The countdown to the hearing is on as the August 2nd arbitration date draws closer for 25 year old Finn Miikka Salomaki. After an injury that cost him most of the 16-17 season, Salomaki came back to post 2 goals and 6 assists in 58 games last season and went pointless in the 8 playoff games. Salomaki has shown to be a bit of a utility player that can play up and down the lineup and has earned the nickname of “Wrecking Ball” through his fearless checking.
He has yet to show the scoring prowess he had shown in his pre-NHL career and international play, but the talent is there. That’s what makes this such a tough contract to figure out. Salomaki has shown flashes of his talent… he is rugged, outstanding in the dot, all things that are hard to monetize.
The 2nd round pick in the ’11 draft is finishing a two-year contract that paid him $650k last season, 1.225 overall. He may be due a small raise and I see a bridge contract at best for Miikka.
Mouths are locked shut at 501 Broadway on the Salomaki situation and the Ryan Ellis extension. I mean let’s face it… David Poile has made the salary cap his…. Ummm… female pup? :-) The Hartman and Saros signings left Poile with plenty of wiggle room against the cap, and the eventual Salomaki signing won’t barely scratch the approximately $9.6 million left in cap space. The Predators are in phenomenal shape with regards to the cap.
So… for Ryan Ellis, he has to love the potential of his next contract, the team is in excellent shape against the cap, and some of the money being tossed around during silly season has just increased the potential number. I was originally saying expect the AAV number to begin with a 6… don’t be surprised if it now begins with a 7.
So… just for grins… let’s say Ryan Ellis gets $7 million. That would put the team at approx. $63 million against the cap heading into the 19-20 season… and let’s conservatively assume the cap goes up another $3 million. That would give the Preds about $19 million in cap space to do some work. Next offseason the team will be looking at RFA’s in Kevin Fiala, Colton Sissons, and Ryan Hartman (again.) The team will also have UFA’s in Anthony Bitetto and Pekka Rinne. Fiala is coming off an entry deal, Sissons is finishing a three year deal at $625k a year and Hartman will be coming off his “prove it” contract.
If Fiala puts in the kind of year he did from November on last season, he will be due a pretty significant raise and you wonder again if David Poile will do the kind of long term contract he did for Forsberg and Johansen. This situation bears close watching. Sissons will also be due a raise and Hartman, well... if he proves it, he could be due some more cash as well.
For the UFA’s… Anthony Bitetto is in “prove it” mode as well, this contract year will show if he has a home in Smashville or may need to get a fresh start in another market. Tony is a great guy and no one works harder on the team, but he is having a very difficult time consistently cracking the lineup in Nashville.
The toughest of next summer's UFA’s to figure is going to be Pekka Rinne. A large chunk of what happens depends on Rinne's performance this season, and how Rinne feels about passing the baton. It’s an open secret that Juuse Saros in the starter in waiting and Rinne has been a big part of the youngster’s development, but if Rinne turns in another Vezina quality season at the age of 36, it does set up a real conundrum for David Poile. How much and how long for Rinne’s next contract, for a 37 year old goaltender who's number is probably the first to go to the rafters in Nashville... and how (or even if) do you delay the logical next step for of your next starting goaltender?
It is obvious that David Poile has done a masterful job of cap management, but his hardest task and most difficult decision may be coming in about 12 months. I don’t envy him for it.
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Random Notes
- Austin Watson will be appearing in Williamson County General Sessions Court this morning to answer domestic assault charges stemming from an incident on June 16th when the Predators winger was arrested after admitting pushing his girlfriend. Stay tuned…
- Plenty of questions being asked about Shea Weber and his injury, in Music City, the questions surround the cap recapture penalty. Heck… they can always trade him to the Coyotes…
- That being said… two seasons in to “the trade” … it just looks better and better for Nashville.
- The Mighty Ducks are back… sorta… Anaheim revealed their new third jersey with a throwback look to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
- So… Connor McDavid got a hole-in-one on a 199 yard par three last week… insert Oilers golfing joke here…
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