Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Carolina Hurricanes Extend PTOs To Cory Conacher, Brendan Perlini

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes have added forwards Cory Conacher and Brendan Perlini to their training camp roster on PTOs, per an announcement by team reporter Walt Ruff late last night.

Conacher does have seven seasons of NHL experience but hasn’t suited up in the world’s top league since appearing in four games in 2019-20 for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now 33 years old, the 5-foot-9 Conacher is far removed from his breakout rookie season in 2012-13 when he recorded 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 47 games split between the Lightning and Ottawa Senators. He was never able to produce near that clip again in the NHL, and while he’s had some successful stints in the minors and overseas, he simply hasn’t been able to translate his strong AHL numbers to the show.

He’s unlikely to unseat anyone for a spot on the Hurricanes’ full-time roster, but he is looking to land an NHL contract in the hopes of earning a call-up at some point throughout the season and playing an impactful depth role, much like Mackenzie MacEachern and Stefan Noesen have done for the ’Canes in recent memory. There is a significant complicating factor here, however. Both Conacher and Perlini are already under AHL contract next season with the Chicago Wolves, the Hurricanes’ former affiliate who’s opted to operate independently in 2023-24. Wolves general manager Wendell Young has stated publically that the Wolves aren’t likely to accept any players from the Hurricanes on loan after their affiliation agreement lapsed, meaning signing an NHL deal would force Conacher and Perlini to play where the Hurricanes can find a home for them with another AHL squad on loan.

Conacher has put up 75 points in 193 career NHL games and 340 points in 371 career AHL games since turning pro in 2011. He played just 17 games last season with the Belleville Senators and Charlotte Checkers, recording four goals and ten points.

Perlini does have more NHL experience under his belt at 262 games but has suited up in just five seasons, as the 2014 12th overall pick of the Arizona Coyotes has fallen out of a full-time NHL role over the past few seasons. He spent the 2022-23 campaign with AHL Chicago without an NHL deal, playing alongside Hurricanes prospects and recording ten goals and 15 points in just 26 games due to injury. He last suited up in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers in 2021-22, averaging just 8:22 per game and recording four goals and one assist. It’s not the path most envisioned for Perlini after he opened his NHL career with double-digit goal totals in three straight seasons with the Coyotes and Blackhawks from 2017 to 2019.

Summer Synopsis: Carolina Hurricanes

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes have been a good hockey team for a very long time now. Despite all kinds of regular season success, the current group of Hurricanes haven’t been able to sustain a long playoff run which has resulted in spring disappointment becoming a bit of an annual tradition in Carolina. Last year, through two rounds, the Hurricanes looked poised to be on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals, however, they ran into the white-hot Florida Panthers and were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even the best teams stumble when faced with a hot goaltender, but for the Hurricanes scoring became an issue in the playoffs, as has been the case several times now. Carolina went into this summer with question marks in the crease, as well as on their blue line. They addressed both, however scoring could remain an issue once again for the Hurricanes as they head into another cup or bust season.

Draft

1-30: F Bradly Nadeau, Penticton (BCHL)
2-62: F Felix Unger Sorum, Leksands (Sweden U20)
3-94: F Jayden Perron, Chicago (USHL)
4-100: F Alexander Rykov,  Chelmet Chelyabinksk (VHL)
4-126: F Stanislov Yaravoy, Vityaz (KHL)
5-139: D Charles-Alexis Legault, Quinnipiac (NCAA)
5-158: G Ruslan Khazheyev, Chelyabinsk (MHL)
6-163: F Timur Mukhanov, Omskie Krylia (MHL)
6-190: F Michael Emerson, Chicago (USHL)

7-222: G Yegor Velmakin, Proton Novovoronezh (NMHL)

Carolina opted to hang onto their first round pick this past year rather than moving it for trade deadline help or in a potential Erik Karlsson trade. It was an interesting move given the timeline that they are currently on. Nadeau was one of the analytical darlings of the 2023 NHL entry draft and is a pure scorer. He is slightly undersized; however, he will have time to pack on size as he is committed to the University of Maine. Nadeau played Junior A in British Columbia last season, leaving some scouts wishing they could have seen him play in U-18s to assess him against the other top competition in his age bracket.

