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Morning Notes: Red Wings, Lardis, Offer Sheets

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Expect the Red Wings to open the season once again with three goalies on their opening night roster, writes Max Bultman of The Athletic.

As general manager Steve Yzerman has said this offseason, there’s a lot of waiver math that will factor into what Detroit’s 23-player list looks like when rosters are due Oct. 7. Unless a prospect forces their hand, they’ll turn in the combination of players that requires exposing the least amount of talent to the wire – likely resulting in three goalies and eight defensemen opening night without an extra forward.

“There was no indication in [rookie camp in] Traverse City” that fringe forward prospects Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, or Carter Mazur were close to winning out a roster spot, Bultman said, although they’ll still get some looks during the preseason. If they do make a waiver placement to free up a roster spot for one of the three or PTO candidate Austin Watson, though, expect it to be netminder Ville Husso, he added. The 29-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season that limited him to 19 games played with a .892 SV% and a 9-5-2 record. That would allow them to avoid placing defense prospect Albert Johansson on waivers, who’ll likely start the season in the NHL now that he’s no longer waiver-exempt.

More from around the league this morning:

  • While not a candidate for a roster spot just yet, Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis is impressing this month, The Athletic’s Scott Powers writes. “…When it comes to the future, no player may have done as much to build expectations as Lardis in recent weeks,” said Powers. “What Lardis has shown with his shot, quickness and hockey IQ in the last two weeks has Chicago management even more excited for his eventual NHL arrival.” Lardis, a 19-year-old left winger, will return to the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs for his fourth season of junior hockey after recording 29 goals and 50 points in only 37 games there last year. He was a third-round pick (No. 67 overall) by Chicago in 2023.
  • Opinions around the league are mixed on whether the Blues’ successful acquisition of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway will lead to an uptick in future summers, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. Player agents were far more optimistic, with Octagon’s Allan Walsh telling LeBrun that “the barn door has been opened” and that “we’ll certainly be seeing more of them going forward.” GMs Tom Fitzgerald (Devils), Bill Guerin (Wild), Ron Francis (Kraken), and Jim Nill (Stars) all countered with “it’s part of the business”-type sentiments, saying not to expect a material change in how often offer sheets are levied.

Tony DeAngelo Signs With SKA St. Petersburg

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Sep. 23: DeAngelo is indeed heading to SKA on a one-year contract, the team announced Monday on Instagram.

Aug. 14: Tony DeAngelo seems likely to head overseas with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League after a tough year with the Hurricanes, Anton Panchenko of Championat reported Monday. DeAngelo was the subject of more speculative rumors about a move to SKA earlier this month, which he refuted at the time and said he was focused on landing another NHL opportunity.

But in the days following DeAngelo’s statement, SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg confirmed that his club had contacted DeAngelo and maintained interest (via Championat’s Anton Nekrasov). Panchenko’s report from Monday, albeit translated from Russian, indicates that DeAngelo has now agreed to a contract with the KHL powerhouse.

DeAngelo, 28, became a UFA this summer after a second stint with the Hurricanes failed. The right-shot defenseman, whose play style is as one-dimensional as they come, enjoyed an offensive revival in Carolina in 2021-22, leading the club’s defense in scoring across the board with 10 goals, 41 assists, 51 points, and a career-high +30 rating in 64 games.

He gave Carolina that production on a dirt-cheap one-year, $1MM deal after he played just six games the year prior with the Rangers. That resulted from an early-season altercation with then-teammate Alexandar Georgiev, which resulted in DeAngelo being placed on waivers and assigned to the minors. He didn’t report to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and instead sat out most of the shortened 2021 season before the Rangers bought out the final season of his contract, making him free to sign with the Canes as a UFA.

The Hurricanes couldn’t afford to keep him around after he punched far above his weight financially, trading his signing rights to the Flyers during the 2022 offseason. Philadelphia promptly signed him to a two-year, $10MM contract, and he entered 2022-23 near the top of their defensive depth chart.

However, DeAngelo’s defensive struggles became much more apparent outside of a strong Carolina system. He posted a team-worst -27 rating and became a healthy scratch at times near the tail end of the campaign. He was still a respectable contributor offensively, leading Flyers blueliners with 11 goals, 31 assists and 42 points in 70 games, but his relationship with head coach John Tortorella was fractured as a result of the scratches.

Shortly after the season ended, the Flyers made DeAngelo the first player in NHL history to be bought out twice. He then returned to Carolina on a one-year, $1.675MM deal to try and rediscover past magic. But he wasn’t their only notable free agent signing on the back end, and he was relegated to the No. 7 spot on their defense depth chart for most of the season after Dmitry Orlov was brought into the mix. He was a healthy scratch for over half the season, limited to 11 points in 31 games while averaging a career-low 14:20 per contest.

It’s not just DeAngelo’s poor defensive play that’s limited his interest from NHL teams. His lack of discipline has rendered him wholly ineffective at times. Aside from the Georgiev incident in New York, he was suspended for physical abuse of an official while with the Coyotes in 2017 and again for spearing during the tail end of his time with the Flyers. During his junior hockey days with the Sarnia Sting, he was suspended twice for violating the Ontario Hockey League’s Abuse/Diversity policy.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Five Key Stories: 9/16/24 – 9/22/24

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With training camps getting underway, it was a busy week around the NHL, particularly on the transactions front with plenty of notable contracts being handed out.  Those are among our key stories from the past seven days.

