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Minor Transactions: 08/21/23

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Training camps are now exactly one month away, and NHL news is starting to heat up again with a pair of PTOs signed today. Nonetheless, corresponding moves are set to be made at the minor-league and overseas levels. We’re keeping track of those, as always, on a daily basis.

  • The AHL’s Rockford IceHogs are adding forward Bryce Kindopp on a one-year deal, according to a team release. Kindopp broke into the NHL sphere in March 2020, when the Anaheim Ducks signed him to an entry-level deal after getting passed over in the draft but posting back-to-back point-per-game seasons with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. He had quite the solid rookie season in the minors, notching 20 points in 39 games with the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21, but he hasn’t since recaptured that form. Last year was incredibly trying for Kindopp, who scored just six goals (and added only three assists) for nine points in 65 games with San Diego, who finished last in the AHL. Kindopp has made one NHL appearance with Anaheim, coming in the 2021-22 season. The Ducks did not issue a qualifying offer to Kindopp when his entry-level deal expired this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

  • The WHL’s Vancouver Giants are set to name Manny Viveiros as their new head coach later this week. The report comes from Steve Ewen of The Province who credits multiple sources. The 57-year-old Viveiros was previously the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL up until this past April when he and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Henderson missed the playoffs this past season with a record of 29-38-0-5 sparking Viveiros and the club to move on. Viveiros will be the replacement for former Giants head coach Michael Dyck who took an assistant coach job with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in July.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Summer Synopsis: Anaheim Ducks

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Last season was a tough one for Anaheim in the standings.  With the team squarely in a rebuild, they struggled considerably at both ends of the ice, allowing the most goals in the league while scoring the second-fewest.  That resulted in head coach Dallas Eakins being let go with Greg Cronin, a long-time coach at lower levels, getting his first opportunity to run an NHL bench.  However, based on what has been a quiet summer, expectations for 2023-24 should be similar to how last season went as this is a team that remains in transition.

Draft

1-2: F Leo Carlsson, Orebro (SHL)
2-33: F Nico Myatovic, Seattle (WHL)
2-59: F Carey Terrance, Erie (OHL)
2-60: G Damian Clara, Farjestad (Sweden U20)
3-65: F Coulson Pitre, Flint (OHL)
3-85: F Yegor Sidorov, Saskatoon (WHL)
4-97: D Konnor Smith, Peterborough (OHL)
5-129: D Rodwin Dionicio, Windsor (OHL)
6-161: D Vojtech Port, Edmonton (WHL)

While Anaheim finished last in the league, they weren’t able to win the lottery for the top pick, sliding to second.  GM Pat Verbeek then surprised some with the selection of Carlsson over the consensus second choice (Adam Fantilli).  Carlsson gives the Ducks a third center with early first-round pedigree and the hope is that he along with Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish will allow them to eventually be a dominant team down the middle.  Carlsson has already signed his entry-level deal but could be loaned to the AHL or back to the SHL if he doesn’t crack the roster.

Myatovic was a bit of a surprise selection as the top pick on the second day of the draft but he rose up draft boards all season long and should be in line for a much bigger role with the Thunderbirds this coming season.  Terrance tripled his goal total from his rookie OHL season to become one of the better draft-eligible scorers in that league while finishing strong at the World Under-18s.  Clara also was picked well before his consensus rankings but was one of the tallest goalies in this draft class.  Anaheim hopes the Italian netminder will one day push for NHL playing time but is a longer-term project.

Trade Acquisitions

F Andrew Agozzino (San Jose)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (Buffalo)

Agozzino was acquired the day before the draft in a swap of veterans that spent most of last season in the minors.  The 32-year-old was productive in limited NHL duty last season, recording three points in four games while averaging nearly a point per game in 63 AHL contests.  Agozzino will get a chance to crack Anaheim’s roster in training camp but is likely ticketed for AHL San Diego.

