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Jake Gardiner Cleared To Return To Hockey

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It’s easy to forget that Jake Gardiner is still under contract with the Carolina Hurricanes for next season, given how long it has been since he was a regular in the lineup. The 31-year-old hasn’t played in more than a calendar year, last suiting up for just nine minutes in a playoff game against the Nashville Predators in May 2021. Even then he lasted just 11 shifts, not exactly the way any player wants to end their career.

Since then, Gardiner has undergone hip and back surgeries, procedures that suggested to many that his playing career was over. Not so fast, according to general manager Don Waddell, who explained today at his end-of-year availability that the team has just recently received notice that Gardiner is now fully cleared to play again.

Signed to a four-year, $16.2MM contract in 2019, the smooth-skating defenseman will carry a cap hit of $4.05MM next season for the Hurricanes. If he’s completely healthy, that complicates things quite a bit, as for the last year they have been operating with him on long-term injured reserve. There’s no telling what kind of player Gardiner will be if he does return, especially given how those back problems had gone back several years to his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The problem now is that the Hurricanes already have three other defensemen making at least $4MM, Tony DeAngelo waiting for a raise through arbitration, and several top free agents like Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter to potentially re-sign. Gardiner also does hold a seven-team no-trade clause, which could make a deal even more difficult if the team tried to go down that route.

Technically, if he is now fully healthy, the Hurricanes could buy Gardiner out this summer. That would result in a cap hit of $1.083MM in 2022-23 and $1.483MM in 2023-24, though that may be more palatable than rolling the dice with his post-surgery performance.

At his peak, the 6’2″ Gardiner was one of the most effective puck-moving defensemen in the league, hitting a career-high of 52 points in 2017-18 with the Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, his play also came with regular giveaways that always seemed to happen at the most inopportune times, gaffes that often contributed to early playoff exits.

Now, if he’s completely healthy and ready to resume his career, the Hurricanes will have to make some tough decisions on how to deal with his cap hit as they prepare for next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Darcy Kuemper Out; Pavel Francouz Likely Starter

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Darcy Kuemper wasn’t on the ice for the Colorado Avalanche at morning skate according to Gene Principe of Sportsnet, as Pavel Francouz and Justus Annunen occupied the nets instead. The veteran netminder was pulled from game one with an upper-body injury, and head coach Jared Bednar wouldn’t comment on the specifics yesterday, other than to say “we’ll see” if he would be ready for game two. Bednar confirmed following the skate that Kuemper is indeed out for tonight’s match.

Kuemper, 32, has dealt with injury issues his entire career and already had a bad-luck incident in the playoffs that took him out for a few games. Against the Nashville Predators in the first round, a stick came through Kuemper’s mask and hit him in the eye, forcing Francouz into the net for a game and a half. While the Avalanche had no trouble finishing that series, they’re in tough against an Edmonton Oilers team that has had no trouble scoring goals.

If it is Francouz, it’s another chance for him to prove not only that he can handle an NHL playoff game, but that he can be part of a tandem for next season. Kuemper is a pending unrestricted free agent, while the 31-year-old Francouz is signed through 2023-24. To this point in his short NHL career, and despite strong regular season numbers, the Czech netminder has been completely unreliable in the postseason, recording an .891 save percentage in nine appearances. Six of those came in the 2020 bubble playoffs when the team ultimately went with Michael Hutchinson in the deciding game seven against the Dallas Stars.

The Oilers meanwhile had their own goaltending issues in game one, which saw Mike Smith pulled from the net after allowing six goals on 25 shots. Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that there is a “strong indication” that the team will go back to Smith for game two, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise given how much faith they have shown in the veteran netminder thus far.

Through 13 games this postseason, Smith has a solid .917 save percentage and even leads the playoffs with two shutouts. While he can be a bit of an adventure at times, there’s little doubt at this point that he gives them the best chance to win.

Winnipeg Jets Not Looking To Trade Mark Scheifele

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At his end-of-season press availability, after the Winnipeg Jets ultimately missed the playoffs, Mark Scheifele raised some eyebrows around the league. The veteran forward explained that he wanted to know where the team was headed and that he would take some time to talk to his family and agent this summer. While the idea of a trade request was quickly rebuffed, some still wondered whether the Jets would explore a move this offseason, given the fact that Scheifele has just two years left on his deal.

Not so, according to general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who told Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com this week that he expects Scheifele to be back on the roster in 2022-23. The Jets executive explained that the end of the season was an “emotional time” for the whole group after failing to reach the postseason and that his exit interview with Scheifele went well.

