Down the Frozen River

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  • Penguins sign Mark Jankowski

    The Pittsburgh Penguins signed penalty kill specialist, Mark Jankowski, to a one-year deal worth $700,000 on Friday.

    Jankowski, 26, is a solid depth player, but never made much of an impact at 5-on-5 play with the Calgary Flames in his tenure.

    A native of Hamilton, Ontario, he was drafted by the Flames in the first round (21st overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft and had seven points (five goals, two assists) last season in 56 games with Calgary and was a minus-12.

    His production fell off after setting career-highs in assists (18) and points (32), while amassing 14 goals in 79 hames in 2018-19, and had a career-high 17 goals in 72 games in the 2017-18 season with the Flames.

    He’s more of a bottom-six role player these days and has 36-28–64 totals in 208 career NHL games (all with Calgary).

  • Ryan signs one-year deal with Red Wings

    Bobby Ryan signed a one-year contract worth $1.000 million with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday as the National Hockey League’s free agency market kicked things off after noon Eastern Time.

    The reigning Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner and native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey joins the Red Wings as his third NHL club after amassing 555 points (254 goals, 301 assists) in 833 career games with the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators since making his league debut in the 2007-08 season with Anaheim.

    Ryan was originally drafted by Anaheim in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft and had 5-3–8 totals in 24 games for the Senators in 2019-20 after missing most of the year due to a four-month leave of absence from Ottawa to enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

    He scored a hat trick in his first game back with the Sens in his first home game since returning to the lineup on Feb. 27th.

    Detroit is in the midst of rebuilding and setting themselves up for returning to playoff contention in the near future, so signing Ryan to a short “prove it” deal is beneficial for both sides.

    The Red Wings can focus on improving in general, while Ryan can focus on finding his game as a bottom-six forward– unless he’s able to turn back the clock and regain his scoring touch as a four-time 30-goal scorer from 2008-12.

  • Braden Holtby heads north to Vancouver

    Braden Holtby signed a two-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks worth $8.600 million ($4.300 million AAV) on Friday– moving on to the Canucks after the Washington Capitals picked up former New York Rangers goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, as their new backup to Ilya Samsonov.

    Holtby’s deal contains two minor interesting details.

    One, it has a modified no trade clause in which Holtby can submit a list of up to four teams he won’t accept being traded to if Vancouver decides to move him. And two, it doesn’t contain a no movement clause, which means he’ll likely be available next offseason for the expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken, who will begin play in the 2021-22 season.

    Last season Holtby went 25-14-6 in 48 games played (47 starts) and had a 3.11 goals against average, as well as an .897 save percentage to go along with 1,243 saves on 1,385 shots faced and 142 goals against.

    For just the second time in his career he failed to record a shutout on the season.

    With Thatcher Demko taking on a larger role for the Canucks– including some healthy competition with Holtby for the starting job, Holtby adds experience to the crease and is already willing to work with the young goaltender of the future in Vancouver.

  • Kevin Rooney signs with New York Rangers

    The New York Rangers have added Kevin Rooney to their Center depth. The former New Jersey Devil is packing it up and moving to the big apple for another team in a rebuild state.

    The center has played 95 games and tallied 19 points. He will continue to be a depth player or take a seat in the press box for less than a million dollars a year.

    CONTRACT BREAKDOWN

    Year 1: $700,000
    Year 2: $800.000

  • Carter Verhaeghe signs with Florida panthers

    Carter Verhaeghe stays in Florida but moves to a different zip code. The forward signed a two year deal with the Florida Panthers after him and the Lightning could not reach a deal and wanted to avoid arbitration. The deal is for an AAV of $1m.

    Does it get better than winning the cup after your first year in the league? Verhaeghe will have to wait and find out as he heads to Sunshine Florida, another team in somewhat of a rebuild.

    Vergaeghe was in and out of the lineup this past postseason, slotting in when needed. Could he be more of an asset in Florida?

  • Jon Merril to the Red Wings

    Defenseman Jon Merril is moving on from the Vegas Golden Knights and on to Detroit for one year with a price tag of $925,000.

