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Big Hype Prospects: Silovs, Evans, Lekkerimäki, Perunovich, Vilén

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Welcome to PHR’s Big Hype Prospects series. Like the MLB Trade Rumors series of the same name, we’re taking a look at the performances of top prospects from across the hockey world. We’ll look at drafted prospects who are rising, others who are struggling, and prospects for the upcoming draft who are notable.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Arturs Silovs, G, Vancouver Canucks (Abbotsford Canucks, AHL)
44 GP 26-12-5 .909 sv% 2.44 GAA (regular season) 2 GP 1-1-0 .914 sv% 2.85 GAA (postseason)

Although incumbent starter Thatcher Demko is under contract until after the 2025-26 season, this past campaign Vancouver Canucks fans could not be blamed for placing some increased focus on some of their organization’s younger netminders due to Demko’s struggles. One of those potential “next in line” netminders is Silovs, a 2019 sixth-round pick.

Coming from the hockey-mad country of Latvia, Silovs took a significant step forward this season. For the first time, Silovs was an undisputed starter for his pro team, playing in 44 games in Abbotsford and succeeding to the tune of a .909 save percentage.

Silovs’ exceptional run of form in early February earned him his first NHL start, and although he struggled against the New York Rangers in his first game he ended his set of five NHL starts with a 3-2 record, 2.75 goals-against-average, and .908 save percentage.

Silovs showcased growth with each passing game, even ending his NHL run with a 29-save victory over the Nashville Predators that included this fantastic stop.

Silovs’ best work, though, came after his club season ended and he was tapped to represent his country. Silovs was selected as Latvia’s starter for the IIHF Men’s World Championships, over 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics hero Kristers Gudlevskis. Given a major role in a tournament where games would be played in his home city, Riga, Silovs seized the moment.

Silovs posted a 7-3 record, 2.20 goals-against-average, and .921 save percentage in 10 tournament starts, leading Latvia to some of the biggest wins in its history and the nation’s first-ever IIHF Worlds medal.

Latvia played quite a few high-intensity games against hockey powerhouse countries that brought legitimate NHL talent to the tournament, and even with the pressure of an entire country on his shoulders Silovs managed to show some immense poise. He found himself under siege in many of those games, such as in their quarterfinal against Sweden where he faced 41 shots and stopped all but one.

Silovs’ performance earned him tournament MVP honors, and now he heads into the next season with significant momentum and a legitimate chance to seize the backup job behind Demko from veteran Spencer Martin.

Ryker Evans, LHD, Seattle Kraken (Coachella Valley Firebirds, AHL)
71 GP 6G 38A 44pts (regular season) 26 GP 5G 21A 26pts (postseason)

Although Seattle Kraken fans were undoubtedly disappointed to see their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, lose in overtime of Game Seven of the Calder Cup Final, the performance of Evans, arguably Seattle’s top defensive prospect, has to have been extremely encouraging.

Evans, 21, was selected 35th overall by the Kraken at the 2021 draft, becoming the franchise’s first-ever second-round pick. This came as a surprise to some as Evans was actually an overage talent who had gone undrafted in his first season of eligibility. But the Kraken found Evans’ COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 WHL campaign to be impressive enough to warrant the investment of a high pick, and after Evans’ first campaign as a professional, he is quickly vindicating the Kraken’s leap of faith.

Evans had a strong regular season, posting 44 points in 71 games as one of head coach Dan Bylsma’s most relied-upon defensemen. It’s a major challenge for many prospects to move from junior hockey, where space is far easier to come by, to the AHL, a pro league. For offensively-focused defensemen, that challenge can be even steeper as many need to un-learn habits that worked for them against competition made up of their peers but are ineffective against seasoned pros.

There didn’t appear to be much of a challenge in translating his junior scoring to the AHL for Evans, who led all AHL rookies in assists and was named to the league’s all-rookie team. But even after that regular season, it’s Evans’ performance during the Firebirds’ extended playoff run that’s most impressive.

Evans played a major role on a team that nearly won an AHL title, and with the Firebirds’ regular-season leading defensive scorer Brogan Rafferty’s production sputtering Evans more than stepped up to fill the offensive void.

Evans’ creativity and ability to make something out of nothing from the back-end proved extremely useful to the Firebirds, who boasted a netminder in Joey Daccord who made it incredibly difficult for opposing teams once his teammates bestowed him a lead in a game.

