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Toronto Maple Leafs Return Alex Steeves, Joseph Woll To AHL

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned a pair of players to the minor leagues, sending Alex Steeves and Joseph Woll back to the AHL. Woll’s departure suggests that Ilya Samsonov, whose wife is due to give birth, will be available to start tonight against the New York Islanders.

Woll, 24, is having the best season of his professional career, with a .928 save percentage in 18 appearances with the Toronto Marlies and a .938 in three games with the Maple Leafs. The young netminder has battled through several injuries in the early part of his career, but appears to be turning the corning—at least on the performance side of things—and living up to his billing as a top goaltending prospect.

Steeves, meanwhile, is in his second pro season after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, and has 17 goals and 45 points in 55 games for the Marlies. That is nearly the exactly same pace as last season, but it has yet to result in consistent NHL playing time. Through six career games, three of which have come this season, Steeves has yet to score a goal with the Maple Leafs.

Dallas Stars Recall Remi Poirier

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Just a year after signing his entry-level contract, Remi Poirier is headed to the NHL. The young goaltender has been recalled today by the Dallas Stars, replacing Matt Murray on the roster as the backup for Jake Oettinger as Scott Wedgewood deals with an injury.

Poirier, 21, is in his first season as a professional, splitting time between the Texas Stars of the AHL and Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. In ten appearances with the former, he has posted a 5-3-2 record with a .913 save percentage. That number is better than any of the seasons he put up in the QMJHL, and suggests that the Stars might have found a bit of a diamond in the sixth round of the 2020 draft.

This recall will not likely result in any playing time, but it’s a bit of a financial bonus for the young goaltender after a strong season. Dallas is in action tonight against the Seattle Kraken, where Oettinger is expected to make his 54th appearance of the season. Texas, meanwhile, has a game of their own against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, where Murray can get back into game action.

Emil Andrae Signing AHL ATO

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The Philadelphia Flyers haven’t quite signed Emil Andrae yet, but he is joining the organization nonetheless. The young Swede will play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms down the stretch on an AHL amateur tryout, now that his SHL season has ended.

Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic tweets that the plan is still for Andrae to sign an entry-level contract with the Flyers at some point, likely one beginning in 2023-24. The team holds his exclusive draft rights until June 1, 2024.

The 21-year-old Andrae was the 54th overall selection in 2020, and broke out this season in his first full year of SHL action. With six goals and 26 points, he ranked 13th among league defensemen in scoring and now joins the Flyers as a potential building block.

Despite his size—Andrae stands just 5’8″—there has never been a doubt of his willingness to work in the corners or engage attackers in front of the net. The question now will be whether he can remain effective at those things as he transitions to North America, while still bringing a high level of poise and skill when the puck is on his stick.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Cameron Butler

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have dipped their toes into the pool of undrafted free agent prospects, signing Cameron Butler to a three-year entry-level contract that kicks in next season.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen released the following:

Cameron is a physical forward with size, strength, toughness and tremendous character and leadership. He is a hard-working, competitive player and we are excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets family.

The 6’4″ Butler currently plays for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, where he has been an intimidating force all season. With a career-high 24 goals and 49 points in 59 games, while racking up 111 penalty minutes, he has developed into an effective power forward (on a team full of them) that now has a chance to play pro hockey.

Now 20, the question for Butler moving forward will be whether his late-blooming offense will continue, or whether he tops out as a physical presence at the next level. There have been plenty of players to make it to the NHL without much scoring touch, but it is a much more difficult route.

He’ll likely join the Cleveland Monsters next season and test himself at the AHL level.

NHL Announces Draft Lottery, Stanley Cup Final Dates

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On May 8, one NHL franchise will earn the right to select Connor Bedard this summer. The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery will be held that night, determining the fate of the Regina Pats superstar a month and a half before he is actually selected.

Bedard has separated himself from the rest of the class with an incredible 61-goal, 125-point season for Regina, and is considered one of the greatest draft prizes in recent history.

While the worst teams in the league will cross their fingers and hope for some luck that day, Bedard won’t actually get to pull on a sweater until Wednesday, June 28, which will be the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

This year’s event will take place in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with rounds 2-7 following on Thursday, June 29. That’s less than a month after the Stanley Cup is awarded, as the tentative start of the Final is set for June 3—though that could change, depending on how quickly the playoffs progress.

