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Hurricanes Sign Charles-Alexis Legault To ELC

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault to a three-year entry-level contract (via CapFriendly). The Hurricanes selected Legault with their 2023 fifth-round pick and he went on to lead the NCAA in plus/minus with a +36 while tallying nine goals and 15 assists in 39 games. Legault’s numbers were a massive improvement from his freshman season when he posted just two goals and seven assists in 40 games and were a big reason his Quinnipiac team won the NCAA Championship this season.

The 20-year-old will receive $775K in 2024-25, $832,500 in 2025-26 and $855K, in 2026-27 if he plays in the NHL, and his AHL salary would be $82,500 (per season) for all three years. He will also receive a $285,000 signing bonus spread out in three increments of $95K to be distributed each year of the contract.

The Hurricanes have done tremendous work over the last decade finding defensemen in the later rounds of the NHL entry draft and developing them into stars. Brett Pesce was a third-round pick (66th overall) while Jaccob Slavin was selected in the fourth round (120th overall). More recently Scott Morrow was selected in the second round and looks to be on his way to becoming the next great blueliner for the Hurricanes. If Carolina’s defensive development continues, Legault could pair up with Morrow soon as the Hurricanes might find themselves losing several defensemen to free agency over the next two summers.

Kings Notes: Blake, Dubois, Hiller

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Rob Blake will reportedly remain as the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings (according to Mayors Manor). Blake has been the Kings general manager since April 2017 and has steered the club through a lengthy rebuild that has resulted in three straight playoff appearances.

While making the postseason out of rebuild is a good first step for a team, the Kings have lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers in all three playoff showings and have yet to take the next step to get into the upper echelon of Western Conference contenders. While Blake has built a talented core around older veterans Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar, the team has seen their point total drop from 104 points a year ago to just 99 points this season.

Blake has several big decisions to make this summer, including what to do with failed trade acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois who had a disastrous first season in Los Angeles. Blake told the media today that the team will not buyout Dubois, putting to rest a rumor that has been talked about widely in the media.

In other Los Angeles Kings notes:

  • Speaking of Dubois, the 25-year-old will reportedly suit up for Team Canada at the World Championships (according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman). The Ste-Agathe-Des-Monts, Quebec native flopped in his first season with the Kings after being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last summer and promptly signed an 8-year, $68-million contract. Dubois posted just 16 goals and 24 assists in 82 regular season games and then tallied a single goal in five playoff games as he struggled with discipline and posted 20 PIMs. Dubois blamed himself for his poor play this season and said he will do whatever it takes to have a better season in 2024-25. The World’s will give Dubois a chance to end his season on a strong note as he looks to improve over the summer and get back to the 60-point pace he displayed in the two seasons before the trade to Los Angeles.
  • The Kings are also reportedly discussing what they will do with the head coaching position for next season and a decision is expected in the next few weeks (via Mayors Manor). Jim Hiller took over as interim head coach on February 2nd and led the Kings to playoffs once again, however, his 1-3-1 system was scrutinized heavily by people surrounding the team and moving away from that type of system is being discussed by the management group. Hiller served as a Kings assistant coach for two seasons before taking over behind the bench and finished the year with a 21-12-1 record.

Atlantic Notes: Giles, Marner, Bertuzzi

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The Florida Panthers have added forward Patrick Giles to their playoff roster after recalling seven other players earlier today. Giles will effectively serve as one of the Panthers’ black aces and will practice with the team throughout their current playoff run. Giles recently completed his third season in the AHL with Florida’s AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers and will join many of his teammates in Florida.

Giles was an undrafted free agent signing out of college after spending four seasons with Boston College. The 24-year-old hasn’t produced much offensively at any level dating back to his junior days. This season with the Checkers, Giles posted 13 goals and 10 assists in 66 games in what was his best offensive season at any level in the past decade.

