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Bruins Re-Sign Jeremy Swayman

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The Boston Bruins have signed star goaltender Jeremy Swayman to an eight-year, $66MM contract extension, finally ending the stalemate between the Bruins and the league’s final unsigned restricted free agent. The signing was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and seconded by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. LeBrun adds that the deal contains over $20MM in signing bonuses – likely one of the pieces that held up negotiations. Friedman confirmed that number as $23MM and adds that Swayman’s deal contains a no-trade clause.

Talks between the two sides became a bit theatrical at their peak, with Swayman vocal about wanting to sign a perceived fair deal while the Bruins’ brass lambasted his decision to holdout. Swayman missed the entirety of Boston’s training camp, ironically signing his long-term deal just hours after their final preseason game.

That delay could create a bit of a challenge, as Swayman is undoubtedly set to be Boston’s workhorse this season. The Bruins traded away former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark this season, finally clearing the congestion after three years of platooning the two goalies. Ullmark was sent to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, forward prospect Mark Kastelic, and a 2024 first-round pick used to select centerman Dean Letourneau.

Ullmark’s trade freed up well over 40 starts, which should now trickle largely down to Swayman. The latter earned the lion’s share of appearances for the first time in his career last season, posting 25 wins and a .916 save percentages in 44 games – narrowly beating out Ullmark’s 22 wins and .915 in 40 games. It was Swayman’s third-straight season posting a save percentage north of .910, including the career-high .920 he set in 37 games of the 2022-23 season. That hot performance coupled with a Vezina-winning season from Ullmark (.938 in 49 games) to ultimately earn the Bruins pairing the William M Jennings Trophy for highest save percentage as a starting tandem.

Swayman, 25, is still young into his career. But he’s shown acumen on par with the best in the league. Through 132 career games across four seasons, Swayman has managed a dazzling 79 wins and .919 save percentage. He ranks fourth among all NHL goalies in save percentage since making his debut in 2020 – a list that is, coincidentally, led by Ullmark. That may suggest that Swayman’s setting behind a stout Bruins lineup is certainly ideal, though his success between the pipes extends far beyond Massachusetts. Swayman joined the Bruins immediately following the conclusion of his junior year at the University of Maine, where he made a strong case as the best goalie across a league that also featured Jake Oettinger and Spencer Knight. Swayman rivaled a save percentage of .920 in all three years, maxing out with 18 wins and an incredible .939 save percentage in 34 games in his final year.

The trio of strong years at the University of Maine vindicated Boston’s 2017 fourth-round selection of Swayman in a big way. He was drafted after – go figure – a strong year in the USHL, though his .914 save percentage would be overshadowed by a losing 7-18-3 record. It was a rare down year for the Sioux City Musketeers, coming off a year as the Clark Cup runner-ups. But Swayman persevered, ultimately landing at pick 111 in the draft – just one pick after the Toronto Maple Leafs selected goaltender Ian Scott.

Now, seven years later, Swayman is the unrivaled starter in Boston. He’ll prepare for north of 60 games this season – assuming his delayed start to the year doesn’t hold him up – while Boston turns their attention towards the much tougher question of who should back him up. Korpisalo is certainly the de facto choice, largely thanks to the $3MM cap hit he carries through the next four seasons. Korpisalo only received two preseason appearances, allowing three goals on 47 shots – good for a .936 save percentage. That’s certainly stout, but he’ll face plenty of pressure from reigning AHL starter Brandon Bussi, who saved 81 of the 90 (.900) shots he faced through four preseason appearances. Bussi posted a .913 in 41 AHL games last year – his first time dipping below .920 since turning pro in 2021. At the very least, his continued performances in preseason will earn him the edge over Michael DiPietro for the starting role in Providence.

Boston’s goaltending strength once again runs through the depths of the roster, with their franchise goaltender now locked up for the foreseeable future. The Bruins will carry a projected $386.67K of cap space into the new season – likely enough to require one more money-clearing move. They’ll look to rejoin the race for best in the East. Next summer will prove much less stressful, with team captain Brad Marchand the only high-money name in need of a new deal.

