Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NHL

Free Agent Profile: Max Comtois

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Two years ago, it seemed unfathomable that Max Comtois would be an unsigned free agent in late August. But it is 2023 and that’s where the former second-round pick finds himself after being non-tendered a qualifying offer by the Anaheim Ducks. Comtois had a terrific pandemic shortened 2020-21 in which he posted 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 games. At the time he appeared to be on the verge of becoming a complete winger who could be counted on to provide solid secondary scoring and strong play in all three zones. The Ducks promptly signed Comtois to a two-year deal that carried an annual cap hit just north of $2MM.

After signing his bridge deal things quickly began to go south for the Longueuil, Quebec native. In 2021-22, the 24-year-old began the season with just a single assist in his first 13 games and then missed 16 games with a hand injury that required him to have surgery. Upon his return, he played better but couldn’t recapture his scoring touch as he put up just six goals and nine assists in his final 39 games.

With the Ducks firmly in a rebuild, Comtois continued to struggle offensively this past season and missed significant time with several upper and lower body ailments. Comtois was out for 14 games due to injuries and when he was in the lineup he produced just nine goals and 10 assists in 64 games.

While he has battled injuries and inconsistency over the past few years, it is still surprising to see a young forward with a recent track record of success remain unsigned. It truly speaks to the flat-cap environment that teams find themselves in. Despite the disappointment of possibly being forced to sign a professional tryout, I do think that Comtois will sign an NHL contract for next season. He may just need to prove himself first to do so.

Stats

2022-23: 64 GP, 9-10-19, -20 rating, 76 PIMS, 89 shots, 52.3% faceoffs, 42.2% CF, 13:49 ATOI
Career: 210 GP, 38-48-86, -35 rating, 193 PIMS, 296 shots, 41.7% faceoffs, 45.4% CF, 14:23 ATOI

Potential Suitors

Comtois is unlikely to be picky at this point in the summer, he is just looking to remain in the league and show what he can do. He is from the Quebec area but given that the Montreal Canadiens have been trying to move out forwards, they are unlikely to be interested in Comtois, even if his youth does fit the timeline of their future competitive window.

Let’s start in the East. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been rumored to have interest in Tomas Tatar as they look to add some depth scoring to their bottom six. The Penguins would like to bring Tatar in on a PTO to see if he fits. However, if the former Devils forward can lock on to a team with guaranteed money that could open the door for Pittsburgh to look elsewhere. Possibly to Comtois. It’s no secret that general manager Kyle Dubas loves to have a lot of depth forwards to provide for call-ups and to keep the club’s AHL affiliate competitive. Should he sign with Pittsburgh, Comtois would be in a serious battle for a spot on the Penguins bottom two lines, but he would certainly be in the mix. He could also fill in for Jake Guentzel during his early season absence on the Penguins top line next to Sidney Crosby.

Staying in the East, the Ottawa Senators could really use some help in their bottom six forward group. Outside of Pittsburgh, it’s hard to find a team who leaned more heavily on their top six forwards last year. And given the look of the Senators current bottom six, it could be more of the same this year. The Senators are entering the season with playoff aspirations but are looking at having several rookies on their third and fourth lines which could lead to a lot of growing pains early in the season. Comtois has had his struggles, but if they were to acquire him, they would have another known entity to insert onto their third or fourth line.

Out West, it was rumored earlier in the summer that the Vancouver Canucks had interest in Comtois, but a deal never came to fruition. Vancouver has a bit of a logjam right now, both up against the cap and with the number of bodies they currently have in the forward group who are going to require NHL minutes. However, a forward like Dakota Joshua could become a casualty should Vancouver opt to sign Comtois. The other option for the Canucks would be to try a jettison a higher-priced forward to become cap compliant, and then sign Comtois as their replacement. Comtois could bring a lot to the Canucks as he does play with an edge and can play in all three zones and provide depth scoring. The worst-case scenario for Vancouver would be to bury Comtois and his cap hit in the minors if he didn’t work out with the NHL group.

