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John Gibson Has Appendectomy Surgery; To Miss Start Of Season

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The Anaheim Ducks announced netminder John Gibson will miss the start of the regular season after undergoing appendectomy surgery last night. The surgery is performed to remove the appendix and it will keep Gibson sidelined for the next three to six weeks.

The timing of the surgery concerning the NHL calendar indicates that Gibson was diagnosed with appendicitis within the last couple of days necessitating the surgery. Anaheim is set to take on the San Jose Sharks for their season opener just before the three-week mark. Gibson will miss between three and 12 games for the Ducks to start the season.

Gibson has started in 50 games or more in six out of the last eight seasons since becoming Anaheim’s undisputed starter in the 2016-17 season. He played to an all-star caliber level from 2015 to 2019 with a 103-69-28 record in 204 starts with a .922 save percentage. Gibson’s impressive play over those four years led Anaheim to sign him to an eight-year, $51.2MM contract which Gibson is still on today.

Unfortunately, Gibson’s performance has been strongly correlated to that of the Ducks organization as a whole with the organization not making the playoffs since the 2017-18 season. The Pittsburgh, PA native has accrued a dismal win percentage of 31.1% in 238 starts since the start of the 2019-20 season with a .900 SV% and 3.36 GAA. The ratio of his starts that have resulted in an .850 SV% or lower has also doubled over the last five years going from 11.4% from 2013-19 to 21.8% from 2020-2024.

Gibson will have a few more weeks until he starts the regular season meaning backup goaltender Lukas Dostal will take over between the pipes. He was marginally impressive during the 2023-24 season but was still one of the bright spots in the Ducks campaign. Dostal finished the 2023-24 season with fewer starts than Gibson (38) but secured a 14-23-3 record giving him a win percentage of 36.8%; slightly better than Anaheim’s win percentage of 32.9%.

Pacific Notes: Vegas Injuries, Bahl, Gazizov

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The Vegas Golden Knights were without forward William Karlsson and defenseman Nicolas Hague at practice today (X Link). The former hasn’t been with the team since this past Sunday while Hague seemingly injured himself in last night’s preseason contests against the Los Angeles Kings.

One would reasonably assume Karlsson is dealing with an undisclosed injury given that Vegas held him out of Tuesday’s practice and the game yesterday evening. He did practice toward the start of training camp but may enter the 2024-25 regular season without factoring into a preseason game. Karlsson is coming off another solid season for the Golden Knights last year scoring 30 goals and 60 points in 70 games and will look to build on that total this year.

Hague shouldn’t be out too long with Jesse Granger of The Athletic reporting he was out for a maintenance day. This was thought to be the likely reason for his absence from practice today as Hague returned to play the rest of last night’s action after missing briefly at the start of the second period. Granger shared that head coach Bruce Cassidy expects Hague to return to practice tomorrow with the team.

Other Pacific notes:

  •  Head coach of the Calgary Flames, Ryan Huska, indicates defenseman Kevin Bahl could be making his preseason debut with the organization as reported by Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg. The 6’6″ defenseman is preparing to begin his first year with the Flames after being the only player acquired by the team in the trade that sent goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils. Steinberg shares that Bahl has been nursing a lower-body injury which has precluded him from skating with the team so far but gave no indication when the injury was suffered.
  • The AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, the San Diego Gulls, are bringing in a bit of forward depth announcing a one-year standard contract for Ruslan Gazizov. It will mark Gazizov’s first year in professional hockey after an impressive three-year run with the OHL’s London Knights. The young Russian forward finished third on the Knights in scoring last season with 36 goals and 81 points in 63 games including another seven goals and 14 points in 15 playoff contests.

Winnipeg Dealing With More Injuries On The Blue Line

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It’s been nearly a week since Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Ville Heinola’s season was put in question due to an infection in his surgically repaired ankle. It doesn’t appear there’s any room for optimism in Manitoba after today’s meeting between head coach Scott Arniel and the press.

Arniel indicated that Heinola underwent surgery to remove the infection from his ankle and the team would have a clearer picture of his recovery timeline shortly. The team’s bench boss also shared that defenseman Logan Stanley “tweaked” something in yesterday’s preseason contest against the Edmonton Oilers and he will need testing over the next few days. Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press reports there is worry within the Jets organization that Stanley will be out longer than day-to-day.

