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St. Louis Blues Sign Nick Ritchie To PTO

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The other Ritchie brother has signed a PTO of his own. Relatively shortly after Brett Ritchie reportedly signed a PTO with the Florida Panthers, his brother Nick Ritchie has had a PTO agreement announced with the St. Louis Blues.

This is actually the second consecutive time the Ritchie brothers have seen their names appear next to each other on the transactions wire. Earlier this year, the brothers were traded for each other, with Nick and defenseman Troy Stecher headed to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Brett and Connor Mackey, who went to the Arizona Coyotes.

Ritchie isn’t coming off of a great season, which could be why he’s had to settle for a PTO rather than a full contract. He scored a total of 13 goals and 26 points last season, just three points more than he scored in 2021-22 despite playing in 17 additional contests. The six-foot-three, 236-pound former top prospect has scored at around the same rate (goals in the early teens, points in the mid-twenties) for much of his NHL career.

It was an intriguing combination of size and scoring ability that made Ritchie such a highly-touted prospect and is what got him selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks at the 2014 draft. He hasn’t been able to translate his quality scoring numbers in both junior hockey and his brief stay in the AHL to the NHL, though.

The lack of time and space afforded in the NHL has been a particular issue for Ritchie, who lacks the sort of separation speed, deceptive puck skills, or overwhelming puck protection talents to create time and space for himself. As a result, he’s settled into more of a bottom-six role while offering a little bit more offensive touch than the average fourth-liner.

Arriving in St. Louis for camp, Ritchie does have something of a shot to make their NHL roster and earn a full contract. He’s competing with players such as Oskar Sundqvist, Samuel Blais, Mackenzie MacEachern, Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker, and Nikita Alexandrov for a depth role on head coach Craig Berube’s roster.

With a strong camp and preseason, he could end up having a longer stay in St. Louis. But without the guarantee of a full contract to play somewhere this season, Ritchie has an extremely important month ahead of him.

Gabriel Landeskog Could Be Ready For Playoffs

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Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland recently told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that the team is hoping captain Gabriel Landeskog can be healthy in time for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. MacFarland said to LeBrun, “We’re hoping… There’s still so much that needs to be gleaned in this so it’s hard to put a timeline on it.” Landeskog is recovering from receiving a cartilage transplant in his right knee that he received in May.

Landeskog underwent his first knee procedure in March 2022, returning for the team’s Stanley Cup run where he recorded a dazzling 22 points in 20 playoff games. But the weight of a Cup run may have taken a toll on Landeskog’s weak knee, which required an additional surgery in October 2022. This second operation was intended to be a less invasive way to get Landeskog back on the ice. But after he missed the entire 2022-23 regular season, he decided to opt for the transplant.

And while certainly daunting, the cartilage replacement process isn’t unheard of in top athletes. Landeskog worked with Dr. Brian Cole and Dr. Rachel Frank, two sports physicians who were involved when former Senators defender Marc Methot received the same surgery in 2019. And while the surgery has an 85 percent success rate, nothing is guaranteed. Methot told exactly that to the Associated Press, saying, “I’m sure [Landeskog] has had the same conversation with Dr. Cole where he won’t be promised anything… There’s no certainty that you’re going to feel the way you did when you left.”

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball underwent the same surgery in March of this year and will be held out of the 2022-23 NBA season as a result. Ball had a similar path to the surgery as Landeskog, undergoing an unsuspecting knee surgery that spiraled into three operations, finished with the cartilage transplant. Landeskog used conversations with Ball, and plenty of research, to guide his decision to receive the operation.

Chris MacFarland remains optimistic about Landeskog’s prospects, if by necessity if nothing else. He told The Athletic, “… I wouldn’t bet against Gabriel Landeskog in anything. If there’s somebody that’s going to deal with what he’s dealing with, with the right attitude and determination, it’s him. He’s our Viking.” Landeskog was a point-per-game forward right up until his injury took him out of commission. Adding his scoresheet impact, and his leadership qualities, could provide an exciting jolt to the Avalanche lineup come the Spring. But that’s if the captain can overcome a difficult journey with this knee injury.