Eventually, Cheveldayoff will have to decide what the next path forward is for the Jets and whether Scheifele is part of it. He, captain Blake Wheeler and netminder Connor Hellebuyck are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024, potentially meaning this upcoming season is a make-or-break opportunity. The team doesn’t have very many long-term commitments and could quickly shift to a rebuild if things aren’t going well, though that would be a disappointing result for a group that many believed could contend for the Central Division crown this year.

Scheifele himself experienced another strong offensive season but critics will continue to point to a poor defensive effort as a big reason why the Jets struggle in the first place. Despite putting up 29 goals and 70 points in 67 games, Winnipeg was still outscored 78-69 at even strength with Scheifele on the ice and had an even worse expected-goal rate.

Still, 30-goal centers are extremely difficult to come by and usually command a price tag much higher than the $6.125MM cap hit that Scheifele will carry through the 2023-24 season. If the team were to make him available, there would certainly be interest even despite any defensive issues.

For now, it appears as though the big forward will be back in Winnipeg when the year begins. Under what coach and for how long remains to be seen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Nikolay Goldobin, Joakim Nordstrom Re-Sign Overseas

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It seems like a long time ago that Nikolay Goldobin was in North America, lighting it up for the Utica Comets. In reality, that was just two years ago and Goldobin isn’t even 27 yet. The former Vancouver Canucks forward won’t be coming back just yet though, as he has signed a new one-year contract extension with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.

The same could be said about Joakim Nordstrom, who played in the NHL even more recently, spending 2020-21 with the Calgary Flames. The Swedish forward won’t be staying in the KHL but has signed a new two-year deal with HC Davos in Switzerland.

Goldobin, 26, was a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2014, and quickly worked his way to the NHL after putting up strong numbers in the OHL, Liiga, and AHL. By 2017 however, he was on his way to Vancouver in a deadline deal for Jannik Hansen, as the Sharks had their eyes on the Stanley Cup. With the Canucks, Goldobin was quickly given a full-time opportunity in the NHL, even reaching 27 points in 63 games during the 2018-19 season.

But after spending another year nearly entirely in the minor leagues, he bolted for the KHL and the team decided not to qualify him. After a so-so 2020-21, Goldobin was back in the driver’s seat this year, and became one of the most reliable players in the entire KHL. With 39 points in 42 regular season games and then another 18 in 23 postseason contests, he would ave likely been on a few radars around the NHL. He still will be next year, especially if he can provide a repeat performance in 2022-23.

While Nordstrom never had the kind of upside that Goldobin represents, he was a more consistent NHL player. His defense and checking were enough to land him a full-time role for many years, racking up nearly 500 games in the league. After appearing at the Olympics and World Championship for Sweden, he’s off to a new challenge in Switzerland, where a two-year deal will likely remove any thoughts of a return to North America.

Anze Kopitar Wins 2022 Mark Messier Leadership Award

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Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is the recipient of the 2022 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. Per the league, the trophy is awarded “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season.”

The team had the following to say with Kopitar’s victory:

As a spokesperson and contributor in several team fundraising events, Kopitar strives to represent the organization at every opportunity, including local institutions such as the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Make a Wish Foundation, Wags and Walks and Kings Care Foundation. Kopitar also hosts a hockey academy yearly in his native Slovenia, which serves aspiring youth players who may not have access to similar programs. Typically attracting nearly 200 players per year, the academy has drawn players from more than 15 countries.

The winner of the award is chosen by Messier himself, and he announced the selection live during ESPN’s broadcast of Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Final.

Given out since the 2006-07 season, Kopitar becomes the second King to win this award. Former Kings captain and fresh retiree Dustin Brown won the trophy back in 2014 after guiding the Kings to their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. The Slovenian veteran forward has worn a letter on his jersey for Los Angeles since 2008 and has been the captain since replacing Brown in 2016. With two Stanley Cups under his belt, Kopitar’s 1,210 games are second in Kings history. He’s also just one of four players to register at least 1,000 points as a King.

The 34-year-old remains under contract with the Kings until 2024.

Coaching Notes: DeBoer, Vigneault, Boucher

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With just four teams left vying for Lord Stanley’s Cup, the focus is strong on building next season’s roster for most NHL teams. That includes the coaching carousel, which will be active with many big names available this offseason. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun took a wide-angle lens look around the list of coaching free agents to examine where each could end up moving forward.

One of the coaches named is Peter DeBoer, fired by the Vegas Golden Knights last month after the team missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, LeBrun notes that while he’s one of the biggest names available, it’s not a sure thing he’ll start the season behind an NHL bench. DeBoer is still owed money for the last year of his Vegas contract, something LeBrun says will allow him the flexibility to take his time on deciding. He surmises that a mid-season hire could be likely for a team looking to make a change after a poor start, but stops short of counting out DeBoer signing full-on with a team before the start of the 2022-23 season.