It would be a major three-month swing for Winnipeg’s blue line if Stanley can’t start the season on time. The team hoped Heinola and Stanley could fill valuable spots on the back end after losing Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon this offseason through a buyout and free agency, respectively. Now, it appears depth defensemen Dylan Coghlan and Haydn Fleury will carry more responsibility than expected to start the year.

This could create major challenges for a Jets organization that has largely relied on their defense to win games over the last two years. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Winnipeg’s offense has finished 21st and 15th in goals per game, respectively, and 21st and 17th in shots compared to the rest of the league. They’ve had much better results on the flip side by finishing 10th and 1st in goals against per game over that same span and finishing 10th and 11th in shots against.

If the Jets are put into a situation early in the year where Coghlan and Fleury are expected to maintain even bottom-pairing minutes these results shouldn’t be expected to last. Winnipeg does have the benefit of deploying Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes but a weak defense has impacted even his performance in the past.

The Jets may need to pivot relatively soon to one of the existing free-agent options to hold their blue line steady or pick up one of the inevitable blue liners to hit the waiver wire over the next few days. The team will have a clearer picture of what they’re dealing with over the next couple of days and it could impact their decision-making leading into the start of the regular season.

Sabres Name Rasmus Dahlin Captain

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The Sabres announced Thursday that they have named Rasmus Dahlin their next captain.

Dahlin succeeds Kyle Okposo, whose time as captain in Buffalo ended when they traded him to the Panthers at last season’s trade deadline. He’d been captain since the beginning of the 2022-23 season.

The 24-year-old is entering his seventh season with the Sabres, who made him the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. He’s served as an alternate captain for the past two years.

It’s a natural transition for Dahlin as he enters the first year of an eight-year, $88MM extension signed at the beginning of last season. It took a while for the young Swedish defenseman to blossom at the NHL level through his entry-level contract but he has quickly become one of the league’s best.

His importance to Buffalo has become apparent over the last three years with 48 goals and 185 points in 239 games with a -13 rating. The use of his body has picked up too averaging 1.76 hits per game and 1.58 blocked shots per game. He’s earned two top-15 finishes in Norris Trophy voting the past two seasons and is looking to take another step forward this year.

If the Sabres fail to make the postseason for a 14th straight year there is little to no chance it will be because of Dahlin. He’s finished first on the team in E+/- over the last two years and finished towards the top of the team in CorsiFor% proving Buffalo is at their best when he is on the ice. His ability to carry the team on the ice proves his leadership capabilities and the organization has formalized the role.

New head coach of the Sabres, Lindy Ruff, spoke highly of the team’s new captain saying, “He does everything right, first and foremost. His on-ice action has been incredible, and I think he’s a guy that leads in every category, from the way he prepares himself to the way he plays and the fact that he’s a guy who cares about winning hockey games“.

NHLPA Files Grievance On Behalf Of Ryan Johansen

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The NHLPA has filed a grievance on behalf of free agent center Ryan Johansen after the Flyers terminated his contract in August, the organization announced Thursday.

Johansen and the NHLPA had 60 days to file a grievance after Philadelphia terminated his contract on Aug. 21. They’ve now done so with plenty of time to spare until the deadline.

The Flyers, Johansen, and the NHLPA will now work on coming to a financial settlement. The most recent similar cases to Johansen’s – the Sharks’ termination of Evander Kane’s deal and the Blackhawks’ termination of Corey Perry’s deal – have been settled before reaching an arbitrator. In Chicago’s and Perry’s case, they didn’t even reach the point of filing a grievance before coming to a settlement.

This case seems far more likely than those recent examples to reach an arbitrator’s desk, though. Johansen has never played a game for the Flyers, who placed him on unconditional waivers and terminated his contract for cause with one year and $8MM remaining on his deal, which was spread evenly between Philadelphia and Nashville at a $4MM cap hit for each club.

They acquired him from the Avalanche in last season’s Sean Walker trade shortly before the deadline, but Johansen quickly reported a nagging hip injury and subsequently failed a physical. That happened after the Flyers had already placed him on standard waivers and assigned him to AHL Lehigh Valley, which was reversed by the league after the injury was reported.

It was one of the more peculiar situations in the league in recent memory. Johansen hadn’t missed a game in 2023-24 prior to the trade, recording 23 points in 63 games for Colorado. But after his deal was terminated, Johansen’s agent, Kurt Overhardt of KO Sports, said that he “has a severe hockey injury that requires extensive surgery which has been scheduled.”