Although breakout NHL blueliner Vince Dunn is set to remain the centerpiece offensive blueliner in Seattle moving forward, it would be no shock to see Evans beat out a veteran for a role in Seattle and potentially even make his way onto the team’s second-unit power play.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW, Vancouver Canucks (Djurgården IF, HockeyAllsvenskan)
29 GP 3G 6A 9pts (regular season) 15GP 5G 10A 15pts (postseason)

For most of 2022-23, it seemed as though the narrative surrounding Lekkerimäki, a Vancouver Canucks 2022 first-round pick, would be that his first season after being drafted was an unequivocal disappointment. Lekkerimäki played his draft season in the SHL, and posted nine points, a strong number for such a young player.

But in his post-draft campaign, Lekkerimäki played a division below the SHL, in the HockeyAllsvenskan, thanks to Djurgården’s relegation the season prior. Despite playing in three more games at a decreased competition level, Lekkerimäki posted the exact same number of points as the season before: nine.

Lekkerimäki suffered a foot injury that took him out of the lineup until the HockeyAllsvenskan playoffs, though, and it was in the postseason where Lekkerimäki really shined. Lekkerimäki re-joined the lineup against BIK Karlskoga and was instantly slotted into a top-line role next to 2022 Minnesota Wild first-rounder Liam Ohgren and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Marcus Kruger.

Lekkerimäki scored a goal in each of his first two games back and began a torrid run of form that would see him nearly push Djurgården back to the SHL, scoring 15 points in 15 games. Lekkerimäki was drafted 15th overall in 2022 on the basis of his offensive talent, with many projecting him to eventually become a difference-making NHL scorer.

Though he didn’t exactly look like one for most of his time in HockeyAllsvenskan, his playoff performance serves as a reminder as to why he remains one of Vancouver’s top prospects. Now with Örebro in the SHL, one of the league’s better teams, he’ll have a prime opportunity to put the 2022-23 regular season behind him.

Scott Perunovich, LHD, St. Louis Blues (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)
22GP 2G 18A 20pts (regular season) 2GP 0G 0A 0pts (postseason)

Set to turn 25 in August, Perunovich, the 2018 45th overall pick, is a bit older than most prospects featured here. But seeing as injuries have laid waste to his development in recent seasons, he doesn’t have the type of experience under his belt that most second-round picks his age would usually have.

Perunovich only played in 24 total AHL games this past season, and while he played 19 games in the NHL in 2021-22 he didn’t get into any NHL games in 2022-23. As a result of the impact injuries have had on his availability, Perunovich will be waivers-exempt for another season, lessening the pressure for him to make an immediate NHL impact somewhat.

Although the Blues already have Torey Krug, Nick Leddy, and Marco Scandella on the left side of their defense for next season, the minutes Perunovich did play this past season do suggest he could be ready to push one of those veterans for a role in St. Louis. Perunovich was highly productive in the regular season for the Thunderbirds, scoring 20 points in 22 games.

Although the Thunderbirds struggled immensely in the playoffs, eliminated by the Hartford Wolf Pack by a combined 13-2 score, Perunovich actually ended his season on a high note. He quarterbacked Team USA’s first power-play unit at the IIHF Men’s World Championships and posted eight points in 10 games. That ranked him fourth among blueliners at the tournament, and his two points in the bronze medal match against Latvia nearly gave the Americans a medal.

Perunovich’s career has taken quite a hit due to injuries since he won the Hobey Baker Award in 2020, that much is undoubtable. But when he did play in 2022-23, he showed real promise, and he’ll look to deliver on that promise at training camp with the Blues with the hope of earning an NHL roster spot.

Topias Vilén, LHD, New Jersey Devils (Lahti Pelicans, Liiga)
41 GP 9G 8A 17pts (regular season) 17GP 4G 5A 9pts (postseason)

Although some other New Jersey Devils defensive prospects draw quite a bit more attention, such as top draft picks Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes, Devils fans shouldn’t forget about Vilén, the team’s fifth-round pick at the 2021 draft. The six-foot-one left-shot Finnish blueliner has legitimately impressed overseas, though he has just one game as a professional in North America,

Vilén already has 124 games of experience in Liiga, one of the world’s best leagues outside the NHL, and he made some significant strides this past season. Vilén’s minutes per game shot up, going from 14:47 per game in 2021-22 to 19:26 in 2022-23, which ranked second on the Pelicans.

What makes that increase so impressive is not only the fact that Vilén is just 20 years old, it’s also that the Pelicans were one of Liiga’s best teams and ended up the league runner-up to Tappara Tampere.

