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Edmonton Oilers Sign Evan Bouchard

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August 24: PuckPedia has the breakdown of Bouchard’s deal, which is expected to become official today. He’ll earn $3.5MM in 2023-24 and $4.3MM in 2024-25, all in base salary. He’ll be due a $4.3MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights upon expiry in 2025.

August 23: The Edmonton Oilers are closing in on a two-year extension with their last remaining RFA, defenseman Evan Bouchard. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the deal will be worth around $3.9MM per season.

Bouchard, Edmonton’s tenth-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, all but solidified his trajectory as a bonafide top-four defenseman last season. In his second full-time NHL campaign, Bouchard recorded at least 40 points after doing so in his rookie season and improved on already decent possession metrics.

It was the postseason, however, where Bouchard earned himself widespread attention. Despite getting eliminated in the Second Round, Bouchard led all defensemen in playoff points last season with four goals and 13 assists for 17 points in just 12 games. Averaging 23 minutes per game, Bouchard put his skills as a developing elite power-play quarterback on full display, recording 15 of his 17 points on Edmonton’s top special teams unit.

While Bouchard could have very well secured more money and term with unlimited resources, all signs pointed to a bridge deal throughout the negotiation process. Oilers general manager Ken Holland still finds himself in quite a tricky dance with the salary cap’s Upper Limit, having his options extremely limited on the free agent market and needing to settle for bridge deals with Bouchard and center Ryan McLeod to conserve space.

A $3.9MM cap hit for Bouchard would put the Oilers roughly $400K over the cap with a roster of 22 players, per CapFriendly’s projections. Assigning a player to the minors and starting the season with a 21-player roster will make the team compliant. The odd player out could very well be 2020 first-round pick Dylan Holloway, thanks to an unfortunate numbers game, as he’s the team’s only potential assignment candidate who does not require waivers. Others, such as 2019 second-round pick Raphaël Lavoie, will likely be claimed if exposed on the waiver wire.

Next season, Bouchard is set to reprise his role alongside Mattias Ekholm on the team’s second pairing, which performed incredibly well down the stretch after the Oilers acquired Ekholm near the trade deadline from the Nashville Predators. It was their most effective pairing in terms of generating offense in the postseason, too. The right-shot defender will again slot in as the point man on the Oilers’ world-beating top power-play unit boasting Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

As the 23-year-old develops, look for him to eclipse the 20-minute-per-game mark for the first time this season. He’s seen 19:48 and 18:31 of action per game in each other last two seasons, respectively.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dillon Simpson Retires, Begins Coaching Career

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Veteran defenseman Dillon Simpson has announced his retirement from professional hockey and revealed his new role as an assistant coach with the University of North Dakota hockey program, according to a release from the Fighting Hawks. The son of former Edmonton Oiler Craig Simpson, his decision to step away from active professional play marks the conclusion of a career that spanned nine seasons in the minors and nearly 500 AHL games.

Simpson’s professional journey began in 2011 after being selected in the fourth round by the Edmonton Oilers as an over-ager after a decent freshman season at North Dakota. He would spend the entirety of his pro career in the Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets after turning pro in 2014. He did only ever play three NHL games, all coming with Edmonton in the 2016-17 season, but grew into a respected leader and shutdown defender at the AHL level.

Post-retirement, Simpson, 30, returns to the school he captained during his senior season and accumulated 75 points and a +22 rating across four seasons and 156 appearances.

Used heavily in shutdown situations, Simpson spent the last four seasons in a leadership role for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, including serving as the team’s captain for the last two. He fell out of a regular role last season thanks to an early-season injury, however. Simpson skated in 29 games in 2022-23, recording a goal and an assist. He never won a Calder Cup but remained an integral part of AHL Bakersfield and Cleveland’s systems for nearly a decade.

PHR extends its best wishes to Simpson in his retirement and hopes for the best in his coaching career.

Snapshots: McDavid, Kuznetsov, Matthews

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Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews will always be inextricably linked. They were selected with back-to-back first-overall picks by, as of now, the two best Canadian teams in the league. Therefore, it’s not surprising public discourse has shifted once again to McDavid’s future in Edmonton after Matthews signed his four-year, $53MM extension in Toronto yesterday.