Projected Contract

Barring a dramatic turn of events, Comtois is likely going to have to take a rather large pay cut for the upcoming season from the $2.5MM he made last year. It is still possible he could hit a seven-figure salary but given how little cap space is available around the NHL he is unlikely to exceed more than $1MM on a one-year deal. There are several talented forwards who remain unsigned which has led to Comtois becoming a bit of an afterthought. But given his youth there will likely be a team out there willing to roll the dice on a player who has shown promise recently. However, I think teams will want to have a look at Comtois before offering a guaranteed contract just to make sure he is a fit in their bottom six, and to allow for maximum flexibility.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 08/21/23

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Training camps are now exactly one month away, and NHL news is starting to heat up again with a pair of PTOs signed today. Nonetheless, corresponding moves are set to be made at the minor-league and overseas levels. We’re keeping track of those, as always, on a daily basis.

  • The AHL’s Rockford IceHogs are adding forward Bryce Kindopp on a one-year deal, according to a team release. Kindopp broke into the NHL sphere in March 2020, when the Anaheim Ducks signed him to an entry-level deal after getting passed over in the draft but posting back-to-back point-per-game seasons with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. He had quite the solid rookie season in the minors, notching 20 points in 39 games with the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21, but he hasn’t since recaptured that form. Last year was incredibly trying for Kindopp, who scored just six goals (and added only three assists) for nine points in 65 games with San Diego, who finished last in the AHL. Kindopp has made one NHL appearance with Anaheim, coming in the 2021-22 season. The Ducks did not issue a qualifying offer to Kindopp when his entry-level deal expired this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

  • The WHL’s Vancouver Giants are set to name Manny Viveiros as their new head coach later this week. The report comes from Steve Ewen of The Province who credits multiple sources. The 57-year-old Viveiros was previously the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL up until this past April when he and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Henderson missed the playoffs this past season with a record of 29-38-0-5 sparking Viveiros and the club to move on. Viveiros will be the replacement for former Giants head coach Michael Dyck who took an assistant coach job with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in July.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Five Key Stories: 8/14/23 – 8/20/23

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With training camps now just a month away, many teams and players are enjoying what’s left of their summers but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t some news of note around the hockey world (though not all of it good).  Here’s a rundown of the top stories from the past week.

IIHF Agrees With Flyers: Both the Flyers and CSKA Moscow feel they have legally registered contracts with goaltender Ivan Fedotov.  Considering one league can’t poach a signed player from the other, both can’t be correct.  The IIHF intervened and ultimately ruled in Philadelphia’s favor, saying that Fedotov’s contract with them is the one he should be playing under this season while imposing penalties on both Fedotov and CSKA.  The 26-year-old didn’t play at all in 2022-23 due to military service but before that, he was one of the top netminders outside North America.  However, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation has filed an appeal so this case certainly isn’t settled just yet.

Toews To Sit: While he stopped shy of calling it a career, veteran center Jonathan Toews revealed that he will not play in the upcoming season.  The 35-year-old has been battling Chronic Immune Response Syndrome since 2020 which has caused him to miss considerable time, including the entire 2020-21 campaign.  Toews played in 53 games last season and was relatively productive with 31 points but the Blackhawks indicated late in the season that they wouldn’t be offering the 15-year veteran a new contract and for now, he will focus on getting back to full health instead of looking for a new place to play.

Krejci Retires: While Toews wouldn’t rule out returning to the NHL, another veteran middleman has done just that as long-time Bruins center David Krejci announced that he has played his last NHL contest.  The 37-year-old returned to Boston last season and was a key secondary scorer, notching 16 goals and 40 assists in 70 games while crossing the 1,000 games played mark, all with the Bruins.  His departure along with the retirement of Patrice Bergeron sees Boston now without their top two centers as they look to stay in the mix in the tight Atlantic Division.  Notably, Krejci hasn’t ruled out playing altogether and with the World Championship in his native Czechia in 2024, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him suit up in that tournament as his final send-off.