All of the key dates released from the league are:

Monday, April 17

Start of 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Monday, May 8

2023 NHL Draft Lottery

Saturday, June 3

Tentative start of 2023 Stanley Cup Final

Sunday, June 4 – Saturday, June 10

2023 NHL Scouting Combine presented by adidas (Buffalo)

Monday, June 26

2023 NHL Awards (Bridgestone Arena)

Wednesday, June 28

Round 1 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft(Bridgestone Arena)

Thursday, June 29

Rounds 2-7 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft (Bridgestone Arena)

Minor Moves: Red Wings, Bruins, Kraken, Coyotes, Panthers

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This morning, the Detroit Red Wings assigned Matt Luff and Austin Czarnik to the AHL, as they await a game later this week. The Red Wings don’t play again until Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, giving them a chance to save some money in the meantime.

Here are some other minor moves from around the league today:

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko under emergency conditions, after sending him down yesterday. Lauko hasn’t played since March 2 and has just 12 appearances this season, but has been bounced back and forth between leagues whenever the team is dealing with injuries. Through those 12 matches, he has five points in his first taste of NHL action.
  • The Seattle Kraken have recalled John Hayden from the AHL, as they hit the road for a game in San Jose tomorrow night. The Kraken are coming off consecutive losses to the Dallas Stars and have now slipped below the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division playoff race. Hayden, 28, has just two points in five NHL games this year.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned forward Bokondji Imama to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The 26-year-old is an alternate captain for the Coyotes’ farm team, where he has provided hard-working physical play and 12 points of offense at that level. He’s played the last two games for the Coyotes, seeing time in both of the team’s consecutive overtime wins.
  • The Florida Panthers have swapped goalies on their NHL roster, sending down 2022 Calder Cup Champion Alex Lyon in favor of rookie Mack Guzda. The move allows the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, to get the more experienced goaltender as they look to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Nikita Nesterenko

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After turning down the Minnesota Wild, Nikita Nesterenko has decided to turn pro with the Anaheim Ducks. Acquired as part of the John Klingberg deal, Nesterenko recently finished his junior season with Boston College.

The sixth-round pick scored 34 points in 36 games this season, and enters the Ducks’ system as an intriguing mix of size and scoring ability. Now 21, the Ducks have announced he is signing a three-year contract that starts this season and will immediately report to Anaheim to start his career.

That would mean his contract runs through 2024-25, though there is some confusion over whether or not that is possible. As PuckPedia notes, Nesterenko’s September 10 birthday (when he will turn 22) would normally limit him to a two-year entry-level deal, meaning this year and 2023-24, making him an RFA next summer. Either way, the Ducks, who aren’t competing for anything this year, can let him get his feet wet before deciding where to assign him next year.

The Brooklyn native scored 77 points over his 97-game NCAA career, racking up 86 penalty minutes along the way. At the time of the trade, Michael Russo of The Athletic indicated that there had been “talk” that Nesternko didn’t plan on signing with the Wild, and would have tested free agency.

Top-10 Finalists Announced For 2023 Hobey Baker

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With the end of collegiate hockey calendar approaching, the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award have been announced. The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country and has an impressive line of winners. In 2014, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Cale Makar, and Cole Caufield have all taken it home over the last decade, with each going on to star at the professional level.

Goaltender Dryden McKay, last year’s winner, is currently playing with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, after a history career at Minnesota State-Mankato. McKay posted a .932 save percentage and 26 shutouts across 140 college games, winning 113 of them.

The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller, and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.

Earlier this year, 87 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and today that number has been reduced to just ten. These ten players will be narrowed to just three, a process that anyone can be a part of by participating in the fan vote. Votes will be added to the decision from a selection committee to produce three finalists, from which a winner will be crowned.

The top 10 finalists are as follows, with the NHL organization that owns their draft rights in parenthesis:

Logan Cooley, University of Minnesota (Arizona Coyotes)

Adam Fantilli, University of Michigan (2023 draft eligible)

Sean Farrell, Harvard University (Montreal Canadiens)

Collin Graf, Quinnipiac University (undrafted)

Lane Hutson, Boston University (Montreal Canadiens)

Matthew Knies, University of Minnesota (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Devon Levi, Northeastern University (Buffalo Sabres)

Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac University (undrafted)

Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech University (undrafted)

Jason Polin, Western Michigan University (undrafted)

The Unleashed 2023: Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents

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Though most players have to wait until after their 27th birthday to become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team in the league without compensation, there are a few other ways to get to the open market. Players that complete seven full seasons in the NHL are eligible for UFA status, as are restricted free agents that do not receive qualifying offers.

