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Archives for September 2023

Snapshots: Senators Arena, Pysyk, Öhgren

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Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that new Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer estimates that a new arena in Ottawa would cost around $900MM and must make economic sense in order for it to happen. A new Ottawa arena has been an ongoing saga in the City of Ottawa for nearly a decade and according to some economists, it should be the first order of business for the new owner.

The Senators have played in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata since 1996 in a building that felt out of date shortly after it opened. The team has been lobbying for quite some time to get a new venue in Ottawa’s downtown core but has yet to be successful in breaking ground on a new arena. Previous owner Eugene Melnyk came close in 2016 when he tried to make a deal to build a new arena on federal land, but ultimately fell short of his goal. With the Senators now firmly under Andlauer’s control, it should be interesting to see if the Senators are finally able to break ground on a new building in a more central part of the city.

In other notes:

  • Pittsburgh Hockey Now is reporting that defenseman Mark Pysyk saw his attempted comeback hit a roadblock yesterday as he was injured in a pre-season game with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pysyk has been trying to catch on with the Penguins for this season as he plays out training camp on a PTO. The 31-year-old missed all last season after signing with the Detroit Red Wings and hasn’t played a full season since he posted three goals and nine assists with the Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22. No information on Pysyk’s status or injury has been released at this time.
  • Färjestad BK announced today that Minnesota Wild prospect Liam Öhgren will be leaving Sweden to travel to Minnesota to undergo testing on an undisclosed injury. The injury has kept the 2022 19th overall pick off the ice this season and the Wild have opted to get a second opinion on the nature of his injury. Öhgren signed his entry-level contract last summer and has been on loan in Sweden since then. He was expected to make the jump to North America for the 2024-25 season, but with the uncertainty surrounding the injury, little is known about Öhgren’s playing future.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/25/23

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Teams are getting a good assessment of what they have available at training camp, with a slew of preseason games both in the books and yet to be played. This evening, fans can look forward to a pair of games from the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, Western Conference heavyweights matching off in NHL Network’s coverage of the Vegas Golden Knights v. Colorado Avalanche, and the Seattle Kraken getting a look at their lineup against Pacific Division rival, the Calgary Flames. Camp rosters are beginning to be trimmed down, and Pro Hockey Rumors will be organizing all of these cuts here.

Minnesota Wild (via team release)

F Louis Boudon (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
D Ben Brinkman (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
F Brett Budgell (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)
F Maxim Cajkovic (to Iowa, AHL)
F Casey Dornbach (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
F Hunter Haight (to Saginaw, OHL)
F Riley Heidt (to Prince George, WHL)
G Hunter Jones (to Iowa, AHL)
G Peyton Jones (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)
D Landon Kosior (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
F Rasmus Kumpulainen (to Oshawa, OHL)
D Brenden Miller (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)
F Servac Petrovsky (to Owen Sound, OHL)
D Kalem Parker (to Victoria, WHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release)

F Emmitt Finnie (to Kamloops, WHL)
F Dean Loukus (released from ATO to Saginaw, OHL)
F Nicholas Sima (released from ATO to Saginaw, OHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

F Peter Abbandonato (released from PTO to Chicago, AHL)
D Andre Anania (released from ATO to Sudbury, OHL)
F Matt Filipe (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Taylor Gauthier (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Dillon Hamaliuk (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Samuel Houde (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jagger Joshua (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Matthew Soto (released from ATO to Kington, OHL)
G Michael Simpson (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
F Evan Vierling (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release)

F Vilmer Alriksson (to Guelph, OHL)
D Hunter Brzustewicz (to Kitchener, OHL)
D Kirill Kudryavtsev (to Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)
D Sawyer Mynio (to Seattle, WHL)
G Ty Young (to Prince George, WHL)

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Columbus May Seek AHL Waiver For Mateychuk, Dumais

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The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently shared that the Columbus Blue Jackets may seek a waiver from the CHL-NHL Agreement for prospects Jordan Dumais and Denton Mateychuk. This waiver would allow for Columbus to send the prospects to the AHL, rather than their respective juniors leagues, if they don’t make the NHL roster. This comes in the wake of Shane Wright (OHL) receiving a waiver and Matthew Savoie (WHL) likely being rejected for one.

