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Archives for June 2022

Dallas Stars Sign Alexander Petrovic

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5:30 PM: The Dallas Stars have now officially announced the signing.

4:00 PM: While the Dallas Stars are currently searching for the franchise’s next head coach, that hasn’t stopped their front office from conducting some offseason business as well. With big negotiations for Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger set to come, the team has decided to take care of some smaller business first. Earlier today, the team signed pending restricted free agent Denis Gurianov, and now CapFriendly reports that the team is re-signing an important AHL defenseman: Alexander Petrovic.

Per CapFriendly, the team has signed Petrovic to a one-year, two-way deal carrying a $750k salary at the NHL level and a $350k AHL salary, which represents a $25k raise from what the Stars paid Petrovic at the AHL level last year. Petrovic, 30, is a veteran of 263 NHL games, and while he has never quite lived up to some of the potential he flashed as a Florida Panther, he has become a reliable AHL defenseman. Petrovic got into 71 games for the Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, and notched 19 points. His defensive game was his calling card and the Stars found his leadership and experience value as well, represented by the fact that he served as one of the team’s alternate captains.

While we don’t know if we’ll see Petrovic skate in another NHL game, we do know that the stability his prominent role in Texas provides will likely give him the best chance to return to the NHL in the future. There’s always room for solid defensemen on NHL rosters, so this signing provides Petrovic with an opportunity for next year to prove that he belongs back in the league he’s spent much of his career playing in.

Chris Driedger Undergoes Knee Surgery

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The Seattle Kraken announced today that goaltender Chris Driedger tore his right ACL while playing for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships and underwent knee surgery yesterday as a result. As part of the team’s release, the Kraken stated that the surgery was successful and that Driedger’s recovery and rehab program is expected to last seven to nine months, meaning Driedger will be out until at least early 2023.

This update comes as a significant blow for Driedger, as he was likely eyeing 2022-23 as a chance to bounce back from his difficult debut campaign in Seattle. Driedger, 28, was one of the Kraken’s expansion draft selections and signed a $3.5MM AAV deal in Seattle with the idea that he could possibly end up being their starting goaltender. That didn’t end up happening, though, as Seattle jumped at the opportunity to sign Philipp Grubauer, and thanks to Grubauer’s presence along with some injury issues Driedger only managed to get into 27 games this season. Driedger posted an .899 save percentage, a sharp decline from the .927 mark he posted in 2020-21 and the .938 he had in 2019-20. With this injury, Driedger now cannot devote his full focus to improving his performance and now must focus first and foremost on his recovery.

For Seattle, the loss of Driedger means the team will in all likelihood need to add a goalie to back up Grubauer until Driedger is back at full strength. The team does have 25-year-old Joey Daccord ready as their third goalie, and he did have a solid AHL campaign with a .925 save percentage, but his .850 save percentage at the NHL level left much to be desired and it’s possible that Seattle would want a more proven option behind Grubauer. The backup goalie market is set to feature names such as Casey DeSmith, Dustin Tokarski, David Rittich, and Scott Wedgewood, to name just a few. Given how much the team is currently spending on Grubauer and Driedger, and knowing Driedger will recover from his injury and be eventually ready later in the 2022-23 season, it’s fair to wonder what sort of price range the Kraken will be operating within as they try to fill the hole left by Driedger’s absence.

While Driedger’s injury is undoubtedly unfortunate for all parties involved, the addition of a new goaltender from outside the organization to back up and potentially even push Grubauer for starts could be what the Kraken’s number-one netminder needs to bounce back from his nightmarish 2021-22 season.

Andrew Cogliano Out “For Now”

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The Colorado Avalanche have only lost two games so far in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, a feat made even more impressive by the storm of injuries the team has been forced to endure. Defenseman Samuel Girard was knocked out for the rest of the playoffs against St. Louis, and star center Nazem Kadri is not expected to return for the rest of the playoffs either as he recovers from surgery on his thumb. Now, you can add another name to that list. Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano is out “for now,” according to coach Jared Bednar. (as relayed by The Denver Gazette’s Vinny Benedetto) Bednar adds that Cogliano’s injury is a “similar situation” to Kadri’s.

