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NHL Teams Facing Fall Cap Crunches

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There’s still plenty of time for NHL teams to sort out their active rosters and salary cap pictures this summer. After all, teams can exceed the $88MM upper limit by up to 10% during the offseason, and training camps are still nearly two months away.

Still, this year’s early July rush means that all the notable contracts for this season, at least in terms of salary cap impact, have likely already been handed out. It’s left a handful of teams with projected rosters that sit over the cap or, in one very peculiar case, right at it.

These teams must use a mix of long-term injured reserve placements, trades, and waivers to become cap-compliant before opening night. Per PuckPedia, here are the teams currently pacing to boast a projected cap hit above $88MM.

Washington Capitals

($98.27MM projected cap hit, $10.27MM above upper limit)

The Capitals have been one of the league’s most active teams this summer, making a pair of impact additions up front with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane. They also reshaped their blue line, shipping out serviceable veteran Nick Jensen as part of a package to the Senators to pick up the younger, higher-upside Jakob Chychrun while also replacing Jensen’s shutdown role in free agency with the signing of Matt Roy.

They also went for cost-effectiveness with their goaltending duo, shipping out Darcy Kuemper and his $5.25MM cap hit to the Kings in the Dubois trade before acquiring serviceable tandem netminder Logan Thompson from the Golden Knights, who carries a cap hit of just $767K.

These moves have still left them with a handful of bloated deals for their veterans. But the biggest one of them all won’t be an issue. 36-year-old Nicklas Bäckström is entering the final season of his five-year, $46MM deal with a $9.2MM cap hit, but he’s not expected to play again due to lingering hip issues.

While many teams will look to avoid using LTIR to be cap-compliant to start the season, the Caps won’t be one of them. Bäckström will remain there as he did last season, but placing him on LTIR won’t be enough on its own to bring Washington’s total projected cap hit back under $88MM.

They’d still need to clear a little over $1MM in space, which begs the question of T.J. Oshie’s health. The 37-year-old winger is also entering the final season of his contract at a $5.75MM cap hit, and a wide variety of injuries limited him to 52 games last season. As of earlier this month, Oshie said he hasn’t found a long-term solution to his recurring back issues that would allow him to comfortably play in 2024-25.

If nothing changes between now and September, Oshie could also land on LTIR, making them cap-compliant for opening night. But Washington would need to be reasonably confident that he’ll miss the entire campaign to avoid making any other cap-shedding moves, as they’d need to have space to activate him off LTIR if he becomes healthy enough to return to play.

Vegas Golden Knights

($91.64MM projected cap hit, $3.64MM above upper limit)

Unlike the Capitals, the Golden Knights were conservative in their offseason moves. Their cap crunch forced them to walk away from key offensive contributors Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson, among others, and their UFA pickups were limited to reclamation project-type pickups such as Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov.

But like Washington, LTIR is Vegas’ only clear path to cap compliance in September. The status of 33-year-old netminder Robin Lehner remains a relative mystery as he enters the final season of his contract with a $5MM cap hit. He hasn’t played the last two seasons after undergoing hip surgery and hasn’t been seen with the team during that time.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon said in May that it’s likely Lehner will return to LTIR this fall. This would give the Knights about $1.36MM in space in an LTIR pool with a full 23-man roster, as projected by PuckPedia.

Philadelphia Flyers

($88.83MM projected cap hit, $830K above upper limit)

LTIR is a good safeguard for teams who need it to be cap-compliant, but it’s not ideal. Teams who utilize it don’t accrue cap space throughout the season, significantly limiting their flexibility come deadline day.

The Flyers have one LTIR-eligible contract in defenseman Ryan Ellis ($6.25MM cap hit through 2027). They also have Ryan Johansen signed at a $4MM cap hit next season, and his playing status is in doubt due to a hip injury that surfaced after they acquired him from the Avalanche at last year’s deadline. Unfortunately for them, if Johansen remains injured, they also can’t send him to the minors to knock $1.15MM off his cap hit. They attempted to do so last year, but it was reversed by the league after his injury came to light.