Vilén made an impact on both ends of the ice, eating minutes in all situations and posting nine goals and 17 points. In the postseason, as the Pelicans made their deep playoff run, Vilén shined, scoring nine points and playing nearly 22 minutes in some important games, such as the team’s 4-1 win over Tappara in the finals.

Although it remains to be seen if Vilén will be able to translate his success in Liiga to North America, where the game is on a smaller ice surface and typically played with more physicality, Vilén could very well be one season of AHL development away from being a legitimate consideration for an NHL call-up to New Jersey.

That’s not a bad return for a late-round pick, especially for a Devils team that will soon need to have a steady pipeline of young talent on their roster playing on cheap entry-level deals thanks to the expensive contracts already on their books.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

UFA Notes: Rangers, Panthers, Oilers

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Late July and early August have traditionally meant bargain bin shopping for NHL teams as unrestricted free agency drags on, and this season is no different – especially with a tight salary cap situation for most clubs. With roughly $2.25MM in projected cap space to spare and a new contract still needed for winger Alexis Lafreniere, Larry Brooks of the New York Post wonders about the Rangers dipping into the professional tryout market as training camps draw closer to round out the bottom of their lineup. With the team’s fourth line (and projected scratches) made up mainly of defensive specialists, Brooks surmises the likes of Max Comtois or Colin White as being fit for a tryout or a league-minimum deal. If the team is still looking to add grit and replace the fourth-line presence of Ryan Reaves, Zack Kassian is still on the market after getting bought out by the Arizona Coyotes, as well as former Ottawa Senator Austin Watson.

Some other potential offseason moves bandied about this morning:

  • Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards thinks the Florida Panthers may not be done after a busy free agency period and believes they could be in the conversation for top UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko if he’s willing to take a short-term deal in the $4MM range. It’s been a disappointing offseason for the 31-year-old, who failed to secure a long-term commitment when free agency opened on July 1 and changed his representation less than a week later. Per CapFriendly, the Panthers still have nearly $10MM of LTIR relief from Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour to dip into. However, they’ll need to figure out how to maintain cap compliance once the pair of defenders get healthy throughout next season.
  • Another cap-strapped team looking to add depth is the Edmonton Oilers, and The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell thinks Tomas Tatar or Paul Stastny could be potential fits at the bottom of their forward lineup. Adding to the roster will be incredibly tough for the Oilers, though, who will likely dry up their remaining $6MM in cap space on new deals for forward Ryan McLeod and defenseman Evan Bouchard and will only be able to carry one (or potentially zero) healthy scratch(es) when the season starts. Stastny, 37, would be the likelier option out of the two to take a sub-$1MM deal after taking a $1.5MM contract with the Carolina Hurricanes last season and recording 22 points in 73 games.

Mitchell Miller No Longer Under Contract With Bruins

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After a highly controversial and illustriously short stint with the Boston Bruins organization early last season, defenseman Mitchell Miller is no longer under contract with the team. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks reports the Bruins attempted to terminate Miller’s entry-level deal when they announced they’d parted ways with the 21-year-old just two days after signing him. He was not placed on unconditional waivers to execute the move, however, and the NHLPA filed a grievance. Brooks says Miller, the Bruins, and the NHLPA settled in February 2023 under the condition of confidentiality, granting Miller a one-time unknown payment and unrestricted free agent status. Miller’s contract was still active on Boston’s CapFriendly page until this weekend, though the site now shows his contract was officially terminated on April 30, 2023.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney signed Miller in November 2022 despite public knowledge that he’d been convicted of assault in 2016 for bullying and abusing Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities. Boston was not the first team to acquire Miller’s NHL rights, however – the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft but renounced his rights after the assault conviction became public despite knowing of his conviction at the time of the draft. Miller’s assault of his classmate, detailed by The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline after the Coyotes dropped him from their reserve list, included allegations of racial slurs toward Meyer-Crothers and multiple forms of physical and verbal bullying.

The Bruins moved on from Miller within hours of acquiring him, though, with team president Cam Neely apologizing that “this decision has overshadowed the incredible work the members of our organization do to support diversity and inclusion efforts.” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also said Miller was not eligible to play in the NHL and would need to have his status reviewed before being granted permission to play.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported in November that a settlement similar to the one eventually reached was one of three possibilities for Boston to contractually separate from Miller. After not playing at all in 2022-23, Brooks says Miller’s likiest option to continue a pro hockey career will be in Europe.

