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Archives for September 2023

Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/23

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Pretty much any team who hasn’t started their preseason yet will do so tonight, as there’s a solid seven-game slate on the schedule tonight, including a nationally televised battle of New York between the Islanders and Rangers. As most teams do have their legs under them almost one week into training camp, roster cuts continue on the daily, mainly involving players being returned to juniors or being released from PTOs and ATOs after getting a look in preseason action. As always, we’re laser-focused on teams posting their roster moves, and we’re conglomerating them all in one place.

Anaheim Ducks (via The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee)

D Rodwin Dionicio (to Windsor, OHL)
F Connor Hvidston (to Swift Current, WHL)
F Nico Myatovic (to Seattle, WHL)
F Coulson Pitre (to Flint, OHL)
D Vojtech Port (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Konnor Smith (to Peterborough, OHL)
F Yegor Sidorov (to Saskatoon, WHL)
F Carey Terrance (to Erie, OHL)

Arizona Coyotes (via team release) (additional X link)

F Ryan Dzingel (released from PTO)
F Elliot Ekefjärd (to Europe, team unknown)
D Terrell Goldsmith (to Prince Albert, WHL)
F Patrick Harper (released from PTO to South Carolina, ECHL)
D Olli Juolevi (released from PTO)
D Justin Kipkie (to Victoria, WHL)
F Julian Lutz (to Green Bay, USHL)
D Austin Strand (released from PTO to Chicago, AHL)

Calgary Flames (via team release)

D Charles Côté (released from ATO to Rimouski, QMJHL)
D Tyson Galloway (released from ATO to Calgary, WHL)
G Jari Kykkanen (released from ATO to Kelowna, WHL)
F Jaden Lipinski (to Vancouver, WHL)
D Quinn Mantei (released from ATO to Brandon, WHL)
D Donovan McCoy (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
F Oliver Peer (released from ATO to Windsor, OHL)
F Nathan Pilling (released from ATO to Edmonton, WHL)
F Oliver Tulk (released from ATO to Calgary, WHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release)

F Jiri Felcman (to SCL Tigers, NL)

Colorado Avalanche (via team release)

F D.J. Busdeker (to Colorado, AHL)
D Gianni Fairbrother (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kyle Mayhew (to Colorado, AHL)
F Cédric Paré (to Colorado, AHL)
F Ryan Sandelin (to Colorado, AHL)
F Dalton Smith (to Colorado, AHL)
G Ivan Zhigalov (to Tri-City, USHL)

Nashville Predators (via team release)

G Austin Elliott (to Saskatoon, WHL)
G Owen Flores (to Niagara, OHL)
F Kalan Lind (to Red Deer, WHL)
D Dylan MacKinnon (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Austin Roest (to Everett, WHL)
D Graham Sward (to Wenatchee, WHL)
F Joseph Willis (to Saginaw, OHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team release)

F Cole Brown (to Brantford, OHL)
F Cam Squires (to Cape Breton, QMJHL)

Ottawa Senators (via team release)

D Matthew Andonovski (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Connor Clattenburg (released from ATO to
D Jorian Donovan (to Brantford, OHL)
D Tomas Hamara (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Jackson Stewart (released from ATO to Owen Sound, OHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)

F Denver Barkey (to London, OHL)
D Oliver Bonk (to London, OHL)
F Jonathan Fauchon (released from ATO to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
D Sam Sedley (released from ATO to Owen Sound, OHL)
D Carter Sotheran (to Portland, WHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release)

G Mason Beaupit (to Wenatchee, WHL)
D Luca Cagnoni (to Portland, WHL)
D Ethan Frisch (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jake Furlong (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Félix Gagnon (released from ATO to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Roman Kinal (to San Jose, AHL)
F Connor MacEachern (to San Jose, AHL)
F Bradley Marek (to San Jose, AHL)
F Anthony Vincent (to San Jose, AHL)
G Beck Warm (to San Jose, AHL)

Seattle Kraken (via team release)