Speaking with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, when asked about a contract extension, McDavid said, “We’re super comfortable [in Edmonton],” but an extension is also “three years down the road. We’ve got to kind of see where our lives are at and kind of go from there.” He went on to re-avow his commitment to winning a championship with Edmonton’s core. While the tonality of McDavid’s statement may raise some eyebrows, it really shouldn’t – the Oilers’ superstar isn’t exactly known for his unfiltered approach to interviews. While there is always the chance McDavid departs in free agency should things in Edmonton go horribly wrong over the next few seasons, it’s far from becoming a likely scenario, at least at this stage.

More from the NHL today:

  • One surprisingly quiet storyline throughout the offseason has been that of Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who the team confirmed had requested a trade earlier this summer. In an interview with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti earlier this week, Capitals incoming head coach Spencer Carbery said he’s spoken with Kuznetsov multiple times this summer and “it sounds like there’s a real focus to his preparation for next season.” While it’s far from a confirmation he’s rescinded his trade request, Kuznetsov staying in the nation’s capital and returning to form could very well thrust Washington back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, something captain Alex Ovechkin would certainly love to see while he chases the NHL’s all-time goals record.
  • Matthews’ extension may be the richest per season of the salary cap era, but it still hasn’t surpassed McDavid’s deal as taking up the highest percentage of the salary cap when signed, Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva points out. McDavid’s eight-year, $100MM deal, which kicked in for the 2018-19 campaign, took up a record 16.67% of the cap’s Upper Limit when it was signed in July 2017. Matthews’ deal, on the other hand, which carries an average annual value of $750K higher than McDavid’s, takes up 15.87% of the cap at the time of signing.

New York Rangers Sign Alexis Lafrenière

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August 24: The Rangers confirmed today they’ve agreed to terms with Lafrenière on a two-year contract extension but did not disclose the AAV or cap hit.

August 23: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the New York Rangers are closing on a contract extension with forward Alexis Lafreniere. Furthermore, Larry Brooks of the New York Post indicates that it will be a two-year, $4.65MM ($2.325MM AAV) contract between the two sides.

Before this contract becomes finalized between the Rangers and Lafreniere, the team had approximately $2.28MM in cap space, meaning New York will now have to make a move to become salary cap compliant prior to the season beginning in October. With eight defensemen penciled into the starting lineup per CapFriendly, one of those players will likely be sent to the minors to make room for Lafreniere’s contract.

It’s a relatively low-risk move by the Rangers, given that Lafreniere has yet to play up to his first overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. However, under new head coach Peter Laviolette, perhaps Lafreniere could get sufficient ice time next season to adequately show off his skill level. In 216 games played through his entry-level contract, Lafreniere has only mustered 47 goals and 44 assists, averaging about 14 and a half minutes of ice time per night.

Besides a bit of a slow start, Lafreniere actually procured a solid season last year. He scored a career-high in points, putting up 16 goals and 23 assists in 81 games, also continuing to improve his CF%, as well as his oiSH%. Even after signing Blake Wheeler to a league-minimum deal at the beginning of free agency, there is definitely some room for Lafreniere to move up in the lineup to fill the spot on right wing.

At still only 21 years old, it’s not quite make-or-break time for Lafreniere quite yet, but the clock does appear to be ticking on his time with the Rangers. Earlier this offseason, although not much came of it, Lafreniere had his name rumored in some trade speculation.

If he earns himself the opportunity for more ice time under Laviolette, Lafreniere could break out into a premier winger in the NHL. Given this two-year deal, Lafreniere and the Rangers will have a bit more time for him to live up to his draft selection.

Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Auston Matthews

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August 24: Similarly to his last contract, Matthews’ extension is paid out mostly in signing bonuses. PuckPedia has the full breakdown of his deal, which includes a full no-movement clause.

2024-25: $775K salary, $15.925MM signing bonus
2025-26: $775K salary, $14.425MM signing bonus
2026-27: $900K salary, $10.18MM signing bonus
2027-28: $900K salary, $9.12MM signing bonus

August 23: The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed Auston Matthews to a four-year contract. The financial details of the deal were not originally reported by the club, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Matthews will be making $13.25MM AAV, making it a four-year, $53MM contract extension.

For one season, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche will hold the honors of being the highest-paid athlete in the game at $12.6MM AAV; however, the season after, Matthews will take the crown. Now that Matthews is signed for the next five seasons in Toronto, he will become an unrestricted free agent at 30 years old after the 2027-28 NHL season.

In one of the most important orders of business for new General Manager Brad Treliving this summer, the Maple Leafs have locked up the most significant player to their core. They have infamously struggled in their mission to lift the Stanley Cup, but Matthews has earned his fair share of medals up to this point in his career.