Florida Panthers Expected To Sign Brett Ritchie To PTO

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09/14/23: According to Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, the Florida Panthers are expected to sign veteran forward Brett Ritchie to a professional try-out.

Ritchie has become a journeyman player, appearing with four different teams over the last four years. His nine-year career started with five years with the Dallas Stars, where he accumulated 54 points and 154 penalty minutes in 241 games. But at the end of this stretch, Dallas failed to qualify then-25-year-old Ritchie, making him a free agent and leading him to sign with the Boston Bruins. After one year in Boston and one trip on waivers, history repeated itself, with Ritchie failing to receive a qualifying offer and hitting free agency again.

That’s when Ritchie signed the first PTO of his career, inking one with the Calgary Flames midway through the 2020-21 season and earning a two-way contract. And for the first time since Dallas, Ritchie was even re-signed by a team, sticking with the Flames through most of the 2022-23 season. But at the March trade deadline, Calgary swapped Ritchie and Connor Mackey for Nick Ritchie, Brett’s brother, and Troy Stecher.

Ritchie stands at a menacing 6’4″, 215lbs, and works hard, making it clear why he’s stuck in the league thus far. He’ll now try to will his way onto another NHL roster in the Florida Panthers, who lack much competition for their bottom six. It’s likely that Ritchie will be competing with Grigori Denisenko and rookie Mackie Samoskevich. Denisenko has jumped between Florida’s NHL and AHL roster, yet to successfully find his footing at the top level. Samoskevich made the transition to professional hockey after the University of Michigan’s season ended last year, recording two assists in the two regular season AHL games he played and adding four more points in seven playoff games. The NHL readiness of both players is worth discussing, which could make it easier for Ritchie to achieve another successful PTO.

Matthew Savoie Unlikely To Receive CHL Exemption Like Wright

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According to the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, the Buffalo Sabres are still waiting to see where top prospect Matthew Savoie will be playing next season. The team has petitioned the WHL to let Savoie out of the CHL-NHL agreement, making him eligible to be sent to the AHL this season, but has yet to receive approval. Notably, Shane Wright recently received this same exemption after efforts from the Seattle Kraken.

To be assigned to the AHL, a CHL player must either be 20 years old on or before December 31st of the season’s year or have registered four seasons in their league. Savoie misses the former cut-off by just one day, turning 20 on January 1st of next year. And while he hasn’t appeared in four CHL seasons, Savoie has played in 68 more juniors games than Wright.

The argument for Savoie seems clear but Lysowsky doesn’t anticipate that he’ll receive an exemption. One of his sources said that was likely a result of the Sabres working with the WHL, which has a different set of rules and approaches than Wright’s OHL. Savoie can instead turn his attention towards making the Sabres’ opening day roster, pushing for the roster spot left open by Jack Quinn’s recent Achille’s tendon injury.

If Savoie does have to return to the WHL, he’ll be joining the Wenatchee Wild, the WHL’s newest team formed after the sale of the Winnipeg Ice. Savoie would join fellow Sabres prospect Zach Benson and Arizona Coyotes prospect Conor Geekie on the new club.

No Extension Talks Scheduled For Mikael Backlund And Oliver Kylington

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While there has been some optimism in Calgary regarding the possibility of both Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin signing extensions, things appear to be more of a wait-and-see approach when it comes to Mikael Backlund.  His agent J.P. Barry told TSN’s Salim Valji that there are currently no plans for discussions about Backlund or teammate Oliver Kylington.  Instead, the plan is to wait and evaluate how the season progresses before holding any sort of meaningful contract negotiations.

Backlund has spent his entire 15-year career with Calgary who drafted him in the first round (24th overall) back in 2007.  The 34-year-old is actually coming off his best season offensively, one that saw him put up 19 goals and 37 assists in 82 games.  For his career, he has 492 points in 908 games and he has expressed a desire to reach the 1,000-game mark in a Flames uniform.

