CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS July 10, 2019 - NHL.com
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CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
Hurricanes add Haula, retain Aho hoping to build off breakout season
Trade for Reimer, Forsling to boost depth in goal, on defense Erik Haula, F: The Hurricanes acquired the 28-year-old for
forward Nicolas Roy and a conditional fifth-round pick in the
by Kurt Dusterberg 2021 NHL Draft. Haula had seven points (two goals, five
After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, assists) in 15 games for Vegas before his season ended with
NHL.com is taking a look at where each team stands. Today, a knee injury Nov. 6. … James Reimer, G: Carolina traded
the Carolina Hurricanes: goalie Scott Darling and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft to
Florida for the 31-year-old, who was 13-12-5 with a 3.09
The Carolina Hurricanes have been busy in their quest to build goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 36 games
off a breakout season by retaining leading scorer Sebastian last season. … Gustav Forsling, D: The 23-year-old had nine
Aho, trading for forward Erik Haula and bringing back points (three goals, six assists) in 43 games with the
goalie Petr Mrazek. Blackhawks in 2018-19. … Brian Gibbons, F: Signed a one-
The biggest move was matching the five-year, $42.27 million year, two-way contract July 4. The 31-year-old had 19 points
offer sheet given to Aho by the Montreal Canadiens on July 1. (eight goals, 11 assists) in 64 games with the Anaheim Ducks
The 21-year-old forward, who was a restricted free agent, had and Ottawa Senators.
an NHL career-high 83 points (30 goals, 53 assists) last Key departures
season and led Carolina with 12 points (five goals, seven
assists) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to help the Hurricanes Calvin de Haan, D: The 28-year-old had 14 points (one goal,
reach the Eastern Conference Final. 13 assists) in 74 regular-season games last season. He had
surgery on his right shoulder in May and could miss the start
"He told us before and after (the offer sheet) that this was the of the season. ... Curtis McElhinney, G: He was 20-11-2 with
place he wanted to be and keep building," Hurricanes general a 2.58 GAA, .912 save percentage and two shutouts in 33
manager Don Waddell said. "The offer sheet didn't have regular-season games. ... Scott Darling, G: The remaining two
anything in it that would make [us] think twice about it." years on Darling's contract were bought out by the Panthers
Carolina also made trades that will impact its roster this after he was traded for Reimer. … Greg McKegg, F: Agreed
season. Defenseman Calvin de Haan and forward prospect to terms with the New York Rangers on July 1. He had 11
Aleksi Saarela were traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for points (six goals, five assists) in 41 regular-season games and
defenseman Gustav Forsling and goalie Anton Forsberg on scored two goals in 14 playoff games.
June 24. Three days later, the Hurricanes acquired Haula in a On the cusp
trade with the Vegas Golden Knights to likely replace
unrestricted free agent forward Micheal Ferland. They also Jake Bean, D: The 21-year-old defenseman had 44 points (13
traded a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft to the Toronto goals, 31 assists) in his first professional season with
Maple Leafs on June 22 for forward Patrick Marleau, a Charlotte of the American Hockey League. The No. 13 pick in
conditional first-round pick and a seventh-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft, Bean is expected to challenge for a roster
2020. Marleau's contract was bought out five days later. spot. ... Julien Gauthier, F: Another first-round pick (No. 21) in
2016, Gauthier had 41 points (27 goals, 14 assists) in 75
Mrazek agreed to a two-year contract July 1, one day after the games of his second season with Charlotte. The 21-year-old
Hurricanes acquired veteran goalie James Reimer in a trade could be a critical addition to Carolina's forwards. ... Alex
with the Florida Panthers to replace Curtis McElhinney, who Nedeljkovic, G: Carolina's second-round pick (No. 37) in the
signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. 2014 NHL Draft led AHL goalies in games (51), wins (34) and
Carolina hopes to re-sign captain Justin Williams for his 19th GAA (2.26) last season. The four-year AHL veteran won the
NHL season. Williams, an unrestricted free agent who had 53 Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the league's best
points (23 goals, 30 assists) last season, has not decided goalie in 2018-19.
whether to retire or continue playing. What they still need
"I think he potentially could be leaning toward playing, but in A veteran defenseman and secondary goal scoring. The
the next couple weeks it will shake out," Waddell said. "If he Hurricanes scored 243 goals in 2018-19, an 18-goal
plays, we feel he's going to play in Carolina." improvement from the previous season, but could use better
Here is what the Hurricanes look like today: depth among the bottom-six forwards.
Key arrivals Fantasy spinCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
Forward Andrei Svechnikov scored 20 goals as a rookie Warren Foegele -- Jordan Staal -- Justin Williams
despite playing mostly on the second or third line. He dealt
with an injury in the playoffs but made an impact with five Brock McGinn -- Erik Haula -- Nino Niederreiter
points (three goals, two assists) in nine games. There were Jordan Martinook -- Lucas Wallmark -- Brian Gibbons
plenty of glimpses of Svechnikov's potential, and more
frequent usage with top forwards Aho and/or Teuvo Jaccob Slavin -- Dougie Hamilton
Teravainen would go a long way. Don't let all the Brett Pesce -- Justin Faulk
improvements by other Metropolitan Division teams distract
you from Svechnikov being a glaring fantasy breakout Gustav Forsling -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
candidate. -- Pete Jensen
Petr Mrazek
Projected lineup
James Reimer
Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Teuvo Teravainen
TODAY’S LINKS
https://www.nhl.com/news/team-reset-carolina-hurricanes/c-308209614
1107338 Carolina Hurricanes My best guess is as a current top three forward on the team,
Teravainen starts out the season on a comfortable spot next to the
star he has proven chemistry with.
Forecasting the Hurricanes’ 2019-20 lineup: Version One
The season is long and full of terrors.
Second line
By Sara Civian Andrei Svechnikov-Erik Haula-Martin Necas
Jul 9, 2019 This could be a “for lack of better term” second line, meaning the
“third” line gets more minutes. It’s also sort of a best-case scenario.
The means were unorthodox to put it lightly, but the Hurricanes now It’d be wonderful if Jordan Staal could afford the luxury of focusing
have star center Sebastian Aho under contract for the next five on his bread and butter — faceoffs and being impossible to play
seasons. against — without being forced to provide second-line center
scoring. He managed it all upon his return from injury and march to
While GM Don Waddell has indicated there are a few targets he’s the playoffs, but if Haula can harness the skill that put up 29 goals
still eyeing and UFA captain Justin Williams’ future is uncertain, now on Vegas’ Stanley Cup final run in 2017-18, Staal gets to do his
we can start to build our roughest drafts of the opening night roster. thing.