Hurricanes Sign Skyler Brind’Amour

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Skyler Brind’Amour to a one-year, two-way, league-minimum contract per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

Brind’Amour played in his first professional season last year, recording a measly eight points across 54 games with the Charlotte Checkers. He made the jump to the pros after four years at Quinnipiac University, where he improved his scoring every season, ultimately maxing out at 14 goals and 32 points in 41 games in his senior year. It was the right time to pop, with Brind’Amour filling a pivotal depth role in Quinnipiac’s first run to the NCAA championship.

Brind’Amour was originally drafted in the 2017 sixth-round by the Edmonton Oilers, after scoring 50 points in 48 games of triple-A hockey and one point in eight USHL games. He followed the draft selection with a pair of seasons in the BCHL, where he combined for 68 points across 104 games. That was enough to earn a commitment to Quinnipiac University in 2018, where he was able to solidify his ability as a fundamental depth forward – though his rights with Edmonton would expire in 2023.

Now 25, Brind’Amour will look to find his scoring at a pro level. He’ll be under the control of an NHL organization for the first time, which could make it easier to rotate him between AHL and ECHL roles as he searches for a groove.

Snapshots: Kings, Mukhamadullin, Karlsson, Palat

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The Los Angeles Kings will start the season with some cap juggling, per John Hoven with LA’s Mayors Manor. Hoven shares that the team will begin the year with depth forward Andre Lee on the roster, in an effort to reach cap compliance while they sort out injuries to Drew Doughty and Arthur Kaliyev. Both players could be candidates for long-term injured reserve, though that’d be a last resort as the team considers the juxtaposition of cap versus salary. Making matters even more complicated in Los Angeles’ preference to carry eight defenders, including summer signee Caleb Jones, who’s making his return to the NHL after splitting time between the major and minor leagues last year.

The Kings will have a complicated path to walk. They’re entering the year with just $546.67K in cap space, hardly enough to handle the day-to-day logistics of running a team. That’s largely thanks to their summer acquisition of goaltender Darcy Kuemper, and Quinton Byfield’s five-year extension – two moves that collectively cost the Kings $11.5MM in space. Both players will serve pivotal roles for the lineup in the early going, especially as the team prepares for an extended period without top-defender Doughty.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Top San Jose Sharks prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin has finally made his way into the team’s camp practices, shares Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, after a lower-body injury held him out of all of the team’s rookie camp and training camp to this point. Mukhamadullin was expected to be one of the top young Sharks pushing for the roster this fall, though new head coach Ryan Warsofsky acknowledged that the injury puts him a step behind. Mukhamadullin made his NHL debut last season, recording one assist in three games to go with his 34 points in 55 AHL games. He’ll be among the many young players fighting for NHL ice time when he has healthy legs back under him.
  • Star Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is expected to be ready for the team’s season opener after missing much of the preseason with an upper-body injury, shares the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel. Karlsson added that the season opener has always been his target, and that his recovery briefly slowed down in the middle of camp to, “let a few things settle down.” The future Hall-of-Fame candidate is set to enter his 16th NHL season, coming off yet another season of double-digit goals and over-50 points. He’ll look to return to those heights once again, with head coach Mike Sullivan already confirming that he’ll be a fixture of the team’s power-play, per Tribune-Review Sports’ Seth Rorabaugh.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Ondrej Palat missed the team’s second game of the season to attend to the birth of his second child. He is expected to rejoin the team when they return to North America. Palat appeared in nearly 14 minutes of New Jersey’s season opener in his native Czechia, recording one shot, one block, and two hits. He’s continued to find ways to be productive late into his career, netting 11 goals and 31 points in 71 games last season. Palat will continue to serve as a winger New Jersey can lean on as they look to continue their bout of early success.

Injury Notes: Sabres, Penguins, Ryan, Jarnkrok

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The Buffalo Sabres’ depth will be tested just two games into the season, with top-six wingers John-Jason Peterka (concussion) and Zach Benson (lower-body) both facing injury, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. No timeline was provided for either player. Benson was held out of the team’s Saturday morning game in favor of top prospect Jiri Kulich, while Peterka exited the game after just three shifts. Lysowski added that team captain Rasmus Dahlin also seems unhealthy, despite being the team’s clear-cut top defender through their first two games.