But notably, they don’t have any league-minimum contracts projected on their active roster to start the campaign, per PuckPedia. Their cheapest one is Tyson Foerster’s entry-level contract, which boasts a cap hit of $863K. Thus, just one AHL assignment would be enough to make them cap-compliant without placing either Ellis or Johansen on LTIR. There aren’t any obvious candidates, though, as Foerster is coming off a 20-goal campaign and was one of their top two-way forwards last season.

The trade of a depth forward, such as 25-year-old pivot Ryan Poehling ($1.9MM cap hit through 2026), could be something to watch for if general manager Daniel Brière decides he wants to stay out of LTIR.

Edmonton Oilers

($88.35MM projected cap hit, $354K above upper limit)

Unlike the other teams on this list, the Oilers still have some offseason business to handle. RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway need new deals, meaning this projected cap hit is artificially low.

Also unlike the others, Edmonton doesn’t have an LTIR-bound contract next season. Considering PuckPedia’s projection above uses a roster size of 21, warranting them only one extra skater, a cap-clearing trade is coming for Edmonton sometime before the puck drops in October.

The most obvious candidate to move is defenseman Cody Ceci, who’s on an expiring contract with a $3.25MM cap hit. It would cost fewer assets to ship out than oft-injured winger Evander Kane, who’s locked in at a $5.125MM price tag for two more years. And with Ceci averaging north of 20 minutes per game for the last three seasons in Edmonton, they might be able to dump him for future considerations without attaching a draft pick to get out of his deal.

Others to watch

  • The Islanders are currently at the $88MM upper limit after settling on a one-year, $1MM contract with Oliver Wahlstrom yesterday, PuckPedia projects. That figure comes using a roster size of 22, forcing international free agent signing Maxim Tsyplakov and his $950K cap hit on an entry-level deal to the minors.
  • The Canucks are within just $16K of the cap after signing Daniel Sprong to a one-year, $975K contract last weekend. But that figure comes with a full 23-player roster projection, giving them a decent amount of flexibility in the case of short-term injuries. They can also place the final season of defenseman Tucker Poolman’s $2.5MM cap hit contract on LTIR if necessary.
  • The Predators are within $600K of the cap with a bare minimum 20-player roster and still have RFAs Juuso Pärssinen and Philip Tomasino to sign. After their big UFA spending spree, they’ll likely move out one of their depth defenders to open up space for an expanded roster, potentially 26-year-old Dante Fabbro (signed at $2.5MM through this season).
  • The Lightning have $730K in projected cap space with one open roster spot. That’s tight, but with room for two healthy extras, they’ll probably start the season with no changes to their projected roster.
  • The same can be said about the defending champion Panthers, who have $767K in space with a roster size of 22.

Evening Notes: Perunovich, Condors, Savoie

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St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich seems set up for a make-or-break season after spending the first three years of his pro career dealing with what seemed like neverending injuries. Forced absences have held Perunovich to just 73 appearances, and 23 assists through his entry-level contract. But despite what’s seemed like years of bad luck in St. Louis, Perunovich shared with Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic that he wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. He said, “I want to succeed in the league, but the team I want to succeed with the most is St. Louis… They drafted me. Every other team looked over me and they’ve always had confidence in me. This is where I want to succeed, and I’ve never not thought that for a second.”

Perunovich explained how he’s changing his approach after a hardy year with the Blues lineup, adding that he’s hoping to think less and shoot more. Those certainly seem like timely changes as Perunovich approaches his 75th NHL game, still searching for his first career goal. And while goal-scoring has never been Perunovich’s forte, he did flash much more offensive upside in college, where he seemed much more confident in skating the puck across the red line and joining the offensive rush. He’s been much more pass-first at the professional level, though he’s improved his poise in sitting with the puck and waiting for opportunities to open up.