In other Atlantic Division notes:

  • NHL Insider Chris Johnston tweeted today that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner remains insistent that his desire is to remain a member of the Maple Leafs long-term. Much has been made of Marner’s play in the recent playoff losses, but the 27-year-old remains one of the top point producers in the league. The chatter around Marner is likely to heat up as Toronto is coming off another disappointing playoff exit, and his situation is further complicated by his contract status. Marner has one year left on his current deal at a cap hit of $10.9MM and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1st. The Markham, Ontario native had a bit of a down year this season, failing to hit 90 points for the first time in three seasons.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News tweeted today that Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi told reporters that he would be open to extending his contract with Toronto beyond this season. Bertuzzi is an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a one-year $5.5MM deal with the Maple Leafs last July. Bertuzzi hit the 20-goal mark for the fourth time in his career but likely didn’t have the season he was hoping for despite playing a career-high 80 games. The 29-year-old tallied 21 goals and 22 assists with Toronto and should receive a multi-year contract this summer after settling for a one-year deal in his first trip through free agency.

Oilers Recall Eight Players

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May 6: Forward Xavier Bourgault has also been added to the Oilers’ playoff roster, the team said Monday. Bourgault, 21, was the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 draft. He’s yet to make his NHL debut and struggled in his sophomore season with Bakersfield, limited to eight goals and 20 points in 55 games. He has one year remaining on his entry-level contract

May 4: After bringing up goaltender Jack Campbell and defenseman Philip Broberg earlier, the Oilers have finalized the rest of their ‘Black Ace’ recalls.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forwards Adam Erne, Raphael Lavoie, and Lane Pederson, defensemen Philip Kemp, Cam Dineen, and Ben Gleason, and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue from AHL Bakersfield.

Among the forwards, Erne played the most with Edmonton this season, getting into 24 games but was limited to just two points and less than eight minutes a night of ice time but did average nearly three hits per game.  The 29-year-old didn’t light it up with the Condors either, recording six goals and six helpers in 36 minor league appearances.  However, if the Oilers decide they want some extra physicality on the fourth line here and there, the pending UFA could get into the lineup.

Lavoie cleared waivers at the end of training camp but that didn’t deter him.  Instead, the 23-year-old had his best AHL campaign, notching 28 goals and 22 assists in 68 games while also making his first seven NHL appearances.  That should have him in the mix for a roster spot with Edmonton against next season although it would be surprising to see him get into the lineup now.

Pederson, meanwhile, failed to make an NHL appearance for the first time since 2019-20.  He did, however, have a strong year with Bakersfield, collecting 22 goals and 30 helpers in 66 contests.  He’s under contract for one more year at the league minimum on a one-way deal.

As for the blueliners, only Kemp saw NHL action this season, making his first (and only) appearance at the top level.  The 25-year-old played in 64 games with the Condors this year, recording a pair of goals and 13 assists.  He’s signed through next season on a two-way contract.

Dineen has the most NHL experience among the blueliners brought up today, having gotten into 34 games with Arizona back in 2021-22.  He had his first full year in Bakersfield this season after being acquired last year, picking up five goals and 20 assists in 58 games.  The 25-year-old will be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency for the second straight year this summer.

Gleason’s last taste of NHL action came back in 2018-19 in his first professional season back when he was with Dallas.  Since then, the 26-year-old has been one of the more consistent offensive producers from the back end in the AHL and this year was no exception as he put up 10 goals and 22 assists in 62 appearances.  His contract converts to a one-way agreement next season for the league minimum.

Rodrigue was expected to split time with Calvin Pickard this season with Bakersfield but those plans changed with Campbell struggling and Pickard taking over as the backup in Edmonton.  Still, the 23-year-old posted a 2.73 GAA with a .916 SV% in 37 games with the Condors this season, earning himself a one-year extension along the way.

Most, if not all of these players won’t see any action during the rest of Edmonton’s postseason action but will be staying ready in case injuries warrant them suiting up.

