The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Valentin Zykov to a two-year, $1.35-million contract, the team announced Friday.
The Willie Marshall Award winner had a breakthrough season with the Canes' AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, leading the league with 33 goals and 21 assists. The 6-foot-1, 224-pound winger also posted a league best in power-play goals and shooting percentage.
"Valentin is a big body who proved he had the ability to finish around the net on the AHL and NHL levels last season," Canes general manager Don Waddell said.
In 10 appearances with the Hurricanes last season, Zykov put up an impressive seven points. The Russian-born forward was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Kings in February 2016.
It's fitting that 5-foot-8 star Martin St. Louis was selected for induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame this week - a champion for the little guy at a time when smaller players are finally starting to take on larger roles in the NHL.
St. Louis went undrafted, signed with the Calgary Flames, and was eventually traded to Tampa Bay, where he led the Lightning to the 2004 Stanley Cup the same year he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP. But he was seen as an outlier - the one guy under 5-foot-10 able to prevail in a league where 6-footers are the norm.
St. Louis' stardom didn't quite open the door for players of his physical stature, leaving those with the skill but without the typical size for the NHL to find less traditional paths.
Undrafted Lightning forward Tyler Johnson (5-foot-8) signed an entry-level contract with the team in 2011 and was a Calder Trophy finalist his rookie season. Newly acquired Buffalo Sabres forward Conor Sheary (5-foot-8), also undrafted, worked his way from the American Hockey League to the big club in Pittsburgh, where he helped the Penguins capture back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat (5-foot-7) scored 28 goals as a rookie this past season. That followed three 100-plus-point seasons with the Erie Otters of the OHL, which somehow weren't enough to convince teams he was a first-round talent.
Though DeBrincat clearly possessed elite skill, concerns about how his size would affect his ability to succeed at the NHL level depressed his draft stock enough that the Blackhawks snagged him 39th overall in 2016.
These examples finally seem to be resonating with NHL front offices, which are becoming more willing to take chances on smaller players. At the NHL draft, more players once considered too diminutive for pro hockey are being selected every year.
In 2017, 13 skaters 5-foot-9 or shorter were drafted. In 2018, that number rose to 23. While the average height of an NHL player has remained stable around 6-foot-1 for some time, scouting and drafting indicate the tide may be shifting in favor of smaller players - even on the blue line.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Of the 31 players selected in the first round this June, eight were under 6 feet, including four defensemen: Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Ty Smith (New Jersey Devils), Rasmus Sandin (Toronto Maple Leafs), and Nicolas Beaudin (Blackhawks). As teams prioritize skating and puck-moving ability on the back end, they may be more willing to look beyond size. Torey Krug of the Boston Bruins, for example, only stands 5-foot-9, but he's a dynamic player and strong skater who excels at moving the puck up ice.
At 5-foot-10 (according to him), Spokane Chiefs rearguard and Devils prospect Smith is all too familiar with concerns about his height, but rejects that narrative.
"You always hear you're small when you're 5-foot-10 and around there as a defenseman, but I think that size isn't really an obstacle for me," Smith told theScore at the NHL Draft Combine. "I think being smaller is a bit of an advantage. ... Normally you're quicker and more mobile. ... It's definitely easier to work on things in tight."
He added, "Being lower down to the ice and ... kinda getting underneath those big guys when it comes to battling them in front of the net and things like that. I guess escaping in small areas is a little easier when you're smaller. I talked to some big guys that I've played with in the Western (Hockey) League, and play against, and they said it's hard to hit small guys that are quick, so I have to keep working on my quickness."
Canucks prospect Hughes, 5-foot-7, is faster and more agile than many taller, bulkier players.
Rather than using size and reach to break up opponents' opportunities, the Michigan defender relies on an intelligent approach he can execute quickly. He gets a good angle on an opposing skater, positioning himself to use his stick to disrupt their chances and take away time and space.
"I think when I'm on the ice (the) team's gonna have the puck the majority of the time," Hughes said at the combine.
Smith believes the NHL is gradually becoming friendlier to players formerly considered small by hockey standards.
"Size is less of a factor now," Smith said. "There still (aren't) very many defensemen that are 5-foot-10 or smaller in the NHL, but ... it's kinda trending that way. My coach, when he played junior, I looked up his numbers - Dan Lambert - and he had some crazy numbers for a defenseman. He was only 5-foot-8 and didn't really get much of a chance because of his size."