We’ll revisit this once the training camp roster is finalized, and again It’s not a knock at all on Staal — there’s a reason Sidney Crosby
after camp. Can’t wait to reminisce on how wrong we were. misses him so much — but his skill set would flourish even more if
given a chance to hone in on it.
First line
And what better way for Haula to get his groove back than alongside
Nino Niederreiter-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen
two hungry, skilled kids.
Moving Teravainen to a second line where he can be the primary
The Hurricanes had said part of the reason they sent Necas down to
goal-scorer is enticing and will probably happen eventually. It was a
the AHL last season (other than being a teenager new to the North
great call near the middle-end of last season after he signed his
American game …) is that there wasn’t really a “place” for him. He
contract extension and went on a tear.
looked pretty awkward on checking lines because he needed to get
But this is an early opening night lineup projection, not playing with bigger and better adjusted to pro pace, yes, but mostly because he
creative options. isn’t meant to play in those roles.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
Necas, 20, looked ready for a shot at the Top 6 during the Calder Second defensive pair
Cup Playoffs. We’ll see what transpires at training camp, but I’ve
always thought if you’re going to give him a shot, give him a shot Brett Pesce-Justin Faulk
where he could succeed. Hate moving Pesce back to the left after he did so well going back to
Svechnikov, 19, has earned an extended stay in the Top 6 at this the right, but this is the price you pay for moving de Haan. Pesce is
point. excellent no matter what, and makes sense stabilizing offensive-
minded Faulk.
Third line
Third defensive pair
Brock McGinn-Jordan Staal-Justin Williams
Haydn Fleury-Trevor van Riemsdyk
Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said he “thinks Williams could be
Obviously, van Riemsdyk is sidelined until September-November.
leaning towards playing,” so as coded as that language is, we’re
going with it. This would be a furious checking line with the perfect That gives folks trying to prove themselves like much-improved Bean
amount of Williams’ finish, without forcing him to carry the team as and recently-acquired Forsling a chance to make waves while the
he had to for weeks at a time last season. top four finds a groove. I haven’t loved the Fleury-van Riemsdyk
pairing, but that might just be because Brind’Amour has been
That said, we all know that Brind’Amour is … charmingly(?) hesitant reluctant to roll Fleury out.
to make changes to his lineup if he isn’t fully confident in them. I
could see Williams debuting in a bigger role before newcomers earn The Hurricanes had the luxury of de Haan before, they don’t
Brind’Amour’s trust, and that’s another thing that makes Williams so anymore and it’s time for Fleury to stay in the NHL. A forced hand
dang important. might help him find consistency.
A common complaint about McGinn is that he lacks that killer Goaltenders
instinct, but not everyone on a team needs to have it. It was just Petr Mrazek, James Reimer/Alex Nedeljkovic/Anton Forsberg: It’s
frustrating because he was sometimes playing first- and second-line cheating listing three backup goalies, but who says the offseason
roles and that obviously wasn’t his fault. Third-line Brock would be goaltending saga is over? I would expect Nedeljkovic to see at least
appreciated for who he is. Shots blocked, posts wrung, fakeout 10 NHL games this season and frankly think he’s ready for more.
Wicked Tuna appearances and all. Wouldn’t necessarily want him as the only backup option come
Fourth line playoffs, just based on lack of NHL experience.
Warren Foegele-Lucas Wallmark-Jordan Martinook
Foegele is a darkhorse pick for someone who could slide up and The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2019
down the lineup if the ideal opening night lines don’t work (and do
they ever?)
1107388 Websites
Wallmark seriously impressed (on the faceoff dot, particularly) in
relief of Staal, and he only remained consistent. He’s earned a
permanent spot in the lineup, especially with Greg McKegg off to the
The Athletic / ‘Divide and conquer’: How the Hughes family plans to
Rangers.
tackle a new geographical challenge
Martinook will outperform fourth-line duties, but that’s the point of
building a Stanley Cup contender. If anyone is willing to do anything
to help out the team, it’s him. By Corey Masisak Jul 9, 2019 23
Extra forward
Saku Maenalanen will keep things interesting, and he’s someone I There was at least one good outcome for the Hughes family when
feel I’ll kick myself for not including in this lineup. He only recently the NHL released its 2019-20 schedule last month.
started playing with the edge he’s now characterized by because he
knew he had to change his goal-scoring game to crack an NHL Jack Hughes will embark on his first Western Canada road trip in
lineup. That willingness already shows you not to sleep on him, so early November, which will conclude Nov. 10 with his second NHL
maybe he’ll rotate in and earn a spot. game against older brother Quinn at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
While Jack and the Devils are making their way across Canada, the
Darkhorse extras: Julien Gauthier, Morgan Geekie youngest Hughes brother, Luke, will likely be there as well, in Alberta
representing the United States in the IIHF U-17 World Challenge.
First defensive pair
For Jim and Ellen Hughes, there could be an opportunity to see all
Jaccob Slavin-Dougie Hamilton
three sons in a short period of time without making cross-country
Hamilton didn’t have the greatest playoff showing toward the end flights. That should be a welcome respite because the next chapter
there, but he was looking as complete a defenseman as he’s ever of the family’s life in hockey is going to include a lot of those trips.
been during the second half of the Hurricanes’ regular season.
Quinn will start his first full NHL season in Vancouver, after playing
He knows he’s wanted in Carolina, especially after the Calvin de five games for the Canucks at the end of last season. Jack will start
Haan trade. He’s been in the league so long with so much his NHL career with the Devils in northern New Jersey. Luke will
speculation at just 26 years old that perceptions of him get skewed. embark on his first season with the USA National Team
This upcoming season could be his best opportunity to silence the Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan.
haters once and for all.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
“We call it divide and conquer,” Ellen said. “There is going to be a lot Switzerland. Hischier left home at 15, but he lived with relatives and
of that while they’re young still.” played with his older brother at SC Bern before spending a year with
Halifax in the QMJHL.
Given the kids’ ages, the Hughes family has plenty of experience
with trying to be in three places at once for hockey games. But “Every individual is different. Nico for example, or Jesper Bratt or
before this season, home base was relatively nearby for each son. Pavel Zacha. This will be no different,” Devils general manager Ray
For the past two seasons, Quinn was at the University of Michigan in Shero said. “It’s a family decision. With Nico in particular, it was a
Ann Arbor, Jack was at the NTDP in Plymouth and Luke was playing combination of talking to Nico, talking to his family, talking to his
for the Little Caesar’s youth hockey program in Detroit. agent. What is the best thing for them? Some kids can cook, can’t
cook. It’ll be the same thing for (Hughes).