Minor Transactions: 05/06/24

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Unrestricted free agency is still a handful of weeks away on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, but the offseason transfer period is well underway for teams in European professional leagues. This action often results in former NHLers heading overseas, changing hands, or terminating contracts in hopes of landing another NHL or AHL deal. As those moves come in, we’re keeping track of some notable names. Here are today’s minor moves:

  • Former Blackhawks and Ducks center Dennis Rasmussen has landed some security in the twilight of his career, inking a three-year deal to join Växjö Lakers HC of the Swedish Hockey League. The 33-year-old was a Växjö mainstay from 2011 to 2014 before signing with Chicago as an undrafted free agent, where he went on to score eight goals and 17 points in 112 games across the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Rasmussen signed with the Ducks in the summer of 2017, posting just a goal and four points in 27 games before being demoted to the minors and eventually mutually terminating his contract, paving the way for him to finish 2017-18 back in Växjö. He’s bounced around Europe since, spending three years with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk as well as HC Davos of the Swiss National League, where he spent the last three years. The big-bodied two-way center is still an effective depth scorer, potting seven goals and 28 points in 46 games for Davos last year.
  • A tough stretch continues for veteran winger Richard Pánik, who’s struggled to find stability since falling out of an NHL job with the Islanders two seasons ago. The 33-year-old has played for six clubs over the past three seasons, and it’ll be a seventh in four years if he wants to keep his career alive. HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga announced Monday that Pánik won’t be returning to the club after posting 14 points in 29 combined regular-season and playoff games to end the season. Pánik began the season in the Extraliga with HC Oceláři Třinec, whom the Lightning drafted him from in the second round in 2009, but was traded to Pardubice in January. The 6’2″ Slovak winger will carry over 500 games and nearly 200 points of NHL experience to wherever he lands next.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Devils Sign Jakub Malek To Entry-Level Deal

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1:03 p.m.: New Jersey plans to loan Málek back to Ilves for the 2024-25 season, reports the Daily Sentinel’s Ben Birnell.

12:29 p.m.: The Devils have signed goaltender Jakub Málek to a two-year, entry-level deal, per a club announcement Monday.

Málek, 22, was the Devils’ lone fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft, going off the board at 100th overall. The 6’4″, 190-lb netminder just wrapped up his fourth season spent primarily in the professional ranks, the last two of which have come in Finland with the Liiga’s Ilves.

In 27 appearances last season, Málek was strong with a 2.32 GAA, .915 SV%, two shutouts and a 16-4-5 record. He started three playoff contests for Ilves as well, posting a 1.87 GAA and .910 SV% as they were upset in five games in the quarterfinals by seventh-place KalPa after finishing with a 33-13-7-7 record in the regular season, second in the Liiga.

In his rookie campaign with Ilves last season, Málek posted a 9-7-4 record in 22 appearances with a .903 SV%, 2.15 GAA and two shutouts. The Czech netminder had spent his entire career in his home country up to that point, getting nearly all of his professional experience with VHK Vsetín in the 1. liga, Czechia’s second-tier pro league behind the Extraliga.

He made his debut there as a 16-year-old all the way back in 2018-19, accumulating a 2.13 GAA, .923 SV%, four shutouts and a 30-16-0 record in 47 appearances across four seasons. In 2021-22, his final season with Vsetín before making the jump to tougher competition in Finland, he was named to the 1. liga’s year-end All-Star Team, as well as taking home Best Goaltender and Best Junior Player honors.

Málek has flown under the radar when discussing Devils prospects, but his overall showing overseas against professional competition has been promising. He outperformed 32-year-old Jonas Gunnarsson in the Ilves crease this season and worked his way into a 1A role, suggesting he should be ready to face AHL action in Utica immediately upon arriving in North America.

New Jersey’s goaltending depth will be in flux this summer as the team looks to find an above-average starter on the trade market, but Málek’s signing indicates that their two pending UFAs at the minor-league level, Erik Källgren and Keith Kinkaid, won’t be back. Even so, it will be a crowded crease in Utica and in ECHL Adirondack. The Devils are expected to retain trade deadline pickup Jake Allen as a backup to their new addition, which still leaves Tyler Brennan, Nico Daws, Isaac Poulter and Akira Schmid under NHL contract at the minor-league levels. Daws or Schmid will likely be moved out in an eventual trade for a starter, though, likely leaving Málek and either Brennan or Poulter manning Utica’s crease with one odd man out starting games for Adirondack.