Red Wings Sign Three: Detroit came into the week with three players left to sign and they ended it with zero.  First, they signed winger Jonatan Berggren to a one-year, $825K contract.  After spending most of last season in the minors, it’s expected he’ll be a full-timer on the Red Wings this season.  Next, winger Lucas Raymond received an eight-year, $64.6MM agreement, one that buys up four extra years of club control.  The fourth-overall pick in 2020, Raymond had by far his best showing last season, notching 31 goals and 41 assists in 82 games.  Lastly, blueliner Moritz Seider inked a seven-year, $59.85MM deal.  The sixth-overall selection in 2019 quickly emerged as a key all-situations blueliner in his rookie year and has played at a similar level since then.  The $8.55MM AAV on this deal checks in just below the $8.7MM for captain Dylan Larkin which was viewed as a ceiling in negotiations.

Utah Makes Another Splash: It has been a busy offseason for Utah HC in their inaugural year after moving from Arizona.  The team swung two big moves to shore up the back end with Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino and now, they’ve handed out one of the richest deals in franchise history to winger Dylan Guenther.  The 21-year-old reached an agreement on a seven-year, $57.14MM extension ($7.142MM AAV), one that puts him just behind Clayton Keller ($7.15MM) for their highest-paid forward.  Guenther started last season in the minors but was quite productive following a midseason recall, notching 18 goals and 17 assists in 45 games.  He has just 78 career NHL games under his belt and has one year remaining on his entry-level contract.

Crosby Finally Signs: It was widely expected that Penguins captain Sidney Crosby would sign a contract extension over the offseason.  Many felt it’d be early on which wasn’t the case.  However, the deal got done as Crosby signed a two-year, $17.4MM deal which kicks in next season.  The deal carries a $8.7MM AAV, meaning that this amount will have been his exclusive cap charge since the 2008-09 season.  Crosby is a franchise icon, leading the team in games played (1,272) while sitting second to Mario Lemieux in goals (592), assists (1,004), and points (1,596).  While he easily could have made a case to command a higher price tag coming off a 42-goal, 94-point season, he’ll remain at the number that’s familiar to him, keeping him on a team-friendly agreement for a little while longer.

Calling It A Career: One of the more prominent remaining unrestricted free agents was veteran winger Kyle Okposo.  However, he has decided to go out on top, announcing his retirement at the age of 36.  The winger played in 17 NHL seasons (notching 614 points), splitting time almost identically between the Islanders and Sabres.  Buffalo flipped him to Florida at the trade deadline, giving him a chance to play for a contender and it worked out well for Okposo with the Panthers winning the Stanley Cup.  Meanwhile, while Jaromir Jagr left the NHL in the 2017-18 season, he hasn’t stopped playing, suiting up for Kladno in his native Czechia, the team he owns.  However, he has revealed that this will be his final year at age 52.  Between the regular season and playoffs, Jagr is closing in on 2,500 career professional appearances and is the second-leading scorer in NHL history.

Stars Sign Two Defensemen: Dallas went into the week with a blueliner to sign although their first contract went to a different one as they agreed to terms with Esa Lindell on a five-year, $26.25MM extension.  The deal actually represents a small pay cut as he’ll make $5.8MM this season in the final year of his current pact.  Lindell has averaged more than 22 minutes a night over his career with Dallas, serving as a reliable defender at that time.  He now won’t be UFA-eligible until the age of 36.  Meanwhile, the Stars reached an agreement with the other blueliner they needed to sign later in the day, signing Thomas Harley to a two-year, $8MM deal.  The 23-year-old only recorded 15 goals and 32 assists in 79 games last season while averaging just over 21 minutes a night, earning himself a significant raise from his entry-level deal in the process.  The deal is slightly backloaded, resulting in Harley requiring a $4.5MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in 2026.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Fowler, Danforth, Nosek, Lankinen

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Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Ducks and veteran defenseman Cam Fowler were working on finding a new team for him to play for.  With Anaheim firmly in a rebuild and Fowler only having two years left on his contract, a change of scenery would make sense for both sides.  GM Pat Verbeek told reporters including Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription link) that he doesn’t sense that this will be a distraction, highlighting that Fowler is fully committed to the team.  The 32-year-old has spent his entire 14-year career with Anaheim and sits third in franchise history in games played (974) and fifth in points (453).  With most teams at this point wanting to see what they have first before pondering potential moves, it’s likely that a move involving Fowler will take some time to materialize.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While Blue Jackets winger Justin Danforth has been cleared to resume some on-ice work as he works his way back from a hand injury, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that Danforth might not be cleared for contact for another two or three weeks. Accordingly, that would likely put the start of the regular season out of reach for the 31-year-old in jeopardy.  Danforth had a career-high 26 points in 71 games last season while spending time at all three forward positions.
  • Panthers center Tomas Nosek left today’s preseason game early after colliding with the boards following a trip, notes team reporter Jameson Olive (Twitter link). While he briefly tried to return later in the period, he ultimately didn’t return to the contest.  Nosek is in his first season in Florida after signing a one-year deal with them in free agency.  The 32-year-old battled injury trouble last season, missing 43 games due to four separate issues, managing just six points in 36 appearances when he did suit up.
  • The one-year, $875K deal that the Canucks reached with goaltender Kevin Lankinen on Saturday carries an eight-team no-trade clause, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). It’s the first time in his career that the 29-year-old will have any form of trade protection in his contract.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

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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.  Next up is the Metropolitan Division, beginning with Carolina.