Now, each son is going to be living in a different region of the
continent. “It’s really a great process. It’s almost like you’re sending your kid to
prep school or to college. Especially if you’re new to the New
“I think my parents will be running around a lot, but it should be Jersey/New York area. Some kids are more self-sufficient. Nico was
awesome,” Jack said. “It should be a lot of fun. It’s three great places going to live with somebody, but after spending the summer with his
to play hockey, so it should be great.” brother in Bern, he felt really comfortable. I think it’s great because a
All three boys grew up in professional hockey locker rooms and have lot of those guys live in Jersey City near each other, carpooling and
been well-educated on what lies ahead. Jim was an NHL assistant all that.”
coach for two years in Boston, then spent six years as an AHL coach There are some famous examples of young players living with
before six years in the Maple Leafs’ player development department. teammates — Sidney Crosby lived with Mario Lemieux, John
Still, it’s going to be a new experience for Quinn and Jack not to Tavares lived with Doug Weight (and his son, Danny, who played
have their parents a phone call and a short drive away. with Jack at the NTDP and will be at New Jersey’s camp this week
“You’ve got to make sure they are all set up correctly, with housing as an invitee). Shero said the Devils already had discussions with
and living and support. And they need their own space too,” Jim veteran players on the team and he had someone lined up to be a
said. “Quinn’s been at college the last two years, so he is a little landlord for Hughes or Kaapo Kakko, depending on whom they
more self-sufficient.” decided to draft and if the player wanted one.
While Quinn and Jack are battling it out in the NHL, Luke will also “That will be a family decision. We have someone lined up,” he said.
face the biggest challenge of his young career. For most 16-year- “It’s not just the kids. When we traded for Taylor Hall, the poor guy
olds, the first part of their first season at the NTDP is a shock. They didn’t even have an E-Z pass for like six months.”
go from dominating kids in their local leagues to facing the best Jack’s parents lived in northern New Jersey for two years when his
players in the country every day at practice, and then facing father coached the Rockin’ Rollers, an inline-hockey team, so they
opponents 3-4 years older than they are in USHL games. have an idea about how to get around the area. Given their other
Most of them experience adversity they haven’t seen before, and family members nearby, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some mini-
even failure. NTDP coaches will tell them about all the NHL stars family reunions at The Rock this season.
who went there and experienced the same thing. “I think it’s going to work out great,” Ellen said. “I’m actually happy to
“Our parents are going to be busy. I think they’ll want to stay with have one on East Coast time for watching games on TV.”
Luke as much as they can,” Quinn said. “He’s only 15 and he has a There are also some games the Hugheses can circle on their master
big year coming up next year at the program. I’m sure they’ll be out calendar, with three schedules on it. Beyond the Canucks-Devils
to Vancouver and in New Jersey at some point.”
games, trips by Vancouver and New Jersey to Detroit and Toronto
Even if not his parents, Jack will have an extended support system are going to be welcome “home” games for the family.
nearby. His grandfather, Marty, still lives on Long Island where his “We saw the support Quinn had from his teammates and the
father grew up. He also has relatives in the Westchester and Boston organization in Vancouver,” Jim said. “He had such a positive month
areas. and his teammates were fantastic. I think our sport just runs that
“Jack is so mature,” Ellen said. “I don’t even want to say mature … way. Guys take care of each other. They live in the same area and
he’s super-uber mature as a human being. He’s so detailed.” they carpool. That’s what they did as kids and that’s what they still
do.”
“He’s wired differently,” Jim added.
The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2019
“He’s been running his own show since he was born,” Ellen added.
“And there isn’t a GM in the league that is going to just have an 18-
year-old be off by himself. They’ll figure it out, and they’ll confide in 1107389 Websites
us and we’ll help them figure it out.”
The Canucks and Devils will each play a role in helping Quinn and
Jack transition into life in their new hometowns. New Jersey’s The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Playing “What if?” with four of the
development camp started Monday at Prudential Center, so the cap era’s biggest free agency decisions
Devils will have a week with their precocious star. The camp is as
much about assimilating prospects into the franchise’s culture and
creating relationships with coaches and staff members as it is the By Sean McIndoe Jul 9, 2019 101
drills and scrimmages happening on the ice.
Every team has a plan for how to handle the young players who are
living on their own for the first time. The Devils just went through this We’re over a week into the free agency period, which means most of
with a No. 1 pick two years ago when Nico Hischier arrived from the big decisions have already been made. And we’ve seen plenty.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
The Canadiens chose to try an offer sheet on Sebastian Aho, and At the time, it had seemed like a tough call. In hindsight, it couldn’t
the Hurricanes chose to match. Artemi Panarin chose the Rangers have been more lopsided. And the Senators chose wrong.
over the Islanders and Blue Jackets. The Panthers chose to give
$70 million to a goaltender. And the Predators chose to finally do But what if… : First things first. A lot of the “Redden vs. Chara”
whatever it took to land Matt Duchene, even if it meant giving up narrative has always felt a little too convenient. We don’t know a lot
of what happened behind the scenes, including whether Chara ever
P.K. Subban.
really wanted to stay in Ottawa in the first place. It’s possible that the
Will some of those decisions turn out to be mistakes? Probably. Senators just re-signed the player who wanted to stay to the best
That’s the beauty of this time of year. The GMs, owners, players and deal they could, and the rest of it is just a dramatic storyline slapped
agents make the best choices they can, and the rest of us get to on top of some fairly standard cap management.
watch and see how it all turns out.
But that’s no fun. So let’s pretend that the Senators really were faced
That’s always been the fun part for me, because I love a good round with an either/or choice. What if they’d chosen Chara, on the same
of “what if?” I mean, I really love it. I’m the guy who once wrote an sort of five-year deal he got from Boston?
entire alternate history of the NHL based on the Tom Kurvers trade
never happening. I may have a problem. But I’m betting at least a Well, the first repercussion is that a big chunk of their fan base is
few of you are right there with me. furious. That’s the part of the story that gets skipped over these
days, but as a hockey fan living in Ottawa at the time, I can tell you
So today, let’s look back on four key free agency-related scenarios that it’s hard to overstate just how popular Redden was. He had his
from the salary cap era, and how history may have changed if they occasional detractors, like any player. But for most of his time as a
played out differently. As we’ll see, the decisions that get made at Senator he was the golden boy, and the fans didn’t want to see him
this time of year can have profound and sometimes unexpected go.
impacts – not just on the teams and players involved, but on what
does (and doesn’t) happen around the league as a result. Are the Senators better with Chara instead, even at a higher salary?
