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Snapshots: Krebs, Karlsson, Pitlick

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Sabres center Peyton Krebs was one of several players earlier this week who signed contracts before training camp got underway.  The 23-year-old told reporters including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that he had been following his agent’s advice throughout the process but eventually relented, telling his agent to get a deal done while prioritizing getting a two-year agreement.  He was able to do just that, landing a two-year, $2.9MM pact.  Buffalo was busy over the summer reshaping their bottom six with the additions of Ryan McLeod, Beck Malenstyn, Sam Lafferty, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel so Krebs will have his work cut out for him to hold onto a regular spot in the lineup after getting into 80 games last season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson skated on his own today before practice, relays Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). The veteran has yet to take part in any team activities during training camp due to an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.  Karlsson’s offensive numbers took a big dip last season after putting up 101 points in his final year with San Jose but he still managed 11 goals and 45 assists, good for a tie for third in team scoring.
  • Former Montreal prospect Rhett Pitlick has found a new place to play as Minnesota State University announced that the forward has enrolled with them for his senior season. The 23-year-old spent the last three years at the University of Minnesota, putting up 36 points in 39 games last season.  However, he deregistered earlier in the offseason, allowing him to become a free agent in the process.  Clearly, there wasn’t an offer to his liking so he’ll now play out his NCAA eligibility and will look to secure an NHL deal after that.

Central Notes: Faksa, Appleton, Stastney

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The Blues acquired veteran center Radek Faksa from Dallas earlier this summer, giving the 30-year-old a new team for the first time in his NHL career.  It turns out that Faksa was looking for a change of scenery at the time.  He told Lou Korac of The Hockey News that he went to Stars GM Jim Nill after the season to communicate that he wasn’t happy with his role and ice time.  Faksa was viewed as a two-way player early in his career but hasn’t been able to get past the 20-point mark in five straight years, resulting in him being deployed in more of a shutdown role with more limited minutes.  He’s entering the final year of his contract, one that carries a $3.25MM AAV.  He’ll likely need to show at least a bit more offensively with St. Louis to get a raise on the open market next summer.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Jets winger Mason Appleton is entering the final year of his contract, making him eligible for a contract extension. The 28-year-old told reporters including Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press that the perfect world scenario is that he remains in Winnipeg.  Appleton has spent most of his six-year NHL career with them aside from one season in Seattle after being picked in expansion.  Appleton is coming off a career year that saw him produce 14 goals and 22 assists, putting him in line for a raise on his current $2.167MM cap charge.
  • Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney is not with the team in training camp for personal reasons and there is no word yet on when he’ll return, relays Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. The blueliner split last season between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee, getting into 20 games with the big club where he had two goals and two assists in just under 16 minutes a night.  Somewhat surprisingly, the two sides went to salary arbitration this summer with the 24-year-old being awarded a two-year, $1.625MM contract, the second season of which is a one-way salary.

Metropolitan Notes: York, Jenner, Carrier

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Flyers defenseman Cam York is entering the final year of his contract and is therefore eligible to sign a contract extension.  Speaking with reporters including Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the blueliner indicated he wasn’t worried about getting a deal done at this point knowing that eventually something will work out.  The 23-year-old potted 10 goals along with 20 assists while playing all 82 games last season.  He also notably logged 22:37 per contest, second to only Travis Sanheim.  With that in mind, it might make sense for York to wait a little while yet before signing an extension as a repeat of last year’s performance will only bolster his value heading into next summer when he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility, owed a $1.6MM qualifying offer.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While Boone Jenner has arguably been the Blue Jackets’ most reliable center in recent years, he won’t be lining up there to start the season. Instead, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch relays that the captain will instead line up on the left wing on the top line.  Jenner has been a reliable faceoff specialist over the years but with Sean Monahan being added in free agency and Adam Fantilli now fully recovered from a calf laceration that caused him to miss the second half last season, new head coach Dean Evason wants to see how Jenner fares in Johnny Gaudreau’s old spot, hoping that his forechecking will lead to some additional opportunities.
  • Hurricanes winger William Carrier is only expected to miss a couple of days with the lower-body injury that held him out of practice yesterday, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted that they’re merely being extra cautious with the newcomer.  Carrier signed a six-year, $12MM contract with Carolina over the summer after spending the last seven years with Vegas where he averaged three hits per game while chipping in with 99 points in 372 appearances.

