The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Noah Dobson to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.
Dobson was drafted 12th overall this past June, a pick that looks to have been among the draft's biggest steals, as he entered ranking fifth among all North American skaters and third among North American defensemen.
The 18-year-old had a monstrous year after putting up 17 goals and 69 points in 67 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL, while also contributing 13 playoff points en route to his team capturing the Memorial Cup.
The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Noah Dobson to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.
Dobson was drafted 12th overall this past June, a pick that looks to have been among the draft's biggest steals, as he entered ranking fifth among all North American skaters and third among North American defensemen.
The 18-year-old had a monstrous year after putting up 17 goals and 69 points in 67 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL, while also contributing 13 playoff points en route to his team capturing the Memorial Cup.
Few things motivate people to produce at a high level like the thought of a big payday.
A number of players will be looking to prove their value this season in hopes of putting pen to paper on a multimillion-dollar deal next July.
Let's take a look at five players who should boost their production as they seek bigger deals - leaving out some superstars entering their contract years. Not only are Tyler Seguin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Erik Karlsson, and their ilk likely to enjoy continued success this season, they're probably set to cash in regardless of their performance.
The 26-year-old reportedly told the team he wasn't ready to sign an extension in June and said in July that he won't talk business once training camp opens. It looks like he'll be playing his final year in Columbus this season, and could potentially be traded.
Over the last two years, he's posted 156 points, good for seventh league-wide and tied with Alex Ovechkin for the second-most among left wingers. Another strong year would give him the opportunity to write his ticket to the team of his choosing, which appears to be what he wants most. An eight-digit contract wouldn't hurt either. Do you need more motivation than that?
Jeff Skinner, Sabres
After a down 2017-18 campaign, Skinner is poised to bounce back.
The 26-year-old joins the Sabres after largely playing on the Carolina Hurricanes' third line last season. Luckily for him, he's expected to slot into Buffalo's top trio alongside Jack Eichel.
This could be just what Skinner needs to get his numbers back up to snuff. In his impressive 2016-17 campaign, he recorded a career-high 37 goals and matched his career best of 63 points while averaging the most minutes among the team's forwards on the power play and at even strength. One should expect this kind of heavy volume in Buffalo.
Skinner is entering the last season of a six-year, $34.35-million deal, and he'll be playing more minutes alongside an elite talent with what could be his last big contract on the horizon.
Ryan Ellis, Predators
There's no getting around it, Ellis is currently playing on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league.
The Predators blue-liner is going into the final year of a five-year, $12.5-million contract, a deal that pays him just $2.5 million annually.
Ellis comes into this season after posting nine goals and 32 points in just 44 games a year ago.
Over the last two years, he's had the 17th highest points per game total among all defensemen with at least 60 games played.
Ellis' production continues to improve and with his first and potentially only long-term contract of his career on the line, expect him to further showcase himself as one of the league's premier offensive defensemen.
Jake Gardiner, Maple Leafs
Gardiner is coming off a season that will be remembered for featuring both the best and worst of what the young defenseman has to offer.
The 28-year-old set a career high with 52 points in 82 games while potting a career-best 15 power-play points. He had a strong regular season, but shouldered much of the blame for the Maple Leafs' collapse in the third period of Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
He averaged the most ice time on the team during the regular season and finished with the ninth highest point total by a Maple Leafs defender since the 1991 campaign.
Gardiner now enters a pivotal season, as many pundits still point to the club's blue line as their weakness. If he can prove to be a dependable defenseman at both ends of the ice, he will be in line for a big payday.
After managing just 18 goals across 183 career games heading into his first season with the Golden Knights, Karlsson went off. The Swede finished third overall with 43 goals while besting his previous career high in points by 53, tallying 78 in 82 contests.
Prior to signing a one-year, $5.25-million contract, Karlsson was reportedly asking for $6.5 million from Vegas heading into arbitration, while the Golden Knights had countered with a $3.5-million ask.
Karlsson eventually got the Golden Knights to come up nearly $2 million from their original price, suggesting they understand his worth. It's now on him to replicate that success.
While the Ottawa Senators and Mark Stone may have only come to terms on a one-year contract this offseason, the star forward is confident both sides will be able to reach a long-term agreement in the future.
Stone inked a one-year, $7.35-million contract just hours before his scheduled arbitration meeting with the club. Luckily, both sides avoided the unpleasantness of arbitration and remain on good terms, leaving Stone believing a long-term deal down the road is possible.
"I was really happy with the way everything panned out," Stone said, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. "I don’t think either side really wanted to take it to arbitration. We're really happy with the number and both sides are really happy to have the opportunity to try and work something out long-term."
