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Toronto Maple Leafs To Sign Noah Gregor

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After a strong preseason performance, winger Noah Gregor has successfully turned his PTO with the Toronto Maple Leafs into a full-time contract with the club.

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving informed the media today that Gregor would be signed, and The Nation Network’s Jason Gregor reports that it’ll be a one-year, league-minimum $775k pact.

Alongside the move, the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran reports that 2023 first-round pick Easton Cowan will be loaned back to his OHL team, the London Knights.

Gregor impressed in both training camp and the preseason, skating in five total exhibition games with the Maple Leafs. He scored a goal and added two assists in that span, tying him for the Maple Leafs’ team lead in preseason points according to Natural Stat Trick.

Now 25 years old, Gregor is a versatile forward capable of plying wing or center. He spent the last two seasons with the San Jose Sharks, the team that selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, but was non-tendered this summer.

Gregor scored 10 goals and 17 points last season, skating just under 13 minutes per night with virtually no exposure on special teams. That looks to be the role he’s been signed to play in Toronto.

Treliving did express some optimism that Gregor could earn an expanded role and even work as a penalty-killer. The Athletic’s Jones Siegel reports he’s playing alongside center David Kämpf and veteran enforcer Ryan Reaves, so it appears the fourth line is where Gregor will slot in to start the season.

Colorado Avalanche Place Pavel Francouz On LTIR, Recall Two

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The Colorado Avalanche have placed backup netminder Pavel Francouz on long-term injured reserve, providing the necessary cap space for the club to recall two players: forward Riley Tufte and netminder Justus Annunen.

Francouz remains out dealing with a long-term injury, and the Avalanche have been proactive in shoring up their backup goalie job in his absence. The club claimed former Arizona Coyotes netminder Ivan Prosvetov off of waivers yesterday, and now appear to be setting up for Annunen and Prosvetov to compete for starts behind starter Alexandar Georgiev.

Tufte, like Prosvetov, found himself on season-opening waivers although he ended up unclaimed. That allowed the Avalanche to temporarily stash the 2016 first-round pick in the AHL before returning him to the NHL today.

Tufte is a hulking six-foot-six winger whose offense never quite developed as hoped, though he did score 19 goals in the AHL last season. He’s slated to grapple for a bottom-six role in head coach Jared Bednar’s lineup this season.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Beau Akey To Entry-Level Contract

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The Edmonton Oilers have announced the signing of defenseman Beau Akey to a three-year entry-level contract. According to PuckPedia, the deal carries an $895k cap hit and an AAV of $950k with potential bonuses factored into the picture.

Akey, 18, was the Oilers’ top selection of their three-player 2023 draft class. Drafted in the second round, 56th overall, Akey impressed scouts and was ranked as high as 32nd overall by some draft publications.

The six-foot-tall right-shot blueliner is widely regarded as an exceptional skater who fits the mold of the modern, transition-oriented NHL defenseman. He scored 11 goals and 47 points in 66 games for the OHL’s Barrie Colts last season, and has gotten off to a decent start with the team this year scoring three points in four games.

Seeing as the Oilers have already placed Akey back with the Colts, it’s overwhelmingly likely that at least the first year of this entry-level deal will slide.

While Akey could certainly surprise in training camp next fall and snatch an NHL job, it’s likely that he’ll spend the next two seasons developing in the OHL before he tests the waters of pro hockey with the Oilers.

Waivers: 10/08/23

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Oct. 9: Four players on this list were claimed today: A.J. Greer (Calgary), John Ludvig (Pittsburgh), Ivan Prosvetov (Colorado), and Lassi Thomson (Ottawa). All others have cleared and are expected to be assigned to their team’s respective AHL affiliates, aside from Boyd, who PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports remains on the Coyotes’ active roster for now.

Oct. 8: It’s expected to be a busy day on the waiver wire, as NHL teams are making their final adjustments to the roster they’ll bring into the start of the 2023-24 season. There have already been numerous notable names exposed to the waiver wire thus far this preseason, and that list could only expand today. All players from yesterday’s waiver wire have cleared.