Morning Notes: Shesterkin, Ovechkin, Chychrun, Clifford

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Superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin spoke highly of the Rangers organization, but added that you never know what can happen, when asked about his looming contract year shares Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Talks around Shesterkin’s next deal will be the contract negotiations to watch this season, likely to be the deal that sets the bar for goalie salaries.

That’s an apt responsibility for Shesterkin, perhaps the best goalie in the NHL. He’s coming off yet another strong season, posting 36 wins and a .913 save percentage in 55 starts – a stat line that ranked second, eighth, and 10th among the league’s goalies respectively. Those are dazzling numbers, but actually marked a career-low year for the 28-year-old, who managed a higher save percentage in each of his previous four seasons. That includes his Vezina-winning 2021-22 campaign, when Shesterkin set the second-highest save percentage since 2000 – a .935 in 53 games, then only behind Tim Thomas’ 2010-11 campaign, though Linus Ullmark has since split the bunch.

Either way, the down year is much more a testament to Shesterkin’s greatness than a sign of decline. Even at his worst, he sits among the absolute best goalies in the league. The Rangers will have the dreaded task of paying for that value next summer. They may need to prepare for a deal north of $10MM annually – which would put a second eight-figure man on the Rangers roster, next to Artemi Panarin.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Washington Capitals returned forward Alex Ovechkin and defender Jakob Chychrun to the practice ice early this morning, looking to catch both players up after Ovechkin missed parts of training camp with a small injury, while Chychrun faced an illness shares NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Both players could be headed for top-line roles this season, making their conditioning a top priority for the playoff-hopeful Capitals. Ovechkin in particular will be the focus of the hockey world this year, sitting just 42 goals back from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record. He’s hit that scoring mark on 13 different occasions, including as recent as the 2022-23 campaign. That record, and their role in Washington’s long-term success, will make Ovechkin and Chychrun two names to watch closely through the rest of the Capitals training camp.
  • Veteran bruiser Kyle Clifford has been designated as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Clifford signed a minor-league deal with the Toronto Marlies last month, giving him room to join yet another Maple Leafs training camp. He’ll be working towards his 15th professional season when he returns from injury. Last season marked the first year of that career where Clifford didn’t earn NHL ice time, though he stayed true to form with 140 penalty minutes in 53 AHL games.

West Notes: Blueger, Gridin, Blackhawks

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Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger made an appearance at training camp today (as per Noah Strang of the Daily Hive). The 30-year-old wore a no-contact jersey today after undergoing minor surgery recently to repair a lower-body injury. Blueger wasn’t listed on the team’s camp roster but appears to be ramping up to become a full participant.

Blueger had a good first year in Vancouver last year, dressing in 68 games and matching a career-high with 28 points. The former Stanley Cup champion has never offered a ton offensively but is more than serviceable in a bottom-six role and will be a welcome addition for the Canucks when he gets back to full health.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • Calgary Flames prospect Matvei Gridin was involved in a QMJHL trade today as he was dealt by the Val-d’Or Foreurs to the Shawinigan Cataractes (as per team release). The move has been rumored for quite some time since the CHL annual Import Draft in July. Gridin had yet to come to an agreement with Val-d’Or on his QMJHL Scholarship and Development Agreement and was not part of the team’s training camp. Calgary selected Gridin with the 28th overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft and has unusual eligibility this season because he was drafted out of the USHL and never played a CHL game. Gridin can start the season in the NHL, AHL or CHL.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t expected to make the playoffs this season but there is pressure on the team this season to look like a structured NHL team once again (as per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic). The Blackhawks haven’t won a playoff series since 2015 and won’t likely win one this season, but the expectations are that the team will be competitive and superstar Connor Bedard will take the next step towards being a megastar. On top of that, there will be pressure on third-year head coach Luke Richardson who finally has an NHL lineup to coach and will be expected to implement a system and structure that utilizes the talent that the team has brought in over the last two summers.

Blackhawks Notes: Levshunov, Brossoit, Reichel

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Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times tweeted that Chicago Blackhawks defensive prospect Artyom Levshunov is about four weeks away from returning to action. This year’s second overall pick hurt his right foot blocking a shot on September 11th but could start skating again in a week or so if all goes well between now and then.

The 18-year-old missed the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase last week and will miss the start of the season given the most recent timeline. He was already a long shot to make the Blackhawks NHL roster and will almost certainly start the season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, given the injury.