Three Pass Away: It was a sad week in the hockey world as three people passed away.  Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov succumbed to the brain tumor that he was diagnosed with two years ago when he was just 19.  He didn’t play last season but was training with the hopes of returning to game action at some point in 2023-24 before this tragic outcome.  Then it was 17-year veteran Bob Baun who passed away at the age of 86.  Baun won four Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs in a six-year span in the 1960s and suited up for over 1,000 appearances (including playoffs) with three different organizations.  Lastly, legendary broadcaster Rick Jeanneret passed away at the age of 81 after a two-year battle with multi-organ failures.  His work for the team spanned parts of five decades and he was the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in league history.

On The Move Again: For the second time this month, veteran defenseman Jeff Petry found himself traded.  The 35-year-old is now a member of the Red Wings with the Canadiens picking up blueliner Gustav Lindstrom and a 2025 fourth-round pick in return.  Additionally, Montreal held back half of Petry’s remaining cap hit, meaning both teams will be responsible for a $2.34MM cap charge in each of the next two seasons.  Petry should help fill the void created by the trade of Filip Hronek last season as someone that’s capable of logging big minutes (he has averaged at least 22 minutes a night for seven straight years) and chipping in offensively.  Meanwhile, Montreal will get a look at the 24-year-old Lindstrom while clearing out at least some of the money they had to take back as part of their facilitation of the Erik Karlsson trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Stories: 8/7/23 – 8/13/23

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The first full week of August is in the books and, as is usually the case at this time of year, it was a relatively quiet one.  However, there were a few moves of some note which are recapped here.

Goalie Moves: A pair of teams shored up their goaltending depth with training camps now only a month away.  First, the Ducks signed Alex Stalock to a one-year, $800K deal.  The 36-year-old posted an impressive .908 SV% with Chicago last season, ten points higher than the team save percentage.  He’ll battle youngster Lukas Dostal for the number two spot behind John Gibson.  The Maple Leafs also got in on the action, inking Martin Jones to a one-year, $875K agreement.  Jones played in 48 games with Seattle last season but posted a career-low .886 SV%.  The 33-year-old will battle Joseph Woll for the number two spot but is likely ticketed to start with the AHL Marlies and be available as a recall if needed.

Capitals Seeking Top-Six Help: While there aren’t many top-six options left in free agency, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan acknowledged that he’s still hoping to add an impact forward to their roster for the upcoming season.  Washington missed the playoffs in 2022-23 and while they’ll eventually get Max Pacioretty when he’s cleared to return from his Achilles injury, that addition alone might not be enough to get them back to the postseason.  However, Washington is basically capped out at this point so if they do find a trade for a forward they’re coveting, they will need to create some cap room to do so; speculative trade candidates including Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Kuznetsov but both veterans are coming off down years which won’t help their value around the league.

Suter To Vancouver: One of the top forwards left on the market now has a new home as the Canucks signed center Pius Suter to a two-year contract that carries a cap hit of $1.6MM.  The 27-year-old has scored at least 14 goals in each of his three NHL seasons and will give Vancouver a boost to their secondary scoring while he should slot in as a regular on the penalty kill as well.  Suter’s addition adds to what already looked like a bit of a logjam up front, especially if Tanner Pearson is able to return.  That will present GM Patrik Allvin with a bit of a cap and roster crunch to navigate through but considering that the Canucks were a little thin up front behind J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, Suter’s addition is certainly a worthwhile one for them.

Sutter To Edmonton: Free agent center Brandon Sutter is looking to make a comeback after missing the last two seasons due to recurring symptoms from Long COVID and has picked the roster he wants to make as he has agreed to a PTO deal with Edmonton.  The 34-year-old was a key third-line middleman in his prime but over his last few seasons with Vancouver, he was more of a defensive specialist while he won more than 55% of his draws in 2020-21.  That’s basically all the Oilers would be looking for him to do as if Sutter was to earn a contract, he would almost certainly be signing for the league minimum.