Last season, in what was considered somewhat of a down year, Matthews scored 40 goals and 45 assists in 74 games, finishing third on the team in scoring. More importantly; however, is that Matthews was fundamental in Toronto being able to win their first playoff series since the 2003-04 season, scoring five goals and six assists in 11 games.

The season prior, Matthews had one of the best seasons in the salary cap era, scoring 60 goals and 46 assists in 73 games, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and the Maurice Richard Trophy. Only Connor McDavid, Steven Stamkos, and Alex Ovechkin have been able to score 60 goals in a single year since the 2005-06 NHL season.

Aside from the personal awards, the main goal of Matthews and the Maple Leafs is to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967. Given his play, Matthews likely could have asked for — and received, more on this contract, but Toronto’s salary cap table will only tighten with this deal. With this contract now factored in, the Maple Leafs will have around $30MM in cap space next summer but will have to retain or replace players such as William Nylander, Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, T.J. Brodie, John Klingberg, and Ilya Samsonov.

It was well known that Toronto was pressed hard against the cap this season, but with teams now knowing that the Maple Leafs will have limited financial flexibility for at least the next two seasons, this might spell the end for Nylander’s time in Toronto. Given that Nylander is seeking around $10MM on his next deal, it might benefit the Maple Leafs more to recoup some assets and create more cap space rather than having $45.15MM tied into four forwards for the 2024-25 season.

Nevertheless, this appears to be a solid outcome for Toronto altogether. It is likely that the team would have liked to sign Matthews to a max term eight-year extension, but having Matthews in general extends the team’s window for however long he is on the roster.

By signing short-term, high AAV contracts, Matthews will likely go down as one of the highest-paid stars in the game for his generation. Once this extension comes to its conclusion, Matthews will have made a touch over $122MM altogether, before he even hits 31 years old.

Matthews is one of the best goal-scorers in the game and one of the best players to ever wear the blue-and-white. However, especially for the Maple Leafs, Matthews will ultimately be judged on whether or not he can break the organization’s curse, and once again bring Lord Stanley back to Toronto.

Summer Synopsis: Arizona Coyotes

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Last season, Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong suggested that he felt his team was still a few years away from truly getting to a point of contention.  However, Arizona made several moves this summer to improve their team in the short term.  While it probably won’t be enough to get them into the playoff picture, these moves shouldn’t have them in the discussion for 32nd in the NHL either.

Draft

1-6: D Dmitri Simashev, Yaroslavl (MHL)
1-12: F Daniil But, Yaroslavl (MHL)
2-38: G Michael Hrabal, Omaha (USHL)
3-70: F Jonathan Castagna, St. Andrew’s (CAHS)
3-72: F Noel Nordh, Brynas (Sweden U20)
3-81: F Tanner Ludtke, Lincoln (USHL)
3-88: F Vadim Moroz, Minsk (KHL)
4-102: D Terrell Goldsmith, Prince Albert (WHL)
5-134: G Melker Thelin, Bjorkloven (Sweden U20)
5-160: D Justin Kipkie, Victoria (WHL)
6-162: F Samu Bau, Ilves (Liiga)
6-166: G Carsen Musser, USA U-18 (NTDP)

The Coyotes made a pair of selections that many would qualify as perceived reaches with their first two selections.  Simashev is a tall, strong-skating blueliner who hasn’t really had much of a chance to show his offensive upside just yet.  Arizona is hoping that he’ll become a top-half option in time but they’ll have to wait at least two years to bring him over.  But, meanwhile, was one of the tallest forwards in the draft and showed a nice scoring touch at the MHL level in Russia.  He isn’t a true power forward, however, as he isn’t particularly physical overseas.  Nonetheless, there’s a profile there that makes him an intriguing top-six option down the road but one that went 10-15 spots earlier than most rankings had him.

On the flip side, their lone second-round selection is someone who slid a bit more than most expected.  Hrabal, one of the tallest goalies in the draft, was viewed as a possible first-round selection but in the end, he wasn’t even the first netminder off the board.  Hrabal did relatively well in his first season in North America in the USHL and is going the college route and thus is several years away from being a possible option for the Coyotes.

Trade Acquisitions

D Sean Durzi (from Los Angeles)

Durzi has shown considerable promise offensively in his first two NHL seasons and was second on the Kings in points by a blueliner last season.  However, their cap situation and strong right-side depth made him the odd man out.  Durzi goes from being in a more limited role with Los Angeles to one where he should play a much bigger role.  Considering he’s heading into the final year of his bridge deal and has arbitration eligibility for the first time next summer, the timing of this move could work out quite well for the 24-year-old.

