|
Kreider, Hayes, Schwartz, Barrie File For Arb |
|
|
|
|
|
The 5pm EDT deadline has past and 24 players have elected Salary Arbitration.
Most notable NHL player names on the "going to arbitration list to my eyes are Tyson Barrie, Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Danny Dekeyser, Kyle Palmieri, Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz, and Marcus Johansson.
Here's the full list of 24 players:
Arizona Coyotes
Michael Stone
Colorado Avalanche
Tyson Barrie
Mikhail Grigorenko
Detroit Red Wings
Jared Coreau
Danny DeKeyser
Minnesota Wild
Jordan Schroeder
Nashville Predators
Calle Jarnkrok
Petter Granberg
New York Rangers
Kevin Hayes
Chris Kreider
Dylan McIlrath
Jonathan Miller
New Jersey Devils
Kyle Palmieri
Ottawa Senators
Mike Hoffman
Philadelphia Flyers
Brandon Manning
Brayden Schenn
Jordan Weal
St. Louis Blues
Jaden Schwartz
Tampa Bay Lightning
Alex Killorn
Vladislav Namestnikov
Toronto Maple Leafs
Frank Corrado
Peter Holland
Martin Marincin
Washington Capitals
Marcus Johansson
The deadline for Club-Elected Salary Arbitration notification is July 6, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
Salary Arbitration hearings will be held in Toronto from July 20 to August 4, 2016.
**
Imagine a world where Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray poaches an RFA D or forward from a competitor.
Murray is a sniper. He studies the market like a stock broker. Murray knows that salary cap strapped teams like NY Rangers and St. Louis Blues are pinching their pennies right now. Murray will do his best to mess with the caps of those teams who are up against the $73 million salary cap.
The Rangers have $12 million in salary cap apace, however, they have four RFAs, three of which who filed for salary arbitration on Tuesday. Forwards Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes and D Dylan McIlrath will all be seeking big pay raises from the arb judge. RFA J.T. Miller also is RFA, however, doesn't have arb rights.
Kreider earned $2.475 million last season. Hayes earned $3.75M. Miller earned $875K. McIlrath $600K.
Kreider scored 21 goals last season, Hayes 14. Miller will get paid by the arbitrator after potting 22 goals last season.
I see Kreider and Hayes landing new deals in the $5M AAV neighborhood. Miller likely will end up in the $3M AAV range. McIlrath will get a modest pay raises.
The conundrum from the Rangers is Rick Nash's $7.8M AAV. Nash has two years remaining on his current contract.
Nash's contract is untradeable at this time. The Arbitrator will likely glom up all of the available salary cap space in Gotham.
Then what?
Trades, right?
Tim Murray loves trades.
Murray would be wise to make a serious play for one on Kreider or Hayes. Jack Eichel is fr I ends with both forwards. He works out with them. He competes against them in the Foxboro summer league. Murray might make a trade for either Hayes or Kreider to assist him in closing UFA LW Jimmy Vesey, who also happens to be friends with Kreider and Hayes. For that reason the Rangers are mentioned in Vesey rumors. The Sabres own Vesey's UFA rights and is property of the Buffalo Sabres until August 15.
Getting Hayes or Kreider could go a long way to closing Vesey to his Buffalo entry level contract.
*****
Watch of for Jaden Schwartz's arb hearing because he is going to get paid. Schwartz's current bridge deal just expired. He was earning $2.35M AAV over two seasons. Schwartz battles injuries last seasons, however, he has scored 70 goals and has added 80 assists in 240 career NHL games. Schwartz has earned himself a pay raise in the $6M AAV range.
The Blues have just $9.6 million in salary cap space right now. Schwartz'Schwartz's new contract will eat up the majority of the Blues' cap space.
***
Tim Murray has direct knowledge of Ottawa Senators scoring forward Mike Hoffman, who led the Sens with 29 goals in 2015-16. Hoffman has now filed for arb two summers in a row.
The arb judge gave Hoffman a $2 million, one-year contract before last season. His ask was $3.4 million contract. The Sens countered with a one-year, $1.75 million contract. The Arbitrator erred on the side of the team. Not this time around. Hoffman will get paid, be in by Ottawa, Buffalo or another NHL team.
***
Tyson Barrie is the EXACT perfect fit defenseman to feed high end, skilled forwards right now.
In 78 games with the Avs this season, Barrie piled up 13 goals (5 GWG) and 36 assists. He scored 3 PPGs and 1 shorty. He landed 172 shots on enemy goalies, and devoured 23:11 TOI per game.
At 5'10" and 190 lbs., Barrie is a graceful skater and an artful puck distributor. He plays with ice water in his veins. Very rarely do you see him make mistakes and errors with they puck. His passes are tape to tape and he skated like the prairie wind. He will turn 25 in July. He will also become RFA in July and the Avs are likely not in the mood to pay Barrie in the $5+ million AAV range.
Barrie's career has been impressive.
In 264 games, he has scored 40 goals and has added 113 assists. He has scored 10 PPGs and has amassed 52 power play points. He has also scored 11 game winning goals and 4 OT game winning goals.
So why not trade him for an experienced forward and a D prospect?
Losing Barrie would hamper the Avs as they don't have another player, nor prospect like him in their organization right now.
Tim Murray might be willing to dip his beak in the Tyson Barrie pool.
Murray has been patiently looking for a first pair D partner for Rasmus Ristolainen. If he can't land Cam Folqer, Murray might want to make an aggressive move towards Tyson Barrie.
Ideally, Murray is looking for a lefty, however, a righty like Barrie can play on his off side with relative ease. Barrie reads the play well, is very mobile, and can act like the fourth forward in the o-zone. He also has the speed and giddy up to get back to his end of the rink to defend against odd-man rushes.
Tim Murray may want to roll the bones and go hard at Barrie. We already know that Murray has favored nation trading status with Don Meehan and Craig Oster at Newport Sports, who rep ROR, Evander Kane, David Legwand, Steven Stamkos, Erik Karlsson and the best of the NHL's best players. Murray moves in mysterious ways and he may be able to wiggle himself into position to prevent Barrie from being moved to Edmonton, or another NHL team.
Who knows, while chatting about all things Stamkos, Murray could have already spoken with Barrie's people about an opportunity to reunite with his friend Ryan O'Reilly.
The thought of Barrier and Ristolainen distributing the rock to ROR, Evander Kane, Jack Eichel, Samson Reinhart, Tyler Ennis, Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno, Matt Moulson and the Sabres forwards is intriguing.
At what price Barrie for the Buffalo Sabres?
I propose a package that includes Evander Kane, a D prospect and a 2017 second rounder.
The Avs are not thrilled with having to pay Barrie north of $5M per season on a multi-year contract.
Remember how badly that things ended for Ryan O'Reilly in Denver last summer?
I see history repeating itself with Barrie.
If he were to be re-signed by the Avs, don't you think that Barrie would have re-signed by now?
Colorado Avalanche fans can't be happy with Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic. Avs fans just can't have nice things, can they?
Join the Discussion:
»