New Arena Site For Arizona? After their plan to build a new arena in Tempe fell through following a public referendum, the Coyotes went back to the drawing board to see what other options might exist.  It appears they’ve found one as they’ve submitted a letter of intent to purchase a parcel of land in Mesa to house an arena and entertainment district.  While this certainly isn’t the end of what has been a very long process, it’s definitely a step in the right direction although the team will also continue to explore possible sites in Phoenix and Scottsdale even with their announcement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Stories: 7/31/23 – 8/6/23

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The first week of August isn’t typically the busiest on the NHL calendar but there was quite a bit of news of note over the past seven days which is recapped in our key stories.

Goalie Deals: Minnesota was able to avoid salary arbitration with goaltender Filip Gustavsson, instead signing him to a three-year contract that carries a cap hit of $3.75MM.  The 25-year-old had a breakout showing last season, posting a 2.10 GAA along with a .931 SV%, the second-best mark in the league, in 39 games.  However, he still has just 66 appearances at the top level under his belt which helped keep the price tag in this range.  The deal buys the Wild two more years of team control.

Meanwhile, the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman weren’t able to come to terms before the hearing.  Instead, he was awarded a one-year, $3.475MM contract, a deal that came in just above the midpoint of the filings (Boston: $2.4MM, Swayman: $4.8MM).  The 24-year-old was a key part of Boston’s high-end tandem between the pipes with Linus Ullmark, putting up a 2.27 GAA and a .920 SV% (fourth in the league) in 37 games.  Swayman will once again be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights.

Oilers Hire Jackson: Agents have slowly started to get more opportunities in an NHL front office and the Oilers are the latest team to go that route as they hired Wasserman’s Jeff Jackson as their new CEO.  Jackson takes the place of longtime executive Bob Nicholson who will remain in a lesser capacity.  Jackson’s most prominent client before being hired happens to be Edmonton center Connor McDavid and that existing relationship could be critical with the Hart and Pearson winner two years away from being eligible to work on a contract extension.  Speculatively, with GM Ken Holland being 67 and entering the final year of his deal, Jackson could be a candidate to take over in the relatively near future.

The Big Domino Falls: For the past few weeks, the market has largely been held up by Erik Karlsson.  Would the Sharks move him and who would get him?  In the end, it was indeed the Penguins who landed him, picking him up as part of a 12-piece three-team trade that also involved Montreal.  Pittsburgh picked up Karlsson (with 13% retention), wingers Rem Pitlick and Dillon Hamaliuk along with a 2026 third-round pick from San Jose.  The Sharks acquired wingers Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman, defenseman Jan Rutta, and Pittsburgh’s 2024 first-round selection (top-ten protected).  Meanwhile, the Canadiens brought back defenseman Jeff Petry (with 25% retention), goalie Casey DeSmith, winger Nathan Legare, and Pittsburgh’s 2025 second-rounder.  Karlsson is coming off a career year, becoming the first blueliner since Brian Leetch in 1991-92 to surpass the 100-point mark, helping him earn the Norris Trophy.  He immediately makes Pittsburgh’s offense more dangerous while San Jose adds a first-round selection and potentially some later picks if they flip some of the players they got down the road, a strategy that Montreal may be looking to take as well.

With Karlsson off the board, it didn’t take long for Mathew Dumba, the top defenseman left on the market, to find his next home as he agreed to terms with Arizona on a one-year, $3.9MM contract.  It’s an underwhelming contract relative to what he likely was expecting to get but if nothing else, the 29-year-old will have a chance to be an all-situations player with the Coyotes, potentially giving him an opportunity to boost his stock heading into next year’s free agent market.