In the second round of the draft Carolina continued to demonstrate that they wanted to take swings at offensively talented players as they took Felix Unger Sorum. The 18-year-old Norwegian-born winger spent last season in Sweden playing for Leksands and had 10 goals and 46 points in 42 games. Sorum possess incredible hockey sense and projects to be a terrific puck distributor in the future. Carolina’s draft strategy of taking offensively gifted players has paid off in previous drafts and in 2023 they employed much of the same strategy. 

Trade Acquisitions

F David Kase (Philadelphia)

Kase was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in early August in exchange for C Massimo Rizzo and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick.  The 26-year-old hasn’t been overly productive in very limited NHL action thus far as he has just a single goal in seven career games. Kase hasn’t dressed in an NHL game since 2020-21 and has spent the past two seasons in Czechia where he has been somewhat productive posting 10 goals and 27 assists in 68 games.  Kase is still under contract with HC Litvinov for this upcoming season, making Carolina’s acquisition of him a bit curious given their logjam at forward and his lack of offensive punch.

UFA Signings

D Nathan Beaulieu (PTO)

F Michael Bunting (three years, $13.5MM)

D Tony DeAngelo (one year, $1.675MM)
D Caleb Jones (one years, $775K)

F Brendan Lemieux (one year, $800K)
D Dmitry Orlov (two years, $15.5MM)

Orlov was the prized defenseman of free agency and wound up opting for a short-term lucrative deal with the Hurricanes that leaves the possibility of cashing in once again in two seasons when the cap is expected to rise significantly. Orlov also gave himself an opportunity to take two runs at the Stanley Cup with a team that is sure to remain a contender through the duration of his two-year deal. The downside for the 32-year-old is the risk of injury or a drop-in play that could substantially impact his earning ability once his current pact with Carolina expires. From Carolina’s perspective, they get a terrific defenseman that can plug in on either of their top two pairings on the backend. Carolina already boasted one of the best defensive groups in the league and Orlov is sure to add to that distinction.

Bunting bolstered his free agent stock after a pair of terrific offensive seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, however he was likely hoping to cash in on a longer-term deal but may not have found the kind of money he was looking for. He settled on a three-year deal and will have every opportunity to continue to play with skilled players in Carolina. Something he has done a very good job of in Toronto. A suspension in the playoffs for a hit on Erik Cernak likely hurt his free agent stock a little bit as it further added to a reputation that was starting to develop around the league. Bunting had a few questionable plays last season including run-ins with the referees, taking bad penalties and some embellished falls. This may have hurt his market as some people in the media have speculated that Bunting has run out of runway with the NHL head office.

Tony DeAngelo resurrected his career last year with the Hurricanes before they dealt him to the Flyers for three draft picks. He was a model citizen in Carolina and fit in well with their offensive and defensive schemes. Never known to be defensively adept, DeAngelo managed to avoid a lot of his defensive shortcomings while a member of Carolina. However, once he was moved to Philadelphia, a lot of his defensive miscues began to re-emerge, and the 27-year-old once again found himself drowning in his own defensive zone. Now, he is back in Carolina and there is no reason to think he won’t be able to settle back in as a solid option for the Hurricanes. Carolina can shelter the Sewell, New Jersey native and allow him to focus more on his offensive side of the game. Something he excels in.

RFA Re-Signings

D Dylan Coghlan (one year, $850K)

A year ago, Coghlan was a sweetener when the Vegas Golden Knights traded, he and Max Pacioretty to the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations. It was a cap dump and it allowed Vegas to make room for other signings, and Carolina received two players for what essentially amounted to nothing. Pacioretty has since moved on to Washington, but Coghlan remains in Carolina. After going undrafted out of the WHL, Coghlan wound up in the AHL where he posted two solid offensive seasons with the Chicago Wolves before joining the Golden Knights. While he has never been able to carry his offensive production from the minors into the NHL, he has shown some glimpses while with Vegas and will now be given another look by Carolina.

