Faceoff Factor

This Week's NHL Transactions

Michael Farkas | National Hockey League

Jun 1, 08:45 PM | Hype this story!

Despite the Phoenix Coyotes offering the maximum allowable contract under the previous collective bargaining agreement, Blake Wheeler (5th overall, 2004) has opted to become an unrestricted free agent. Wheeler sent a letter of intent to go pro to the Coyotes in the second week of May, at which point the Coyotes had 30 days to get the converted winger under contract.

“I’m actually quite stunned,” said Coyotes general manager Don Maloney. “Quite frankly, we made him an offer significantly better than any other contract he can get. …I think he’s making a big mistake because of the commitment we’ve made to our young players and the young players we’re prepared to invest in.”

Wheeler’s agent, Matt Keator, in reply said, “We appreciate the Coyotes offering the maximum amount. There is no question that they wanted to sign Blake and made every effort to do so but there was more than money involved in this decision.”

He went on to mention that most players have to wait until their late 20’s to decide where they want to play and Blake has that opportunity at the age of 21.

Wheeler’s new contract will be limited by the most recent CBA as opposed to the old one. Without getting into complicated bonuses and clauses, Wheeler’s best-case scenario (which by all reports, the Coyotes offered) involved a base salary of $984,200 per year. His new best-case scenario would include a maximum of $875,000 per year and a much thinner signing bonus.

The Coyotes will receive the 35th pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft as compensation for losing the rights to a first round selection. The pick does not and did not belong to any other NHL club. It is inserted at the 35th spot and the team at 36 will slide down one spot, as well as the team at 37 and so on.

For Phoenix, they own the following second round picks in 2008: 35th (compensatory), 38th (from Toronto), 39th (their own) and 49th (from Ottawa).

This is a snippet of what the second round looks like as of the time this article was published:

31- Nashville (from Tampa Bay via Florida)
32 – Los Angeles
33 – St. Louis (from Atlanta)
34 – St. Louis
35 – Phoenix (compensatory)
36 – N.Y. Islanders [slid down one because of the inserted pick at 35]
37 – Columbus
38 – Phoenix (from Toronto)
39…etc.

My thoughts: Personally, I absolutely hate this. For a team like the Coyotes to go quite-a-ways off the board to select Wheeler at 5 and then proceed to offer him a maximum contract, I think it would be in good taste for Wheeler to sign with them. I’m not sure who Blake Wheeler thinks he is that it’s not enough for him to get a shot in the NHL, but that he needs to select where it is he wants to play. He better impress in camp or select a team that has their minor league affiliate in the same city as the NHL team or he’s going to be very disappointed (i.e. if he signs with Minnesota and they send him down, he goes to Houston, is he going to be okay with that?) Granted, it’s a business decision, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with it.

In a minor trade, the Boston Bruins shipped out defenseman Jonathan Sigalet to Columbus in exchange for left winger Matt Marquardt (7th round, 2006). The 6’3”, 229 lb. Marquardt split the year between Moncton (QMJHL) and Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) where he gathered a combined 43 goals and 69 points in 68 games. According to rumors, the Blue Jackets did not intend to sign Marquardt and subsequently shipped him to a team that would. Sigalet spent the year with Providence (AHL) where he notched 23 points in 74 games. Sigalet, who still has one year remaining on deal that pays $500,000 in base salary ($265,000 in achievable bonuses), appeared in one NHL game in 06-07 for Boston.
The Bruins have since signed Marquardt to an entry-level contract.

My thoughts: I’m a bit surprised Boston moved Sigalet, he seemed to have some NHL potential and his brother (goaltender Jordan) plays in the organization as well. Marquardt is something of a project, but Boston seems game.

The Washington Capitals have re-signed grinding winger Matt Bradley to a three-year deal worth, reportedly, $3 million ($1 million cap hit per year). Bradley chipped in seven goals and 18 points in 77 games for Washington. As well as two assists in their first round playoff exit to Philadelphia.

My thoughts: If the $1 million figure is correct, then it looks like a pretty solid deal to me. Bradley is a guy that brings a lot of energy and a club can never have enough blue-collar workers like Bradley.

The Dallas Stars re-signed defenseman Trevor Daley to a three-year deal worth $6.9 million ($2.3 million cap hit). Daley set career highs in games played (82), goals (5), assists (19) and points (24) and became increasingly valuable for the Stars as defenseman after defenseman succumbed to injury over the course of the year.

My thoughts: That’s a good chunk of change for a 6th or maybe even 7th defenseman. I think they overpaid here by at least $500,000 per year, but I’m not Brett Hull.

Some of the more major entry-level contracts doled out:

Just days before losing his rights, the Florida Panthers came to terms with center Michael Frolik (10th overall, 2006). Frolik spent the season with Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) where he tallied 24 goals and 65 points in 45 games. Florida also inked defenseman Michael Caruso (4th round, 2006) to an entry-level deal.

The Senators signed on Peter Regin (3rd round, 2004). The Oilers signed Josef Hrabal (8th round, 2003). Calgary came to terms with Hugo Carpentier (4th round, 2006). The Sabres signed up and coming goaltender prospect Jhonas Enroth (2nd round, 2006) and Michigan State forward Tim Kennedy (Wsh, 6th round, 2005). Kennedy’s right were acquired from Washington in a draft day trade.

My thoughts: I’m pleased to see that the Panthers signed Frolik, that team needs to start moving forward and stop toiling around within this rebuild. Peter Regin and Jhonas Enroth, especially the latter, should end up on a lot of hockey fan’s radars sooner rather than later. The Spartans look they lose another big time scorer in Kennedy, hopefully they had a good recruitment.

Loose pucks:
St. Louis Blues goaltender Hannu Toivonen, probably best known for giving Sidney Crosby is first NHL goal, has decided to sign with Ilves Tampere of SM-Liiga (Finland). Toivonen, a former Bruins first rounder, had a rather uneventful year between St. Louis of the NHL and Peoria of the AHL.

For Capitals goaltender and Hershey Bears (AHL) starter Frederic Cassivi will continue his hockey career in Germany with the Sinupret Ice Tigers. Similarly, Flyers forward Denis Tolpeko, Blackhawks defenseman Andrei Zyuzin, Oilers defenseman Allan Rourke and Ducks forward Jason King will be headed to their own respective European clubs for the 2008-09 season. Stay tuned for a full list of players heading off to Europe and other transactions here at Faceoff Factor with the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Update: A late breaking rumor that Flyers swingman Sami Kapanen will be returning to Finland for this season. More on that in the next “rumors” piece, coming soon.

Repose en paix, Luc.