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Hometown Haircut For Toffoli, Cap Space For EK9 |
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Recently appointed LA Kings GM Rob Blake deserves a fist bump or two.
Blake was able to sign forward Tyler Toffoli to a team-friendly three-year, $13.8-million bridge contract extension.
Toffoli, 25, will be a $4.6M AAV for the next three seasons. Toffoli was scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Toffoli is now cost controlled for the next theee years.
Blake should be commended for seizing the day and seizing the dollars.
Carpe diem. Carpe argentum.
Toffoli will now become UFA at age 28.
Blake was able to leverage the fact that Toffoli had a soft season in 2016-17, finishing with 16 goals and just 34 points in 63 games, his lowest point output since the 2013-14 season.
The Kings missed the playoffs because their offense was a hot mess.
Nashville sneaked past LA and earned the final Western playoff spot. The Preds have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals from the 16th seed. Something the Kings failed to do based on poor offensive production from go-to point producers. The Kings were tied for 25th with 199 goals scored for. Their 5v5 goal scoring was sadly lacking. Despite his 16 goal season, Toffoli still finished the season ranked third on the Kings in goal scoring. Toffoli, Jeff Carter (32 goals) and Tanner Pearson (24 goals) did their part. The rest of the Kings forwards let the team down.
Last season, Toffoli scored 31 goals and 58 points in 82 games.
In 293 career games, Toffoli has scored 84 goals and 91 assists for 175 points. In 43 career playoff games, Toffoli has 9 goals and 12 assists.
Blake now has his two young offensive stars Toffoli and Tanner Pearson locked up for at least the next three seasons at a combined $8.35 million per year.
Are you kidding me?!!
Talk about two hometown haircuts!
The tidy bridge contract to Toffoli now leaves money in the table for Blake to add another top six scoring forward.
Hello, Evander Kane, who carries a $5.25M AAV. The Kings now have $5.3M in available salary cap space for next season.
There is a very real likelihood that the Kings can trade for Evander Kane AND sign all three of their remaining RFAs.
Blake has three RFAs to sign on July 1 in Kevin Gravel, Andy Andreoff and Nick Shore.
If Blake trades his 2017 first round pick (#11) and a second rounder to the Vegas Knights in the days to come, George McPhee will take Kings forward Dustin Brown's bloated $5.88M AAV (5 seasons remain on deal) off Rob Blake's hands.
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Buffalo Sabres prospect Rasmus Asplund will not be signing his entry level contract. Therefore, he will not be transition to AHL Rochester for the 2017-18 season. This according to a report from Swedish website vf.se.
The report (translated by Google translate) says that Asplund will remain in Europe for the time being.
Asplund:
"No, I will not sign any NHL contract this summer. It’s very turbulent in Buffalo right now, considering that they will have new coaches in both NHL and AHL and then they want to have as many contract places as possible as they get together both NHL and AHL players."
Turbulent?
Not so much.
Up in the air is more like it.
Asplund figures prominently in Buffalo's future plans. He will transition to North America in due time.
Sabres GM Jason Botterill is deliberately waiting for the end of the Stanley Cup Finals to hire his next head coaches for Buffalo and Rochester.
Why wait?
Pens assistant coach Rick Tocchet will be interviewed as soon as Pittsburgh wins the Cup of loses out to Nashville, whichever comes first. Botterill will also interview Preds assistant coach Ohil Housley for the Buffalo job.
I'm told that Botterill is interested in interviewing his former Amerks teammate and current Wilkes Barre Scranton assistant coach Chris Taylor to be head coach of the Amerks. Botterill and Taylor played together in Rochester in the early 2000s. Last summer, Botterill hired Taylor in WSB after a successful assistant coaching tenure in Rochester under Ron Rolaton and Chas's Cassidy ended. Detroit Red Wings assistant and former Amerks teammate Doug Houda is also a candidate for the Amerks bench boss gig. Former Erie Otters HC Kris Knoblach was a candidate but he signed on Wednesday with the Philadelphia Flyers coaching staff. Also in consideration is former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach and current Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Todd Richards. Richards was the head coach of the WSB penguins from 2006 to 2008. Botterill worked with Richards back then and are familiar with one another.
Botterill's goal is to have both of his head coaching positions filled by June 23, the first day of the NHL Draft in Chicago.
The 19-year old Swede was drafted 33rd overall last summer. Tim Murray acquired the second round pick used to select Asplund in the Dmitry Kulikov for Mark Pysyk trade.
Asplund has outstanding year for Farjestad in the Swedish Elite League, scoring 19 points in 39 games.
Asplund projects as an NHL two-way center. He also plays wing.
Asplund scored a goal and six assists in seven games played for Sweden at the IIHF World Junior tourney earlier this year.
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