Coghlan struggled in his first season with the Hurricanes as he posted just three assists in 17 NHL games, however, he continued to put up good offensive numbers in the AHL, albeit in limited action. At just 25 years of age, it is quite possible that Coghlan has more to give, but with the depth that Carolina has at the position, it’s possible that he may find himself on the outside looking in when the season begins.

Key Departures

F Max Pacioretty (Washington, one year, $2MM)
G Zach Sawchenko (Vancouver)*
D William Lagesson (Toronto)*
D Max Lajoie (Toronto)*
D Shayne Gostisbehere (Detroit, one year, $4.125MM)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (St. Louis)
D Calvin de Haan (Tampa Bay, one year, $775K)
F Ondrej Kase (HC Litvinov)
D Cavan Fitzgerald (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
F Malte Strömwall (Frolunda)

Up front, Pacioretty is the most notable loss, however, given how often he was injured last season, he is more of a never was. The Hurricanes obtained Pacioretty for a song, and unfortunately, he was never able to stay in the lineup for a sustained period of time. Pacioretty had three goals in five games with Carolina including two goals in his second game, but a series of unfortunate injuries led to a lost season for the 34-year-old.  A reunion seemed possible, but both the Hurricanes and Pacioretty opted to move in different directions.

Kase is another loss to the Hurricanes offense but much like Pacioretty he too was injured for almost the entire season. Kase was coming off a decent season in Toronto after posting 14 goals and 13 assists in 50 games and seemed like a good bet to provide middle six minutes for the Hurricanes. But injuries kept him from getting into the lineup and Kase has now elected to return home to play.

Carolina had equally as much turnover on the back end as they lost two regulars in Gostisbehere and de Haan.  Gostisbehere was a trade deadline acquisition from Arizona and was a good pickup at the time as he added some offensive punch to their backend in a sheltered role. However, given that the club signed Orlov, Gostisbehere was effectively replaced by a much better player, albeit at a much high cap number.

Calvin de Haan looked like a blueliner on the rise back in his New York Islanders days as he posted several solid seasons as a stay-at-home defenceman that could chip in on offense occasionally. As his career has gone on, he has seen his offense dry up and he has struggled at times to keep up with the pace of the NHL. He is still an NHL defenseman, but at this point in his career, he is best served as a seventh defenseman. He did find NHL work with Tampa Bay and will likely be counted on to serve as a 6-7 defenseman.

Lagesson and Lajoie both left Carolina for two-way deals with Toronto and both will most likely find themselves in the AHL playing for the Marlies. The story is the same for goaltender Sawchenko who departed Carolina for Vancouver and will most likely see time as a third or fourth option in the crease.

Salary Cap Outlook

Few teams have the ability to lose players in free agency and immediately replace them internally. Carolina has been able to do it over the past few years and may need to do it again next summer as they may face a cap crunch with Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, Seth Jarvis and Teuvo Teravainen due new contracts. Carolina has almost $56MM committed to 10 players next season, and although they have over $30MM in cap space for next year, that money will dry up quickly when Carolina is locking up gifted free agents.

Key Questions

Can Carolina Score: The Hurricanes have a lot of offensively gifted players, but can they score when it matters the most? Carolina couldn’t solve Sergei Bobrovsky in last year’s playoffs, and it wasn’t the first time they’ve had that issue. Carolina has done little this offseason to bring in more offense, despite this being a fatal flaw. Can they address this in season, or do they even see this as a problem? DeAngelo and Orlov will provide more offense from the backend, and maybe it will be enough. Time will tell.

Will Pesce Re-sign? The Hurricanes have several high profiles pending free agents and none bigger than Pesce, who is a homegrown, beloved, rock-solid defender for the Canes. Defensemen are always in demand, particularly those who shoot right and provide a rare combination of size, skill, grit, and playmaking. There has been no shortage of trade speculation involving Pesce and it reached a point where a trade seemed inevitable, but it never materialized. It could still happen in season as Carolina can opt to move Pesce to shore up other parts of their lineup, or maybe they wait for a different kind of trade. The Hurricanes have options and have nearly eight months to decide what they want to do with the pending free agents on the backend.