While there’s certainly an argument in his favor, the Blue Jackets may struggle to win in favor of Mateychuk, who’s spent part of the last four seasons in the WHL. Players are eligible for AHL, rather than CHL, assignment if they’re 20 years old before December 31st, something that Savoie and Wright miss by just a few days. Mateychuk, on the other hand, misses this mark by over six months, stacking the odds against him. The WHL recently rejected Savoie’s request for this waiver despite him arguably having a better case for the exemption than Shane Wright. This sets a precedent in western Canada that Columbus will have to overcome if they want to send Mateychuk to the AHL.

But while Mateychuk faces an uphill battle, there’s no certainty what Dumais will receive. In a year that’s seen a flurry of AHL waiver requests, nobody has yet to request from the QMJHL. Columbus will now be pulling the third league into the conversation, likely helping their chances at bringing light to the CHL-NHL agreement. Dumais doesn’t turn 20 until April and has played an uninterrupted three years in the QMHL, holding him back from either the age or seasons played requirements that can earn a player AHL eligibility. He likely carries the weakest case of the four players, but there’s no arguing his prowess over the juniors league. Dumais has recorded back-to-back 100-point seasons in the QMJHL, netting a staggering 140 points last year. While points don’t impact the CHL-NHL agreement, they could be a strong variable in the arguments for how Dumais has outgrown the league.

Whether Columbus receives this waiver for either player is yet to be seen. But they become the third NHL team to request something along these lines in just the last month. Regardless of the outcome, their involvement continues to lift up the question of if, and how, the CHL-NHL agreement could be redesigned for the modern hockey landscape.

Snapshots: Verhaeghe, Couture And Hertl, Senators Cap Hit

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Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice shared with The Hockey News that he will be holding top-six forward Carter Verhaeghe out of the team’s first preseason game. Verhaeghe “tightened up” on the first day of camp, per Maurice, and has been skating on the side as a precaution ever since. However, the Panthers aren’t expecting the injury to last through training camp – with Maurice sharing that, even if he wears a no-contact jersey through Wednesday, Verhaeghe should be playing in preseason games soon.

Verhaeghe has been an important piece of the Florida top-six since joining the team in 2020, averaging 17 minutes a night through three seasons in Florida. He’s also tallied 164 points in 202 career games with the Panthers, including a staggering 42 goals and 73 points in 81 games last season. Going over those scoring totals makes it clear why Florida would want to be careful with overextending Verhaeghe. Maurice’s emphasis on being cautious also gives fans good insight into how the team is planning to operate. Florida faced a slew of injuries last season, including an Achilles injury that held Anthony Duclair out of a majority of the season and are looking to flip those fortunes in a new year. Verhaeghe is the first to face this cautiousness but how it will carry into the regular season should be interesting to see.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka shared that the San Jose Sharks would be open to trading Logan Couture or Tomas Hertl, if the veterans want to leave. It seems San Jose recognizes the situation they’re in and understands if their aging veterans want to chase the playoffs. However, their contracts may be difficult to move. Couture carries an $8MM cap hit and Hertl carries $8.1375MM, both with some sort of trade protection. While a deal would come at the request of either player, meaning trade protection wouldn’t likely make much impact, it’ll still be challenging to work out the logistics in the flat-cap environment the NHL currently finds itself in. Nonetheless, being offered top-end talent previously only offered to San Jose should be enticing for any NHL club.
  • New Senators owner Michael Andlauer spoke to the team’s salary cap situation and unsigned RFA Shane Pinto. He told the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch that, “We’re at the cap. We have a problem signing Shane Pinto because we are at the cap. At the end of the end of the day, it’s about sustainability and making sure we have enough money in the coffers to pay our players and making sure we’re sustainable”. He went on to emphasize that player success drives fan interest, which then drives the money ownership can put back toward the players. While these comments likely don’t impact the chances of Pinto re-signing, they could limit the upside of his cap hit.

Minnesota Opens Extension Talks With Foligno, Zuccarello, Hartman

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The Athletic’s Michael Russo shared that, while the team hasn’t acknowledged it yet, it seems they’ve begun talking extensions with their ’big three’ – Marcus Foligno, Mats Zuccarello, and Ryan Hartman. All three veterans are pending free agents, a part of the 10 Wild players facing free agency next summer.

