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Archives for April 2022

Ryan Getzlaf To Retire After 2021-22 Season

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After a long, successful career, Ryan Getzlaf will hang up his skates at the end of this season. The Anaheim Ducks captain announced today that he will retire following the 2021-22 campaign, having only ever played for one franchise. In a statement, Getzlaf explained:

It’s been an honor to play in the NHL and spend my entire professional career with one organization. None of this would have been possible without my family, who offered unwavering love and support each step of the way. Thank you to our owners, Henry and Susan Samueli, for leading an organization committed to success on the ice, but more importantly, to making a positive impact in our community and to those in need.

Getzlaf, 36, played 17 seasons with the Ducks, debuting in 2005 after the lockout and basically never leaving the lineup. Named captain in 2010 after the departure of Scott Niedermayer, he has been the face of the franchise for more than a decade. Now, as the team transitions to a new core, he’ll step away from the game and allow younger players like Trevor Zegras to take the spotlight in Anaheim.

It’s been an incredible career for the 19th overall pick in 2003. Getzlaf has played in 1,150 games, registered 1,013 points, and raised the Stanley Cup in 2007. He sits as the team’s all-time leading scorer, with 200 more assists than Teemu Selanne who sits in second place. In fact, Getzlaf’s 731 career assists are actually good for 51st on the all-time NHL list–he could climb into the top-50 by season’s end.

There was also plenty of international success for the big center. Twice Getzlaf took home Olympic gold medals as part of Team Canada, while also winning World Cup, World Junior, and U18 golds along the way. While he never secured a World Championship gold to enter the “Triple Gold Club,” he did serve as captain of Canada at the event, in which he participated twice. Part of the famous 2003 draft class that will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the best ever, he sits just 21 points behind Eric Staal for the top in the entire group.

Even this year, at the end of his journey, Getzlaf has shown some of his patented playmaking ability, racking up 28 assists in 49 games. While the days of his prime are long behind him, he still has been rather effective for the Ducks in his final year.

Known outside the rink for his community efforts, Getzlaf was also praised by Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli for his work off the ice:

We are so proud of everything Ryan has accomplished in an amazing 17 years playing for the Ducks. While we will all remember his leadership qualities on the ice, it is his community-first approach that has cemented his legacy in Orange County. In addition to spearheading the Ducks Learn to Play Program and numerous other organizational charitable initiatives, he launched his own such event with the Annual Getzlaf Shootout to benefit CureDuchenne, raising over $4.27 million to date.

Getzlaf never did win any major individual awards, though he finished second in Hart Trophy voting in 2014. Like his playstyle that always favored setting up a teammate over taking the shot himself, his career will be remembered more for team success–in the NHL and internationally–than any personal accolades.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kurtis MacDermid Signs Two-Year Extension

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed Kurtis MacDermid to a two-year extension, one that keeps him under contract through the 2023-24 season. The deal will pay MacDermid $975K in the first year and $1.0MM in the second, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

MacDermid, 28, is mostly a defenseman, though he has actually lined up a handful of times this season for the Avalanche, whenever they need a bit of extra physicality upfront. The 6’5″ behemoth is one of the most imposing players in the league, and plays a style of hockey not usually found in the NHL these days.

Averaging just over seven minutes a night through 53 games, he sort of represents the classic enforcer, though he has just six fighting majors on the year. Instead, he racks up hits in his short shifts, totaling 96 on the year despite playing only 395 total minutes. That goes along with 72 penalty minutes, second on the Avalanche (Gabriel Landeskog, 78), and five points. Should he reach nine, it would represent a career-high.

MacDermid has now played in 171 NHL games and is obviously a valued member of the Avalanche organization, not bad for a player who went undrafted and played three full years of junior even after his entry-level contract was originally signed. He was actually the Seattle Kraken’s choice in last year’s expansion draft from the Los Angeles Kings, though he never actually played for the club. The Avalanche spent a fourth-round pick to get him, and now have given him some additional stability with another two-year, one-way contract.