Who Will Emerge In Net? Carolina opted to bring back the same goalie trio that they employed last season. The team re-signed pending free agents Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen and are now committed to run it back again with the same goalie pairing. This isn’t a knock on either goalie as they’ve both had terrific careers, but it has felt for quite a while like the Hurricanes were just a goalie away from being a true Stanley Cup contender. But given the low cost of the tandem and their track records of regular season success, it’s hard to argue with rolling in back rather than opting to roll the dice in the trade market or unrestricted free agency.  The Canes do have Pyotr Kochetkov waiting in the wings should either veteran netminder falter, and given the youngster’s track record he could very well be the goalie of the future in Carolina.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Cameron Hillis To PTO

at CDT | by 2 Comments

CapFriendly has announced that the Detroit Red Wings have reportedly signed center Cameron Hillis to a PTO. The Oshawa, Ontario native was non-tendered by the Chicago Blackhawks back in June and was unable to find a contract for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old was a Montreal Canadiens third-round pick in the 2018 NHL draft and looked poised to take the next step after he captained the Guelph Storm in his final season of OHL eligibility. Hillis posted 24 goals and 59 assists in 62 games during that final OHL run and appeared to be every bit the playmaker the Canadiens hoped he’d be.

However, once Hillis made the jump to professional hockey his undersized frame started to hinder his offensive ability. In Hillis’ first professional season in the AHL, he produced just a single goal in 18 games. The next year, 2021-22, Hillis made his NHL debut with the Canadiens but spent the lion’s share of his season in the AHL and ECHL. While Hillis posted nine points in 14 ECHL games, he continued to struggle to score at the AHL level as he posted just five goals and four assists with the Laval Rocket in 24 AHL games.

This past October Hillis was dealt by the Canadiens to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for another struggling prospect Nicolas Beaudin. The change of scenery did little to ignite Hillis’ game, and in fact, his offensive struggles became worse as he posted just two assists in 18 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs. Hillis did find an offensive pulse in the ECHL with the Indy Fuel where he posted 14 goals and 36 assists in 45 games. Given his lack of AHL success, Chicago opted to cut ties and allow Hillis to walk this offseason.

The Detroit Red Wings have made significant additions to their forward group this offseason and have a bit of a logjam going into the season. Given that, and Hillis’ struggles at both the NHL and AHL level it is hard to see him obtaining an NHL contract with the Red Wings. However, he could find an AHL deal or even an ECHL contract that would allow him to try and re-capture some of the offensive flair he showed in the OHL.

Joel Kiviranta Signs PTO With Colorado Avalanche

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Peter Baugh of The Athletic is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche have dipped their toes into the PTO waters once again as they have signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a professional tryout. The 27-year-old spent last season with the Dallas Stars where he registered eight goals and one assist in 70 games while playing 12:09 a night. Kiviranta joins Peter Holland who also signed a PTO with the Avalanche last week and will be looking to crack the team’s bottom six forward group and earn an NHL contract.

The native of Vantaa, Finland was signed by the Stars as an undrafted free agent back in May 2019 after he helped Finland earn a gold medal at the 2019 World Championship. He dressed in 11 NHL games the following season scoring just a single goal before dressing in 26 games in 2020-21 where he scored a career high 11 points.

The next two seasons would see Kiviranta become an NHL regular, albeit one who couldn’t regularly crack the score sheet. In 126 games over the past two seasons, Kiviranta has posted a total of nine goals and seven assists while going -15. Obviously, his offensive numbers leave a lot to be desired but on the defensive side of the puck Kiviranta has posted 214 hits over the past two years, and last season posted terrific takeaway numbers with 29 takeaways and just 13 giveaways.

Kiviranta is unlikely to develop into much more than a 13th forward at this point in his career, but for a team starving for some sandpaper and depth, it makes sense for the Avalanche to take a free look at Kiviranta and see if he can help them out.