The menagerie of injuries is weighing heavily on the Sabres, who lost both games in the Prague series by a combined score of 7-2. Peterka recorded the primary assist on Buffalo’s first goal of the year – making a strong play behind the net to set up Owen Power in the slot. Those are the hard-nosed plays Peterka has become known for in his early career, a big part of how he managed 28 goals and 50 points last season. Despite being in his age-18 season, Benson wasn’t too far behind – netting 11 goals and 30 points of his own, though he did miss 11 games to injury last year. Both players are not only core pieces of the present Sabres lineup, but pillars of the team’s future. Their healthy and speedy recovery will be paramount as the team looks to find their bearings when they return to America.

Other injury updates from around the league:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are also bearing through a pair of injuries, with both Bryan Rust and Vasiliy Ponomarev listed as day-to-day per Tribune-Review Spots’ Seth Rorabaugh. No details or timeline were provided. Rust has missed the bulk of Pittsburgh’s preseasons with what were originally described as maintenance days, before this injury designation. He’ll have his eyes set on the team’s top line when he returns to full health, having posted a commendable 56 points – split evenly – in just 62 appearances last year. Ponomarev doesn’t have the same lineup security, though his 30 points in 43 AHL games last season could be enough to warrant a test in the bottom-six. Any bout with the Penguins would be notable for the 23-year-old Ponomarev, who made his NHL debut with Carolina last season – scoring two points in two games.
  • Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch listed forward Derek Ryan as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, shares Tony Barr of Oilers TV. Ryan has continued skating at the tail end of Edmonton’s practices, though he was held out of the team’s final preseason game on Friday. He’ll be in the mix for fourth-line minutes when he returns, likely set to return to the role that earned him 12 points in 70 games last season.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has confirmed Calle Jarnkrok’s lower-body injury is nagging, telling TSN’s Mark Masters that it’s the same injury that limited the forward at the start of training camp. Jarnkrok has only appeared in two preseason games, and continues to miss practices as a result of his injury. He’ll be a bottom-six multitool when he returns, though Jarnkrok first faces the test of overcoming a lingering issue.

Liam Ohgren, Jesper Wallstedt Expected To Make Wild Roster

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Minnesota is expected to maintain top prospects Liam Ohgren and Jesper Wallstedt on their opening night roster, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Minnesota’s brass has named both players as favorites to make the team since the start of training camp.

The Wild are showing no hesitation in placing perhaps the league’s best goalie prospect – Wallstedt – into a three-man rotation with Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson. All three goaltenders made two appearances in the preseason, with Wallstedt leading the trio in save percentage with a .930 to Fleury’s .925 and Gustavsson’s .898.

Fleury and Gustavsson split starts last year, making 40 and 45 appearances respectively. Neither were particularly productive, each posting save percentages below .900 – a feat Fleury hadn’t managed since his rookie season of 2005-06. Those muddling performances leave plenty of room for excitement in Minnesota’s goaltending room – something Wallstedt may be able to bring quickly. The former first-round pick has posted two strong seasons as an AHL starter, collectively posting 40 wins and a .909 save percentage in 83 appearances.

Ohgren should have a much clearer path to an NHL role, having spent five preseason games on the team’s third-line. He certainly seemed comfortable in the role, posting one goal and one assist – the same statline he managed in his first four NHL games at the end of last season. An upper-body injury delayed the start of Ohgren’s 2023-24 to late November, but he played well immediately upon returning, ultimately recording 19 points in 27 games in Sweden’s SHL –  the highest scoring pace of any U20 SHL player last season. Wild general manager Bill Guerin has previously praised Ohgren’s ability to produce from any spot in the lineup, which could mean he’ll have to work his way up to a high-usage role – though a fully healthy season could make quick work of that challenge.

Both Ohgren and Wallstedt seem poised to bring big impacts to the Minnesota lineup – a welcome relief to the team that ranked in the bottom 15 of both goals scored and goals allowed last season. They’ll each be names to watch closely, as Ohgren fights for healthy footing and Wallstedt looks to claw above two proven NHL starters.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/5/24

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With the preseason winding up this weekend, final roster cuts will be made across the NHL over the next couple of days.  We’ll keep tabs on today’s cut-downs here.