The Flyers and Predators each gained $4MM in cap space after the termination. They could both be hit with a salary cap penalty depending on the terms of a potential settlement or arbitrator’s decision.

East Notes: Luchanko, Panarin, Guhle

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Some thought the Flyers took too big a swing at this year’s draft when selecting center Jett Luchanko with the No. 13 overall pick. They’ve been impressed by the 18-year-old pivot so far in camp, though. Assistant coach Rocky Thompson told Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports on Thursday that Luchanko has “opened our eyes” as one of the biggest risers thus far.

Line rushes now still indicate it’s unlikely that Luchanko begins his post-draft season on the Flyers’ NHL roster. However, the well-rounded center prospect has perhaps accelerated his timeline to NHL minutes with a potential nine-game trial (or longer) in store for him in 2025-26. He’ll likely get one or two more games worth of preseason action before being returned to his junior team, the OHL’s Guelph Storm. He had a team-leading 74 points (20 G, 54 A) in 68 games last season with a -13 rating.

More notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Rangers star Artemi Panarin still carries a day-to-day designation with a lower-body injury and won’t play in Thursday’s game against the Bruins, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. But the high-flying winger did skate today and doesn’t project to miss much more time. He was hurt in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the Islanders, a game that also saw defenseman Ryan Lindgren sustain a longer-term upper-body injury that has his availability for the beginning of the regular season in doubt.
  • Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle skated Thursday morning for the first time since having his appendix removed on Sep. 18, the team said. He’s now listed as day-to-day and could see action over the course of Montreal’s four remaining preseason contests. There’s no indication he’ll still be hampered by the time their regular-season opener hits on Oct. 9 against the Maple Leafs.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/26/24

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With less than two weeks to go until the regular season, most teams have made their initial cuts to their training camp roster. Roster moves will continue Thursday, with players still being released from tryouts and returned to their junior teams. As always, we’ll keep track of all of today’s moves here.

Last updated 3:22 p.m.

Calgary Flames (per team announcement)

F Andrew Basha (to WHL Medicine Hat)
F Matvei Gridin (to QMJHL Shawinigan)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team announcement)

F Luca Pinelli (to OHL Ottawa)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Ethan de Jong (released from PTO to AHL Bakersfield)
D Noel Hoefenmayer (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Maximus Wanner (to AHL Bakersfield)

Los Angeles Kings (per team release)

F Arvid Caderoth (released from ATO to ECHL Greenville)
G Carter George (to OHL Owen Sound)
F Liam Greentree (to OHL Windsor)
D Matthew Mania (to OHL Flint)
D Jared Woolley (to OHL London)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

D Andrew Gibson (to OHL Soo)
F Hiroki Gojsic (to WHL Kelowna)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

F Raivis Ansons (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Jack Beck (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Isaac Belliveau (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Scooter Brickey (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Atley Calvert (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Mathieu De St. Phalle (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Sam Houde (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Gabe Klassen (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Justin Lee (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Mats Lindgren (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Bennett MacArthur (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Logan Pietila (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
G Luke Richardson (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Philip Waugh (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)

St. Louis Blues (per team release)

F Sam Bitten (released from PTO to AHL Springfield)
D Scott Harrington (released from PTO to AHL Springfield)
F Matthew Peca (released from PTO to AHL Springfield)

Flyers’ Alexei Kolosov Will Report To Remainder Of Training Camp

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The Flyers and goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov have settled their months-long dispute, per multiple reports Thursday morning. The Belarusian netminder is on his way to Philadelphia, according to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, and will see action with the Flyers before their preseason schedule comes to an end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman adds.

Concern around the 2021 third-round pick first arose in May, when reports out of Belarus indicated he felt isolated during his brief stint with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms to end last season and wanted to be loaned back to Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League for 2024-25. Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis then reported in late July that Kolosov had informed the Flyers he wouldn’t report to the Phantoms this season, which general manager Daniel Brière later refuted.

Kolosov, 22, then switched his representation to Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, who informed the Flyers in a late August meeting that the netminder wanted to return to Minsk on loan for the second year of his entry-level contract, something Brière was unwilling to do. With no change in either side’s position over the past few weeks, Kolosov remained in Belarus and was not listed on the Flyers’ initial training camp roster. He’d recently been made available in trade talks, Friedman said last week, although Philly could very well take his name off the block if his return to North America goes well.

