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Salary Cap Increase Could Be Larger Than Expected

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Joe Smith of The Athletic penned an interesting article today leading to speculation that the NHL salary cap could see a larger increase this summer than the $1MM that was expected. Gary Bettman seemed to temper expectations last week when he said that he still expected the increase to be just the $1MM.

Smith’s league sources say that the number which has been discussed for most of this year doesn’t appear to be final as of right now. The official figure will be announced at the NHL draft and now it appears that there are some negotiations going on behind the scenes to see if there is wiggle room to add to the increase.

Many expect the salary cap to go up between $10MM-$12MM over the next three years based on revenue, leading to a wild disparity for those who become free agents this season versus those who hit the market in 2024 or 2025. The conversation going on behind closed doors appears to be whether the increases could be more proportional starting this year to allow the group of players hitting free agency in a few weeks to have a bit more money in the market to chase.

Any additional cap increase would certainly be welcome news for teams that are currently cap strapped. The Minnesota Wild and Boston Bruins come to mind as both teams stand to lose considerable talent and don’t have much cap room to retain them. The news could also be good for the players that want to stay with their current clubs but aren’t sure the money will be there. An extra one million in cap space could be the difference that allows a player like Alex Killorn to stay with the only team he’s ever known instead of moving on with a new team.

While Smith teases the different possible cap increases over the next three years, he does end the article by stating that the likeliest outcome for next year’s salary cap is a $1MM to $1.5MM increase. This could also affect the contracts that this year’s free agents sign. Players might opt for shorter term deals with the hope that they can cash in down the road when the cap is quite a bit higher. We’ve already seen defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov sign for just two years, despite the Los Angeles Kings pushing for a longer-term arrangement. It could become a major story over the next month or so as more players sign deals for next season.

Five Key Stories: 5/29/23 – 6/4/23

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As expected, the turn of the calendar has resulted in an uptick of activity around the NHL, the bulk of it coming away from the ice, including an early extension for Seattle GM Ron Francis and surgery for pending UFA Patrick Kane.  We recap the most notable news in our key stories.

Treliving To Toronto: After parting ways with Kyle Dubas a couple of weeks ago, the Maple Leafs have found their new GM, hiring Brad Treliving for the role.  The 53-year-old had been in the same role with Calgary for the last nine seasons before stepping aside at the end of the regular season.  Treliving is no stranger to roster shakeups after making several changes of note for the Flames last year and will be tasked with determining if a core move needs to be made plus the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe.  While Treliving is in charge now, it’s worth noting that he will not be permitted to be at the draft table later this month, a stipulation they agreed to before receiving permission to interview Treliving, whose deal with Calgary ran until the end of June.

Dubas To Pittsburgh: It didn’t take long for Dubas to find his next team as he has joined Pittsburgh as their President Of Hockey Operations.  The term of the deal wasn’t officially released but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (video link) that it’s a seven-year agreement.  Dubas had been GM in Toronto for the past five seasons, building a team that has been quite strong during the regular season but has struggled in the playoffs with just a single series victory.  He’ll be asked to try to get the Penguins’ core back in the playoff picture after the team came up just short this season, resulting in the departures of Ron Hextall and Brian Burke.  Dubas will hold GM duties as well for the time being but is expected to hire one later this summer.

Changes In Nashville: After a long review and search of the coaching options available, incoming Predators GM Barry Trotz opted to make a change behind the bench, firing John Hynes while hiring Andrew Brunette as their next head coach.  Hynes spent a little over three seasons with the Preds, compiling a 134-95-18 record during the regular season but the team won just three of 14 playoff contests.  The 48-year-old has just over 600 games under his belt including his time in New Jersey and if he doesn’t land a job this summer, his name will likely come up in midseason openings.  As for Brunette, this will be his second time running an NHL bench after he coached Florida for the bulk of the 2021-22 campaign.  Brunette was passed over for the full-time spot with the Panthers that summer, sending him to New Jersey as an associate coach.  Trotz indicated that he’s hoping that Brunette can bring more of an offensive focus to the team, a stark contrast to his own philosophies when he was behind the bench.