Last Updated: 4:45 PM

Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)

F Jansen Harkins (to AHL San Diego after clearing waivers)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team announcement)

D Cole Clayton (to AHL Cleveland)
F Luca Del Bel Belluz (to AHL Cleveland)
F Trey Fix-Wolansky (to AHL Cleveland)
G Jet Greaves (to AHL Cleveland)
F Hunter McKown (to AHL Cleveland)
F Owen Sillinger (to AHL Cleveland)
D Stanislav Svozil (to AHL Cleveland)

Dallas Stars (per team announcement)

D Lian Bichsel (to AHL Texas)
F Matej Blumel (to AHL Texas)
F Arttu Hyry (to AHL Texas)

Detroit Red Wings (per team announcement)

F Alexandre Doucet (to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Jakub Rychlovsky (to AHL Grand Rapids)
G Gage Alexander (to ECHL Toledo)
F Ondrej Becher (to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Hunter Johannes (released from PTO to AHL Grand Rapids)
D Josiah Didier (released from PTO to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Carson Bantle (to ECHL Toledo)
F Gabriel Seger (to ECHL Toledo)
D Chaz Reddekopp (to ECHL Toledo)
G Jan Bednar (to ECHL Toledo)
F Tim Gettinger (to injured non-roster list)
D Shai Buium (to injured non-roster list)

Minnesota Wild (per team announcement)

D Daemon Hunt (to AHL Iowa)

New York Rangers (per team announcement)

F Ryder Korczak (to AHL Hartford)
F Brennan Othmann (to AHL Hartford)

Ottawa Senators (per team announcement)

D Calen Addison (released from PTO)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)

F Emil Bemstrom (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers)
D Nate Clurman (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers)
F Jonathan Gruden (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers)
F Joona Koppanen (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers)
D Filip Kral (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers)
G Filip Larsson (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D John Ludvig (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers)
F Samuel Poulin (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

D Akito Hirose (to AHL Abbotsford)

Washington Capitals (per team announcement)

D Ethan Bear (to AHL Hershey after clearing waivers)
F Luke Philp (to AHL Hershey after clearing waivers)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to AHL Hershey after clearing waivers)

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins

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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 the Penguins.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Current Cap Hit: $88,037,434 (above the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Rutger McGroarty (three years, $950K)

Potential Bonuses
McGroarty: $500K

McGroarty was recently acquired from Winnipeg after the winger told the Jets he wouldn’t sign with them.  He should have an opportunity to push for a roster spot right away (or at least be the first recall from the minors).  Bonus-wise, the exact structure of the $500K isn’t publicized but it’s likely two ‘A’ bonuses ($425K in total) and $75K in games played.  If he’s a regular, he should get the games played one at a minimum while his role will go a long way toward determining if he has a shot at one of the ‘A’ bonuses.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Anthony Beauvillier ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Lars Eller ($2.45MM, UFA)
F Cody Glass ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Matthew Nieto ($900K, UFA)
F Drew O’Connor ($925K, UFA)
D Marcus Pettersson ($4.025MM, UFA)
F Jesse Puljujarvi ($800K, UFA)
D Matt Grzelcyk ($2.75MM, UFA)

Glass was acquired from Nashville in a cap-clearing move from them this summer.  He’s only one season removed from a 35-point effort but struggled last year.  He’ll need to get back to his 2022-23 level if he has a shot at getting a qualifying offer, one that would carry arbitration rights.  As things stand, he’s a non-tender candidate.  Eller remains a serviceable third-line center most nights, a role he has held for most of his career.  However, he’ll be 36 when this deal is up and with offensive production usually under 35 points, he’s probably going to be going year-to-year moving forward at or slightly below this price tag.  Beauvillier is also coming off a rough year between three separate teams, resulting in a $2.75MM pay cut.  There’s room for him to rebound and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him land a multi-year deal next summer with a price tag above $2MM at a minimum.

O’Connor is coming off of his best season offensively by far after notching 33 points in 2023-24.  While both sides will want to see if this is repeatable before approaching extension talks, if he can maintain those numbers, he could triple that price tag heading into next season.  Nieto missed most of last season due to injury and is month-to-month heading into the start of the season, meaning he could land on LTIR to get the Penguins cap compliant.  Given the injuries, he’ll probably be looking at a contract close to this price tag again next summer.  Puljujarvi was a later-season signing last year and at this point, is simply looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL player once again.  A small raise could be doable if he does that.