Minor Transactions: 08/28/23

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The last week of August is upon us, meaning NHL training camps are now just a few weeks away. Across the hockey world, seasons are much closer to beginning, however, meaning transaction activity is beginning to dry up. There are still a few pieces of news to parse through, however.

  • The Reading Royals, ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, have locked in forward Mason McCarty and goalie Jacob Kucharski for the 2023-24 season, per a team release. McCarty, hailing from Blackie, Alberta, is entering his third professional season after accruing 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 43 games with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings last season. Now 26, McCarty’s history includes stints in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades, as well as three years suiting up for Acadia University in the Canadian collegiate circuit. Kucharski, a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes (who still hold his NHL signing rights), will suit up for his inaugural full professional season in Reading. He’s earned NCAA Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Year honors and won two consecutive NCAA titles with American International College. Kucharski also participated in development camp with the Hurricanes in 2018 and 2019 but hasn’t yet landed an entry-level deal.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Summer Synopsis: Calgary Flames

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Last season was a trajectory-altering one for the Calgary Flames, although not in the way they’d hoped. A major reshuffling of their top stars was expected to keep the Flames near the top of the Pacific Division, but they missed the playoffs entirely after a season mired by inconsistency. Multiple players underperformed, their goaltending tandem of Jacob Markström and Daniel Vladar struggled, and most players seemed to rejoice when the team moved on from head coach Darryl Sutter after the season. With Ryan Huska now behind the bench and Craig Conroy steering the ship as general manager, the Flames enter a truly pivotal 2023-24 campaign with multiple core players destined for free agency next summer.

Draft

1-16: F Samuel Honzek, Vancouver (WHL)
2-48: D Étienne Morin, Moncton (QMJHL)
3-80: F Aydar Suniev, Penticton (BCHL)
4-112: F Jaden Lipinski, Vancouver (WHL)
6-176: G Yegor Yegorov, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)
7-208: D Axel Hurtig, Rögle (J20 Nationell)

Without sensibly being able to buy at last season’s trade deadline, former GM Brad Treliving held on to their premier draft choices – a move that quickly paid off. While they aren’t franchise-altering talents, Honzek and Morin make up a high-end haul from the first two rounds and should yield a future everyday top-nine forward and top-six defender, respectively. Honzek is the class star here, but he’s expected to return to WHL Vancouver next season after posting 56 points in 43 games there last year in an injury-shortened campaign.

Morin was also a player who could very well have gone in the late first round, and he was one of, if not the best, defender available out of the QMJHL after recording 72 points and a +29 rating in 67 games with Moncton last season. Suniev, Lipinski and Yegorov round out a list of some high-risk, high-reward picks, while Hurtig projects as a hulking shutdown defender if he can manage a pro career.

Trade Acquisitions

F Yegor Sharangovich (from New Jersey)

While a dependable top-nine scorer, Sharangovich had a down year after a strong first two campaigns in New Jersey. The Devils’ 2018 fifth-round pick burst onto the scene in 2020-21, posting 16 goals and 30 points in 54 games (a 24-goal, 46-point pace over 82 games that he would replicate in 2021-22). His production, relative possession numbers and ice time all dipped last season, though, earning him a spot in the press box at times when the postseason rolled around. Slated for restricted free agency, the Devils had no issue moving on from him to acquire a short-term upgrade from Calgary in Tyler Toffoli. The Flames now have him locked into an affordable $3.1MM cap hit for the next two seasons, and they’re hoping by giving him a top-six role, he can get back to hovering around the 45-to-50-point mark and churn out another 20-goal campaign. He could potentially play as high as a first-line role alongside Elias Lindholm, replacing Toffoli’s spot in the lineup directly.