Carolina Hurricanes

Current Cap Hit: $87,920,087 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Bradly Nadeau (three years, $918.3K)

Nadeau might have a chance to make the team out of training camp.  He turned pro after a solid freshman year at college, even making his NHL debut while spending the playoffs as a Black Ace in Carolina.  Given that his NHL career spans just one game so far, it’s far too early to project his next contract.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

G Frederik Andersen ($3.4MM, UFA)
D Brent Burns ($5.28MM, UFA)*
F Jesper Fast ($2.4MM, UFA)
F Tyson Jost ($775K, UFA)
F Brendan Lemieux ($775K, UFA)
G Spencer Martin ($775K, UFA)
D Dmitry Orlov ($7.75MM, UFA)
F Eric Robinson ($950K, UFA)
F Jack Roslovic ($2.8MM, UFA)

*-San Jose is retaining another $2.72MM on Burns’ contract.

Roslovic is coming off a down year, one which saw him notch just nine goals and 22 assists in 59 games between the Blue Jackets and Rangers.  Rather than trying to sign a multi-year agreement, he opted for a one-year deal to try to rebuild his value.  He’ll need to get back to the 40-point range if he wants to come close to the $4MM he made on his last deal.  Fast, meanwhile, is already out for the season after neck surgery which won’t help his cause heading to the open market.  A capable bottom-six winger, he’ll likely have to settle for a one-year deal to show he’s healthy.  Although he’ll only be 33 next summer, he will be eligible for performance bonuses since he has played more than 400 NHL games and will be out for the entire year; it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team or two try to use that to their advantage in an offer.

Robinson split last season between Columbus and Buffalo and didn’t fare particularly well.  However, with two seasons of double-digit goals before that, he was able to secure more than the minimum this time around.  He’ll need to get back to that this season or else he could fall into the tier of players settling for the minimum salary.  That’s where Lemieux and Jost already find themselves and barring a significant change in their fortunes this season, they’re likely to remain around that mark.

Orlov elected to take a short-term, above-market deal last summer, positioning himself for potentially another multi-year agreement in what should be a more favorable environment.  However, he had a much more limited role than many expected last season and if he remains in the fourth or fifth slot, the price tag on his contract, might start with a four instead of a seven.  Burns has fit in quite well since being acquired and is still logging big minutes.  At some point, that’s going to change but if he wants to, he could hang around for another year or two even though he’ll turn 40 in March.  It stands to reason that he’ll be going year-to-year at that point, but a $5MM price tag for next season shouldn’t be out of the question.

Andersen dealt with a blood clot issue for a big chunk of last season but was dominant in the limited action he had.  That’s too small of a sample size to make a forecast from but his career numbers have him in the higher-end second-string range or lower-end starter (thanks to durability concerns).  That could be worth a small raise but as he turns 35, he’s a candidate to take a slightly lesser deal in exchange for a multi-year agreement.  Martin projects to be the third-string option but was a full-time NHL player last season thanks to some waiver claims.  With a salary at the minimum, he could be a candidate to be claimed should the Hurricanes try to send him down.  He’ll need to play more frequently to have a shot at a seven-figure deal next summer.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Jack Drury ($1.725MM, RFA)
F Martin Necas ($6.5MM, UFA)

Necas was a speculative trade candidate for most of the offseason and frankly, this contract probably didn’t do too much to dispel that.  A legitimate top-six forward, he will now be positioned to hit the open market at 27, an opportunity few impact players have.  If he can get back to the 70-point range that he reached in 2022-23, he could command upwards of $8MM on the open market.  Drury established himself as a full-timer last season while being a weapon at the faceoff dot.  A productive scorer in the minors, he’ll need to find another gear offensively to have a shot at commanding more impactful money.  Notably, his qualifying offer checks in slightly lower than this at $1.675MM.

Signed Through 2026-27

D Jalen Chatfield ($3MM, UFA)
D Shayne Gostisbehere ($3.2MM, UFA)
G Pyotr Kochetkov ($2MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($3.05MM, UFA)
F Jordan Staal ($2.9MM, UFA)

After being more of a limited player in his first few seasons with the Hurricanes, Martinook has become a capable secondary scorer while playing a sound defensive game.  He’s still a role player in the grand scheme of things but he’s an upper-end third liner now which helped him earn a $1.25MM raise from last season.  Staal took a more than 50% drop in salary last year to remain in Carolina while getting a four-year agreement that takes him to his age-38 season.  By that time, he’ll likely have a more limited role so if he signs another deal, it could be at a lower price point once again.

Gostisbehere opted for a pay cut but some stability after playing on a one-year deal a year ago.  He remains a capable offensive defenseman who will give some of that production back at the other end.  However, with Burns potentially on the way out after the upcoming season, Gostisbehere could be in line for some more impressive offensive stats.  Chatfield has worked his way from being a depth defender to one who is more of an every-game regular.  $3MM is on the higher side for someone in a number six role but given the scarcity of right-shot defenders on the open market this past summer, he likely was getting it from someone if not Carolina.