Lyubushkin was recently acquired from Buffalo for a fourth-round pick.  The 29-year-old will bring some physicality to their third pairing and with him being on an expiring contract, he becomes a strong candidate to be flipped at the trade deadline with some salary retention.

UFA Signings

D Trevor Carrick (one year, $775K)*
D Radko Gudas (three years, $12MM)
D Robert Hagg (one year, $775K)
F Alex Killorn (four years, $25MM)
G Alex Stalock (one year, $800K)

*-denotes two-way contract

Killorn’s AAV wound up being the most expensive of any forward in this UFA class, a distinction few would have expected heading into the open market.  He also received a full no-trade clause in the first two seasons of the deal plus a partial no-trade in the final two years.  For a player best utilized as a second-line winger, it’s definitely an overpayment from Anaheim’s perspective but it’s clear that Verbeek is placing a high level of importance on what he also brings off the ice to help what is a very young core.  The 33-year-old is coming off his two best seasons offensively and has hit the 25-goal mark in three of the last four years.  It will be interesting to see how close he can get to that going from one of the strongest offensive teams to one of the weakest.

Gudas certainly bolstered his value with a good playoff showing for Florida in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, providing plenty of snarl and physicality on the third pairing.  He’ll likely be asked a more prominent role with Anaheim with many of their strong blueline prospects still a year or two away from making a serious push for playing time.  Hagg is best known for, you guessed it, his physicality on the back end.  Injuries limited him last season in Detroit and he’ll be trying to lock down a regular spot on the blueline to help rebuild some value.  Carrick is a strong offensive blueliner at the AHL level and should be a key piece for San Diego next season.  The move reunites him with his brother Sam who played in 52 games for the Ducks last season.

Stalock was one of the feel-good stories in the NHL in 2022-23.  Battling through myocarditis the previous two years, the veteran had only made one NHL appearance in those two campaigns combined.  He wound up making 27 appearances in Chicago, posting a .908 SV% that was above the league average despite being on a rebuilding team that had only one more point than the Ducks in the standings.  He’ll battle prospect Lukas Dostal for the second-string position between the pipes.

RFA Re-Signings

G Lukas Dostal (two years, $1.625MM)*
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx (one year, $775K)*
F Troy Terry (seven years, $49MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Terry is an example of how a bridge contract can work out well for a player in the end.  It took him a while to make an impact in the NHL which led to his second contract being a three-year bridge.  In the second season of that deal, his production took off as he recorded 67 points and then followed it up with a 61-point showing last season despite missing a dozen games.  In doing so, he showed that he is a capable top-line weapon for the Ducks and he should be a focal part of the attack for years to come to work with their young middlemen.  This deal took until just before a scheduled arbitration hearing to get done where the two sides were well apart in their filings but it should work out well for both sides.

Groulx has seen NHL action in each of the last two seasons, totaling 20 appearances.  He will be waiver-eligible for the first time this fall and isn’t a lock to get through unclaimed.  The long-term Achilles injury to Isac Lundestrom could open up a spot for him to break camp with Anaheim if he has a strong training camp.

Dostal held his own in 19 appearances with the Ducks last season but took a bit of a step back with the Gulls in the minors, seeing his GAA go up from 2.60 to 2.97 while losing four points off his save percentage (to .912).  Even so, he’s viewed as a possible goalie of the future for Anaheim and so even with Stalock in the fold, it’s likely that Dostal will see at least some NHL action this season.

Departures

D Nathan Beaulieu (unsigned UFA)
D Simon Benoit (unsigned UFA)
F Max Comtois (unsigned UFA)
F Derek Grant (Zurich, NLA)
D Scott Harrington (unsigned UFA)
F Justin Kirkland (Arizona, one year, $775K)*
F Jayson Megna (Boston, one year, $775K)*
D John Moore (unsigned UFA)
D Chase Priskie (Washington, one year, $775K)*
D Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston, one year, $1.05MM)
F Josiah Slavin (Toronto, AHL)
G Anthony Stolarz (Florida, one year, $1.1MM)
D Andrej Sustr (trade with San Jose)

Up front, Comtois is the most notable loss.  A couple of years ago, he looked like a middle-six fixture of the future but struggled considerably since then resulting in a mutual non-tender.  Grant has had three stints with the Ducks and had a career year in 2021-22 but was limited to just five goals in 48 games last season.  Rather than seek a PTO, he decided to try his hand overseas where he’ll have a more offensive role.  Megna played in 55 NHL games last season between Colorado and Anaheim in a fourth-line role that can be replaced from within while Kirkland and Slavin were regulars with the Gulls.