A strong start to the year could quickly earn Perunovich top-pair minutes, with Torey Krug facing injury and little competition coming from Nick Leddy or Pierre-Olivier Joseph. That could give Perunovich the groundwork for a breakout season, though he’ll need to first win out the battle for ice time.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have hired Adam Krug as an assistant coach and Kelly Guard as a goaltending coach. Krug has spent the last decade coaching the NCAA D-III Men’s team at Adrian College, having previously captained Adrian during two seasons of his own playing career. Krug took the team to unprecedented heights, including their first D-III championship in 2022 and a second-place finish in 2023. Adrian has developed into a powerhouse of D-III hockey and a major supporter of collegiate club hockey as a whole, with their ACHA D-II team winning a championship in 2021 and also finishing second in 2023. Meanwhile, Kelly Guard moves to Bakersfield after spending 12 years as the goalie coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. He’s overseen some impressive goalie seasons in that span – including Ian Scott’s .932 save percentage in 49 games of the 2018-19 season. He’ll look to carry that momentum into the pro level while Krug adjusts to a big jump in competition as Bakersfield makes two interesting, potentially high-impact hires.
  • Former Oilers forward prospect Carter Savoie is heading overseas on a one-year contract with Liiga’s TPS, per a team announcement. Savoie, 22, didn’t receive a qualifying offer from Edmonton upon the expiration of his entry-level contract last month. The older brother of new Oilers prospect Matthew Savoie, whom they acquired via trade from the Sabres after non-tendering Carter, recorded 18 goals and 33 points in 109 games with AHL Bakersfield in parts of the last three seasons but never received an NHL call-up. Edmonton selected him 100th overall in the 2020 draft.

Prospect Notes: Hemming, Berggren, Willander, Dragicevic

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Dallas Stars 2024 first-round pick Emil Hemming has signed with the OHL’s Barrie Colts for the 2024-25 season. Hemming will forgo the final year of his three-year contract with Liiga’s TPS, where he’s played the past two seasons. Much of his 2022-23 campaign was spent on the TPS U20 roster – with Hemming potting 16 points in 22 games. He returned to the U20 lineup at the start of last season, though quickly earned a promotion to the Liiga after scoring 11 goals and 18 points in the first 13 games of the U20 season.

Hemming took the move to Finland’s top flight in stride, showing off just how physically mature his heavy, shoot-first style was. He only managed 11 points in 40 league games but showed plenty of growth as the year progressed, becoming much more confident in the defensive zone and more aggressive on offense. He curbed a meager two-point performance at the World Juniors with six points in five games at the World U18 Championships, continuing to show his strides as the season went along. All of that was enough to earn Hemming the 29th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, coupling him with a Stars team that’s quickly become known for finding draft-day steals. Hemming has shown he’s sturdy enough to play at a pro level and will now join Utah prospect Cole Beaudoin and Edmonton prospect Beau Akey as some of the many heavy and physical options in Barrie.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Jonatan Berggren is a bit buried down the Detroit Red Wings depth charts, but Max Bultman of The Athletic says he isn’t expecting Berggren to be traded. Instead, Bultman posits the benefits of a role reminiscent of Daniel Sprong’s role: operating on the team’s third line but still managing consistent power-play minutes. Berggren led the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in scoring last season, netting 24 goals and 56 points. He’s also scored a commendable 17 goals and 34 points in 79 NHL games over the last two years. He’ll now have a golden chance to secure a consistent NHL role, with Sprong headed to the Vancouver Canucks on a one-year contract.
  • Vancouver Canucks defense prospect Tom Willander has suffered a minor lower-body injury and won’t play at the World Junior Summer Showcase, shares Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK Sports. Willander was a surprising choice at 11th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, though he showed top-prospect upside during his freshman year at Boston University. Willander scored 25 points in 38 games, ranking second among Terrier defensemen. With injury now holding him out of Team Sweden’s summer games, Willander will shift his focus towards a breakout sophomore season at BU, where he’ll get a full run towards the top-defender role after Lane Hutson signed his entry-level contract.
  • Seattle Kraken defense prospect Lukas Dragicevic has seen his WHL rights traded from the Tri-City Americans to the Price Albert Raiders as part of a massive, seven-asset trade. Dragicevic signed his entry-level contract with Seattle in March after Tri-City missed out on the WHL playoffs. He finished the year with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, recording one assist through his first three AHL games. Prince Albert paid a hefty price for Dragicevic, suggesting that he could be set for a return to the CHL after getting a quick taste of the pros.  If that is the case, he’ll return looking to rediscover his strong scoring touch after recording 25 fewer points this season (50) than he did in 2022-23 (75).