Key UFA Signings

F Nick Bjugstad (two years, $2.1MM)
D Travis Dermott (one year, $800K)*
D Matt Dumba (one year, $3.9MM)
F Alexander Kerfoot (two years, $7MM)
D Troy Stecher (one year, $1.1MM)
F Jason Zucker (one year, $5.3MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Zucker’s addition raised some eyebrows as they weren’t expected to be shopping in the higher end of the UFA pool up front.  However, it’s worth noting that several players didn’t get the type of interest they were hoping for and the 31-year-old wasted little time pivoting toward a pillow contract instead.  Zucker should be able to land a top-six role which could give him a shot at another 25-goal campaign.  In a perfect world for him, another performance like last year could boost his value in what he (like many others) hopes will be a more favorable market next summer.  Meanwhile, in a perfect world for the Coyotes, Zucker becomes one of the more prominent rental players to move closer to the trade deadline.

Kerfoot feels like a transition player for the Coyotes.  When they signed him, they likely eyed him on the second line (before Logan Cooley had a change of heart and decided to turn pro).  Now, he might be a better fit on the third line.  Either way, he’s the type of player that can fill a few different roles in a lineup while allowing prospects more time to develop.  Bjugstad returns after being flipped at the deadline.  He went to the Coyotes last summer to rebuild his value and did just that, scoring more goals last season than he did in the previous three combined.  He should give them a bit more scoring punch in their bottom six compared to the group that finished up the year.  Dermott missed most of last season due to continuing concussion symptoms but with 279 career NHL appearances under his belt, he could push for a full-time spot on the roster.

Dumba is another player who simply didn’t have as strong of a market as he hoped for.  Unlike Zucker who took his one-year deal on the first day of free agency, Dumba opted to wait it out but still had to take a one-year pact himself.  After a tough year with Minnesota, the 29-year-old should get plenty of opportunities to play a bigger role, see some power play time, and try to improve his value for next summer.  Meanwhile, the Coyotes likely have another strong trade deadline asset.  Stecher also returns after being flipped at the deadline and is likely to reprise his role on the third pairing.

Key RFA Re-Signings

F Michael Carcone (two years, $1.55MM)
G Connor Ingram (three years, $5.85MM)
F Jack McBain (two years, $3.2MM)

McBain (who took $1 less than $1.6MM for his cap hit) is coming off his first full NHL campaign.  He brought plenty of physicality to the table and showed some offensive promise with 26 points but with such a limited track record, a bridge deal was the only route they could realistically take.  Carcone has spent most of his career in the minors but made an impression at the Worlds back in May.  In doing so, he gave himself enough leverage to land a one-way deal which should give him a legitimate opportunity to make Arizona’s roster in training camp.

Ingram got off to a rough start, posting a save percentage of just .866 in his first eight appearances.  However, he played at a .921 mark the rest of the way (spanning 19 games), bolstering his case heading into arbitration eligibility.  He’s set to remain Karel Vejmelka’s backup for the upcoming season and could push for more playing time if he starts out the way he finished last year.

Key Departures

F Christian Fischer (Detroit, one year, $1.125MM)
F Zack Kassian (buyout, unsigned UFA)
D Connor Mackey (NY Rangers, one year, $775K)*
D Patrik Nemeth (buyout, Bern, NLA)
F Brett Ritchie (unsigned UFA)

Kassian’s primary value to Arizona came on the trade front when they moved up three spots in the first round in 2022 while also picking up a pair of other picks for assuming the rest of his contract.  The 32-year-old struggled mightily last season, however, managing just two goals without a single assist in 51 games, resulting in Arizona opting to pay him to go away.  Fischer was considerably more effective with 27 points but the Coyotes didn’t want to run the risk of an arbitration award coming in higher than they were willing to pay.  With the added depth up front, they should be well-positioned to cover these two departures.  Ritchie came over at the trade deadline from Calgary (in a swap for his brother, no less) and held his own with five points in 16 games.  He’s a candidate to land a PTO in the coming days.

Like Kassian, Nemeth’s main value for the Coyotes came in the draft picks (a pair of second-rounders) that came with him to take on the two remaining years of his contract.  The 31-year-old held down a regular spot on the third pairing but wasn’t going to be part of their future plans, resulting in the buyout.  As for Mackey, he had a very limited role with Calgary for the bulk of last season but averaged nearly 16 minutes a night after being acquired at the deadline but Arizona opted to go in another direction rounding out their back end for the upcoming season.