There has been considerably more turnover on the back end.  Shattenkirk was second on the Ducks in points by a defender last season, a role that isn’t going to be filled from their external acquisitions.  RFA Jamie Drysdale, on the other hand, seems poised to assume that role.  Benoit very quietly logged over 19 minutes a night on the back end and held his own, making him one of the more intriguing options left on a thinned-out UFA market.

Beaulieu was supposed to be a blueliner with some upside when he came into the league but has seen his production crater in recent years; he hasn’t scored a goal in the last three seasons.  He’ll likely need to go the PTO route to have a shot at making a roster in October.  Harrington is in a similar situation.  He has been a seventh defender in recent seasons and is serviceable in that role but it’s not one that will have teams offering up guaranteed money at this point of the summer.  Sustr and Priskie were AHL regulars last season while Moore missed the entire season dealing with lingering concussion symptoms.

Stolarz battled injury trouble last season, costing him 39 games in total and perhaps a shot at landing a likelier backup spot along the way.  He struggled in 2022-23 with a save percentage of just .874 in 19 games but in his first three seasons with Anaheim, he had a .920 mark in 37 contests.  He’ll battle for the number two role in Florida but is likely ticketed to be a high-paid insurance option in the minors.

Salary Cap Outlook

Few teams have as much cap space as the Ducks do as they have roughly $16.6MM in flexibility, per CapFriendly.  That number will certainly go down once Zegras and Drysdale – their two remaining restricted free agents – sign new contracts but Anaheim has ample cap space at their disposal both for the upcoming season and the foreseeable future.

Key Questions

To Bridge Or Not To Bridge: Zegras has been a productive center over the last two seasons, notching 23 goals in both campaigns while improving his point total from 61 to 65 in 2022-23.  The market for these types of players is well-defined; a max-term contract should cost somewhere around the $8MM mark which would move him ahead of Terry.  Is that a price tag Verbeek is willing to pay or would he prefer to see if Zegras has another gear he can get to first?  A bridge contract should be more in the $5MM range but could push his next contract into the $10MM range if he has another level to get to offensively.  Verbeek has suggested that if Carlsson is able to make the team at center, it could be Zegras who is shifted to the wing which could also affect his value moving forward.

Will Gibson Move? There has been no shortage of trade speculation involving veteran goaltender John Gibson this summer.  It got to the point where there were reports of a trade demand although those have been denied.  That said, it wouldn’t be shocking if the 30-year-old would want a change of scenery as he’s under contract for four more years and let’s face it, the Ducks aren’t exactly close to challenging for a playoff spot.  A $6.4MM cap charge will make getting commensurate value very difficult in this marketplace but if a team runs into goalie trouble early in the year, Gibson could be an intriguing target.

Defensive Youth Movement? There are definitely some placeholders on Anaheim’s back end right now as only Cam Fowler and Radko Gudas are signed for more than one year with Drysdale likely to add to that list (even on a bridge contract).  Meanwhile, the Ducks are loaded in defensive prospects with the top rearguards in the WHL (Olen Zellweger), OHL (Pavel Mintyukov), and QMJHL (Tristan Luneau) with Jackson LaCombe and Drew Helleson already having gotten their feet wet at the NHL level.  Zellweger and Mintyukov can start their pro careers this season with the Gulls and if they can push for playing time quickly along with LaCombe and Helleson, the blueline that ends the season could look a whole lot different than the one that starts the year while giving the team (and fans) a glimpse of what’s to come.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Anaheim Ducks Acquire Ilya Lyubushkin

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced they are sending defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025, originally owned by the Minnesota Wild. It had been rumored for several weeks that Lyubushkin could be on the chopping block due to the logjam on defense in Buffalo, and a move finally came to fruition.