Russo walked through what to expect with each player’s contract talks in turn. Foligno is expected to boast the easiest conversations, as the contract he’s currently on (three years, $9.3MM) could be really close to the details of his next deal. Foligno has become a fan favorite, offering an important amount of grit and physicality to the team’s top six. He recorded 42 points and 112 penalty minutes in the 2021-22 season – career highs in both categories and his first time breaking 30 points – but fell back to Earth this year, only netting 21 points in 75 games. Still, with scoring not the reward of Folingo’s game, there’s some reason to expect he can maintain his impact through the end of his career.

Mats Zuccarello is facing a similarly positive outlook on his next deal. There’s no denying the chemistry formed between Zuccarello and Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov, both on and off of the ice. That bond alone is enough to warrant a contract extension, although Russo notes it will likely have to come at a reduced cost. Zuccarello currently carries a $6MM cap hit on a deal he signed in 2019. Now 36, a new deal will likely have to carry short-term and short costs. But how much longer Zuccarello, who scored 67 points last year, can play will be an interesting storyline to follow.

While Foligno and Zuccarello seem like sure bets to re-sign, Russo doesn’t express that same optimism with Hartman. The forward has emerged as the team’s top-line center and a dangerous goal-scorer, netting 34 goals in 2021-22. But, like Foligno, Hartman’s scoring didn’t survive through last season. He recorded just 37 points in 59 games. While not a terrible tally by any means, it could be just low enough that Hartman begins to feel pressure as young prospects earn roster spots. The Wild are overflowing with young talent and Hartman is set for a pay raise from his current $1.7MM cap hit. If the Wild can support both of those things at once is yet to be seen, although Russo does note that Hartman would carry great trade deadline value. He was traded for a first-round pick at the 2018 trade deadline, before he was ever the goal-scorer he is today. While he’s now much older, Minnesota has shown the extent of Hartman’s untapped potential – something a team on the playoff bubble could really enjoy. Of course, this trade feels most likely if young centermen like Marco Rossi are able to step up.

Five Key Stories: 9/18/23 – 9/24/23

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The preseason is underway so activity across the NHL should start to pick up in the near future.  There was some news of note before the puck dropped which is recapped in our key stories.

New Captains: Two of the eight teams that had been without a captain filled that vacancy over the past few days.  The Bruins promoted Brad Marchand to the role as expected, becoming the 27th captain in team history.  He’s set to enter his 15th season with the team and is the longest-tenured player in the organization following the retirement of Patrice Bergeron.  Meanwhile, Brayden Schenn was named the new captain in St. Louis, taking the place of Ryan O’Reilly who was traded before the deadline last season.  Schenn is heading into his seventh season with the Blues and is the 24th captain in club history.

Stamkos Not Happy: Speaking of captains, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension.  However, he noted that there have yet to be discussions on that front and that he’s not particularly happy about being in this situation knowing how often Tampa Bay has extended its players early.  GM Julien BriseBois indicated he wants to see how this season plays out before deciding on Stamkos’ future with the club.  The 33-year-old has spent his entire 15-year career with the Lightning after being the first-overall pick in 2008 and he has fared quite well, notching over 500 goals in 1,003 games and has surpassed the point-per-game mark in six of the last seven seasons.

Canucks/Canadiens Swap: With Tanner Pearson being cleared to come off LTIR, Vancouver needed to trim some payroll.  They did just that, sending Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick to Montreal in exchange for goaltender Casey DeSmith.  The deal saves Vancouver $1.45MM in cap space for the upcoming season (more if you factor in the savings from their original projected backup going to the minors) while upgrading Thatcher Demko’s backup option.  Meanwhile, Montreal continues to stockpile draft picks and now has an extra selection in each of the first four rounds in 2025.  They will likely look to try to build up Pearson’s value during the season if he can stay healthy in the hope of flipping him closer to the trade deadline.

Fleury Undecided About Playing Future: Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is set to play his 20th NHL season in 2023-24.  Will it be his last year?  He hasn’t decided just yet, stating that he will play out the year and then assess his future.  The 38-year-old made 45 starts last season but is likely heading for a lighter workload with Filip Gustavsson emerging as a strong performer last year.  Fleury enters this season just 15 games shy of 1,000 for his career, a mark that only three other netminders have hit.  He’s also seven wins shy of passing Patrick Roy for second all-time in victories.  Both of those marks are definitely achievable this season and if it winds up being his final campaign, it’d be a nice way to cap his career.

