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Metro Notes: Hughes, Panarin, Scheel

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By tomorrow, the negotiation stalemate between the New Jersey Devils and defenseman Luke Hughes will begin eating into the blueliner’s training camp availability. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, although both sides continue to discuss terms, no deal is anticipated before the Devils’ first practice tomorrow.

There haven’t been any meaningful updates regarding the extension this month. The last one came in late August, indicating that Hughes is prioritizing a five-year contract, while New Jersey wants a two-year or eight-year deal.

A five-year contract would walk Hughes into unrestricted free agency at the end of the deal, the same time his brother Jack becomes an unrestricted free agent. Much has been made of the Hughes brothers’ stated desire to play together someday, and the youngest one has become rigid in his contractual demands.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • The New York Rangers have one of the highest-profile pending unrestricted free agents for next summer in Artemi Panarin. Given that he’s eligible for an extension and the focal point of the Rangers’ offense, hypothetical extension negotiations were a hot-button topic at today’s media availability with General Manager Chris Drury. Unfortunately, to keep the negotiations out of the spotlight, Baugh reported that Drury refused to speak on negotiations in any meaningful way.
  • Moving back to New Jersey, the Devils will no longer have all four players recently signed to professional tryout contracts at training camp. Earlier today, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News reported that netminder Adam Scheel won’t participate in New Jersey’s training camp, claiming that he’s taken a separate opportunity elsewhere. There have been no reports indicating where Scheel has signed.

Maple Leaf Notes: Stolarz, Top-Six Forward, Domi, Dubé

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For the past two weeks, the Toronto Maple Leafs and netminder Anthony Stolarz have been negotiating a new contract extension. Unfortunately, nothing has materialized yet, although a few updates were revealed in today’s media availability.

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Stolarz reiterated his hope and desire for a new deal, saying, “We’re hopeful to get to a good outcome… I’m confident, until proven otherwise, that we can find something that’ll work.” Still, despite the positive update, Stolarz wants to get a deal finished before the start of the regular season.

In an update from Chris Johnston of The Athletic, the 31-year-old netminder has made his intentions known that he’s unwilling to negotiate once the regular season has begun. Although the Maple Leafs want to maintain cap space for next offseason, it would be wise for them to strike a deal with Stolarz quickly.

Outside of some injury concerns, Stolarz has been remarkably consistent over the last two years with the Florida Panthers and Maple Leafs. Since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Stolarz has recorded a 37-15-5 record in 61 games with a .926 SV% and 2.10 GAA.

Other notes from the Maple Leafs:

  • Like many teams around the league, Toronto remains on the hunt for a top-six forward, according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. Per Koshan, General Manager Brad Treliving spoke of his pursuit, saying, “It’s not from lack of trying … you’re always looking to improve. League-wide, it was a slower summer.” The Maple Leafs have seemingly lost their opportunity on the free agent market, but could pursue a meaningful trade as training camp progresses.
  • In the same vein, David Alter of The Hockey News reports that Max Domi is being considered to fill a top-six role for the time being, specifically on the right side next to Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait some time to see Domi next to the pair, as Koshan reports he’s dealing with a lower-body injury.
  • The last major news item regards an unrestricted free agent that the Maple Leafs won’t pursue. Despite being tied together from their time with the Calgary Flames, Treliving told Pagnotta that Toronto isn’t interested in signing Dillon Dubé, citing the recent Hockey Canada sexual assault trial as a primary factor.

Senators Hoping To Move Alex Formenton

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After his inclusion in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial for the past two years, the Ottawa Senators are looking to move on from RFA forward Alex Formenton. During today’s media availability, TSN’s Bruce Garrioch offered a note from Senators General Manager Steve Staios, saying that “both sides agree that it would be best for a fresh start.”

As PuckPedia notes, since Formenton is a qualified RFA, Ottawa can only trade him or wait for him to become eligible for unrestricted free agency. There’s no mechanism for a team to release a qualified RFA, unless the NHL is willing to make an exception for this circumstance. The other four players involved in the trial were not qualified by their respective clubs, making them all UFAs.

Given the high-profile nature of the case, it’s difficult to say whether or not another team would have interest in acquiring Formenton via trade. Carter Hart, who was also involved in the trial, has reportedly garnered interest from several teams since the NHL announced that they’d be free to sign new contracts on October 15th.

Still, even outside of that variable, it’s been several years since Formenton has played professionally in North America. His last season with the Senators was 2021-22, during which he recorded 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games, finishing with a -13 rating.