Anaheim Ducks

D Lassi Thomson
G Alex Stalock
F Andrew Agozzino

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
F A.J. Greer

Arizona Coyotes

F Travis Boyd
F Zach Sanford
G Ivan Prosvetov

Carolina Hurricanes

D Dylan Coghlan

Chicago Blackhawks

F Joey Anderson

Colorado Avalanche

F Riley Tufte

Dallas Stars

F Riley Damiani

Detroit Red Wings

F Zach Aston-Reese

Edmonton Oilers

F Raphael Lavoie
F Lane Pederson
D Ben Gleason

Florida Panthers

F Zac Dalpe
D John Ludvig
D Casey Fitzgerald

Los Angeles Kings

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Montreal Canadiens

F Joel Armia
D Gustav Lindström

Ottawa Senators

F Bokondji Imama

Pittsburgh Penguins

G Magnus Hellberg
F Colin White
D Mark Friedman
F Vinnie Hinostroza
F Radim Zohorna

St. Louis Blues
F Mackenzie MacEachern
D Calle Rosen
G Malcolm Subban
F Nathan Walker

Tampa Bay Lightning

D Zach Bogosian
F Gabriel Fortier

Toronto Maple Leafs

G Martin Jones
F Kyle Clifford
F Dylan Gambrell
D William Lagesson
D Maxime Lajoie

Vancouver Canucks

F Jack Studnicka
D Christian Wolanin

Vegas Golden Knights

F Grigori Denisenko

Winnipeg Jets

D Kyle Capobianco
G Collin Delia
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

The big surprise here out of Arizona regards Boyd. The versatile 30-year-old veteran doesn’t have an exorbitant contract (just $1.75MM through the end of the season) and has scored 69 points across the last two seasons.

He’s been something of a breakout player for the Coyotes as his 17-goal, 35-point 2022-23 was far and away his best season in his career, so it’s definitely a surprise to see him exposed on waivers.

For Anaheim, the move to waive Stalock likely means that Lukáš Dostál has won the Ducks’ backup goalie job behind John Gibson, as should Stalock clear the Ducks will have the option to send him down to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

In Edmonton, it comes as a little bit of a surprise to see Lavioe waived. The 23-year-old power forward was drafted just outside of the 2019 first round, and took a real step forward in his development last season. He became a genuinely impactful AHLer, scoring 25 goals and 45 points. He’s a name to watch in terms of players with the potential to be claimed out of this group.

Anderson-Dolan finally made the NHL on an extended basis last season, and scored 12 points in 46 games. He even got some playoff action under his belt, but seeing as he was a near-point-per-game scorer in his last season in the AHL, it seems the Kings could prefer to have him start the season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

Rosen appears the likeliest candidate from the Blues’ group of waived players to be of interest to other teams, as he’s owed just a $762.5k cap hit this season and impressed in 49 games of NHL action last season. He scored 18 points in that span and could interest teams in need of some additional defensive help.

Out of Tampa is Bogosian, and it’s reported that the Lightning are hoping to put the veteran blueliner in a position to land on another team where he can play a bigger role than he’d be offered in Tampa. The 33-year-old won a Stanley Cup for the Lightning and it seems that the organization is looking to do right by the player while also turning to other options to staff their defense.

One of the biggest names on waivers comes out of Toronto, as Jones played in 48 games last season but now finds himself exposed to 31 other clubs. With an $875k cap hit, the veteran netminder could end up claimed by teams in need of instant goaltending support, such as the Lightning who don’t have much depth after the injury to superstar Andrei Vasilevskiy.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Austin Watson

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12:10 PM: The Lightning have officially announced Watson’s signing, confirming a cap hit of $776,665.

PuckPedia notes that the specific $776,665 cap hit was made to put the Lightning just $2 below the combined cap hits of Brent Seabrook and Logan Brown, two players slated to be placed on long-term injured reserve. PuckPedia writes that because of this optimization, the Lightning will be able to place Vasilevskiy on injured reserve and gain $9.5MM in cap space.

10:42 AM: The Tampa Bay Lightning brought Austin Watson to their training camp and preseason on a PTO, allowing him the chance to make an impression and potentially earn an NHL deal. It appears he has done exactly that, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Lightning “will be signing” Watson “to a one-year, one-way deal.”

The 31-year-old veteran forward has played in 482 career games and is no stranger to the Atlantic Division. Watson has tormented the Atlantic’s teams for the past three seasons as a member of the Ottawa Senators, 254 penalty minutes, 478 hits, and 37 points across 176 games in Canada’s capital.

Watson’s last contract was worth a $1.5MM AAV, but it’s likely that this deal with the Lightning will come in at a lower cap charge. The Lightning will have some cap space to play with, as PuckPedia notes that once Andrei Vasilevskiy and Logan Brown hit long-term injured reserve, the team will add over $10MM in cap space.