F Maxim Andreev (released from PTO to Coachella Valley, AHL)
G Jaxon Castor (released from PTO to Coachella Valley, AHL)
D Lukas Dragicevic (to Tri-City, WHL)
F Jagger Firkus (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
F David Goyette (to Sudbury, OHL)
D Kaden Hammell (to Everett, WHL)
F Kyle Jackson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Andrei Loshko (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Carson Rehkopf (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Eduard Sale (to Barrie, OHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release)

D Noah Chadwick (to Lethbridge, WHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release)

F Marc Gatcomb (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Alex Kannok-Leipert (to Abbotsford, AHL)
G Jonathan Lemieux (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Jermaine Loewen (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Chad Nychuk (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Karel Plasek (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Cooper Walker (released from ATO to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Dmitry Zlodeyev (to Abbotsford, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via CapFriendly’s transactions log)

D Joe Fleming (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mason Primeau (to Henderson, AHL)
F Matyas Sapovaliv (to Sarnia, OHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team release)

G Domenic DiVincentiis (to North Bay, OHL)
F Jacob Julien (to London, OHL)
D Simon Kubicek (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
F Connor Levis (to Kamloops, WHL)
D Jimmy Oligny (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
F C.J. Suess (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)

This page will be updated throughout the day.

East Snapshots: Edmundson, Jarnkrok, Cross

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Earlier this morning, it was reported that the new Washington Capitals’ defenseman, Joel Edmundson, would not partake in team activities after suffering an injury during a team scrimmage. Unfortunately for both he and the team, Stephen Whyno of AP, is reporting that Edmundson’s prognosis is not good, but it was not similar to the injury that kept him out of the lineup for all of February last season.

Hoping for a rebound season during his arrival in Washington, Edmundon’s last season in Montreal was one of, if not the worst of his career. In 61 games played, Edmundson would score two goals and 11 assists, posting career lows in plus/minus, CF%, and oiSV%. Still averaging almost 20 minutes a game for the Canadiens, Edmundson looked like a completely different player than the one Montreal had during the 2020-21 season.

Given the current makeup of Washington’s blue line, if he was to have a season of rejuvenation, Edmundson conceivably could have slotted in anywhere between three and six on the Capitals’ defensive depth chart. If Edmundson is to indeed land on the injured reserve for a while, Washington’s blue line will look remarkably similar to last season, while hopefully receiving a full year of play from both John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin.

Other snapshots:

  •  Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs forward, Calle Jarnkrok is considered day-to-day, and could skate as early as tomorrow. Jarnkrok did not play in the team’s second preseason game last night against the Ottawa Senators, but given his timeline, could play in Toronto’s game tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres. During the regular season, Jarnkrok will likely slot into one of the top fourth lines in the league, next to David Kampf and Ryan Reaves.
  • A veteran of over 500 games in the American Hockey League, former defenseman Tommy Cross has found his new career off the ice. Spending the last several years in the St. Louis Blues organization, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Cross as a defensive development coach. In his new role, Cross will primarily be working with Columbus defensemen who have yet to crack the NHL roster.

Cory Schneider To Officially Retire

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A New Jersey Devils reporter for the Star-Ledger, Ryan Novozinsky is reporting that goaltender Cory Schneider is officially retiring from the National Hockey League. A 13-year veteran, Schneider had lengthy stays with the Vancouver Canucks and Devils, while he would finish his career with the New York Islanders organization.

Originally the 26th overall selection of the 2004 NHL Draft, Schneider would go on to spend three seasons with the Boston College Eagles of the NCAA, before finally signing his entry-level contract with the Canucks before the start of the 2007-08 season. Schneider would help lead Boston College to back-to-back National Championships in 2006 and 2007, losing to Wisconsin University and Michigan State University, respectively.

