Post by Asbjørn Nygård on Apr 11, 2019 14:35:01 GMT -5
COMING TO AMERICA
by Asbjørn Nygård
The Dynasty Hockey League (DHL) offseason is usually a time for rest and relaxation. For the teams that don't qualify for the playoffs there's usually nothing to do until August when the draft begins and that means a solid five months of inactivity and opportunity to get away from the league.
But for the St. Roch Hawks there is no offseason. Hawks Owner Doug Stolhand is a daily visitor to the leagues exclusive "owners only" message board and is always looking for ways to improve his (usually crappy) team. This offseason is no different and so far there's been quite a bit of movement already.
Following up on two stories we reported on previously the St. Roch Hawks have indeed traded star left winger Artemi Panarin. We knew the trade was completed weeks ago but until yesterday we did not know where Panarin was headed nor what the compensation would be. We got those answers yesterday when the trade was officially posted and confirmed on the previously mentioned message board. Panarin is now the property of the Oslo Mastadon and has two years left on his Entry Level Contract (ELC) at the cost of $8 and $12, respectively. In return for the diminutive skilled winger the Hawks receive $24 in future cap space split over two years - $12 in 2021-22 and another $12 in 2022-23.
Panarin was originally drafted by the then Stockholm Syndrome with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 Draft. After a season in Stockholm he moved with the team to Atlanta to play one season as an Atlanta Thrasher before moving with the team again to St. Roch where he has been until now. He was productive immediately upon joining the DHL with 30 goals and 77 points in his rookie season. He followed that up with 31 goals and 74 points the following year, then 27 goals and 82 points in his first year in St. Roch and this past year he had 29 goals and 87 points. Coming off a career high in points and averaging an impressive 29 goals per season there's no doubt that Panarin is one of the top left wingers in the league. He led the Hawks in goals, assists and points this past season and his production at left wing will be tough to replace.
"There's no doubt he was a great player for us, and we want to thank Art(emi) for always being a classy member of the Syndrome/Thrashers/Hawks organization," said Hawks Assistant General Manager Doug MacLean. "That said, with only two years left on his contract we felt the time was right to move him in exchange for future cap space and we were able to achieve that goal."
The Hawks have been privately working on a long-term plan for most of the season and discussed it at length with season ticket holders during a private, contentious Q&A session just after the regular season concluded. Season ticket holder Doug Henning attended the Q&A and spoke with the media afterwards. "I went in to this meeting ready to cancel my season tickets but after hearing what MacLean and (assistant GM Doug) Wilson had to say about the long-term plan - I'm in. I get it, I understand the plan and I think it'll work. I renewed my season tickets for 10 more years." Henning then produced a bouquet of flowers out of thin air and gave it to a passerby before yelling "Allah Kazaam!" and disappearing before our very eyes.
With Panarin gone and only cap space coming in return there would appear to be a gaping hole at left wing for the Hawks next season. Certainly there's plenty of time for them to address that via trades, free agency or the draft but the Hawks didn't wait that long. Earlier today the Hawks announced that left wing prospect Nikita Gusev was leaving the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) to fly to St. Roch where he is expected to join the Hawks immediately.
Gusev was originally drafted by, ironically enough, the Oslo Mastadon with the 33rd overall pick in the 2017 Draft. Just two months later the Mastadon waived Gusev in order to free up a roster spot to sign Sean Couturier. Gusev remained a free agent in the league until February, 2019 when the Moscow Red Army tried to sign him to a free agent contract. The St. Roch Hawks shrewdly used their ample cap space to outbid the Red Army and procured the skilled left winger on a three-year, $24 deal. The first year of that deal was this past season so Gusev has two years left at $8 per season.
Gusev will join the Hawks after back-to-back MVP seasons in the KHL and should be a fixture on the Hawks major roster next season. Like Panarin in 2015, Gusev is a full-grown man as he joins the DHL and should also be an immediate contributor. His signing in February was what allowed the Hawks to move Panarin as they knew they already had his replacement for each of the next two seasons.
"Goose won't replace Art point for point but (the Panarin trade) does give us an additional $20 in cap space over the next two seasons and we're confident that he'll be a solid player for us," said MacLean. "When you consider the fact that Oslo originally drafted him we're essentially trading Art for Goose and $24 in future cap space and that's a deal we'll make every single time." When asked what kind of production he expected from the 26-year old Gusev MacLean responded, "We think 15 goals and 50 points is realistic, and that's on the low end, so that's what we expect to get from him. While that's far less than we would have gotten from Art we know that Goose could easily exceed those expectations and we still have the $8 in savings from Art's salary next year - plus $12 in cap savings the following year - that we can use to sign a player, or players, that will more than make up the difference."
Hawks head coach Doug Weight was asked how he might compose his lines next season as he tries to replace Panarin as the top line left winger. "We've got good depth at center which should allow us to move Pierre Luc-Dubois to the top line left wing. He was second on the team in goals this past season and was, across all metrics, our best all around forward last year. With him at left wing we can slot Rickard Rakell on the second line - and we expect a big bounce back season from him - Gusev on the third line and then, for now, one of the rookies (Filip Zadina, Filip Chytil or Lias Andersson) on the fourth line. We'll also address this position in free agency to give us more depth and more options."
With one left winger on his way out of town and another just arriving, plus the addition of $44 in future cap space thanks to the Panarin trade, the offseason is off to an eventful beginning in St. Roch and clearly the long-term plan is starting to take shape.
