Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Utah Signs First-Rounder Cole Beaudoin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

11:12 a.m.: Utah has made Beaudoin’s signing official.

8:26 a.m.: The Utah Hockey Club has signed its second of two first-round picks from last month’s draft, inking center Cole Beaudoin to his three-year entry-level deal, per PuckPedia. The contract carries a $975K cap hit, broken down into an $877.5K NHL salary, $97.5K signing bonus and $85K minors salary each season. Utah has already inked top selection Tij Iginla.

Beaudoin, 18, was selected 24th overall out of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Utah didn’t enter draft day with the pick, though – they acquired it in a pick swap with the Avalanche that sent the No. 38 and No. 71 overall selections, plus the Rangers’ 2025 second-rounder, to Colorado. The Ottawa-area native appeared in 67 games for the Colts last season, tying for second on the team in scoring with 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) in 67 games.

Utah snagged Beaudoin in the early range of where most expected him to go, but still within expectations. NHL scouts polled by TSN’s Bob McKenzie had him at No. 23. He was also ranked by TSN’s Craig Button at No. 28 and Elite Prospects at No. 29. While his ceiling certainly isn’t among the highest in the draft, his projectable two-way game was universally praised and could lead to him playing a regular NHL role sooner rather than later. At 6’2″ and nearly 210 lbs, he already has NHL-ready size entering his post-draft season.

Elite Prospects says Beaudoin “eats up the boards, grinds them, spins off opponents, drags the puck out of traffic, and gets it to the middle of the ice” on a typical play. Beaudoin making his NHL debut as soon as this season seems far-fetched, but he could see professional ice in 2025-26. If he plays fewer than 10 NHL games this upcoming season, his ELC will slide to 2025-26, notably at a slightly reduced cap hit since his $97.5K signing bonus will be paid out regardless. Since he’s an April 2006 birthday, Utah could again slide his ELC to 2026-27 if he plays fewer than 10 games in 2025-26.

Utah RFA Victor Söderström Changes Representation, May Sign In Europe

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Utah RFA defenseman Victor Söderström is switching representation as he tries to land a contract for next season. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports he’s dropped his agent, which PuckPedia shows was Darren Ferris at Quartexx Management. Morgan also reports that Söderström, whom the Coyotes drafted with the 11th overall pick in 2019, may opt to play in a top-level European pro league this season rather than re-sign with Utah.

Last week, Morgan reported that Utah was also examining trade options for Söderström’s signing rights. Like his other Coyotes teammates last season, Söderström’s contract was bought as part of the deal that saw the Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group officially acquire all of the Coyotes’ hockey operations assets last month.

It’s the second time Söderström has changed representation. The Swedish blueliner was originally represented by JP Barry at CAA when he signed his entry-level contract five years ago but switched to Ferris at Quartexx early last year.

Söderström, 23, failed to land a full-time NHL role with the Yotes despite having ample opportunity over the past few years. Arizona had one of the league’s thinner blue lines in its final years of existence, but Söderström actually saw his NHL time dwindle last season. He played a career-high 30 games in 2022-23, all coming in the back half of the campaign, leading most to believe he’d at least work his way up to steadier bottom-pairing duties in 2023-24. However, he was demoted to AHL Tucson to begin the season and was recalled just twice throughout the year, logging three appearances with a -1 rating while going without a point.

The 6’0″, 190-lb defender has been a stable offensive presence in Tucson since coming to North America. He had a career-high 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 62 games with the Roadrunners last year, but it wasn’t a big breakout. His 0.52 points per game average was in line with what he’s put up since arriving in 2021.

Once projected to be a defensively sound, cerebral talent, Söderström’s unexpected one-dimensionality has largely been what’s kept him from landing more NHL minutes. He’s posted a career -47 rating in 170 games with Tucson, and while that differential has improved every season since joining the Roadrunners, it only culminated in a career-high -8 last season. It was still the worst rating among Tucson defenders and second-worst on the team behind right-winger Austin Poganski’s -11.

But if he believes he’s ready for regular NHL action and will get buried by Utah next season, it makes sense why he’d look for more minutes in Europe or prefer a trade elsewhere (although an official trade request hasn’t been reported). After general manager Bill Armstrong traded for John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev and picked up Ian Cole in free agency, Söderström likely won’t have a spot in Utah’s opening night lineup. He’d have to leapfrog one of Michael Kesselring or Juuso Välimäki during training camp, which is an unlikely scenario.

