PHR Mailbag: Free Agents, Tryouts, Hellebuyck, Kurashev, Cassidy
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include some of the remaining unsigned unrestricted free agents, Connor Hellebuyck’s situation in Winnipeg, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in one of our next two columns.
lgr34561: How can it be that guys like Tarasenko and Laine aren’t signed yet? Is it that they are asking for too much on a contract or is it really that they can’t even be signed on PTO’s?
The absence of contracts for veteran players at this point of the summer doesn’t necessarily mean an absence of interest in the player. Eeli Tolvanen (who was in the original question before he signed with the Rangers this week) is a good example. There were several teams interested in him. But evidently, the offers were short-term ones, so Tolvanen had to wait to see if anyone would up the ante and if not, then take the best of what was out there contract-wise. I suspect Vladimir Tarasenko is working through the same process. I’m sure there are multiple offers, just not at the money and/or term he wants. Logan Stanley also fits into that category.
Then there are those who simply haven’t been able to secure a contract at this point. It’s not so much the money (beyond maybe it being one-way versus two-way), it’s just that teams have an idea that they might prefer to have a prospect fill the type of spot the veteran wants to fill. Think of someone like Curtis Lazar, for example. For years, he has been a service fourth center but he’s more of a reserve forward at this stage of his career. Should a team bring him in or give someone else a shot at the spot first? There are a lot of those players out there still.
Patrik Laine is in a unique case. He has a high-end shot, no doubt. But injuries have been a huge concern and he hasn’t played in the better part of a year. He’s eligible for incentives if he signs a one-year pact, which I think he will. It wouldn’t shock me if there was interest in a low-cost base salary deal with the issue being incentives. How much, how easily achievable are they, stuff like that. Clearly, the interest hasn’t been as strong as he expected but I expect something will get done.
letsgonats: I guess each situation is different but how can any agent let someone with talent face the dreaded PTO?
Or are teams banking on teams waiving certain young players and filling gaps that way?
Sometimes, there just aren’t guaranteed deals out there for everyone. There are players out there who would happily take a contract today for the minimum salary but the offers just aren’t being made. That’s not necessarily an agent issue but rather a talent issue. It’s only an agent problem if the asking price is set so high with little movement that teams pivot elsewhere and the only option left heading into training camp is a PTO. That does happen from time to time (I think Matt Grzelcyk may have been one of those last summer) but it’s not overly common.
You bring up an interesting point about banking on certain players being waived. While some teams will go out of their way to avoid waiving a bubble youngster, some have been more willing to take the chance. After all, most teams have their own bubble pieces so will they bring one in when they already have some of their own to evaluate? It is quite possible that a handful of teams are taking that approach but there is some risk to it if the player ultimately doesn’t get waived. Unless they’re going into training camp knowing that someone will be claimed to fill a spot (even if they don’t know who), I don’t think many teams would be looking to utilize it. Instead, the presence of those young players on their roster is likely deterring teams from handing out a PTO or minimum-salary contract to a veteran who might otherwise be worthy of one.
Cla23: Chevy is known to hold out on a player demanding to be traded (Evander, PLD, and Trouba to name a few), and got great returns; do you see this with Helly? Do you see Helly in a Jets uniform at the start of the season or will Helly be a no-show, as Chevy really doesn’t need to rush a trade?
Back at the draft, it certainly looked like there were some viable trade options for Hellebuyck. Florida looked like a viable fit with the ninth overall selection being part of a speculated return, while Buffalo was definitely in the mix with the fourth selection being part of the reported package. But those assets aren’t in play anymore. Meanwhile, the Panthers went and made other moves between the pipes and lack the draft capital and cap space to get the netminder. And with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (also believed to be part of Buffalo’s proposed package) gaining five-team trade protection on July 1st, he very well could have the Jets on there, kiboshing his involvement as well.
Those are only two teams but the general point still stands. What was available ten weeks ago before the draft and free agency probably isn’t still available now. Other plans have been made, other trades have been executed, and cap space has been spent. If the offers weren’t good enough then, they’re probably not as good as they were now with key elements of them no longer available.
As you correctly noted, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is known for his patience in these kinds of situations. He’s not the type of manager who is going to turn around and take the best of a lesser return just to get a trade done since the veteran made his trade request public. For starters, doing so might embolden another core piece to try it later so on the principle of it alone, I expect Hellebuyck will still be with Winnipeg at the start of the season.
As for physically being in Winnipeg and not holding out, I think Hellebuyck will be there. With the above in mind, would Hellebuyck be helping or hurting his trade value by holding out and not showing up? An extended absence would weaken his value league-wide, likely further cementing Cheveldayoff’s resolve to not trade him for less than top value. Hellebuyck would not be helping himself by not reporting.
Does that make for an awkward situation to start the season? Absolutely. Hellebuyck is going to hear it from his home crowd even as their starting netminder. The cat’s out of the bag and isn’t going back. But if he keeps his head down, does his job, and keeps the Jets in the mix early on, he can reduce the target on his back and show interested teams that he’s worth paying up for. Maybe then, a team steps up midseason with an acceptable offer.
bigalval: Any chance Hellebuyck would accept a trade to the Kings? His contract is very team-friendly for an elite goaltender and the Kings have $21MM coming off the books after this year. The Kings could move Darcy Kuemper; his salary is only $5.5MM in the last year of his contract. The Kings have a good mix of young talent and vets like Fiala, Kempe, Panarin, Byfield, Laferriere, and Brandt Clarke. 2012 showed us if you have a hot goaltender and are the 8th seed, you can still win it all. What do you think?
I’ll start with a question of my own. What is the motivating reason for Hellebuyck wanting out? Some have speculated that he’d like to play in the US and if that’s the main factor, then sure, he’d probably accept a trade to Los Angeles. But if the motivator is winning, aren’t the Kings more of a lateral move? Winnipeg is a Wild Card-caliber team if all goes right and Los Angeles is also in that mix. If he wants to go to a contender, the Kings aren’t it, even with him between the pipes.
I don’t think the two teams make a lot of sense in terms of lining up a trade either. The Kings don’t have a great prospect pool in general to deal from, meaning they’d have to pull more from their current roster. Meanwhile, if there’s one element that they don’t need to trade for because of their prospect pool, it’s in goal. They think Erik Portillo has an NHL future. Same with Carter George. And Hampton Slukynsky. And Petteri Rimpanen. If you have that many quality goalies in your system, you probably don’t need to further gut the system to trade for a win-now netminder.
Granted, one of those youngsters would make part of a package with Kuemper a bit more enticing from Winnipeg’s standpoint. But I have a hard time seeing the Kings being willing to part with a core player (with a first-round pick) on top of Kuemper and a young goalie to ultimately get an offer near a level where the Jets might accept it. Now you’re weakening a skater group that’s already somewhat mediocre to upgrade in goal. If they were leaning into trying to win 3-2 or 2-1 every night, I could maybe get behind that. But then Peter Laviolette wouldn’t have been the right fit as a head coach.
Never say never, but Hellebuyck landing with the Kings would surprise me.