The netminder will see preseason action and accept an initial assignment to AHL Lehigh Valley, Friedman reports Thursday. He adds they’ve reached an agreement for a “potential return” to the KHL if Kolosov doesn’t get an NHL chance with the Flyers during the season, though.

While he’s likely not ready for full-time NHL duties yet, there’s legitimate upside in Kolosov’s game. He’s already built up quite the professional resume at a young age, serving as Dinamo’s starter for the past three seasons. He’s been steady for a largely middling squad, posting a career-best 22-21-3 record in 47 games last year with a .907 SV% and 2.39 GAA. Kolosov had a .885 SV% and 3.03 GAA in two appearances for the Phantoms to end last season.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz was first to indicate that Kolosov would be reporting to camp.

Summer Synopsis: New York Islanders

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Last season was a rough one for the Islanders in the first half of the season.  The team only won 19 of their first 45 games, leading to a coaching change with Patrick Roy taking over for Lane Lambert behind the bench.  It took a bit of time for them to find their stride but they got hot a little before the trade deadline, ultimately pulling themselves from being out of the playoff picture to finishing third in the Metropolitan Division although they bowed out in the first round to Carolina.  GM Lou Lamoriello didn’t have much flexibility this summer and largely elected to stay the course, hoping that New York’s finish to the season was a sign of things to come.

Draft

1-20: LW Cole Eiserman / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
2-54: D Jesse Pulkkinen / JYP (Liiga)
2-61: C Kamil Bednarik / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
4-115: G Dmitry Gamzin / Zvezda Moskva (VHL)
5-147: G Marcus Gidlof / Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationell)
6-179: D Xavier Veilleux / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

Coming into the season, Eiserman was a popular pick to land in the top five.  While a little undersized, being a high-end scorer is an attribute that teams were expected to covet.  It didn’t happen that way.  Even though he broke the US National Team Development Program’s record for most goals scored (passing Cole Caufield, Phil Kessel, and Patrick Kane), Eiserman slipped out of the lottery altogether.  While Eiserman will likely spend a couple of years at Boston University, he projects as someone who should make an impact for the Isles sooner than a lot of others picked in that range.

Lamoriello didn’t waste any time signing Pulkkinen as the big blueliner inked his entry-level deal in mid-July.  He has some offensive upside and isn’t afraid of mixing it up, elements that will endear him to his coaches.  He will spend the upcoming season in Finland and is probably two or three years away from being NHL-ready.  Bednarik was Eiserman’s teammate with the NTDP and will continue to be his teammate at BU.  More of a two-way player than a raw gamebreaker like Eiserman, Bednarik is likely a few years away from turning pro.

With their other selections, the Islanders went with some longer-term options.  With a goaltending prospect cupboard that wasn’t the deepest, they opted for two netminders that carry at least four years of club control; Gamzin’s rights will be held indefinitely.  As for Veilleux, he’s committed to Harvard University but will spend another season in the USHL, meaning it could be five years before he signs.

Trade Acquisitions

The Isles were quiet on the trade front over the offseason.  Their only swap came more than a month before the draft when they flipped the 18th and 50th picks to Chicago for picks 20, 54, and 61.  Considering that they still wound up with Eiserman plus a pair of intriguing pieces in Pulkkinen and Bednarik, the move turned out pretty well for them as things stand.

UFA Signings

F Anthony Duclair (four years, $14MM)
F Liam Foudy (one year, $775K)*
F Mark Gatcomb (one year, $775K)*
G Marcus Hogberg (two years, $1.55MM)
F Fredrik Karlstrom (one year, $775K)*
D Mike Reilly (one year, $1.25MM)
F Maxim Tsyplakov (one year, $950K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

With limited cap space, Lamoriello used what he had primarily to try to upgrade the offense.  Duclair is a particularly interesting acquisition.  He struggled in San Jose but after Tampa Bay acquired him at the trade deadline, he came up just shy of being a point-per-game player down the stretch.  The 29-year-old has potted at least 23 goals in three of the last four years and this is a team that has scuffled offensively at times over the years.  Roy also has a comfort level with Duclair having coached him previously at the major junior level with QMJHL Quebec.  New York doesn’t need Duclair to produce as he did for the Lightning late in the season but if he can be a consistent 20-goal player and do some damage with his speed, this contract should work out for them.

