Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes Complete Minor Trade
January 12, 2021 at 2:35 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment
The Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes are tweaking their depth charts with the season just around the corner, swapping Max Lajoie and Clark Bishop in a minor deal. Bishop cleared waivers a few days ago and Lajoie just yesterday, meaning both can report directly to the taxi squad or minor league affiliate of their new organization (though, because of quarantine restrictions that may take some time). In fact, Ottawa includes in the release that Bishop will be assigned to Belleville.
Lajoie, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Senators back in 2016 but surprised everyone when he made the NHL roster out of camp just two years later. He would play 56 games for the team in the 2018-19 season, recording seven goals and 15 points while averaging nearly 19 minutes a night. The Senators would finish last in the entire league that year and Lajoie would find himself pushed down the depth chart again in 2019-20. He ended up playing just six NHL games last season, spending most of the year with Belleville instead.
In Carolina, he'll have an even tougher group to crack if he wants to get back to the NHL. The young defenseman is likely ticketed for the Chicago Wolves where he will continue his development and try to make the best of the final year on his entry-level contract.
Bishop meanwhile comes to Ottawa as another forward option after playing 25 NHL games over the past two seasons. The depth center can be some injury insurance in Belleville but doesn't offer a ton of offensive upside. Selected in the fifth round by the Hurricanes in 2014, Bishop has just 18 goals and 59 points in 201 regular season AHL games but did help capture the Calder Cup in 2019 with the Charlotte Checkers.
Carolina Hurricanes| Clark Bishop| Ottawa Senators| Waivers
Clark Bishop, Alexandre Alain Clear Waivers
January 1, 2021 at 11:05 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment
January 1: Both players have cleared waivers. Alain's contract can now be terminated.
December 31: Two more players have been placed on waivers today, though the reasoning is a bit different for each. Clark Bishop has been placed on regular waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, while Alexandre Alain of the Montreal Canadiens has hit unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Alain has decided to pursue full-time studies and reconsider his future in professional hockey. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin released a glowing statement of the prospect, even if he is about to become an unrestricted free agent:
Alexandre embodies several values that are important to our team. Besides having an impeccable attitude and being a proud competitor, he is an excellent teammate appreciated by all. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.
The 23-year-old Alain signed an entry-level contract in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has spent the last two seasons playing with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. In 60 games last year, he recorded 11 goals and 24 points. His decision today may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time that academic achievement has been attached to Alain's hockey career. In 2018, he won the QMJHL Scholastic Player of the year award and was given the Guy Lafleur Award of Excellence and Merit by the Canadiens, which is presented to amateur hockey players who best combine hockey performances and academic achievement.
Bishop meanwhile is a 24-year-old depth forward for the Hurricanes, who played five games at the NHL level last season but spent most of the year in the AHL. That's likely where he's headed once again, though the early waiver placement is interesting and could suggest that he has a chance to play overseas like Roland McKeown who cleared waivers today. At any rate, his chance of being a full-time player for the Hurricanes this season is low.
AHL| Carolina Hurricanes| Clark Bishop| Elliotte Friedman| Marc Bergevin| Montreal Canadiens| QMJHL| Waivers
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Clark Bishop, Vasiliy Ponomarev
October 13, 2020 at 9:21 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment
The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Clark Bishop to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Bishop $700K in the NHL and $100K at the AHL level. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a short statement:
Clark is a versatile, two-way center that knows our system well. We look forward to him continuing his development this season.
Bishop had filed for salary arbitration last week, which will no longer be required.
The 24-year-old forward has played in 25 games for the Hurricanes over the past two seasons, spending most of his time as a professional at the minor league level. Like every other AHL player, Bishop will have to wait and see what the 2020-21 season looks like for minor leaguers.
The team has also signed Vasiliy Ponomarev to a three-year, entry-level contract. Ponomarev was picked 53rd overall in this year's draft and is currently playing for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. The 18-year-old Russian forward had 49 points in 57 games as a CHL rookie last season and is off to a hot start with two goals in his first four games.