In hindsight, absolutely, although it’s worth remembering that
2006: What if the Senators choose Zdeno Chara over Wade Redden helped them get to the Stanley Cup final in 2007. Do they
Redden? win that final with Chara in the lineup? They might. And they almost
definitely manage more than the two playoff game wins they had
The situation: One year into the cap era, the Senators were Cup over the following four years. Could they have kept Chara on
contenders who’d just finished the 2005-06 season with the best another deal beyond that? That gets dicey, but even if he’d bolted
record in the East. But they were faced with a tricky offseason
after five years, they’d have still come out ahead compared to two
dilemma. Each of their two best defensemen, Wade Redden and years of Redden.
Zdeno Chara, were on the brink of unrestricted free agency. And the
team decided that they only had the budget and cap space to re-sign Meanwhile, the Bruins lose out on their captain, and probably their
one of them. 2011 Cup too. More bad news: they would have had an extra $7.5
million to spend in that 2006 offseason. Do they throw it at another
So who would it be? Both players were coming off excellent blueliner, like Ed Jovanovski or Pavel Kubina? Or maybe one of the
seasons; Chara had finished fourth in Norris voting, while Redden big forwards like Alex Tanguay or Martin Havlat? None of those
was fifth. Chara was a rare combination of size and skill who’d taken options look great in hindsight. Take Chara off the market in 2006,
a while to find his game in the NHL but had developed into one of and the next decade-plus of Bruins history starts to look very
the best defensemen in the league since being traded to Ottawa, different.
having been named a first-team all-star in 2004. Redden hadn’t quite
hit those heights but owned a longer track record, having been a On that note, here’s one more what-if to consider: What if Chara had
consistent presence on the Ottawa blueline for a decade. Along with hit the market, but chosen not to sign in Boston? According to
Daniel Alfredsson, he was the face of the franchise. reports, the other main bidder was the Los Angeles Kings. Would
Chara have been as dominant in Los Angeles as he was in Boston?
You can pick one. Who do you go with? Probably. But that might not have been a good thing. If Chara
What happened: The decision went down to the wire, but ultimately improve the rebuilding Kings by just a few wins by Year 2, that
the Senators chose Redden, re-signing him on the eve of free moves them out of the second-overall pick in the 2008 draft, and
agency to a two-year extension that carried a $6.5 million cap hit. probably makes Drew Doughty an Atlanta Thrasher. Do the Kings
Chara became a UFA, and quickly signed a five-year deal with the win two Cups with Chara instead of Doughty? And if you want to
Bruins with a $7.5 million cap hit. really get crazy, do the Thrashers improve enough after adding
Doughty with the second-overall pick that they’re not in Winnipeg
Needless to say, it all worked out brilliantly for the Bruins. Chara has today? Bruins fans are happy that we never got to find out.
had 13 years and counting in Boston; he’s been a postseason all-
star five times, won a Norris and been a finalist four other times, and 2007: What if the Sabres don’t match the Thomas Vanek offer
led the team to a Stanley Cup in 2011. He’s almost certainly the sheet?
greatest free agent signing of the cap era, and maybe even of all- The situation: The 2007 free agency period had already been a
time. disaster for the Buffalo Sabres. They’d been one of the league’s best
Redden finished out his two-year extension in Ottawa, playing teams through the first two seasons of the cap era, posting back-to-
reasonably well if not quite at an all-star level, before needing a new back seasons of at least 110 points. But on July 1, they’d suffered
deal again in 2008. This time, the Senators couldn’t keep him, and the double blow of losing two of their most important players to big-
even tried to get him to waive his no-trade clause on multiple market UFA offers, with Danny Briere heading to Philadelphia, while
occasions. He refused, denting his reputation with some Senators Chris Drury bolted for the Rangers. The Sabres had wanted to keep
fans in the process, and eventually signed a six-year contract with both players, but couldn’t match the dollars that were being thrown
the Rangers on the first day of free agency. That deal ended up around by richer teams. (There were also rumors that meddling
being a bust, and Redden spent much of it in the AHL. ownership had screwed up a secret handshake deal Drury had in
place to stay in Buffalo.)CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
Just days later, the Oilers turned a bad situation into a nightmare by believe they had that guy in the system already – and they didn’t –
dropping a $50-million offer sheet on 23-year-old Thomas Vanek. then they’d have to be aggressive in going out to get him.
The young winger had only two NHL seasons under his belt, but he
was coming off a 43-goal season that had seen him named a What happened: Weeks before the opening of free agency, the
second-team all-star. The Oilers, still stinging from the previous Flyers traded a package to the Coyotes for the right to negotiate with
pending UFA Ilya Bryzgalov. In theory, that was a shrewd move;
year’s Chris Pronger exit, were looking to add a young star, and
Vanek was their target. Now the Sabres had to decide if they’d Bryzgalov had been the runner-up for the Vezina in 2010 and was
match an offer that went well beyond what they’d budgeted, or considered the best goaltender in the free agency class of 2011 by a
accept four first-round picks while watching a third star leave in less mile. By working out a deal with the cash-strapped Coyotes, the
than a week. Flyers were jumping the line and giving themselves a chance to lock
down their top target before anyone else had a crack at him.
What happened: The Sabres barely seemed to think about it,
matching almost instantly. GM Darcy Regier all but acknowledged And they did … but it cost them plenty. The Flyers gave Bryzgalov a
that part of the reason was to send the message to the rest of the massive nine-year deal worth a total of $51 million. And to clear the
league that the Sabres couldn’t be picked clean, saying “If you want cap space, they traded two of the team’s cornerstones, sending Mike
to shop this way, don’t come here”. Richards to the Kings and Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets in a pair of
stunning deals announced hours apart. They also dumped their two
But what if… : Matching the offer sheet was almost certainly the right veteran goalies from the previous season, demoting Michael
call for the Sabres. It was one thing to lose free agents to New York Leighton and letting Brian Boucher walk as a free agent, clearing the
or Philadelphia, but if even Edmonton could muscle them out of a way for Bryzgalov to be the undisputed starter and leaving backup
bidding war then they’d have basically become the farm team for the duties to a 22-year-old with one season under his belt. Hold that
rest of the league. They had to draw the line somewhere. thought.