Kochetkov’s contract was one of the more interesting ones given to a goalie in recent years.  At the time he signed it, he had primarily played in the minors though he showed some promising signs in limited NHL action.  Even last season, the first year of that deal, saw Kochetkov spend some time in the AHL.  But they’re banking on him playing at a backup level at a minimum and at this point, it looks like he’ll be able to do that at the very least.  If he can land higher on the depth chart and take over as the full-fledged starter (or perhaps more likely, the strong side of a platoon), Carolina will get a terrific return on this agreement.

Signed Through 2027-28 Or Longer

F Sebastian Aho ($9.75MM through 2031-32)
F William Carrier ($2MM through 2029-30)
F Seth Jarvis ($7.42MM through 2031-32)
F Jesperi Kotkaniemi ($4.82MM through 2029-30)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM in 2024-25, $6.396MM from 2025-26 through 2032-33)
F Andrei Svechnikov ($7.75MM through 2028-29)
D Sean Walker ($3.6MM through 2028-29)

While Montreal’s offer sheet to Aho in the past was one Carolina easily matched, the one thing it did was put Aho in a position to reach UFA eligibility early which helped him land this agreement.  He has averaged just over a point per game over the last six seasons combined and is a legitimate number one center.  With the rising costs for impact middlemen, this deal is in line with many of those.  Svechnikov bypassed the bridge contract to sign this agreement with the hopes it’d be a bargain as the deal progresses.  When healthy, he performs as a top-line level but he has missed considerable time for two straight years now which means it’s not a team-friendly pact just yet but is heading in that direction.

The deal with Jarvis took some time to put together this summer and for good reason.  The sense is that the Hurricanes wanted to keep Svechnikov’s contract as the high point in discussions while Jarvis’ camp wanted more than that.  They eventually found a happy medium as he will receive an average of $7.9MM per season (more than Svechnikov) but with $15.67MM in deferrals, the cap hit is lower than Svechnikov’s, meaning both sides got what they wanted.  Jarvis only has one season above 40 points but that was 2023-24 when he had 67; clearly, both sides are banking on there being more to come.  The deal might be a bit above market at the start but should be a team-friendly pact before long.

Carolina was hoping that Kotkaniemi’s deal would follow that path but it hasn’t yet.  Even after accepting a pay cut following an inflated one-year offer sheet that Montreal elected not to match, the 2018 third-overall pick is now six years into his career but is still more of a bottom-six player than a top-six core element.  Still just 24, that could change yet but the odds of that happening are starting to lessen.  Carrier was an effective energy player for seven years in Vegas and opted for stability over trying to necessarily maximize his earnings with this contract.  Six years is risky for a role player but the AAV is low enough to largely mitigate that.

Slavin has quietly been a high-end defender for several years but has largely flown under the radar.  What limited him to an extent with his new contract is that he isn’t a high-end offensive threat which capped the overall upside.  Still, it would be fair to say that he left money on the table with the new agreement that starts next season and not just because there is a bit of deferred money in there as well.  Had he hit the open market next summer, an AAV starting with a seven and possibly an eight would have been doable.

Walker went from being a salary dump last summer to a quality top-four piece with Philadelphia and Colorado but the fact he wound up with less than $4MM a year suggests there was some skepticism that he could repeat that.  That should work in Carolina’s favor as even if he holds down a number four role for most of this contract, they should get good value from it.  If Walker can be as impactful as he was last season throughout the agreement, this will be a steal in a hurry.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: (non-entry-level) Kochetkov
Worst Value: Kotkaniemi

Looking Ahead

Money is going to be tight for Carolina this season as they’re likely to be right up against the Upper Limit.  Fast being LTIR-eligible will buy them some wiggle room when injuries strike but since cap space can’t be banked when a team is using it, they’re going to be a money-in, money-out team in 2024-25.

The Hurricanes have more longer-term money on the books than a lot of teams with over $64MM in commitments in 2025-26, nearly $56MM in 2026-27, and just under $42MM in 2027-28.  That said, there are enough contracts coming off the books those years to give GM Eric Tulsky some flexibility to tweak the core by re-signing or replacing those pieces but it might be a while before they’re able to make a big addition to strengthen what they already have.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Sharks Leadership, Lehkonen, Buchnevich

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The San Jose Sharks have labeled their leadership for the 2024-25 NHL season with captain Logan Couture set to miss a significant amount of time. The team announced earlier today that Mario Ferraro would be an alternate captain for all games, Tyler Toffoli and Barclay Goodrow would be alternate captains for home games, and Mikael Granlund and Luke Kunin would serve as alternate captains for away games.

New head coach Ryan Warsofsky made it a point to re-commit to Couture as the team’s captain for the upcoming season although he may not play for some time. The 2024-25 NHL season will mark Couture’s 16th season with the Sharks organization and his fifth as the team’s captain.

Ferraro will be the only returning alternate captain from last year’s leadership group with Toffoli and Goodrow coming to San Jose this offseason. Granlund served as the team’s offensive leader last season with 12 goals and 60 points in 69 games.

Other happenings out West:

  • Following reports that Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen would not be present for the team’s preseason or training camp, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports a return may not be far off. Masisak shares that Lehkonen could be a participant in the team’s opening night game on October 9th if he’s medically cleared for contact from his shoulder injury. Lehkonen and the Avalanche will certainly be looking for a cleaner bill of health from the Finnish winger as Lehkonen looks to expand upon last season in which he scored 16 goals and 34 points in only 45 contests.
  • Lou Korac of the NHL reports St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich did not practice today due to a foot injury from blocking a shot in the team’s contest yesterday evening. Buchnevich was able to finish the game last night against the Dallas Stars and the injury is not considered serious. Buchnevich went pointless in the team’s first preseason matchup but did tally one shot on goal and a 35.3% success rate in the faceoff dot.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/22/24

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Six teams got their preseason schedules underway last night. Many more are set to do so today. That means we’re still a couple of days away from a long list of roster cuts from around the league, but teams are still doing a little bit of maintenance to send lower-end prospects back to their junior teams as those seasons get underway.