Because they issued him a qualifying offer last month, Utah would retain Söderström’s NHL rights if he opted to head overseas. They’ll control his rights until his 27th birthday, which isn’t until February 2028. He could likely find a home with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League, whose system he played in from 2015 to 2020.

Devils Re-Sign Santeri Hatakka To Two-Way Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Devils announced Monday that they’ve re-signed defense prospect Santeri Hatakka to a one-year, two-way deal with a $775K cap hit. He was an RFA after receiving a qualifying offer last month and will earn $125K at the AHL level with a $150K guarantee.

Hatakka, 23, has appeared in parts of two NHL seasons, logging a career-high 12 games played with the Devils last year. He didn’t see any NHL action in 2022-23, limited by injuries to just eight AHL games after receiving a nine-game trial with San Jose in 2021-22.

In 21 overall appearances in the NHL, Hatakka has four assists and an even rating while averaging 13:47 per game. A 2019 sixth-round pick of the Sharks who was acquired in 2023’s Timo Meier blockbuster, he has eight goals and 26 assists for 34 points in 97 AHL games over the past three years. He’s coming off a career-best five goals and 20 points in 48 games while on assignment to Utica last season.

Hatakka was solid when called upon for NHL minutes in his first full campaign in the New Jersey organization. The smooth-skating left-shot Finn had a 49.8 CF% at even strength, 1.9% better than his teammates’ average in games he played in. He still has some room to grow, but he checks in as a reliable No. 8/9 option on the Devils’ depth chart entering 2024-25.

He won’t be in contention for an opening night roster spot after New Jersey brought in Brenden Dillon and Brett Pesce in free agency and Johnathan Kovacevic via trade, but he should be one of their first call-up options when injuries strike. He’ll compete for that right with veteran Nick DeSimone, who played a career-high 34 NHL games split between the Devils and Flames last season. 20-year-old right-shot defender Seamus Casey, who’s entering his first professional season after posting 45 points in 40 games at Michigan last season as a sophomore, will also be considered for call-ups.

Hatakka will require waivers to head to Utica to begin the season. He’ll be an RFA again upon expiry.

Morning Notes: Blue Jackets, Laatsch, Canadiens

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, Sean McIndoe and Scott Wheeler are taking a deep dive into each team’s goaltending situation league-wide, ranking clubs’ “current and future goaltending outlooks” via a combination of current aptitude, prospect strength, and the effectiveness of their NHL tandem’s contracts. In their first installment, detailing the bottom 10 teams in their ranking, the Blue Jackets took home the honor of having the worst overall situation between the pipes.

Columbus does have some decent up-and-comers, namely Jet Greaves. The 23-year-old checks in as one of the more intriguing third-string options in the league entering 2024-25, posting strong AHL numbers and sporting a .912 SV% in 10 appearances behind a subpar CBJ defense the last two seasons. Wheeler shouts out 2022 fifth-round pick Sergei Ivanov, who posted a .928 SV% in 33 games for the Kontinental Hockey League’s Admiral Vladivostok last season, as a bright spot too. But de facto starter Elvis Merzļikins carrying a $5.4MM cap hit through 2027, despite posting a cumulative .889 SV% and -32.7 GSAA the past two seasons, led McIndoe to list Columbus as having the worst contractual situation in the league among netminders. On straight-up current skill, Granger ranked their tandem of Merzļikins and Tarasov at 30th in the league.

Other notes as the NHL’s offseason continues:

  • The Penguins are optimistic about the future of defense prospect Daniel Laatsch, who’s entering his senior season at Wisconsin after being selected by Pittsburgh in the seventh round back in 2021. Speaking to Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review, Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos implied that the team considered signing Laatsch to his entry-level contract this summer but said the “decision was made for him to go back” for his final season with the Badgers. Kostopoulos praised the 22-year-old as having “the best defensive stick in college hockey.” He added that Laatsch has to “get stronger and keep working on the meanness to his game, but we think there is an NHL role for him.”
  • Also in The Athletic today, Arpon Basu looks at what needs to go right for the Canadiens to play meaningful games late this season, jumping out of the consistent bottom-five finishes that have plagued them the past few years. Montreal has been one of the quieter teams this offseason, with only minor trades in store and depth forward Alex Barré-Boulet standing as their most consequential UFA pickup. A healthy Kirby Dach, jumps in production from first-line wingers Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, and a “meaningful” rookie season from at least one of top prospects Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher on the blueline are a few of the keys Basu articulates.