AHL| Carolina Hurricanes| Clark Bishop
December 8, 2019 at 9:46 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment
Goals were not exactly hard to come by on Saturday, as 10 of 11 contests featured 5+ goals, including five games with 8+ goals. While there are only five games on the docket on Sunday, there is a good chance of at least one more high-scoring affair, as the Panthers host the Sharks in a match-up of the two teams tied for 29th in goals against average. While you follow along with the action today – five games starting over a span of five hours – keep an eye on the transactions made by those teams out of action today, preparing for the week ahead. Judging by the number of early moves, it could be a busy day:
After last night's win, the Carolina Hurricanes returned forwards Brian Gibbons and Clark Bishop to the AHL, as announced by the Charlotte Checkers. The duo have been on the move frequently this season and that is unlikely to change soon. With both being sent down, the Canes currently have just 12 forwards and 19 skaters on the active roster and are about to embark on a long, five-game road trip on Tuesday. They are unlikely to depart before filling at least one of their two remaining roster spots with another forward, highly likely to be either Gibbons or Bishop, if not both.
Rookie forward J.C. Beaudin is headed back to the minors, as the Ottawa Senators announced that he has been reassigned to AHL Belleville. Beaudin, 22, has played in 15 games with Ottawa this season but has recorded one lone point. In five games with Belleville, he has also been held to just one point. The Senators would likely like to see him rediscover his scoring touch before bringing him back up.
Joseph Blandisi is another player being demoted, as the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that the two-way veteran has been sent down to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Blandisi has split his season evenly between the NHL and AHL, but with double the scoring in the minors, unsurprisingly. Now in his fifth pro season, Blandisi has grown accustomed to splitting his time between the two levels and playing very different roles depending on the locale. A top-six forward in the AHL, Blandisi has been almost exclusively asked to play a bottom-six role in Pittsburgh, as well as with previous teams.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made a swap, sending Anton Wedin down to the AHL and recalling Dylan Sikura. Sikura, the former Northeastern University standout, has not played in the NHL this season after skating in 33 games last year. However, he has finally earned the call as he leads the Rockford Ice Hogs with nine goals and 16 points in 22 games. Wedin, a rookie in his first season in North America, also has a nice 4-7-11 line in 17 games with Rockford but was held off the scoresheet in four games with Chicago, prompting his return.
Austin Poganski has been reassigned to the AHL's San Antonio Rampage, the St. Louis Blues announced. The move comes more than a week after Poganski was recalled, yet the young forward did not make an appearance in that time with the Blues. Poganski is still searching for his NHL debut, two years removed from a strong run at the University of North Dakota.
While the Boston Bruins placed defenseman Steven Kampfer on waivers earlier today, CapFriendly also noted that the Colorado Avalanche have put forward T.J. Tynan on waivers as well. The 27-year-old career minor-leaguer got an extended run with the Avalanche this year after only appearing in three NHL games prior to that. He got 14 games in Colorado, only picking up one assist in that span. Tynan has already appeared in 377 AHL games and would be an unlikely candidate to be claimed.
The Edmonton Oilers announced they have activated forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from injured reserve and have assigned forward Colby Cave to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Nugent-Hopkins has missed the last six games with a hand injury, but will now return to the team and give their top-six a significant boost. Nugent-Hopkins has five goals and 16 points through the Oilers' first 25 games before going down with the injury. Cave will return to Bakersfield where he has two goals and five points in 16 games.
The Montreal Canadiens have recalled forward Riley Barber from the Laval Rocket of the AHL, according to Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan. The 25-year-old Barber, who signed with the Canadiens in the offseason after four years in the Washington Capitals system, leads Laval with 18 points, but has been much more impressive over the past two or three weeks and could help Montreal as a speedy fourth-line option.
The Vancouver Canucks have returned goaltender Michael DiPietro to AHL Utica, notes TSN 1040's Rick Dhaliwal. He had been up as the backup while Jacob Markstrom was away from the team but with Markstrom back, he'll go back to the Comets to get some playing time.