Backlund has one more year remaining on his deal, a pact that carries a $5.35MM AAV and a 21-team no-trade clause.  A report surfaced last month that noted trade offers for the middleman had been particularly light in spite of his breakout year so it appears Calgary will go into the season with him anchoring the second line.

As for Kylington, the fact that no discussions are planned shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.  Last month, the blueliner revealed the reason for his season-long absence was due to things going on with his family which caused mental and psychological problems.  Having missed that much time, it makes sense for both sides to wait and see how things go early on before pondering the idea of an extension.  Like Backlund, the 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

When he took over as GM, Craig Conroy indicated that he wanted to avoid a situation where he could lose a key player without any return by seeing them walk in free agency like Johnny Gaudreau did in the 2022 offseason.  That played a part in them moving Tyler Toffoli, another pending UFA, to New Jersey earlier in the offseason.  However, with Lindholm, Hanifin, Backlund, and Kylington all appearing to want to see how things go at the start of this coming season before deciding on their willingness to extend, he won’t be getting any further clarity for a little while longer.

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Sens Sale, Flames

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Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that he has fully recovered from the broken sternum that sidelined him late in the Stanley Cup Final back in June.  He sustained the injury in the third game of the series and found a way to play the fourth before doctors shut him down.  The 25-year-old followed up his breakout campaign in 2021-22 with an even better showing last season, finishing tied for sixth in league scoring with 109 points.  Florida is expected to be without key blueliners Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour for a while – Tkachuk speculated about a late-December return for each of them – so they will be leaning heavily on their offensive star when the season gets underway next month.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While there was some hope that the sale of the Senators to Michael Andlauer would be finalized by now, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that this is no longer the case. While there isn’t believed to be any issue – the financing is secure and he has already received approval from the NHL’s Executive Committee – things are moving slower than expected.  Now, the hope is that the sale will be made official by Monday.
  • The Flames haven’t ruled out bringing in someone on a tryout in the coming days, relays Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (Twitter link). While GM Craig Conroy has expressed a desire to let some of Calgary’s younger prospects push for a spot on the roster after not getting too many looks last season, a veteran willing to take the league minimum could give that player a leg up over a youngster on a more expensive entry-level deal.  That difference could be notable as Calgary is one of many teams that project to be close to the cap line this season.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

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

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

St. Louis Blues

Current Cap Hit: $83,206,429 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Nikita Alexandrov (one year, $817K)
F Jake Neighbours (two years, $835K)

In his first full professional season, Neighbours split the year between St. Louis and Springfield.  While he was a scorer in the minors, he didn’t have much success in 43 NHL contests.  He should push for a full-time spot this season but barring a big breakthrough in his offensive play, he’s a strong candidate for a short-term second contract.  Alexandrov got his first taste of NHL action last season but, like Neighbours, didn’t produce much with the Blues despite being a quality scorer with the Thunderbirds.  Playing almost exclusively on the fourth line tends to do that.  Now waiver-eligible, Alexandrov should be able to lock down a full-time roster spot but if he’s back in a similar role this season, his second contract is going to check in pretty close to this one.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Sammy Blais ($1MM, UFA)
D Robert Bortuzzo ($950K, UFA)
F Kasperi Kapanen ($3.2MM, UFA)
D Scott Perunovich ($775K, RFA)
D Calle Rosen ($762.5K, UFA)
D Marco Scandella ($3.275MM, UFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($775K, UFA)
F Jakub Vrana ($2.625MM, UFA)*

*-Detroit is retaining an additional $2.625MM on Vrana’s contract

Kapanen was a somewhat surprising waiver claim from Pittsburgh late in the season as GM Doug Armstrong opted to take an extended look at him.  After struggling with the Penguins, he finished up strong with the Blues but will need to carry that type of performance over for a full season if he wants a shot at beating this price tag on his next deal.  Vrana was limited to just 25 NHL games last year between Detroit and St. Louis but was quite productive with the Blues, notching 10 goals in 20 games.  He will need to stay healthy and keep up that scoring pace if he is going to have any chances of approaching the $5MM mark on his next deal.