Five Key Stories: 7/15/24 – 7/21/24

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While activity around the NHL has largely slowed down with the offseason in full swing, there was still some notable news across the league.  Here’s a rundown of the top stories from the past seven days.

Sprong To Vancouver: With Joe Pavelski making his previously-reported retirement official, Daniel Sprong was the highest-scoring free agent remaining after a whirlwind first few days of free agency.  It took a while but an agreement finally came together as he signed a one-year, $975K contract with the Canucks.  The 27-year-old recorded his second straight season of 40-plus points in 2023-24, picking up 18 goals and 25 assists in 43 games with Detroit but wound up having to settle for less than half of his previous $2MM contract.  Sprong will likely be used in a familiar role with Vancouver, one that sees him playing in their bottom six as he should slot in behind Brock Boeser and Conor Garland on the right side.

Done For The Year Already? The Blues could be without veteran defenseman Torey Krug for the entire 2024-25 season.  The team announced that they detected pre-arthritic conditions in his left ankle stemming from a fractured ankle earlier in his career.  The 33-year-old will spend the next couple of months undergoing physical therapy that will focus on pain relief, strengthening, and range-of-motion exercises to see if the joints in his ankle can stabilize enough to return to the ice.  Krug had 39 points in 77 games for St. Louis last season and has three years remaining on his contract with a $6.5MM AAV.

Five For Byfield: Instead of working out a long-term agreement or a bridge contract, the Kings and forward Quinton Byfield split the difference; the two sides worked out a five-year, $31.25MM contract.  The deal contains a 10-team no-trade clause in 2028-29, the only year he was eligible for one.  The 21-year-old had a breakout effort last season, recording 20 goals and 35 assists in 80 games while becoming a full-time top-six forward.  With the signing, Los Angeles gains one extra year of club control on Byfield who will be UFA-eligible when the contract expires in 2029 and if he picks up from where he left off, this could be a team-friendly pact fairly quickly.

Kuznetsov Leaves Carolina: The Hurricanes now have one less forward on their roster after center Evgeny Kuznetsov requested to terminate the final year of his contract.  He subsequently cleared unconditional waivers and was released.  Kuznetsov was limited to just 24 points between Washington and Carolina last season while also spending time in the Player Assistance Program.  He walks away from what would have been a $6MM base salary and it’s widely expected he’ll sign in the KHL.  Carolina, meanwhile, did keep a different forward around as they reached a two-year, $3.45MM agreement with forward Jack Drury, avoiding salary arbitration.

Trouba Staying Put: After plenty of trade speculation around the draft, it appears that defenseman Jacob Trouba will be staying with the Rangers after all.  Following a report of a possible trade to Detroit, Arthur Staple of The Athletic relayed that the deal wasn’t as close as suggested and that GM Chris Drury has reached out to Trouba to do some fence-mending following the speculation.  Trouba has made it known that he does not want to leave New York but his no-movement clause shifted to a 15-team no-trade clause on July 1st.  He has two years left on his contract with an $8MM cap charge.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Mailbag: Stamkos, Flyers, Konecny, Stars, Blackhawks, Utah, Rangers

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include possible contract comparables for Flyers winger Travis Konecny, Chicago’s active offseason, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag.

GBear: The assumption is that Stamkos will play on the wing in Nashville because he’s played in that position recently with Tampa, but is there any good reason why he couldn’t switch back to center, which is where the need is on the 2nd line?

It all comes down to trying to deploy Stamkos best.  He has split his time between the wing and center in recent years and as he ages, it stands to reason that they’re going to want him on the wing where there are fewer responsibilities while being a triggerman is better as a winger than a center.  Bringing in a high-priced player and then not putting him in the best situation to succeed is a little counterproductive.

Having said that, I don’t see why Nashville couldn’t use him down the middle next season; I think he can handle that (it’s the later years I’m more skeptical about).  He’s pretty effective on the draw and if it pushes Thomas Novak onto the third line to be more of a secondary scorer (the role that’s best for him), that would be ideal.