But what if they hadn’t? The obvious place to start that discussion is But what if… : Let’s start with the obvious: The Bryzgalov deal was a
with the four first-round picks. They would have covered the years disaster almost from Day 1. He was barely an average starter in his
2008 through 2011, an era where the Oilers ended up holding the first year in Philadelphia, and was just plain bad in Year 2. Those
first-overall pick twice. The other two picks weren’t bad either, were the only two seasons he’d get, as the Flyers used a
coming in at 10th and 12th. The four players taken with those picks compliance buyout to get out of his deal in 2013. The buyout didn’t
ended up being Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Tyler Myers and cost the team any cap space, but they had to eat $23 million in real
Magnus Paajarvi. dollars, making the Bryzgalov signing one of the costliest mistakes in
history. The Flyers have struggled with consistent goaltending ever
Would the Sabres have been better with those four players instead since.
of Vanek? Almost certainly. (They ended up getting Myers anyway,
having acquired the pick through a series of trades.) Hall on his own So sure, the signing was a mistake, one you might assume every
would tilt the deal in favor of just taking the picks. Flyers fan would want a do-over on. But things get interesting when
you factor in the Richards and Carter trades. At the time, they were
Of course, adding Vanek would have made the Oilers a better team, largely unpopular moves, in part because both players had signed
so they probably don’t end up with those same picks. And if they long-term deals and figured to be foundational pieces for years to
knew that another team held their next four firsts, they might have come. But in hindsight, the Flyers did pretty well on both trades.
pushed harder to finish higher in the standings. So we can’t just say They got Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds for Richards, and
that the Sabres passed up Hall and Nugent-Hopkins. We’ll never while neither player is still with the team, they both played well and
know who Buffalo might have ended up with. But we do know that Schenn was flipped for a pair of first-round picks in 2017. The Carter
the Oilers weren’t remotely as good as they thought they could be at trade was even better, as they Flyers held up the Blue Jackets for a
the time, and probably dodged a big bullet here. young Jakub Voracek and the first-round pick they immediately used
As for Vanek, he did fine in Buffalo, although he never really lived up on Sean Couturier.
to the franchise-player hype this deal created. He hit the 40-goal If you’re a Flyers fan, would you undo the Bryzgalov debacle if you
mark again in 2008-09, and all told he scored 195 more goals in knew it would cost you Voracek and Couturier off today’s roster? I’m
Buffalo before being dealt to the Islanders in 2013 for Matt Moulson not sure you would.
and a first that the Sabres flipped to Ottawa for Robin Lehner.
Maybe not quite Taylor Hall, but not a bad return on investment. The big winners in the whole mess were the Kings, who ended up
with Richards and Carter after the latter was miserable in Columbus
But of course, by far the most important implication here is that if the and forced his way out. Those two played key roles in delivering the
Vanek offer sheet is successful, the Oilers don’t need to try a similar franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2012 and an encore in 2014. Carter
move on Dustin Penner a few days later. And that means we never
is now an aging and somewhat overpaid forward on a rebuilding
get the story of Brian Burke trying to fight Kevin Lowe in a rented team, and the Richards situation ended badly, to put it mildly. But
barn. For that reason alone, I think we can all agree that this one flags fly forever, and the Kings came out of the situation with two of
worked out for the best. them.
2011: What if the Flyers don’t go all-in on Ilya Bryzgalov? Then there’s the Blue Jackets. The Carter trade blew up on them, on
The situation: By the summer of 2011, the Flyers were just a year a few levels. They gave up too much to get him, then watched him
removed from a surprise trip to the Stanley Cup final. But they’d sulk about it in a story that just reinforced the franchise’s reputation
followed that up with a disappointing 2010-11, one that had seen as a destination that star players didn’t want any part of. They
them swept by the Bruins in Round 2. A big piece of the blame fell quickly flipped him to L.A. for Jack Johnson and a first, a package
on the goaltending, as the team bounced between three different nowhere near what they’d given up just months earlier.
starters in just 11 playoff games. With a reasonably talented roster But while the Carter situation was a mess, the Blue Jackets actually
that was built to win now, the Flyers decided that they needed to came out of all of this as winners too, although it took a year.
invest in one goaltender to be the unquestioned starter. If they didn’t Remember that inexperienced 22-year-old Flyers backup weCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
mentioned? He wasn’t too happy about the team committing nine We can start with Vancouver, where the entire next decade changes
years to a veteran starter, and reportedly asked for a trade. He got radically. Losing the Sedins would have left the Canucks with a ton
his wish in 2012, as the Flyers sent him to the Blue Jackets for draft of cap space to spend, and we don’t know who they may have gone
picks. The kid’s name was Sergei Bobrovsky, and he’d win two after. Maybe they’d have thrown it at forward help like Gaborik or
Vezinas in Columbus. Cammalleri or even Hossa. But it’s safe to say that nobody would
have had the sort of impact the twins had over the years to come.
In 2014, Flyers owner Ed Snider called the Bryzgalov fiasco a No Art Ross and Hart for Henrik in 2010. No Art Ross and Pearson
“horrible mistake.” Undo that one decision, and Carter and Richards for Daniel in 2011. And almost certainly no back-to-back Presidents’
probably stay in Philadelphia, Bobrovsky might too, Voracek and Trophies, and no trip to the Stanley Cup final in 2011.
Couturier never don the orange and black, the Kings might not win
either of their Cups, and the Blue Jackets don’t get nearly a decade As for the Leafs, they obviously look a whole lot better with two Hall
of top-tier goaltending. of Famers in the lineup. But then how does the rest of the 2009
offseason unfold? Burke might not have enough cap space to sign
Oh, and some other team throws a bunch of money at Bryzgalov. the regrettable Mike Komisarek deal. And he probably doesn’t feel
(Others who’d been linked to him that year included the Lightning the need to aggressively target Phil Kessel, meaning the Leafs
and Ducks, as well as the Avalanche and Oilers.) Would it have probably head into the season still in possession of each of their
worked for him somewhere else? It couldn’t have worked out much next two first-round picks.
worse.
Those picks don’t necessarily turn into Tyler Seguin and Dougie
2009: What if Brian Burke gets his meeting with the Sedins? Hamilton, since the Leafs presumably would have been a better
The situation: The free agency class of 2009 was a reasonably team with two Sedins instead of one Kessel. Give that 2009-10
strong one, featuring names like Jay Bouwmeester, Marian Gaborik Leafs team even a conservative extra half-dozen points and they
and Mike Cammalleri. The biggest star to change teams was Marian nudge ahead of three teams in the overall standings, although that
Hossa, who inked an eye-popping 12-year deal to join the still leaves them in range to pick somebody like Jeff Skinner or Cam
Blackhawks. Fowler. (And if you’re wondering, the Florida Panthers move up to
second overall in 2010 and get Seguin instead of Erik Gudbranson.)
But as the clock ticked down to the official opening of the market,
there were two even bigger names on the board: Daniel and Henrik No Phil Kessel era in Toronto. No hot dog jokes. No Tyler Seguin to
Sedin, the 28-year-old stars coming off identical 82-point seasons for Dallas trade (and accompanying video). No 2011 Cup final
the Canucks. Mere hours before the noon deadline that would see heartbreak in Vancouver. And no Sedins on the list of the all-time
them become free agents, the twins had yet to agree on extensions legends to spend their entire career with one team. All based on one
with the Canucks. knock on a door that never came.