Tsyplakov was the other addition of intrigue.  The 26-year-old had a breakout year in the KHL last season, notching 31 goals with Spartak Moscow; his previous career-high was 10.  That showing got him on a lot of NHL radars with New York being out a lot of teams for his services.  Capped at signing a one-year deal no matter who got him, Tsyplakov will be looking to land a full-time roster spot but will likely need to start in their bottom six, assuming they can create the cap room to keep him up – more on that later.

Reilly was picked up off waivers early in the season, a move that worked out quite well for both the team and the blueliner.  He wound up securing a full-time spot in the lineup, even holding onto one as players came back from injuries while he chipped in with 24 points in 59 games.  This is his fifth team since 2019 so it’s not surprising that Reilly decided to stay where he had some success; he should have a depth role on their back end this season.

RFA Re-Signings

D Dennis Cholowski (one year, $775K)*
F Simon Holmstrom (one year, $850K)
F Kyle MacLean (three years, $2.325MM)
F Tyce Thompson (one year, $775K)*
F Oliver Wahlstrom (one year, $1MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Wahlstrom had a year to forget last season.  Coming off an ACL injury the year before, he was largely a non-factor on the nights he was in the lineup, recording just two goals and four assists in 32 games.  That had some wondering if the two sides could part ways.  Instead, they avoided arbitration with this deal, one that essentially represents a do-over on last season.  However, given the cheap deal and one-year term, it’s quite possible that the Isles still move on from Wahlstrom, either via a trade or even the waiver wire if they’re willing to risk losing him for no return.  Suffice it to say, things haven’t gone as planned so far for the 11th pick in the 2018 draft.

Holmstrom had a solid showing last season, scoring five shorthanded goals and 15 overall in 75 games despite playing nearly exclusively in the bottom six.  However, he elected to take less than his qualifying offer in order to secure a one-way contract which should help his chance of making the team in a similar role to last season’s.  MacLean was a feel-good story, making his NHL debut last season at the age of 25 and playing his way into a regular spot on the fourth line after that.  Rather than seek top dollar, he opted for security, getting three one-way years on his contract, an outcome that wouldn’t have seemed likely even at the midway point of last season.  Cholowski and Thompson, meanwhile, are primarily AHL veterans at this point of their careers.

Departures

D Sebastian Aho (Pittsburgh, two years, $1.55MM)
G Kenneth Appleby (Charlotte, AHL)
D Robert Bortuzzo (Utah, one year, $775K)*
F Cal Clutterbuck (unsigned)
F Brian Pinho (Bridgeport, AHL)
F Karson Kuhlman (Lukko, Liiga)
D Paul Ladue (MoDo, SHL)
F Otto Koivula (Vaxjo, SHL)
F Matt Martin (PTO with the Islanders)
D Robin Salo (Malmo, SHL)

*-denotes two-way contract

For the most part, New York lost predominantly AHL or depth players.  But their fourth line will look considerably different without Clutterbuck, who had been a fixture there for the past 11 seasons but wasn’t invited back despite recording 19 points and 273 hits.  Martin, meanwhile, wasn’t expected to be back but is hanging around on a PTO, one that’s expected to last into the start of the regular season so he may or may not be a departure when all is said and done depending on if he signs.

Bortuzzo was acquired early last season to offset some injuries on the back end, much like Reilly was.  But his role was much more limited, playing exclusively on the third pairing when he was in the lineup.  Aho, meanwhile, had worked his way from being a depth defender to a full timer on the roster, one who played in 129 games for New York over the past two seasons, predominantly on the third pairing as well.  But with their injured players returning and Reilly being retained, there wasn’t a vacant spot for Aho to potentially fill, resulting in him heading to the Penguins.

Salary Cap Outlook

At the moment, the Islanders have spent exactly to the $88MM Upper Limit (to the penny), per PuckPedia.  And that’s with Tsyplakov not being on the roster.  Presumably, they’re going to want to get him with the big club to start the season which has helped fuel the speculation around Wahlstrom’s future with the team.  MacLean is their only waiver-exempt player and since he makes the league minimum, sending him down isn’t enough.  Accordingly, expect to see some roster activity from the Isles in the coming weeks as they look to free up space for Tsyplakov, possibly Martin, while hoping to give themselves some wiggle room for in-season flexibility.  Lamoriello has some work to do to achieve that.