A recent report out of Lightning practice from Tampa Bay Times reporter Eduardo A. Encina places Watson outside head coach Jon Cooper’s regular lineup.

That’s understandable, though, as Watson could very well end up a better fit as an enforcer-type presence who is a scratch some nights than an everyday starter.

Looking at how Watson has earned this contract from the Lightning, it’s possible that his impactful preseason performances motivated Tampa Bay management to extend their relationship with the player beyond just a PTO.

Per Natural Stat Trick, Watson has played in three preseason games for Tampa, scoring one goal and one assist. He’s also tallied 22 penalty minutes, fighting twice against Florida Panthers defenseman Casey Fitzgerald.

In addition to those concrete contributions, Encina has reported that Watson “has been a seamless fit” into the Tampa Bay Locker room, adding that he brings an “enforcer” element the team lost when it traded Patrick Maroon to the Minnesota Wild in the offseason.

Although Watson may not receive a nightly role in Tampa Bay the same way he did in Ottawa, it’s still a positive development for his career that he’s reportedly turned this PTO agreement into an NHL contract with the Lightning.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Atlantic Notes: Leafs Hires, DeBrusk, Power

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced a few staff changes, notably hiring ex-NHLers in off-ice roles. Per the announcement, former Maple Leafs backup goalie Curtis McElhinney has been hired as the team’s Director of Goaltending Development and Scouting, defenseman Jake Muzzin has been named a pro scout, and Chris Bourque will be a college free agent scout.

The most notable announcement here is that of Muzzin, as he still has an active playing contract with the Maple Leafs. As noted on CapFriendly, Muzzin is set to spend the season on long-term injured reserve as repeated injuries have ended his playing career. This announcement confirms that although Muzzin won’t provide his services on the ice with Toronto, he’ll still contribute to the organization’s success in an off-ice role.

Some more notes from what is expected to be a hotly contested Atlantic Division:

  • After scoring 27 goals and 50 points last season, Jake DeBrusk has cemented himself as a capable NHL goal scorer just entering the prime of his career. With an expiring $4MM AAV contract, DeBrusk is in a position to hit the unrestricted free-agent market next summer. The Boston Bruins, who selected DeBrusk 14th overall at the 2015 draft, are expected to make a push to retain their three-time 25-goal scorer, and Bruins GM Don Sweeney confirmed to reporters today (including Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub) that there are currently “ongoing discussions” regarding a new deal for DeBrusk.
  • Buffalo Sabres franchise defenseman Rasmus Dahlin earned a massive eight-year, $11MM AAV contract extension from the club today. As a result, focus has shifted to 2021 first-overall pick Owen Power and the significant contract extension he might receive. The Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe relays word from Sabres GM Kevyn Adams that Adams is “still talking” to Power’s representatives regarding a contract extension. Power’s deal would undoubtedly come in at a lower cost than Dahlin’s, though the price is still expected to be significant. 2020 fifth overall pick Jake Sanderson earned an $8.05MM AAV on an eight-year contract from the Ottawa Senators after a 32-point rookie season. Power is a few months younger than Sanderson and scored 35 points in his own impressive rookie year, so it’s possible that Power’s next contract exceeds Sanderson’s AAV, if only by a small margin, should the parties involved agree on an eight-year term for the extension.

Carolina Hurricanes Expected To Loan Pyotr Kochetkov To Syracuse Crunch

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes has reported on X that the Carolina Hurricanes will loan netminder Pyotr Kochetkov to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, the top affiliate of the Hurricanes’ Eastern Conference rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The move comes in the wake of two significant events: the injury to Lightning superstar goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, as well as the move by the Hurricanes’ prior AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to move forward as an independent AHL franchise.

The Wolves’ move has left the Hurricanes without an AHL affiliate of their own, and the result has been significant to the developmental pathways for Hurricanes prospects. A few prospects, some of whom are notably AHL-caliber players (such as Anttoni Honka and Noel Gunler) will be playing in the ECHL for 2023-24, while others such as Jamieson Rees have latched on with AHL clubs.

It has also complicated things for Hurricanes goaltending, as the team had previously been able to count on an AHL affiliate to provide starter-level opportunity for their organization’s third goalie.

Placing Kochetkov in Syracuse will allow Kochetkov to see regular game action, something he was unlikely to receive as a third goalie behind Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta.

Making $2MM against the cap through 2026-27, the Hurricanes likely believe that the 24-year-old Kochetkov will be a long-term face in Carolina, so getting him the chance to continue his development in the AHL is an important step.