And Brian Burke was waiting. The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2019
Burke was in his first summer as the Maple Leafs GM, and with
money to spend and a roster featuring a distinct lack of star power,
1107390 Websites
he seemed to know exactly who he wanted to build his team around.
He had a history with the Sedins, having orchestrated a series of
draft floor trades to bring them to Vancouver. Now he wanted them
in Toronto. And he’d traveled all the way to Sweden to make it Sportsnet.ca / NHL Off-Season Power Rankings: Who’s improved
happen. most (so far)?
The plan, at least according to some versions of the story, was that
Burke was ready to knock on the Sedins’ door at roughly 12:01 and Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox July 9, 2019, 3:55 PM
makes his pitch. This was back in the days before the interview
period, and Burke wanted to deliver his first offer in person. Knowing
him, he wasn’t going to leave until he had the Sedins’ signatures on
Monster signings, juicy trades and four weeks have passed since
new contracts.
Alex Pietrangelo hoisted sport’s most storied chalice, officially
What happened: Minutes before the market opened, the Canucks triggering hockey’s off-season.
beat the clock by signing the twins to matching five-year, $30.5-
With a top-heavy draft, a couple intriguing free-agency bidding wars,
million deals. Burke never got to make his visit, and the Leafs’ party
coaches fired and hired, and RFA negotiations as tricky as ever, the
line became that he had merely been in Sweden to recruit
league has undergone some drastic roster shuffling over the past
goaltending prospect Jonas Gustavsson. Nobody believed them,
month.
although some Toronto media argued that Burke and the Leafs had
dodged a bullet. We step back to evaluate the NHL landscape and rank the moves its
31 general managers have made so far this summer in our annual
But what if… : It’s possible that Burke could have shown up at the
NHL Off-Season Power Rankings.
Sedins’ door, made his pitch, and then been politely told “thanks but
no thanks, we’re staying in Vancouver.” But that’s far from a sure While there’s still plenty of time to tinker and trade, and a Manila
thing. Throughout his career as a GM, Burke was always pretty good envelope is stuffed with unsettled arbitration cases, some clubs have
at getting his guy. Sometimes he picked the wrong guy, granted, but improved for the better and others have taken a step back — on
he usually got them. paper, of course.
So what happens if Burke actually pulls it off, and signs the Sedins? All teams have been ranked from one through 31, according to off-
Or maybe more importantly, what doesn’t happen? season performance only. (This is not an order of strength heading
into 2019-20 — we’ll get around to that at training camp — but
strictly an assessment of recent front office moves.)CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
1. New York Rangers extension was top priority, and there’s no indication that one is
imminent.
Artemi Panarin at a discount in a tax-heavy state, Kaapo Kakko in
the easiest second-overall draft selection since Jack Eichel, Jacob 9. Colorado Avalanche
Trouba at a Craiglist price, Adam Fox for a song… the New York
Rangers are your 2019 off-season champions of the world. We loved the pure hockey trade Joe Sakic worked out with Kyle
Dubas. Knowing he has younger, cheaper puck-movers coming,
2. New Jersey Devils Sakic wasn’t interested in extending game-breaker Tyson Barrie
beyond 2019-20, so he flipped him to Toronto for a true No. 2
Ray Shero saved his cap space for a splash, stealing a Norris centre, Nazem Kadri. A motivated Kadri should thrive behind Nathan
winner and marketer’s magnet from cap-strapped Nashville. Yes, the MacKinnon. So what if Sakic swung and whiffed on some of the big
P.K. Subban trade nearly overshadowed the selection of Jack UFA names? He has to pay Mikko Rantanen, and Joonas Donskoi
freaking Hughes at No. 1 overall. We also like Wayne Simmonds has the potential to be a steal.
and the Devils gambling on each other for a comeback year. New
Jersey just got a helluva lot more interesting. 10. Vegas Golden Knights
3. Dallas Stars George McPhee continues to impress. Securing a 26-year-old
William Karlsson — a top-two centre whose defensive attributes
Jim Nill was aching for secondary scoring, leadership and don’t get enough credit — through his prime at under $6 million per
experience. In Joe Pavelski, he found all three. Captain America is a season should look like a steal a couple of years from now. The
fine fit in Dallas, and $1.5 million for a motivated Corey Perry is the trading of Colin Miller was a necessary cap casualty, and getting two
type of risk worth taking when your defence and goaltending is years of 28-year-old playmaker Brandon Pirri (12 goals in 31 games
among the elite. last season) for a hair over the league minimum was my favourite
4. Florida Panthers bargain buy on Canada Day.
So much time has passed since the Panthers came up short of the 11. Buffalo Sabres
playoffs, you may have forgotten they landed one of the greatest After overpaying for Jeff Skinner with his back against the wall and
free agents of the off-season: future Hall of Famer Joel Quenneville. taking an intriguing gamble with his (likely) final coach hiring, Ralph
Dale Tallon missed out on Panarin, but he saved money through Kruger, Jason Botterill made a series of nice smaller moves,
Roberto Luongo’s retirement, solidified his crease (at an overpay, including getting Miller, Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey on
IMHO) with the best goalie available, Sergei Bobrovsky, and
short-term, fair-price deals. We’re still not convinced the Sabres
complemented his depth and experience with 22-goal man Brett have playoff-calibre goaltending, though.
Connolly as well as defender Anton Stralman. The Cats will make
the dance. 12. Arizona Coyotes
5. San Jose Sharks A few more goals and the 2018-19 Coyotes make the playoffs. Enter
Phil Kessel, whose 27 goals and 82 points last season immediately
Doug Wilson re-signed the best defenceman available, preventing
make him Arizona’s deadliest weapon. The Yotes didn’t have a 20-
him from becoming available. He shrugged as his long-serving goal scorer or a 50-point man. Coach Rick Tocchet is the Phil
captain walked to a conference rival for more money and term. Then whisperer. Arizona has a chance to be sneaky good.
he convinced a 56-point scorer on the rise, Kevin Labanc to sign for
$1 million, presumably while being kept hostage. He’s cold. He’s 13. Tampa Bay Lightning
effective. And his Sharks should again be a Stanley Cup contender.
So far so good for Julien BriseBois’s first summer on the job. The
6. Chicago Blackhawks Tampa GM secured a first- and a third-rounder from Vancouver in
exchange for clearing J.T. Miller’s salary and got some relief when
Chicago’s offence wasn’t the issue last season, so Stan Bowman Ryan Callahan agreed to go on LTIR. The Curtis McElhinney pickup
aggressively stocked up on D (Calvin De Haan, Olli Maatta) and ($1.3 AAV) is money well spent on goalie insurance, while Braydon
picked up the Robin Lehner contract the Islanders somehow Coburn and Cedric Paquette were shrewd low-cost, low-term depth
fumbled. A healthy Crawford-Lehner tandem gets Chicago a 2020 re-signings. And yet, the major question remains: How much is
wild-card spot. Brayden Point gonna cost?
