’s most important player, and not just because he invented the Storm Surge.
The three-time Stanley Cup winner will be 38 when the puck drops on 2019-20, so it’s understandable that he’s seriously weighing retirement. Incredibly, Williams has missed just three games total over his past eight seasons — that includes six deep playoff runs.
“We’ve been in contact with Justin here recently,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said Tuesday. “He hasn’t given us 100 per cent yet which way he’s going to go. I think he potentially could be leaning toward playing, but I think in the next few weeks it will shake out.”
Williams built a house in Raleigh and would prefer not to move his family again.
“I’m going to take my time and make sure I make the right one, right?” Williams said upon season’s end.
“Because if I’m all in, I’m going to be all in. If I’m not quite all there, then I have to reassess the situation. I’m not going to be good if I’m 85 per cent all in. I’ve got to be all in. That’s the only [thing] that’s fair to me, fair to the teammates, fair to everybody.”
Waddell: "I think Justin Williams could be leaning towards playing."
— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) July 2, 2019
7. Derick Brassard
Age on July 1: 31
Position: Centre
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2018-19 salary cap hit: $5 million
Brassard put up a career-best 60 points with the Rangers in 2014-15. The following season, he rang up 27 goals. Since then, he’s gradually been on a downward slide, playing with four franchises over the past two seasons and failing to stick.
Bad fits? Player in sharp decline?
Brassard is a centre who has shown in the past he can both check and score, and yet he’s nowhere near a $5-million asset anymore. Until he proves otherwise, he’s a third-liner.
Available centremen are scarce, however. This feels like a case of a player needing to lower his asking price, and we wouldn’t rule out a return to Columbus or New York, where Brassard enjoyed his most success.
Montreal has been aggressive in its hunt for centre depth. Would Bergevin give Brassard a look?
What sort of contract could Derick Brassard (and other NHL free agents still on the market) expect to receive? https://t.co/fC43ApxPL8
— Taylor Haase (@TaylorHaasePGH) July 5, 2019
8. Pat Maroon
Age on July 1: 31
Position: Left wing / Right wing
2018-19 salary cap hit: $1.75 million
Maroon took a one-year, bet-on-himself deal at this time last summer to be able to spend more time with his son, Anthony. (Hometown discounts still exist!) And he was rewarded with some quality family time and a Stanley freaking Cup.
Now, he’s right back to square one.
Not the fleetest of foot, Maroon is a big body who can crash the crease and is well-suited to playoff hockey. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are among the clubs who have expressed interest.
A return to the Blues — who have several key RFAs to sort out — cannot be completely ruled out but appears doubtful.
The Blues’ top beat writer, Jeremy Rutherford, reports that Maroon’s offers are all for one year, again.
Update on Maroon: a week into free agency, he remains unsigned. He has offers, but the belief is they’re all for one year. He’s looking for a couple years and the right fit and is willing to be patient. Several sources have said the Blues’ interest remains limited. #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 8, 2019
Edmonton looking into returning Pat Maroon to the fold. Oilers among a few teams pitching for the big LW.
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— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) July 1, 2019
Meanwhile, Maroon spent the weekend coaching his son Anthony’s roller hockey team, which won the @TORHS_2H4I in Tampa, Fla. They received a Cup and when players celebrated in the locker room, Maroon went to the concession stand, bought a few Powerades, came back and filled it up. pic.twitter.com/ThxC7iGEC3
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 8, 2019
9. Brian Boyle
Age on July 1: 34
Position: Centre / Left wing
2018-19 salary cap hit: $2.55 million
Mostly we wanted to include Boyle here because of his incredible July 1 tweet (see below), but it helps that the veteran role player is still an effective centreman who can do all the little things (kill penalties, win faceoffs, block shots, provide leadership) coaches and teammates respect.
Boyle would be a nice add for the Oilers’ culture, so it’s intriguing that Edmonton is one of the clubs reportedly on his list.
Brian Boyle is reviewing his options. Told 5 teams have serious interest in signing him. A decision could come later today, but he's not rushing things.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 2, 2019
10. Deryk Engelland
Age: 37
Position: Defence
2018-19 salary cap hit: $1.5 million
Two days prior to free agency’s opening, it appeared Engelland’s re-signing with Vegas on a one-year deal was inevitable. So, it is a bit curious that by July 8 an announcement on the veteran has yet to be made. He’s been remarkably durable in his mid-30s and, birth certificate be damned, is arguably the best right-shot defender still out there.
Yes, Engelland is getting up there in, um, experience and down there in foot speed, but on a cheap, one- year term, he can still munch a lot of blue-collar minutes (19:52) and provide the kind of hard defence that should make him worth every penny.
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