Key UFA Signings

F Dryden Hunt (two years, $1.55MM)*
D Jordan Oesterle (one year, $925K)

*-denotes two-way contract

After Treliving doled out a healthy amount of cash last summer, the Flames weren’t left with much space to work with. Even with just the two sub-$1MM cap hit signings, the Flames are currently $213K over the cap with a roster of 22 players, according to CapFriendly’s projections. The 31-year-old Oesterle is technically their biggest addition on the UFA market, and he’s far from a lock to play an everyday role, let alone make the team out of camp with their cap restraints. He’d spent the last two seasons in Detroit, where he’s recorded the worst possession metrics of his nine-year NHL career and averaged 15:39 per game last season in a decidedly depth role. It’s a long shot from his days with the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks in the late 2010s when he looked like an option that could slide into the top four in a pinch. With Oliver Kylington ready to return to the team next season after taking 2022-23 off on personal leave, Oesterle will likely start the season as Calgary’s seventh defenseman.

Hunt will also battle to make the Flames roster in a 13th forward-type role. Last season was a rollercoaster for the 27-year-old, who played for the New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs in the span of just a few months after being claimed on waivers and then traded. Playing in 37 NHL games, he scored just three goals after posting 17 points in 76 games with the Rangers in 2021-22. He was traded yet another time at last season’s deadline to the Flames, playing out the rest of the season with their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. His 15 points in 17 games there were enough to warrant the team bringing him back after the UFA period opened.

Key RFA Re-Signings

F Walker Duehr (two years, $1.65MM)
F Yegor Sharangovich (two years, $6.2MM)

We’ve already covered Sharangovich’s impact on the team at length above, so Duehr gets our full attention regarding the Flames’ notable RFA signings this summer. Calgary signed the 6-foot-2 undrafted winger out of Minnesota State after his senior campaign ended in 2021, during which he recorded 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points in 28 games en route to a WCHA regular-season championship. He’s since shown the ability to translate his low-ceiling but effective checking game to the pro ranks, posting decent offensive totals in the minors with the Wranglers. He appeared in 27 games for the Flames last season in a bottom-six role, scoring seven goals in 27 games – a feat that’s likely earned him a spot on the team’s opening night roster come October. The 25-year-old would require waivers at this stage to be returned to the Wranglers.

Key Departures

F Trevor Lewis (Los Angeles, one year, $775K)
F Milan Lucic (Boston, one year, $1MM)
D Connor Mackey (NY Rangers, one year, $775K)
F Brett Ritchie (UFA)
F Nick Ritchie (UFA)
D Troy Stecher (Arizona, one year, $1.1MM)
D Michael Stone (retirement)
F Tyler Toffoli (trade with New Jersey)

The only extremely notable departure here is Toffoli, with whom the organization hopes they’ve replaced somewhat laterally with Sharangovich. If the latter doesn’t pan out, however, it will be a tough loss to swallow. Toffoli was their best player last season, leading the team with 34 goals and 73 points while posting high-end possession metrics and taking on 16:37 per game. There’s no other internal option ready to step up and replace that production without causing a domino effect on the team’s depth.

The rest on this list either played fourth-line or other depth roles for the majority of the season, while some (Nick Ritchie and Stecher) were only part of the team for a handful of games post-deadline and had a minimal effect on the team’s success as a whole last season. In Lucic and Lewis, though, they lose a couple of veterans with cup-winning pedigree, although their on-ice performance had withered in recent seasons to the point where they were maybe better served for press-box roles, especially in Lucic’s case.

Mackey and Stone move on after sitting near the high-end of the Flames’ “extra defensemen” list, although Stone will stay with the Flames in an off-ice capacity.

Salary Cap Outlook

Calgary will be cap-compliant to start the season, but it won’t be with a full roster, as we discussed earlier, per CapFriendly. As things stand, they’ll only have room for one extra skater (or none and one extra goalie should they opt to carry Dustin Wolf with the team to start the season). It means a corresponding move could very well be coming before the puck drops on the 2023-24 campaign, and teams need to turn in their cap-compliant rosters, but it’s not an absolute necessity. The Flames have no dead cap complicating things, either, unless they demote Kevin Rooney to the minors again – that will result in a buried penalty of $150K, given his $1.3MM cap hit.