Former Senator Antoine Bibeau To Sign In Sweden

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After spending last season under contract with the Ottawa Senators, goaltender Antoine Bibeau is heading overseas to continue his career with HockeyAllsvenskan’s AIK, per a report from Expressen’s Johan Svensson. Bibeau heads to the second tier of Swedish pro hockey after nine seasons of bouncing between the NHL, AHL and ECHL while under contract with six different NHL teams. The 29-year-old netminder will replace former St. Louis Blues prospect Niklas Lundstrom as the team’s starter as they try and gain promotion to the SHL for the first time since 2013-14.

Bibeau joined the Senators as minor-league depth last season, signing a one-year, two-way deal with the team in free agency. He would go on to post rather uninspiring numbers behind a poor AHL Belleville team, however, recording a 3.51 goals-against average, .894 save percentage and 9-10-2 record in 23 appearances. Injuries kept him in and out of the B-Sens’ lineup down the stretch and prevented him from getting a call-up to Ottawa when injuries took down their tandem of Anton Forsberg and Cam Talbot at the end of 2022-23.

The 6-foot-3, 216-pound goalie began his NHL journey in 2013, drafted 172nd overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a final season in juniors split between the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders and Val-d’Or Foreurs and two full seasons with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Bibeau made his NHL debut with the Leafs in 2016-17, stopping 51 of 55 shots in two games. However, his numbers with the Marlies dipped in that third season, and Toronto cut him loose by not issuing him a qualifying offer upon the expiration of his entry-level contract.

Before landing with the Senators last year, Bibeau spent time in the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Seattle Kraken organizations. His only other NHL action came in 2019-20 with the Avalanche, recording a 3.27 goals-against average and .881 save percentage in two games.

He now gets a chance to gain some stability overseas, especially if he can help turn around the performance of an AIK club that has finished under the .500 mark in four consecutive Allsvenskan campaigns. He’ll be backed up by 21-year-old Norwegian Tobias Normann, who joins AIK after two exceptional seasons in Norway’s top league.

Snapshots: Gagner, Aubry, Blue Jackets, Howard

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Free agent forward Sam Gagner is back on the ice rehabbing after undergoing double hip surgery late last season, relays Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 33-year-old was injured at the end of February but had provided Winnipeg with a bit of depth scoring prior to that point as Gagner had eight goals and six assists in 48 games.  Gagner already has more than 1,000 career NHL appearances under his belt and doesn’t appear to be ready to call it a career just yet.  Considering the year he had and the recovery from injury, Gagner might have to settle for a training camp PTO in the coming weeks with the hopes of converting it to a full-fledged deal closer to the start of the season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The University of Nebraska-Omaha announced that they have hired now-former Blackhawks development coach Peter Aubry as their associate coach. The 46-year-old spent the last eight seasons in Chicago’s organization, working with goaltenders at both the NHL and AHL levels.  It won’t be Aubry’s first time behind the bench at the college level as he previously served as an assistant with both Mercyhurst and Lake Superior State.
  • The Blue Jackets aren’t planning to replace former coach Kenny McCudden, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). McCudden spent the past eight seasons as a skills coach with Columbus but resigned earlier this month to join Washington as an assistant coach.  Mike Babcock (head coach) and Niklas Backstrom (goalie coach) are the newcomers to their coaching staff, joining holdovers Pascal Vincent (associate coach) and Steve McCarthy (assistant coach).
  • Lightning prospect Isaac Howard was one of the most prominent players in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, moving from Minnesota-Duluth to Michigan State. Speaking with NHL.com’s Corey Long, the 2022 31st selection indicated that he wanted to go to a more offensive-oriented environment which he felt would be a better fit.  Tampa Bay assistant GM Stacy Roest added that Howard didn’t consult with the team prior to the decision but that they’re hopeful that the Spartans will be a better fit for the 19-year-old after he put up just six goals and 11 assists last season.

Transaction Retrospective: Tkachuk To Panthers

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One year ago today, the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers connected on a blockbuster trade, sending Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers, while Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar were sent to Alberta. At the time of the trade, the public learned that Tkachuk had signed an extension with the Panthers, while Huberdeau and Weegar would each sign eight-year contract extensions of their own with the Flames.

At the time of the trade, Calgary was often considered to be the winner by most experts, acquiring a forward that had just surpassed the season-high in assists by a left-winger, as well as a quality top-four defender in Weegar. On the other hand, Tkachuk was coming off a 104-point season in his own right and was set to join the defending President’s Trophy champions.