But it’s a short-term solution.  Stamkos should be a winger before too long while Novak and Cody Glass (a potential trade candidate in the coming weeks given their cap situation) aren’t great fits in that second center role.  I don’t think Juuso Parssinen will get to that level and their best center prospects aren’t on the verge of being NHL-ready either.  GM Barry Trotz filled a lot of holes this summer but a better fit at the 2C position is something that should be on next year’s shopping list.

wiyasm: Will the Flyers bring in a true top center to pair with Michkov? Are they putting their trust in either Couts or Frost? Or are they going to make a trade to find someone?

I like Morgan Frost as a secondary option but I’d be surprised if he becomes a bona fide number one option.  While they used a lottery pick on Jett Luchanko taking him 13th overall, I’m not sure he’s a top liner down the road either.  And while they’re paying Sean Couturier like a top-liner, he’s not that type of player anymore.  One day, they’re going to have to do something about that.

But one day is not today.  The Flyers are still very much in the building phase of their rebuild; they’re not expecting to go and push for a playoff spot next season.  If they were, we’d see them using their LTIR pool, which should surpass the $10MM mark.  Accordingly, there’s no immediate need to go find a top center to play with Matvei Michkov.

For next season, I think they’re going to have him playing with Couturier and Frost at times.  Couturier would be able to take some of the defensive pressure off of him while still allowing them to evaluate Michkov against top opposition.  Assuming that goes good and bad (the transition to a key role is rarely seamless), there should be times when Michkov is dropped to play with Frost to allow him to face some lesser checking and try to get more balance on the top two lines.  What they have now is good enough for that type of evaluation.

Eventually, I think Philadelphia will make some sort of move to bring in an impactful center.  A trade is going to be hard as those types of players rarely become available.  But if one becomes available in free agency, they have enough flexibility to make a very competitive offer.  I think that’s their Plan A with Plan B signing a second-line center and hoping that player has chemistry with Michkov.

Emoney123: As Travis Konecny enters the final year of his contract, what are the comparable contracts if the Flyers try to re-sign him or what might be a reasonable return if a trade is a better option for the rebuild?

How important is Developmental Camp and scrimmages?

Early indications are that Konecny’s camp is hoping for a double-digit AAV, with the expectation that there should be another fair-sized jump in the salary cap for 2025-26 when his new deal kicks in.  I think the Flyers would prefer that it falls within the $8MM range.  As is often the case with these things, I suspect an eventual agreement would fall around the middle, probably starting with a nine.

For recent comparables, the best ones I could find were centers.  I went looking for players who were UFAs at the expiration of their current contracts (which took Timo Meier, an oft-cited comparable, off the table) but still in their late 20s.  For simplicity, let’s assume a $4MM jump in the cap for 2025-26, bringing it to $92MM so we can come up with potential amounts based on cap hit percentage (CH%).

Bo Horvat (NYI), $8.5MM x eight years
Career PPG: 0.69
Platform year: 70 points
CH%: 10.18%
2025-26 AAV based on CH%: $9.3656MM

Mathew Barzal (NYI), $8.5MM x eight years
Career PPG: 0.88
Platform year: 51 points (in 58 games due to injury)
CH%: 10.96%
2025-26 AAV based on CH%: $10.0832MM

Dylan Larkin (DET), $8.5MM x eight years
Career PPG: 0.78
Platform year: 79 points
CH%: 10.42%
2025-26 AAV based on CH%: $9.5864MM

Konecny, meanwhile, has a career PPG of 0.71 and is coming off a platform year of 61 points but in 60 games.  That tends to push me more towards Larkin’s comparable so an AAV around $9.5MM seems like a reasonable price tag.

I think their best chance to trade him has already gone out the window.  With most teams having built their rosters for next season, there probably isn’t a good landing spot for him now.  So then you’re probably looking at an in-season move and as we all know, top-end rentals with salary retention tend to yield a first-round pick, a quality prospect, and sometimes another lesser piece.  If Konecny has another point per game season heading into the trade deadline sometime in March, they might be able to do a bit better than that depending what’s on the market.

As for development camps and scrimmages, as a fan, I don’t put much stock into them.  It’s more for teams to establish or update baselines for physical testing and get a feel for how their summer training is progressing with a chance to make some tweaks if needed.  Personally, rookie camp showings are more important as that runs into training camp; a good showing there could give them a leg up heading into the preseason.  Meanwhile, a June or July summer camp isn’t necessarily indicative of what’s to come for rookie camp.

bottlesup: If the Stars by our choice or not start casting off veterans, do we still have enough young talent to stay competitive for the Cup?