He would spend the entire 2007-08 season playing for the then-AHL affiliate to Vancouver, the Manitoba Moose, before finally getting his cup of coffee in the NHL in the 2008-09 season. As the Canucks continued to build a Stanley Cup contender, Schneider made the full-time jump to the NHL during the 2010-11 season, primarily playing behind Roberto Luongo. The team would make it to the Stanley Cup Final that season, losing to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Due to the incredible play from both Luongo and Schneider, rumors began to swirl surrounding both, as all signs pointed to the Canucks eventually moving on from one of them. At the 2013 NHL Draft, the domino fell, as Schneider was dealt to the Devils for the ninth overall pick, which would land the Canucks Bo Horvat. Expected to fill the shoes that would be left by franchise legend Martin Brodeur, Schneider got control of New Jersey’s net for the 2014-15 season. He would finish his career as a Canuck with a 55-26-8 record in 86 starts, carrying a .927 SV% and a 2.20 GAA over five seasons.

His first year with the Devils was exceptional, leading then-General Manager Lou Lamoriello to sign Schneider to a seven-year, $42MM contract extension, giving New Jersey their long-term answer in net as Brodeur had moved on to the St. Louis Blues. The 2015-16 season would be the last truly impressive season of Schneider’s career, as he would see his numbers continually decline each year after. Schneider would only lead the Devils to the playoffs once during his seven years with the club, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2017-18 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Originally, his seven-year extension with New Jersey would have taken Schneider to the 2021-22 season, but the team decided to buy out the last two years of his deal after the 2019-20 season. Following Lamoriello to Long Island, Schneider would spend the next three seasons playing on one-year deals for the Islanders, only seeing one game at the NHL over that time. Although it was an unceremonious end to an incredible start to his career, Schneider would finish his career with 410 games played, posting a 171-159-58 record, with a SV% of .918 and a GAA of 2.43.

We at Pro Hockey Rumors congratulate Schneider on a respectable career, and we wish him the best as he moves into the next chapter of his life.

Minor Transactions: 09/26/23

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It’s another busy day across the world of hockey, both in the NHL and in Europe. In the NHL, the slate of preseason games today is highlighted by a rivalry contest in New York between the Islanders and Rangers.

Overseas, there are a few intriguing contests including a Liiga matchup between Ilves Tampere and KalPa Kuopio where NHL second-rounders Jani Nyman and Oliver Kapanen will do battle, as well as some quality games in Switzerland such as a battle between two top teams, Patrik Nemeth’s SC Bern and Derek Grant’s ZSC Lions.

As the schedule becomes more and more packed with hockey, player movement across the hockey world remains as active as ever. We’ll keep track of notable moves here:

  • Former Arizona Coyotes prospect David Tendeck has signed a one-year ECHL contract with the Wheeling Nailers. Tendeck played in 32 games last season for the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, posting a 12-12-5 record with an .892 save percentage. The 25-year-old 2018 sixth-round pick has posted strong numbers in the AHL (.914 save percentage in nine games) but hasn’t gotten an extended shot in the American League. He’ll look to change that by having a strong season backstopping the Nailers.
  • Anthony Beauregard outscored three future NHLers in his final season with the Val d’Or Foreurs in the QMJHL, (Julien Gauthier, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Anthony Richard) but his first foray into pro hockey was a short one. The undersized scorer ended up in the Canadian University circuit before finally turning pro full-time in 2018-19 with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. He wasn’t great in Brampton, though, and ended up signing in England with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers. Beauregard starred in Nottingham, starting a span of three seasons where he went from England to Wichita, Kansas to Switzerland, posting star scoring numbers at each stop. He was especially prolific in Wichita, winning ECHL MVP with 71 points scored. Last season, Beauregard scored 49 points for the ECHL’s Trois-Rivières Lions, and now he’s earned himself a shot to make the AHL on more than a call-up basis. He’s earned a PTO with the Springfield Thunderbirds, per his representation, and will look to earn a spot on the Blues’ affiliate’s roster to finally become a full-time AHL player.
  • Former Tri-City Americans captain Tyler Sandhu has signed a one-year ECHL contract with the South Carolina Stingrays. The 27-year-old made his professional debut this past season after playing four seasons with the University of British Columbia. He began his pro career overseas in Central Europe, skating in 32 games for the ICEHL’s Vorarlberg Pioneers. He scored 19 points in 32 games, earning himself a chance to play full-time in North America’s third tier of pro hockey.
  • After a half-decade of NCAA hockey with the Arizona State University Sun Devils, former Calgary Flames prospect Demetrios Koumontzis seems to have found a place to truly begin his professional career. The 23-year-old blueliner signed a one-year ECHL contract with the Idaho Steelheads, a deal that allows Koumontzis to remain with the club he finished 2022-23 with. Koumontzis appeared in ten regular-season games in Idaho, scoring 10 points, and added three playoff games as well, a solid first step into the world of professional hockey.
  • Veteran Liiga center and one-time Hershey Bears forward Juuso Ikonen has signed a one-year contract with Liiga’s Ässät Pori. Although Ikonen, a former 39-point scorer in Liiga, ended up winning a Liiga title and Champions Hockey League championship last season, he actually only played in 18 games for Tampere. Now he’ll get a chance in Pori, hoping to shore up a spot on a scoring line to help the club reach the postseason, something they have only done once since their championship season in 2012-13.
  • After four strong campaigns in HockeyAllsvenskan with Västerås IK, forward William Wikman finally earned an extended SHL shot with Leo Carlsson’s Örebro HK last season. Wikman’s play in the bottom six and 12 points in 52 games helped Örebro make a run to the SHL semifinals, and now Örebro has extended their relationship with Wikman by two additional seasons.
  • Despite having not even turned 25, Swiss forward Sven Leuenberger has already won two National League titles with his club, EV Zug, a team whose academy he first joined when he was 14. Now, he’s extended his relationship with Zug even longer, signing an extension through 2028 with the team. Never a high-scoring player, Leuenberger has a knack for seeing his production tick up in the postseason and has represented both his club and country in some big moments. He’s been on many deep playoff runs with Zug and also represented Switzerland at two IIHF Men’s World Junior Championships. Now confirmed to play for Zug through 2028, the hope will be that more National League titles will follow.
  • Former Winnipeg Jets prospect Ryan Olsen is returning once again from Germany in order to play in the ECHL. Olsen has signed with the Tulsa Oilers, a team he played three games for in 2016-17. The 29-year-old 2012 Jets draft pick was the DEL’s most penalized player in 2022-23 despite playing in just 39 games, as he racked up 91 PIMs to go alongside 15 points. Olsen’s ECHL experience is strong, as he has 65 points in 81 career games as well as a Kelly Cup championship on his resume. In Tulsa, Olsen will be tasked with bringing his signature combination of grit and offensive touch to the table to help the Oilers have a bounce-back season after a poor 2022-23.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Injury Notes: Pysyk, Panarin, Chytil

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521-game NHL veteran Mark Pysyk will be out with a “longer term” injury according to Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, as relayed by the Pittsburgh Post-Tribune’s Seth Rorabaugh. Pysyk has been with the Penguins on a PTO, attempting an NHL comeback after missing the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign with an injury to his Achilles.

While the exact nature of Pysyk’s injury is undisclosed, this is a brutal blow for the veteran defenseman. A widely well-liked stay-at-home defenseman, Pysyk’s injury could cost him his chance at a contract with the Penguins, and further cloud his future in a league he’s played in since his NHL debut in 2012-13.

Some other injury notes from across the NHL:

  • The New York Rangers have announced that star forward Artemi Panarin did not practice today due to a lower-body injury, and is out on a day-to-day designation. Panarin, 31, has been the Rangers’ leading scorer and top offensive generator in every season he’s played on Broadway. While there’s no word on how serious this injury is beyond this announcement, the team will need him up to speed on opening night to stand the best chance of pulling ahead in what figures to be a cutthroat Metropolitan Division.
  • Larry Brooks of the New York Post relays word of another Rangers injury. Ascending pivot Filip Chytil left today’s practice with an upper-body injury, and like Panarin is considered day-to-day. While Chytil, 24, is not in the same stratosphere of importance as Panarin, he is an impactful Ranger in his own right. He enjoyed a breakout 2022-23, scoring 22 goals and 45 points. He’s expected to push to shake Vincent Trocheck’s tight grip on the Rangers’ second-line center job this season, though that task may become more difficult should he be forced to battle through injuries.

