Maple Leafs Sign Max Pacioretty, Steven Lorentz; Extend Cade Webber
The Maple Leafs have signed forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz to one-year deals after they attended training camp on professional tryouts, the team announced Monday. They’ve also signed pending restricted free agent defenseman Cade Webber to a two-year extension, keeping him under contract through the 2026-27 season.
Pacioretty’s deal is a 35+ contract with a cap hit of $873,770 with up to $626,230 in additional performance bonuses, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports. He’ll receive half those bonuses if he plays 10 games this season and all if he plays 35. The total potential value of the contract is $1.5MM. Lorentz’s deal is a straightforward one-way, league-minimum pact worth $775K, per Seravalli. Webber’s contract carries an $825K cap hit and is a two-way deal in 2025-26 before becoming a one-way pact in 2026-27, adds Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.
Pacioretty, 35, is looking to get back on track in Toronto after a pair of Achilles tendon tears cost him most of the past two seasons. After playing just five games with the Hurricanes in 2022-23, he signed with the Capitals last summer. He made his season debut after completing his recovery in January, but his goal-scoring output plummeted from years past. ‘Patches’ shot just 4.2%, scoring four goals in 47 contests while adding 19 assists for 23 points.
The former Canadiens captain is a six-time 30-goal scorer, though. While he likely won’t land top-six minutes in Toronto and thus has virtually no chance of replicating that feat, his shooting percentage should rebound to its usual 10 to 12 percent and put him back on track for double-digit scoring totals in a third-line role if he stays healthy. That’s certainly a big if, considering he hasn’t played more than 50 games in a season since the 2019-20 campaign. Still, he’ll likely open the season as the team’s 3LW alongside Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann or Nicholas Robertson.
Lorentz, 28, brings a Stanley Cup ring and 230 games of NHL experience to Toronto’s fourth line. The natural center played 16 of the Panthers’ 24 playoff games last year en route to the franchise’s first championship, scoring twice and adding an assist for three points with a -1 rating while averaging 7:07 per game. He won’t be much of an offensive factor, averaging seven goals and 15 points per 82 games throughout his regular season career. But he’s serviceable enough in the faceoff dot, winning 48.7% of his draws, and his possession quality numbers at even strength are historically above water. He’ll likely start at left wing, with David Kämpf centering the Leafs’ fourth line.
Webber won’t be making his NHL debut in the next few days. He’s waiver-exempt and will need to be assigned to AHL Toronto today so the Leafs can reduce their opening-night roster to a maximum of 23 players. However, the 2019 fourth-round pick stayed in the mix until the end and has seemingly impressed the Leafs since signing his entry-level contract at the end of last season. The stay-at-home defender is coming off a four-year run at Boston University, where he served as an alternate captain last year and posted six assists and a +15 rating in 38 games. He should still be in line for his NHL debut at some point this year, even if it’s not during opening week.
Pacioretty’s oddly specific cap hit has much to do with Toronto optimizing their long-term injured reserve capture to open the season, giving them as much financial flexibility as possible while dealing with some injuries. As outlined by The Score’s Kyle Cushman, the Leafs are expected to submit an opening-night roster with just $1 in cap space pending multiple moves, including returning top forward prospect Easton Cowan to his junior team, placing Fraser Minten on season-opening injured reserve with his high ankle sprain, placing Connor Dewar on standard IR, and placing Jani Hakanpää, Calle Järnkrok, and Dakota Mermis on LTIR.
Jett Luchanko To Begin Season In Flyers’ Top Nine
Center Jett Luchanko is projected to start the 2024-25 season in the Flyers’ top nine after officially cracking the opening night roster Monday. The rookie pivot has most recently taken rushes as Philadelphia’s third-line center between Bobby Brink and Joel Farabee, per PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor.
Barring injury, when Luchanko makes his NHL debut in the Flyers’ season opener against the Canucks on Friday, he’ll be the youngest player ever to appear in a regular-season game for the franchise, relays Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The 13th overall pick in this summer’s draft didn’t have his 18th birthday until late August.
It’s not like he was given a spot on a silver platter, either. Luchanko will start the season in a higher role than more established third-line center options like Noah Cates and Scott Laughton. All signs point to Laughton starting in a fourth-line role with Cates in the press box, while his emergence in camp also forced Philly to expose roster hopeful Olle Lycksell to the waiver wire.