    He’s spent seven years in the league and has tallied 61 points. Merril played college hockey at University of Michigan so it is a bit of a homecoming for the blue liner. Last year he had a career high of 32 penalty minutes.

    This is just another piece to the Detroit rebuild that seems to be coming together.

  • Mr. Lundqvist goes to Washington

    Longtime New York Ranger, Henrik Lundqvist, has a new home in Washington, D.C. with the Washington Capitals after signing a one-year contract worth $1.500 million on Friday.

    The 38-year-old goaltender was bought out by the Rangers on Sept. 30th after he was originally drafted by New York in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2000 NHL Draft.

    Lundqvist made his NHL debut with the Rangers in the 2005-06 season and amassed a 459-310-96 record in 887 career games (871 starts) with New York over 15 seasons and has recorded 64 shutouts in that span.

    He had a 2.43 career goals against average and a career .918 save percentage with the Rangers and had a 10-12-3 record in 30 games played (26 starts) lasts season.

    A native of Are, Sweden, Lundqvist had a 3.16 GAA and a .905 SV%, as well as one shutout in a more diminished role in 2019-20 as Igor Shesterkin and Alexanar Georgiev took over the starting and backup jobs, respectively, in the crease until New York’s Qualifier matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.

    Lundqvist started in Games 1 and 2 of the Qualifier series against the Hurricanes, posting a 0-2 record, as well as a 3.52 GAA and a .901 SV% in two games before Carolina finished off New York in three games while Shesterkin took over the reigns in the crease for Game 3 of the best-of-five game series.

    Washington won the Cup in 2018, and is looking to get back into Stanley Cup contention with Lundqvist likely backing up Ilya Samsonov in net and new head coach, Peter Laviolette, leading behind the bench.

    Meanwhile, Lundqvist is looking to fulfill a lifelong dream and win his first Stanley Cup ring in his career.

  • Chicago re-signs subban and Kubalik

    The Chicago Blackhawks have been putting the pen to the paper as Free Agency opens up. Today they announced the re-signings of Dominik Kubalik and Malcom Subban.

    Dominik Kubalik

    The Calder Trophy Finalist last season has signed a two year extension with the Blackhawks. The 2-year deal comes with a $3,700,000 salary cap hit. He is signed through 2021-22. Tallying 30 goals in your first season is rather impressive and adding sixteen assists to that adds to your value. Consistency is key.

    Malcom Subban

    The backup goalie is staying in Chicago for a bit longer as their goalie situation becomes a bit stickier. Subban signed a 2 year extension with an AAV of $850,000.

    His sample size in Chicago is as small is it can get at one game. Subaan did see a bit more ice time with 20 games played in Vegas. He is a career backup goalie and will probably see little ice time as possible unless Chicago can’t figure something out quick.

  • Simmonds signs with Toronto

    Wayne Simmonds is heading home to the Toronto Maple Leafs on a one-year, $1.500 million contract– as reported by Sportsnet 590’s Anthony Stewart– that he signed on Friday as the free agent market opened in the National Hockey League.

    The deal carries a no-trade clause.

    The 32-year-old native of Scarborough, Ontario was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (61st overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and spent last season split between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres.

    In 909 career NHL games, Simmonds has 251-248–499 totals, including eight goals and 17 assists (25 points) in 68 games last season for the Devils and Sabres.

    He’s reached the 60-point plateau twice in his career in 2013-14 and 2015-16 with the Philadelphia Flyers and has since become more of an energy player fit for a third line role.

    Simmonds looks to bolster Toronto’s forward depth on a cheap deal as the Maple Leafs face a tight salary cap– both because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and due to their own past dealings with re-signing key members of their core and since bringing John Tavares to the fold.

    He made his NHL debut with Los Angeles in the 2008-09 season and previously spent time with the Kings, Flyers, Nashville Predators, Devils and Sabres.

  • Updates from free agency

    This post will be updated throughout the day! Don’t miss a beat! Head on over to Twitter for more.

    Malcom Subban signs two year extension with Chicago with an AAV of $850,000.

    Bobby Ryan who was bought out by the Ottawa Senators signs with Detroit for a year.