Since then, he’s been playing with the NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta, scoring 20 goals and nine assists in 48 games. Formenton appears to have kept his knack for putting pucks in the net, but Ottawa shouldn’t have any expectation of receiving a quality return for their former second-round pick.

Flames Sign Mikael Backlund To Two-Year Extension

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As alluded to a few weeks ago, the Calgary Flames are keeping their captain for the next few years. The Flames announced they’ve signed Mikael Backlund to a two-year, $6.5MM contract through the 2027-28 season.

For the second contract in a row, Backlund has taken a pay cut to remain with the only organization he’s ever known. After earning a $5.35MM salary from 2018 to 2024, Backlund will watch his current $4.5MM salary drop to $3.25MM on his new extension.

Despite the Flames being engaged in a retool, Backlund has shown clarity in his desire to remain in Calgary. The Flames drafted Backlund with the 24th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, and debuted with the team during the 2008-09 campaign.

The native of Västerås, Sweden, is primarily recognized for his defensive skills in southern Alberta, but over the past decade, he has also been a reliable secondary scorer. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Backlund has scored 164 goals and 435 points in 768 games with a +68 rating, finishing top 10 in Selke Trophy voting three times.

His defensive production is where his value truly lies, with Backlund managing a 49.0% faceoff percentage, 90.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength, and 54.0% CorsiFor% at even strength. This has led to the Flames retaining Backlund as an active second-line center, despite rostering more offensively-minded centers.

It’s hard to determine whether this will be Backlund’s final contract with Calgary. He’ll be preparing for his age-39 season if he plays after the expiration of the extension, and will have played in his 20th professional season. He has expressed interest in playing through the Flames retool, and their competitiveness over the next few years may influence his future decisions.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports.

Predators Sign Scott Harrington, Isaac Ratcliffe To PTOs

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The Predators are bringing in defenseman Scott Harrington and winger Isaac Ratcliffe into training camp on professional tryouts, reports Brooks Bratten of NHL.com. Both are likely angling for contracts with their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee for the upcoming season.

Harrington, 32, has over 250 games of NHL experience but hasn’t played in the league since the 2022-23 season, which he split between the Sharks and Ducks. He spent last season on an AHL contract with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ affiliate, and made 49 appearances. While historically more of a two-way defender, the offense wasn’t there for Harrington, who only contributed a goal and five points with a -5 rating. The year before, he had four assists in 14 games with Switzerland’s ZSC Lions – the only overseas experience of the lefty’s lengthy professional career.

There’s little downside for the Predators in adding an experienced rearguard to their depth ranks, but the likelihood of him landing an NHL contract – let alone a call-up – isn’t all that high. The team already has 15 defenders signed to contracts for the upcoming campaign, and redundant veteran names like Andreas Englund, Kevin Gravel, and Jordan Oesterle to fill veteran injury replacement roles with more recent NHL experience.

Ratcliffe, 26, only has 10 games of NHL experience back in 2021-22 with the Flyers. He scored a goal and three assists during that call-up. A 2017 second-round pick, Nashville initially acquired him for future considerations midway through the 2022-23 campaign but left him stashed with Milwaukee for the balance of the campaign. He’s spent the last two years on AHL deals, hopping to the independent Chicago Wolves in 2023-24 before returning to Milwaukee for last year. The 6’6″ forward was injury-limited to just 13 games, scoring a goal and two assists. His PTO will serve as an AHL tryout as well, much like Harrington’s, in an effort to extend his playing career.

Blues Sign Nathan Walker To Two-Year Extension

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The Blues have agreed to a two-year extension with forward Nathan Walker, the team announced. The diminutive lefty earns a $1.775MM commitment that will count $887,500 against the cap in 2026-27 and 2027-28, just above a league-minimum deal covering those campaigns.

Walker, 31, has been a fan favorite wherever he’s played. Either a high-end AHLer or press box piece for most of his career, he’s the only Australian skater in league history and has slowly begun to establish himself as an everyday NHLer over the past few seasons, more than a decade after the Capitals made him an overage choice in the third round of the 2014 draft. He’s now appeared in each of the last eight NHL seasons, but hadn’t breached the 40-game mark until three years ago.

Last season was Walker’s sixth in the Blues organization after signing there as a free agent in 2019. It also marked a considerable breakthrough for the 5’9″ winger, who worked his way into a career-high 73 appearances and recorded an 8-8–16 scoring line in fourth-line minutes. He also became something of a fringe penalty killer for them, averaging a few ticks over 12 minutes per game. His small stature doesn’t mean he doesn’t play a high-energy game – in fact, he led St. Louis in hits by a wide margin last season with 281 and blocked 61 shots, most among Blues forwards.