More Coaching Moves: The Capitals were actually the first team to bring in their new bench boss, bringing in Spencer Carbery on a four-year contract.  It’s the second stint with Washington for the 41-year-old who was the head coach for their AHL affiliate in Hershey for three years before leaving to serve as an assistant with Toronto for the last two seasons.  He is the fourth first-time hire out of Washington’s last six head coaches.  Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets appear to have their next coach as veteran Mike Babcock is set to return behind an NHL bench for the first time since 2019-20.  The 60-year-old has a 700-418-183 record over parts of 17 seasons and will be tasked with turning around a Columbus franchise that improved on paper last summer but dropped to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.  The hire is expected to be made official next month once his contract with Toronto expires.

Gibson Hoping For A Trade: The goaltending market this summer just got a bit more interesting following a report that Ducks netminder John Gibson indicated to the team last month that he’d like a change of scenery.  The 29-year-old was one of the top goalies in the league a few years ago but as Anaheim has struggled, so has he as he posted a 3.99 GAA with a .899 SV% this season while leading the league in goals allowed and losses.  However, on a more competitive win-now franchise, there’s reason to hope that he could turn things around.  Gibson has four years left on his contract at a $6.4MM cap charge so the Ducks may have to retain salary or take a contract back to help facilitate a move.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Stories: 5/22/23 – 5/28/23

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As May comes closer to an end, off-ice activity should start to pick up around the league in the coming days.  While it was a relatively quiet week, there was still some news of note which is highlighted in our key stories.

Two For Benn: Facing elimination after losing the first three games of the Western Conference Final, the Stars found themselves without captain Jamie Benn as he received a two-game suspension from the Department of Player Safety.  The ban came as a result of a cross-check on Vegas winger Mark Stone early in the third game of the series, earning him a five-minute major and a game misconduct at the time.  Dallas was able to rebound without their captain, winning two elimination games to stay alive in the series.  Benn will be eligible to return for another must-win game contest on Monday.

Conroy Promoted: Throughout Calgary’s search for a new general manager, long-time assistant Craig Conroy was viewed as the speculative favorite.  In the end, the former Flame was promoted to the job, becoming the eighth GM in franchise history.  Following a season that saw the team just come up short of a playoff spot, Conroy will be tasked with changing up the core while needing to free up cap space in the process.  Additionally, he needs to find a new head coach following the dismissal of Darryl Sutter while Don Maloney was serving as interim GM.  It’s quite possible that the hire will be an internal promotion as well with assistants Kirk Muller and Ryan Huska plus two-time AHL Coach of the Year winner Mitch Love all in the organization already.

Staying With The Sabres: Kyle Okposo took some time to determine his plan for his playing future and it involved staying with Buffalo as the captain signed a one-year extension, avoiding unrestricted free agency this summer.  He’ll be taking a sizable pay cut to do so, going from a $6MM AAV on his last deal to a $2.5MM salary plus a potential $500K bonus if the Sabres win the Stanley Cup.  The 35-year-old saw his production dip this season, going from 45 points to 28 while seeing his playing time shaved by more than two minutes a night as some of Buffalo’s younger players have grabbed a hold of a regular spot in the lineup.  However, he can still fill a spot in their bottom six while players and management have lauded his off-ice contributions, ones that will continue now for another year.

Flyers Open To Changing Goalies: In an interview over the weekend, Flyers GM Daniel Briere indicated that while he believes Carter Hart is their goalie of the future, he isn’t in a position to turn down anything and would listen to offers for the 24-year-old.  Hart made an immediate impact when he debuted in 2018-19 but hasn’t been able to duplicate his level of performance in his first two seasons in the following three campaigns.  Hart is signed for one more season at a $3.979MM cap hit and is eligible to sign a contract extension as early as July 1st.  He’s under team control through restricted free agency through the 2024-25 season.