The Crunch are one of the AHL’s few remaining independently-owned franchises, and they have always prioritized a healthy balance between development and playing winning hockey.

As other AHL teams have jumped head-first into prioritizing development above all else, the Crunch have continuously attempted to field a contending roster, and the addition of Kochetkov will help them dramatically for the early part of the season.

The injury of Vasilevskiy may have a ripple effect on goaltending depth for the Lightning organization, as one of the goalies expected to see time with the Crunch, Matt Tomkins, is now in Tampa with the Lightning.

Getting Kochetkov will not only make it so the Crunch won’t have to rely on offseason signing Evan Fitzpatrick to start games, (he has just 13 AHL games on his resume) it will also land them one of the most talented goalies in the AHL, even if just for a limited time.

While it’s certainly not a common sight to see an NHL team loan a notable player to a rival team, this move is not without precedent. The St. Louis Blues once loaned netminder Jordan Binnington to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, just one year before Binnington defeated the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

Although it’s far from an ideal situation for the Hurricanes and Kochetkov, this move does have its benefits for all parties involved and it’ll be interesting to see how the Crunch split starts between Kochetkov and Hugo Alnefelt, a valued Tampa Bay prospect.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Jakub Demek To Entry-Level Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that forward Jakub Demek has been signed to a three-year entry-level contract. CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry a cap hit of $852K.

The 20-year-old Slovak center was selected in the fourth round, 128th overall, by Vegas at the 2021 draft. He played his draft season in his home country before heading to North America to spend two years in the WHL. In 2021-22, Demek scored 20 goals and 54 points for the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Last season, Demek was limited to just 15 regular-season games, though he did get into 14 playoff contests and managed to score 22 combined points.

Demek offers impressive physical tools standing six-foot-four, 196 pounds, and now with his entry-level deal the Golden Knights will look to have their development team work with Demek to help him leverage those impressive tools into meaningful contributions in professional hockey.

Vancouver Canucks Acquire Sam Lafferty

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The Vancouver Canucks have acquired forward Sam Lafferty, sending a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in return.

It appears as though there was a somewhat competitive market to secure Lafferty’s services, as The Athletic’s James Mirtle reports that the Maple Leafs “had multiple offers for Lafferty”.

While Lafferty, 28, isn’t the flashiest player, it’s not difficult to see why teams would be eager to surrender late-round picks to acquire him. The 28-year-old is playing on an affordable $1.15MM cap hit through the end of the season, meaning there’s no significant long-term commitment necessary for the Canucks.

Instead, they’ll be able to add a quality bottom-six forward for the rest of the season at a decently affordable price. Lafferty is versatile, able to play both on the wings and at center, and plays a sound defensive game. He can help the Canucks on their penalty kill and chip in some offense once in a while, as he did last season when he scored 12 goals and 27 points.

Are there better players for a team to staff on its fourth line and penalty kill? Absolutely. But at the price of a fifth-round pick, Vancouver has unquestionably improved its roster. For Toronto, this deal shaves a few hundred thousand dollars off their salary cap, assuming they sign PTO invitee Noah Gregor to a league-minimum contract.

This signing also indicates that 19-year-old 2022 second-rounder Fraser Minten could begin the season on Toronto’s NHL roster. Minten scored 67 points in 57 games last season for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and has by all accounts had a strong preseason and training camp.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Zach Aston-Reese

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed forwarad Zach Aston-Reese on a one-year, two-way contract according to a team announcement.

According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the deal is a one-year $775k contract with a $350k guarantee. Seravalli also adds that he’ll be placed on waivers today so that the Red Wings can send him down to AHL Grand Rapids.

This signing comes after Aston-Reese was released from a PTO he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.At a league-minimum cap hit, Aston-Reese is capable of providing a decent amount of value.

Although he doesn’t possess the size and physicality many coaches want to see out of fourth-line role players, Aston-Reese has established himself as a strong defensive contributor in the NHL.

Aston-Reese was a star scorer in the NCAA and has produced decently in the AHL, but in the NHL Aston-Reese’s offense has all but dried up. He scored 10 goals and 14 points in 77 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and for 2023-24 the Red Wings would be mistaken to expect anything more than quality defensive contributions from their newest signing.

The Red Wings already have quite a bit of depth along their wings. With the news that Aston-Reese will end up on waivers, it appears the plan for Detroit could be to have him start out in the AHL, and then serve as a first-choice call-up option for head coach Derek Lalonde.

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