Pettersson is now the most notable pending UFA on the roster.  He logged over 22 minutes a game last season while reaching 30 points for the first time, certainly a positive heading into early negotiations.  He’ll be entering his age-29 year next season so his next deal could push past the $5MM mark on a longer-term agreement.  Grzelcyk is looking to rebuild some value after a tough season in Boston.  If he does, he could get back to the near-$3.7MM AAV from his past deal.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Noel Acciari ($2MM, UFA)
D Sebastian Aho ($775K, UFA)
F Michael Bunting ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Kevin Hayes ($3.571MM, UFA)*
F Blake Lizotte ($1.85MM, UFA)
F Evgeni Malkin ($6.1MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($2.5MM, UFA)

*-Philadelphia is retaining an additional $3.571MM on Hayes’ contract.

Malkin’s contract went to the wire two years ago and it wound up being a case of term being used to keep the cap hit down.  So far, he has provided a very strong return on the deal but he’s now 38 and showing signs of slowing down.  That could make the final couple of seasons a bit tougher to deal with from a value perspective.

Bunting was acquired at the trade deadline as part of the Jake Guentzel trade and seemed to fit in better with the Penguins than he did in Carolina, coming close to averaging a point per game following the swap.  Part of the challenge last summer for him was trying to argue that he could produce away from Toronto’s top line where he had spent the bulk of his still-limited NHL career (his first two full seasons at the top level).  But Bunting managed to produce at a similar rate last year and if he has a couple more seasons around that level of production (he had 55 points in 2023-24), he should have a case at a longer-term deal next time out at a price tag closer to the $6MM mark.

Hayes was a faceoff ace for St. Louis last season but saw his point total nearly cut in half compared to 2022-23, resulting in the Blues parting with a second-round pick to shed the rest of the contract.  Assuming he stays in a bottom-six role, his Pittsburgh portion of the contract is about what his market value might be in 2026.  Acciari had a quiet first season with the Penguins on their fourth line.  He’ll need a bounce-back effort to have a shot at matching this price tag even though he’s above average at the faceoff dot.  Lizotte, meanwhile, was non-tendered by the Kings after a quiet season but his track record as an effective bottom-six piece helped earn this agreement.  He’ll need to get back to scoring double-digit goals per season if he wants to cross the $2MM mark.

Aho came over from the Islanders in free agency, getting a one-way salary for the fourth and fifth straight seasons.  Until he locks down a full-time top-six spot, however, he’s likely to stay close to the league minimum moving forward.

Nedeljkovic took over the starting job down the stretch last season, helping him earn this deal to avoid testing free agency.  He has been hit or miss throughout his still relatively brief NHL career and will need two more seasons like last year to have a shot at getting back to that upper echelon of platoon options.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Sidney Crosby ($8.7MM, UFA)
D Erik Karlsson ($9.999MM, UFA)*

*-San Jose is retaining an additional $1.5MM on Karlsson’s contract.

Many expected Crosby to sign a contract extension on July 1st but it wound up taking more than two full months before he put pen to paper on this deal, maintaining the same cap hit he has had since 2008.  He’s entering the final season of a now-illegal 12-year contract and at the time it was signed, some wondered if those last couple of years could be tough from a value perspective given that he’s entering his age-37 season.  Considering he’s coming off yet another season of averaging more than a point per game (something he’s done in all 19 years), those concerns were unfounded, helping him earn this extension.

Karlsson, as expected, wasn’t able to match the 101 points he put up in his final season with San Jose.  However, with 56, he was still well above average in that regard.  It’s going to be next to impossible for the 34-year-old to provide surplus value on his cap hit but as long as he’s still one of the higher-end offensive players among NHL blueliners, they’ll do okay value-wise.  He’s not a $10MM player at this point but he’s not necessarily too far off that mark either.

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PHR Mailbag: Nurse, Maple Leafs, Swayman, LTIR, Preseason, Metropolitan Division

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the Jeremy Swayman contract drama, handicapping the Metropolitan Division, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back next weekend for part two.

wreckage: Everyone knows and even Edmonton fans admit, they need to upgrade on Nurse as their 3D but it’s impossible at his contract, especially with his NMC. And now some certain ESPN guy is saying Seth Jones to EDM makes sense, despite the fact the time Caleb was there was tumultuous with their mother’s claims on the old Twitterverse. Does any of that rumor make sense? Even in the slightest?