While he may not play every game over the next two seasons, a contract like this represents almost zero risk for the Avalanche. The entire cap hit–of $987.5K–can be buried in the minor leagues if necessary, though that would require him to pass through waivers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

AHL Shuffle: 04/05/22

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It’s a busy night in the NHL with ten games on tap, including several that could have playoff implications. The Toronto Maple Leafs try to complete the Sunshine sweep as they head to face the Florida Panthers, while the Minnesota Wild try to show why they’re ahead of the Nashville Predators in a Central Division matchup. One interesting cross-conference game will be the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins, a battle of two Stanley Cup contenders (and of two good friends in Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon). As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Parker Kelly from the AHL, giving them an extra body for their match this evening. Kelly, 22, has played in 27 games for Ottawa this season, scoring five goals.
  • Forward Kyle Criscuolo is up with the Detroit Red Wings under emergency conditions, per the team. Criscuolo already has an assist in three NHL games this season and could add to that total in the next few games if in the lineup.

Metropolitan Division

  • After securing his first win as a member of the New York Islanders, Cory Schneider has been returned to the minor leagues. The 36-year-old netminder stopped 27 of 30 shots on Sunday in his first NHL appearance since 2020. That win could very well end up being his final appearance in the NHL, depending on what happens down the stretch and when he reaches unrestricted free agency in the summer.

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • Another emergency call-up comes in the form of defenseman Jack Rathbone, who’s now up with the Vancouver Canucks. Rathbone suffered what seemed to be a serious injury with AHL Abbotsford earlier in the year, but is now healthy and could get some NHL action down the stretch. He’ll likely slot into the lineup tomorrow against Vegas as Quinn Hughes is out with a non-COVID illness.

This page is updated throughout the day

Marian Hossa To Sign One-Day Contract With Chicago Blackhawks

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Marian Hossa’s 12-year contract finally expired at the end of last season, though he had not actually played in an NHL game since the 2016-17 campaign. Now that his time as an Arizona Coyote is over, he’s free to sign anywhere as an unrestricted free agent. He’ll do so by inking a one-day contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, in order to officially retire as a member of the team.

Hossa, 43, didn’t start his career in Chicago. Selected 12th overall in 1997 by the Ottawa Senators, he quickly showed how he would impact the game. An excellent two-way player from the very beginning, he finished second to Chris Drury in Calder Trophy voting during the 1998-99 season and was receiving Selke Trophy votes by 2001. He would end up with the Atlanta Thrashers next, where he recorded his only 100-point season, and then would pop between contenders for a few years, reaching the Stanley Cup Final with both the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and Detroit Red Wings in 2009.

Both teams would end up losing, leading to jokes about Hossa being a bad luck charm in the playoffs. He’d put that notion to rest in 2010, when he joined the Blackhawks and helped them to the first of three Stanley Cup championships. Over eight seasons in Chicago, Hossa would rack up 415 points in 534 games, while still being considered one of the very best defensive wingers in the game. In all, he received Selke votes in 13 different seasons, reaching as high as fifth in 2014 at the age of 35.

Throughout his entire career, the Slovakian forward would record 1,134 regular season points in 1,309 games, putting him among the best of all time. He sits 59th in career points and 61st in games played. Even better are his 149 playoff points, which puts him 30th all-time. In 2020, before his NHL contract had even officially expired–Hossa was forced out of the game due to a skin condition–he was chosen to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. Two years later, he’ll now officially retire where he won it all.

Jokerit, Dinamo Riga Officially Withdraw From KHL

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The KHL will be down to 22 teams for the 2022-23 season, announcing today that both Jokerit and Dinamo Riga will no longer take part. Jokerit had already withdrawn from this year’s playoffs after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Just a few years ago in 2016-17, the KHL hit a peak of 29 teams. That number has been reduced again, removing many opportunities from the league and potentially leading even more players to pursue jobs elsewhere around the world.

