Around The Central: Nashville Spending Money, Dallas To Host 2018 Draft

Some notes from around the Central Division:

On Friday, the Nashville Predators announced a massive financial commitment to another young core player. The team announced the longest and richest contract ever offered by Nashville, signing center Ryan Johansen to an eight-year, $64M contract ($8M AAV).

Johansen, who turns 25 on July 31, was the fourth overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft by Columbus. He was traded to Nashville for Seth Jones on Jan. 6, 2016 and has produced 95 points (22 goals, 73 assists) in 124 regular season games with the Preds. He posted 13 points in 14 postseason games for the Preds before a hip injury required emergency surgery, ending his playoffs.

Nashville locked-up Viktor Arvidsson last week, signing the 24-year-old forward to a seven-year, $29.75M contract ($4.25M AAV). Those two and Filip Forsberg will combine to make up $18.25M against the cap in Nashville through the 2021-22 season; Forsberg’s six-year, $36M deal runs out first.

On the heels of Chicago hosting the 2017 NHL Draft, the league will keep the draft in the division. Dallas announced on Saturday that the Stars will host the 2018 NHL Draft.

20 thoughts on “Around The Central: Nashville Spending Money, Dallas To Host 2018 Draft

  • July 29, 2017 at 10:50 pm
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    Preds going to be a very good team for awhile.

  • July 30, 2017 at 9:55 am
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    They do draft well and have added great players through trades as well .
    Rinne is not a Stanley cup quality winner imo . He is their weak link .

  • July 30, 2017 at 10:22 am
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    Johansen surgery was due to acute compartment syndrome in his left thigh. Bit of a risk for Nashville having no idea how well he’ll recover. It’s a nasty nasty procedure.

  • July 30, 2017 at 10:33 am
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    They said it was diagnosed early and no permanent damage to anything and expect full recovery, then june reported he was ahead of schedule in his recovery so it sounds as if it shouldn’t be an ongoing issue.

  • July 30, 2017 at 11:26 am
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    If the Blackhawks are going to use their ltir room to obtain a rental player in the 4 to 5 M salary range would you sooner them pursue a Dman say a Jack Johnson if being shopped or Jason Garrison or a winger say a James Neal or a JVR or someone else. I’m thinking d help.

  • July 30, 2017 at 12:06 pm
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    What if some of these RFAs wothout deals are still around when the season starts. Chance of an offer sheet?

  • July 30, 2017 at 12:12 pm
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    Very good possibity there will, offer sheets have been used sparingly but cap issues may be making gms rethink that.

  • July 30, 2017 at 7:58 pm
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    We deserve to get a player through offer sheet, since the sha-arks took one of our in 2010 that way.

    Who even we add for this season roster. I would like to keep the cap space open we will have to sign a guy like Tavares when hes ufa. We need another top type player like Hoss through ufa for free, once Hoss retires.

  • July 30, 2017 at 9:34 pm
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    As good it would be to sign Tavares its probably not realistic next year. With about 65 M already on the books for 14 players that would mean about 6 or 7 other players resigned plus Taveres for 10M plus cap increase. Ltir space can’t be used to sign a player with a higher salary so cap space would be needed and it just isn’t tbere.

  • July 30, 2017 at 10:25 pm
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    Ian, we know the nhl says the leafs can use their LTIR now in order to sign Connor Brown. But wouldn’t they still have to get below the cap come opening day? Just like the Hawks. With a maximum you can bury of 1.025 this year it’s not really possible to do so without a trade.

    Which means if they trade Bozak they get below the cap…but they still don’t have room to sign Brown for opening day if they need to be below the cap then.

    If you can make a 3 way trade for Bozak with Anisimov involved id do it. To be honest, I dont know why the leafs would trade Bozak or JVR unless they absolutely have to. Despite how much it’s been speculated.

  • July 30, 2017 at 10:26 pm
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    Didn’t know about signing a caphit above 5.25, which then would trade Hoss caphit before then.

  • July 30, 2017 at 10:39 pm
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    Here ya go Morrison… trade Anisimov for Bozak. Probably a plus for this year. Bozak deal ends. Try like hell to dump Hossa’s hit. Sign Tavares for essentially the same space you had going out with Hossa and Bozak.

    It’s a pipe dream. But we don’t have any other fodder.

  • July 31, 2017 at 5:57 am
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    No Ernie the leafs indicated they wanted to use off seeson ltir which means they put injured player on ltir at end of training camp and have ltir room on opening day and can be up to 10% over until then. The Blackhawks indicated they want use ltir afrer season starts so have to be under cap for opening day and still have ability to bank cap during season.
    Trading Hossa’s cap hit would be the only way you would have any way of doing it but flat caps have budget teams reaching the floor without those deals now too.

  • July 31, 2017 at 6:42 am
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    By going during the season route could mean Bowman won’t be making any deals early in the season just rental type later as they may try to be a bit under to maximze cap space for a few months or maybe another reason too.

  • July 31, 2017 at 10:17 am
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    Without a major trade, the Hawks are a 50/50 playoff team. Unless Stan puts all his chips in (like offering a lot for Duchene), it feels like the Hawks are repeating the Red Wings model. — aging team, aging stars, limited cap space, youngsters are middle of the road, a playoff contender —- but no chance to win the SC.

    Look where the Wings are now. No cap space, no stars and years from even starting to be a contender again. I’d rather the Hawks go all in and then sell it off in 2-3 years. This year’s moves feel like running in sand. Hard to say they are better in any area. This is the least optimistic I’ve been in the Stan regime.

    Stan promised “bold” These moves were not bold. The last 2 really bold moves I can remember in the NHL are the Kessel trade to Pittsburgh and the Subban trade last year. Those trades were laying it all the line for the GM. Stan has not really had to do it in his career. Wonder if he can?

  • July 31, 2017 at 11:07 am
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    I’d say trading Panarin for Saad was pretty bold. Also trading Hjalmarsson for Murphy is fairly bold too. Of all the players we’ve lost, Hjalmarsson hurts the worst.

  • July 31, 2017 at 11:10 am
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    The Leafs with a possible 4.5+ M in bonuses that likely will be overages puts them in a bind before july 1st next year and end if season for 10% limit. So they may need a0 ca0p dump possibly a bozak or jvr at trade deadline.

  • July 31, 2017 at 1:14 pm
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    I’ll be very curious to see the progression of Arvidson. Even if last season was a flash in the pan at 4.25 M Poile did a good job of hedging his bet. Rinne is a bit of a wild card but with that defense, Nashville should remain a contender for a couple of seasons.

  • July 31, 2017 at 10:13 pm
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    I do not think there is any team as good as BOS 13, LA 13 and 14, CHI 13, 14, 15 or other top teams from the past 7 yrs anymore because of cap and parity. Which means you do not have to have as good as a team as those type of teams to win.

    Unless were playing short handed with 6 ahl players, is the only way were around the 8 or 9 seed. Even then we were the 8 seed.

  • August 3, 2017 at 10:58 am
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    I don’t understand the need to move Hammer’s contract this offseason, with 2 years left. Why wasn’t that type of move made after the coming year? You could still trade him for a good young player with one year left on that deal.

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