First, let me say that I’m blissfully unaware of those claims from the Twitterverse which allows me to actually ponder the idea on its merits.  Before getting into that, I’ll note that only six players remain from Caleb’s tenure with Edmonton with a different head coach, GM, president, and much more.  The culture is different, the team is mostly different; if there were concerns before, those same concerns might not be around anymore.

On the surface, the idea of a swap with Darnell Nurse and Jones makes a lot of sense in theory if there’s a desire to make a change there.  Nurse’s contract ($9.25MM through 2029-30) makes it incredibly difficult to swap him for an upgrade as a lot of teams will view the price tag as a negative.  With Jones making similar money ($9.5MM through 2029-30), the cap charge isn’t the issue.  It’s one overpaid blueliner for another.  If both teams think that they’re better off with the other overpaid player, a swap would make sense.  I don’t think it’ll happen though.  I’d say Chicago says no given the left-defense organizational depth they have, making Nurse a bit redundant compared to the right side where they’re much thinner.  But value-wise, it’s not a bad framework for a swap.

gowings2008: Is it crazy to think the Leafs are primed for a step back this year? There are so many question marks. Can Matthews, Nylander, and Marner repeat career years? Will Tavares continue to decline and how fast? Will Chris Tanev’s body hold up? Are they getting Florida OEL or Vancouver OEL? Are Knies and McMann legit? Do they even have an NHL fourth line? Is Woll really the answer with just 34 career starts? I really think if just a couple of these things don’t bounce in the Leafs’ direction, they’ll be on the outside looking in come playoff time. The Atlantic is no walk in the park, especially this year.

It’s not crazy to think that Toronto could take a significant step back this season.  We know of them being a top regular season team under former coach Sheldon Keefe but will things be different under Craig Berube?  They’re now built with an eye on being more effective in the playoffs.  Will the uncertainty around Mitch Marner’s final year of his contract turn into a distraction?  I don’t think so but it could.  I’m not as worried about the defense and some of the other forwards that you mentioned but there is one giant wild card.

The goaltending isn’t just a question about Joseph Woll but also Anthony Stolarz.  Neither player has even been a 1B option in the NHL.  They each made career highs in starts last season, making 23 and 24 combined.  There are 82 games in the regular season.  How will they hold up under the bigger workload?  And with oft-injured Matt Murray and Dennis Hildeby as the in-house options to turn to if injuries or general fatigue arise, they’re taking a risk.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the approach they’re taking.  There’s upside to both Woll and Stolarz and if they even provide average goaltending, they’ll be fine.  But if they falter, they could very well be in trouble.

But that said, I don’t see much reason to think they won’t be a top-three team in the Atlantic this season.  While they have questions, no doubt, so do a lot of other teams not named Florida.  In that case, I’d back the team with the track record of winning a lot of regular season games to continue doing so.

Johnny Z: So did Neely make the $64M contract offer to Jeremy Swayman and his agent sat on it and did not tell his client? Does Swayman take this offer and fires his agent? Will Neely take the offer off the table? Will Swayman end up on the trade block? What a mess!

First, let me say that this has turned into a bit of a bizarre situation.  With the various reporting that’s out there, I get the sense that the $64MM might not have been offered but $62MM or $63MM might have been.  So while Swayman’s agent is technically correct from a semantics perspective, the last offer compared to Cam Neely’s stated number is pretty close and probably wasn’t going to be the difference-maker in getting something done or not.

Enough time has passed since this was revealed so if the offer was going to be taken, it would have been taken by now.  It sure seems like there’s still a pretty sizable gap to bridge which, evidently, is going to take some time.  I don’t think we’re at the point of a more ‘nuclear option’ being an agent change, an offer revocation, or a trade demand.  By all accounts, Swayman’s desire is to be in Boston and the Bruins clearly want him as their long-term starter which is why shorter-term agreements haven’t been discussed in much detail yet.