Luchanko checks in at 5’11” and 187 lbs and plays a well-rounded game offensively. He’s regarded as defensively sound, although not in an overtly physical way. His point production in juniors last season was strong at 20 goals and 74 points in 68 games with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, but few, if any, expected him to contend for an NHL roster spot this early in his development. He signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers back in early July.
The Flyers can still return Luchanko to Guelph after nine NHL appearances without burning the first year of his ELC. He can’t head to AHL Lehigh Valley this season on a full-time basis, only for a few games on a conditioning stint if he meets those requirements. Even if Luchanko plays more than nine NHL games this year, Philadelphia can still return him to the Storm later on – they’ll just still burn the first year of his contract.
Luchanko will be a lock for Canada’s World Junior roster in December if the Flyers make him available. For Guelph, it’s the second year in a row they’ve unexpectedly lost their top center to an NHL club – the Bruins’ Matthew Poitras unexpectedly cracked their opening night roster last year and remained in the NHL for the entire season.
Canadiens Reassign Three Players
Oct. 7: The Habs returned Condotta, Gignac, and Trudeau to Laval last night, the team announced Monday morning.
Oct. 5: Several teams today have promoted players from the AHL in advance of their final preseason game tonight. Montreal is the latest to do so as they’ve recalled forwards Brandon Gignac and Lucas Condotta along with defenseman William Trudeau from AHL Laval per the NHL’s Media Portal.
Gignac spent most of last season in the minors but saw his AHL contract converted to a two-year, two-way NHL deal in February. He got into seven games with Montreal last season, scoring his first NHL goal. Meanwhile, in Laval, he had 19 goals and 36 assists in 61 games.
Condotta, meanwhile, has now been recalled for the second time since clearing waivers less than a week ago. The 26-year-old was held off the scoresheet in three appearances with the Canadiens last season while adding 19 points in 65 contests for the Rocket. Condotta, a full-time forward, wound up taking some shifts as a defenseman last weekend when the Canadiens were down to just four available to them early in a preseason game against Toronto.
As for Trudeau, the 21-year-old has yet to see NHL action in his first two professional seasons. Instead, he has played exclusively with Laval and put up eight goals and 16 assists in 70 games in 2023-24.
Meanwhile, the team revealed earlier today (Twitter link) that blueliner Kaiden Guhle will play his first preseason game after undergoing an appendectomy last month, causing him to miss their first five contests.
As for the other three, they will likely be returned to Laval before Monday’s deadline to submit season-opening cap-compliant rosters to the NHL.
Player’s Closet Project: A New Era Of Authentic Athlete Memorabilia For Fans (Sponsored)
This is a sponsored post from Legends Memorabilia.
In a groundbreaking new initiative aimed at connecting fans directly with their favorite athletes, Legends Memorabilia Collection has launched the Player’s Closet Project. This innovative project brings fans exclusive, personally owned and autographed items from the personal collections of some of the biggest stars in sports. Legends Memorabilia Collection (LMC) is a wholly owned for-profit subsidiary of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA). With access to thousands of former big- league players, LMC offers an unparalleled experience in Major League Baseball memorabilia.
The Player’s Closet Project stands out from traditional memorabilia offerings by delivering items that have been a part of an athlete’s personal journey. They are tied to meaningful moments in an athlete’s career—whether it’s a pair of sneakers worn during a training session, an autographed locker room sign, a jacket worn during the season, or an autograph exchanged with a fellow player after the game. Each item comes with a certificate of authenticity, ensuring the piece’s source and its significance to the athlete’s personal history.
The Player’s Closet Project already has a growing roster of athletes across different eras of baseball who are participating in the initiative. Each athlete has carefully selected items from their personal closets and will make them available in limited quantities.
Some of the high-profile names involved in the project include exclusive Legends Memorabilia Collection athlete and baseball superstar Mike Trout, 2006 MVP Ryan Howard and two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon. From Trout’s batting gloves to Howard’s game-day cleats, fans can expect unique, one-of-a-kind items to hit the site regularly. Damon has even contributed a pair of autographed seats from Old Yankee Stadium! With more athletes being announced routinely, fans can look forward to a constantly evolving collection of unique items.
Whether you’re a seasoned memorabilia collector or a lifelong sports fan looking for that perfect piece, the Player’s Closet Project offers something for everyone. With exclusive, personally owned items coming directly from the athletes themselves, this project is set to redefine how fans engage with the memorabilia market.
From iconic game-day gear to behind-the-scenes keepsakes, the Player’s Closet Project is a fan’s dream come true—bringing the game, and the players, closer than ever before.
