2017 Free agency thread.

Douche

 

Hey hypocrite, do you not drink?

 

From the Panthers:

"We've agreed to terms with defenseman Julian Melchiori on a one-year, two-way contract."

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/f...chiori-on-a-1-year-2-way-contract/c-299481572

Filling out our woefully underserved defensive depth. He'll be an AHL'er, and maybe compete for a 6th D spot over the course of the season with Petrovic, Weegar (pending arbitration), the new Russian signee, and McCoshen.

It is extremely inadvisable that they didn't take a defender in this draft before the 6th round, and only one of them to boot. But, here we are...

 

Shore signs two-year contract with Stars
Forward to get $2.3 million per season, avoids arbitration hearing...



Devin Shore signed a two-year, $4.6 million contract with the Dallas Stars on Friday.

It has an average annual value of $2.3 million and allows Shore to avoid an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for July 20.

The 23-year-old forward had 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 82 games last season.

 

Armia agrees to one-year contract with Canadiens
Forward avoids arbitration after being acquired from Jets...



Joel Armia agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.85 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.

The 25-year-old forward avoided a salary arbitration hearing that was scheduled for July 25. Armia was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets with goalie Steve Mason and a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in a trade for defenseman Simon Bourque on June 30.

Armia had NHL career highs in goals (12), assists (17) and points (29) in 79 games with the Jets last season. He scored two goals in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Armia was acquired by the Jets with defenseman Tyler Myers and forwards Drew Stafford and Brendan Lemieux, and a first-round pick from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade for forward Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goalie prospect Jason Kasdorf on Feb. 11, 2015.

The Sabres selected Armia in the first round (No. 16) of the 2011 NHL Draft. He has 58 points (26 goals, 32 assists) in 180 NHL games with the Sabres and Jets.

 

• Saros signs three-year contract with Predators
• Henrique signs five-year contract extension with Ducks
• Hartman signs one-year contract with Predators
• Lindholm signs six-year contract with Flames

 

I’ll bet Saros owns the Nashville net by the end of that deal.
Interested to see how Lindholm does in Calgary, clearly more than a throw in in the Hanifin for Dougie trade and these numbers prove it.

 

Flames sign G John Gillies to a 2 year 750k per deal. 1st year is a 2-way deal, 2nd year a 1 way.
Saw a lot of Gillies when he played at PC and I think he’s the real deal. I put him in a similar category as Hellebuyck. Looks like he’ll be in the mix for 2019/20.

 

• Pulock agrees to two-year contract with Islanders
• Coleman agrees to three-year contract with Devils

 

Wilson, Capitals exploring contract 'north of four years': report
Forward is restricted free agent, set NHL career highs in goals, assists, points last season...

Tom Wilson and the Washington Capitals are exploring a contract "something north of four years," his agent told The Washington Post on Tuesday.

Wilson, a restricted free agent, set NHL career highs in goals (14), assists (21) and points (35) last season. The 24-year-old forward had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 21 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Capitals win their first championship.

Mark Guy, Wilson's agent, told the newspaper there has been steady dialogue with Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan, but nothing is "done or close." Wilson did not elect to file for salary arbitration.

"We'll see what his representatives want to do," MacLellan said two weeks ago. "I'd prefer to keep him around for as long as we can."

Wilson was selected by Washington with the No. 16 pick at the 2012 NHL Draft. He has 104 points (35 goals, 69 assists) and 806 penalty minutes in 391 regular-season games, and 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 62 playoff games with the Capitals.

"I love it here," Wilson said last month. "It feels like home. Toronto is my home. This is my home, too, 100 percent. I've had an amazing five years or whatever it's been. Obviously we'll hope to be around and sort everything out when it has to be." (NHL.com)

 

I like this Wilson guy... he's an old fashioned type, throws em & scores em.

 

The most worrisome contracts signed in NHL free agency so far

Evander Kane – 7 years, $49M with the San Jose Sharks" data-reactid="34">Evander Kane – 7 years, $49M with the San Jose Sharks

Of the 27 forwards in the NHL earning $7 million or more, Kane checks in as the only one who has never eclipsed the 60-point plateau. Now there is a good chance he can reach that mark with his new teammates in San Jose, but normally you must prove yourself before you make that much money.

