The NHL Draft is complete, and it is time to come up for air before the craziness of free agency starts next week. The Utah Mammoth were smart and kept the 4th overall choice, selecting center Caleb Desnoyers. The prospect pool was refreshed this weekend with the additions of Max Psenicka(46th overall), Stepan Hoch(78th overall), Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko(142nd overall), Ludvig Johnson(174th overall), and Reko Alanko(182nd overall).
Before the draft, Bill Armstrong made a statement trade by acquiring JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan. Two fan favorites are gone, but a rising star is Peterka. The 23-year-old had a breakout season in Buffalo, registering 27 goals and 68 points, which was a career high.
The young German winger was a restricted free agent and unwilling to extend in Buffalo. After the trade was completed, the Mammoth announced a contract extension for Peterka worth $7.7 million a year for 5 years.
A big upgrade for the top six forwards, Peterka is a right-handed shot who will complement the other young talent in the lineup, like Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, and Dylan Guenther. Also worth noting that Peterka now has the highest contract for a forward on the roster, and only behind Mikhail Sergachev's $8.5 million per year contract.
Because this is a group of team first players, Armstrong should not have to worry about egos in the locker room, but with Cooley and Keller in need of new contracts shortly, it will be interesting to see if Peterka's contract is the guide for them.
Guenther was re-upped before last season, but has been with the franchise from the start. Keller, being the captain, will need to be taken care of accordingly as well. A player that has done his work with another organization and is being rewarded before stepping on the ice in Utah could cause a problem if things do not get off to a good start.
Losing two locker room guys in Kesselring and Doan will be an obstacle in itself, but I wonder if Armstrong is planning on re-upping Cooley and Keller this summer with some of the remaining salary cap space.
All indications and expectations are that this Peterka contract will not affect the team or upcoming free agents, but it will at least set the expectations for new contracts in the coming summers between Cooley and Keller. Keller is surely going to get well above Peterka's annual earnings, and Cooley would expect to come close, being that he has less experience at the NHL level.