AHL| Brian Gibbons| Carolina Hurricanes| Chicago Blackhawks| Clark Bishop| Colby Cave| Colorado Avalanche| Dylan Sikura| Edmonton Oilers| Joseph Blandisi| Montreal Canadiens| Ottawa Senators| Pittsburgh Penguins| Riley Barber| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins| St. Louis Blues| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks
November 29, 2019 at 9:41 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment
If you weren't satisfied with the afternoon football action yesterday, the NHL has a treat for you. The league gets an early start when the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins clash this afternoon, while eight other games also get early starts. In that first game of the day, the Rangers will try to somehow contain one of the league's best lines and slow down David Pastrnak, who has six goals in his last five games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Martin Marincin to the minor leagues, where he'll play against the Rochester Americans tonight. The Maple Leafs are in Buffalo to take on the Sabres and weren't going to use Marincin, meaning he can get in some game action for the AHL Marlies instead.
With Steven Stamkos returning today after a short absence, the Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Cory Conacher to the minor leagues. Scott Wedgewood is up in his place, giving the team three goaltenders for the time being.
The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Clark Bishop, despite the 23-year old forward earning just three points in 19 games for the Charlotte Checkers this season. Bishop certainly isn't known for his offensive chops and won't be asked to play in that role for the Hurricanes, if he gets into a game at all.
Brett Seney has been sent to the minor leagues by the New Jersey Devils, who played in two games with the team during his recall. The 23-year old Seney has 18 points in 19 games for the Binghamton Devils this year after spending most of 2018-19 with New Jersey.
Joseph Blandisi has been recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of their game this evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Blandisi has been up and down all season, splitting time in the NHL and AHL.
The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Gustav Olofsson, placing Paul Byron on injured reserve to make room. Olofsson's addition gives the team eight defensemen on the roster with Christian Folin still on his conditioning stint in the AHL.
AHL| Carolina Hurricanes| Clark Bishop| Cory Conacher| Martin Marincin| Scott Wedgewood| Steven Stamkos| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions
Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19
October 1, 2019 at 9:27 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment
Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We'll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (per team release)
F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)
Nashville Predators (per team release)
F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)
D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)
F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Liam O'Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)
AHL| Alan Quine| Andrew MacDonald| Anton Forsberg| Arizona Coyotes| Brian Gibbons| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Calle Rosen| Carolina Hurricanes| Casey DeSmith| Casey Nelson| Chicago Blackhawks| Christian Djoos| Clark Bishop| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Curtis Lazar| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Gustav Forsling| Ian Cole| J.T. Brown| Jared McIsaac| Jayson Megna| Kevin Connauton| Liam Foudy| Marko Dano| Matt Tennyson| Max McCormick| Michael Sgarbossa| Michal Kempny| Miikka Salomaki| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| Pittsburgh Penguins| QMJHL| Remi Elie| Roland McKeown| Ryan Poehling| Sam Gagner| Sami Niku| Scott Wilson| Steven Santini| Trevor Van Riemsdyk| Vegas Golden Knights| Waivers| Washington Capitals| WHL| Winnipeg Jets| Zac Rinaldo
Waivers: 09/30/19
September 30, 2019 at 9:07 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 15 Comments
Today is the last day to use waivers in order to get a roster cap compliant for the start of the regular season, so we will see a lot of players available for selection.