Before getting to the multi-year element of this question, Dallas did a pretty good job of not casting off veterans this summer.  Yes, they lost Chris Tanev but that was widely expected given their cap situation.  Their back end remains a bit shaky but on the whole, I think they’re one of the true Cup contenders heading into the upcoming season.

I’m not sure there’s going to be a big casting off of veterans next summer.  They have over $23MM in expiring UFA contracts in 2025, giving them ample savings to keep the core players they want (Jake Oettinger and Wyatt Johnston, for example, are RFAs needing new deals) and some of the existing veterans while having enough left to replace some others while giving players like Mavrik Bourque a full-time look if he isn’t in that role next season already.  They’ll be alright for that summer.

In 2026, they don’t have quite as much coming off the books ($11.5MM in UFA contracts for three players) but that plus another expected cap increase should be enough for a new deal for RFA Jason Robertson while again allowing them to retain or replace some of the veterans at least.  And then the following summer, Tyler Seguin is off the books, opening up nearly $10MM alone in extra flexibility.

Long story short, I don’t think there’s a big veteran exodus coming in Dallas because of how their expiring contracts are largely staggered.  That, coupled with a decent prospect pool, should be enough to keep them as a legitimate threat for a while yet.

Unclemike1526: I thought Kyle Davidson did a great job in Free Agency even if most of the so-called ”Hockey Experts” don’t seem to agree with me. That is up until the T.J. Brodie signing. One I didn’t understand the signing because he wasn’t very good last year and two, I didn’t get the two years. Was there that big a market for him that they had to add a second year to get him? I mean the money isn’t a problem because the Hawks have tons of it but it just seemed a curious signing to me. And what did you think of the Hawks Draft and FA overall? Thoughts? Thanks as always.

The success or lack thereof in Chicago’s offseason is contingent on whether you agree with the direction they took that will see several of their younger players sent to the minors.  If you’re of the mindset that you want your top youngsters getting big minutes in the NHL, you’re not going to like what they’ve done.  But if you like the idea of having fewer youngsters up but playing with a better group while the rest are playing big minutes in what should be a winning environment in AHL Rockford, you’re going to like what they did.  I’m in the latter camp.

While it might seem like they went a bit overboard, they have several expiring contracts up front while Alec Martinez is on a one-year pact.  They can easily move some of their younger players into the NHL for 2025-26 where they’ll be a bit more ready for the challenge.  So I was a fan of the strategy they took although another cap-clearinghouse move wouldn’t have hurt had one been available.

As for Brodie, the second year doesn’t shock me.  As part of our planning for the Top 50 UFA list we do each year, we include a contract projection.  Mine was two years at $3.5MM per season so two at $3.75MM is close enough.  (Having said that, I didn’t have Chicago on my shortlist of landing spots.)  Did he struggle in Toronto?  Yes.  But he was playing nearly 22 minutes a night.  That context gets missed a lot.  So he’s not a top-pairing player anymore.  That’s not a big deal.  Chicago isn’t paying him to be a top-pairing player, they’re paying him to be an 18-20-minute piece, one who can play on both sides of the ice.  I think there was enough demand for that type of player that someone was giving him the second year.

Draft-wise, I was fine with Artyom Levshunov with the second pick.  Ivan Demidov would have been my pick but I understand the value of a high-end right-shot defenseman; those are hard to come by.  Given their young center depth, I was a bit surprised with the Sacha Boisvert pick when Cole Eiserman was still on the board but value-wise, he was ranked in that range so it’s not a bad pick.  I didn’t have Marek Vanacker as a late first-round pick but once you get to that point, there’s not much of a difference between a late first and an early second so I won’t quibble much there.  Out of their other picks, John Mustard and A.J. Spellacy were good value for where they were taken.  If I had to quibble, I’d have liked to have seen a second defender come before their final pick but otherwise, I think they did fine.

Read more

West Notes: Perfetti, Montour, Jones, Oilers GM Search

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Last season had its ups and downs for Jets forward Cole Perfetti.  The 22-year-old was briefly tested down the middle before moving back to the wing while he put together a career year offensively with 19 goals and 19 assists in 71 games.  However, he also spent time as a healthy scratch late in the year, not exactly the type of ending he wanted for his platform year heading into restricted free agency for the first time.

Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press examined Winnipeg’s history with former first-round picks as restricted free agents under GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, noting that six out of the ten wound up signing bridge deals.  He feels Perfetti is likely to follow the trend, suggesting that a two-year bridge pact around $3MM per season might be the right price point for him and the Jets.

More from out West:

  • New Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour acknowledged in an interview on TSN 1050 (audio link) that he had talks with the Maple Leafs before eventually signing with Seattle. Toronto made multiple changes on the back end this summer with the additions of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson while Jani Hakanpaa’s deal still has not been registered.  Montour landed a seven-year, $50MM deal with the Kraken, good for the second-highest AAV on the team behind blueliner Vince Dunn.
  • Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News wonders if a reunion between the Sharks and Martin Jones could make sense. GM Mike Grier acknowledged earlier this month that he still wants to add a third-string netminder, presumably one that has some NHL experience.  Jones had that role in Toronto last season where he started in the minors but wound up getting into 22 games with the big club, posting a 2.87 GAA with a .902 SV%.  While San Jose is still paying Jones for three more years from a 2021 buyout, that won’t preclude them from signing him if they want to.
  • As the Oilers continue their GM search, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal proposes Brian Lawton as a possible dark horse candidate for the position. Lawton hasn’t worked in the NHL since 2009-10 when he was the GM of Tampa Bay but he also has several years of experience as an agent.  Both perspectives certainly could be appealing to CEO Jeff Jackson, a former agent himself, who is currently serving as Edmonton’s interim GM.  Jackson noted earlier this week that he’d like to have a new GM in place within the next couple of weeks.

Top Questions Facing The 2025 NHL Draft Class

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The summer has hit its snag, with new staff hires and final additions headlining an otherwise stalled free agency. But plenty of excitement awaits the hockey world in the 2025 NHL Draft – the latest feature in a string of five strong draft classes between 2023 and 2027. 2025 contributes a long list of top forward prospects and unique defenders, though how draft day will shape up next year is still all but certain. Let’s dive into the top questions facing what’s sure to be an exciting class.

Who Comes After James Hagens?

The 2025 class doesn’t feature the runaway first-overall prospect that 2023 and 2024 did – but Boston College centerman James Hagens has done plenty to prove his case early on. He’s shown all of the pace and skill of a blue-chip prospect, leading last season’s U18 NTDP roster with 102 points across 58 games, 13 more points than any of his teammates. He’ll now succeed Will Smith as the centerman between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard – giving Hagens the ideal setting to stamp his place at first overall.

But the list of who will come next runs long. Swedish centerman Anton Frondell has proven an early favorite, after fighting his way to a pro debut in the HockeyAllsvenskan, on the back of powerful and mature playmaking. He’ll be challenged by Hagens’ successors at the NTDP, Conrad Fondrk and Will Moore, as well as top Russian Ivan Ryabkin. All three could also lose way to a strong defender class, especially if pro teams fancy the size of Sascha Boumedienne or the smooth passing of Logan Hensler. Even then, all of these players could lose out to perhaps the biggest uncertainty of the year…

Who Is Canada’s Top Forward?

Even with an American vying for first overall, CHL hockey headlines the 2025 NHL Draft. Their class is headlined by top-tier prospects Michael Misa and Porter Martone; perhaps the two current favorites to go second overall. Misa earned exceptional status for the OHL in 2022 and quickly vindicated it with a historic rookie year, scoring 56 points in 45 games, the highest scoring pace of any exceptional-status rookie in OHL history. He won the league’s Emms Family ‘Rookie of the Year’ Award that season, even despite a six-week absence due to a fractured tibia, and followed the performance up with 75 points in 67 games this season.

Misa is the flashy pick for top Canadian, though Martone has fought his way into the debate on the back of very hard-nosed and tireless hockey. His work ethic headlines his game, even despite Martone having the fine skills to beat the OHL’s finest. He scored 71 points in 60 OHL games this season – a higher pace than Misa – and managed a dazzling 17 points in seven games at the World U-18 Championships, while captaining Team Canada to a gold medal. Martone’s leadership qualities, special teams upside, and 6-foot-3 frame could all prove more favorable to NHL teams looking for projectable skills.