It is not clear if Jokerit will re-join Liiga in Finland for next season. The team has only announced that club president Jari Kurri has left his position on the KHL board of directors, and will announce future plans “as soon as possible.” The club made the move from Liiga to the KHL in 2014, and was quite successful during its time there. Making the playoffs every season, it was one of the teams to abandon the postseason in 2020 due to COVID concerns and first to withdraw this year.

Riga meanwhile has been in the KHL since the club was re-founded in 2008, but had failed to qualify for the postseason in each of the last eight years. It is not at all clear what will happen next for the Latvian club, or if they will play at all in 2022-23.

Looking At A Potential Jesper Bratt Extension

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To any fan of the New Jersey Devils, Jesper Bratt is a no-doubt star, and one of the bright spots on a young, still-rebuilding team that has seen it’s share of struggles the past few seasons. However, to many other hockey fans around the league, Bratt may still be somewhat of an unknown. A surprise to some would be that the young Devils forward is a point-per-game player this season, leading his team in points, and second on his team in points-per-game to budding star Jack Hughes. On top of all that, Bratt has one more thing going for him: he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.

Bratt is in the final year of a two-year, $5.5MM contract which carries a $2.75MM cap hit, and will turn 24 this summer. He’ll likely have one of two possible options this summer, either to sign a bridge deal that will carry him several years to unrestricted free agency, or cash in and take a long-term deal. Of course, the Devils would love to keep a young piece of their core around long-term, however the organization will have to find the right number to slide Bratt in, otherwise, as Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek suggested on their 32 Thoughts podcast earlier today, the Devils could also look to trade the forward for the right return. Although a trade or a shorter-term bridge deal of two or three years is possible, let’s take a look at what a longer-term contract extension with Bratt would look like.

Even in the midst of their rebuild, the Devils have shown they are not afraid to spend, signing Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes, and  Nico Hischier to contracts carrying AAVs of $9MM, $8MM, $7.25MM, respectively. Presumably, New Jersey would want to keep their homegrown star, however they will have to be cautious of the salary cap. Even if the organization isn’t in cap trouble just yet with these contracts, they will have to continue to ramp up spending as their new build takes shape.

In extending Bratt, the Devils would likely want to try and keep the AAV under that of team captain Nico Hischier at $7.25MM. That number may seem as a bit of a reach for Bratt, however it might not be that far-fetched. That said, let’s look at a few recent RFA extensions for comparison: Anthony Beauvillier, William Nylander, and Nick Suzuki.

Anthony Beauvillier, Three-Years, $12.45MM

Coming in with an AAV of $4.15MM, Beauvillier’s contract that he signed this offseason shows what a floor could look like for a Bratt contract. At the time of signing, Beauvillier was the same age and had the same number of years in the NHL as Bratt, with similar production for the majority of their careers.  The key difference between these players though, is Bratt’s extraordinary breakout season this year, one that Beauvillier did not enjoy. Over their first four years, Beauvillier managed 127 points in 286 career games, with Bratt putting up a reasonably better 130 points in 231 career games.

However, in Beauvillier’s same contract year, he had 11 goals and 21 assists in 65 regular season games, as well as five goals and eight assists in 19 playoff games. As impressive as that was for Beauvillier, Bratt currently stands at 22 goals and 43 assists in 64 regular season games in his contract year, with more to come. Bratt’s dominant contract season would seemingly vault him well over Beauvillier’s $4.15MM AAV.

William Nylander, Six-Years, $45MM

After holding out for nearly two months and almost forfeiting his 2018-19 season, William Nylander finally agreed to terms with the Toronto Maple Leafs on an extension in the Fall of 2018. Because of his hold-out, Nylander’s AAV on his contract does read different than expected, coming in at just under $10.3MM for the 2018-19 season, and just under $7MM thereafter (CapFriendly). For the purposes of a Bratt comparison, we’ll consider it divided evenly, at $7.5MM AAV.