Up until this point, the Sharks have only seen the good side of Kane. Since his arrival, the left winger produced 13 goals and 19 points in 22 games. What remains to be seen is how the 26-year old can gel with his new teammates over a full season, and if he can live up to his newly awarded contract.

Over his nine-year career, Kane has eclipsed 50 points twice and topped 30 goals just once.

 

Lowry agrees to three-year contract with Jets
Forward gets $2.9 million per season, avoids arbitration hearing...



"I wanted to be back in Winnipeg for a good amount of time," Lowry told the Jets website. "It's where I broke into the League, they're the team that drafted me and gave me the opportunity to play in the NHL. ... To be able to sign for three more years, I'm ecstatic."

The 25-year-old forward had 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 45 games with the Jets last season, missing time because of two upper-body injuries. He avoided an arbitration hearing scheduled for Sunday.

"Obviously everyone wants to be a goal-scorer, and scoring goals is a lot of fun and getting points, the offensive side of the game is a bit more glamorous," Lowry said. "But I think our line with Andrew Copp and Brandon Tanev, we formed an identity this year. I felt we were able to grow as a line and grow that chemistry. They both really helped propel my game forward."

Lowry had two assists in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Jets reach the Western Conference Final, where they were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

"It certainly was disappointing coming up short and losing in the Conference Final, but just seeing the passion the fans had at Bell MTS Place, seeing how loud it got and the atmosphere around the city, and knowing that I get to be in a hockey market and somewhere the fans really care about the team; they really care about us succeeding," Lowry said. "That was an opportunity I didn't want to pass up."

Selected by Winnipeg in the third round (No. 67) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Lowry has 90 points (41 goals, 49 assists) in 281 regular-season games and five points (one goal, four assists) in 21 playoff games. (NHL.com)

 

Panarin sets deadline in contract talks with Blue Jackets: report
Forward won't sign extension once training camp begins in order to focus on hockey, agent says...

Artemi Panarin will not negotiate a contract extension with Columbus Blue Jackets once training camp starts, his agent told The Athletic on Thursday.

"Artemi loves hockey," Daniel Milstein said. "He hates the business side of hockey. When the season starts, the focus can only be on playing. He's going to play his best and give his best to the hockey club."

Blue Jackets training camp begins Sept. 13.

Panarin can become an unrestricted free agent following this season after the two-year contract he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 28, 2016, expires. The 26-year-old forward became eligible to sign an extension with Columbus of up to eight years July 1, but informed the Blue Jackets he did not want to sign a long-term contract.

Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, Panarin and Milstein met Sunday in Nice, France. No progress was made in that meeting, Milstein told The Athletic. Kekalainen did not comment on the meeting or the deadline.

Panarin led the Blue Jackets last season with 82 points (25 goals, 57 assists) in 81 games. He had 34 more points than their next highest-scoring forward, center Pierre-Luc Dubois (48).

The Blue Jackets could trade Panarin to not lose him without compensation on July 1. The return likely would be higher in a trade with a team that knows it can sign Panarin to a long-term contract.

Kekalainen previously said he expects Panarin to start the season with the Blue Jackets.

"We want to have him for eight years, have made it clear to him that we want him to be a big part of our future, we want build our team around him," Kekalainen said June 22.

The Blue Jackets acquired Panarin in a trade from the Blackhawks on June 23, 2017. He had 151 points (61 goals, 90 assists) in in his first two NHL seasons with Chicago, winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2015-16. (NHL.com)

 

Stecher signs two-year contract with Canucks
Defenseman gets $4.65 million, avoids arbitration hearing...


Troy Stecher signed a two-year, $4.65 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. It has average annual value of $2.325 million.

The 24-year-old defenseman, who had 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 68 games with the Canucks last season, avoided an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 29.

"Troy Stecher is an important part of our team," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. "He's a talented two-way defenseman who competes every shift. Troy has a willingness to always improve his game and is an example of young player committed to being a professional."