F Daniel Sprong
F Sam Carrick
F Peter Cehlarik
F Remi Elie
F Curtis Lazar
F Scott Wilson
D Casey Nelson
F Alan Quine
F Clark Bishop
D Gustav Forsling
G Anton Forsberg
D Carl Dahlstrom
F Jayson Megna
F Marko Dano
F Sam Gagner
D Brandon Manning
F J.T. Brown
F Miikka Salomaki
D Steven Santini
D Matt Tennyson
F Joshua Ho-Sang
F Tanner Fritz
D Thomas Hickey
F Boo Nieves
G Casey DeSmith
D Luke Schenn
F Kenny Agostino
F Nic Petan
F Garrett Wilson
D Kevin Gravel
F Sven Baertschi
F Nikolay Goldobin
D Alex Biega
F J.C. Lipon
D Nelson Nogier
G Eric Comrie
F Liam O'Brien
F Michael Sgarbossa
D Christian Djoos
AHL| Alan Quine| Alex Biega| Anaheim Ducks| Anton Forsberg| Boo Nieves| Boston Bruins| Brandon Manning| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carl Dahlstrom| Carolina Hurricanes| Casey DeSmith| Casey Nelson| Chicago Blackhawks| Christian Djoos| Clark Bishop| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Curtis Lazar| Daniel Sprong| Edmonton Oilers| Elliotte Friedman| Eric Comrie| Gustav Forsling| J.C. Lipon| J.T. Brown| Jayson Megna| Kenny Agostino| Kevin Gravel| Luke Schenn| Marko Dano| Matt Tennyson| Michael Sgarbossa| Miikka Salomaki| Minnesota Wild| Nashville Predators| Nelson Nogier| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| Nic Petan| Nikolay Goldobin| Peter Cehlarik| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| Remi Elie| Sam Gagner| Scott Wilson| Steven Santini| Sven Baertschi| Tampa Bay Lightning| Thomas Hickey| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Waivers| Washington Capitals| Winnipeg Jets
Eastern Notes: Hurricanes' Cap Issues, Johnsson, Djoos
September 8, 2019 at 2:02 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment
After signing defenseman Jake Gardiner to a new four-year, $16.2MM contract, the Carolina Hurricanes have added key depth to their team, but have also now gone beyond the salary cap and are currently sitting about $1.5MM over it. Teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, but with the season approaching, the team will have to make some adjustments, according to Hockey News' Jared Clinton.
While a trade might be the obvious solution for the Hurricanes, the scribe writes the team could send some players down to the AHL to make up the difference in salary, including center Clark Bishop, who played 20 games (and two playoff games) for Carolina last season, as well as recently acquired defenseman Gustav Forsling. The problem is, neither player is waiver-exempt and the team could lose both players to other teams looking for a young center or a defenseman with 122 games of NHL experience.
If the team does want to go the trade rout, the most likely candidate would be Justin Faulk, who will be playing in his final season before hitting unrestricted free agency. However, moving him might be somewhat challenging as Faulk has a 15-team no-trade clause, while another blueliner Dougie Hamilton, does not, making Hamilton a more likely candidate to move.
Despite a new four-year, $13.6MM contract, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson has high expectations for himself and notes that his goal is to come out of the gate better than he did last year, according to NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. The 24-year-old winger started very slow for Toronto last season, scoring just three points in the first 18 games of the season, before finally breaking out with a hat trick on Nov. 24. He finished his final 55 games with 40 points (18 goals and 22 assists). A better start could mean a better season. "[The slow start last season] is in my mind," Johnsson said. "I want to have a better start this season than I did last. I've tried to be as prepared as I can be. Now I have a full season under my belt and I know what to expect from it. It was a little bit longer summer for me this time, so it was a long time to prepare. I feel like I'm able to be healthy and was able to work on my body and mind. I feel like I'm coming stronger into this season than last."
The Washington Capitals have rebuilt their defense as the team has moved out several players including Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, while bringing in Radko Gudas, getting a full season out of Nick Jensen and high expectations for youngster Jonas Siegenthaler. One forgotten player is defenseman Christian Djoos, who many have already penciled in as the Capitals emergency defenseman after struggling returning from a midseason injury. However, The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required) writes that Djoos, who suffered a thigh injury that forced him to miss 24 games during the season, now claims to finally be 100 percent healthy and wants to reclaim his spot on Washington's defense, but will have to beat out Siegenthaler as well as 2018 first-rounder Alex Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary, the team's second-rounder in 2018, to do it.
Andreas Johnsson| Carolina Hurricanes| Christian Djoos| Clark Bishop| Dougie Hamilton| Gustav Forsling| Jake Gardiner| Jonas Siegenthaler| Justin Faulk| Toronto Maple Leafs| Washington Capitals
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes
August 18, 2019 at 2:31 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 5 Comments
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don't see struggles and front office changes.
F Andrei Svechnikov (two years, $925K)
F Martin Necas (three years, $863K)
D Jake Bean (two years, $863K)
F Warren Foegele (one year, $747K)
Potential Bonuses:
Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Necas: $538K
Bean: $500K
Foegele: $20K
With a system full of top prospects, the Hurricanes got an impressive rookie season from Svechnikov, drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018, last season and now will have a top-six option for another two years at an entry-level cost. At 18 years old, he tallied 20 goals and 37 points and should be in line for more playing time and bigger numbers this season as a 19-year-old and could eventually become the franchise winger the team needs long-term. The Hurricanes also have high hopes for Necas to step in and take big role next season at the center position. The 2017 first-rounder had an impressive season for the Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and could provide Carolina with some cheap talent.
