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Training Camp Cuts: 09/25/23

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

Minnesota Wild (via team release)

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

Detroit Red Wings (via team release)

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

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

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

Vancouver Canucks (via team release)

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

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Minnesota Opens Extension Talks With Foligno, Zuccarello, Hartman

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

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

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

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

Daemon Hunt Leaves Game After Collision Involving Head Contact

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  • Minnesota Wild defense prospect Daemon Hunt left today’s clash against the Colorado Avalanche and has not returned with a prospective upper-body injury. As The Athletic’s Peter Baugh notes, Hunt hit the ice after an accidental collision behind the net with Avalanche forward Tanner Kero. The 65th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Hunt is a promising two-way defense prospect entering his second pro season with AHL Iowa. The 21-year-old recorded two goals, nine assists, 11 points, and a +2 rating in 59 contests with Iowa last season after captaining the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors from 2020 to 2022.

Latest On Ryan Hartman

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Ryan Hartman’s performance in the 2023-24 season is of massive importance for both the Minnesota Wild and Hartman himself. The 29-year-old American forward is on an expiring $1.7MM cap hit, and is coming off of an uneven campaign. Due to his affordable cap hit and the Wild’s relative lack of center options, Hartman has at times been thrust into a first-line center role for the Wild, something he may have to do once again this season.

The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that Hartman, who is still working his way back from an upper-body injury, was on the ice today at Wild camp but still isn’t facing the rigors of contact drills. After playing in all 82 games during 2021-22, Hartman only managed 59 in 2022-23. Hartman’s health is going to be something to monitor for Wild fans hoping to see their club get off to a fast start, as if he’s healthy he has in the past been an impactful, productive top-six player.

Marc-Andre Fleury Will Decide Playing Future After Season

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Likely future Hall-of-Fame netminder Marc-Andre Fleury won’t examine retiring until the 2023-24 season draws to a close, as he told The Athletic’s Joe Smith yesterday during the first day of Wild training camp.

Fleury, 38, is entering the second season of a two-year, $7MM contract extension signed by Wild GM Bill Guerin in July 2022. He’s again expected to shoulder a significant workload as a 1B tandem netminder behind the younger Filip Gustavsson, and he begins 2023-24 on the precipice of multiple milestones, such as the 1,000 games played mark and second-place on the NHL’s all-time wins list behind Patrick Roy. He currently trails Roy by just six and could likely surpass him by the new year.

“I thought about it this summer and stuff, but I just told myself I would give myself this season, see how it goes, see how I feel physically, mentally, if I still can stop the puck and just make a decision at the end,” Fleury told Smith. “There will be ups and downs this season. I’ll try to get through it and make a decision at the end.”

A few years ago, few thought Fleury would be in this position. After becoming an integral part of the Vegas Golden Knights as their first starting netminder in franchise history and winning the Vezina Trophy in 2021, the team ran into salary cap constraints that forced them to trade the final season of a three-year, $7MM AAV contract to the Chicago Blackhawks, whom Fleury did not have on his ten-team no-trade list. At that time, Fleury reportedly considered retiring instead of reporting to the rebuilding Blackhawks after the trade.

He’s still going strong two years later, though, and he’ll play a key support role to a Wild team that continues to have aspirations for a deep playoff run. He remains an above-average netminder, recording a decent .908 save percentage while actually starting the lion’s share of Minnesota’s games last season (he started 45 out of 82) despite Gustavsson’s brilliance. A fourth Stanley Cup championship, should the Wild win, would tie Fleury for third in NHL history among goalies. Montreal Canadiens legends Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante each won six, while Toronto Maple Leafs pre-expansion star Turk Broda won five.

The Wild acquired Fleury near the 2022 trade deadline from the Blackhawks, sending their 2022 second-round pick to them in return. Chicago used the pick to select playmaking center Ryan Greene, who’s about to begin his sophomore campaign at Boston University.

If Fleury opts to continue his playing career after 2023-24, though, it may not be in the State of Hockey. After an additional year of seasoning in the AHL, 2021 first-round pick Jesper Wallstedt will likely be ready for a full-time backup role behind Gustavsson.