  • LeBrun says that the “odds are” Alain Vigneault’s NHL coaching career is done. Vigneault will still be paid by the Flyers through June of 2024, so finances aren’t a factor for Vigneault in the short term. LeBrun notes that he’ll be 63 when that contract is over. With 1,363 games under his belt as a head coach and no Stanley Cup, it’s unclear how many offers he’ll get anyways.
  • One wild card name mentioned by LeBrun as a potential offseason hire is Guy Boucher. While he’s been out of a job since 2019, he has a “get rich quick” reputation around the league as a coach who brings short, but immediate success to his new team (2011 Tampa Bay Lightning, 2017 Ottawa Senators). Boucher had been holding out on taking NHL jobs for family reasons, but LeBrun says he’s now ready to get back in the picture.

Latest On Brayden Point

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Injured Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point did take the ice today, doing some drills with assistant coach Jeff Halpern, and that may have looked to some like an indication that Point was close to returning from his injury. Unfortunately for Tampa, though, that does not appear to be the case. In a press availability before Game One versus the New York Rangers, Lightning coach Jon Cooper told the media (per Joe Smith of The Athletic) to “temper any expectations of [Point] coming back at all.”

That’s obviously a statement that has significant implications on the Lightning’s series with the Rangers, and a development that will make the team’s series all the more difficult. Point is one of the Lightning’s most important players and was brilliant in the team’s two straight Stanley Cup championship runs. While he had gotten off to a relatively slow start in these playoffs, not having Point is still a major loss for Tampa.

Point was injured in the Lightning’s Game Seven victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and has not played since. That proved to be no issue for the Lightning in the second round, as they swept the President’s Trophy-winning Florida Panthers, but it could be more of a problem against the Rangers, who boast a superstar goalie in Igor Shesterkin.

The Lightning have looked unbeatable in the playoffs for over two seasons now, but based on Cooper’s comments, they may be without one of their best players for an extended period of time. It’s hard to bet against a team that has just won back-to-back championships, of course, but this absence may leave Tampa more vulnerable than they have been in years.

Full 2022 List Of Expiring Draft Rights

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When drafting a player out of North America or any European country with a transfer agreement, a team acquires their exclusive negotiating rights for a set amount of time. Each year on June 1, a long list of players see those rights expire and become unrestricted free agents (or choose to re-enter the draft, depending on specific circumstances). This year, even though many other NHL deadlines have been shifted, June 1 will still act as the threshold for expiring draft rights.

Some of the prospects that were previously on this list have signed, and are no longer listed. The rest are all to be considered unsigned, barring any late announcements from clubs.

Buffalo Sabres:

Linus Lindstrand Cronholm (117th overall, 2018)
Miska Kukkonen (125th overall, 2018)
William Worge Kreu (187th overall, 2018)

Calgary Flames:

Ryan Francis (143rd overall, 2020)

Carolina Hurricanes:

Lenni Killinen (104th overall, 2018)

Chicago Blackhawks:

Niklas Nordgren (74th overall, 2018)
Chad Yetman (172nd overall, 2020)

Colorado Avalanche:

Nils Aman (167th overall, 2020)

Columbus Blue Jackets:

Marcus Karlberg (80th overall, 2018)

Dallas Stars:

Albin Eriksson (44th overall, 2018)

Detroit Red Wings:

Jesper Eliasson (84th overall, 2018)
Alex Cotton (132nd overall, 2020)
Otto Kivenmaki (191st overall, 2018)

Edmonton Oilers:

Patrik Siikanen (195th overall, 2018)

Florida Panthers:

Justin Schutz (170th overall, 2018)

Minnesota Wild:

Filip Johansson (24th overall, 2018)*

Montreal Canadiens:

Jacob Olofsson (56th overall, 2018)

New Jersey Devils:

Benjamin Baumgartner (161st overall, 2020)**
Eetu Pakkila (203rd overall, 2018)

New York Rangers:

Jacob Ragnarsson (70th overall, 2018)
Evan Vierling (127th overall, 2020)

Ottawa Senators:

Eric Engstrand (155th overall, 2020)

Philadelphia Flyers:

Connor McClennon (178th overall, 2020)
Marcus Westfalt (205th overall, 2018)

San Jose Sharks:

Linus Oberg (206th overall, 2020)

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Declan McDonnell (217th overall, 2020)

Vancouver Canucks:

Toni Utunen (130th overall, 2018)

Washington Capitals:

Bear Hughes (148th overall, 2020)***

*As a first-round pick, if Johansson is not signed by the deadline the Minnesota Wild will receive a compensatory pick in this year’s draft. That pick would be the 24th selection in the second round, 56th overall. 