There is another way, however, offered to those players who don’t get many opportunities in the NHL but have put in several years at the professional level: Group VI unrestricted free agency.

Earlier today, CapFriendly compiled a complete list of players on track to become free agents through this category. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:

  1. The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
  2. The player has completed three (3) or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19-year-old player), or one (1) or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
  3. The player has played fewer than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender. This games played requirement is subject to pro-rating due to the shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

The entire list of players at risk can be found below, but make sure you check out CapFriendly for more detailed information on how they could avoid the designation this summer.

Anaheim Ducks

Olli Juolevi
Justin Kirkland

Arizona Coyotes

Bokondji Imama
Connor Mackey

Boston Bruins

Jack Ahcan
Matt Filipe**
Joona Koppanen
Nick Wolff

Buffalo Sabres

Joseph Cecconi
Austin Strand
Jeremy Davies

Calgary Flames

Matthew Phillips
Nicolas Meloche
Kristians Rubins

Carolina Hurricanes

Maxime Lajoie*
Jack Dugan
Zachary Sawchenko

Chicago Blackhawks

(none)

Colorado Avalanche

Mikhail Maltsev*

Columbus Blue Jackets

Joona Luoto
Justin Richards
Lane Pederson*

Dallas Stars

Riley Tufte
Ryan Shea
Fredrik Karlstrom
Ben Gleason
Dylan Wells

Detroit Red Wings

Chase Pearson
Victor Brattstrom

Edmonton Oilers

Cam Dineen
Tyler Benson

Florida Panthers

Casey Fitzgerald*
Henry Bowlby
Connor Bunnaman
Lucas Carlsson*

Los Angeles Kings

(none)

Minnesota Wild

Mitchell Chaffee

Montreal Canadiens

Otto Leskinen
Anthony Richard
Frederic Allard

Nashville Predators

Austin Rueschhoff
Devin Cooley

New Jersey Devils

(none)

New York Islanders

Parker Wotherspoon

New York Rangers

Timothy Gettinger
Wyatt Kalynuk
William Lockwood

Ottawa Senators

(none)

Philadelphia Flyers

Jackson Cates

Pittsburgh Penguins

Drew O’Connor*

San Jose Sharks

Nikolai Knyzhov*
Jeffrey Viel

Seattle Kraken

Alexander True
Carsen Twarynski
Joey Daccord*

St. Louis Blues

(none)

Tampa Bay Lightning

Michael Eyssimont
Sean Day

Toronto Maple Leafs

Erik Kallgren*

Vancouver Canucks

Noah Juulsen*

Vegas Golden Knights

(none)

Washington Capitals

Garrett Pilon

Winnipeg Jets

Axel Jonsson Fjallby*
Mikhail Berdin

*Indicates that the player could technically still play enough games this season to become ineligible for Group VI free agency, though in some cases this will be impossible because of injury.

**If Filipe does not play a game in 2022-23, he will not have the three professional seasons and will not qualify for Group VI status.

Sam Poulin Returns To Penguins Organization

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In December, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Samuel Poulin announced that he would be taking a leave of absence from the organization for personal reasons. The Penguins expressed their full support for his decision allowing him the needed time.

Today, in an Instagram post, Poulin announced his return:

Three months ago I made a decision to take a break from hockey, and return home to take care of myself and my mental health. After seeking the help I needed, I am now ready to return to Wilkes-Barre and rejoin my team.

I want to thank everyone who helped get me through this difficult time, including my family, my girlfriend, my friends, my medical team, the entire Pittsburgh Penguins organziation, my teammates, and the fans, who showed unconditional love and support.

I strongly encourage everyone to speak openly about mental health because it affects us all. For those who may be struggling, please know that you are not alone. 

The 2019 first-round pick scored four goals in 13 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh before taking his leave. Now 22, he still has another year left on his entry-level contract and has time to live up to the high expectations he brought out of the QMJHL.

Whether he makes it back to the NHL and becomes an impact player remains to be seen, but he and the team chose to prioritize his mental health—a decision no one can fault.

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