Ranger s land Panarin, but Habs steal spotlight
For a couple of hours on Monday, the New York Rangers made the biggest splash in free agency.
After all, they managed to secure the best forward on the 2019 list of unrestricted free agents, Artemi Panarin, who signed for seven years and close to US$81.5 million.
It’s a heck of an addition for a Rangers club that drafted forward Kaapo Kakko second overall last weekend in Vancouver and recently added defenceman Jacob Trouba via trade.
And then in mid-afternoon came the bombshell that many in the National Hockey League, and those who report on it, weren’t sure was going to materialize.
An offer sheet.
Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin stepped up and signed restricted free agent Sebastian Aho, the 21-yearold budding star of the Carolina Hurricanes to an offer sheet for five years and $42.27 million (an annual average value of $8.454 million).
The Hurricanes have one week to match it, and despite the financial difficulties it might present, appeared to be set to do so. Carolina general manager Don Waddell has indicated in the past that, in the event of an offer sheet for Aho, who led the Hurricanes in scoring with 83 points in 82 games last season, he would match. On Monday, Waddell said he was “surprised it wasn’t more.”
Later on, there was another big splash when Kyle Dubas further bolstered Toronto’s defence, but brought an end to Nazem Kadri’s often turbulent career with the Maple Leafs. The general manager dealt Kadri, defenceman Calle Rosen and a third-round pick next year to the Colorado Avalanche for defenceman Tyson Barrie, forward Alex Kerfoot and a sixth-rounder in 2020. Colorado will retain half of Barrie’s AAV of $5.5 million.
Barrie joins Cody Ceci, acquired earlier in the day, on a new-look Leaf blue-line that will be fronted by Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin. Travis Dermott will likely open the season on injured reserve as he recovers from shoulder surgery, necessitating some depth moves.
The acquisition of veteran centre Jason Spezza on the first day of free agent shopping made Kadri’s future shaky after he came under heavy fire for another episode of losing his temper at playoff time and was suspended for the balance of Toronto’s series with Boston.
Barrie, 27, appeared in 78 games for the Avs last year, putting up 59 points, ranking seventh among NHL defencemen. In the playoffs, he had eight points in 12 games.
Regarding Aho, if Carolina decides not to match, the compensation would be a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and a third-round pick from Montreal.
It’s the first offer sheet in the NHL since 2013, when Colorado matched a Calgary offer pitched to Ryan O’Reilly. In the past 22 years, only Dustin Penner, who went to Edmonton from Anaheim, has changed teams after signing an offer sheet.
TA LENTS TO SOUTH BEACH
Sergei Bobrovsky never has won the Stanley Cup, and when it comes right down to it, he didn’t exactly put up sparkling numbers in the playoffs during his years with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Philadelphia Flyers.
None of that matters to the Florida Panthers, who signed the 30-year-old Bobrovsky, the best goaltender available, to a seven-year, $70-million contract.
STARS STR UCK
It’s going to be strange to see Joe Pavelski, 34, wearing something other than the sweater of the San Jose Sharks. Pavelski, who was named captain in San Jose in 2015, now takes that leadership to the Dallas Stars for three years and $21 million.
Pavelski has scored at least 29 goals in five of the past six seasons. The Sharks didn’t want to give Pavelski more than two years.
COUNTRY BOY
A laid-back lifestyle in Nashville — and a chance to win the Cup — made the Predators a natural landing spot for country music fan Matt Duchene.
On Twitter, Duchene quoted John Denver’s song Take Me Home, Country Roads, and then said he “couldn’t be more excited” to join Nashville and that he “can’t wait to get started.”
Said Preds GM David Poile: “Our objective was to bolster our offence, and signing Duchene gives us another dynamic goal-scoring, playmaking centre. We are excited to add his skill and experience to our top-six forwards and look forward to the next seven years of Matt and his family in Smashville.”
POINT SHOTS
The Sharks signed forward Timo Meier to a four-year, $24-million contract … New Jersey finished 21st overall on the power play last season, but with the signing of Wayne Simmonds, and following the addition last week of P.K. Subban, expect the Devils’ power play units to get a boost … Goalie Robin Lehner is off to Chicago on a one-year deal worth $5 million.