Salary Cap Outlook

Even with more than $21MM of injured veterans on the roster, the Coyotes find themselves nearly $4MM under the cap ceiling, per CapFriendly.  That gives them ample room to free up in-season space while if they get hit with a rash of injuries, any of Shea Weber, Bryan Little, or Jakub Voracek can be placed onto LTIR so the cap will not be a problem for them at all in 2023-24.

Key Questions

What Will Cooley’s Impact Be? Cooley’s decision to opt to turn pro gives Arizona a player who could push for big minutes relatively quickly.  As one of the key cogs of their rebuild, he should find himself with a prominent role right away.  His presence as a top rookie is likely to be overshadowed by another freshman in his division (who will be playing for Chicago) but a strong showing could help to provide some light at what has already been a long rebuild for Arizona.

Notably, Cooley is also worth keeping an eye on to see how his presence affects Barrett Hayton’s progress.  The 2018 fifth-overall pick had somewhat of a breakout year last season while working his way onto the top line in the process.  If Cooley is able to play his way up the depth chart quickly, will Hayton’s numbers dip?  It’s a contract year for the 23-year-old so Cooley’s presence and performance could make an impact in those discussions for Hayton.

Can Ingram Secure A Bigger Role? Which version of Ingram will the Coyotes get this season?  He certainly finished up on a strong note which helped him land nearly $6MM guaranteed despite having just 30 career regular season games under his belt.  Vejmelka has done a nice job in his two seasons in the desert but Ingram outperformed him in the second half of last season.  If Ingram secures a bigger share of the workload, it’s possible that Vejmelka – who has been in trade speculation before – could become a more plausible candidate to move.

Is Schmaltz Next? In recent seasons, there has been no shortage of veterans moving out of Arizona.  One who hasn’t moved yet is Nick Schmaltz.  He is coming off two productive seasons of 59 and 58 points, each in 63 games while moving primarily to the wing after spending a lot of time down the middle.  However, his heavily backloaded contract starts to loom large as he’s owed $24.45MM over the final three years of his deal.  If the Coyotes are still a few years away from contention, Schmaltz might not be part of their longer-term plans.  If that’s the case, it stands to reason that Arizona might look to move him at some point to save some money while landing some strong younger assets as well.  It might not be the case early but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Schmaltz in trade speculation as the season progresses.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seattle Loans Niklas Kokko To Finnish League

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While the Kraken signed prospect goaltender Niklas Kokko to his entry-level deal back in May, he won’t be making his North American debut right away.  Instead, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that Seattle has loaned him back to Karpat in Finland for the upcoming season.

The 19-year-old was a second-round pick by the Kraken back in 2022 (58th overall) after a strong showing with Karpat’s Under-20 team.  Last season, he moved up, splitting the year between Finland’s top two professional divisions, getting into nine appearances in the top-level Liiga and 14 more in the second-tier Mestis, posting save percentages of .901 and .903 respectively at the two levels.

While Kokko is eligible to play in the AHL at 19 since he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL, he likely wouldn’t have received much playing time with Coachella Valley.  With Seattle bringing back Joey Daccord, either he or Chris Driedger will be the odd one out in training camp behind Philipp Grubauer with the loser of that battle ticketed for the Firebirds pending waivers.  Meanwhile, Ales Stezka is expected to play in the AHL this coming season after spending 2022-23 in his native Czechia.

That would have made Kokko the third-string option in the minors and faced between the options of giving him limited playing time in the AHL, regular minutes in the ECHL, or loaning him to stay at home, they’ve made what seems like the logical choice.  His contract, which officially begins this season, will instead slide a year and still have three years remaining on it heading into 2024-25.

Blue Jackets Sign Aaron Dell And Nicolas Meloche To Tryout Agreements

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It appears PTO season is upon us across the NHL with several veterans inking tryouts in recent days.  The Blue Jackets are the latest team to get in on the fun as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve inked goaltender Aaron Dell and defenseman Nicolas Meloche to tryout agreements.

Dell is no longer a full-time NHL backup but has seen action at the top level in each of the past seven seasons, spanning 130 total appearances where he has a 2.92 GAA along with a .905 SV%.  Last year, he got into four contests with San Jose and fared relatively well, compiling a 2.71 GAA with a .913 SV%.

The 34-year-old has spent most of the last two years at the AHL level.  With San Jose’s farm team last season, Dell played in 38 games but struggled as his 3.14 GAA was his highest single-season mark at that level while his .898 SV% was his lowest output.