Málek will be a restricted free agent upon expiry in 2026. He’ll remain waiver-exempt for the life of his ELC unless he plays more than 60 NHL games. He was under contract with Ilves next season, one which the Devils have evidently bought him out of.

Lightning RFA Hugo Alnefelt Expected To Sign In Sweden

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22-year-old netminder Hugo Alnefelt, the Lightning’s best goaltending prospect, may not remain in North America next season. The pending restricted free agent is expected to sign with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League, Expressen’s Jacob Johannesson reports.

Alnefelt, a 2019 third-round pick, has spent the entirety of 2023-24 on assignment to AHL Syracuse. Despite starting 30 games this season, the most on the team, he’s fallen to third on the Crunch’s depth chart behind veteran Matt Tomkins and the minor-league-contracted Brandon Halverson, who’s played all four playoff games for Syracuse thus far. HV71’s signing of Alnefelt will be announced after Syracuse’s time in the Calder Cup Playoffs comes to an end, per Johannesson.

Regardless of Alnefelt’s future, the Lightning were likely going to be looking for a goalie at the 2024 NHL draft. Their depth at the position is paper-thin – only the 22-year-old unsigned Nick Malík can be labeled as a prospect, and below-average veterans Tomkins and Jonas Johansson staffed the third and second-string roles behind undisputed starter Andrei Vasilevskiy this season, respectively. The Lightning don’t have any other goalies on their reserve list.

It was a disappointing season for Alnefelt, his third in Syracuse since signing his entry-level contract in 2021. He was expected to be more of a competitor with Tomkins for the bonafide starting role and was given plenty of opportunity with Tomkins on the NHL roster backing up Johansson at the beginning of the season while Vasilevskiy missed time recovering from back surgery. But his numbers regressed back to below average after a strong sophomore showing in 2022-23, logging a .893 SV%, 2.76 GAA, two shutouts and a 14-8-4 record.

Tomkins was again needed in the NHL down the stretch, this time with Johansson out, and was only reassigned to Syracuse last week. It was a golden opportunity for Alnefelt to seize the crease heading into the postseason, but he instead lost it to the 28-year-old Halverson, who hadn’t played in the AHL since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, Halverson is authoring quite a comeback story – he missed nearly all of 2020-21 with an injury and didn’t play at all in 2021-22. He made his return to pro hockey last season with the Bayreuth Tigers in the second-tier German DEL2 before joining the Tampa Bay organization this year on a contract with ECHL Orlando that was later converted into an AHL agreement with Syracuse. Thus far, Halverson has a .918 SV% in four postseason games as Syracuse is tied 2-2 with Rochester in the best-of-five North Division Semifinals.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising to see Alnefelt return to his native Sweden after slipping down the Tampa Bay depth chart. The Lightning can still retain his signing rights for the time being by issuing him a qualifying offer. He made one NHL appearance during his ELC, allowing three goals on 10 shots in the third period of a 9-3 loss to the Panthers on Dec. 30, 2021, after starter Maxime Lagace was pulled.

With HV71, Alnefelt will split the crease with former Canadiens prospect Fredrik Dichow, a 2019 fifth-round whose exclusive signing rights lapsed last June and is now an unrestricted free agent. Dichow had a .943 SV% in six games in HV71’s relegation series against IK Oskarshamn to keep the club at the top level of Swedish hockey next season.

Red Wings Sign Axel Sandin Pellikka To Entry-Level Deal

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The Red Wings signed 2023 first-round pick Axel Sandin Pellikka to his three-year, entry-level contract on Monday, per a team announcement.

Sandin Pellikka, 19, is still under contract with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League for 2024-25. However, since Sandin Pellikka was a first-round pick, the NHL-SHL transfer agreement still permits Detroit to assign him to AHL Grand Rapids next season if he doesn’t make the NHL roster. Returning him to Skellefteå is still an option but not a requirement.

The 5’11” right-shot defenseman is coming off a banner season in his home country. His season ended ceremoniously last week, winning the SHL championship with Skellefteå. He was absent with injury for the first two games of the final series against Rögle BK but returned as Skellefteå won Games 3 through 5. He finished the postseason with two goals and seven points in 14 games.

