Thomas Vanek is using his newfound unrestricted free-agent status as motivation.
Bought out by the Minnesota Wild, the 32-year-old winger is set to hit the open market with a will to prove he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
"(Vanek) is more motivated than I’ve ever heard him, talking about coming back and showing everybody he’s 30-goal scorer," agent Steve Bartlett told John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
The 30-goal mark hasn't been reached by Vanek since he scored 32 with the Sabres in 2010-11, and the 18 he scored in 2015-16 marked the lowest single-season output of his career.
Still, Vanek is averaging 31.7 goals per 82 games over the course of his career and hit at least 20 every season before last since entering the NHL in 2005.
While the Wild weren't willing to carry his $6.5-million cap hit for another season to find out if can indeed rediscover his scoring touch, the team that signs him could get nice value out of Vanek, especially if he comes in at a discounted rate.
Set to hit unrestricted free agency Friday, Martin understands his tenure with the only NHL club he's ever known may be coming to an end.
"As the time ticks away here, you wonder what’s in store for you and your future," Martin said Tuesday, writes Newsday's Arthur Staple. "You still hope something can get done, but it's a business. I never thought it would get this far, but this is how these things go."
Martin scored nine goals and had 10 assists last season. For a fourth-line winger who loves to use the body, he's been remarkably durable, missing only nine games since becoming a regular on the club in 2011-12. He recorded 365 hits last year, and his 19 points were a career high.
According to Staple, Martin's looking for a four-year, $12-million contract - too rich for the Islanders.
"It’s not a situation where I want to leave," Martin added. "I'd hope they want to keep me as well, but it’s just how the business works."
Martin's the type of player who is typically overpaid on July 1. That's good news for him, even as the 27-year-old departs the team that he grew up with, and the community he made strong connections in.
In 438 career NHL games, Martin has 42 goals, 46 assists, and over 2,000 hits.
Redditor Cory7321 and his friends stumbled upon a shrine for the Pittsburgh Penguins forward at a sports bar in the Jamaican resort they were staying at, and of course, they had to share the incredible discovery.
The club has reportedly signed third overall pick Pierre-Luc Dubois to his entry-level contract, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
The Dubois news comes moments after the club announced a six-year contract extension with prized defenseman Seth Jones, worth a reported $32.4 million.
The Blue Jackets shocked most of the hockey world Friday when they took Dubois with the No. 3 selection in the first round. To the 18-year-old's credit, he ripped up the QMJHL in 2015-16, scoring 42 goals and adding 57 assists in 62 games. He had 12 points in 12 playoff games.
The contract is a standard three-year deal that all rookies sign.
"Acquiring Seth Jones was very important to our organization and reaching a long-term agreement with him to remain a Blue Jacket was a priority, so we are extremely excited about having done so today," said general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.
"At 21, Seth is just beginning to tap into his potential as a player. He has everything you look for in a defenseman and is going to be a very important player and leader on our team for many years."
Jones was acquired from the Nashville Predators last season in exchange for Ryan Johansen. He averaged over 24 minutes a game on the blue line with Columbus, and is clearly seen as a franchise defenseman to build around.
Drafted fourth overall in 2013, Jones is averaging 0.7 points per 60 minutes at even strength over the course of his 240-game career, and has proven to be a positive possession player.
The signing removes any possibility of an offer sheet, which Jones could have signed as a restricted free agent.
The Blue Jackets, however, are now in a serious salary cap crunch, with an estimated $42,858 in available space with 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies signed, according to General Fanager.
According to James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail, the Blue Jackets have told teams they're willing to retain salary in order to dump undesirable contracts, while Chris Johnston of Sportsnet suggests Columbus could exercise a buyout option over the next two days.
Many teams have spent the past several years looking for the next Milan Lucic. After one season with the Los Angeles Kings, the power forward is available for those looking for the real thing.
David Backes
The St. Louis Blues will be in need of a new captain next season, as David Backes likely priced himself out of their range with strong production in the team's run to the Western Conference finals.
Kyle Okposo
A seventh overall draft pick by the New York Islanders in 2006, Kyle Okposo has emerged as a high-end winger and is hitting free agency right in his prime. Good news for a GM not named Garth Snow.
Loui Eriksson
Failing a last-minute deal with the Bruins, the biggest piece to come back in the Tyler Seguin trade is set to cash in following his best season in Boston.
Andrew Ladd
The former Winnipeg Jets captain is looking for another chance at a Stanley Cup after the Chicago Blackhawks fell way short in this year's playoffs. He'll also be looking for a raise on his previous $4.4-million average annual valuation, meaning contending teams may not have the cap space to sign him. Catch-22.