Blais struggled last season with the Rangers and was basically a throw-in on the Vladimir Tarasenko trade to help make the money work.  But his return to St. Louis rekindled his production.  Blais opted to sign an early extension not long after the swap, a move that might have cost him a bit of money had he tested the market.  If he remains a double-digit scorer while chipping in with his usual physicality, he’ll be in line for a raise next summer.  Sundqvist didn’t get much traction on the open market this summer despite having the second-highest point total of his career.  If he’s in a depth role this season, he’ll have a hard time significantly bolstering his market but a spot on the third line could at least get him a small boost.

Scandella did well when he first joined St. Louis, quickly earning this contract which was a four-year deal.  Things haven’t gone well at all since then as he has battled injuries and struggled when healthy.  Unless something changes, his market value will be closer to the $1MM range next summer than the $3MM range.  Bortuzzo is a prototypical depth defender best used as a sixth or seventh option.  Those players usually sign for close to the minimum which is what he’ll need to take again if he wants to stick around.

Rosen saw limited action last season but was pretty productive with eight goals and ten assists in 49 games.  That should turn some heads around the league and if he’s able to stick on the roster full-time this year as well, he could at least get closer to the $1MM mark next summer.  Perunovich will be looking to unseat Rosen (or someone else).  A productive scorer in both college and the AHL, injuries have derailed his development so far.  He’s on a one-year minimum contract and if he can stay healthy, he should be able to play his way into the mix.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8MM, UFA)
G Joel Hofer ($775K, RFA)
F Alexey Toropchenko ($1.25MM, RFA)
D Tyler Tucker ($800K, RFA)

Buchnevich has found another level since joining St. Louis two years ago.  While he did battle some injury trouble, last season was still by far his second-best season offensively and his second straight showing of over a point per game.  After being more of a second liner with the Rangers in terms of production, he has become a legitimate top-line winger with the Blues while receiving second-line money, giving them a nice bang for their buck.  Assuming he’s able to continue that over the next two seasons, Buchnevich could very well add a couple million per season to his next cap hit while pushing for close to a max-term deal; he’ll be 30 when his next contract kicks in.

The other three players in this group are the bridge brigade.  Toropchenko held down a regular spot for most of last season, albeit in a limited role which made a short-term second contract an obvious outcome.  Moving onto the third line with some regularity will help boost his next deal.  Tucker spent the bulk of last season in the minors but did well in limited action when he was up.  Now waiver-eligible, this deal should secure him at least the seventh spot on the depth chart; he’ll need to play his way into a regular role to get any sort of sizable raise.  As for Hofer, he has primarily played in the minors so far which limited his earnings upside.  If he fares well in the second-string role for two years, he should more than double this price tag.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Kevin Hayes ($3.571MM, UFA)*
D Nick Leddy ($4MM, UFA)
F Brandon Saad ($4.5MM, UFA)

*-Philadelphia is retaining an additional $3.571MM per season on Hayes’ deal

Saad hasn’t reached the 50-point mark since 2016-17 with Columbus but has settled in as a capable and somewhat consistent secondary scorer.  This contract isn’t a bargain but they’ve received a decent return on it so far.  Three more years around the 20-goal mark might give him a shot at a short-term deal close to this amount in 2026.  Hayes comes over from Philadelphia who practically gave him away with retention.  St. Louis should benefit nicely; while he’s not the $7MM-plus player his full contract is, he should easily be able to live up to half of that.

Leddy’s first full season with the Blues was a bit of a mixed bag.  He logged some big minutes but didn’t provide a whole lot offensively while his possession numbers weren’t the strongest either.  There were plenty of underachievers a year ago in St. Louis but they’ll be counting on more from him this season to get better bang for their buck.

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Canadiens Acquire Rights To Jakov Novak From Senators

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The Canadiens have made a small addition to their prospect pool as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve acquired the rights to forward Jakov Novak from the Senators in exchange for future considerations.