A deal like Nylander’s would probably be the upper-ceiling of what Bratt could sign for, and would push him $250K over Hischier and his $7.25MM cap hit. When comparing their contract years, Bratt appears to have the edge over Nylander, who had 61 points in 82 games, a number which Bratt exceeded, and still has 13 games remaining. What Nylander had, which Bratt does not, was a similar season the year before. In 2016-17, Nylander had 61 points in 81 games, virtually the same season he would have in 2017-18, however in 2020-21, Bratt would have 30 points in 46 games. Although Bratt’s 2020-21 was shortened due to COVID creating a 56-game season, his point-per-game production was far less than it is this season.

Considering their similarities, it’s quite possible a Jesper Bratt extension could look a lot like William Nylander’s 2018 contract.

Nick Suzuki, Eight-Years, $63MM

One last player to look at is the Montreal Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki and his $7.875MM cap hit. This contract would most likely be one that would be very difficult for Bratt to secure, however some of the numbers are in his favor. Suzuki signed his contract having just turned 22-years-old and after only two seasons in the NHL, which makes him a bit different in comparison to Bratt. But, looking at the two years prior to the extension (or proposed extension for Bratt), Suzuki had 82 points in 127 games, while Bratt has 95 points in just 110 games, and still counting.

To Suzuki’s advantage, he’s had a significant amount of playoff experience in his two seasons, and has excelled when he’s there, notching 23 points in 32 career playoff games, playing a key role in Montreal’s trip to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. Although Suzuki is not a perfectly comparable player to Bratt, his contract can certainly have positive impacts on Bratt’s negotiating power going forward.

It’s tough to say what exactly Bratt’s contract will look like, with very few rumors thus far and no perfecty comparable player. If New Jersey would like to keep him long-term, it appears the door is open for that, but keeping the salaries of star players and of those throughout the rest of their organization under the salary cap long-term, fitting salaries nicely among the existing contracts, and working a contract out as compared to similar players, like Beauvillier, Nylander, and Suzuki, could be a challenge for both sides.

If a long-term extension is not in the cards for either side, the Devils still hold control, with Bratt as an RFA, and can try to work on a bridge deal, trade him, or perhaps even see what an offer-sheet, if one presents itself, looks like.

Devon Levi Returning To Northeastern

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According to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, goalie prospect Devon Levi has informed the organization that he intends to return to Northeastern University for his junior season (link). Though it had not been confirmed, the general belief had been that Levi would return to Northeastern instead of opting to turn pro and sign with Buffalo. As much as the Sabres would like to have the goaltender enter their organization now and learn the business of being a professional hockey player, the move seems to make sense for Levi, who can have another year of development at the NCAA level, another year of education at Northeastern, and another chance at a national title.

Also of note for the 20-year-old is that turning pro would not necessarily mean a regular role with the Buffalo Sabres, and a likely trip to the Rochester Americans of the AHL for at least a year. Although professional could benefit Levi, another year at Northeastern may ultimately be more appealing while still allowing him to develop.

Selected in the seventh-round by Florida in 2020, 212th overall, Levi has been a standout in college. After missing his Freshman year due to injury, Levi burst onto the scene this season as a Sophomore, boasting a .952 save-percentage and 1.54 goals-against average over 32 games. Time will tell how the young goaltender develops, but his return to Northeastern does not make him any less a part of the Sabres’ future plans.

Injury Notes: Muzzin, Nylander, Ladd

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According to Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, defenseman Jake Muzzin is expected to return for Toronto tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers, reports TSN’s Mark Masters. Because goaltender Petr Mrazek has been moved to LTIR after his groin injury last week, Toronto will be able to activate Muzzin without having to make any corresponding salary cap moves. Muzzin went down with an injury on February 21st and has not played since.

In the meantime, Toronto acquired defenseman Mark Giordano from the Seattle Kraken. Adding Muzzin back into the fold along with Giordano would surely give Toronto a very deep defense core and allow Keefe to control Muzzin’s minutes as he works his way back into the lineup.