Behind Misa and Martone is a litany of promising talent – including Malcolm Spence, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen, Justin Carbonneau, Jake O’Brien, Jordan Gavin, and Emile Guite. Each of the high-scoring CHL forwards boasts plenty of unique upside, from Spence’s ability to perform in the spotlight to O’Brien’s all-three-zones ability. They’ve all found their way into first round consideration next year, and could each join the heights of Martone and Misa with another big step next year.

Which Defender Emerges On Top?

The 2024 class was defined by a lost list of strong defenders, but teams who missed a chance at the bounty will find plenty of consolation next year. It’ll once again be a stylistic bout, with Sascha Boumedienne offering hefty and powerful drive, Logan Hensler boasting smooth skating and hard passing, and the pair of Charlie Trethewey and Luka Radivojevic battling for title of top offensive defenseman.

Boumedienne and Hensler are set for a collegiate faceoff, with the former joining the high-offense Boston University while the latter looks to become the top prospect at the University of Wisconsin. The two settings couldn’t be more opposed, with BU retooling a championship-caliber team with top prospects while UW looks to find their footing under new head coach Mike Hastings. That creates very different training grounds for top draft prospects, with Boumedienne seeming to gain and edge in surrounding cast but Hensler clearly set for a starring role.

Radivojevic, the son of former NHL defender Branko Radivojevic, stands as a particularly interesting prospect as well. He’s flashed fantastic athleticism and awareness on the puck, even while facing the challenges of a skinny 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, recording a strong 33 points in 43 games in Sweden’s U20 league this season. He’s opted to not join Team Slovakia at the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup, instead fully preparing for his first professional season with the SHL’s Örebro HK, after playing his first six pro games last year. He’ll be seeking both his first SHL point, and high draft standing, on a stout Örebro lineup.

And while the year’s top defender seems featured in this group of four, Canada’s Kashawn Aitcheson, Reese Hamilton, or Louis-Alex Tremblay could each fight to steal the title. They headline a defense class that’s certain to face plenty of scrutiny, juxtaposed by an endless list of talented forwards.

Snapshots: Blue Jackets Coaching, Laine, Ekman-Larsson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets should be nearing the end of their head coaching search, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, who shares that he expects a decision to be made before August 1st (Twitter link). Portzline later added that Dean Evason and Jay Woodcroft seem to be the final sparring pair and that the team is running out of time to handle the logistics of hiring a new leader.

Woodcroft and Evason are both coming off midseason dismissals last year. Woodcroft was replaced in Edmonton by rookie head coach Kris Knoblauch, who proceeded to carry the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals. John Hynes, Evanson’s successor, didn’t have as much success in taking over the Minnesota Wild – though still improving on Evason’s 5-10-4 start to the season. But aside from that similarity, the two candidates couldn’t be more different. Woodcroft, 47, is just three years into his NHL head coaching career, after leading the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to a championship in 2021. He’s shown off a sharp and strategic eye, while Evason has proven more grizzled and old-school – traits he honed over a 13-year playing career in the NHL. They’ll take Columbus’ young and promising lineup down very different paths, leaving general manager Don Waddell with a tough choice on what he sees working best for his new roster.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Don Waddell will also face the imposing trade of high-scoring winger Patrik Laine before the start of next season. But the process is currently at a standstill, shares Portzline, as interested teams wait for Laine to clear the NHL Player’s Association before they meet with him. The team is still expected to part ways with Laine before the start of next season, but the timeline of a move will remain murky until he’s fully available.
  • Reigning Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson called his decision to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs a “gut feeling” in an interview with Craig Morgan of GoPHNX.com, adding “I’ve always liked coming in there as an away team, playing in that building. It’s always special,” the blue-liner continued. “Obviously, there’s a lot of history in the organization and I feel like they have a really good team that has a chance to do something special as well.” Ekman-Larsson is coming off a resurgent year with the Panthers, posting 32 points across 80 games and looking much more reliable than in his pair of seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. His best years are certainly behind him, but Ekman-Larsson should offer stout puck-moving ability out of a third-pair role in Toronto – hopefully boosting much-needed consistency out of the team’s depth options.

Free Agent Profile: Tanner Pearson

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The third week of free agency saw the amount of forward options continue to thin out. Most of the best available names found new homes on the open market or headed overseas. That’s left teams with a remaining UFA class made up almost exclusively of reclamation projects, whether they be youngsters coming off being non-tendered or veterans in the twilight of their careers.