The 24-year-old was a seventh-round pick by the Sens back in 2018 (188th overall) after a strong showing with Janesville of the NAHL.  Novak went on to play three seasons at Bentley University before transferring to Northeastern for the final two years of his college career.  Last season, he posted eight goals and four assists in 35 NCAA contests before turning pro, signing with Allen of the ECHL, Ottawa’s affiliate in that league.  At that level, he got into 14 games and fared well, collecting seven goals and five helpers.

It was believed that Novak’s NHL rights would have lapsed back in mid-August but that wasn’t the case on a technicality since he had already signed an AHL contract with Laval, Montreal’s farm team.  Now, the two sides have finalized the rights swap, giving the Canadiens the ability to sign him to an entry-level deal if they so desire.

Atlantic Notes: Knies, Savoie, Komarov

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Matthew Knies gave the Toronto Maple Leafs some solid playoff hockey as a rookie just weeks after wrapping up his collegiate career, posting four points in seven games and even sliding into a top-six role at times. Unfortunately, his postseason was cut short early into Game 2 of their second-round loss to the Florida Panthers when a behind-the-net hit from Panthers center Sam Bennett concussed Knies and kept him out of the final three games of the series.

Today, Knies says he’s “fully recovered” from the collision and has been for quite some time – saying he’d been cleared to return to the lineup in Game 6 had Toronto avoided elimination. Toronto’s 57th overall pick in 2021 has shot up prospect rankings thanks to two spectacular campaigns at the University of Minnesota, during which he averaged over a point per game. He was named the NCAA’s Big 10 Player of the Year for 2022-23 after recording 21 goals and 42 points in 40 games. After Toronto signed both Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi to one-year deals in free agency, he’s far from guaranteed to slot into the team’s top-six on opening night but should still play a significant role.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • While top Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright was granted an exemption from the CHL to head to the minor leagues a year earlier than normal, don’t expect the same for Buffalo Sabres 2022 ninth-overall pick Matthew Savoie. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski says the Sabres have “communicated” with the CHL regarding an exemption, but the “odds aren’t in their favor.” Savoie lit up the WHL for 95 points in 62 games with the Winnipeg ICE (now Wenatchee Wild) last season and was born on January 1, 2004 – if he had been born a day earlier, he would be eligible for a full-time AHL assignment to Rochester this season. There is still an outside chance Savoie turns pro this season by making the Sabres out of camp, however.
  • Sticking with Buffalo, Lysowski also reports defense prospect Vsevolod Komarov is dealing with a lower-body injury that will keep him out of their rookie tournament games. Komarov, 19, is expected to return to the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts after being released from Sabres camp. The team selected him 134th overall in the 2022 draft, and he put up stellar two-way numbers for the Remparts last season en route to a QMJHL championship and Memorial Cup win, posting 39 points and a +38 rating in 62 regular-season games.

Minor Transactions: 09/13/23

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European leagues are close to kicking off their seasons, and some teams are still making last-minute consequential adds before 2023-24 begins. As always, we’re keeping track of notable overseas and minor-league moves right here:

  • Latvian forward Kaspars Daugavins hasn’t played in the NHL since he split the 2012-13 with the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins, but he’s still active overseas at age 35. Today, he’s moving to Slovakia, signing with Extraliga club HK Dukla Michalovce for this season and next, per the team’s Instagram account. The 2006 third-round selection of the Senators was an international hero just a few short months ago, captaining host Latvia to a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championship while posting seven points in ten games. He’s still been quite productive in major overseas leagues as well, producing 49 points in 55 games with the DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters last season. After spending many years in the KHL after leaving the NHL in 2013, he moved to Switzerland for the 2021-22 season before joining Iserlohn last year.
  • The AHL’s San Jose Barracuda have added some center depth, signing Cole Cassels to a one-year deal, per the league’s website. Cassels, 28, finally had his breakout season at the pro level last season, ten years after being selected in the third round of the 2013 draft by the Vancouver Canucks. He notched 51 points in 64 games for the Belleville Senators, shattering his previous career high of 26 set with Utica in 2017-18. He’ll look to help bolster a Barracuda squad that’s finished near the bottom of their division for the past two seasons.

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