  • Also on the Maple Leafs, forward William Nylander will not play tonight in Tampa due to illness, as Toronto takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning, reports David Alter of The Leafs Nation. Drawing in for Nylander is Kyle Clifford, who has played in just 17 games this year between Toronto and the St. Louis Blues, having been shuffled between the NHL, AHL, and the Taxi Squad for most of the year. In these times, seeing Nylander scratched due to illness raises concerns of COVID-19, however the illness appears to be unrelated and there have been no reports of Nylander being placed into protocol.
  • After playing yesterday for the first time since February 20th due to injury, Andrew Ladd is out of the lineup tonight for the Arizona Coyotes as they take on the Blues, the team announced. Arizona has listed Ladd as day-to-day, a potentially encouraging sign that the veteran forward will not be out long-term once again. In 43 games this year, Ladd has six goals and three assists, but regardless of injury, the former captain has been a tremendous asset to help mentor many of the young Coyotes players.

Anton Lander Signs In SHL

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It’s finally time for Anton Lander to go home. The Swedish Olympic captain has signed a three-year contract with Timra IK of the SHL, one that likely ends any chance of him returning to the NHL given his age.

Lander, 30, has had an incredibly varied and interesting career in professional hockey, debuting as a teenager in 2007-08 with Timra. Selected 40th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2009, he came to the NHL in 2011 and almost immediately stepped into a regular role. Over parts of six seasons, he would play 215 games with the Oilers, setting a career-high of 20 points in just 38 games during the 2014-15 campaign.

His contributions to that organization were felt mostly at the AHL level though, where he wore the “C” for two seasons with the Oklahoma City Barons and an “A” in his final year with the Bakersfield Condors. Scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace in the AHL, it was easy to expect success once he decided to go overseas in 2017. In his first season in the KHL he won the Gagarin Cup with Ak Bars Kazan, and represented Sweden at the 2018 Olympics. Three more successful years in Russia followed, before Lander joined EV Zug in Switzerland for the 2021-22 campaign.

He had the honor of wearing that captain’s “C” again at this year’s Games, though Sweden was unable to medal once again. Now, more than a decade after he left, he returns to the Swedish club that developed him. By the end of a three-year deal, Lander will be 33 and eight seasons removed from hockey in North America.

Kirill Marchenko, Ivan Morozov Linked To NHL

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At the end of this month, many contracts in the KHL will expire, making a whole wave of players free agents eligible to sign in other professional leagues. For some, it appears as though NHL contracts are on the horizon. A report from Leonid Zakhvatov of Match TV in Russia indicates that both Kirill Marchenko and Ivan Morozov will sign entry-level contracts with their respective NHL clubs, leaving the KHL behind.

Marchenko, 21, was selected 49th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018, a team that has patiently awaited his arrival in North America. The young forward has shown an ability to score even in limited KHL minutes while playing with SKA St. Petersburg the last few seasons, adding 12 goals in 39 games this year despite averaging under 12 minutes of ice time.

He actually hasn’t played with the KHL club since January though, heading to the VHL instead for the affiliate’s playoff run, where he added four goals in ten games so far. Marchenko is playing a lot more there, but is in danger of being eliminated tomorrow as SKA is down 3-1 in their semi-final series.

Morozov, meanwhile, was the 61st pick in 2018, this time by the Vegas Golden Knights. He too was playing with SKA the last few seasons and saw a demotion to the VHL squad this year, before ending up with HC Sochi for the end of the year. The complicated year for Morozov is especially curious, given how well he had previously shown at the highest level. In 2020-21 he scored 31 points in 55 regular season games, added seven more in 15 playoff contests, and then was named to the Russian World Championship team. This year, in 22 KHL games combined between SKA and Sochi, he had five goals and 11 points.

Both players represent no sure thing but could be quick risers through the system and contribute at the NHL level in 2022-23, should the contracts be finalized. In fact, technically either one would even be eligible to play in the postseason this year, though it would mean burning the first year of the entry-level deal.

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