Stone can sign an extension anytime after Jan. 1, 2019. He is coming off his most productive season in terms of points per game, as the 26-year-old tallied 62 points in 2017-18 (tied for the team lead) despite being limited to just 58 games due to injury.
Having managed no fewer than 20 goals and 54 points in his first four full seasons in the league, Stone will likely cash in once his next round of contract talks pick up.
Wayne Gretzky has been named global ambassador of the Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, the team announced on Tuesday.
The club plans to have Gretzky focus on aiding youth development in China at a planned hockey school that will provide training for kids aged eight to 17.
"Having Wayne Gretzky on board is a tremendous boost for hockey in China," Red Star's Executive Director Ao Meng told the ChinaDaily.com's Sun Xiaochen. "To now have him part of the growth of hockey in China in the buildup to the 2022 Winter Olympics will promote interest and participation in the sport, especially among young people."
The move looks to be the latest ploy by the country to boost its hockey program ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing.
"I'm excited to make my first trip to China next month and partner with Kunlun Red Star to grow this wonderful game," Gretzky said. "I'm looking forward to seeing more and more young players take part in the sport."
The NHL has made it a priority in recent years to try and tap into the Chinese market. The league announced in May that the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames would play two preseason games in China. It will mark the second straight season the NHL has played preseason contests overseas after the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings played a pair of exhibition games in China last year.
After an injury kept him out of the final week of the regular season and the entire postseason, Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter looks to be on the mend.
The 33-year-old fractured his ankle in a game against the Dallas Stars on March 31. After undergoing surgery and taking it easy throughout the summer, his latest CT Scan was positive, and he told The Athletic's Michael Russo he's confident he'll be ready for training camp.
Suter has begun skating periodically and said his ankle feels good and should return to normal. He plans to play in a benefit game on Aug. 26 that will help raise money for the Jim Johannson Legacy Fund and the USA Hockey Foundation. American stars like Auston Matthews, Dylan Larkin, James van Riemsdyk, and teammate Zach Parise will also participate in the event.
Despite the injury, Suter had a very productive 2017-18 campaign. He tallied six goals and tied his career high of 51 points in 78 games.
Age is just a number for some elite producers in the NHL.
Once most players enter their 30s, they're generally past their prime. However, there are still a select few who put up big numbers even while some of their aging colleagues struggle to stay in the league.
Here are five players you can count on in fantasy even though they're entering their mid-to-late 30s.
Patrick Marleau, Maple Leafs
Marleau enters the 2018-19 season having posted consecutive 27-goal seasons, and when the puck drops to commence the Toronto Maple Leafs' season on Oct. 3 he'll be 39 years old.
The veteran forward had a strong first season in Toronto, tallying five game-winning goals and surpassing the 200-plus shot threshold for the 10th time in his career. Following the signing of John Tavares on July 1, head coach Mike Babcock suggested that Marleau would start this season playing alongside Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Given he spent the majority of last season playing alongside Nazem Kadri on the team's "checking line," the move should put Marleau in line to continue to produce. Meanwhile, with the departure of Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, and Leo Komarov, Marleau could also see more power-play action, which would set him up to record double-digit points with the man-advantage this season.
Justin Williams, Hurricanes
Williams flourished in his first year with the Carolina Hurricanes. He finished third in scoring with 51 points - just his second 50-plus point season since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season.
He tallied a respectable 16 goals, and the 36-year-old did so, despite the fact that his shooting percentage dropped 6.3 percent from the previous year (14.4 percent).
Over the last five seasons, Williams has averaged 19.8 goals and 47 points with an average of 10 power-play points. He might slot a little lower in the Hurricanes lineup next season with the addition of Andrei Svechnikov, but if he can maintain his high-level play and get a little more puck luck, he should be in line to hit the 20-goal mark once again.
Joe Thornton, Sharks
Thornton's likelihood of producing this season will depend on his ability to remain healthy.
Last season, he was limited to just 47 games, not dressing in a single contest after Jan. 23 after undergoing knee surgery. Despite the missed time, the 39-year-old still managed to put up a respectable 36 points, including 13 goals - six more than he had in 79 games in 2017.
He also tallied seven power-play goals while recording half of his total points with the man advantage. In a poor 2017, Thornton scored just seven goals, but still managed 50 points. He also put up 19 power-play points, and this past season, he had another 18.
In a full 82-game campaign Thornton should be good for another 60 points, and around 30 points with the man advantage.
Eric Staal, Wild
Following the 2015-16 season, it looked as though Staal might be on his way out of the league. In a combined 83 games he scored 13 goals and 39 points with the Hurricanes and the New York Rangers.