Seven And Seven: While Anaheim and winger Troy Terry got as far as filing arbitration submissions, it didn’t get that far in the end.  Instead, the two sides worked out a seven-year, $49MM contract to keep him with the Ducks for the long haul.  Terry had two RFA years remaining so the contract gives Anaheim five extra years of control; those years will see the 25-year-old submit a ten-team no-trade list.  Terry had a breakout showing in 2021-22, putting up 37 goals and 30 assists and followed that up with a 23-goal, 38-assist performance last season, cementing himself as a go-to top-line option in the process.  Anaheim’s center depth is in great shape with Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, and second-overall pick Leo Carlsson and now their top winger will be playing with one of those three youngsters for years to come.

Sticking Around: The Capitals will have Tom Wilson around for the foreseeable future as the two sides agreed to a seven-year, $45.5MM extension.  The deal, which begins in the 2024-25 campaign, carries partial no-trade protection in all seven seasons.  The 29-year-old already has ten years in Washington under his belt and if he plays out this full deal with the Caps, he’ll become one of the longest-tenured players in franchise history.  Wilson is coming off an injury-shortened year but still had 13 goals and 97 hits in 33 games in 2022-23.  A legitimate top-six power forward, how well (or poorly) this deal plays out will largely be determined by Wilson’s ability to stay healthy, a challenge for many power forwards in the back half of their careers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

David Krejčí To Announce Retirement Soon

at CDT | by 4 Comments

According to Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now, David Krejčí will announce his retirement from the NHL and hockey in the very near future. Krejčí returned to the Boston Bruins this past season after taking a one-year hiatus to play overseas with Olomouc HC in the Czech League during the 2021-22 season. He had a good year for Boston but did wear down a bit towards the end of the year. In his return, Krejčí had 16 goals and 40 assists in 70 games while centering Boston’s second line.

Murphy mentions in his piece that rumors have been swirling that Krejčí may return to Czechia to play for Olomouc once again, but an NHL source of his has told him that won’t happen. There is, however, an outside chance he could play for the national team, which would leave the door open for Krejčí to dress for Czechia in the 2024 World Championships.

It has been quite a run for the former 2004 second-round pick. Through his NHL career Krejčí has posted 231 goals and 555 assists in 1032 regular season games to go along with a +166 plus-minus rating. He was also a clutch playoff performer with Boston, helping to lead the team to three Stanley Cup finals and one Stanley Cup title in 2011 in which he led the Bruins in scoring with 12 goals and 11 assists in 25 games.

Krejčí’s retirement will bring the Bruins closer to the end of an era as only Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic remain from the squad that won the Stanley Cup 2011. It will also close out the run of one of the best 1-2 center combinations we’ve seen in recent memory. Krejčí and Patrice Bergeron brought something unique to the center position that few other teams had, both men could create offense and play a solid two-way game. Bergeron was one of the best at it, but it always felt like Krejčí’s ability to play on both sides of the puck was overlooked because of who he played behind. Krejčí was a unique talent and will certainly be missed by the Bruins and their fans.

Free Agent Profile: Paul Stastny

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The height of free agency ended a little less than a month ago and once again veteran center Paul Stastny finds himself without an NHL contract heading into next season. Unlike, most younger players Stastny probably isn’t too concerned about financial security as he has made nearly $85MM during his career (CapFriendly). Stastny has also been here before, having waited until August 23rd to sign last summer with the Carolina Hurricanes. Stastny may find himself unsigned late in the offseason once again but given that he is just a year removed from a 45-point season, there is reason to believe he will find an NHL job next year.

Stastny began his career as a perennial 70-point player on a talented but inconsistent Colorado Avalanche team that could never seem to get over the hump. He remained an important top-six piece as his career progressed, but as injuries started to impact his body, he began to descend into a 50–60-point scorer. By the time he signed a four-year $28MM contract as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues in 2014, he had settled in as a 40–50-point contributor that could post solid faceoff results and contribute in other ways. Stastny put up 40 or more points in each of his three and a half seasons with the Blues and was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline in 2018.