Key Questions

Who Stays And Who Goes?: The slate of pending UFAs has been widely discussed at this point, especially the trio of Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. The team’s play over the first few months of the season will likely dictate which of those players are still team members after the 2024 trade deadline. There are some other important depth players on expiring deals like Christopher Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, too, who could command decent returns as rentals if the team doesn’t anticipate being able to re-sign them.

Who Takes Over In The Crease?: There’s no sugarcoating it – Jacob Markström had his worst season as a full-time starter last season after finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting the year prior, a remarkable falloff for the 33-year-old who’s halfway through a six-year, $6MM AAV deal. He barely crawled over the .500 mark, posting a 23-21-2 record, and had just a .892 save percentage and a lone shutout after leading the NHL with nine last season. If he can’t recapture his previous top-ten form, look for the Flames to turn to the young Wolf, who is still 22 years old but has won back-to-back AHL Goalie of the Year awards in his first two pro seasons.

Can The Young Guns Add Scoring Depth?: The Flames have a pair of wingers slated to start the season in bottom-six roles who could very well end up higher in the lineup by season’s end – Matthew Coronato and Jakob Pelletier. First-round picks in 2021 and 2019, respectively, Pelletier tore up the AHL with 37 points in 35 games last season but didn’t necessarily jump off the page in the NHL, recording seven points in 24 games. Coronato got just one game of action after turning pro after two seasons at Harvard, during which he recorded 36 points in 34 games in back-to-back campaigns.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Goalie Notes: Forsberg, Leinonen, Schwab

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg is geared up for the upcoming training camp, telling The Athletic’s Ian Mendes he’s fully recovered from a double MCL tear sustained during a goalmouth collision in February.

“I’ve been back to 100 percent for a long time,” Forsberg told Mendes. “I would have been back last year if we made the playoffs.” He’ll be entering next season as part of what Ottawa hopes is a more fortified goalie tandem, with Joonas Korpisalo replacing Cam Talbot as Forsberg’s partner in the crease. Forsberg has given Ottawa some solid play since once again breaking out as a full-time NHLer in Canada’s capital, accumulating a 33-28-6 record, .912 save percentage, 2.98 goals-against average, and three shutouts over the past two seasons. He says he can return to that level of play, as he told Mendes he doesn’t feel any lingering effects from the major knee injuries – a remarkable statement given they occurred just six months ago. If he can maintain the solid numbers and challenge Korpisalo for the lion’s share of the starts, Ottawa does have a true shot at breaking through into the postseason for the first time since losing in the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.

Some other goalie-related items of interest:

  • Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Topias Leinonen will miss the beginning of 2023-24 due to injury, The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski relays. Buffalo selected the massive 6-foot-5, 234-pound netminder in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, but he struggled last season with just a .885 save percentage in the Finnish junior circuit. He’ll miss around the first two months of the Liiga season, although he’s expected to take on a backup role for JYP once he returns.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have confirmed the last of their remaining extensions for their assistant coaches, signing goalie coach Corey Schwab to a multi-year deal. Schwab is one of the Coyotes’ longest-tenured organizational members at this point, serving with the team as a coach in some capacity since 2015. While the team hasn’t had much success during his tenure, goaltending has been far from an issue – names like Adin Hill, Darcy Kuemper, Antti Raanta, and Karel Vejmelka have all churned out solid performances under Schwab’s tutelage.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Sam Gagner To PTO

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers are open to bringing veteran forward Sam Gagner back for a third stint with the team, as they’ve signed him to a professional tryout today. The team also confirmed the previously reported PTO for center Brandon Sutter, who’s missed the last two seasons with long COVID symptoms.

Gagner, 34, is not the player the Oilers envisioned they were getting when they selected him sixth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. However, he remains a serviceable 13th forward on his worst day and a consistent bottom-six presence on his best. He played last season in a Winnipeg Jets uniform, missing the last few weeks of the 2022-23 season due to a hip injury. He managed to get into 48 games while playing a solid leadership role, however, recording eight goals and 14 points while posting quite advantageous possession metrics, something he’s done routinely over the years despite playing on some subpar teams – he’s made the playoffs just twice in his 16-year, 1,015-game career.