However, he looks to have rekindled his offense with the Wild and has shown no sign of slowing down. This past season, Staal had the second-highest goal total of his career (42) and the highest since his sophomore season during the 2005-06 campaign.
Staal is coming off a 76-point season and will turn 34 in October. Last season, He had a career-high shooting percentage (17.4) and had double-digit power-play goals (11) for the first time in seven years.
With 70 goals in the past two years, Staal should be a safe bet to challenge for another 30 goals this coming season.
Joe Pavelski, Sharks
Pavelski's point totals have dropped over the last two seasons since a 2015-16 campaign that saw him post 38 goals and 78 points. Nevertheless he has remained consistent, still managing to record 68 and 66-point seasons respectively.
The Sharks captain recently saw his shooting percentage drop to 9.8 percent last season, his lowest mark in seven years. Despite the drop, Pavelski still hit the 20-goal plateau for the ninth straight time in a full 82-game season.
This season, he is expected to slot alongside a healthy Thornton and a rejuvenated Evander Kane, who put up 14 points in 17 games after joining the club ahead of the trade deadline.
At 34 years old, there is no reason to think Pavelski won't produce 60-plus points for the eighth time in his career. He should also be a lock to pick up 20 power-play points for the seventh time.
Several household hockey names known for putting up strong fantasy numbers struggled mightily in the 2017-18 campaign.
In many instances, it might have been a sign of career regression, but these five stars are likely to bounce back this season:
Max Pacioretty, Canadiens
Pacioretty is coming off his least productive season since becoming a full-time NHLer during the 2011-12 campaign.
The 29-year-old posted just 17 goals in 64 games after scoring no fewer than 30 in the previous four seasons. That dropped his point total from 67 to 37.
The scoring woes can be blamed in part on bad puck luck. Pacioretty registered his lowest shooting percentage (eight percent) since the 2009-10 season, when he split time between the NHL and AHL. Playing most of his minutes alongside Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw, who combined for 18 goals, didn't set him up for success, either.
It's also possible he'll be traded to a contender before the offseason concludes. Either way, expect his numbers to improve in a contract year.
Jason Spezza, Stars
Spezza will look to put a dreadful 2017-18 behind him.
The 35-year-old Dallas Stars forward had the worst statistical season of his career aside from his rookie campaign, in which he played just 33 games. He put up just eight goals and 26 points in 78 games after recording 15 and 50 in 68 games in the 2016-17 season.
Spezza averaged 3:10 less ice time per game last season compared to 2017 and his shooting percentage dropped to 5.8 percent, good for 460th in the NHL among those who played at least 25 games. It didn't help that he was moved from his native center to the wing for parts of the season.
New coach Jim Montgomery has already expressed interest in having Spezza move back to center, and he has high expectations for the veteran. He might not have another 60-point season, but he should manage more than 26.
Brandon Saad, Blackhawks
After returning to the team he spent his first three seasons with, Saad put up the lowest point total of his career (35) in a full season, with six fewer goals and 18 fewer points than the season prior. He tallied just one point on the power play, despite logging the fifth-most time with the man advantage among Blackhawks forwards.
Saad appears to be a victim of the team's overall regression last season, as he was coming off three straight 50-plus-point campaigns. The 25-year-old played alongside captain Jonathan Toews, who put up the lowest goal total of his career (20) and his lowest point total (52) in a full season.
With more puck luck (he recorded a career-worst 7.6 shooting percentage last season) and a return to form from his teammates, Saad can easily return to his former 50-point self.
Bryan Little, Jets
Little managed to produce less year over year in 2017-18 despite playing in 23 more games.
The 30-year-old put up 21 goals and 47 points in 59 games during the 2016-17 season and followed that up this past year with 16 goals and 43 points while playing all 82.
One of the biggest reasons for the drop appears to be a lack of opportunities. Little took just 10 more shots last year than he did in 2016-2017 despite playing in far more games.
With Stastny gone, Little's expected to move back into a top-six role, and the extra minutes should boost his production.
T.J. Oshie, Capitals
The 2017-18 season wasn't a disaster for Oshie - heck, the guy won the Stanley Cup - but there's no getting around the fact that he had a down year.
The 31-year-old recorded 18 goals and 47 points in 74 games after reaching a career-high 33 goals and 56 points in six fewer games in 2016-17.
The biggest difference year over year looks to be his linemates. In 2016-17, Oshie played 513 minutes at even strength alongside Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. This past year, he played just 50 minutes with that duo and split the majority of his time with either Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana or Backstrom and Andre Burakovsky. He had less lineup stability and fewer minutes alongside the team's superstars.
Of course, Oshie contributed 21 points in 24 playoff games, so perhaps we've already seen proof he'll have a stronger 2019 season.