Latest On Mathieu Joseph

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The Ottawa Senators began their preseason on a high note, but still have one major issue remaining. One of the team’s key young players, center Shane Pinto, still does not have a contract for next season and the Senators simply do not have the cap space at the current moment to pay for Pinto’s next deal.

Pinto, 22, is coming off of a strong rookie season where he displayed impressive two-way abilities and potted 20 goals and 35 points.

In order to clear enough cap space to retain someone who profiles as a long-term middle-six center in Ottawa, the Senators have reportedly looked at moving Mathieu Joseph, who is under contract through 2025-26 at a $2.95MM cap hit.

Joseph struggled in his first full season in Ottawa, posting just three goals and 18 points in 56 games. He drew praise for his work on the Senators’ penalty kill, but otherwise was viewed as a disappointment.

Joseph’s relatively high cap hit came from last summer, when he was coming off of a blisteringly hot first 11 games as a Senator. He connected with two of the team’s stars, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle to score 12 points in that span.

The Senators were likely optimistic that Joseph, a former QMJHL star, could build on that chemistry and potentially find a long-term home in the team’s top-six.

While Joseph proved himself to be a useful player in Ottawa, it seems unlikely at this point that he’ll become quite as good as the Senators were betting on. That leaves the team in a position where dumping his $2.95MM cap hit might be the best course of action to take in order to clear the room to sign Pinto.

That’s where the Philadelphia Flyers enter the picture. The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco reports that the cost the Senators will have to pay in order to entice another team to take on Joseph’s deal is “a first-round pick or a prospect equivalent.”

The Flyers are undergoing a full-scale rebuild under new GM Daniel Brière, so it’s understandable that they would be interested in leveraging some of their available cap space to add a high-end future asset.

Di Marco specifically mentioned the name of 2021 tenth-overall pick Tyler Boucher as a possible player of interest for the Flyers in any Joseph trade. Boucher already has some ties to the Flyers, as his father is a former Flyers netminder who is now serving as an analyst on the team’s local broadcasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Although Boucher was widely considered a “reach” pick at the number-ten slot and has struggled mightily with injuries and underperformance since he was drafted, his prototypical power-forward game and impressive physical tools keep him a prospect with an intriguing amount of upside.

Boucher was ranked the number-four prospect in the Senators’ system by EP Rinkside, (paywall link) and would represent a major price to pay for Dorion. But if paying Boucher or another top-end future asset is what allows Dorion to carve out the cap space to afford an extension for Pinto, he just might have to consider it.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Brind’Amour, Pelletier, Edmundson

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The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently broke down what coaches are on expiring deals, and what fans can expect them to do next. He most notably broke down Rod Brind’Amour’s next contract, expressing confidence that the long-running head coach will stick to his word of wanting to stay behind the Carolina Hurricanes bench. This is despite Brind’Amour only making around $2MM in salary, a number that would certainly go up if he became a free agent.

Even though his priorities are focused on the ice, there’s no doubt that Brind’Amour is deserving of a raise. Per CapFriendly’s tracking of coaching salaries, $2MM would rank among the lowest-known salaries in the league – on par with Toronto’s Sheldon Keefe and Chicago’s Luke Richardson. Brind’Amour falls in this category despite recording a fantastic 226-107-37 record in his five years as Carolina’s head coach. He’s also walked the team closer and closer to the Stanley Cup Finals, as the Canes worked their way to the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals before being swept by the Florida Panthers.

Brind’Amour has spent 22 years with the Hurricanes franchise, including the final 10 seasons of his playing career and now 12 seasons on their coaching staff. It’s clear he’s found a home in Raleigh and isn’t expected to be moving on any time soon.