Minnesota Wild Re-Sign Calen Addison

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In a press release, the Minnesota Wild announced that the team has agreed to a one-year, $825K contract with defenseman Calen Addison. Being the last restricted free agent on the roster, the Wild and Addison were able to get a deal done only one day before training camp started.

Coming over to Minnesota in the trade that sent Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2020, it would take Addison two full years migrating back and forth from Minnesota and their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, before finally receiving the full-time call-up for the 2022-23 NHL season. Missing three weeks of action in October due to a foot injury, Addison still had a solid rookie season, scoring three goals and 26 points in 62 games for the Wild.

For Minnesota specifically, Addison would break the team’s rookie record for points by a defenseman, and also finish second in all-time points by a rookie defenseman, finishing one point back of Filip Kuba’s 2000-01 rookie season. In the entirety of the NHL last year, Addison would finish first among rookies in powerplay points, and tying for fifth in assists, and third in points for all rookie defensemen, respectively.

Even after his impressive rookie campaign, all signs indicate that Addison will be locked in a battle for a top-four role on the right side of the defensive unit for training camp. Another prospect, Brock Faber, who was acquired by the organization from the Los Angeles Kings in the trade that sent Kevin Fiala to the West Coast, is being given the opportunity to earn that role, after his excellent season at the University of Minnesota last year.

In fact, during the Wild’s opening-round matchup against the Dallas Stars in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Faber played in all six games, averaging over 14 minutes a night, while Addison only suited up for three games, playing a touch over 12 minutes a night.

Although Faber is already seen as a more defensively sound player than Addison on the blue line, as Addison would finish last season with a -17 rating to end the season, Addison’s possession metrics, highlighted by his CF% of 60.8%, and his ability to transition out of the zone and move the puck effectively make him just as solid as an option.

All-in-all, although the winner of the competition remains to be seen, it may come down to Minnesota riding the hot hand for much of the season. Addison will likely still receive an abundance of powerplay time throughout the year, while Faber should garner more defensively-minded roles and situations.

Sarah McClellan of Star Tribune Sports was the first to report that Minnesota had signed Addison

Calen Addison Expected To Sign Before Training Camp

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The Athletic’s Michael Russo recently shared that he expects the Minnesota Wild to sign Calen Addison before they kick off training camp. It’s been a complicated contract season for Addison, who doesn’t currently have arbitration rights but will earn them after the 2023-24 season. This fact jumbles up the technicalities of a new deal, drawing out the 23-year-old defender’s contract negotiations.

Calen Addison was drafted in the Second Round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. But before he could play more than three games with Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, along with Alex Galchenyuk and a 2020 First Round pick used to take Carson Lambos, in exchange for Jason Zucker.

Since then, Addison has appeared in 74 AHL games and 80 NHL games with the Minnesota organization. He’s tallied 56 career AHL points and 33 career NHL points, including 29 points in 62 games last season. This scoring ranked third among rookie defenders, just a few points behind Buffalo’s Owen Power and Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson. It also marked the most points a rookie defender has scored for Minnesota since Filip Kuba put up 30 points in 2000-01.

But despite the promising scoring, Addison hasn’t carved out a clear NHL role just yet. In an interview with Russo, Wild head coach Dean Evason insinuated that Brock Faber could get a top-four nod. However, he also spoke to the rotation of talent at Minnesota’s disposal when asked if a top-four role may overwhelm Faber, saying: “We are confident [in Faber], but if there’s a situation where we feel that maybe he is overwhelmed because of his first year — we don’t think that’s going to happen, but if he is — it’s an easy flip for us to him and (Jake Middleton) or even Jonny Merrill or Alex Goligoski and Addy. We’ve got seven guys in those guys that we think can all play in the National Hockey League, obviously.” 

How Addison finds his footing in such a talented blue-line is yet to be seen. But for the strong-scoring defender, a new deal will at least open an opportunity.

Minnesota Wild Sign Jujhar Khaira

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09/17/23: The Wild have now officially announced a one-year, two-way contract for Khaira. The deal carries a $775k NHL salary and a $300k salary in the AHL, according to CapFriendly.