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by Asbjørn Nygård
The Dynasty Hockey League (DHL) offseason is usually a time for rest and relaxation. For the teams that don't qualify for the playoffs there's usually nothing to do until August when the draft begins and that means a solid five months of inactivity and opportunity to get away from the league.
But for the St. Roch Hawks there is no offseason. Hawks Owner Doug Stolhand is a daily visitor to the leagues exclusive "owners only" message board and is always looking for ways to improve his (usually crappy) team. This offseason is no different and so far there's been quite a bit of movement already.
Following up on two stories we reported on previously the St. Roch Hawks have indeed traded star left winger Artemi Panarin. We knew the trade was completed weeks ago but until yesterday we did not know where Panarin was headed nor what the compensation would be. We got those answers yesterday when the trade was officially posted and confirmed on the previously mentioned message board. Panarin is now the property of the Oslo Mastadon and has two years left on his Entry Level Contract (ELC) at the cost of $8 and $12, respectively. In return for the diminutive skilled winger the Hawks receive $24 in future cap space split over two years - $12 in 2021-22 and another $12 in 2022-23.
Panarin was originally drafted by the then Stockholm Syndrome with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 Draft. After a season in Stockholm he moved with the team to Atlanta to play one season as an Atlanta Thrasher before moving with the team again to St. Roch where he has been until now. He was productive immediately upon joining the DHL with 30 goals and 77 points in his rookie season. He followed that up with 31 goals and 74 points the following year, then 27 goals and 82 points in his first year in St. Roch and this past year he had 29 goals and 87 points. Coming off a career high in points and averaging an impressive 29 goals per season there's no doubt that Panarin is one of the top left wingers in the league. He led the Hawks in goals, assists and points this past season and his production at left wing will be tough to replace.
"There's no doubt he was a great player for us, and we want to thank Art(emi) for always being a classy member of the Syndrome/Thrashers/Hawks organization," said Hawks Assistant General Manager Doug MacLean. "That said, with only two years left on his contract we felt the time was right to move him in exchange for future cap space and we were able to achieve that goal."
The Hawks have been privately working on a long-term plan for most of the season and discussed it at length with season ticket holders during a private, contentious Q&A session just after the regular season concluded. Season ticket holder Doug Henning attended the Q&A and spoke with the media afterwards. "I went in to this meeting ready to cancel my season tickets but after hearing what MacLean and (assistant GM Doug) Wilson had to say about the long-term plan - I'm in. I get it, I understand the plan and I think it'll work. I renewed my season tickets for 10 more years." Henning then produced a bouquet of flowers out of thin air and gave it to a passerby before yelling "Allah Kazaam!" and disappearing before our very eyes.
With Panarin gone and only cap space coming in return there would appear to be a gaping hole at left wing for the Hawks next season. Certainly there's plenty of time for them to address that via trades, free agency or the draft but the Hawks didn't wait that long. Earlier today the Hawks announced that left wing prospect Nikita Gusev was leaving the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) to fly to St. Roch where he is expected to join the Hawks immediately.
Gusev was originally drafted by, ironically enough, the Oslo Mastadon with the 33rd overall pick in the 2017 Draft. Just two months later the Mastadon waived Gusev in order to free up a roster spot to sign Sean Couturier. Gusev remained a free agent in the league until February, 2019 when the Moscow Red Army tried to sign him to a free agent contract. The St. Roch Hawks shrewdly used their ample cap space to outbid the Red Army and procured the skilled left winger on a three-year, $24 deal. The first year of that deal was this past season so Gusev has two years left at $8 per season.
Gusev will join the Hawks after back-to-back MVP seasons in the KHL and should be a fixture on the Hawks major roster next season. Like Panarin in 2015, Gusev is a full-grown man as he joins the DHL and should also be an immediate contributor. His signing in February was what allowed the Hawks to move Panarin as they knew they already had his replacement for each of the next two seasons.
"Goose won't replace Art point for point but (the Panarin trade) does give us an additional $20 in cap space over the next two seasons and we're confident that he'll be a solid player for us," said MacLean. "When you consider the fact that Oslo originally drafted him we're essentially trading Art for Goose and $24 in future cap space and that's a deal we'll make every single time." When asked what kind of production he expected from the 26-year old Gusev MacLean responded, "We think 15 goals and 50 points is realistic, and that's on the low end, so that's what we expect to get from him. While that's far less than we would have gotten from Art we know that Goose could easily exceed those expectations and we still have the $8 in savings from Art's salary next year - plus $12 in cap savings the following year - that we can use to sign a player, or players, that will more than make up the difference."
Hawks head coach Doug Weight was asked how he might compose his lines next season as he tries to replace Panarin as the top line left winger. "We've got good depth at center which should allow us to move Pierre Luc-Dubois to the top line left wing. He was second on the team in goals this past season and was, across all metrics, our best all around forward last year. With him at left wing we can slot Rickard Rakell on the second line - and we expect a big bounce back season from him - Gusev on the third line and then, for now, one of the rookies (Filip Zadina, Filip Chytil or Lias Andersson) on the fourth line. We'll also address this position in free agency to give us more depth and more options."
With one left winger on his way out of town and another just arriving, plus the addition of $44 in future cap space thanks to the Panarin trade, the offseason is off to an eventful beginning in St. Roch and clearly the long-term plan is starting to take shape.
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