More notes from around the league:

Kevin Constantine Under WHL Investigation

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While preseason matchups are underway in the NHL, a bit of drama is coming out of the Western Hockey League this evening. The WHL announced via a press release that the head coach of the Wenatchee Wild, Kevin Constantine, has been suspended for the foreseeable future.

Without much specificity into the allegations, the WHL will investigate Constantine due to alleged WHL Regulations and Policy violations. Constantine was originally hired as the first coach in franchise history for the Wild this summer, having recently moved and rebranded away from the Winnipeg Ice.

This is not the first time that Constantine has found himself in hot water, having been suspended twice already as a professional coach. In 1996, as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames, Constantine and fellow coach, Guy Lapointe, were suspended one game, and two games, respectively, after trying to assault a fan during a game against the Edmonton Oilers. During his first run as head coach of the Everett Silvertips, in 2006, Constantine was suspended four games and fined $5,000 USD for forcing his players to only remove their helmets, skates, and gloves, requiring them to wear their full gear to eat the post-game meal, as well as on the bus ride back to Everett.

He previously had a run as the head coach of a few NHL organizations from 1993 to 2002 with the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils. After his last head coaching stint in Everett at the conclusion of the 2016-17 WHL season, Constantine spent time being a head coach in South Korea, Poland, and Hungary, before finally returning to North America this summer.

It is important to note, that prospects for the Buffalo Sabres Zach Benson and Matthew Savoie, as well as Arizona Coyotes prospect, Conor Geekie, were all projected to start the year in Wenatchee, now leaving their head coaching situation in doubt for the upcoming season. Last season in Winnipeg, the team finished first in the Eastern Conference, losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL Finals.

Summer Synopsis: St. Louis Blues

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For only the second time in the last decade, the St. Louis Blues failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. In a disappointing season seeing them finish sixth in the Central Division, and 12th in the Western Conference, the Blues moved on from big-name players such as Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly at last year’s trade deadline.

Now, St. Louis will be leaning more into their young stars, such as Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. However, even after some notable additions this offseason, the Blues will still have an uphill battle to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs out of the Western Conference in the 2023-24 NHL season.

Draft

1-10: F Dalibor Dvorsky, AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
1-25: F Otto Stenberg, Frolunda HC (SHL)
1-29: D Theo Lindstein, Brynas IF (SHL)
3-74: D Quinton Burns, Kingston (OHL)
3-76: F Juraj Pekarcik, HK Nitra (Slovakia)
4-106: F Jakub Stancl, Vaxjo HC (SHL)
5-138: D Paul Fischer, USNTDP (USHL)
6-170: D Matthew Mayich, Ottawa (OHL)
7-202: F Nikita Susuyev, Spartak (KHL)

Putting quite an importance on building up their long-term center depth at this year’s draft, the Blues’ first selection, Dvorsky, should provide the team with just that. In some pre-draft boards, Dvorsky was seen going as high as sixth overall to the Arizona Coyotes, giving St. Louis the benefit of not having to reach for a center early in the first round. Last season playing for AIK, Dvorsky would suit up in 38 games for AIK, scoring six goals and 14 points.

On the latter two of their first-round selections, there were much more mixed reviews surrounding Stenberg and Lindstein. Lindstein is through-and-through a defense-first defenseman and should be a safer bet than Stenberg long-term for the Blues. Stenberg was not a bad selection for St. Louis by any means but did show some cause for concern in his first year of professional hockey in Sweden. Playing mostly against players much older than him, Stenberg only suited up in 23 games for Frolunda HC last season, scoring one goal and two assists.