09/16/23: It appears that the Wild will be bringing in some extra forward depth, at least for training camp.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’re in discussions with Jujhar Khaira about a contract.  Whether that’s a PTO agreement or a full-fledged contract remains to be seen.

The 29-year-old spent last season with Chicago, playing out the final year of a two-year deal that carried an AAV of $975K.  Khaira got into 51 games with the Blackhawks but also missed more than two months with a back issue.  That, of course, came on the heels of him missing 43 games with back trouble the year before.  Khaira’s production was actually his best since the 2018-19 campaign as he pitched in with six goals and eight assists while logging just shy of 14 minutes per game.

Khaira’s career thus far spans parts of eight NHL seasons, the majority of which were spent with Edmonton who drafted him in the third round (63rd overall) back in 2012.  He has 336 appearances at the top level under his belt, tallying 33 goals, 47 assists, and 783 hits while averaging 12:37 per contest of ice time.

With Minnesota being one of many teams that are tight to the salary cap, it’s likely that Khaira will be signing for the minimum if he does wind up with a guaranteed deal.  His ability to play all three forward positions and kill penalties would certainly give the Wild some desired flexibility on the fourth line, a trio that figures to be particularly physical as it currently stands.

Minnesota Wild Prospect Liam Öhgren Potentially Out Months With Injury

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Minnesota Wild forward prospect Liam Öhgren still has no timeline for a return from an injury that’s already kept him out for three weeks, according to a report from Värmlands Folkblad’s Johan Ekberg and Simon Hennix. Wild general manager Bill Guerin told The Athletic’s Michael Russo that Minnesota is aware of the injury and is in contact with Öhgren to determine a recovery plan, along with his team in Sweden’s SHL, Färjestad BK.

The injury hasn’t cost Öhgren, 19, any regular-season time yet, but it will soon. He’s also missed all of Färjestad’s four Champions Hockey League games to kick off the season.

Selected 19th overall in 2022, Öhgren has remained in Sweden since draft day despite signing his entry-level contract in the summer of 2022. Minnesota loaned him to Djurgårdens IF in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan for the 2022-23 season, where he posted 11 goals and 20 points in 36 regular-season games and added 13 points in 17 SHL qualification matches.

Hennix said there is extreme uncertainty surrounding Öhgren’s return to play, which could be in the coming days or “months away,” likely depending on the treatment plan decided on by Öhgren, Färjestad, and the Wild.

Öhgren is likely to make the jump to North America for the 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

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

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

Minnesota Wild

Current Cap Hit: $81,856,921 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Brock Faber (two years, $925K)
F Marco Rossi (two years, $863K)

Potential Bonuses
Rossi: $850K

Rossi was viewed as a long-term option down the middle when they drafted him ninth overall in 2020 but it hasn’t happened just yet.  His post-draft season saw him battle through a life-threatening heart scare while his first two seasons in Minnesota’s system have been spent primarily in the minors.  He averaged close to a point per game in Iowa so the skills are certainly there.  If he can translate that to the NHL (he struggled in that regard last season), he could be a fixture in their lineup for a long time and as we’ve seen, productive centers can get paid quickly.

Faber joined the Wild late in the season and made an early mark, skating as a regular for them in the playoffs.  He should have a leg up on a roster spot for this year.  However, unless he sees a fair bit of power play time, it seems unlikely that Faber will be in a spot to command a long-term extension and bypass a bridge deal altogether.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Connor Dewar ($800K, RFA)
F Brandon Duhaime ($1.1MM, UFA)
G Marc-Andre Fleury ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Alex Goligoski ($2MM, UFA)
F Marcus Foligno ($3.1MM, UFA)
F Ryan Hartman ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Pat Maroon ($800K, UFA)*
F Mats Zuccarello ($6MM, UFA)

*-Tampa Bay is retaining an additional $200K on Maroon’s contract

Zuccarello is a rare example of a player becoming more productive the older he gets.  After seeing his output dip at the end of his tenure with the Rangers and hover near that level in his first two years with Minnesota, the 36-year-old has had his two best offensive showings over the past two seasons.  Yes, some of that is attributable to the player lining up on his opposite wing but it would be hard to walk away from entirely who produces that much in the hopes that someone cheaper could produce as much as that same winger.  Independently, a player with Zuccarello’s recent production could make a case for a raise but with his age, that could be tough.  At this point, a one-year deal worth around $5MM could work for both sides with the AAV dropping on a two-year agreement.