After a cup of coffee in Winnipeg, Stastny signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in the summer of 2018. He spent two years with the team and failed to meet the expectations that came with his three-year $19.5MM contract. Stastny put up 80 points in 121 games with Vegas, but his production didn’t live up to his $6.5MM cap hit and he was traded back to Winnipeg in the 2020 offseason.

Stastny remained a solid center option in his two seasons in Winnipeg and continued to be a consistent 40-point threat despite being in his mid-30’s. Last summer, Stastny was coming off the aforementioned 45-point season and seemed like a good bet to sign a decent one-year deal, but as the height of free agency came and went, Stastny was left without a dance partner and eventually signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes for $1.5MM. The deal was good value, although probably a tad below expectations for Carolina as Stastny centered both the third and fourth line at different points during the season.

At the end of the season, the Hurricanes opted to let Stastny go and that’s where we find the 37-year-old today, unsigned and coming off a season in which he put up nine goals and 13 assists in 73 games while averaging a career-low 11:52 of ice-time per game.

Stastny has had a terrific career up to this point, but he is still chasing that elusive Stanley Cup. He seems to have a knack for leaving organizations just as they are on the cusp of winning Lord Stanley as evidenced by his former clubs Colorado, St. Louis, and Vegas all winning championships shortly after his departure.

Now, the Quebec City, Quebec native is in the twilight of his career and is likely looking to sign with a contender. He showed last year that he could be a solid contributor on the bottom two lines and probably has more to give. Teams aren’t going to be lining up like they once were for Stastny’s services, but with two months left until opening night, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic that he will find a landing spot before the first week in October.

Stats

2022-23: 73 GP, 9-13-22, +4 rating, 16 PIMS, 80 shots, 57.6% faceoffs, 60.9% CF, 11:52 ATOI
Career: 1145 GP, 293-529-822, +43 rating, 500 PIMS, 2326 shots, 54.2% faceoffs, 52.2% CF, 18:27 ATOI

Potential Suitors

It seems that teams are always looking for help at center, which makes Stastny’s status a bit surprising this late in the offseason. While he is hardly the only pivot that is unsigned, he is probably the best of the leftovers. For Stastny, if he does choose to continue his career, he will be looking for a situation where he is a good fit. He never quite found a groove in Carolina, and despite playing on an excellent team, he did seem frustrated at times. He also fell out of favor with the coaching staff for brief periods, evidenced by his benching when the team opted to use Derek Stepan in his spot.

Let’s start in the East. The Buffalo Sabres have several players that are over the age of 35 and while Stastny isn’t going to push the team into the next stratosphere, he could be a nice stopgap for the team as they wait for more of their young prospects to develop into everyday NHLers. The Sabres also need to navigate the injury to Jack Quinn, and while this version of Stastny is no replacement for the youngster, he could be a part of a solution until he returns. Stastny would add a lot of experience and leadership to the Sabres dressing room and could also provide the team with a center who can win most of the draws he takes and will generally help his team control the play when he is on the ice.

In the West, the Edmonton Oilers still need a solid fourth-line center. The club does currently have a few options that they can slot into the lineup in a pinch, but ideally, they would have a pivot that can bring similar skills to that of Stastny. The Oilers don’t need a player that will drive the offense, but they do need capable bottom six players who can play a responsible brand of hockey and dictate play when they are on the ice. Stastny fits the bill having won 57% of his faceoffs last season, and having terrific possession numbers as Carolina controlled the puck 60% of the time Stastny was on the ice. His offense dried up last season, but Edmonton doesn’t need an offensive juggernaut, they need smart bottom six players that can chip in on offense from time to time.