That performance came after a strong regular season with Skellefteå. He set career highs across the board with 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in 39 games, a -9 rating, and was awarded the Salming Trophy as the best Swedish-born defender in the SHL or SDHL as a result. The Gällivare native was also exceptional in international action at the 2024 World Juniors, finishing with two goals and six points in seven games as Sweden won the silver medal. He was named the tournament’s best defenseman by the IIHF directorate.

After falling a bit to Detroit at 17th overall in last year’s draft, Sandin Pellikka has only increased his stock as a prospect. The expert playmaker and puck handler seems well on his way to challenge for top-four minutes and power play time in Detroit, arguably overtaking 2021 sixth-overall pick Simon Edvinsson as the organization’s best young blue liner.

Detroit’s NHL roster for next season is already full on defense, thanks to veterans Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, Olli Määttä and Jeff Petry still serving out or finishing up multi-year agreements. It’s hard to imagine general manager Steve Yzerman retaining all of them, though, and trading one of them – especially the two righties in Holl and Petry – could open up an opening-night roster spot for Sandin Pellikka.

The Swede won’t turn 20 until after Jan. 1, meaning his entry-level contract will slide to 2025-26 if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season. If so, the deal will expire in 2028 instead of 2027. He’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry either way.

Rick Bowness Announces Retirement

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Jets head coach Rick Bowness is expected to announce his retirement later today, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. Winnipeg promptly released a statement confirming the news.

Bowness, 69, had mulled retirement two seasons ago after the Stars announced he wouldn’t be returning as their bench boss, but he was offered a two-year agreement with a one-year club option from the Jets to stay in the game. Speaking to reporters last week, Bowness said the team hadn’t yet decided on whether or not to exercise its option and needed to talk with his family and the team about his future.

After a 40-year career behind NHL benches as a head coach and assistant, Bowness was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for the first time last week. He guided Winnipeg to a second-place finish in the Central Division this season with 110 points and 52 wins, the latter of which tied for the most in Jets/Thrashers franchise history.

Bowness began his time in the NHL as a player. After being selected in the second round of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft by the Atlanta Flames, Bowness made his NHL debut the following season. The right winger didn’t establish himself as an everyday NHLer until a move to the Red Wings in 1977, who acquired him for cash that summer. He played a career-high 61 games that season before spending the next three seasons as a major-league/minor-league tweener with the Blues and Jets organization, last suiting up in the NHL for the previous incarnation of Winnipeg with 25 points in 45 games in the 1980-81 campaign.

Still playing in the Jets organization, Bowness began his career in coaching as a player-coach for AHL Sherbrooke in 1982-83. He didn’t coach the team during his final season as a player with Sherbrooke in 1983-84 but took a job as an NHL assistant with the Jets immediately after retiring. He remained in an assistant role in Winnipeg until 1987 when the organization reassigned him to the minors to become the head coach of their new AHL affiliate in Moncton. A year and a half later, Bowness was back in the NHL – this time getting his first shot as a head coach in the majors. He was the interim boss for the back half of the 1988-89 campaign after Winnipeg fired Dan Maloney midseason. It wasn’t terribly successful, though, and he wasn’t brought back after finishing the season with an 8-17-3 record.

Bowness immediately landed with the Bruins organization and spent the following three seasons there — two as the head coach of AHL Maine and one as Boston’s head coach. He guided the team to a 36-32-12 record in 1991-92 and a Conference Final loss to the Penguins, the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

In the summer of 1992, he headed to the expansion Senators to serve as the first coach in franchise history. Nobody could have bolstered one of the most poorly assembled rosters in league history, though, and Bowness led the struggling franchise to a 39-178-18 record (.204 points percentage) before being let go midway through his fourth season in Canada’s capital.

Bowness spent the next 20-plus years working for the Islanders, Coyotes, Canucks, Lightning and Stars, mainly serving as an assistant or associate. He was briefly the head coach of the Isles for a time in 1997 and 1998 and served as the interim bench boss for the Coyotes in 2003-04 for the final 20 games of the season.