Kravtsov Back To Russia: It wasn’t that long ago that winger Vitali Kravtsov was viewed as a piece of the future for the Rangers.  After a tough showing with New York this season, he was moved to Vancouver as part of the series of moves needed to afford Patrick Kane.  Things didn’t go much better there and rather than battle for a roster spot with the Canucks next season, the 23-year-old has decided to go home once again, inking a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL.  Kravtsov had just four goals and four assists in 48 games this season between the two teams, not the type of numbers expected from the 2018 ninth-overall selection.  Kravtsov is under team control through 2027 so Vancouver is still likely to issue him a qualifying offer this summer to retain his NHL rights.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Mailbag: Sabres, Jets, Bruins, Draft, Flyers, Officiating

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include discussion on Buffalo’s goaltending situation, Philadelphia’s new front office, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in our mailbag from this weekend; there will also be one that runs tomorrow where your question might be answered.

sabres3277: As the Sabres approach the NHL Draft do you think they will address the goaltending position via a trade/free agent to ensure that D. Levi has a veteran partner and mentor? I believe the Sabres need to acquire a solid veteran defenseman to bolster the young defense. Thoughts?

When it comes to the goaltending, I’m a little on the fence.  I think they’d like to do something but there’s a fine needle to thread here.  John Gibson might be available but he has four years left.  I don’t think Buffalo wants to do that.  Connor Hellebuyck is on an expiring deal next season but I don’t believe the Sabres would want to pay the freight of a long-term contract.  Maybe Nashville moves Juuse Saros if they’re going to head into a rebuild but that’s hardly a guarantee.  I don’t see another trade option that makes enough of a difference to matter.

In free agency, Tristan Jarry is out there but he’s not taking a short-term contract in all likelihood unless his market completely tanks.  (And if it does, a pillow deal in Buffalo would actually be pretty intriguing.)  It thins out pretty quickly after that.  Maybe Semyon Varlamov would be of interest with the idea of being a platoon goalie instead of a strict backup and he wouldn’t need a long-term commitment.  He might make the most sense to me to partner with either Devon Levi or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (it wouldn’t shock me if Levi got some run in Rochester where he could start the bulk of the games over Eric Comrie) and he could be an upgrade on what Craig Anderson brought to the table this season.

As for the defenseman, I certainly agree with you.  I had that as one of the items on their Offseason Checklist last weekend.  They have a decent top four that should continue to improve but getting one extra second-pairing-caliber blueliner would be a big hedge against injuries and inconsistency from their youngsters while also letting them balance out the ice time a little bit.  That could pay dividends down the stretch next season.

joebad34: Sabres question: It is obvious V. Olofsson will be on the trading block. His upside is 25-30 potential goals. His downside is business decisions heading into corners; that being said, can he be moved for a right-shot d-man or just a draft pick or two? What would the value be?

Frankly, I don’t think Victor Olofsson’s trade value is going to be all that high.  Here’s a player in the prime of his career with a strong offensive game…that is seeing his ice time dip each year to the point of being a healthy scratch at times.  This is called not moving Olofsson at his high point in value, especially when he carries a $4.75MM cap charge.

Quality right-shot defenders are in short supply in high demand.  Wingers with a decent scoring touch but some warts in their all-around game are in much greater supply and much lower demand.  If Buffalo was to get a quality right-shot defender in a trade here, it’d be surprising unless Olofsson is merely salary ballast with the Sabres sending out a strong pick and/or prospect in the deal as well.  As for moving him for draft picks?  I don’t see that happening; a team with $4.75MM in cap space is likely to decide that they’d be better off spending that on a free agent than trading assets for Olofsson unless it was a later-round selection which wouldn’t be a great return for him by any stretch.

If the Sabres decide that they need to move on from Olofsson, I think the likeliest scenario is a swap of ‘change of scenery’ players.  They’d get someone else on an expiring contract at a similar price tag with the hope that the other player will fit in better than Buffalo and Olofsson will do better with the other team.  I don’t think he has much more value than that in this cap-strapped marketplace.

rdiddy75: Do the Jets get rid of trio of Dubois, Scheifele, and Wheeler and retool the team?

It certainly feels like they need to do something, doesn’t it?  The way they went out in the playoffs followed by Rick Bowness’ pointed comments would seem to suggest they can’t just run it back.  But GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has made it known that he believes in this core group and seemingly indicated in his press conference that as long as they get to the playoffs, they’ve accomplished something.  (At least, that was one of my takeaways from his comments.)