Projected Contract

Many of the remaining unrestricted free agents are likely going be forced to take contracts that are around the league minimum of $775K, however, I don’t believe that will be the fate for Stastny. As mentioned earlier, he waited until the end of August last year and still secured a seven-figure AAV on a one-year deal. This year is different for Stastny though as he is coming off his lowest offensive output in his 17-year career, so a contract approaching what he made last season might be off the table. I would venture a guess that Stastny will get a one-year deal in the range of $1MM to $1.25MM which could also include a small bonus. Several teams have utilized bonuses for players over 35 years of age signing one-year contracts and Stastny could be the next in line to receive it. Regardless of where he winds up, he will likely be able to give the team that acquires him good value on a short-term deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Edmonton Oilers Reach Deal With Ryan McLeod

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Ryan Rishaug of TSN is reporting that the Edmonton Oilers have reached an agreement with restricted free agent center Ryan McLeod. The Oilers and McLeod were set to go to arbitration on August 4th, but have now reached a settlement without the help of an arbitrator. Rishaug is reporting that the deal is a two-year contract worth $2.1MM per season.

Last night, it was reported that the Oilers and McLeod were close to a deal but some recent developments around the league had changed the calculus. It is not yet known what changed today, but the Oilers took care of a big piece of business as they look to sign their final restricted free agents to new deals for the 2023-24 season.

McLeod just finished his third season in the NHL and has established himself as a good depth center who can provide some offense and play up in the lineup if needed. McLeod just finished a year in which he produced 11 goals and 12 assists in 57 games and posted good analytics as well. McLeod will still be a restricted free agent when his contract expires in two seasons and will remain in the driver’s seat if he continues to improve from year to year.

With this deal in place, it gives both sides certainty and security. For the Oilers it allows them to have a better understanding of the cap space they have available while they negotiate with defenseman Evan Bouchard. For McLeod, he gets to cash in on his first contract in the seven figures and gets the added security of having next year’s money guaranteed.

Oilers Notes: McLeod, Centers, Bouchard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Kurt Leavins of The Edmonton Journal writes that he has been hearing that the Edmonton Oilers and restricted free-agent center Ryan McLeod were closing in on a new contract, but that the goalposts might have moved. What exactly that means is unclear and Leavins doesn’t speculate in the article, however, according to Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun, the Oilers have been trying to sign McLeod to a contract with a cap hit of around $2MM and with the arbitration ruling for Philipp Kurashev, they might be looking at a higher number. Kurashev received $2.25MM in his arbitration ruling and given McLeod’s track record he has a good case for a number north of that.

Couple that piece of information with the news that Leavins believes that the Oilers could be looking to bring in some centers on PTOs before training camp and it is a development that isn’t overly encouraging for Oilers fans. However, it doesn’t change the fact that McLeod and the Oilers are set to go to arbitration on August 4th and there are no guarantees of a higher salary for McLeod. He will be pencilled into the lineup once that ruling comes down, meaning there isn’t a threat of him not being signed.

McLeod hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in his first three seasons in the league, but this past season was his best thus far as he posted 11 goals and 12 assists in 57 games while posting a Corsi For % of 53.8%, meaning that the Oilers were controlling the puck more than half the time McLeod was on the ice. The 23-year-old has improved in every season since he started in the NHL and could be just scratching the surface of what he can be.

In other Oilers notes:

  • As mentioned above Leavins believes the Oilers are looking at improving their center depth, and while bringing in centers on a PTO is an option, Leavins also thinks that Edmonton will look at a possible in-season trade as another solution. The Oilers won’t have a ton of cap space (if any) after they sign their remaining restricted free agents, which is likely why Leavins mentions Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens and Nic Dowd of the Washington Capitals as possible targets. Dowd has two years left on his current deal at $1.3MM while Evans also has two years remaining and is owed $1.7MM in each of the next two years.
  • Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun writes that he believes the Oilers have dodged a bullet and he doesn’t expect an offer sheet to come this late in the off-season for restricted free-agent defenseman Evan Bouchard. That’s good news for Oilers fans, but it also isn’t all that surprising given the rarity in which offer sheets are utilized. Leavins wrote today that he believes the Oilers and Bouchard are close to a deal but doesn’t give any details. Given the Oilers tight cap situation it does seem highly likely that they will sign a bridge deal with their budding defenseman which could open the door for him to sign a very lucrative extension soon should he continue to quarterback the league’s best power play. Bouchard had eight goals and 32 assists this past season in 82 games, but just 13 of his 40 regular season points came with the man advantage. In the playoffs, it was a different story as Bouchard had four goals and 11 assists on the power play in just 12 playoff games.