Cogliano, 34, was traded to the Avalanche at the deadline from the San Jose Sharks and has played a valuable, albeit limited role for the Avalanche. Cogliano has been a bottom-sixer and penalty-killing specialist for the team, and while the Avalanche’s penalty kill hasn’t been great (75.7% through 14 playoff games) he has helped the team rank third in goals against per game in this postseason with 2.86, tied with the Carolina Hurricanes. Cogliano hasn’t produced a ton of offense, with only three points in these playoffs, but when he has produced it’s been at important moments, like when he registered the lone assist on J.T. Compher’s game-winning tally in Game Three against the Oilers.

While Bednar did not reveal the full extent of the injury beyond the comments we previously mentioned, The Athletic’s Eric Stephens did note that Cogliano looked as though he “couldn’t even move his hand” during the presentation of the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. With Cogliano out, perhaps fellow mid-season trade acquisition Nico Sturm draws back into the lineup. Sturm has played in seven of the Avalanche’s playoff games so far and was a reliable defensive forward during his time with the Minnesota Wild. Overall, while this injury is an unfortunate one for both Cogliano and the Avalanche, it’s also an injury that the team should have the necessary depth to overcome.

Josef Korenar Signs In Czechia

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The Arizona Coyotes won’t have Josef Korenar as an option in net next season, as the young netminder has signed a two-year contract with HC Sparta in Czechia. The team will still be able to retain his rights with a qualifying offer, but won’t see him on this side of the ocean for a while.

Korenar, 24, was acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with a second-round pick in exchange for Adin Hill and a seventh last summer, after he had made his underwhelming NHL debut in the 2020-21 season. This year he saw some time with the Coyotes as well, appearing in two games and stopping 32 of 35 shots he faced for a .914 save percentage.

The trouble was more in the minor leagues, where Korenar was shelled behind a bad Tucson Roadrunners team and even saw a bit of time in the ECHL. With Karel Vejmelka’s emergence in the Arizona crease, it seemed likely that the undrafted Korenar would eventually take his talents somewhere else.

In this case, it is back home, where he’s played sparingly since his junior years. The Sharks signed him in 2017 after a strong season with the Lincoln Stars, and he’s played nearly 100 AHL games in the years since. While his rights will be held with a qualifying offer, this may be the last we see of Korenar in the Coyotes organization, as they will expire when he turns 27, just a year after this new contract is complete.

Dallas Stars Sign Denis Gurianov

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The Dallas Stars have reached a one-year extension with Denis Gurianov, giving him quite the birthday present as he turns 25. The deal will carry a salary of $2.9MM, which would have been Gurianov’s qualifying offer this summer.

A one-year deal avoids any arbitration dealings with the young forward, something he likely wasn’t looking forward to anyway after a bit of a disappointing year. After reaching the 20-goal mark in 2019-20 and still posting 12 in 55 games last season, Gurianov finished this year with just 11 tallies in 73 games. The big winger managed just 144 shots on the year, a huge step backward in terms of per-game rate. His ice time was also decreased to just over 14 minutes a night and he saw more defensive deployment as the coaching staff gave the top line as many offensive zone starts as possible.

Still, a $2.9MM contract is nothing to sneeze at, and it will set Gurianov up with plenty of options next summer. Scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024, he could go through arbitration a year from now and get to the open market as quickly as possible. Like Jack Roslovic, another 25-year-old who signed today, hitting the market at 27 could mean a substantial payday if Gurianov can put up strong numbers over the next two years.

A one-year deal also gives the Stars more time to see if Gurianov is really a fit long-term and if the team is in the right competitive window to make that kind of commitment. There is basically no risk involved here, even if it could result in a few more dollars down the road if he proves worthy of it.