With that in mind, I don’t think the Jets are going to choose to blow up the core just yet.  I suspect they’re willing to move on from Blake Wheeler but how much of a trade market is there going to be for him at $8.25MM?  As a small market team, I’m not sure paying him $5.5MM over two years not to play for them is a move they’re going to want to make.  Maybe there’s a swap with them retaining up to half of his contract available but the return still won’t be great.

As for Pierre-Luc Dubois, I think they might hold onto him.  If you’re a team interested in acquiring him, how much are you willing to pay up if you believe there’s a strong chance he tests free agency?  Probably a first-rounder, a decent prospect, and either another pick or salary ballast.  But they can do that deal at the trade deadline where Winnipeg can retain half the contract, allowing the acquiring team to be able to afford another player they’d have had to clear out if they acquiring Dubois now.  Again, it comes back to my belief that Cheveldayoff thinks this core is good enough to be in the mix.  If he can get the same types of offers in February than he can now, why not run it back and hope for a hot start that convinces some pending free agents (even if it’s not Dubois) to re-sign?

Mark Scheifele is an interesting case.  The run-it-back logic for Dubois applies here somewhat although with Scheifele, is he willing to sign a long-term extension this summer with Winnipeg or elsewhere?  If so, that changes the picture.  With the UFA market not being strong, if Scheifele is willing to sign a new deal now, he becomes the top middleman available and Winnipeg should be able to get a significant return, one that would justify moving him now.  But if Cheveldayoff thinks that a strong first half could persuade Scheifele to stay in Winnipeg, it wouldn’t shock me if he holds on to him as well.

Long story short, yes, I think there’s a shakeup coming in Winnipeg and it wouldn’t shock me if none of those players are around a year from now.  I’m just not convinced it’s happening this summer but rather closer to the trade deadline unless they can get a king’s ransom for their two centers in the next six weeks or so.

SkidRowe: 1) If you were the Bruins’ GM, how would you approach the future?

2) The Bruins’ long-term core (three or more years remaining) is Pastrnak, Zacha, Coyle, McAvoy, Lindholm, Carlo. Is that good enough to rebuild around?

1) What’s the saying, all good things must come to an end?  That’s where things are for Boston.  They don’t have many draft picks, nor do they have a particularly strong prospect pool.  Frankly, that’s to be expected from a team that has tried to contend for this long.  So in the short term, I’d be looking at trying to recover some of those futures.

Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort are on expiring contracts and should have some value.  I talked about in a recent mailbag the hypothetical trade value of Jeremy Swayman but if you’re going to take a short-term step back, maybe it’s Linus Ullmark that they should look to sell high on.  As noted earlier, there isn’t a great free agent market for goaltenders nor are there a lot of viable starters that could be traded for.  Coming off a likely Vezina-winning year, he’d bring back some quality futures as well.  Up front, I’d explore moving Taylor Hall who doesn’t really fit their long-term core plans.  If Jake DeBrusk isn’t part of those long-term plans, he’d be on the sell list too.  Making some of those moves would help free up some cap flexibility to round out the rest of their roster while stockpiling some much-needed futures.

If they had a bit more cap space and a first-round pick in the next couple of years, I could make a case to justify trying to trade for someone like Scheifele and extending him even though it runs counter to everything I just wrote as a key center is something they really need.  If they could get that, do it and figure out the rest later.  However, I don’t think they have the trade assets to do that right now.  But make some of these seller moves and maybe they’ll have a shot at a move like that a year from now.

2) It depends on what you mean by good enough.  Is that the future core of another perennial contender?  Probably not.  For me, the true core would be David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm with Swayman (under team control for three more years) part of it if he’s still around next season.  That’s a foundation that should be good enough to hang around the Wild Card mix but they need a true impact center if they want a shot at returning to contender status.

Unclemike1526: With the talent in this year’s draft, I don’t see the possibility of the Hawks trading up far from 19. Maybe a couple of spaces even with four 2nd rounders and two 3rd rounders. How far do you think they can realistically move up? Obviously, they’re not trading Bedard, But I’m sure they would love to move up from 19. Barring that, who are some guys they could use those picks to trade for players already in the NHL, that they might like?