UFA Signings

D Joshua Jacobs (one year, $775K)*
D Wyatt Kalynuk (one year, $775K)*
F Mackenzie MacEachern (two years, $1.55MM)
G Malcolm Subban (one year, $775K)*
F Oskar Sundqvist (one year, $775K)

*-denotes a two-way contract

Without much in the way of salary cap space due to the long-term extensions for both Kyrou and Thomas kicking in this year, the Blues mostly spent their dollars on forwards that could potentially help in the team’s bottom six, as well as defensemen and goaltending depth for their AHL affiliate. Sundqvist is the only free-agent acquisition likely to crack St. Louis’ roster out of camp, as he should be extremely familiar with the style of play in the organization, given his five-year run with the Blues from 2017-2022.

Most of these UFA signings will directly impact the Springfield Thunderbirds, who will look to make the Calder Cup playoffs for the third season in a row. Defense being the team’s biggest strength, they were able to finish ninth in the AHL in goals against last year, a statistic that Jacobs, Kalynuk, MacEachern, and Subban should all help continue. Now two years removed from reaching the Calder Cup Finals, the Thunderbirds could be a team to watch in the AHL yet again for the 2023-24 season.

Trade Acquisitions

F Kevin Hayes (acquired from Philadelphia)

A cousin of Blues legend, Keith Tkachuk, Hayes should shore up the void left by O’Reilly at the center position in St. Louis. Signing a massive seven-year, $50MM contract with the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2019, Hayes’ career in Philadelphia came to a close after regularly disagreeing with head coach John Tortorella. In his last season for the Flyers, Hayes would actually have one of the best offensive seasons of his career, even after being benched in several games. Playing in 81 regular season games, Hayes would score 18 goals and 36 assists, good for second on the team in scoring. With the Flyers retaining 50% ($3.57MM) of Hayes’ contract for the next three seasons, the Blues should get some solid value out of him on the second line.

RFA Re-Signings

F Hugh McGing (one year, $775K)*
D Scott Perunovich (one year, $775K)
F Alexey Toropchenko (two years, $2.5MM)
D Tyler Tucker (two years, $1.6MM)

Handling the would-be RFA status of both Kyrou and Thomas a little over a year ago, St. Louis did not have much in the way of notable RFA candidates this summer. If the rest of the blue line is healthy, Tucker should see limited action, and may even be a demotion candidate as the year continues.

Toropchenko, on the other hand, should see a decent amount of playing time in the team’s middle six this season. Playing in 69 regular season games last year, Toropchenko found the back of the net 10 times, while also tallying nine assists. The Blues only gave him about 12 minutes a night last year, and it is reasonable to assume that he will be around that number again, depending on the play of both Jakub Vrana and Kasperi Kapanen.

Departures

F Logan Brown (Tampa Bay, one year, $775K)
F Matthew Highmore (Ottawa, one year, $775K)
D Brady Lyle (Calgary, one year, $775K)
F Tyler Pitlick (NY Rangers, one year, $788K)
D Steven Santini (Los Angeles, one year, $800K)
F Nathan Todd (San Jose, two years, $1.55MM)

Much like their potential RFA candidates, the Blues didn’t stand to lose too much this offseason via free agency, especially after moving out O’Reilly and Tarasenko for future assets at the trade deadline. Their most notable loss will come from Pitlick, who played in 61 games for the Blues last season, scoring seven goals and nine assists.

This list could have been longer, however, as it was rumored the club was putting significant effort into moving out the contract of Torey Krug at the beginning of the summer to the Flyers in the Hayes deal, but was unable to include him in the transaction as Krug was able to deny the trade due to the No Trade Clause in his current deal.

Salary Cap Outlook

With a full roster and no LTIR candidates heading into the 2023-24 season, the Blues will have approximately $200K available in cap space, which will turn into $1.37MM in deadline space. Depending on which direction the Blues head this season, they will have plenty of established assets to move out at the trade deadline, and very little cap space to work with if they are hoping to gain a player or two.

Next summer, they will have around $13.4MM coming off of the books, giving them the option to add a few decent players via free agency or trade. If St. Louis is once again out of playoff contention in February/March of 2024, multi-year contracts such as Krug, Brandon Saad, and Nick Leddy could be on the trade block to loosen up even more financial flexibility.