As the playoffs draw closer to an end, teams around the league are obviously starting to get down to business with their pending free agents. Roslovic and Gurianov have now provided some templates for teams dealing with arbitration-eligible RFAs, and perhaps indicated that there won’t be as many long-term or multi-year deals as expected.

The Stars of course have two extremely important RFAs that are not arbitration-eligible in Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger, who may be looking at much bigger numbers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Boston Bruins Sign Kai Wissmann

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The Boston Bruins are bringing over a big defenseman from Europe, signing Kai Wissmann out of the DEL to a one-year entry-level contract. The deal carries an NHL cap hit of $825K and will represent Wissmann’s first opportunity to play hockey in North America after a long successful run in Germany.

Hockey fans on this side of the pond may have recently seen Wissmann suit up for Germany at the World Championship, where he racked up seven points in eight games, continuing a bit of an offensive breakout that started late in the DEL season. He had 20 points in 55 games this season for Eisbaren Berlin but then went on to rack up seven more in 12 playoff games, winning the league championship for the second year in a row. While his league-leading plus-minus shouldn’t carry as much weight as it once did, a +31 rating in 55 games is still mighty impressive.

Wissmann, 25, went undrafted out of the German junior leagues, despite some strong numbers and obvious raw tools. The 6’4″ right-shot defenseman will be an interesting player to watch in the Bruins system next year, especially given the early-season absence of Charlie McAvoy. While the team already has quite a few NHL options, this isn’t necessarily just a minor league signing. Wissman has been playing in the DEL for years, first making his debut in the 2014-15 season.

Zachary Bolduc Assigned To AHL

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With the Quebec Remparts eliminated a few days ago, Zachary Bolduc is now free to get a taste of the professional ranks. The St. Louis Blues prospect has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, who are in the midst of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Laval Rocket.

Bolduc, 19, was the 17th overall pick in last year’s draft and emerged as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the QMJHL this season. He finished tied for second in league scoring with 55 goals, 22 ahead of his nearest teammate. His 99 points also put him near the very top of the list, and he continued it into the playoffs with strong performances through three rounds.

Given he only turned 19 in February, Bolduc is another one of those top prospects that will face a difficult challenge next fall. It’s either the NHL or junior for him as he will not be eligible to play full-time in the AHL, meaning this action with Springfield will be his only taste of the minor leagues for quite a while.

The Thunderbirds will play game three of their series tomorrow night, and it remains to be seen whether Bolduc will actually get into any game action at this most important juncture.

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Jack Roslovic

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Jack Roslovic to a two-year, $8MM contract extension, avoiding restricted free agency. The young forward will carry a cap hit of $4MM through the 2023-24 season, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 27. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen released the following statement:

Jack is an offensively gifted player with great speed and vision who has increased his production each season during his NHL career. He has made great strides in his all-around game, especially during this past season, and we are very pleased that he will continue to be an important part of our team as we move forward.

Roslovic, 25, hasn’t quite become the first-line center that some hoped he could be on draft day but did set new career-highs with 22 goals and 45 points this season. Doing that amount of damage with barely over 14 minutes a night is a pretty impressive feat, though he did receive heavy offensive deployment from the Blue Jackets coaching staff to get there.

Still, there is even more upside yet to unlock in the talented center, and this contract brings very little risk on the Blue Jackets’ end. The team had some cap space to play with even considering Patrik Laine’s upcoming deal, and a $4MM cap hit will be easily moved if they aren’t competitive by the time the deal is set to expire. It’s perhaps not ideal to be walking him directly to unrestricted free agency but Columbus is focused on the young core and will need to pay Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson in the same summer.

The short term allows for lots of flexibility down the road, and some earning potential for Roslovic if his offensive output continues to improve. Should he hit the open market at 27 with a few 20+ goal seasons under his belt, there will be many teams clamoring to add him on a long-term deal. Columbus is giving themselves a way to cash in at that point if the right deal is there, or work out an extension if the group is competitive at that point.