In other Blackhawks notes:

  • Blackhawks netminder Laurent Brossoit is reportedly on a similar timeline to Levshunov and isn’t expected to get back into the lineup for another four weeks (as per Ben Pop of the Chicago Sun-Times). Broissoit underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee in late August and was expected to recover in 5-7 weeks. The 31-year-old was rock solid as the Winnipeg Jets backup last season, posting a 15-5-2 record with a .927 save percentage. Given the timeline, Broissoit will likely miss the first week or two of the regular season.
  • Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson expects that forward Lukas Reichel will compete for a top-six spot this season (as per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago). Davidson told reporters that the team doesn’t want the 22-year-old playing fourth-line minutes this season and would like to see him figure out a way to cement himself on the top two lines. Reichel has had an uneven start to his NHL career notching 15 points in 23 games during an abbreviated run in 2022-23 but watched his offensive numbers fall off a cliff during his first full NHL season last year. The Nurnberg, Germany native posted just five goals and 11 assists in 65 games last season but still demonstrated the solid skating and strong hockey sense that made him the 17th overall pick in 2020.

Metro Notes: Morrow, Carrier, Sorokin, Beckman, Pavelski

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The Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with a few injuries as team reporter Walt Ruff shares that defenseman Scott Morrow and forward William Carrier are dealing with lower-body injuries. Morrow’s is not considered serious with him expected back at practice tomorrow but the team medical staff is still evaluating Carrier.

Morrow was originally selected with the 40th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Hurricanes and is largely considered the team’s second-best defensive prospect behind Alexander Nikishin. He had a relatively small chance of cracking Carolina’s blue line out of training camp despite making his NHL debut with the Hurricanes last year. It will be his first full professional season since ending his tenure at the University of Massachusetts and he’s expected to take on a key role with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

Carrier was brought in as an unrestricted free agent this summer to a long-term six-year, $12MM contract to serve in the team’s bottom six. The former Stanley Cup champion winger is largely known for his physicality but is only two years removed from scoring 16 goals in a season with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hurricanes could create one of the most physically punishing lines in the league if they pair Carrier with team captain Jordan Staal when fully healthy.

Other Metro notes:

  • New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin continues to progress in his recovery from offseason back surgery and is still expected to start the season on time. Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported earlier today that Sorokin has already resumed skating but has failed to appear in a team practice up to this point. He will still have limited time to get into regular season mode as he looks to improve upon a down year in which he produced a .906 SV% and 3.01 GAA in 55 starts.
  • Adam Beckman’s first preseason with the New Jersey Devils is off to a slow start with James Nicholas of New Jersey Hockey Now reporting he is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Beckman was acquired by the Devils from the Minnesota Wild a few days before Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final in late June. He’s not expected to be a part of New Jersey’s roster for the upcoming season. Still, he could have a valuable role with their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, after scoring 19 goals and 33 points in 51 games for the AHL’s Iowa Wild last year.
  • Longtime NHL veteran Joe Pavelski appears to be moving quickly onto his next plans after retirement. The Pittsburgh Penguins TV play-by-play announcer, Josh Getzoff, reported today that Pavelski was at the team’s training camp with general manager Kyle Dubas and assistant general manager Jason Spezza. There has been no indication since the Penguins are considering Pavelski for a role in their front office but it may be a small insight into Pavelski’s future in the NHL.

Atlantic Notes: Edvinsson, Dahlin, LeBreton Flats

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The Detroit Red Wings already have high hopes for defensive prospect Simon Edvinsson despite not playing in a preseason game this year. Max Bultman of The Athletic shared earlier that head coach Derek Lalonde expects Edvinsson to find consistent playing time in the team’s top four to start the season.

The young Swede has spent the better part of two years with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, but also has 25 NHL contests under his belt. There are high expectations for the sixth overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft as the Red Wings desperately need to take pressure off Moritz Seider to balance out their defensive core.

Edvinsson is a remarkably smooth skater considering his 6’6″ frame and has moved the puck well with 44 assists in 106 AHL contests. He was seen skating on a line with veteran defenseman Jeff Petry yesterday during practice and that will be the likely pairing heading into the 2024-25 NHL season.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was back skating today after suffering an undisclosed injury in yesterday’s practice (X Link). He’s unlikely to play in tomorrow’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins as the team remains cautionary with their top blue liner. It’s a positive sign that Dahlin is already back skating despite having little to prove in preseason action. He’s coming off another quality year with 10 goals and 59 points in 81 games and the Sabres’ brass will prioritize him being ready for the regular season opener.
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported this morning that the Ottawa Senators and National Capital Commission had reached a deal for the organization to build a new arena and entertainment district in Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats neighborhood. As more news regarding the acquisition continues to break, Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet reports the land purchase should be finalized in 2025. This shouldn’t have any major impact on the deal as the Senators’ organization never indicated that developing their new arena and district would be quick.