Walker also had a mini-breakout in the postseason. In his first playoff action since appearing four times for the Blues in 2022, Walker skated in all seven games in St. Louis’ first-round loss to the Jets and had three goals and four points – all coming in Games 5, 6, and 7.

He’ll now fight to keep his regular role in the lineup in training camp. He’ll be challenged by returning depth pieces Mathieu Joseph and Alexandre Texier, free-agent pickups Nick Bjugstad and Pius Suter, and young names like 2023 first-rounder Dalibor Dvorsky for ice time. He’ll do so with some added financial security after signing his second two-year extension with the club in as many years.

Penguins Expected To Sign Robby Fabbri To PTO

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The Penguins are bringing in winger Robby Fabbri to training camp on a professional tryout, reports Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Fabbri spent the 2024-25 season with the Ducks. He played a prominent role when in the lineup, averaging 16:12 of ice time per game, but injuries once again took a significant bite out of his season. He underwent knee surgery in November, which cost him a month, before sustaining a season-ending hand injury in late February. He finished the year with an 8-8–16 scoring line in 44 games. That worked out to 0.36 points per game, his worst production in six years and the second-worst season of his career.

That’s a concerning drop-off for a player whose ability to produce effectively when he’s able to go is his only real calling card. Fabbri has only played more than 60 games in a season three times in his nine-year career. The last time he didn’t miss at least 10 consecutive games in a season was back before the pandemic in 2019-20. Despite him averaging the third-most ice time of his career, Fabbri only recorded 1.48 shots on goal and 2.52 shot attempts per game for Anaheim, both significantly below his career averages of 1.67 and 2.83, respectively.

Understandably, that led to some tampered interest on the open market this summer, especially as he’s set to turn 30 midseason. It’s also worth noting he spent last year in one of the league’s worst offensive environments. Only two teams scored fewer goals than the Ducks’ 217, and they were squarely in the bottom half of every shot and chance generation metric at 5-on-5. Fabbri’s career average is right around 0.50 points per game and, up until last year, he’d been fairly consistent in that regard. From 2019-20 to 2023-24 with the Blues and Red Wings, Fabbri’s points per game stayed between 0.47 and 0.60 each season.

That makes him a buy-low candidate for a rebuilder in Pittsburgh. If they find a spot for him among their myriad young forwards competing for opening-night jobs along with other already-signed reclamation projects like Anthony Mantha, he could end up generating an additional draft pick for them if they sign him to a deal and flip him at the trade deadline. He joins career minor-leaguer Brett Murray as reported PTO attendees to the Pens’ camp.

The Risk And Reward Of Signing Evgeny Kuznetsov

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In each NHL offseason, certain players hit the free agent market, sparking debate about the risks and rewards of signing them. The potential rewards often outweigh the risks, and these players usually find opportunities in the NHL, but some do fall by the wayside. This summer, a few names fit the bill, including former Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, who is reportedly looking to return to an NHL lineup after playing in the KHL last year.

Kuznetsov can best be described as a reclamation project at this point in his career. The 33-year-old is highly talented and has posted strong results in the NHL throughout his career; however, he has often been inconsistent, which is precisely why he finds himself in the current position he is in a few weeks before NHL training camps are set to open. As for the risks and rewards of signing Kuznetsov, they look like this.

We’ll start with the reward side of the argument. Kuznetsov has an elite skill set; he has terrific hands (evidenced by his slow-motion shootout goals), is an excellent playmaker, and could pass with the best of them during his prime. These skills alone would make almost any player desirable, and they are the reason that Kuznetsov stayed in the NHL for as long as he did despite the warts in his game. Kuznetsov had 25 assists in 39 KHL games last season, which demonstrates that he still possesses a playmaking vision and could be a valuable part of a team’s top-nine forward group if placed in the right environment.

The next positive aspect of signing Kuznetsov is that he has been excellent in the Stanley Cup playoffs throughout his career. He was a key part of Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup Championship, leading the playoffs in points that season. Even his most recent NHL postseason saw him perform well, with four goals and two assists in 10 games, which ultimately was his last appearance in an NHL lineup. Kuznetsov has shown in the past that he can elevate his game when the stakes are highest, which could be a factor teams consider when deciding whether to sign him.

Then there’s the cost, which will be almost nothing. In real dollar terms, the NHL league minimum of $775K is significant; however, that’s the bare minimum Kuznetsov can earn in the NHL and likely what he will get when he finally signs (if he secures a one-way NHL deal). Teams will be interested in a player they can acquire without giving up an asset (other than cap space), and even if things go south for Kuznetsov, he could easily be waived and sent to the minors with his entire cap hit buried or perhaps agree to a mutual termination if things don’t work out. Either way, it would cost almost nothing to sign him and could reward a team with a valuable player at a low cost.