Not surprisingly, his struggles affected his ability to secure a guaranteed contract this summer, resulting in this news.  However, he should have a chance to land a deal from Columbus in the coming weeks.  Daniil Tarasov is now waiver-eligible and should be a full-timer with the Blue Jackets, leaving only Jet Greaves in the mix with AHL Cleveland.  A good showing in camp could allow Dell to be the other half of that tandem next season.

As for Meloche, things did not go as planned last season.  After playing in 50 games with the Sharks in 2021-22, he had a strong enough market to get a one-year, one-way deal worth $950K from Calgary with the expectation that he’d land a spot on their back end.  That didn’t happen.

Instead, after a tough showing in training camp landed him on waivers, the 26-year-old went unclaimed and was assigned to the minors, spending the entire season at the AHL.  Meloche put up 21 points in 64 games with the Wranglers, matching his career best at that level but evidently, it wasn’t enough to land a guaranteed deal.

Meloche’s path to a contract isn’t as strong as Dell’s.  Columbus made two big splashes on the back end this summer with the acquisitions of Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov while there are already eight blueliners on NHL contracts that are likely ticketed for Cleveland.  Even if he can’t land a contract with the Blue Jackets, however, a strong showing in camp could allow him to catch on somewhere else.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Austin Watson To PTO

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After signing defenseman Darren Raddysh to an extension earlier today, the Tampa Bay Lightning are not quite done figuring out their roster. In an announcement by CapFriendly, the team has signed forward Austin Watson to a professional tryout in this year’s training camp.

It is no guarantee that Watson will make the team out of camp, but with a need for cheap forward talent that can be relied upon in the team’s bottom six, Watson appears as a good bet to crack the opening night roster. Last season, finishing out a three-year, $4.5MM contract with the Ottawa Senators, Watson would score nine goals and two assists in 75 games played.

Never relied upon for his offensive prowess, Watson excels in throwing hits, delivering over 450 during his time with the Senators alone. With both Ross Colton and Pat Maroon having moved on to other organizations this summer, Watson could help a significant hole left by those two in the checking department.

Outside of his physicality, Watson will provide the Lightning with an opportunity to stabilize their penalty kill. He regularly received ice time on the PK for Ottawa last season, aiding the team to an 80.07% kill percentage, good for 14th in the league last season. For context, Tampa Bay finished just behind the Senators at 15th overall, holding a 79.69% success rate on the PK.

While numerous amounts of PTO do not become guaranteed deals, in this case, it almost seems like a foregone conclusion that Watson will suit up for the Lightning next season. The need is there based both upon his inevitable league minimum contract and the talents he will bring on the ice for the organization.

AHL Coachella Valley Signs Jack LaFontaine

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The AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds have signed netminder Jack LaFontaine to a one-year contract, per the team, bringing the former Carolina Hurricanes draft pick into the Seattle Kraken organization.

A 2016 third-round pick, LaFontaine’s post-draft career got off to an inauspicious beginning at the University of Michigan for two seasons in a backup role. After then taking a year off from school to play in the BCHL, LaFontaine joined the University of Minnesota, where he became the team’s undisputed starter and, during the 2020-21 campaign, was arguably the best goalie in college hockey, posting a .934 save percentage and 22-7-0 record en route to winning the Mike Richter award for the NCAA’s top collegiate goalie.

His fifth season in college didn’t go quite well, posting a 2.69 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 20 games before deciding to turn pro in the middle of the season and sign an entry-level contract with Carolina. He made two NHL appearances for them, stopping just 32 of 41 shots in 75 minutes of action. His time in the minors after signing didn’t go swimmingly, posting just a .885 save percentage and a 4-3-7 record in 13 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

The minor-league performance was discouraging enough for the Hurricanes to cut him loose at the end of the season, opting not to issue him a qualifying offer in favor of other goalies in the organization they believed had higher ceilings. It led to LaFontaine signing an AHL contract last summer with the Syracuse Crunch, the affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He played just five games in Syracuse last season, instead spending most of 2022-23 in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears, where he again struggled with a .898 save percentage and an 11-14-1 record. He did look much improved in his stint with Syracuse, though, posting a .924 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average in his limited stint.

LaFontaine will now look to secure a backup role in Coachella Valley and get his career back on track. He’ll have to beat out Kraken free agent signing Ales Stezka for the job, though, and he’s coming over to North America after posting a .924 save percentage and 2.14 goals-against average in 39 games with HC Vítkovice in the Czech Extraliga last season.

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