Hindsight being 20/20, it is now more clear who is projected to win the trade. Although the Flames finished with one more point than the Panthers to end the 2022-23 NHL season, both teams went on different trajectories. Calgary was unable to qualify for the playoffs in the Western Conference, while Florida went on an unprecedented run to the Stanley Cup Final as a wild-card team.

Both Huberdeau and Weegar experienced drops in play with their new team, as Huberdeau saw his point total from a year prior take a 60-point drop, only earning 55 points on the year this past season. Playing primarily as a playmaker, Huberdeau’s production took a descent without the presence of Aleksander Barkov in the middle of the rink.

Originally, Weegar also started off slow for the Flames, only scoring 18 points in his first 60 games with the team. However, in the last 20 games of the season, Weegar improved tremendously, scoring three goals and 10 assists to end the regular season.

Unlike both Huberdeau and Weegar, Tkachuk thrived on his new team. In 79 games this season, Tkachuk scored 40 goals and 69 assists, topping his career totals in assists and points. In the playoffs, he kept the competitive energy soaring, scoring 11 goals and 13 assists in 20 playoff games.

Tkachuk quickly became both the offensive and emotional leader for the Panthers, willing them to the Stanley Cup Final this past season. As new General Manager, Craig Conroy, takes the reins on the front office of the Flames, it will be interesting to see how this trade plays out long-term.

There is always a probability that the Huberdeau and Weegar take a massive jump in production next season, but Tkachuk taking his team within striking distance of the Stanley Cup will be difficult to beat. A year later, it is safe to say that the Panthers were on the winning end of the bargain.

Free Agent Profile: Matt Dumba

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Generally speaking, impact defensemen are snapped up quickly in free agency.  However, now three weeks into the open market, Mathew Dumba remains without a contract which comes as a bit of a surprise.

Back in 2018, the 28-year-old was coming off a breakout year, one that saw him put up 50 points while logging nearly 24 minutes a night.  It looked as if he was well on his way to becoming a long-term, top-pairing piece for Minnesota.  However, he battled injury trouble the following year and since then, things haven’t gone as well.

Dumba has yet to reach the 30-point plateau since his career year and was basically taken off the power play entirely last season.  Despite that, he has continually logged heavy minutes for the Wild and entered free agency as arguably the top right-shot defender available after Damon Severson reached a sign-and-trade deal with Columbus, taking his name off the free agent list in the process.

But despite that status and what has still been a pretty successful career thus far, Dumba remains unsigned.  It’s a situation where he might have to wait for another domino to fall before his market really opens up as well.

Stats

2022-23: 79 GP, 4-10-14, -8 rating, 81 PIMS, 99 shots, 116 blocks, 49.0% CF, 21:17 ATOI
Career: 598 GP, 79-157-236, +29 rating, 399 PIMS, 1,121 shots, 699 blocks, 49.1% CF, 20:37 ATOI

Potential Suitors

There are a couple of potential types of suitors for Dumba’s services.  There will be some that strike out in the Erik Karlsson sweepstakes that will turn around and pivot to Dumba to try to land at least a top-four addition.  Alternatively, if the market isn’t to Dumba’s liking, he’s a strong candidate to sign a one-year pillow contract with an eye on boosting his value, possibly being moved at the deadline, and hitting the market again next summer in a more favorable cap environment.

In the East, Toronto showed interest in him early before pivoting to former teammate John Klingberg.  While making the money would be tricky, they’re believed to have shown interest in Karlsson so new GM Brad Treliving appears to have some sort of plan to get creative to make the money work.  Dumba might not be a great long-term fit in Detroit but they have enough cap space for a one-year agreement that would go a long way toward helping their playoff chances.  With Carolina sniffing around on Karlsson, it stands to reason that Dumba could be an option there as well assuming they can open up the cap space to do so.  If he’s willing to sign for the type of money that Brett Pesce (a UFA next summer) isn’t, there could be a long-term fit.

Out West, the Coyotes have been linked to Dumba since the market opened up.  They have a definite need to add on the back end and could be a fit either on a pillow deal or a longer-term agreement where he becomes a key part of their core group.  Depending on what happens with Karlsson and if they take a right-shot defender back as part of a return, the Sharks could be a fit for both options as well.  If Nashville is looking to stay in the playoff mix, Dumba would help solidify their top four and they have the cap space to sign him without needing to make another move.  If Anaheim wants to do like they did with Klingberg a year ago, the Ducks could be a viable landing spot for a one-year deal with the hopes that this one would turn out better than the deal with Klingberg ultimately did.