As always, we’re keeping track of all of today’s training camp cuts. This piece will be updated throughout the day as more transactions come in.

Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)

F Alexandre Blais (to QMJHL Rimouski)
F Thomas Desruisseaux (released from ATO to QMJHL Chicoutimi)
F Simon Lovsin (released from ATO to WHL Seattle)
F Maxim Masse (to QMJHL Chicoutimi)
G Michael McIvor (released from ATO to OHL North Bay)
D Vojtech Port (to WHL Moose Jaw)
F Ethan Procyszyn (to OHL North Bay)
D Tarin Smith (to WHL Everett)
D Loic Usereau (released from ATO to QMJHL Chicoutimi)
F Jaxsin Vaughan (released from ATO to WHL Regina)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team announcement)

F Pano Fimis (released from ATO to OHL Erie)
G Nolan Lolande (to OHL Kingston)
D Luca Marrelli (to OHL Oshawa)
G Jacob Oster (released from ATO to OHL Oshawa)

Dallas Stars (per team announcement)

F Gabriel Frasca (released from ATO to OHL Erie)
F Brad Gardiner (to OHL Barrie)
F Joseph Henneberry (released from ATO to QMJHL Victoriaville)
F Jake Karabela (released from ATO to OHL Guelph)
F Angus MacDonell (to OHL Brampton)
D Niilopekka Muhonen (to WHL Medicine Hat)

Detroit Red Wings (per team announcement)

D Bauer Dumanski (released from ATO to WHL Prince George)
F Brayden Edwards (released from ATO to WHL Lethbridge)
D Marcus Kearsey (released from ATO to QMJHL Charlottetown)
F Chase Lefebvre (released from ATO to OHL Peterborough)
G Landon Miller (to OHL Soo)
F Charlie Paquette (released from ATO to OHL Guelph)
D Zach Sandhu (released from ATO to OHL Oshawa)
D Blake Smith (released from ATO to OHL Flint)
F Borya Valis (released from ATO to WHL Prince George)
D Josh Van Mulligen (released from ATO to WHL Medicine Hat)
D Matthew Virgilio (released from ATO to OHL Niagara)

Minnesota Wild (per team announcement)

F Gavin Hain (released from PTO to AHL Iowa)
G Kyle McClellan (released from PTO to AHL Iowa)
D Kalem Parker (to WHL Moose Jaw)
F Ryder Ritchie (to WHL Medicine Hat)
F Matthew Sop (released from PTO to AHL Iowa)
G Chase Wutzke (to WHL Red Deer)
D Will Zmolek (released from PTO to AHL Iowa)

New York Rangers (per team announcement)

D Joe Arntsen (to WHL Lethbridge)
G Brad Arvanitis (released from PTO to ECHL Maine)
F Maxim Barbashev (assigned to AHL Hartford)
D Seth Barton (assigned to AHL Hartford)
D Zach Berzolla (assigned to AHL Hartford)
D Ryan McCleary (assigned to AHL Hartford)
F Bryce McConnell-Barker (to OHL Soo)
F Max McCue (to OHL London)
D James Petrovski (to OHL Owen Sound)
F Dylan Roobroeck (to OHL Oshawa)
F Sahil Panwar (assigned to AHL Hartford)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

D Layton Ahac (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
D Parker Alcos (to WHL Edmonton)
D Joseph Arntsen (released from ATO to AHL Abbotsford)
D Zach Berzolla (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
F Josh Bloom (to AHL Abbotsford)
G Dylan Ferguson (released from PTO)
F Ty Glover (to AHL Abbotsford)
F Ty Halaburda (released from ATO, to WHL Vancouver)
F Dino Kambeitz (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
G Jonathan Lemieux (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
F Deagan McMillan (released from ATO to WHL Victoria)
F Riley Patterson (to OHL Barrie)
F Anthony Romani (to OHL North Bay)
D Basile Sansonnens (to QMJHL Rimouski)
F John Stevens (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
F Carsen Twarynski (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
F Cooper Walker (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)

Kings’ Arthur Kaliyev Out Indefinitely With Broken Clavicle

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9/22: The manager of editorial content for the Kings, Zach Dooley, shares that Kaliyev suffered a broken clavicle on Friday and will be out indefinitely.

9/21: Kings winger Arthur Kaliyev is expected to miss “an extended period of time” after sustaining an upper-body injury during a scrimmage Friday, Mayor’s Manor reports. An official announcement from the team is expected later Saturday after Kaliyev went through further testing to diagnose the injury this morning.

Kaliyev, 23, left yesterday’s scrimmage after taking a hit in the corner from defenseman Kyle Burroughs. He’d started training camp in a fourth-line role alongside Trevor Lewis and Akil Thomas.