7. Nashville Predators 14. Vancouver Canucks
Country music, no state taxes and a chance to win a Stanley Cup: Yes, Jim Benning might have been able to squeeze Brisebois for a
David Poile’s pitch to top UFA centre Matt Duchene didn’t leave his better price on J.T. Miller (the first-rounder is a gut punch), but
competitors with a prayer. We understand why Subban and his Vancouver is desperate for secondary scoring and responsible
pricey contract had to go, but the underwhelming return is still mind- wingers. The two-year Alex Edler extension was the perfect
boggling. compromise, and the Tyler Myers deal (tradeable in the final year)
8. Toronto Maple Leafs came in at a better rate than expected. We’ll withhold final judgment
here, however, until we see Brock Boeser’s contract.
A busy Kyle “We Can And We Will” Dubas finally traded from his
flush forward corps (Nazem Kadri, Connor Brown) in order to 15. Edmonton Oilers
remodel the right side of his defence (Tyson Barrie, Cody Ceci). He Mike Smith gives the Oilers’ net some sorely needed stability and
was able to clear a couple more Lou Lamoriello signings (Nikita familiarity, provided the 37-year-old can stay healthy. At $2 million,
Zaitsev, Patrick Marleau) off the books and get his 20-goal RFAs, it’s a gamble worth taking. Ken Holland is a fine GM and Dave
Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, to agree to reasonable Tippett is a great coach, but the Oilers’ 2019 off-season might be
bridge deals. But Dubas said at the outset that a Mitchell Marner remembered for who stayed, instead of who was brought in. We like
that Holland hasn’t buckled to Jesse Puljujarvi’s trade request andCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
dealt a once-prized prospect for 25 cents on the dollar, but he has shot to go all the way. Is there a roster more in need of a few months
also been unable to dump Milan Lucic and some of his other cap- off to heal and catch their breath?
hindering vets.
23. Montreal Canadiens
16. St. Louis Blues
Ignore the failed Sebastian Aho offer sheet and Duchene pitch.
Any off-season that includes turning the Stanley Cup into the world’s What is really different about this Habs squad? Jordie Benn gets
largest margarita vessel can’t be all bad. Still, Doug Armstrong — supplanted by Ben Chiarot? Shrug. Keith Kinkaid is Carey Price’s
very quiet compared to his splashy 2018 off-season — has a whole new low-investment backup? Sounds decent. The big issue,
lineup full of RFAs to sort through, including a compelling case however, remains unsolved: Can Marc Bergevin acquire top-six
involving Jordan Binnington. The good news? The defending scoring talent, or will the kids develop fast and give the Habs a
champs will dress a near-identical roster in October as the one that scoring punch? I’m just not sure the franchise can bank on a 28-
rejoiced after Game 7. goal, 72-point explosion from Max Domi every year.
17. Los Angeles Kings 24. Washington Capitals
Perhaps still feeling the burn from getting caught up in last summer’s We’re not certain Brian MacLellan didn’t overpay for bottom-six
Ilya Kovalchuk firestorm, the Kings’ Rob Blake took a breather this talent, giving veterans Carl Hagelin, 30, and Richard Panik, 28, four-
off-season. But his most significant move, hiring head coach Todd year deals at $2.75-million AAVs. At that age, forwards generally
McLellan, was a wise one. Another fresh start to see if there is lose a step — and these signings were made prior to figuring out 23-
another run to be milked from an accomplished but aging core. year-old RFA Jakub Vrana’s next deal. I’m also not quite sold on the
trading of Matt Niskanen for Radko Gudas. I know Niskanen is older
18. Detroit Red Wings and more expensive, but with Braden Holtby and Niklas Backstrom
Steve Yzerman has taken a more patient approach to his first on expiring deals, the Caps are in win-now mode. Are they better
summer with his new/old franchise than we imagined. His big free today than they were in April?
agency purchases were 35-year-old Valterri Filppula and 27-year-old 25. Anaheim Ducks
Patrik Nemeth (two years, $6 million each). Eleven Red Wings are
set to come off the books in 2020. That should be the Summer of Bob Murray described buying out Perry as one of the most difficult
Stevie, when the full-scale renovations begin. tasks of his long tenure, but it was imperative to the club’s future.
Finding all-star John Gibson decent backup support (Ryan Miller and
19. Philadelphia Flyers
Anthony Stolarz) for under $2 million total was great, but we’re not
Chuck Fletcher came in like a man hungry to shake things up and convinced this roster has enough goals in it to compete for a playoff
make the playoffs in a division that suddenly feels like jump ball. spot.
More than $7 million annually for Kevin Hayes is a reach for a solid 26. Pittsburgh Penguins
centre who’s only hit the 20-goal plateau once. But adding Matt
Niskanen and Justin Braun to a young back end will eat minutes and Jim Rutherford made the most curious off-season transaction —
relieve pressure from all those twentysomethings still finding their and, no, we’re not talking about bringing in Alex Galchenyuk for
way. Kessel, who had worn out his welcome. The most secure Penguins
are Sidney Crosby and — wait for it — Brandon Tanev, whose
20. Ottawa Senators contracts don’t end until 2025. Tanev is a fine role player, to be sure,
We’ll give it up to the Senators for embracing the rebuild and but how a bottom-six 27-year-old leveraged a six-year, $21-million
positioning themselves well for the future. Besides Bobby “He’ll Get deal is beyond me. Thumbs up on the Mike Sullivan extension,
You to the Floor!” Ryan and Nikita Zaitsev, not one player is signed though.
beyond 2021. Cody Ceci wasn’t sticking around anyway, so the D.J. 27. Winnipeg Jets
Smith–approved Maple Leafs invasion that includes Ron Hainsey,
Tyler Ennis and Connor Brown up the number of good pros in the The Jets find themselves in a way. Two reliable defencemen, Myers
nation’s capital without the risk of taking the Sens out of the lottery. and Trouba, are gone. Ditto Brandon Tanev, a gritty, useful role
How this off-season becomes a win for Pierre Dorion is a multi-year player. Neither Patrik Laine nor Kyle Connor have a contract, and
extension for Thomas Chabot before he gets even better. with Central Division rivals like Colorado, Nashville and Dallas
making positive additions, there is a reasonable concern that their
21. Calgary Flames Cup window may be shutting fast.
Brad Treliving — one of our 2018 off-season winners — still has 28. Carolina Hurricanes
some major work cut out for him. Not only is he staring down
arbitration deadlines with Sam Bennett and his new No. 1 goalie, Swatting Bergevin’s offer sheet away like Manute Bol rejecting a
David Rittich, but he has to figure a way to keep future captain Muggsy Bogues layup, Tom Dundon gave himself five years of a
Matthew Tkachuk at a reasonable rate and avoid walking him to young franchise centre at under $9 million per season. Great value,
unrestricted free agency too soon. In order to accomplish all of this, but negotiations should’ve never reached that point in the first place.