As most have known for over a month, the Sabres organization put themselves in a position to move out a defenseman prior to training camp opening in September. It’s not a bad problem to have for any organization, especially considering Buffalo made other moves to address a weak spot in their lineup. After free agency opened on July 1st this summer, the Sabres addressed this organizational need by bringing in defenseman Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson.

With a $2.75MM salary for the 2023-24 season, and both Clifton and Johnson being right-handed, Lyubushkin quickly became the odd-man out in Buffalo. The Sabres will now have a touch over $8.7MM in cap space heading into the season, with plenty of cap flexibility to make another move prior to opening night, and even more flexibility to make a large-scale trade deadline acquisition.

After moving out Lyubushkin, the Sabres organization still has eight defensemen that could conceivably make the opening night roster, an indication that they may not be entirely finished ironing out their lineup. The only area of tremendous concern in Buffalo should be the current standing of their goaltending situation, but all signs point to the team giving young netminder Devon Levi a legitimate chance at the starting role.

From Anaheim’s perspective on the deal, at face value, it appears to provide stability to an organization that has been lacking in that department for quite some time. Last season, Lyubushkin played in 68 games for Buffalo, scoring two goals and 12 assists. There is not one area of Lyubushkin’s game that he particularly excels at, as both his possession and defensive metrics are lacking compared to league averages. Nevertheless, the Ducks may be more content giving ice time to a league veteran of 279 games, rather than putting a younger player in an uncomfortable position to start the year.

Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff was the first to report Lyubushkin had been moved to Anaheim.

August Free Agency Update: Pacific Division

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As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.

Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. We finish up with the Pacific Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here, the list of Metropolitan Division signings here and the list of Central Division signings here.

Anaheim Ducks

*F Troy Terry (seven years, $7MM cap hit)
F Alex Killorn (four years, $6.25MM cap hit)
D Radko Gudas (three years, $4MM cap hit)
G Alex Stalock (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
D Robert Hägg (one year, $775K cap hit)

Calgary Flames

D Jordan Oesterle (one year, $925K cap hit)

Edmonton Oilers

*F Ryan McLeod (two years, $2.1MM cap hit)
F Lane Pederson (two years, $775K cap hit)
F Connor Brown (one year, $775K cap hit)

Los Angeles Kings

**F Anze Kopitar (two years, 35+ contract, $7MM cap hit)
D Andreas Englund (two years, $1MM cap hit)
G Cam Talbot (one year, 35+ contract, $1MM cap hit)
G David Rittich (one year, $875K cap hit)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Trevor Lewis (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)
*D Tobias Björnfot (two years, $775K cap hit)

San Jose Sharks

G Mackenzie Blackwood (two years, $2.35MM cap hit)
*F Fabian Zetterlund (two years, $1.45MM cap hit)
D Kyle Burroughs (three years, $1.1MM cap hit)
F Filip Zadina (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)
F Givani Smith (two years, $800K cap hit)

Seattle Kraken

*D Vince Dunn (four years, $7.35MM cap hit)
D Brian Dumoulin (two years, $3.15MM cap hit)
*D William Borgen (two years, $2.7MM cap hit)
F Kailer Yamamoto (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*D Cale Fleury (two years, $800K cap hit)
F Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)

Vancouver Canucks

D Carson Soucy (three years, $3.25MM cap hit)
D Ian Cole (one year, $3MM cap hit)
F Teddy Blueger (one year, $1.9MM cap hit)
F Pius Suter (two years, $1.6MM cap hit)
*F Nils Höglander (two years, $1.1MM cap hit)

Vegas Golden Knights

*F Brett Howden (two years, $1.9MM cap hit)
*F Pavel Dorofeyev (one year, $825K cap hit)

Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly

Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents

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Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.

Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.

This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.

On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.

Anaheim Ducks

*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)

Arizona Coyotes

F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)

Boston Bruins

*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)

Calgary Flames

*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)

Colorado Avalanche

*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)

Edmonton Oilers

F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)

Minnesota Wild

*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)

New Jersey Devils

*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)

New York Islanders

D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)

New York Rangers

*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)

Ottawa Senators

*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)

Philadelphia Flyers

F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)

San Jose Sharks

D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens

Toronto Maple Leafs

D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)

Winnipeg Jets

G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)

Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.

Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Bridge Deal Likely For Zegras?

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Ducks center Trevor Zegras is the most prominent of the 13 remaining restricted free agents.  The 22-year-old is coming off his second straight season of 60-plus points after putting up 23 goals and 42 assists in 81 games and has a track record that could help land him a long-term agreement.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggests (audio link) that the likelier outcome at this point is that the two sides work out a bridge agreement.  The market for a long-term deal is somewhat well-defined at this point with some recent comparables (including Nick Suzuki and Joshua Norris) checking in around the $8MM mark.  If that number doesn’t work for one or both sides, a short-term agreement would likely come in closer to $5MM while giving Zegras arbitration eligibility after it expires.

List Of Players Expected To Start 2023-24 On LTIR

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We’re at the point in the summer where most major signings are complete, meaning only a handful of free agents left on the market could still command over the maximum buriable threshold of $1.15MM per year on their next contract. That means financial pictures are mostly set league-wide, and general managers can now focus more on the arduous task of salary cap management.

For many teams nowadays, long-term injured reserve (LTIR) is an important tool in helping teams keep below the salary cap’s Upper Limit, which is set at $83.5MM for 2023-24. It’s not as straightforward as it seems at first glance, though. Placing a player on LTIR does not eliminate their cap hit from the team’s books until they’re activated again. Instead, a team only gains cap relief if they exceed the Upper Limit, and the specific amount of relief received depends on the team’s cap situation on the day they place a player on LTIR. A more detailed explanation of how LTIR works can be found on CapFriendly.

All LTIR situations are not created equal. To be eligible for LTIR, a player must miss at least ten games or 24 days of action. However, they don’t need to be placed on LTIR if they’re projected to miss more than that amount of time. Oftentimes, a team operating far below the Upper Limit that won’t need any relief will simply keep the player on standard injured reserve, especially if they’re relying on an injured player’s cap hit to stay above the Lower Limit (set at $61.7MM next season).

With that said, here is a list of players who are projected to meet the injury requirements for LTIR to start 2023-24:

Atlantic Division

Buffalo Sabres – Jack Quinn

This offseason was a tough break for the young Quinn, who sustained an Achilles injury during offseason training in June and is expected to be out of the lineup through Thanksgiving. While eligible, he’s unlikely to actually be placed on LTIR. He’s still on his entry-level contract and carries a marginal cap hit of $863K, making a move extremely inconsequential to the Sabres, who CapFriendly projects with over $6MM in space.

Florida Panthers – Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour

The Panthers are set to begin the season without the services of their top two defensemen, thanks to shoulder injuries sustained and exacerbated during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Combined, the players carry a rather significant $11MM cap hit, which should give the Panthers some season-opening flexibility. Ekblad’s expected to miss more time than Montour, but neither is expected to miss the whole season – both should be back in the fold by the time the calendar flips to 2024. CapFriendly currently projects the Panthers dipping into LTIR relief by $1.175MM to start the season.

Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price

The team’s legendary netminder isn’t expected to play again after a knee injury, and he hasn’t suited up since the end of the 2021-22 campaign. He’ll likely spend the last three seasons of his contract (carrying a $10.5MM cap hit) on LTIR. As we covered earlier in the week, Montreal is in a bit of a no man’s land with Price’s contract. They’ll likely either look to shed salary to get under the Upper Limit entirely (which they currently sit around $5MM over) or add money to maximize’s Price’s LTIR relief, which they could then weaponize in-season to be a cap broker for trades.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Brent Seabrook

Like Price, Seabrook will be on LTIR for the remainder of his $6.875MM cap hit contract, which expires next summer. Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks after his injury made it clear he wouldn’t play again, Seabrook has provided additional options for cap flexibility for the Lightning over the last two seasons. Tampa is expected to use close to all of Seabrook’s potential relief to stay compliant throughout the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Jake Muzzin, Matt Murray

While not confirmed, Muzzin’s playing future remains in serious doubt after sustaining a cervical spine fracture at the beginning of last season. No recent update has been issued on his recovery, and he’s expected to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign and will spend the final year of his contract on LTIR. Murray’s situation is shrouded in much more mystery, however. The team announced last month he’d begin next season on LTIR, but no specific details of his injury were confirmed, and no timetable was issued for a potential return. Murray missed significant time last season with a concussion and an adductor injury.

Metropolitan Division

Philadelphia Flyers – Ryan Ellis

Forwards Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier are expected to return to the lineup after missing all of last season with injuries, but the same can’t be said for Ryan Ellis. President of hockey operations Keith Jones said a few days ago that Ellis is unlikely to “be able to continue his playing career because of a torn psoas muscle in his back.” Ellis played just four games for the Flyers after they acquired him from the Nashville Predators in 2021 before sustaining the career-ending injury.

Washington Capitals – Max Pacioretty

Pacioretty’s timeline for a return after sustaining back-to-back Achilles injuries isn’t clear, but he likely won’t be available to the team to start the season and should meet the requirements for LTIR. The financial circumstances surrounding the potential relief will be tricky to navigate given the performance bonuses included in his contract, however. Pacioretty should be joining the Capitals after signing a one-year deal last month, sometime in November or December if everything goes well in his recovery.

Central Division

Arizona Coyotes – Jakub Voracek, Shea Weber, Bryan Little

All three are players acquired by the Coyotes for the express consideration of helping them stay above the cap floor – which they are now far above after being big players on the free-agent market this summer. Nonetheless, all three are done with their NHL careers due to various injuries and will remain members of the Coyotes organization by contract only.

Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog

Colorado will be without their captain for a second straight season after the winger underwent a cartilage transplant on his right knee this summer. Landeskog hasn’t played since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022, a playoff run during which he played through a knee injury. He’s signed through 2029, and there’s still the potential he plays again, although it won’t be anytime soon.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks – Isac Lundeström

Lundeström projects to be on the shelf through next January after sustaining an Achilles injury during offseason training in Sweden. Given the Ducks are far from the Upper Limit, and Lundeström carries just a $1.8MM cap hit, Anaheim could keep him on standard injured reserve for the duration of his absence.

Vegas Golden Knights – Robin Lehner

All has been quiet on Lehner’s health after he missed all of last season. The All-Star-caliber netminder had double hip surgery last summer, keeping him out for the entire 2022-23 campaign. He was not around the team at all during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup, and the team has issued no updates on his recovery since undergoing the surgery last summer. Without any indication that he’s close to a return, Lehner closes out our list.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Alex Stalock To One-Year Deal

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed goaltender Alex Stalock to a one-year contract, per a team release. It’s a one-way deal worth $800K, according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens.

Anaheim is the 36-year-old netminder’s fourth NHL stop (and sixth NHL organization overall) as he enters his potential 12th NHL season. It’s been quite the long road since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, where he eventually grew into a full-time backup by the mid-2010s. Serious health issues have limited Stalock’s playing time over the past handful of seasons, including a scary bout with myocarditis, which caused him to miss the entire 2020-21 campaign.

