On the Ottawa Senators …
Ken Warren: UFA Brandon Pirri could be a intriguing option for the Senators. They had some interest in him at the trade deadline.
Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen: Mike Hoffman filed for salary arbitration yesterday and contract talks on a multi-year deal between the Senators and Hoffman’s camp will heat up over the next few days to hopefully avoid a hearing.
Hoffman is a year away from becoming a UFA. Hoffman was awarded $2 million from arbitration last year. $5 million a year could be the starting point in contract talks.
Comparables could be Gustav Nyquist – 4 years and $19 million, or Reilly Smith – five years and $25 million.
Senators GM Pierre Dorion has mentioned the idea of acquiring another forward and defenseman through trade or free agency. Adding a forward would likely come after Hoffman’s situation is resolved. Brandon Pirri could be an option.
On the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews…
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet: Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello has a history of not giving “Schedule A” bonuses to top draft picks.
“I am not one who is a believer in the rookie bonuses that (are) in the National Hockey League CBA – the A, Bs and Cs as they’re called,” Lamoriello told the Record’s Tom Gulitti. “Yet, everyone in the league that are drafted certainly in the top areas seem to get them. Nobody (with the Devils) has gotten them and our conversations have been that this would not be something that’s advantageous for us to do and the reason is because every player in our locker-room that we have drafted have bought into that philosophy and nobody worries about individual things and only the team and it’s a commitment that’s made.”
Would the Maple Leafs do this for Auston Matthews? It would be a surprise if Matthews doesn’t get the maximum amount of bonuses in his entry level contract.
• $925,000 in salary, with $92,500 of it paid in signing bonus;
• $850,000 in “Schedule A” bonuses, which are tied to individual achievements such as goals, points, time on ice, etc.;
• $2 million in “Schedule B” bonuses, which are given for league-wide excellence such as trophy nominations or finishing among the scoring leaders, making them extremely tough to hit.