Lastly, on the reward side, there is the potential that a change of scenery move could unlock. Many players in NHL history have struggled with one team, then moved to a new market and rediscovered their game. This can happen for many reasons, but ultimately, one of the main reasons these moves are successful is if the player is motivated to revive their career. For Kuznetsov, the team that signs him will likely be giving him his last NHL shot, which means the stakes are high for him, and he should have plenty of motivation to give his best effort. It also means that whatever team signs Kuznetsov, they could see a significant return on a player who is a relatively small gamble.

Let’s examine the risks now associated with signing a player like Kuznetsov. Firstly, his production has fallen sharply in recent seasons, dropping to a near career-low 24 points in 63 games during the 2023-24 season. It wasn’t just the offense that dried up; it was Kuznetsov’s overall impact in his final two NHL seasons. Kuznetsov was never considered an analytical darling, but he became one of the most negative impact play-drivers in the NHL during those last two seasons. This decline in offensive output highlighted Kuznetsov’s overall game, which was never exceptional but was mainly hidden by his scoring.

Next up on the risk side is Kuznetsov’s tendency to be streaky. Some might call it apathy or being disengaged, but the fact is that any NHL team that hopes to win a Stanley Cup doesn’t want to bring in a passenger who plays when he feels like it. That’s not to say that is what Kuznetsov will do, but that is a reputation he does have, and teams will be looking for players who buy in and display a strong work ethic.

The reality of Kuznetsov’s age also comes into play, as there’s no way to sugarcoat the truth about hockey players on the wrong side of 30. Skills tend to decline, especially conditioning and speed, which usually drop faster than a player’s ability to control the puck. The concerning part for Kuznetsov is that managing the puck was one of the few things he did well in 2023-24, but with his lack of speed, his CF% took a nosedive, dropping to just 47% in that season.

Finally, there is the locker room fit. Teams are always concerned about bringing in a personality that doesn’t align with the team’s culture, and Kuznetsov could be a potential mismatch. Creating additional off-ice distractions is never ideal for NHL teams, which is why players like Phil Kessel and Calvin de Haan often see their final runs through free agency end in disappointment. An off-ice distraction will generally be tolerated if a player is performing at a high level. Still, as soon as their results slip, off-ice issues tend to be addressed more seriously.

In the end, whichever NHL team signs Kuznetsov (if any do) will get a player on a cheap league minimum contract, who has some potential to make an offensive impact and could produce some decent point totals. Alternatively, they might get a player who is inconsistent, unmotivated, and taking up a roster spot from someone else. Either way, Kuznetsov will be an intriguing player to watch in the near future.

Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Lightning’s Nick Paul Undergoes Upper-Body Surgery

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Lightning forward Nick Paul had an upper-body procedure performed last Friday, general manager Julien BriseBois said today (via the team’s Benjamin Pierce). He’ll miss around six weeks and is targeting an early November return.

Paul played through a left wrist tear in last season’s playoffs, BriseBois said at the time. It’s unclear if last week’s surgery was a delayed response to that injury or if it addressed a new issue. BriseBois did say that Paul was expected to be ready for training camp, so there’s a strong case for it being the latter.

There will be a significant hole to fill in Tampa’s middle six for the first month of the season. The versatile checker is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons and finished seventh on the team with 41 points last year, averaging north of 16 minutes per game and flexing between second-line wing and third-line center duties.

Paul starting the year on injured reserve will yield increased opportunities for the Bolts’ depth free agent signings, namely Pontus Holmberg and Jakob Pelletier. The latter is an especially intriguing candidate to slot into top-nine minutes. The Calgary 2019 first-rounder snuck through waivers at the beginning of last year but looked like he could handle at least third-line minutes after being recalled in December, scoring 11 points in 24 games for the Flames before he was traded to the Flyers in the Joel Farabee/Morgan Frost deal. He didn’t get much of a run in Philly, though, and he was an unrestricted free agent after being non-tendered.

He then signed a three-year deal with Tampa. This year carries a two-way structure, leading most to believe he was a candidate to end up on waivers again, but Paul’s vacant roster spot may give him an in. As for filling out their center depth, Yanni Gourde is beginning the first full season of his second stint with the Bolts, who acquired him and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Kraken at last year’s trade deadline. He should be a relative lock to return to the role he found immense success in for Tampa during his first go-around with the club from 2015-21. He looked quite comfortable there down the stretch last year with 13 assists and 14 points in 21 games.

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