For more information on the Player’s Closet Project and to see the latest drops, visit https://shoplegends.com/pages/players-closet-project.
Evening Notes: Watson, Doughty, Kaliyev
Max Bultman of The Athletic tweeted that the recent moves by the Detroit Red Wings point to the team signing forward Austin Watson to a contract. The 32-year-old is on a PTO for the second straight season and is hoping to grab an NHL job out of training camp for the second year in a row.
Watson turned last year’s PTO into a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning and could do so again this year, especially after he endeared himself to the team by sticking up for his teammate in Friday’s affair against the Ottawa Senators. Watson‘s presence would give the Red Wings a 13th forward and provide the team with a bit of toughness, something that they didn’t have a ton of last season.
PuckPedia has reported that Watson will likely sign a two-way contract with the Red Wings.
In other evening notes:
- The Los Angeles Kings have announced that defenseman Drew Doughty will be placed on injured reserve. The news is not surprising given that Doughty just had surgery last week and was ruled out month to month. The 34-year-old suffered the injury back on September 25th after a collision with former teammate Tanner Pearson. Doughty’s absence will certainly complicate the Kings’ first month of the season as Doughty remains among the league leaders in ice time and averaged nearly 26 minutes a game last season.
- The Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Arthur Kaliyev has been placed on the injured reserve. Much like with Doughty, Kaliyav’s move to the IR was strictly a formality as the 23-year-old suffered a fractured clavicle in a training camp scrimmage a few weeks ago. Kaliyev is currently out indefinitely and there is no timetable for a potential return. The former second-round pick had seven goals and eight assists in 51 games last season and suffered a steep drop in his offensive production which ultimately led to him settling for a one-year deal for $825K just a few days before the start of training camp.
Pacific Notes: Ryan, Dermott, Garland
Edmonton Oilers forward Derek Ryan took part in the team’s practice today as a full participant (as per Oilers reporter Tony Brar). Ryan was only on the ice for the latter stage of the team’s morning skate on Friday and didn’t play in their preseason game on Friday evening. He was deemed day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but it does appear as though the 37-year-old should be good for opening night.
Ryan will likely see significant time as the Oilers’ fourth-line center and could be flanked by Vasily Podkolzin and Corey Perry. Edmonton waived two forwards earlier today, one of whom (Raphael Lavoie) was in the running Ryan’s role on the fourth line and was a bit of a surprise cut given his young age and potential upside. Ryan is nearing the end of his career and is coming off the least productive offensive season of his nine-year NHL career.
In other Pacific Division notes:
- Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch spoke to the media today about the status of defenseman Travis Dermott (as per Oilers reporter Tony Brar). The 27-year-old has had a great training camp with Edmonton but remains unsigned and is working under a PTO. The Oilers waived Josh Brown today who they signed earlier this summer, and his demotion could signal that the Oilers are ready to commit to Dermott for this season. Dermott could explore his options elsewhere like Kevin Labanc did when he left his PTO with New Jersey to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
- Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland skated today by himself for the team’s practice (as per Ben Kuzma of Postmedia). Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet told the media that the team is hopeful that Garland will be ready to play on opening night this Wednesday. Garland suffered an undisclosed injury on Friday morning during practice and was considered day-to-day as he sat out Friday night’s preseason game for precautionary reasons. Given the injuries that Vancouver is currently dealing with, it’s easy to see why the team was cautious with Garland.
Canucks Sign Nils Höglander To Three-Year Contract Extension
The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Nils Höglander to a three-year contract extension worth a total of $9MM (twitter link). The new deal will begin in the 2025-26 season and carry an average annual value of $3MM. Höglander is entering the final season of a two-year, $2.2MM contract and will almost triple his cap hit with his new deal.
The 23-year-old set career highs last season in games played (80), goals (24) and points (36) and shot a whopping 20% with a +23 plus/minus rating. He then made his NHL playoff debut, dressing in 11 games and posting a goal and an assist.
This year the Canucks were very happy with the way Höglander came into training camp and elected to sign him to an extension rather than waiting until the end of the season. Whether the extension will be a bargain will depend on which version of Höglander they get going forward. In 2022-23, the former second-round pick struggled, dressing in just 25 games and posting just three goals and six assists. His shooting percentage that season was just 10.3%.
The native of Bockträsk, Sweden is entering his fifth NHL season and has dressed in 221 games with Vancouver, posting 50 goals and 40 assists and has become somewhat of an analytics darling. Last season, Höglander had terrific possession numbers posting a CF% of 53.1% at even strength.