The 2019 second-round pick was a restricted free agent for most of the offseason, officially putting pen to paper on a one-year deal worth $825K on Wednesday. He’s had an active trade request since at least May, as reported by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

Signing the cheap deal should have benefitted Kaliyev in one of two ways – either by giving him the runway to prove to head coach Jim Hiller that he can handle a full-time top-nine role or by making it easier for general manager Rob Blake to find a trade partner with cost certainty for this season in hand. A long-term injury puts a significant damper on either of those possibilities.

The Uzbekistan-born winger is coming off his worst season as a full-time NHLer, recording career lows across the board with 15 points (7 G, 8 A) in 51 games. Despite seeing fourth-line minutes at even strength and fringe second-unit power-play time throughout his four-year career, Kaliyev has still managed at least 100 shots on goal in his three full-time NHL seasons.

Kaliyev has also consistently managed strong shot-attempt and possession-quality numbers. He was also on pace for 41 points had he played all 82 games in the 2022-23 season despite playing just 11:41 per game.

That’s led many to question why he hasn’t received a longer look higher in the Los Angeles lineup. If his trade request wasn’t granted by the start of the season, there was ample opportunity for him to land a top-nine role at left wing, with his offensive upside trumping that of youngster Alex Laferriere and trade addition Tanner Jeannot.

Instead, it looks like he’ll start the season on the shelf for the second straight year. Kaliyev was unavailable for the first two games of the 2023-24 regular season while serving the final two games of a four-game suspension he received during preseason.

Kaliyev’s absence bodes well for fellow 2019 draftee Alex Turcotte’s chances of cracking the opening night roster. That year’s fifth overall pick took his place alongside Lewis and Thomas in fourth-line duties today. He played a career-high 20 games last season after a late-season call-up from the AHL’s Ontario Reign, posting a goal and three assists for four points while averaging 9:17 per game.

Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2024-25?

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A three-headed monster for much of the past few years, the Metropolitan Division only had two serious contenders last season. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers and second-place Hurricanes ran away with things, creating a 17-point gap between them and the third-place Islanders.

There are question marks around whether the Metro will return to its former level of competitiveness in 2024-25. What does seem relatively certain, however, are the Rangers’ chances of staying at the top of the division.

Little has changed for the Blueshirts. Their top-six forward group sees only one new name, veteran Reilly Smith, who’ll likely be part of a revolving door of wingers alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, like how things transpired last year. Their forward depth returns are largely intact, too, with a full season of a healthy Filip Chytil as their third-line center, hopefully giving them some more punch. The defense remained as it was, aside from the loss of Erik Gustafsson. All in all, there’s little reason to suspect significant, if any, regression from the Rags.

Last year’s runner-up, Carolina, is where things start to get interesting. The Canes lost multiple key pieces to the free-agent market, including Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teräväinen, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Stefan Noesen. They replaced their back-end departures, signing Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker, but didn’t do nearly as well to replace their departing forwards. That leaves the Hurricanes, whose offense has been their biggest weakness since returning to championship contention a few years ago, with considerable question marks, especially after news that Jesper Fast will miss the entire season after undergoing neck surgery. They’ll be counting on UFA signings like William Carrier and Jack Roslovic to play larger roles than they’re accustomed to and could trot out 2023 first-rounder Bradly Nadeau in NHL minutes in his first professional season.

The Islanders return with plenty of familiar faces after squeaking into a divisional playoff spot with 94 points – a total that would have made them the second Wild Card in the Atlantic Division and kept them out of the playoffs entirely in the Western Conference. They’ll likely need an improvement to return to the dance for a third straight year, let alone capture a divisional title. Their X factor will be Anthony Duclair, set to take on top-line duties alongside Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat after signing a four-year deal in free agency. The four-time 20-goal scorer will be relied upon heavily to help lift the Isles’ offense out of the league’s bottom half for the first time since 2018. A rebound from Ilya Sorokin, who regressed to a rather pedestrian .908 SV% after two years of .920+ play, should help too.

The Capitals’ season will be dominated by more Alex Ovechkin headlines. After all, the captain is just 41 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. But there’s a clear directive to remain competitive while he’s still around, as evidenced by their pickup of key names like Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, and Logan Thompson on the trade market and Matt Roy in free agency. All of a sudden, the Caps have one of the more well-rounded defense corps in the conference and are in a much better position to repeat last year’s 40-win, 91-point campaign without the concerningly low -37 goal differential.

The Penguins, fresh off signing Sidney Crosby to a two-year extension, also have dreams of just sneaking back into the playoffs rather than competing for a division title. They’re hoping some added speed on the back end in the form of Sebastian Aho and Matt Grzelcyk, as well as depth forward pickups like Anthony Beauvillier and Cody Glass, can help aid a still-skilled but aging core. Whether 2022 first-round pick Rutger McGroarty is ready to make an NHL impact after being acquired from the Jets this offseason is also a big question that will receive an answer over the next few weeks.

The Flyers seem set to remain in the mushy middle. It’s not a bad thing – they’re past the dark days of their rebuild with brighter days ahead – but no one is expecting them to be a top contender this season. A strong rookie season from 2023 seventh overall selection Matvei Michkov could go a long way toward firing up expectations for the future, though, and rightfully so. Early signs indicate it’ll be a two-horse race between him and Sharks first-overall selection Macklin Celebrini for this season’s Calder Trophy. He likely won’t be enough to lift an otherwise largely untouched roster from last season that finished with 87 points back into the playoff picture, though.