It was a tough break for the veteran netminder, who at the time was coming off a career-best 20 wins, 36 starts, and four shutouts with the Minnesota Wild as he captured the starting role heading into the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a long road back to full health, Stalock did post quite solid numbers behind a poor Chicago Blackhawks team last year, recording a team-leading .908 save percentage and 3.10 goals-against average. He also captured both of the team’s lone two shutouts.

Now, he has a chance to get some NHL looks again in Anaheim. He’s been brought in as insurance, either if projected backup Lukas Dostal isn’t ready for full-time NHL action just yet, or to tandem with Dostal if the team trades longtime starter John Gibson. Extending him a one-way deal this late in the offseason makes it clear they don’t envision assigning him to the minors, however.

Anaheim Ducks' Second Buyout Window Closes Today

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  • After settling their final arbitration cases with Drew O’Connor and Troy Terry, the second buyout window this offseason for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks closes today, respectively. While the Ducks are extremely unlikely to utilize a buyout at this point in the offseason, Pittsburgh will be a team to watch today. As covered at length this week, the team’s salary cap situation is being kept a close eye on by almost everyone as the team closes in on trying to acquire defenseman Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. Their most likely buyout candidate is 2023 trade deadline acquisition Mikael Granlund, who’s locked in for this season and next at a $5MM cap hit and had just five points in 21 games with Pittsburgh after arriving from the Nashville Predators. Per CapFriendly, a Granlund buyout would provide the Penguins with over $4.1MM in savings this season.

Latest On Trevor Zegras

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Yesterday, we issued an update on the 14 remaining unsigned RFAs league-wide after this year’s arbitration calendar wrapped up thanks to the Anaheim Ducks’ massive seven-year settlement with winger Troy Terry. The most glaring name on that unsigned list is Terry’s linemate, Trevor Zegras, who told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen yesterday he’s “hopeful” for a new contract soon but won’t return to Anaheim until a new deal is signed. He’s spent the offseason training in Connecticut, where he’ll remain for the time being.

Zegras offered no update, good or bad, on how close his camp was to an extension with Anaheim. He did infer that he hasn’t been personally involved much in contract talks, saying the negotiations are “kind of out of my control” and “this is why you have people in place to handle this type of stuff.” Zegras, 22, did not have the four professional seasons required under his belt to be eligible for arbitration this summer. He remains an RFA for the time being after his three-year, $5.235MM entry-level contract expired on July 1.

If general manager Pat Verbeek’s negotiations with Terry are any indication, we likely won’t learn any details about Zegras’ extension until it’s officially announced. The two sides were $3.5MM apart on a contract heading into their arbitration hearing, and there were no credible rumors of a settlement before the announcement came last Wednesday. Financial flexibility is not an issue for the rebuilding Ducks – CapFriendly still projects them with over $20MM in cap space after signing Terry.

Despite a 32nd-place finish for Anaheim in 2022-23, Zegras himself had a solid sophomore season. Skating in 81 games, he matched his rookie total in goals (23) and set a career-high in points with 65 while seeing a small bump in ice time to 18:50 per game. The 2019 ninth-overall pick has kept Anaheim relevant in public discourse despite their poor performance, routinely making incredible individual playmaking efforts. He may have significant defensive holes in his game, but Zegras said he’s “very excited” to play for new head coach Greg Cronin, who traveled to Connecticut to meet with the young center and outlined specific improvements for Zegras to focus on in the defensive zone.

Ideally, the buck won’t fall on Zegras long-term to be a do-it-all first-line center. The Ducks have multiple other top-six caliber prospects, including Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson, with the latter carrying high two-way upside. Verbeek mentioned yesterday he envisions Zegras as the most likely candidate to shift to the wing eventually if Anaheim’s center corps becomes crowded.

That change won’t happen anytime soon, though, as Carlsson isn’t a guarantee to make the NHL next season. For now, Anaheim’s roster still carries significant holes, which will lead them to rely on Zegras heavily in the middle of the ice. Although free-agent additions Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas and a healthy Jamie Drysdale could buoy the team and lift them out of last place, 2023-24 is not expected to be the season where the young Ducks break out – yet.

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