Talks Not Going Well: This is the time when unsigned restricted free agents start to become more notable as most have signed by training camps.  There are four remaining league-wide, two of them in Anaheim – center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.  It appears as if the sides are not close on new deals although it’s believed Zegras and Anaheim have settled on a three-year term, leaving just the money to haggle over.  Considering that Drysdale missed most of last season due to injury, he’s almost certainly heading for a bridge deal as well.  Cap space isn’t an issue for the Ducks as no team has more of it at the moment so that certainly isn’t a factor in talks.  There’s still time for both players to sign and be ready for the regular season which will be the next pressure point of discussions.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Askarov, Gagner, Eberle

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Back at the draft, there was some speculation that the Predators were offering up goaltender Yaroslav Askarov in an effort to move up.  GM Barry Trotz acknowledged to Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that he did put the 21-year-old in play back in June, citing a desire to draft (or acquire) an impact young center but obviously, that didn’t come to fruition.  It shouldn’t be construed that with him being available then that he’s available now, however.  Trotz said there’s no reason in his mind why the team couldn’t carry Juuse Saros and Askarov as a tandem for the long haul.  It’s a decision that’s still a couple of years away as Saros has two years left on his deal while Askarov is likely to need a couple more years in the AHL before being NHL-ready.

More from the Western Conference:

  • While Sam Gagner is looking to earn a third stint with the Oilers, he has a tough hill to climb as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson relays that the veteran won’t play in the preseason. Gagner is still working his way back from hip surgery and his doctor has only recommended that he be allowed to practice for the next few weeks.  The 34-year-old has expressed an openness to starting the year with AHL Bakersfield and since he won’t be able to make his case for a roster spot in exhibition action, the Condors seem like the most probable landing spot for him.
  • Kraken winger Jordan Eberle would welcome a contract extension, notes Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. The 33-year-old says he has made his stance known about his desire to remain with Seattle and it’s certainly understandable why that’s the case as has had two quality seasons since being picked in the expansion draft.  Eberle is coming off a 21-goal, 63-point campaign which could have him in line for a small raise on his current $5.5MM AAV if he gets an early extension from GM Ron Francis.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Florida Panthers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2023-24 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Florida Panthers

Current Cap Hit: $83,525,001 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Anton Lundell (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Lundell: $850K

Lundell’s sophomore campaign wasn’t as strong as his first but he still was a key part of their secondary core, taking regular shifts on both special teams units, a trend that continued into the playoffs.  He’s someone who will be a part of their plans for a long time but with who else is on an expiring deal next summer, they’re probably going to be forced to look at a bridge deal that could fall in the $3.5MM range if he’s able to get back to his rookie-season output.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

D Lucas Carlsson ($775K, UFA)
F Nick Cousins ($1.1MM, UFA)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($2.67MM, UFA)
D Matt Kiersted ($762.5K, UFA)
D Dmitry Kulikov ($1MM, UFA)
F Ryan Lomberg ($800K, UFA)
F Steven Lorentz ($1.05MM, UFA)
D Josh Mahura ($925K, RFA)
D Brandon Montour ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($1MM, UFA)
F Sam Reinhart ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Kevin Stenlund ($1MM, UFA)
G Anthony Stolarz ($1.1MM, UFA)

When Florida traded a first-round pick and Devon Levi to Buffalo to get Reinhart and signed him to this deal, it was a sign they were banking on him having another gear to get to offensively.  That turned out to be an accurate prediction as his last two seasons have been his best by a considerable margin and he has turned into a top-line player.  Notably, he also has spent more time down the middle since joining the Panthers which will only boost his asking price as there will be teams looking at him as a center if he gets to the open market.  At this point, an extension might fall between the $8.5MM and $9MM range and if Reinhart goes and boosts his production closer to the point per game mark, it’ll go even higher from there.

Cousins has bounced around throughout his career but is a serviceable fourth liner that can move up in a pinch.  Having tested free agency a few times already, it’s fair to say that his current price tag is about what his market value should be next year.  Lorentz came over in the Anthony Duclair trade and is likely to stay in a similar fourth-line role to the one he had a year ago; his next deal should also land around this price point.  The same can be said for Stenlund as well who signed with Florida this summer after playing in Winnipeg last season.  Lomberg, however, has seen his stock rise over the last couple of years and is the type of role player teams will pay up a bit more for.  Doubling his current price tag isn’t out of the question next summer.