After an injury-plagued season plummeted the Devils to a seventh-place finish in the Metro, there’s no team with a better potential for a rebound campaign in the league. Whether New Jersey will reach the heights of their 112-point 2022-23 campaign remains to be seen, but it’s a safe bet that they’ll be knocking on the door of a playoff spot – if not working their way into the division title conversation. Their goaltending tandem is reworked with a duo of proven veterans in Jacob Markström and Jake Allen, their defense is again among the league’s elite with a healthy Dougie Hamilton and the additions of Brenden Dillon and Pesce, and the guts of the offense that finished fourth in the league two years ago are still intact.

Then there’s the Blue Jackets, who are set for another development season with new head coach Dean Evason at the helm. They’ll be looking for 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli to stay healthy after a calf laceration truncated his rookie season, and they’ll also look for 2022 top-10 pick David Jiricek to take a step forward with increased responsibilities on the back end. They’re running back one of the league’s worst starters over the past two seasons in goal in Elvis Merzļikins, though, and while there are some breakout candidates elsewhere in the lineup, a third straight last-place finish in the division seems likely.

So, we ask you, PHR readers, who will finish atop the Metropolitan Division at the end of the 2024-25 season? Vote in the poll below:

Who will win the Metropolitan Division in 2024-25?
New York Rangers 43.41% (517 votes)
New Jersey Devils 18.72% (223 votes)
Carolina Hurricanes 12.17% (145 votes)
Pittsburgh Penguins 6.80% (81 votes)
Philadelphia Flyers 5.63% (67 votes)
Washington Capitals 4.95% (59 votes)
New York Islanders 4.70% (56 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets 3.61% (43 votes)
Total Votes: 1,191

Mobile users, click here to vote!

Summer Synopsis: New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils looked like a team that was poised to break through during the 2023-24 NHL season, but they struggled to maintain consistency, especially in the defensive zone. Despite their potent offense, defensive lapses and inconsistencies in the net prevented them from reaching the playoffs. The tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid struggled, leaving the Devils vulnerable throughout most of last season. Their talented defense also had issues and lacked the depth and structure to handle their assignments, leading to a string of costly goals in key games. This summer, New Jersey made it a priority to address those weaknesses. They filled out the depth on their blue line and found stability in the crease by bringing in a veteran goaltender to provide a stronger foundation behind the improved defense.

Draft

1-10: D Anton Silayev, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
2-49: G Mikhail Yegorov,  Omaha (USHL)
3-85: F Kasper Pikkarainen, TPS (Liiga)
3-91: F Herman Traff, HV71 (SHL)
5-139: F Max Graham, Kelowna (WHL)
5-146: G Veeti Louhivaara, JYP (Liiga)
6-171: F Matyas Melovsky, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)

With the 10th overall pick, the Devils selected 6’7″ defenseman Silayev. The Russian rearguard is known for his work in the defensive zone as well as his physical presence. As a 17-year-old, Silayev made a significant impact in the KHL playing in 63 games last season. Silayev is extremely mobile and agile for his size and will likely improve in that department making it easy to see why he has drawn comparisons to Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

 The Devils also strengthened their goaltending depth by drafting Yegorov, the top-ranked North American goaltender, in the second round. The USHL product has terrific size but struggles with a lot of traffic in front of him. He has drawn comparisons to another Lightning player in goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy but will need to refine aspects of his game to meet those lofty expectations. His USHL numbers leave a lot to be desired, but given his makeup, Yegorov is a very promising goalie with a ton of potential.

Pikkarainen has great size and plays with a lot of intensity. He isn’t afraid to engage his opponents physically and can close gaps in open ice. He is also a terrific passer and is clever with the puck, making strong plays in the offensive zone as well as in transition.

Traff plays the game with a ton of pace and is an excellent forechecker, he is another player who isn’t afraid to get involved in contact and will take the puck to the opponent’s net every chance that he can. He could develop into an NHLer who is very difficult to play against.

Trade Acquisitions

F Adam Beckman (Minnesota)
F Paul Cotter (Vegas)
D Johnathan Kovacevic (Montreal)
G Jacob Markstrom (Calgary)

The New Jersey Devils made a significant move by trading for veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom. His arrival should finally allow the Devils to solidify their goaltending position as they finally have a proven NHL starter who can bring stability, experience, and consistency to the Devils’ crease. Markstrom’s puck-tracking skills and solid reflexes have made him a reliable presence in Calgary during a tough time, as the veteran still managed to post several seasons with a save percentage above .900 despite the team struggles. His acquisition fills a crucial need for New Jersey, who struggled with inconsistent goaltending last season.

The Devils’ acquisition of Cotter was met with a lukewarm response from Devils fans even though Cotter does fill a need and has some upside. Cotter should bring a physical element to the Devils and could be a solid piece in the bottom half of their lineup. The issue that many Devils fans had with the move was giving up on Holtz who was drafted seventh overall just four years ago and finally played a full season in the NHL last year.

UFA Signings

D Brenden Dillon (three-year, $12MM)
F Mike Hardman (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Stefan Noesen (three-year, $8.25MM)
D Brett Pesce (six-year, $33MM)
F Tomas Tatar (one-year, $1.8MM)
D Colton White (two-year, $1.55MM)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Brett Pesce signing in New Jersey was probably the worst-kept secret heading into free agency and it’s easy to see why given that the Devils had a massive need on defense and Pesce brings a wealth of experience and defensive prowess. In Carolina, Pesce developed into a consistent shutdown defenseman and was a huge part of the Hurricanes defensive core. With the Devils, Pesce will likely find himself on the second defensive pairing and should be a big part of New Jersey’s penalty kill as his shot blocking and defensive acumen will improve the team when shorthanded.