In 1988-89, Lambert put up 102 points for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. He only appeared in 29 NHL games, however, and eventually spent 10 seasons playing pro hockey in Germany. If he'd been born 30 years later, like Smith, maybe his height wouldn't have been such a factor.
"I think it's definitely not an obstacle for me, and it's always exciting to prove people wrong," Smith said.
Hannah Stuart keeps a close eye on both drafted and draft-eligible prospects and can usually be found trying to learn more about hockey analytics. She has previously written for FanRag Sports, The Hockey Writers, and Hooked On Hockey Magazine, and can also be found at High Heels and High Sticks. Find her on twitter at @HockeyWthHannah.
The 32-year-old has garnered interest from multiple teams, but is expected to sign a multi-year deal in Vancouver once the free agency window officially opens on July 1, McKenzie adds.
Beagle has spent his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals, winning the Stanley Cup earlier this month. In 2017-18, he recorded seven goals and 15 assists in 79 games, while winning 58.5 percent of his faceoffs.
With Capitals brass and Stanley Cup-winning bench boss Barry Trotz unable to agree on an extension earlier this month, Reirden's promotion had been expected.
The 47-year-old has been with Washington for four seasons, first as assistant coach, and more recently as an associate coach. Reirden has mainly worked with the club's defensemen.
The 37-year-old's camp has spoken to a number of teams regarding a new contract, including the Capitals, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Orpik was dealt along with goaltender Philipp Grubauer to the Colorado Avalanche just ahead of last weekend's draft. Following the deal, the Avalanche bought out the final year of his five-year, $27.5-million contract.
If both sides are to come to terms on a new deal, it's likely to be on a contract with an annual average under $5.5 million - the cap hit of Orpik's previous contract.
During the last four seasons with the Capitals, Orpik has scored three goals and 53 points over 279 games.
The unrestricted free agent will narrow his list of prospective destinations to three teams Friday, and there's a "very good chance" the St. Paul, Alberta native will sign with the Edmonton Oilers, reports Sportsnet's Mark Spector.
Brodziak was drafted by the Oilers in 2003 and later spent four seasons in Edmonton before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild. The forward signed with the St. Louis Blues in 2015.
Last season, Brodziak centered the Blues' second line and netted 33 points. The 34-year-old veteran would add some experience to a relatively young Oilers forward corps.
In their attempt to lure John Tavares, the Boston Bruins had a superstar of their own field any questions this summer's biggest free agent may have about jumping from New York to New England.
Patrice Bergeron, a teammate of Tavares at both the 2014 Olympics and 2016 World Cup of Hockey, spoke to the 27-year-old pending UFA during the club's sales pitch on Tuesday, and gave a glimpse to the media about what the two talked about.
The Bruins were one of six teams to meet with Tavares once the courting period began on Monday. The team, like the rest of the hockey world, awaits his decision as July 1 nears.
It remains to be seen whether Bergeron's call had any effect on Tavares, but if it did, the Bruins could be boasting one of the top center combinations in the entire league come October.
All three forwards are coming off strong years: Perron posted a career-high 66 points in 2017-18, van Riemsdyk finished with a career-best 36 goals, and Grabner enjoyed his second consecutive 27-goal campaign.
The Coyotes seem to be solid down the middle with Derek Stepan, the newly acquired Alex Galchenyuk, and Dylan Strome, so now the team is looking to address the wings.
With over $19 million in cap space, the Coyotes have the money to be active in free agency.
What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas.
Defenseman Luca Sbisa didn't receive a contract offer from the Vegas Golden Knights and the unrestricted free agent will hit the open market, his representative told TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Friday.
The 28-year-old former first-round pick appeared in 30 games for the Golden Knights last season, posting two goals and 14 points. He also appeared in 12 playoff games, adding four points.
Vegas GM George McPhee said last week that the team had made Sbisa an offer, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers.
Sbisa is coming off a three-year, $10.8-million contract.
Duclair is coming off a tough season in which he posted 11 goals and 23 points across 56 games split between the Arizona Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks. He became a UFA after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Blackhawks.
The 22-year-old also struggled the previous year, when he potted just five goals and 15 points and spent some time with the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League.
Despite his recent struggles, Duclair had a strong rookie campaign in 2015-16, recording 20 goals and 44 points in 81 games.
If the Lightning are serious, they might be forced to make some moves, as the team has roughly $5.3 million in cap space.