Penguins Sign Brayden Yager To Entry-Level Contract

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed 2023 first-round pick Brayden Yager to his entry-level contract. Contract details have not yet been released. This move will likely turn Yager pro after a successful four-year career with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He was one of many offensive stars on the Warriors lineup, flanked by players like Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychyuk, and, this season, Matthew Savoie. Moose Jaw vindicated such a talented lineup with a WHL championship this year, though they fell to third place in the 2024 Memorial Cup. Yager was a crucial piece all year long, tallying 35 goals and 95 points across 57 regular season games, and 27 points in 20 playoff games.

The season was a fantastic encore to Yager’s draft-year performance in 2022-23, when he managed 78 points in 67 games on a, relatively, weaker Moose Jaw lineup. He showed all of the makings of a top prospect, and even earned top-10 and top-five hype from some public sources. He earned the attention with some fantastic playmaking abilities, showing a special ability to orchestrate play even at top speeds. But a lanky six-foot, 170-pound frame had some teams apprehensive come draft day, ultimately pushing Yager to 14th overall.

Only four players selected above Yager have made their NHL debuts – Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli, and Zach Benson – and they’ve each quickly carved out lineup roles. Yager will have the chance to do the same in Pittsburgh’s training camp, and could even wind up an X-factor for an aging Penguins core. But he seems more likely set for a trip to the AHL first, where he could join Moose Jaw teammate Atley Calvert, as well as Tristan Broz and Owen Pickering, as a top prospect fighting for minutes.

Flyers Sign Travis Konecny To Eight-Year Extension

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1:19 p.m.: Konecny’s contract has a full no-move clause through 2030-31, reports The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. His move protection drops to a modified no-trade clause in the final two years of the deal.

12:00 p.m.: The Flyers have signed top-line winger Travis Konecny to an eight-year, $70MM contract extension, the team announced. Teammate Travis Sanheim hinted at the news a few minutes before the announcement (X link).

The deal, which carries a cap hit of $8.75MM, will begin in the 2025-26 season and keep him under contract in Philly through 2032-33. It’s a significant raise from his previous $5.5MM cap hit.

It’s the most lucrative deal in Flyers franchise history, beating out the 12-year, $69MM pact they gave Mike Richards in 2008. The commitment demonstrated here to the 27-year-old, who’s coming off a strong season in 2023-24, is massive.

Konecny scored a career-high 68 points in 76 games, fueled by 33 goals and 35 assists, while averaging 19:50 per game. Per usual, he was an even-strength monster, posting 52 of those 68 points at 5-on-5, 4-on-4 or 3-on-3. His six shorthanded goals last season also led the league, and the 5’10”, 192-lb winger ranked eighth on the team with 90 hits.

It wasn’t technically his best season offensively, though. That came the year before when Konecny notched 31 goals and 61 points despite injuries limiting him to 60 games. That worked out to 1.02 points per game compared to last season’s 0.89.

Konecny was entering a contract year in 2024-25, and there was a wide belief the pending UFA may end up as trade bait with the Flyers still in the throes of a rebuild. But last season quelled most fears about his year-to-year offensive consistency while also reiterating he can be an effective penalty-killer, a role he only took on when John Tortorella took over behind the bench in 2022. He’s had strong relative possession impacts on the PK, too, painting a picture of a better all-around player than most would consider him to be.