Foligno looked to have turned the corner in 2021-22, posting a career year offensively but came up well short of that last season.  If he stays around the 25-30-point mark, he could command a deal similar in size to this one but as teams look to make their bottom six cheaper, he could also feel the squeeze a little bit.  Hartman wasn’t quite able to put the same numbers as his breakout 2021-22 campaign either but produced at better than a 50-point pace which is still a fantastic return on his current contract.  That’s second-line production and a second-line middleman can command more than $5MM per season on the open market.

Duhaime is a capable fourth liner who plays with plenty of physicality and chips in a bit offensively but the market for those players is starting to flat-line.  A small raise isn’t impossible – especially if he can crack the double-digit mark in goals but the AAV should still start with a one.  Maroon comes over from the Lightning to help fill the void created by the departure of Ryan Reaves to Toronto.  He fits on the fourth line but his market value shouldn’t be much higher than his current deal.  As for Dewar, the 24-year-old spent plenty of time on the fourth line as well but plays center and kills penalties, giving him a bit more earnings upside.  A small bump on the 18 points he had last season could give him a shot at coming close to doubling this contract, especially with arbitration eligibility.

Goligoski’s homecoming has been up and down, to say the least.  His first season (2021-22) saw him play an important role and when he signed this deal, it looked like a team-friendly one.  However, he struggled to crack the lineup last season and didn’t play well when he was in.  Now, it’s a deal they’d almost certainly like to move if they could but with his struggles and trade protection, that will be easier said than done and another contract is far from a guarantee.

Fleury’s first full season with Minnesota was decent.  He’s no longer a top starter but his numbers were better than the NHL average and getting that performance for the cost of a good backup is fine.  He turns 39 in November so it’s possible he’s entering his final NHL campaign.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Marcus Johansson ($2MM, UFA)
D Jon Merrill ($1.2MM, UFA)
D Jacob Middleton ($2.45MM, UFA)

The first time Minnesota acquired Johansson, things didn’t go very well.  He battled injuries and struggled when he was in the lineup.  When GM Bill Guerin brought him back at the trade deadline, it was a different story as he averaged nearly a point per game down the stretch.  That’s unsustainable for him but at this price point, they don’t need that level of production.  If he can hover around the 30-35-point mark, they’ll do well with this contract.

Middleton isn’t going to light up the scoresheet but he’s a capable stay-at-home defender who’s best suited for a fourth or fifth role on the depth chart.  That’s basically where he stands with the Wild and if he wants to push himself into a higher salary tier, his production will need to come around.  Otherwise, his market value in 2025 might be around the $3.5MM range.  Merrill is a capable depth piece that gives Minnesota some value when he’s a regular in the lineup but is overpaid when he’s in the reserve role.  If they need to open up some cap space, waiving and assigning him to the minors and calling up a cheaper defender would give them a few hundred thousand to work with.

Signed Through 2025-26

G Filip Gustavsson ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Kirill Kaprizov ($9MM, UFA)

Minnesota wanted a max-term deal for Kaprizov when his entry-level deal was up back in 2021 but the winger wasn’t particularly interested in one so they settled on this one instead, an agreement that bought a little more team control but positioned him to land a significant max-term contract in 2029 if he wants one at that point.  His numbers dipped a bit last season but he still played at a 92-point pace on the heels of a 105-point showing the year before.  A continuation of that level of production coupled with a projected jump in the salary cap between now and then should give Kaprizov a serious chance at pushing for a contract that would break the current record for a winger ($11.643MM).

A year ago, the thought of Gustavsson having this contract would have been shocking.  After all, he failed to establish himself as even a regular backup in Ottawa.  However, he was second in the league in GAA and SV% last season, albeit in just 37 starts.  As a result, this deal is somewhat of a compromise by paying him at the top end for a platoon option which is reflective of the role he might still have this season.  If he becomes a true number one, however, this will be a steal quickly.

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