Eric Staal
A brief and unsuccessful stint with the Rangers didn't do much to boost Eric Staal's value as a free agent. The longtime Carolina Hurricanes captain may have to settle for a shorter term and less money with a view to rediscovering his game.
Mikkel Boedker
The 2008 eighth overall draft pick has yet to discover the form of a consistent point producer at the NHL level, but the 26-year-old is entering his prime years, and - for better or worse - teams will be prepared to bank on a true breakout for Mikkel Boedker.
Troy Brouwer
A strong playoff performance with the St. Louis Blues (eight goals and five assists in 20 games) should help Troy Brouwer net the biggest contract of his career to date.
David Perron
David Perron played well for Anaheim following a trade from Pittsburgh, but his season was derailed by a shoulder injury. The 28-year-old has bounced between three teams over the past two seasons, but did record a career-high 28 goals and 57 points in 2013-14.
Frans Nielsen
The New York Islanders will look to lock up Frans Nielsen before he hits the open market, but the demand for this formidable two-way center would be big if he does indeed become available.
Jiri Hudler
Jiri Hudler has been good for 122 points in 150 games over the past two seasons, and will be a solid signing for whichever team jumps at the versatile Czech center.
Lee Stempniak
Lee Stempniak recorded 19 goals and 51 points with the Bruins and New Jersey Devils in 2016-17, perhaps earning himself some job security in the form of a new long-term deal. The 33-year-old winger has suited up for six teams over the past three seasons, so he'll likely sign a one-year deal and get traded prior to the deadline for draft picks once again.
Thomas Vanek
After the Minnesota Wild bought out the final season of his contract, Thomas Vanek is on the open market and once again looking for redemption. While he's not worth a $6.5-million cap hit at 32, there are still some goals left on his stick. He failed to hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his 11-year career last season, but Vanek's 18 goals will likely get him a look as a potential top-six forward for a team seeking help up front.
Jimmy Vesey
The college standout's rights were acquired by the Sabres, but Jimmy Vesey remains intent on becoming a free agent with the ability to sign with any team come Aug. 15. The Maple Leafs and Bruins are believed to be the front-runners.
Concussions ended Mike Richter's NHL career and the former Stanley Cup-winning goalie with the New York Rangers will likely donate his brain to help scientists better understand chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), writes the New York Daily News' Christian Red.
Richter hasn't made his decision, but since his retirement in 2003 and after numerous instances of NFL players making donations before ending their own lives, he's thought about it.
"Probably," the now 49-year-old said about his potential donation. "It's not a particularly happy thought, but in a sense, it is (rewarding) because you're helping other people."
Richter added that he's an organ donor and that his mother donated her body to science after she passed away last year with inclusive myositis, a disease similar to multiple sclerosis.
His name etched on the Stanley Cup in 1994, Richter spent his entire career on Broadway, playing in 666 regular-season games and winning 301 of them. He finished with a career .904 save percentage and 2.89 goals-against average. He shined in the spring of '94, with a .921 save percentage and four shutouts in 23 games, as New York won its first title in 54 years.
Richter retired in 2003 at 36 after two concussions suffered in 2002. He fractured his skull after taking a slap shot to the mask late in the 2001-2002 season, and took a knee to the head in November 2003.
He's in good health now, though, and doesn't suffer any long-term effects. He plays in a non-contact men's rec league, and his goalkeeping days are done - Richter's a forward now.
He played in and came from a different era. Richter added that back in his youth, concussions weren't on the radar. At all.
"I had no idea when I entered as a young kid. I don't subscribe to the idea that everybody in pro sports knows what they signed up for, because we don't. I liked playing," he said.
Lucic to the Oilers? Nugent-Hopkins to the Devils? Bruins to send offer sheet to Trouba? Check out the latest in your NHL rumor mill. Latest Oilers speculation. TSN 1040 (via TODAY’S SLAPSHOT): Bob McKenzie claims Edmonton is now a hot ticket for some players, citing the drafting last year of Connor McDavid, the Oilers new […]
General manager Ron Francis has confirmed the club has not contacted former captain and unrestricted free agent Eric Staal about a possible return on a new deal.
Traded to the New York Rangers prior to the deadline this past season, Staal is said to be seeking a top-six role at center in free agency.
Staal, of course, served as the face of the franchise over the past decade, serving as captain and helping bring a Stanley Cup to Carolina in 2006.
The 31-year-old is coming off a seven-year contract that carried an average annual valuation of $8.25 million, and will likely carry a significantly lower cap hit on his next deal.
Ladd has said he'll be looking to sign with a legitimate Stanley Cup contender after a brief and unsuccessful run with the Chicago Blackhawks this past season.
The former Winnipeg Jets captain is coming off a five-year contract that carried an average annual valuation of $4.4 million.