The upside had always been there with Montour with multiple teams thinking they could be the one to unlock it.  The Panthers did just that last season as he went from being a slightly above-average offensive contributor to one of the top-scoring blueliners in the NHL.  A carryover injury from the playoffs will delay the start of his season but it will be worth watching to see if he can repeat that performance.  If he can, his price tag should more than double.

Forsling has been one of the top waiver claims in recent memory as since he came over from Carolina, he has emerged as an all-around threat while he also logged top-pair minutes last season.  He isn’t a true number one option but the market for a legitimate number two option has also gone up considerably.  Accordingly, he’s also set to more than double his current price tag a year from now.   Ekman-Larsson was bought out by Vancouver and found a soft landing spot with Florida where he won’t be counted on to play as many minutes.  If he shows well on the second pairing, he should have a better market a year from now.

Reilly was also bought out this summer after spending most of last year in the minors with Boston.  He’s more of a depth option in an ideal world but with a full season, he should produce enough to command a small raise next summer.  Kulikov won’t put up many points but can still log upwards of 20 minutes a night.  This contract seemed a bit low for him, especially as an early signing, but his market might not have been as favorable as it might have seemed back in July.  Mahura emerged as a regular on the third pairing last season after being claimed off waivers.  If he can maintain that spot in the lineup, he’ll be due a small raise at least but arbitration eligibility could work against him if Florida needs to put a cheaper player in that spot.  Carlsson and Kiersted both spent more time last season in the minors but one of them could break camp with the team due to injuries.  Both players are likely to stay around the minimum moving forward.

Stolarz battled injuries last season but still managed to land his richest deal as the market for quality third-string options really improved this summer.  He’s likely ticketed for the minors but will be a capable stand-in should injuries arise.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Sam Bennett ($4.425MM, UFA)
F Grigori Denisenko ($775K, RFA)
D Aaron Ekblad ($7.5MM, UFA)
F Carter Verhaeghe ($4.167MM, UFA)

As he did with Reinhart, GM Bill Zito saw more in Bennett than what he was providing in Calgary and swung a big trade to get him.  This one worked out well too.  Bennett isn’t a top-liner but is a quality second-line power forward who can also kill penalties.  His camp might be looking at Tom Wilson’s recent extension which carries an AAV of $6.5MM as a target starting point for negotiations.

Verhaeghe has been a bargain since the moment he joined Florida.  He vastly outperformed his first deal, then accepted an early extension, an understandable move considering he had been in the minors just a couple of years earlier.  He then went and scored 42 goals in the first season of this deal.  Even if he takes a step back from that, he could push for $6.5MM or more on his next contract as well.  Denisenko has primarily played in the minors but is now waiver-eligible, likely resulting in him breaking camp with the team.  For now, it’s more about locking down a lineup spot than it is worrying about his next contract.

Ekblad’s contract was a record-setter at the time as both sides bypassed the bridge deal in favor of a lucrative second deal.  All things considered, it has held up pretty well so far.  No, he hasn’t emerged as that high-end number one defender – he doesn’t produce enough to get into that territory – but this cap hit isn’t anywhere near what some of those players are making.  He plays big minutes in all situations while still providing a fair amount of offense.  As a result, he’s positioning himself to command another max-term agreement after this one and likely at least a small raise along the way.  He isn’t flashy but Florida has gotten a good return on their first-overall selection in 2014.

Signed Through 2025-26

G Sergei Bobrovsky ($10MM, UFA)
G Spencer Knight ($4.5MM, RFA)
D Niko Mikkola ($2.5MM, UFA)

Mikkola has been more of a fifth defenseman so far and when everyone on Florida’s back end is healthy, that’s about as high as he’ll be on the depth chart which makes the term given out here a bit surprising.  They’re looking to him to help replace Radko Gudas who left for Anaheim this summer while giving them at least one dependable option signed beyond 2025.  But if he has a limited role on the third pairing, this will be a bit of an above-market contract.

Bobrovsky had a stellar first three rounds of the playoffs, playing a big role in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.  However, it came on the heels of a subpar season that saw him post just a .901 SV%.  He’s historically quite streaky but as the highest-paid active goalie in the league, expectations should be higher than consistently inconsistent.  That played a role in Zito handing Knight this deal early last season, a move that raised more than a few eyebrows given his lack of experience.  Now back from his stint in the Player Assistance Program, if he gets back on track and pushes for that number one role, they’ll do fine with his deal.  Otherwise, they’ll have two pricey netminders on their hands for not a great return.