Key Questions

Can Sorokin Rebound? Through his first three seasons, Sorokin was an elite netminder, posting a 2.34 GAA along with a .924 SV% in 136 games.  That helped him earn an eight-year, $66MM contract extension last July, one that kicks in this season.  However, he struggled throughout last season, putting up a 3.01 GAA with a .908 SV%, a rate that was above the NHL average but well below his standards.  Those struggles resulted in Semyon Varlamov being the starter for their series against the Hurricanes.  Sorokin underwent back surgery this summer and while he isn’t expected to miss time, it only adds to the question of whether he can get back to the Vezina-contending form he has shown in the past.

Will The Offense Improve? New York finished in the bottom 12 offensively last season for the sixth straight year.  The only proven addition of note is Duclair, a player who is probably a middle-six forward.  He’ll help but he alone won’t bring this group to even a middle of the pack team.  They did fare a bit better in this regard following the coaching change but is that sustainable?  Of the 15 other playoff teams last season, the average number of goals scored was 276.  New York checked in at 246 with only Washington coming in below them.  If they want to get to that average, where are the extra 30 goals coming from?  And if they can get that and a bounce-back showing from Sorokin, the Islanders could make some noise this season.

Can Dobson Reach Another Level? Noah Dobson was certainly a bright spot on the blueline for New York last season.  Offensively, he blew past his career bests in assists (60) and points (70), finishing sixth and seventh league-wide in those categories for a defenseman.  Meanwhile, he logged over 24 minutes a night, becoming a legitimate number one blueliner.  Still just 24, how much more room is left to improve?  If he can get into that elite tier of defenders, he’ll give the Islanders an element they haven’t had for a while.  The timing would also be perfect as he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility next summer and will be looking to cash in.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets

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

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Metropolitan Division, next up is Columbus.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Current Cap Hit: $63,201,666 (under the $88MM Upper Limit, also under the $65MM Lower Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Adam Fantilli (two years, $950K)
D David Jiricek (two years, $918K)
F Dmitri Voronkov (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Fantilli: $3.2MM
Jiricek: $1MM
Total: $4.2MM

Fantilli had a solid first half of the season relative to the Blue Jackets’ struggles but his campaign ended early due to a calf laceration.  Still, if he can take a step forward this season, he’s someone that the team may look to buck the trend and work out a long-term agreement with.  It wouldn’t be surprising if the seven-year, $50MM deal that Seattle gave Matthew Beniers would be used as a possible comparable.  Fantilli has $1MM of ‘A’ bonuses in his deal (four at $250K apiece) and if he stays healthy, he should hit at least a couple of those which could help push the Blue Jackets closer to the cap floor.  Voronkov took a while to get going but turned in a quality freshman year himself.  However, there has been speculation that his desire might be to return to Russia.  If that’s not the case, he’s someone who might be in line for a $3MM bridge deal, more if he has a more productive showing this season.

Jiricek split last season between Columbus and AHL Cleveland but passed the 40-game mark to accrue a season of service time.  However, the limited role he had makes a long-term deal unlikely at this point unless he takes on a top role within the next year or so.  His bonuses are also four ‘As’ but without much of an offensive game, he may be limited to aiming for ones geared toward plus/minus, blocked shots, and ATOI.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Justin Danforth ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Trey Fix-Wolansky ($775K, RFA)
D Jordan Harris ($1.4MM, RFA)
D Jack Johnson ($775K, UFA)
F Sean Kuraly ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Mathieu Olivier ($1.1MM, UFA)
D Ivan Provorov ($4.75MM, UFA)*
G Daniil Tarasov ($1.05MM, RFA)
F James van Riemsdyk ($900K, UFA)

*-Los Angeles is retaining an additional $2MM on Provorov’s contract.

Kuraly has nicely filled a bottom-six center spot in the first three seasons with his hometown team.  However, even with a slightly bigger role than he had with Boston, his offensive production has been somewhat limited.  Accordingly, while he might be able to land another multi-year deal around this price point, it’s hard to see him commanding much more than that.  Olivier has become an enforcer who can play more than just spot minutes which should help his cause heading to the open market.  While a lot of teams don’t carry that type of player now, enough still do that at least a small raise could be achievable.

Danforth has turned into somewhat of a Swiss army knife for the Blue Jackets.  Somewhat of a late bloomer, he opted to take an early extension last time but he might be better off testing the market this time around.  If he can have another season of double-digit goals and 25-plus points, his versatility could make him very intriguing on the open market, allowing him to potentially double this price tag.  As for van Riemsdyk, he was a late signing due to Columbus being limited up front.  That he didn’t have much interest in a guaranteed deal beforehand was a bit surprising but it might forecast a similar fate next summer.  Fix-Wolansky is far from guaranteed a roster spot but is at the point where there isn’t much left to prove in the minors.  He could just be a high-end AHL player but even so, some of those have received one-way deals in recent years.