He was coming off a solid campaign with the Detroit Red Wings in 2021-22, playing in 81 of 82 games whilst recording 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points. He’s been a solid bet for somewhere between 30 and 45 points through most of his career. At this stage, that’s not likely (especially given the limited bottom-six role he might play in Edmonton), but he is a dependable presence who’s managed to consistently avoid being a liability.

The Oilers’ biggest question mark regarding roster construction lies at the fourth-line center spot, which is quickly becoming rather obvious by signing a pair of candidates for the position to PTOs. There’s also Lane Pederson in the mix for the job, who they signed to a two-year, league-minimum one-way deal on July 1. AHL veteran Brad Malone, who recorded 21 points in 41 games with the Bakersfield Condors last season, could make a run for a full-time NHL role for the first time since 2015-16 as well.

Gagner will need to make himself known during training camp, then, as it’s evident space is limited on the Oilers’ roster, and they’re keeping their options open for the few spots that do remain. However, a cursory look labels him as the best option for the job, and there’s a level of familiarity between him, the Oilers, and GM Ken Holland that could play to his advantage

Golden Knights Prospect Arttu Kärki Commits To OHL’s Soo Greyhounds

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Vegas Golden Knights defense prospect Arttu Kärki has signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Soo Greyhounds, bringing him to North America for the 2023-24 season. The Greyhounds selected Kärki with their first-round pick in the 2023 CHL Import Draft.

Kärki, 18, went off the board to Vegas with the final pick of the third round (96th overall) in this summer’s NHL Draft. A high-end offensive-minded defender in the Finnish junior circuit, Kärki confirms his move to North America just a day before OHL training camps begin.

Hailing from Viiala, Finland, the 6-foot-2, 176-pound defenseman recorded 13 goals and 26 assists for 39 points in 36 regular-season games with Tappara U20 of the U20 SM-sarja Finnish league. He led his team’s defensemen in goals and finished second in goals from defensemen in the entire league.

Vegas took Kärki around where most public scouts expected him to go. They haven’t signed him to an entry-level contract yet, and since he was drafted out of Finland (not the CHL), they have four years to sign him before letting his exclusive signing rights expire.

That said, Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis is quite high on Kärki and expects the transition to North American major junior hockey to be a positive thing for his development. “Arttu has all the tools of an elite defenseman,” Raftis said. “His size, skating ability, and high-end puck skills make him a threat all over the ice.”

The Greyhounds currently have three other NHL-drafted prospects expected to suit up for them next season: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Andrew Gibson, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev and New York Rangers center Bryce McConnell-Barker.

Buffalo Sabres Name Terry Pegula Team President

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The Buffalo Sabres are the second team this morning to announce significant front-office restructuring, confirming that team owner Terry Pegula is stepping into the role of president.

The Sabres say this shift enables Pegula to collaborate more closely with team COO John Roth, who leads the team’s business aspects, and general manager Kevyn Adams, who spearheads the team’s hockey operations. In doing so, the team’s overarching ownership organization, Pegula Sports and Entertainment, is separating its resources between the Sabres and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, which Pegula, along with his wife, Kim, also owns.

“We are thankful for the work and effort so many individuals have put into PSE over the years, but feel it is the right time for them to return home to separate organizations,” Pegula said. “We feel that now is the right time to dissolve PSE and allow everyone to focus solely on their respective organization. It is a great time to be a Buffalo sports fan, and we have a tremendous amount of confidence that this restructuring will allow our businesses to continue to elevate with our teams.”

It’s a move that appears strategically aimed to allow for more specialized focus on the Bills and Sabres as both teams enter what they hope are lengthy periods of championship contention. The Sabres are aiming at their first playoff appearance in 13 years this season and will do so on the back of a young core with more impressive prospects on the way.

This could mean Pegula is taking a more influential role in the team’s hockey operations decisions, something he’s already been rather heavily involved with. It’s an arrangement Adams evidently feels comfortable with as GM, but it can be a rather tricky environment for some to navigate as opposed to a team’s owner giving their hockey operations department full autonomy.

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

scroll to top