Back in May, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz expected Timo Meier’s eight-year, $70.4MM extension with the Devils to serve as a solid comparable in negotiations. Evolving-Hockey also projected a max-term extension for Konecny to carry a cap hit in the $8.8MM neighborhood. While there may be some early sticker shock on this rich of a deal, this shouldn’t be viewed as an overpay on his market value.

Beginning next season, Konecny will carry the highest cap hit on the Flyers’ roster. That honor currently belongs to captain Sean Couturier, who costs $7.75MM against the cap through 2030.

Konecny will make $7MM in actual cash in 2024-25 before his extension kicks in as part of his existing contract, which awards him a $4MM base salary and $3MM signing bonus in its final year. This is the second significant long-term deal for Konecny, who inked a six-year, $33MM pact in 2019.

It’s the fourth max-term extension handed out since the league calendar flipped to 2024-25, joining Predators goalie Juuse Saros, Canadiens rising star Juraj Slafkovsky and Hurricanes stalwart defender Jaccob Slavin. Konecny’s is the richest of them all, beating out Saros’ $61.92MM total value.

Accordingly, it’s the most consequential move of the Flyers’ offseason, although getting 2023 seventh-overall pick Matvei Michkov inked to his entry-level contract and brought over to North America sooner than expected is a close second. Michkov will likely slot in behind Konecny on the Flyers’ right-wing depth chart come opening night.

With the extension, the Flyers have already racked up a projected cap hit of $73.55MM for 2025-26 with a roster size of 18, per PuckPedia. The salary cap is projected to jump to around $92MM after increasing to $88MM this season, which would still leave them with around $18.5MM in space. That’ll be important with young building blocks Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost and Cameron York all due for new deals.

Since being drafted 24th overall by Philadelphia in 2015, Konecny has racked up 174 goals, 226 assists and 400 points in 564 career games with a -26 rating.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Islanders, Oliver Wahlstrom Avoid Arbitration

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The Islanders have avoided an arbitration hearing with winger Oliver Wahlstrom, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. They’ve settled on a one-year deal worth $1MM. The deal was made official shortly after Friedman’s report.

Wahlstrom, 24, is coming off a difficult pair of seasons in which injuries have cost him more than half of each campaign. The 2018 11th-overall pick played just 32 games in 2023-24 and was rendered completely ineffective offensively, managing just two goals and four assists for six points. His 11:04 average time on ice was his lowest since his first taste of NHL action back in 2019-20 when he received a nine-game trial.

As PuckPedia points out, the Islanders now have no room for error financially. They have exactly $0 in cap space with a roster size of 22. As things stand, they won’t have the flexibility to have top international free agent signing Maxim Tsyplakov start the season in the NHL without a cost-shedding move.

Wahlstrom now enters the ultimate prove-it season. Set to be an arbitration-eligible RFA again next summer, he risks being non-tendered and reaching UFA status early should he fail to establish himself as a player capable of shouldering top-nine NHL minutes.

It’s been a much more difficult development path than anyone anticipated for Wahlstrom, who was widely regarded as a top-10 talent in his draft year after erupting for 48 goals, 46 assists and 94 points in 62 games for the U.S. National U18 Team. The right-winger has size to go with his skill at 6’2″ and 205 lbs, but he’s never been able to put it all together since turning pro. His lone fully healthy season came in 2021-22 when he was still a bottom-six depth piece at best, with 13 goals and 24 points in 73 games.

Wahlstrom’s career possession impacts have been average, and he struggled to control play in more defensively-inclined usage this season. The Isles’ cap crunch does give him a golden opportunity to fight for top-six minutes coming out of training camp, though, potentially in a second-line role alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri if they can’t afford to roster Tsyplakov. A strong start will be key for Wahlstrom in securing his NHL future, whether it comes on Long Island or elsewhere.