It has gotten awfully difficult to trade up lately, especially last year where the only pick swap in the first round was 11 for 27, 34, and 45 with San Jose deciding that they were better off with adding some extra picks to a prospect pool that isn’t the deepest.  That was in a weak draft.  In a strong one, I could see teams being more protective of those early selections.  If Chicago wanted to move up a few spots, I think there’s a way to do it that would get them to somewhere between 14-18 but it would be dependent on one of those teams losing out on the player that they were hoping to get.  Every year, we hear GMs talk about how they were trying to trade up (or back into the late first round) and just couldn’t find anyone willing to do so.  That could very well happen here.

Honestly, I’m not sure that their best asset to try to move up is their extra picks.  Instead, I think their cap space could be.  For example, Pittsburgh (at 14) is a team that could benefit from creating some cap room.  If the Blackhawks were willing to take on Mikael Granlund’s remaining two years, for example, would that be good enough for the Penguins to slide down to 19; is the extra cap space worth dropping down?  I suppose Calgary at 16 could be an option as well as they’re quite capped out although there isn’t an obvious contract to fit into a framework like this.  Vancouver at 11 could be a possibility as well although Chicago would probably have to take a sizable deal back for the Canucks to slide eight spots.

As for flipping those second-rounders for players, there are too many players to list.  With so many teams being tight to the cap, they could get some good players if they wanted to flip those picks.  I just don’t think they’re intending to do that.  Getting the top pick isn’t going to flip the switch and end the rebuild.  They’re not a player or two away from being a playoff contender so why deviate from the course now?  Get those prospects in the system and then when they are ready to start adding to their roster again, they can deal from their picks or their prospect pool for those players.  I could see Chicago trading out from 55 outright to get a 2024 second-rounder, giving them a possible chip to move for a player at that time if they think they’re ready to flip that switch next offseason.

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Five Key Stories: 5/15/23 – 5/21/23

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It was an eventful week on the ice in the NHL including one of the longest games in league history and it was even more eventful away from the rink.  We recap that news in our key stories.

Four Bidders For Senators: While there were seven strong expressions of interest in the Senators, in the end, only four of those groups issued a binding bid for the team.  Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer heads up one of them, another is a bid from the Kimel brothers (Jeffrey and Michael) who also used to be a minority owner of the Penguins.  The other two bids are from Steve Apostolopoulos, who was a contender in the bidding for the NFL’s Washington Commanders (he lost to Devils owner Josh Harris) and a coalition group led by producer Neko Sparks.  The bids will now be reviewed by Galatioto Sports Partners which is handling the sale of the team with there likely to be some behind-the-scenes negotiating to try to drive the purchase price up more; Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports (Twitter link) that those discussions are currently ongoing.

Holland To Stick Around: Soon after there was speculation that Edmonton might be proactive in terms of trying to keep teams from talking to Steve Staios, a special assistant to GM Ken Holland, Holland confirmed that he wouldn’t be stepping aside as GM of the Oilers next season.  The 67-year-old has one more year remaining on his contract but indicated he’s not sure how much longer he’d like to stay in the top role, citing that he has some unfinished business.  That business might be trying to get Edmonton to the Stanley Cup after the team fell in the second round to Vegas, one year after being swept in the Western Conference Final by Colorado.  (Meanwhile, it appears their long-time rival will be announcing their new GM soon.)

Dubas Out: The Maple Leafs are shaking up their front office as it was announced that the team will not be renewing the contract of GM Kyle Dubas.  The 37-year-old was in the top job for the last five seasons with the team enjoying plenty of regular season success but only one playoff series victory to show for it.  Team president Brendan Shanahan admitted that there had been discussions about a contract extension for Dubas this past week but on Monday, Dubas acknowledged that he was unsure about staying on.  While he confirmed to Shanahan on Thursday that he was ready to continue on with his agent submitting a counter-offer in discussions, Shanahan instead decided to move on.  With Auston Matthews and William Nylander eligible for extensions in July, whoever takes over for Dubas will have two key files to work on quickly.

Back To The Drawing Board: It looked like the Coyotes had found their eventual new home in Tempe that was going to open up in a few years.  However, the public referendum saw voters vote no to all three propositions, tanking that idea and sending the team back to the drawing board.  They’ve since reached out to the City of Mesa to discuss the feasibility on building on the site of a mall that will soon be demolished.  In the meantime, the team confirmed it will remain at Mullett Arena for the 2023-24 season but that won’t do much to quell relocation speculation, especially if they aren’t able to generate much momentum on this site in Mesa in the coming months.