Bean, the team's first-rounder in 2016, has only made two appearances for Carolina, but could get a chance to take a much bigger role after a strong season with Charlotte, which saw his skills take that next step. The 23-year-old Foegele began to show off his offensive skill over the course of the season in Carolina. He scored 10 goals and 15 points during the regular season, but was even more impressive in the playoffs with five goals and nine points in just 15 games. If he can take his game up a notch, the Hurricanes could have an even more impressive offense next season.
D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($874K, RFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($850K, RFA)
F Brian Gibbons ($725K, UFA)
F Clark Bishop ($700K, RFA)
F Lucas Wallmark ($675K, RFA)
There were rumors that suggested that talks between Carolina and Faulk were no where close on a potential extension and others that said negotiations were promising, however, Faulk could be a legitimate trade candidate if the team can't eventually work out an extension. The 27-year-old Faulk had a solid season both defensively as he was finally in the positive on his plus/minus for the first time in his career, while also adding 11 goals and 35 points. However, with a number of young defensemen who are waiting for a chance to get an opportunity in Carolina, it wouldn't be shocking to see Carolina unload him at the trade deadline.
Haula is an interesting acquisition. The 28-year-old was coming off a 29-goal season in Vegas' inaugural season, but then suffered a gruesome knee injury and never returned. In the end, he played just 15 games, although he was close to returning late in the season with many believing that he would have been available had the Golden Knights had gotten deeper into the playoffs. If he can prove to be healthy, Haula might prove to be one of the best acquisitions of the year. Whether the Hurricanes will re-sign him will obviously depend on how he fares next season.
The team might be ready to move on from van Riemsdyk, who has served as a bottom pairing defenseman, but probably makes too much at $2.3MM to keep around long term, especially since Fleury hasn't really had a true chance to prove himself and could be a better option at his price.
D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Dzingel ($3.38MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.13MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($738K, RFA)
The team has a number of interesting contracts with two years left, including their entire goaltending situation. The team has Mrazek, who put together a stellar season after years of inconsistency, and new backup Reimer as the new tandem with their top prospect in Nedeljkovic close to ready to step into the lineup. All three will likely stay this season as Nedeljkovic is waiver exempt and likely will just stay in the AHL. However, if he can prove in training camp that he's ready for the back-up role, few would be surprised if the team found a way to unload Reimer, who had a terrible season last year in Florida.
Despite hearing constant rumors that Carolina was shopping Hamilton around this offseason, it looks like the Hurricanes will have the veteran defenseman for another season. He put up solid numbers, scoring 18 goals an 39 points and is solid defensively, but he could eventually be a trade candidate, perhaps as early as the trade deadline if the team struggles and can't reproduce the same success it had a season ago. The team also hopes that they can get Dzingel to provide the same type of offense he was producing in Ottawa, rather than his struggles in Columbus. However, he should provide solid value at his pricetag and fit in nicely as a middle-six option.
F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)
It might have been the trade of the year when the Hurricanes acquired Niederreiter from Minnesota for Victor Rask. While Rask struggled in Minnesota, Niederreiter's season took off when he arrived, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games and he slotted in nicely on the first line. If he can produce anything close to that, the team has a steal of a deal for the next three years. If his production drops back to what it was in Minnesota earlier in the year (nine goals and 23 points in 46 games) then the team has a contract that could be a burden for some time.
F Sebastian Aho ($8.45MM through 2023-24)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM through 2023-24)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM through 2024-25)
D Brett Pesce ($4.03MM through 2023-24)
The Montreal Canadiens did Carolina a favor when they shocked the NHL by signing Aho to an offer sheet that didn't look difficult to match. While five years likely isn't ideal, the Hurricanes still now have their top franchise player signed until 2024 and can figure out its plans after that, but now are one of the few teams that have locked up their franchise restricted free agent already, with the rest still waiting to sign a contract. That should provide Aho, who had another breakout season with 30 goals and 83 points, with plenty of time to be ready for training camp and see if he can take his game to another level once again.