Notably, this contract is going to be brought up in other RFA negotiations this summer around the league. There are many other players who have similar production to Roslovic, whose previous high was just 12 goals, and likely wouldn’t have normally been looking for a $4MM hit. Nicolas Roy, for instance, had six fewer points for the Vegas Golden Knights and is also a 25-year-old pending RFA. Pavel Zacha with the New Jersey Devils had 36 points in 70 games and has a longer history in the league, despite being the same age.

Other wingers like Denis Gurianov, Kasperi Kapanen, and Lawson Crouse have all had their own 20-goal seasons at some point, and are in the same age group. Roslovic’s contract could be a template for a safe extension that gets them to the open market or ammunition for the player to try and get a longer-term deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Wyatt Johnston Named OHL Most Outstanding Player

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Despite a disappointing playoff exit, a coaching departure, and some key names hitting free agency, there are still things for the Dallas Stars to look forward to. One of those things is Wyatt Johnston, the team’s 2021 first-round pick and superstar for the Windsor Spitfires. Today, Johnston was named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player, taking home the Red Tilson Trophy, after leading the league in scoring.

Johnston, 19, was the 23rd overall pick in 2021, and like so many other prospects had missed the entire 2020-21 season because of the OHL shutdown. His training in the year off must have been spectacular, as he went from scoring 30 points in 53 games during his rookie season to 124 points in 68 games this year. It didn’t stop at the end of the regular season either; Johnston leads the OHL in playoff scoring with 37 points in 21 games and has his Spitfires up 2-1 in the league final.

Incredibly, that breakout season did not include an invitation to Team Canada’s World Junior team, something that will likely be rectified if given the chance when the event is rescheduled this summer. Of course, Johnston may also have bigger plans on his mind when August rolls around.

Like many other star draft picks, there will be a big decision for the Stars when next season starts. Johnston cannot be loaned to the AHL on a full-time basis because of his age (he only turned 19 a few weeks ago), meaning it’s either the NHL or the OHL in 2022-23. With his Windsor head coach Marc Savard getting linked to Dallas’ coaching search, perhaps the former is a real possibility for the young forward.

It’s hard to fathom what he could do if he returned for another year, seeing as the OHL already couldn’t contain him this season. Already signed to his entry-level contract, he’ll be able to play in nine games before burning the first year of the deal.

Bruins Notes: Coaching Staff, Buyouts, Rebuild

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After the Boston Bruins made news last night by relieving head coach Bruce Cassidy of his duties, general manager Don Sweeney met with the media today to explain the decision. Sweeney told reporters including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that it was time for a new voice, and that he and Cassidy had already decided assistant coach Kevin Dean would not be returning.

Chris Kelly and Joe Sacco, however, are currently still under contract. It obviously remains to be seen whether they are kept on by whoever the Bruins hire next, but they were not relieved of their duties with Cassidy. Here are some more notes from Sweeney’s presser:

  • The team is not expected to buy anyone out this offseason, despite lots of speculation about Nick Foligno after his poor debut with the club. The 34-year-old forward (35 in October), is signed for one more season at a $3.8MM cap hit and scored just two goals in 64 games this season. The Bruins already have more than $80MM committed to next season, though with the injury timelines of players like Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy, long-term injured reserve can obviously give them some flexibility to start the year.
  • Of course, that also doesn’t include Patrice Bergeron, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer after winning his record-setting fifth Selke Trophy. Matt Porter of the Boston Globe relays comments from Sweeney which suggest a “directional shift” if Bergeron doesn’t return, or if the injured players struggle to get back to full strength. It seems unlikely that a full tear down is on the horizon, given the team just recently traded for and extended Hampus Lindholm, but Sweeney already seems to be preparing for the possibility of a down year in 2022-23.

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