Staying In School: The Coyotes will have to wait a little longer to get their top prospect under contract as Logan Cooley revealed that he will return to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore year.  The 19-year-old was the third-overall pick last year and had a dominant freshman year, finishing second in NCAA scoring with 22 goals and 38 assists in 39 games.  Without much left to prove at that level, the logical expectation was that he’d turn pro now but speaking with reporters including Randy Johnson of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, he indicated that he wanted to take another crack at a title while admitting that Arizona’s uncertain arena situation played into his decision.  Having said that, Cooley could still turn pro late in the 2023-24 campaign and get into a handful of games with the Coyotes down the stretch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Arizona Coyotes Expected To Remain In Tempe For 2023-24

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The Arizona Coyotes are not expected to relocate ahead of the 2023-24 season, NHL deputy commissioner told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski today. The team’s long-term future remains undecided after Tempe voters failed to approve the team’s plan for a new arena and entertainment district in the city.

However, the tone surrounding the future of the team in Arizona seems more optimistic this afternoon than immediately after the Coyotes (and NHL) learned the results of the Tempe arena vote last night. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo reaffirmed today the team’s preferred course of action is to stay in Arizona, while PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports “there is still a path forward for the Coyotes in Arizona.”

The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta adds the NHL remains in line with Coyotes ownership, preferring to keep the team in place, although the league is still open to considering relocation.

It’s unclear what that path is, nor is it apparent what’s changed in the last 24 hours to constitute the revived confidence of a long-term fix for the Coyotes’ off-ice issues. Still, it’s a sigh-of-relief moment for Coyotes fans and players, who were understandably devastated by last night’s news.

On-ice for Arizona, stability for next season this early in the process of finding a new long-term plan is great news. With a home confirmed, at least for next season, general manager Bill Armstrong should have a much easier time re-signing any pending free agents he chooses and potentially attracting free agents outside the organization looking for more playing time. The team is still years away from having a competitive core, but a small step forward should be expected next season as their young talent continues to develop.

NHL Announces 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy Nominees

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In an announcement made Tuesday afternoon, the NHL unveiled the list of nominees for the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice, as well as making a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to their community.

The list of nominees for this year’s award is an impressive one, featuring some of the league’s most well-respected captains, such as Boston’s Patrice Bergeron and Florida’s Aleksander Barkov.

One notable nominee is one of the youngest captains in the league – Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk, in a few short years as a Senator, has already implanted himself in the community, especially in recent seasons. Working with the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, Tkachuk hosts the ’Tkachuk’s Captains’ program, which works with kids at club locations across Ottawa to help develop leadership skills.

That’s not to diminish the off-ice efforts of anyone else named on the full list of nominees, found below. While an often-overlooked award, it’s a great way to highlight some players who focus on making positive contributions to their communities.

Anaheim: Kevin Shattenkirk
Arizona: Travis Boyd
Boston: Patrice Bergeron
Buffalo: Alex Tuch
Calgary: Mikael Backlund
Carolina: Jordan Staal
Chicago: Connor Murphy
Colorado: Devon Toews
Columbus: Zach Werenski
Dallas: Jason Robertson
Detroit: Dylan Larkin
Edmonton: Darnell Nurse
Florida: Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles: Mikey Anderson
Minnesota: Matt Dumba
Montreal: Jordan Harris
Nashville: Juuse Saros
New Jersey: Jack Hughes
NY Islanders: Anders Lee
NY Rangers: Jacob Trouba
Ottawa: Brady Tkachuk
Philadelphia: Scott Laughton
Pittsburgh: Evgeni Malkin
San Jose: Luke Kunin
Seattle: Chris Driedger
St. Louis: Brayden Schenn
Tampa Bay: Victor Hedman
Toronto: Morgan Rielly
Vancouver: Elias Pettersson
Vegas: Reilly Smith
Washington: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg: Blake Wheeler

Hockey Canada Releases Initial 2023 World Championship Roster

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Hockey Canada has released the initial complement of 20 players that will represent their country at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships next week in Finland.