We’ve already examined one of the latter names, James van Riemsdyk, who’s still looking for a new home after a successful year in a depth role with the Bruins. Left-winger Tanner Pearson is another one who is still available.

Pearson began his career with the Kings back in 2013-14 in a depth role, gradually adjusting to NHL minutes after being selected in the first round in 2012. The then 21-year-old didn’t start the season on the NHL roster, instead working his way up to a late-season call-up and earning an everyday role in the lineup by the time the playoffs rolled around. Now in more of a middle-six role, Pearson would turn out to be one of the Kings’ most valuable players that spring, posting 12 points in 24 games despite only seeing around 12 minutes of ice time per night as L.A. won its second Stanley Cup in three years.

The Kitchener, Ontario native continued working his way up the Kings’ lineup, posting a career-high 24 goals in 2016-17 in the final year of a bridge deal. Los Angeles didn’t let the pending RFA go unsigned following his breakout campaign, locking him into a four-year, $15MM deal that was rather ill-fated in hindsight. After failing to take a step forward in 2017-18, Pearson began the 2018-19 season with just one assist in 17 games before being shipped out to the Penguins for Carl Hagelin. Pearson’s tenure in Pittsburgh was improved but still forgettable, posting 14 points in 44 games before being traded for the second time that season, this time to the Canucks for Erik Gudbranson.

In Vancouver, Pearson managed to rediscover his game. He ended the season on a tear, doubling his nine goals on the year in just 19 games in a Canucks jersey. Revitalized, Pearson assumed top-six duties in Vancouver in 2019-20, posting a career-high 45 points in 69 games, with his 0.65 points per game smashing his previous career high of 0.55.

Pearson’s performance nosedived in the final season of his contract, though. Despite averaging a career-high 17:04 per game in 2020-21, he was limited to just 10 goals and 18 points in 51 games with a -15 rating. Vancouver still believed Pearson was closer to the player who had broken out for a career-high the year prior, though, extending him for the next three seasons at a $3.25MM cap hit.

That deal saw Pearson return to decent middle-six production in 2021-22 (34 points in 68 games). But a hand injury that teammate Quinn Hughes alleged was improperly handled by the Canucks limited him to 14 games in 2022-23, posting a lone goal and four assists. There was a time when some believed Pearson’s career might be over due to the injury, but it became clear during the summer that he would be healthy enough to return to play. It wouldn’t be in Vancouver, though, as they traded him to the Canadiens during training camp in a deal for backup netminder Casey DeSmith.

Pearson remained hampered by unrelated injuries during his time in Montreal, missing nearly 30 games and slipping back down to a decidedly bottom-six role. The Canadiens tried to shop him at this year’s deadline, which would have been the fourth time being traded in his career, but there wasn’t interest. Unsurprisingly, reports as far back as May indicated Montreal wouldn’t bring him back.

Stats

2023-24: 54 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 P, -12, 21 PIMs, 12:56 ATOI, 43.5 CF%
Career: 644 GP, 138 G, 147 A, 285 P, -3, 230 PIMs, 15:04 ATOI, 51.4 CF%

Potential Suitors

There haven’t been any specific names linked to Pearson on the open market. With a Stanley Cup ring and over 50 games of playoff experience under his belt, though, there should be a fair amount of interest from postseason hopefuls in Pearson as a low-cost fourth-line option.

A return to the Kings could make sense. The team qualified RFA Arthur Kaliyev, but he’s not expected back in the fall and will likely find a new home via trade. That leaves a vacancy on their fourth line, exacerbated by the departures of Carl Grundström and Blake Lizotte. Even assuming 2019 top-five pick Alex Turcotte makes the jump to the NHL full-time next season, they don’t have enough internal options at forward for consistent NHL minutes.

Other teams in the West looking to make a push for the playoffs next year that could use veteran insurance for their bottom six include the Jets, Predators and Wild. Over in the East, the Bruins, Red Wings and Senators all make a fair bit of sense as well, with some question marks remaining among their depth wingers.

Projected Contract

This late in the month and coming off the worst season of his career by points per game (0.24), there won’t be much of an appetite for anything above a one-year, $1MM pact for Pearson. A league minimum deal ($775K) becomes more likely the longer he remains unsigned. He should still be able to land a one-way deal entering his age-32 campaign, but his cap hit will still be buriable in the minors, in all likelihood.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top