the Flames are a team to watch out for when it comes to midsummer Pay your stars. The Canes also weaponized their cap space, buying
trades. Word is, T.J. Brodie, Michael Frolik and James Neal are out Patrick Marleau to the tune of a first-round pick. But unless UFAs
among those available. Justin Williams and Michael Ferlund come back, or some other
forwards aren’t found, we’re concerned the Bunch of Jerks will fail to
22. Boston Bruins score a bunch of goals.
Needing to re-sign young talent (Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, 29. Columbus Blue Jackets
Danton Heinen), the Eastern champs lost rental Marcus Johansson,
but will essentially bring back the same squad for another decent We knew a series of hyped-up UFAs were walking out the door after
the greatest Blue Jackets campaign in franchise history. We didn’tCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • July 10, 2019
know Gustav Nyquist would be the only talent of note coming to fill When last season ended, the Canucks had about $32 million
the void, or that Jarmo Kekalainen would roll the dice on the available. Their real cap space is now down to about $8 million, and
unproven goalie tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins. I’d restricted free agent Brock Boeser could get all of that when the
love to know how hard he went after Lehner or Petr Mrazek. sniper and team eventually settle on a new long-term contract.
30. Minnesota Wild Benning acquired top-six winger J.T. Miller, whose cap hit averages
$5.25-million, and re-signed top defenceman Alex Edler to a two-
New GM Paul Fenton is reading from the former GM’s playbook: Go year deal averaging $6 million. He bought out winger Ryan Spooner
old and go hard. We love Mats Zuccarello. We don’t love the Wild at a cost of $1.03 million for each of the next two seasons, and was
signing another 30-something to big money and big term. Minnesota hammered by the NHL for a cap-recapture penalty on Roberto
should take notes from Jeff Gorton’s Rangers and realize one step Luongo that represents a net increase in Canucks cap costs of $2.2
back can get you two steps ahead. million for the next three years.
31. New York Islanders In free agency, Benning made his team better by signing
The Isles lost Vezina finalist Lehner and solid depth centre Filppula, defencemen Tyler Myers (five years at $6 million), Jordie Benn (two
but managed to retain UFA forwards Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and years at $2 million) and Oscar Fantenberg (one-year, $850,000).
Jordan Eberle. Four years and $20 million to Semyon Varlamov, 31, Toss in new contracts for restricted free agents Josh Leivo ($1.5-
looks like a terrible mistake. Unless that mythical offer sheet goes million cap hit) and Tyler Motte ($975,000), and the silly $1.5-million
through, the Isles — one of the best stories of 2018-19 — are poised suppression of the salary cap by the NHL Players’ Association, and
to take a step back in 2019-20. the Canucks are almost out of money beyond Boeser.
Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.10.2019 There’s a little bit of wriggle room with projected depth players like
Tim Schaller ($1.9 million) and Alex Biega ($825,000) or
Fantenberg, who could be sent to the minors, but Eriksson’s $6-
million cap hit for the next three seasons looms ever larger and more
1107391 Websites
toxic.
Almost every NHL team has a bad contract, and Eriksson’s isn’t the
Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Benning should turn focus to unloading Canucks’ only one. But Brandon Sutter, who has been injured for
Eriksson's contract 140 of 328 Canucks games since Benning acquired him four years
ago from Pittsburgh, has only two years left at $4.375-million and
should be tradeable next season if he stays healthy.
Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet July 9, 2019, 6:26 PM There seems, however, almost no way out from Eriksson’s contract.
The huge bonuses make it almost buyout-proof — CapFriendly.com
Three years into his $36-million-US contract, Loui Eriksson has shows a cap savings of only $444,000 for the next two seasons if
finally become paramount to the Vancouver Canucks. Which tells Eriksson were bought out — and sending him to the minors would
you how little he achieved on the ice the last three seasons and how make some fans happy but save the Canucks only $1.075-million
much money the National Hockey League team has spent this next year.
summer. Could Benning actually trade Eriksson? Maybe.
The six-year contract Eriksson signed on July 1, 2016 almost The only positive thing about his deal is that Eriksson is owed just $9
immediately became one of those free-agency cautionary tales: a million over its final three years. If the Canucks retain salary,
player about to pass his apex and plummet down the other side of Eriksson could cost another team as little as $1.5-million a season.
his career trajectory, cashing in on a 30-goal season and leveraging That’s doable.
a huge contract from a needy team willing to overpay.
But Benning would still have to find a team that can absorb
It was, is, and will probably always be general manager Jim Eriksson’s cap hit and believe that the player will be an effective
Benning’s biggest player mistake in Vancouver. But it was one he penalty-killer and checker when he is 35 and 36 years old. To trade
could afford. Until now. Eriksson, chances are Benning would have to take back an equally
Eriksson’s bonus-heavy contract has already paid the soon-to-be 34- bad contract, like he did last season when he swapped mistakes
year-old $27 million, for which the winger has contributed 32 goals with the Edmonton Oilers and took Spooner for Sam Gagner. Both
over three seasons. But during that time, his contract was more were playing in the American League.
embarrassing than harmful to the Canucks. A lot of guys on bad contracts can’t play in the NHL anymore. So,
Eriksson can still play in the NHL. He’s a good penalty killer who has yes, it’s possible an Eriksson trade could make the Canucks worse.
had some success in checking roles and, generally, doesn’t hurt There is intriguing undertow to all of this. Playing for Sweden at the
Canucks possession considering how often he starts shifts in the world championships in May, Eriksson said in an interview that he
defensive zone. did not have the same level of trust from the Canucks’ Travis Green
But Eriksson is a third- or fourth-line player making first-line money. as he had from previous coaches.
That is never good in a salary-cap world, but only now is it really The English translation of one comment was reported as: "The
going to hurt the team. coach and I don’t really get on 100 per cent."
As the Canucks transition from their rebuild to seriously challenging Benning told reporters weeks ago that he would contact Eriksson to
for a playoff spot, Benning’s salary-cap space has disappeared find out what his employee meant. The GM said later he was still
faster than the bankroll of an unlucky gambler during a weekend in awaiting a return call from Eriksson. Then the draft and free agency
Vegas. came and Benning got busy with bigger things.You can also read