Examining Maple Leafs Bargain Bin Free Agent Targets

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Joshua Kloke of The Athletic wrote an article today highlighting seven bargain bin free agent targets that could help the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. The Maple Leafs currently sit about $2MM over the salary cap despite putting Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray on LTIR for next year, making it difficult to imagine Toronto doing much shopping in free agency unless they sign two-way deals or move out a contract. The names on the list were interesting, and certainly, they reflect the Maple Leafs’ salary cap predicament.

The most interesting name on Kloke’s list was three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews. Much speculation has been made this off-season about the future of Toews as he has battled health issues the past few seasons and may be leaning towards retirement. Toews was effective last year, albeit in limited action as he dressed in just 53 games and put up 15 goals and 16 assists. The former captain of the Chicago Blackhawks doesn’t have much to play for at this point, but if he were to choose the Maple Leafs as a destination, he could slide into a similar role that Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton had when they arrived in Toronto a few years ago. Toews could be a very effective fourth-line center for Toronto even at this point in his career, but one must wonder if wants to.

Zach Aston-Reese was another name on the list and is coming off a season in which he scored a career-high 10 goals with Toronto. By all accounts, Aston-Reese was well-liked in Toronto and was effective for them in a fourth-line role. We profiled the Staten Island, New York native just days ago in our Free Agent Profile series and highlighted that the 28-year-old has some of the best defensive analytics in the league but offers very little offensively.

Another name on the list was a young reclamation project and that is 25-year-old Jesse Puljujarvi. The right-winger is coming off a very disappointing season in which he scored just five goals and was dumped by the Edmonton Oilers in a cap-cutting move last year. Puljujarvi has been a disappointment in his young career after getting drafted fourth overall in 2016. He has just 51 goals and 63 assists in 334 NHL games but is just a year removed from a 36-point season in 2021-22. The Maple Leafs would probably be a good landing spot for Puljujarvi as he could play in more of a sheltered role in Toronto and wouldn’t be relied upon to provide much offence. On the flip side of that, he struggled to play with skilled players like Connor McDavid, which leads to speculation about whether he’d be able to play with any of Toronto’s skilled forwards.

The most realistic target for the Maple Leafs on the list was center Derick Brassard. Brassard entered last season on a professional tryout with the Ottawa Senators and put up decent numbers in limited playing time. The 35-year-old had 13 goals and 10 assists in 62 games while averaging just 12 minutes of ice time per game. It’s possible that Brassard might also elect to retire, but he did express a desire to keep playing at the end of last year. He also enjoyed playing closer to home having grown up in Hull, Quebec, which is just across the river from Ottawa. Should Brassard want to stay close to family, Toronto would make sense. From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, there is no harm in bringing in a veteran like Brassard on a one-year deal for the league minimum. He would give them a scoring option in the bottom six who can fill in at center, and they could bury his contract in the minors without penalty should things not work out.

The other names on Kloke’s list were defensemen Ethan Bear and Scott Harrington, as well as forward Sam Gagner. Harrington is a former Maple Leaf and could offer some depth on the backend, while Bear is expected to miss a significant chunk of the year and would be a mid-season addition. Gagner could offer the Leafs some depth scoring on the fourth line and is close with John Taveres from their days playing in London. Perhaps a return home could be possible for the 33-year-old Gagner.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top