There are various pressure points that help to spur things, be it a trade (the deadline) or a contract (arbitration hearing, training camp, etc).  The next one is the start of the regular season early next week where things get more complicated cap-wise as his cap charge for 2024-25 would be higher than his overall AAV (as long as it’s a multi-year deal).  Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli explains that more in detail if you’re interested.  Assuming something isn’t done by then, then there might be a waiting game to see if the leverage shifts.  If Boston starts strong without him, that might lower Swayman’s price while if they falter, the Bruins might decide they have to go a bit higher to close a contract.  Things took a turn for the worse this week with the public comments but I expect a deal will still get done…eventually.

rule78.1: How long do you think it will take for the NHL/NHLPA to address LTIR? Because someone within the Vegas organization has found all the holes and is taking full advantage of them.

For those who haven’t seen it, the latest LTIR situation saw Vegas remove the cap hit of Robin Lehner.  Technically, Vegas was within their rights to attempt to terminate his contract because he didn’t (or couldn’t) report for his physical.  I think in the end, the Golden Knights were prepared to do so, the NHLPA fully intended to grieve and this time, instead of just doing it and waiting to see the outcome of the hearing (like the Flyers are doing with Ryan Johansen, for example), they just worked out the compromise here.

One of the few things we know about this is that there’s a lot we don’t know.  As ESPN’s Emily Kaplan relayed earlier this week, there was a specific reason why Lehner was unable to attend, one of a sensitive nature.  Due to that, the NHL and NHLPA agreed that this is an “unprecedented and highly unique” case.  So is this circumvention?  I can definitely see the argument that it is but given how rarely in-season grievances involve restoring a cap charge, I think they might have just done the settlement early instead of reaching it in November or December or whenever the hearing would have happened.

As to your question, it’s a CBA matter since it’s related to salary cap accounting.  It’s not something that can unilaterally be changed beforehand.  The NHL has been doing its due diligence in terms of speaking to owners, presidents, and GMs to get a sense of the appetite for change.  How many want to make a change and how big of one do they want?  I think more want to change something than don’t but the extent of the change is up in the air.

The next CBA starts in 2026-27 and while both the NHL and NHLPA would probably like to have an agreement done before then, it’s unlikely any significant cap changes (including LTIR) would come into play until the new document is in effect.  So for the next two years, the status quo is probably going to continue to be in place.

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Waiver Wire: 10/5/24

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With season-opening rosters due in just over 48 hours, it’s going to be a busy weekend on the waiver front across the NHL.  A total of 14 players are on waivers today.  The players below were first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link) unless otherwise specified.  Meanwhile, Friedman relays (Twitter link) that of the 25 players on the wire yesterday, all cleared aside from John Ludvig who was claimed by Colorado.

Anaheim Ducks

G Oscar Dansk

Colorado Avalanche

F T.J. Tynan
F Chris Wagner

Dallas Stars

D Kyle Capobianco
G Magnus Hellberg
F Cameron Hughes
F Kole Lind
D Alexander Petrovic
F Emilio Pettersen

Florida Panthers

D Matt Kiersted

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F Ben Jones

New York Rangers

D Connor Mackey

Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)

F John Hayden
F Josh Mahura

These players will be on waivers until 1:00 PM CT on Sunday.

Avalanche Claim John Ludvig Off Waivers

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The Avalanche have added some defensive depth via the waiver wire.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed blueliner John Ludvig off waivers from Pittsburgh.

It’s the second year in a row that the 24-year-old has been scooped off waivers in training camp.  Last year, it was the Penguins claiming him from Florida.

Last season, Ludvig saw regular action with Pittsburgh when he wasn’t injured.  However, injuries were an issue for him as he missed time with a concussion and an upper-body injury before undergoing offseason wrist surgery.  In between, he played in 33 games, his first taste of NHL action.  In those, he had three goals and two assists along with 47 penalty minutes, 33 blocks, and 72 hits in a little under 12 minutes per night.

Colorado is an interesting landing spot for Ludvig as they have already brought in three new blueliners this summer to shore up their depth in Oliver Kylington, Erik Brannstrom, and Calvin de Haan.  They also have Sam Malinski who is now waiver-eligible so adding to that group comes as a bit of a surprise.  Assuming he makes their opening roster on Monday, he’ll give them some extra physicality for games that he’s in the lineup.

Ludvig is in the second and final season of his two-year, two-way deal.  The agreement pays $775K in the NHL and $150K should he make it to the minors.  He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration eligibility if he plays in 47 games or more.  Otherwise, he’ll qualify for Group Six unrestricted free agency.

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