With training camps well underway, our picture of opening night is becoming more clear. While teams still have final roster decisions to make in the last week of the preseason, there are a few noteworthy developments for us to look at now.
Canucks Re-sign RFAs
In my previous preseason update, I looked at the potential impact of key RFAs not being re-signed in time for opening night. The Vancouver Canucks were the team with the most to lose, with both Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes still needing new contracts. The Canucks came to terms with both players last week, avoiding the potential of missing these key players from their opening night lineup due to contract status.
The Canucks signed Hughes to a 6 year deal with a cap hit of $7.85M, locking up their young defensemen long term. While Quinn’s projected value for the 21/22 season is that of a top pair defensemen, the cap hit still comes in quite high. The projected value for Hughes in 21/22 is down around the 25th percentile for defensemen. However, at just 21 years of age, Hughes has the potential to continue to develop throughout the contract. If he continues to grow into a more impactful player, the value from this contract could look much better in a couple of seasons.
The Canucks and Pettersson went a different direction, landing on a 3 year bridge deal with a cap hit of $7.35M. Vancouver gets good projected value out of their top forward right out of the gate with this deal but it comes at the cost of term. With Pettersson locked up for just 3 years, he’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights at the end of this deal and just one year away from unrestricted free agency. If he continues on his current development path, Petterson will be due a large payday on his next deal and, based on recent comments about wanting to play on a winning team, could be looking for a change of scenery if the Canucks don’t show they are on a path to contention in the next three years.
Depleted Penguins
The bad news continued in Pittsburgh this week. With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin already on the shelf to start the regular season, two Penguins forwards have entered Covid protocol after testing positive for the virus. Jake Guenztel and Zach Aston-Reese could both miss opening night before they are cleared to return. With four regular forwards out, the Penguins’ forward depth will be tested right out of the gate.
Vrana Injured
After the Red Wings acquired him at last season’s trade deadline, Jacub Vrana was set to get an opportunity as a key player for Detroit this season. Unfortunately, the Red Wings announced that Vrana will miss the first four months of the season after shoulder surgery. It’s a big loss for Detroit, with their top line taking a big hit with Vrana’s absense.
Opening Night Rosters
With the regular season just over a week away, I’ll be updating each team’s opening night roster as it takes shape. Check back for a full update of the 21/22 season projections based on opening night rosters in the coming days.