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Seattle Kraken Activate Andre Burakovsky Off Injured Reserve

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The Seattle Kraken have activated forward Andre Burakovsky from injured reserve, confirming he’ll be ready to go ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, per CapFriendly.

Burakovsky had been on injured reserve for over six months after sustaining a lower-body injury in early February. Multiple setbacks during his recovery ended up sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, which was quite a tough break for the Swedish and Austrian forward. In his first year with the Kraken, Burakovky’s 0.80 points per game finished second on the team behind 40-goal-scorer Jared McCann.

After Seattle’s postseason elimination at the hands of the Dallas Stars in May, general manager Ron Francis confirmed that Burakovsky had sustained a torn groin during his first shift after coming back from the league-wide All-Star break. Burakovsky resumed skating last month in an effort to be healthy for training camp, which seems to have been a successful endeavor.

Since joining the Colorado Avalanche in 2019, Burakovsky has quietly become one of the more efficient point producers in the NHL – earning him a hefty five-year, $27.5MM commitment from Seattle in free agency last summer. Health has been a concern for him, however. While shortened seasons have also played a factor, Burakovsky has played more than 60 games in a season only once over the course of the past four years.

Still, his 0.79 points per game over the past four seasons are on par with other top-six stalwarts like Matt Duchene, Brock Nelson, and others, despite averaging significantly less ice time than his peer group. He is projected to resume a top-six role for the Kraken, skating on a veteran second line alongside Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Wennberg.

Injury Notes: Vasilevskiy, Luff, Hunt, van Riemsdyk

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are without all-world netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy as the preseason schedule begins. Head coach Jon Cooper informed reporters today, including Diandra Loux of The Hockey News, that the 2021 Conn Smythe winner is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

“He’s wrestling with some things right now, physically,” Cooper said. “It’s early in training camp, so we don’t need to rush anything along with him. When he’s ready to go, he’ll be out there.” Vasilevskiy missing any time would certainly throw a wrench into Tampa Bay’s season, although it thankfully appears that won’t be the case. With salary cap constraints in full force, the team has quite thin goaltending depth and is opting to go with unproven Jonas Johansson as Vasilevskiy’s full-time backup, meaning his workload is in line to be as high as ever. Vasilevskiy didn’t miss any time last season due to injury, but he certainly didn’t look himself in the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the worst playoff performance of his career save for 2019’s upset loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, posting a .875 save percentage and conceding 5.4 goals above average over the course of six games.

Elsewhere in injury notes from around the league with preseason games underway this afternoon:

  • Detroit Red Wings depth forward Matt Luff left today’s intrasquad scrimmage with a right arm injury after crashing into the boards, reports The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan. The 26-year-old right wing didn’t crack Detroit’s roster out of camp last season but was recalled after a few weeks, getting into a handful of games before sustaining a wrist injury that sidelined him for 32 games. The undrafted free agent has largely been a fringe player throughout the course of his career, often splitting time between the majors and the minors, and this season is expected to be no different. He was extremely productive in the AHL with Grand Rapids last season when healthy, recording eight goals, 17 assists and 25 points in 28 games. Set to be a restricted free agent this summer, Detroit did not issue him a qualifying offer but re-signed him before free agency opened on July 1 anyway to a league-minimum two-way deal carrying a $450K guarantee.
  • Minnesota Wild defense prospect Daemon Hunt left today’s clash against the Colorado Avalanche and has not returned with a prospective upper-body injury. As The Athletic’s Peter Baugh notes, Hunt hit the ice after an accidental collision behind the net with Avalanche forward Tanner Kero. The 65th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Hunt is a promising two-way defense prospect entering his second pro season with AHL Iowa. The 21-year-old recorded two goals, nine assists, 11 points, and a +2 rating in 59 contests with Iowa last season after captaining the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors from 2020 to 2022.
  • Washington Capitals head coach told reporters, including Monumental Sports Network’s Matt Weyrich, that he’s “concerned” about the status of defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk. The veteran right-shot defender left today’s preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres and did not return after a shot from Sabres forward Jordan Greenway struck him in the right wrist area. Van Riemsdyk will undergo further testing tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury and a potential recovery timeline. The 32-year-old is entering the first season of a three-year, $9MM extension he signed last March and is expected to start the season on the team’s third pairing alongside offseason trade acquisition Joel Edmundson.

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