Key Questions

Will They Get Back Into The Playoffs? Last season, the Blues were one year removed from a 109-point season, finishing third in the Central Division, losing in six games in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. In disappointing fashion, St. Louis was only able to reach 81 points on the year, finishing in sixth place in the Central, finishing well outside the playoff picture. The Avalanche and Dallas Stars project to be the top two teams in the division heading into the upcoming season, but the third spot seems relatively up for grabs. The Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets should still factor into the playoff picture, with the Arizona Coyotes looking more and more like a complete team, giving the Blues a lot to think about concerning their short-term competitive window. Kyrou and Thomas are already stars in the NHL, but the Blues still feel a player away to be considered a playoff lock for next season.

How Will The Team Improve Its Defense? It is true that Jordan Binnington shares a big part of the blame for the Blues finishing 27th in Goals Against last year, given that over a full year, the 2022-23 season was by far the worst of his career. Justin Faulk had a solid season by most standards, but Krug and Colton Parayko took a step back, with Nick Leddy, Robert Bortuzzo, and Marco Scandella continuing to lose the battle with ’Father Time’. Parayko, Leddy, and Krug are all signed for at least the next three seasons, with the team being able to move on from Scandella and Bortuzzo next offseason. If he maintains his health, prospect Scott Perunovich should be able to take one of the spots left by either Scandella or Bortuzzo, but it’s beginning to appear the Blues need to make a big-time move for a top-two defenseman, having failed to adequately replace the void left by Alex Pietrangelo.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Columbus Blue Jackets Hire Mark Recchi As Assistant Coach

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

4:48 p.m.: It’s a two-year term for Recchi, notes The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, which means his deal as an assistant will expire after the 2024-25 season – the same as Vincent’s.

2:45 p.m.: The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Hall-of-Fame forward Mark Recchi as an assistant coach, the team announced Monday. Recchi fills the assistant coaching vacancy created by Pascal Vincent’s promotion to head coach last week in the wake of Mike Babcock’s forced resignation after an NHLPA investigation found he’d breached player privacy.

After retiring as a player in 2011, Recchi spent the next few seasons in advisory and development roles for the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins before earning a promotion to head coach Mike Sullivan’s bench in Pittsburgh immediately after the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. He served as an assistant there for three seasons before joining the New Jersey Devils in a similar capacity in 2020, although he spent just two seasons there and did not return after the 2021-22 campaign. He did not coach anywhere in 2022-23, although he maintains his role as a minority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, which he’s done since 2007.

In Columbus, Recchi’s responsibility will chiefly be managing the team’s forward group and their power play. Therefore, it’s natural to assume this hire will play a significant role in the scoring development of Columbus’ young talent, namely 2023 second-overall pick Adam Fantilli, who projects to make the jump to the NHL in 2023-24 after just one season at the University of Michigan. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko are some other Blue Jackets forwards under the age of 24 expected to log significant time on the team’s power play units this season.

Vincent had a lengthy statement on the addition of Recchi to his staff for his first year as an NHL head coach:

Mark Recchi has been part of the National Hockey League for over three decades and brings an incredible amount of experience to our staff. He is a Hall of Fame player who won three Stanley Cup championships, which combined with his coaching experience, will make him a great resource for our players. We are excited to have him in Columbus. I’m thrilled that we have added a person of [his] talent and insight to our coaching staff. Mark adds a wealth of knowledge as a player and a coach, both in development and as an assistant, to our group that will be instrumental in helping our organization grow on and off the ice. His expertise in the offensive zone and on the power play, specifically, will be a huge benefit for our club.

Over the past three seasons, the Blue Jackets’ power play has sat near the bottom of the league. Their 17.8% conversion rate with the man advantage is tied for 24th in the league over that span with the Arizona Coyotes. If Columbus is to compete in a difficult Eastern Conference and make the significant points gain needed to secure a playoff berth this season, Recchi’s work with the power play (and scoring chance generation in general) will certainly play a large role.

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