Signed by Vancouver on April 13, 2016, Stecher has 35 points (four goals, 31 assists) in 139 NHL games. He had NHL career highs in goals (three), assists (21) and points (24) in the 2016-17 season.

 

Dumba agrees to five-year contract with Wild
Defenseman gets $6 million per season, avoids arbitration hearing...

Matt Dumba agreed to terms on a five-year, $30 million contract with the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. It has an annual average value of $6 million.

The defenseman, who turns 24 on July 25, had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday.

"Five more years, I think of five solid years in Minnesota," Dumba said. "It has become home for me. It was a no-brainer. ... I'm very appreciative and happy to know I'm going to be in the State of Hockey for five more years.

"I do believe we do have something really, really strong here, so I think we can make a push. It's exciting to think about it that way."

Dumba had NHL career highs in goals (14), assists (36) and points (50) in 82 regular-season games with the Wild last season. He was second among Minnesota defensemen in points, one behind Ryan Suter. Dumba had two points (one goal, one assist) in five Stanley Cup Playoff games. The Wild lost to the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference First Round in five games.

"I look back at my personal growth over the season and I want that to just be the start," Dumba said. "I think I started the year a little slow, to be honest, and if I can play at the pace I was down the stretch the entire season, I think, I hope, I'm just scratching the surface.

"If anything changes, it's going to be just that constant drive to accomplish something that we haven't and get past that second round of the playoffs and get to that Stanley Cup. I think our time is now, and we've got to start talking about it now and getting everyone on that same page."

Minnesota selected Dumba in the first round (No. 7) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He has 128 points (44 goals, 84 assists) in 310 NHL games and eight points (three goals, five assists) in 26 playoff games.

"If you look at Matt's production, I guess over the last three years really, if you really break it down with all the defensemen that have since '05-06 been able to score in double digits in goals and have been this productive, it's a pretty elite group," Wild general manager Paul Fenton said. "He's one of four guys (Aaron Ekblad, Drew Doughty, Dion Phaneuf) that has had three consecutive years of 10-plus goals before he's 23 years old; when you look at it in that light and you're seeing him going forward as possibly getting better, then it certainly made sense to go in the terms that we did. " (NHL.com)

 

Jets’ Jacob Trouba awarded $5.5 million in arbitration...

Defenseman Jacob Trouba and the Winnipeg Jets were the first ones to head to arbitration this summer with what was reportedly a five-hour hearing on Friday.

On Sunday, it was finally announced that the arbitrator has awarded Trouba a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

That ruling pretty much split the two sides right down the middle as the Jets had offered Trouba a $4 million salary while Trouba had asked for $7 million.

The Jets now have 48 hours to decide if they will accept the ruling or walk away from it, which would then make Trouba an unrestricted free agent. There is virtually no chance the latter happens. The $5.5 million number would be a $2.5 million raise from his 2017-18 salary.

Trouba appeared in 55 games for the Jets this past season, scoring three goals to go with 21 assists.

The extended arbitration hearing — as well as the fact they even needed arbitration — is just another chapter in what has been a difficult story between the Jets and one of their top defenseman. Prior to the 2016-17 season Trouba requested a trade out of Winnipeg and sat out the first 15 games of the regular season before signing a two-year, $6 million contract. (NBC Sports)

 

Brock Nelson agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Islanders on Monday, avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 3.

Financial terms were not announced.

The 26-year-old forward had 35 points (19 goals, 16 assists) in 82 games with the Islanders last season. He was a restricted free agent.

Nelson, who scored at least 20 goals in three straight seasons from 2014-17, has missed two games in the past four seasons. (NHL.com)

 

Panthers and D Mackenzie Weegar agree to a 1 year, 1 way contract. The two were set for arbitration.

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/f...enzie-weegar-on-a-1-year-contract/c-299587054

 

• Hamhuis signs two-year contract with Predators
• Zucker agrees to terms on five-year contract with Wild
• Janmark signs one-year contract with Stars
• Orpik signs one-year contract with Capitals