Provorov had a decent first season in Columbus but still came up short of the offensive production he had in his best days with Philadelphia.  That will likely limit his earnings upside on his next deal as the expectation is that he’d be more productive by this point.  However, the fact he’ll hit the open market at 28 should offset that somewhat; that’s a few years younger than a lot of impact blueliners for their first trip through unrestricted free agency.  A breakout year under new head coach Dean Evason could change things but as it stands now, Provorov might be someone who winds up accepting a contract very close to the one he has now, both in salary and term (he’s ending a six-year agreement this season).

Harris was acquired from Montreal in the Patrik Laine trade and is likely to have a similar role with Columbus as he did with the Canadiens, that of a fourth or fifth defender with limited special teams time.  With salary arbitration rights, he should be able to push past the $2MM mark but with limited production, his earnings upside will be capped.  Johnson accepted a one-year deal at the league minimum this summer, a price point he’s likely to stay at if he signs for 2025-26.

Tarasov bounced back relatively well after a rough 2022-23 campaign but still hasn’t progressed past the level of a possible backup goalie.  That said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play a bit more this season which could push his asking price to the $2MM range on another short-term agreement.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Yegor Chinakhov ($2.1MM, RFA)
D Erik Gudbranson ($4MM, UFA)
F Boone Jenner ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Cole Sillinger ($2.25MM, RFA)

Jenner hasn’t been able to get to the 30-goal mark in recent years but has quietly produced at that pace for three straight years but has simply dealt with injuries.  He’s a legitimate two-way top-six center on a deal that was a team-friendly pact from the moment he signed it.  Assuming he continues to log around 20 minutes a night, a multi-year deal worth more than $6MM per season could be where his market lands in 2026.

Sillinger rebounded well after a particularly rough sophomore year but he still isn’t established enough to the point where a long-term deal made no sense for either side.  This bridge deal from earlier this summer buys both sides more time to evaluate.  He’ll be arbitration-eligible next time out and at this point, it’s hard to project where he’ll land as his offensive game still has a lot of room to grow.  Chinakhov took some steps forward last season when healthy, giving the Blue Jackets some secondary scoring.  Still, he’s not yet a consistently reliable top-six forward which is where he’ll need to get to in order to get a raise of significance two years from now.

Gudbranson’s contract was widely panned at the time as a third-pairing player getting more money and term than many expected.  However, he has played top-four minutes with the Blue Jackets, giving them at least some bang for their buck, especially after a career year offensively.  That said, he’ll be 34 when he hits the open market and has a physical style that tends not to age well.  It’d be surprising if he eclipses $4MM on his next deal as a result.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Kent Johnson ($1.8MM, RFA)
F Kirill Marchenko ($3.85MM, RFA)
G Elvis Merzlikins ($5.4MM, UFA)

Marchenko only has two NHL seasons under his belt but surpassed the 20-goal mark in each of them, giving him a bit of leverage in contract talks which didn’t seem to go to his liking early on.  This is on the pricier end for a typical bridge agreement but both sides will get to see if he has another gear to get to before he gets one more crack at restricted free agency with arbitration rights and a $3.975MM qualifying offer.  If he can keep scoring 20-plus goals, he’ll be in line for a sizable raise next time out.  Johnson really only has one full NHL season under his belt; he burned a year with limited action after college and missed half of last year due to injury and some time in the minors.  That made a three-year deal a bit surprising, especially at a rate that looks like a team-friendly one.  It won’t take much for Johnson to out-perform this contract as he looks to establish himself as a top-six piece.  If that happens, he’ll more than double this next time out.

Merzlikins did have better numbers last season but that was a pretty low bar to meet considering how much he struggled in 2022-23.  Even so, his level of performance was well below league average for a backup goalie let alone a starter.  He has suggested in the past that he’d welcome a trade but earlier this summer, GM Don Waddell noted how hard that would be, saying “Let’s be honest, nobody is going to trade for that contract. Nobody”.  That about says everything you need to know about the value perspective or lack thereof.  At this point, a change of scenery could help him rebuild some value but at this point, his next contract seems likely to be a one-year, low-cost ‘prove it’ type of agreement.

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