After going 2-12-3-3 down the stretch with Phoenix, Bowness wouldn’t get another try as a head coach for another 15 years. He took over as interim for Dallas midway through the 2019-20 campaign after Jim Montgomery was dismissed due to unprofessional conduct, later revealed to be an alcohol-related incident that led Montgomery to seek treatment for alcoholism and eventually return behind the bench for the Bruins last year. Going 20-13-5 until COVID paused the season, Bowness returned in the bubble playoffs and oversaw the Stars’ first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final in 20 years.

Dallas fell to the Lightning and missed the playoffs the following shortened season but returned to postseason play under Bowness in 2022. After going 46-30-6 and losing in the first round to the Flames, though, the Stars and Bowness mutually parted ways, paving the way for him to return to where his coaching career started in Winnipeg.

Bowness ended his career on a high note, posting a 98-57-9 record and guiding the Jets to back-to-back playoff appearances, even though they both resulted in quick first-round exits. He officially exits the game after 38 seasons behind an NHL bench, with parts of 14 coming as a head coach. His career record stands at 310-408-48-37 in 803 games, a .439 points percentage.

Winnipeg now becomes the seventh team with an active head coach vacancy. No candidates have been linked to the job yet.

PHR wishes Bowness and his family all the best in retirement and congratulations him on one of the lengthiest coaching careers in league history.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Devils Sign Seamus Casey To Entry-Level Deal

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10:52 a.m.: Casey’s ELC carries a cap hit of $950K, NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky reports.

9:03 a.m.: The Devils have signed 2022 second-round pick Seamus Casey to his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday. The University of Michigan defender was their top unsigned defense prospect.

New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald said last month that Casey was undecided about returning to the Wolverines for his junior season. Now, after his seven goals and 45 points in 40 games helped lead Michigan to the semifinals of the NCAA national championship, he’ll look to compete for a spot on the Devils’ blue line in 2024-25.

Casey, 20, was picked up by the Devils with the 46th overall pick in his draft year, just before the midpoint of the second round. It was a tad earlier than TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts expected him to go (51st overall), but multiple public scouting services suggested he should’ve been off the board by then as a late first or very early second-round pick. So far, it looks like most teams’ scouting departments undervalued the right-shot defender. The Devils weren’t one of those teams – chief scout Mark Dennehy told NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky that they were surprised he was still available with their pick.

Now listed at 5’10” and 180 lbs, the Florida-born Casey has put on an inch and about 20 pounds of muscle in the last few years. It’s helped quell concerns about his size – easily the biggest reason why NHL scouts were cautious about selecting him – to some degree.

Drafted out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Casey immediately made the jump to Michigan after being picked by the Devils and hasn’t at all looked out of place. He took home Big 10 All-Rookie Team honors last year, potting eight goals and 29 points with a +16 rating in 37 games to finish second behind future New Jersey teammate Luke Hughes in scoring among Michigan defensemen. He became the Wolverines’ top puck-moving option this season after Hughes left for the Devils and proved he was up to the task by finishing fifth on the team in scoring and third among all NCAA defensemen. Casey also suited up for the United States at the 2024 World Juniors, posting six assists in six games to lead the tournament in assists by defensemen en route to a gold medal.

Casey’s departure leaves a crater-sized gap on the Michigan blue line next season, although the addition of the offensively-minded Tim Lovell out of the transfer portal from Arizona State should help somewhat. An expert passer and shifty skater in transition, Casey is incredibly effective at helping his team exit one zone and gain the other but will likely struggle to box out opposing forwards and win puck battles in the early stages of his NHL career.

With the return of top defenseman Dougie Hamilton from a pectoral injury that cost him most of 2023-24, as well as 2022 second-overall pick Simon Nemec establishing himself as a full-time NHLer, it’ll be tough for Casey to land an everyday role on New Jersey’s blue line next season. Without a clear need for Casey in the NHL lineup immediately, it’s a tad confusing to see him opt to forego a third year of school. However, he’s a solid bet to rotate in and get a few games at the beginning of the season before logging big minutes with AHL Utica to adjust to the professional ranks. His ELC isn’t eligible to slide to next season, even if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games, and will make him a restricted free agent in 2027.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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