At this early stage of his career, Höglander could just be scratching the surface and may end up being a bargain for Vancouver. On the other hand, Höglander is unlikely to duplicate his shooting percentage from last season, which could lead to a drop in goal scoring. The good news for Vancouver is that Höglander does enough good things without the puck so even if his goal-scoring drops off he should remain good value on his new contract.
Utah Hockey Club Signs Kailer Yamamoto
The Utah Hockey Club has its first successful professional tryout agreement in league history. The organization announced they have signed forward Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 NHL season.
Yamamoto is hopeful this contract will translate into a solid bounceback year for the former Edmonton Oilers prospect. He was drafted with the 22nd overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft as one of the smaller players in the class at 5’7″.
The NHL has changed quite a bit over the last few decades with smaller frame players becoming some of the game’s best but this has not been a reality for Yamamoto. He showed flashes of being a reliable top-six scorer as early as the 2019-20 season with 11 goals and 26 points in 27 games for the Oilers.
He fell into a middle-six role from 2020-22 scoring 28 goals and 62 points in Edmonton in 133 games. The team hoped Yamamoto would eventually blossom into a consistent top-six threat and opted for a two-year, $6.2MM bridge contract with their young forward in 2022.
Yamamoto only saw a year of this contract with the Oilers scoring 10 goals and 25 points in 58 games. Edmonton traded Yamamoto with Klim Kostin to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations the next offseason before he was eventually bought out.
The Seattle Kraken, a 280-mile drive from his native Spokane, became his new landing spot on the back of a one-year, $1.5MM contract. The one-year gamble proved bad for both parties as the Kraken limited Yamamoto to an average of 11:59 of ice time per game and the player produced his lowest offensive output since 2018-19.
The depressed season paved the way for Yamamoto to sign a PTO with the new Utah team for training camp. He’s scored three goals over four preseason contests and will now compete for a spot in Utah’s middle six.
TSN’s Chris Johnston was the first to report Utah had signed Yamamoto.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Nikita Prishchepov To Entry-Level Contract
After trading defenseman Erik Brannstrom to the Vancouver Canucks earlier today the Colorado Avalanche have stayed busy. The organization announced they have signed forward Nikita Prishchepov to a three-year, entry-level contract and he’ll report to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
Prishchepov was the ninth-to-last player selected in the 2024 NHL Draft at 217th overall to the Avalanche. He had previously been playing for the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres and will suit up professionally earlier than expected.
The 20-year-old Russian spent three years with Victoriaville after moving to North America from the subsidiary of the KHL, the MHL. He improved each year of his major junior career and finished with 45 goals and 135 points in 191 games for the Tigres. The Avalanche will hope for more discipline as he makes his way up the North American pipeline as Prishchepov finished with 189 PIMs in his QMJHL tenure.
That discipline carried into his final weeks with Victoriaville as he earned 20 PIMs in only 14 postseason games putting his team at a serious disadvantage. He finished with three goals and 11 points to end his career as the Tigres fell in five games to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the QMJHL Conference Finals.
He’ll start down the middle of the ice with the Eagles and should serve as valuable center depth for the organization. His talents are still a bit raw but he’ll have a few years to iron out his foundation at the AHL level.
Hurricanes Sign Bryce Montgomery To Entry-Level Contract
The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the most active teams today signing Skyler Brind’Amour to an entry-level contract earlier today and making 21 roster cuts. The organization announced another three-year entry-level signing with defenseman Bryce Montgomery who will make $854.9K at the NHL level and $55K in the AHL.
Montgomery, a product of the OHL’s London Knights, was drafted by the Hurricanes with the 170th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft. He focuses solely on physicality and the defensive side of the game with only two goals and eight points in 84 OHL contests.
He spent last season playing for Carolina’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, where his offensive play did pick up. He scored four goals and 12 points in 42 games finishing with a +4 rating.
Penalties have been an issue for Montgomery in the past with 70 PIMs in the OHL and 70 PIMs in the USHL in only 48 games. He appeared to be more disciplined throughout his time in the ECHL which may have led Carolina to signing this contract. He’s a large defenseman at 6’5″ and 231 pounds but needed to control his size more to make his way up the pipeline.
He will start the season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and should play a bottom-pairing role with another spot on the team’s penalty kill. It will take some time before Montgomery could potentially make the Hurricanes’ roster full-time but he will first look to earn his stripes in the AHL.