**Though traditionally draft picks out of Switzerland saw their rights held indefinitely, the new transfer agreement from 2020 that Baumgartner was selected under (combined with the fact that he was an overage player in the draft) means he will also become a free agent if not signed by the deadline. 

***Hughes has signed an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears but his NHL rights will still expire if not signed to an entry-level deal. 

San Jose Sharks Sign Gannon Laroque

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After giving him an AHL tryout deal in April, the San Jose Sharks have announced that they have signed defenseman Gannon Laroque to his full entry-level contract. Sharks interim GM Joe Will gave the following statement about Laroque as part of the team’s announcement:

Gannon had a very strong season with Victoria and was arguably the most improved prospect in our system. He has displayed an impressive blend of steady, defensive play matched with an ability to generate offense. We’re excited about working with him to continue his development.

Will noted that Laroque was possibly the Sharks’ “most improved” prospect, and he’s probably right. Laroque, 18, had a draft year with the Victoria Royals where he didn’t produce a significant amount of offense, posting only 7 points in 21 games. This season, after going 103rd overall to the Sharks, Laroque found another gear to his game and put up 52 points in 63 games. The Royals didn’t have the best season, going 23-39-6, but Laroque was one of the bright spots on the team and grew into being their most important defenseman.

Laroque stands at six-foot-two, 190 pounds, and has made himself into a threat on the offensive side of the ice. The improvements to his game show why the Sharks drafted him just outside of the top-100, and Laroque earning his entry-level deal and getting into a few AHL games before he even turns 19 is a testament to how fast his prospect stock has risen. Laroque will in all likelihood return to Victoria next season and hope to have another strong WHL campaign.

Snapshots: Trocheck, Ferland, Brennan

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Today, we covered how Vincent Trocheck told reporters that he felt he had “unfinished business” with the Carolina Hurricanes and was open to a return to the team for next season. Trocheck will be an unrestricted free agent when the market opens next month and will likely have a variety of choices for where he wants to play next season. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Hurricanes are indeed one of those options but may not be Trocheck’s most financially beneficial one. Friedman reported that he “heard there was an offer” to extend Trocheck, but that it “didn’t get done.” Friedman notes that the Hurricanes’ front office often holds a clear view of what a player’s value is and doesn’t typically deviate from that, raising the question of whether the Hurricanes will up their reported offer to make it lucrative enough for Trocheck to accept.

Trocheck, 28, looks set to enter the free agent market in a generally favorable position. He is coming off of a strong playoff run where he posted 10 points in 14 games, and had a two-season stretch where he posted 94 points in 128 games. Top-six centerman are always in demand in free agency, and with Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi all under contract for next season, it could require some creativity for the Hurricanes to retain Trocheck. With the Hurricanes’ focus now squarely on their offseason, the team will have to make a decision on whether they are willing to raise this reported offer to Trocheck to keep him away from the open market.

Now, for some other notes from across the world of hockey:

  • Micheal Ferland hasn’t played hockey since early in the 2019-20 season, and some have wondered if his health is at a place where he could potentially return to the Canucks lineup. Ferland was a solid player when he last was an NHL regular, having hit the 40-point mark in his last two seasons. Despite that success the last time he played, it seems a return won’t be happening. Per Ferland’s agent, Jason Davidson, as relayed by CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, Ferland “has no desire to return to the game of hockey” and is focused on his personal health as “priority number one.” Ferland has dealt with concussion issues and it’s entirely reasonable for him to prioritize his long-term health over a potential return to the ice. The Canucks are on the hook for a $3.5MM cap hit on his contract for next season, but just as they have done in the past it is expected that they will utilize long-term injured reserve for his deal, barring a trade similar to the Bryan Little swap from this past trade deadline.
  • Former NHL-er T.J. Brennan has been out of the NHL for even longer than Ferland, having last hit NHL ice in the 2015-16 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brennan turned in one of the best seasons of his career this past year, scoring 47 points in 48 games for Salzburg in Austria’s ICE Hockey League. It was announced today that Brennan will leave EC Red Bull Salzburg to pursue opportunities in Switzerland. At 33 years old, an NHL return for Brennan seems like a long shot. But perhaps success in Switzerland next year can be a springboard to returning to the NHL in a similar way to how success in the KHL got Chris Wideman (another early-thirties offensive defenseman) back on an NHL roster.

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