Dillon will also help the Devils defensively as well as on the penalty kill. Like Pesce, Dillon doesn’t post a ton of offense, but he does have a decent first pass and is the perfect complement to an offensive partner. He should help New Jersey tighten up their defensive game but a concern with him is that he is known to take a sizable number of penalties which creates additional strain on the penalty kill units.

Noesen is an interesting signing, as he was a first-round pick way back in 2011 but didn’t develop into an everyday NHLer until he was 29. Noesen was a solid fit in Carolina, topping 36 points in each of the last two seasons and he could be a bargain if he can continue that sort of production. However, fit is always a concern with a late bloomer, as Noesen has never flourished outside of Carolina and was a tweener for the first decade of his professional career.

RFA Re-Signings

F Shane Bowers (two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Nico Daws (two-year, $1.63MM)*
D Nick DeSimone (one-year, $775K)
F Nolan Foote (one-year, $825K)*
D Santeri Hatakka (one-year, $775K)*
F Nathan Legare (one-year, $775K)*
F Dawson Mercer (three-year, $12MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Mercer only signed his extension a few days ago but it puts him and the team in a good position going forward. Mercer has a chance to get paid handsomely in three years if he turns into the player many believe he will become, but it also allows the Devils to see some savings if he develops sooner than later. Mercer remains a terrific skater and has good hockey sense on both sides of the game. He struggled offensively last year, but at 22 years of age, he already has two 20-goal seasons under his belt and is just a year removed from posting 56 points in 82 games.

Daws signed a two-year deal this summer after a disappointing 2023-24 season. The former third-round pick bounced between the AHL and NHL and wasn’t particularly great in either league. At 23 years old Daws still has some time to develop into an NHL goaltender but will likely see AHL time this season given the Devils depth in net and the structure of his two-way contract. Daws might be able to slide into a backup role in the second year of his deal, but given his development thus far, he should be an AHL regular this season.

Departures

D Kevin Bahl (traded to Calgary)
F Graeme Clarke (traded to Minnesota)
C Kyle Criscuolo (signed in AHL)
D Cal Foote (signed in Slovak Extraliga)
F Alexander Holtz (traded to Vegas)
G Kaapo Kahkonen (Winnipeg, one-year, $1MM)
G Erik Kallgren (signed in SHL)
G Keith Kinkaid (signed PTO with Islanders)
D John Marino (traded to Utah)
F Michael McLeod (signed in KHL)
F Tomas Nosek (Florida, one-year, $775K)
G Akira Schmid (traded to Vegas)
D Brendan Smith (Dallas, one-year, $1MM)
C Chris Tierney (unsigned free agent)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (signed in AHL)

* denotes a two-way contract

The Devils struggled with defense and goaltending last season which makes it unsurprising to see many of their departures come from those two areas. The Devils moved Schmid as part of the Cotter trade, and he will look for a fresh start in Vegas while the Devils will try and different mix of goaltenders and should have more success this season.

On the backend, New Jersey moved young defenseman Bahl to Calgary as part of the Markstrom trade and moved Marino to Utah for draft picks. Marino struggled last season after having a fantastic first season in New Jersey. He looked like he would be a big minute eater for the Devils but fell off a cliff last year. He will likely bounce back in Utah, but the Devils felt that moving out his cap hit and acquiring draft capital were the move that made sense for the franchise this summer.

Upfront the Devils moved on from Holtz after just three NHL seasons. The 22-year-old started to come into his own last season posting 16 goals and 12 assists in 82 games, but the team felt that they wanted to go in a different direction. He remains an intriguing player because of his skill set and age and could develop into a strong offensive contributor in Vegas.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Devils are just shy of a million dollars in cap space as they approach the regular season which should give them room to sign another player on a PTO if they choose to do so. Long term they don’t have any major players to sign to expensive deals and could have some cap room next summer to make further additions. The Devils core is largely locked into reasonable long-term deals which could open up the opportunity for the team to make a few solid runs at the Stanley Cup before their group becomes much more expensive.

Key Questions

Can The Powerplay Be Better? Much like their division counterparts the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Devils boast a ton of firepower to use on the man advantage, but the results just weren’t there last season. The Devils converted on 22.45% of their opportunities which is respectable, but those numbers placed them 13th in power-play conversions last season. Granted, it’s not 15% like the Penguins, but the results simply didn’t match with the names on the lineup card, and it will be interesting to see if the Devils can crawl into the top 10 this season, and also if the team can generate more opportunities than last year where they ranked 18th in power play chances.

What Will The Goaltending Look Like? The Devils have overhauled their goaltending in 2024 and will be expecting dramatically different results this season. Almost everyone knew that New Jersey needed a goaltender, so they went out and got a stud in Markstrom, and didn’t have to dramatically overpay either. The Devils will also have a full season of backup Jake Allen, who should be able to take on a huge chunk of the workload to keep Markstrom fresh throughout the season.

Is The Defence Better? The Devils committed a lot of resources to improving their backend and on paper, it certainly appears like an improvement. But while they brought in some help, the team will need internal improvement as well from the likes of Luke Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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