Ville Heinola Out Long-Term With Infection

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Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ville Heinola will miss an extended time due to an infection in his ankle. The infection appears to be stemming from a screw placed in Heinola’s ankle during surgery last year to repair a fracture. Winnipeg head coach Scott Arniel said the team would re-evaluate Heinola in a week but there are little odds of him starting the season on time.

It’s a gut punch for Heinola who will now miss the better part of another season due to an ankle fracture requiring the surgical repair. He was limited to 41 games last year with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, scoring 10 goals and 27 points. The young Finnish defenseman was entering camp with a legitimate shot at earning a full-time spot with the Jets’ after an offseason of departures for the team’s blue line.

Murat Ates of The Athletic followed up on the initial report indicating that Heinola and the team’s medical staff would look into antibiotic treatments and surgery. The physical depth of the surgery will likely make the largest impact on Heinola’s recovery timeline if they decide to take that route.

Even if Heinola misses another half-season it should not be a total detriment to his development. He’s still only 23 years old and is one of the better defensive prospects in Winnipeg’s pipeline. One could reasonably expect the former 20th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft to eventually pass Colin Miller, Dylan Samberg, and Logan Stanley on the team’s depth chart over the next two years.

Outside of Heinola being out long-term, the only other downstream effect of this news is that one of Dylan Coghlan or Haydn Fleury will make the Jets’ roster out of camp as the team’s seventh defenseman. Winnipeg brought in both defensemen as unrestricted free agents this summer on identical one-year, $775K contracts. The organization should provide an update over the next week indicating Heinola’s recovery path and timeline.

Utah Signs Dylan Guenther To Eight-Year Extension

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According to a team announcement, the Utah Hockey Club has signed forward Dylan Guenther to an eight-year extension. The organization does not typically share financial details but Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports shares that it will be a $7.143MM cap hit for Guenther making the total value just north of $57.14MM.

It’s the richest deal the franchise has signed since being birthed from the ashes of the Arizona Coyotes. He’ll be the team’s second-highest-paid forward starting next season, trailing Clayton Keller’s $7.15MM cap hit by a slim margin.

Guenther, 21, was projected as a future cornerstone piece for the Coyotes when they drafted him ninth overall in 2021. That hasn’t changed since the move to Utah this offseason, but it’s still a considerable chunk of change for a player who’s yet to remain on an NHL roster for an entire regular season.

After spending his post-draft campaign entirely in juniors with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, Guenther cracked the Coyotes’ opening night roster for 2022-23. He churned out solid numbers for a 19-year-old winger on a rebuilding team, scoring six goals and adding nine assists for 15 points in 33 games.

But with Guenther averaging third-line minutes at best, seeing 13:07 per game, the Coyotes returned Guenther to juniors in February with the bigger picture in mind. That wasn’t surprising, but it was eye-raising to see him left off the opening night roster last season. The Edmonton native was assigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners as part of Arizona’s final cuts.

Quickly, the 6’2″ winger showed he’d outgrown the farm. He opened the campaign with 28 points in 29 games for the Roadrunners before being recalled in January.

Guenther spent the back half of 2023-24 in the NHL, where he quickly proved he was ready to shoulder top-six minutes. He scored 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points in 45 games, posting above-average possession metrics while averaging 16:17 per game. Had he spent all 82 games in the majors, he would have scored 64 points, placing him second on the team behind Keller’s 76.

There’s no question about Guenther’s standing in the Utah organization entering this season. He’ll be on the opening night roster, likely slotting in behind Keller as the team’s second-line right wing. But a max-term commitment making him one of the team’s highest-paid players is risky for someone with less than a full season’s worth of experience, high as his ceiling may be.

It could certainly end up being a bargain deal for Utah if Guenther checks in as a perennial 70-point winger, especially as the salary cap rises. However, a looming extension places a great deal of immediate pressure on Guenther to live up to that cap hit starting this season.

An eight-year deal walks Guenther to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2033, when he’ll be 30 years old. If there’s any trade protection coming as part of the extension, it can’t go into effect until the 2030-31 season at the earliest, when he otherwise would have been eligible to first test the UFA market.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Utah and Guenther were nearing an eight-year agreement with an AAV close to $7MM. 

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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