His arbitration hearing was slated for August 1.

Kings Sign Carter George To Entry-Level Contract

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The Kings have officially signed Carter George, announcing in a press release that the 18-year-old netminder has inked a three-year, entry-level contract with a cap hit of $875K.

The 57th overall pick of last month’s draft, George took the Ontario Hockey League by storm last season, taking home All-Rookie Team honors and winning the Bobby Smith Trophy for Scholastic Player of the Year. Suiting up as the starter for the Owen Sound Attack, George excelled in heavy workload, posting a .907 SV%, 3.30 GAA, four shutouts and a 23-21-6 record. His 56 appearances ranked third in the league and led all first-time draft-eligible OHL goalies.

George was the second-ranked North American goalie in the 2024 class by NHL Central Scouting, trailing Mikhail Yegorov of the United States Hockey League’s Omaha Lancers. Yegorov went to the Devils nine picks before George came off the board. Neither was the top goalie selected, though. That was overage Russia Ilya Nabokov, who went to the Avalanche at 38th overall after he guided the Kontinental Hockey League’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk to a league championship and won KHL Rookie of the Year honors.

George, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, is still a few years away from being NHL-ready. He’ll likely return to Owen Sound on loan from the Kings next season, sliding the beginning of his ELC to 2025-26. Since he’s signing his rookie deal at age 18, the Kings can do this for two years in a row, meaning his deal could take effect as late as 2026-27 and expire as late as 2028-29.

For now, though, George is just the fourth goalie under contract for the Kings next season, joining veterans Pheonix Copley, Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich. The Kings still need to figure out their netminding situation for AHL Ontario, which will be resolved when they come to terms with RFA Erik Portillo. At 18, George must be returned to his junior team and can’t suit up in the AHL on a full-time basis this season.

International Notes: Butcher, Currie, Trivigno, Bednard

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After spending the last two years buried in the minors, a veteran NHL free agent is heading overseas for the first time in his career. Defenseman Will Butcher, who made the NHL All-Rookie Team and finished ninth in Calder Trophy voting in 2017-18, has signed a one-year contract with Kazakhstan’s Barys Astana of the KHL, per a team announcement.

Butcher began 2023-24 on a two-way contract with the Penguins, posting seven points in 14 games for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before being traded to the Wild in January. He didn’t receive a call-up to Minnesota after the move, instead finishing the season with nine points in 24 games on the farm with AHL Iowa. The 29-year-old reached the UFA market on July 1.

The 2013 fifth-round pick of the Avalanche last suited up in the NHL for the Sabres in 2021-22, where he posted eight points and a -10 rating in 37 games in a bottom-pairing role. Despite attending the University of Denver, Butcher opted not to sign in Colorado after graduating in 2017 and instead landed with the Devils as a free agent.

Viewed as one of the top college FAs in quite some time after captaining the Pioneers to a national championship, Butcher was a power-play force in his rookie campaign in New Jersey with 44 points in 81 games, but he was never able to rediscover that kind of offense. He carried decent possession metrics at even strength even when his point totals dipped, but NHL teams quickly soured on his undersized 5’10”, 190-lb frame.

Other recent international signings of note:

  • Former Oilers forward Josh Currie, who spent last season in the AHL with the Belleville Senators on a two-way deal with Ottawa, has signed with German club Kölner Haie, per a press release from the team. It’s the Canadian’s second stint overseas after suiting up with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Currie last suited up in the NHL with the Penguins for one game in 2020-21 and had five points (two goals, three assists) in 21 games worth of call-up action with Edmonton in 2018-19. The 31-year-old has been productive in the AHL, racking up 240 points in 383 games in parts of seven seasons.
  • Left winger Bobby Trivigno has found a home overseas after being non-tendered by the Rangers last month, landing a two-year deal with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League. New York signed the 25-year-old as a free agent out of UMass in 2022, but he didn’t see an NHL call-up over the course of his entry-level contract. The diminutive but energetic winger produced 12 goals and 45 points in 117 games with AHL Hartford.
  • Former Panthers goalie prospect Ryan Bednard is heading to England with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers, per a team announcement. Bednard, 27, was a fifth-round pick of the Cats in 2015 and signed his entry-level deal after a successful three-year stint at Bowling Green but never got a chance in the NHL. He was non-tendered in 2021 and has bounced around on AHL and ECHL contracts since. The Michigan native spent most of last season with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits, with a .911 SV% and a 20-12-0 record in 33 games.

Morning Notes: Cowan, Simon, Fletcher

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In an interview with NHL independent correspondent Dave McCarthy, Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan is confident he will make the opening night roster out of training camp. After an impressive season with the OHL’s London Knights, it is hard to argue against Cowan making the Maple Leafs’ lineup next season.

Cowan originally came to the Maple Leafs organization as the 28th overall selection of the 2023 NHL Draft. The young forward was coming off a season in which he scored 20 goals and 53 points in 68 games, including another 21 points in 20 playoff contests, but was not projected to be a first-round talent in many 2023 mock drafts.

Nobody is denouncing the pick by Toronto any longer, as Cowan exploded for 34 goals and 96 points in 54 games this past season while collecting 10 goals and 34 points in 18 postseason contests, along with OHL Playoff MVP honors. The quick and highly intelligent forward would be a cheap top-six option for the Maple Leafs next season, who may benefit greatly from putting him alongside Auston Matthews.

Other snapshots:

  • Former NHL depth forward Dominik Simon will stay in his native Czechia as HC Plzeň announced they will be bringing him in for next season. Simon is a veteran of 256 games at the NHL level, where he scored 22 goals and 77 points over seven years in the league. He spent most of his time with the Penguins organization and briefly played for the Flames and Ducks. Simon is coming off a season in which he scored five goals and 17 points in 39 games for Motor České Budějovice.
  • Moving back to Toronto, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports Cliff Fletcher will return to the Maple Leafs organization as a senior advisor. Fletcher may have the lengthiest résumé in the NHL at this point after beginning work as a scout for the Canadiens before the start of the 1956-57 season. The veteran front office member spent a decent chunk of time as general manager for the Atlanta/Calgary Flames in the 70’s and 80’s before serving in the same role for the Maple Leafs. Additionally, Fletcher served as general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes before returning to Toronto and has been serving as a senior advisor since the 2009-10 NHL season.

Latest On Kirill Marchenko’s Contract Situation

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Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell believes that a one or two-year contract will make the most sense for restricted free agent forward Kirill Marchenko (as per Jason Newland of The Hockey News). Waddell had some comments today regarding the contract status of the 24-year-old saying that they’d do a longer-term deal if they could, but the concern is that one of the two sides could be burned by a long-term deal if Marchenko fails to produce, or if he has a breakout next season.

Waddell added that if Marchenko develops into the player that he feels he will become, then he will get paid down the road and the Blue Jackets would have no issues with handing out a lucrative contract in that case. Waddell is new to the Blue Jackets and given his comments, it appears that he would like to see Marchenko prove his worth before handing out a long-term deal.

One look at Marchenko’s numbers and it is easy to see why it would be a difficult contract to negotiate from either side. On one hand, the former second-round pick has topped 20 goals in both of his first two seasons in the NHL and boasts a large frame, solid puck skills and good skating. On the other hand, he struggles against tougher competition and has shot the lights out thus far in his career. Add to that the fact that he was a healthy scratch in March, and you have a very complicated contract negotiation.

Marchenko has spoken publicly about his frustration with the process, stating that he has yet to receive an offer that he deems worthy. He has also stated that he isn’t keen on going to arbitration with the Blue Jackets, something that is slated to happen one week from today in Toronto.

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