His linemate in Teravainen is another key piece of Carolina's future who keeps producing better and better numbers. The 24-year-old produced 21 goals and a career-high 76 points and is locked up for another five years as well, giving Aho a solid winger to work with. The team, however, may not be as thrilled with the four years it still has in Staal, who produced one of his worst seasons although injuries did play apart. The 30-year-old still has four years at $6MM from a 10-year, $60MM deal he signed back in 2012. After posting just 11 goals and 28 points in 50 games, the team hopes he can bounce back.
One thing the Hurricanes did was locking up its young defenders. The team has seen Slavin develop into a top-line defenseman in the last year and to have him locked up at just $5.3MM for six more years will likely be one of the team's biggest bargain for a long time. He has been averaging more than 22 minutes per game for three of his four seasons in the league. Pesce has also seen his game increase and is also a steal with the rising cost of young defensemen lately. Pesce saw his minutes break 20 minutes for a second straight season, while his offense increased by 10 points.
F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM in 2019-20)
F Alexander Semin ($2.33MM through 2020-21)
Salary Cap Recapture
F Justin Williams (UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen (RFA)
D Roland McKeown (RFA)
One question that is still up for grabs is whether Williams will return to the team. The 37-year-old winger has been told he can take as much time as he wants to determine whether he wants to return to hockey. He's made it clear it's either Carolina or retirement, but after putting up a solid campaign last year of 23 goals and 53 points, it's hard to believe that the veteran leader is ready to hang it up if he still is capable of producing as a top-six forward. While he may eventually have to slide down to the third line, the veteran was critical to the team's deep playoff run and Carolina hopes he will come back.
While McKeown might have a hard time finding playing time in Carolina's stacked defense, the team will need to get Maenalanen signed at some point. The 6-foot-4 bottom-six winger stepped into the lineup late in the season and was a solid contributor, posting four goals and eight points in 34 games, while skating for just 9:26 of ATOI. He provided some physical play and if he can steal a spot on the fourth line, could be valuable.
Best Value: Slavin
Worst Value: Staal
The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job of drafting well, developing their talent and adding veteran talent at reasonable prices. With most of their core already locked up long-term and plenty of talent still on entry-level contracts, the Hurricanes should be able to keep their team competitive for years and keep getting better as the team continues to develop.
AHL| Alex Nedeljkovic| Andrei Svechnikov| Brett Pesce| Brian Gibbons| Brock McGinn| Carolina Hurricanes| Clark Bishop| Dougie Hamilton| Erik Haula| Gustav Forsling| Haydn Fleury| Injury| Jaccob Slavin| James Reimer| Jordan Martinook| Jordan Staal| Justin Faulk| Justin Williams| Lucas Wallmark| Martin Necas| Montreal Canadiens| NHL| Nino Niederreiter| Patrick Marleau| Petr Mrazek| Players| Prospects| Retirement| RFA| Salary Cap| Salary Cap Deep Dive| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2019| Transactions| Vegas Golden Knights
Clark Bishop Re-Signs With Carolina Hurricanes
July 15, 2019 at 2:39 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment
The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed Clark Bishop to a one-year, two-way contract. The restricted free agent forward was not eligible for salary arbitration and will earn $700K in the NHL next season.
Bishop, 23, may be one of the players that suffer from the Hurricanes strong offseason. The team brought in Erik Haula, Ryan Dzingel and Brian Gibbons to lengthen out their forward group, leaving Bishop likely fighting for one of the last spots on the roster against other top young prospects. The fifth round pick made his NHL debut last year playing in 20 games but was used extremely sparingly and just as injury insurance. He actually struggled to produce offensively even at the minor league level, recording just nine points in a combined 58 NHL and AHL games.
Still, with some NHL experience and a recent Calder Cup victory under his belt, Brown will try to force his way onto the Carolina roster as a fourth-line option that can play center. He is no longer waiver-exempt, meaning he would have to clear in order to be sent to the AHL this fall—an advantage he has over players like Martin Necas and Janne Kuokkanen, who can both be sent down without risk.
Bishop will still be a restricted free agent at the end of this contract.
Carolina Hurricanes| Clark Bishop