It’s a more experienced roster than their American counterparts released, at least in terms of current NHL caliber. In net, they’re likely the most well-set team in the tournament, with projected rookie sensation Devon Levi sharing the crease with Montreal Canadien Sam Montembeault, who had a strong season in a tandem role with Jake Allen.

While 2023 presumptive first-overall selection Connor Bedard won’t join the team, likely to avoid risking injuries prier to his rookie season in the NHL, projected second-overall pick Adam Fantilli will. After capturing the Hobey Baker award in what’s likely his only season at the University of Michigan, Fantilli will join seasoned NHL veterans such as Milan Lucic, Scott Laughton, and Tyler Toffoli as Canada goes for gold at the Worlds.

Their defense is highlighted by MacKenzie Weegar. Although he had a tough season in Calgary, he’s not far removed from being a top 20 defender in the world and should make a significant impact at the tournament. Youngsters Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Justin Barron will also get a chance to shine for the Canadians.

The full 20-player roster is as follows:

F Cody Glass
F Jack McBain
F Milan Lucic
F Peyton Krebs
F Scott Laughton
F Jack Quinn
F Jake Neighbours
F Lawson Crouse
F Tyler Toffoli
F Sammy Blais
F Joe Veleno
F Adam Fantilli

D Pierre-Olivier Joseph
D Justin Barron
D MacKenzie Weegar
D Tyler Myers
D Ethan Bear
D Jake Walman

G Devon Levi
G Sam Montembeault

Dallas Stars Loan Riley Tufte To AHL

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The Dallas Stars returned forward Riley Tufte to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, the team said in a release today.

Dallas summoned Tufte from the minors following Joe Pavelski’s injury in Game 1, giving him some time on the NHL roster during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t insert Tufte into the lineup over the course of four games, however. With Pavelski’s health improving, Dallas has opted to return Tufte to the minors.

The move comes at a natural time for the Stars organization as well. With the Texas Stars finishing high enough in the Central Division to earn a bye past the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the AHL Stars begin their playoff run on Friday against the Rockford IceHogs. Tufte will be an important middle-six presence for Texas in the playoffs, contributing 35 points in 63 games this season and finishing second among Texas forwards with a +23 rating.

Time is ticking away on the NHL future for the 25-year-old Minnesota native, especially given his first-round billing, but he does play a bruising, power-forward game that translates well enough to Dallas’ bottom six in call-up situations. If Dallas’ season lasts longer than their affiliate, expect Tufte to once again be recalled as part of a complement of Black Aces.

Stars/Wild Notes: Wallstedt, Eriksson Ek, Pavelski

at CDT | by 6 Comments

With the Iowa Wild’s quick elimination from the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports the Minnesota Wild are expected to call up their complement of Black Aces today to be around the team while their playoff run continues. While most won’t be called up after Iowa’s exit meetings, Russo said that top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt has already been recalled and will serve as the third goalie behind the team’s tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Wallstedt, 20, didn’t have the playoff performance he wanted in Iowa, recording a .897 save percentage in two overtime losses as Iowa lost their best-of-three series against the Rockford IceHogs. It doesn’t diminish what was a promising stretch run to the season for him, wrapping up his first pro season in North America with a .908 save percentage and a shutout in 38 games for Iowa. Selected 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Wallstedt remains one of the best goalie prospects in the league and should gain valuable experience from being around the Minnesota team for the rest of their postseason.

  • After attempting to return from injury in Game 3 and skating just one shift, things aren’t looking up for the health of Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek. Head coach Dean Evason told reporters today Eriksson Ek hasn’t skated since his latest injury, as he’s still in the process of evaluation and “not close” to returning to the lineup. Eyes now turn to Sam Steel and Frédérick Gaudreau, who have both performed well so far in the series, to shoulder Eriksson Ek’s absence.
  • On the flip side, Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski continues to progress in his recovery after a hit in Game 1 that caused him to enter concussion protocol. Pavelski skated with the team today for the first time since the injury, and head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters Pavelski’s progressed in his recovery each day. It remains unclear whether Pavelski will return this series.

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