Projected Contract

Dumba slotted in 18th on our Top 50 UFA Rankings with a projected contract of four years at an AAV of $5.25MM.  At this point in time, it seems fair to suggest that a deal of that value hasn’t been on the table yet; otherwise, he likely would have taken it.  It’s possible that Dumba could still reach that price tag but only on a one-year deal.  Otherwise, a longer-term agreement might check in closer to the $4MM mark.  If Dumba believes a change of scenery could help him rediscover his offensive touch, he might be better off taking a one-year agreement and then aiming for a better longer-term deal than he could get now in 2024 when there should be more money to spend in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Olofsson, Seider, Raymond, Bouchard

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Earlier this offseason, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson and his representatives expected a trade to be coming at some point before training camp.  However, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News suggests that a move involving the 28-year-old is a lot less likely now thanks to the Achilles injury to Jack Quinn that will keep the youngster out for at least the first two months of the season.  Olofsson is now in the final year of his contract which carries a $4.75MM AAV which, in itself, makes a trade difficult despite coming off a year that saw him collect 28 goals, a new career high.  With Quinn out for a while, Olofsson could lock down a spot a little higher in the lineup after seeing time on the fourth line last season which would give him a chance to be a productive piece for Buffalo in the early going in 2023-24.

More from the Atlantic:

  • A pair of Red Wings in defenseman Moritz Seider and winger Lucas Raymond are eligible for contract extensions this summer. MLive’s Ansar Khan assessed both players to try to determine a rough idea of what a max-term agreement for each would look like.  In Seider’s case, Dallas blueliner Miro Heiskanen’s deal which carries an AAV of $8.45MM is a good comparable and a deal around that price point could keep him below Dylan Larkin’s $8.7MM price tag which could be a soft ceiling.  Meanwhile, Khan feels that Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield whose AAVs are just below $7.9MM might be the right spot for Raymond.  GM Steve Yzerman has a little over $54MM in commitments on the books for 2024-25 per CapFriendly which means that Detroit has more than enough wiggle room to do long-term agreements with both youngsters if they so desire.
  • Earlier this offseason, Tampa Bay hired Joel Bouchard as their new head coach with AHL Syracuse, taking the place of Benoit Groulx. Speaking with Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette, Bouchard indicated that he wasn’t actively seeking another coaching position at this time and that he never interviewed for the job; it was simply offered to him by Lightning GM Julien BriseBois.  This is his third different AHL coaching position after spending time previously with Laval and San Diego.

PHR Mailbag: Playoffs, Bruins, Fabbri, Depth, Blue Jackets, Bonuses

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Topics in this edition of the mailbag include the potential fit in Boston for a pair of key rental centers, fair expectations for a new-look Blue Jackets squad, rules surrounding bonuses, and more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag while there will also be one that runs tomorrow.

PyramidHeadcrab: Considering the changes brought by the draft and UFA day, what are some teams you see making the playoffs in 2024 that weren’t really in the picture in 2023? And what are some teams you see missing the playoffs?

And who are your favorite three teams to finish with the highest draft lottery odds?

I tackled a similar question to this one last month before free agency so let’s check in on those teams and see what has changed.

In the East, I had Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo as playoff candidates among those that missed a year ago.  As things stand, I’m not as bullish on the Sens now as I was then as I’m not overly confident that Joonas Korpisalo is going to move the needle enough in goal and their offense has taken a step back for the time being.  The Penguins have improved its roster this summer so I still expect them to jump back in and while the Sabres haven’t done much, they’ve added to their back end and can rely on internal growth up front to bolster their chances.  I think they still get in.

As for my candidates to miss, I had Florida, the Islanders, and possibly Tampa Bay.  The Panthers have added some depth which helps but their question will be how impactful their early-season injuries will be.  I’m leaning more toward them being in now, however.  New York didn’t exactly improve or get worse so they’ll probably be just in or just out.  The Lightning are definitely weaker and while I’m not ready to proclaim they’re a non-playoff team yet, I think they’re vulnerable.  I could see Boston missing out now unless their goaltending tandem is able to play at a similar level next season; that would be the great equalizer after losing a lot of firepower.

As for the West, I had Vancouver getting in and maybe St. Louis.  The Canucks have mostly stayed quiet this summer and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  On paper, they’re a better team than their record has been and if they play up to their potential, they’re a playoff-caliber squad.  I like what the Blues have done, getting Kevin Hayes on the cheap and adding Oskar Sundqvist for the minimum.  I’m still skeptical that they’ll get in but they’re better than they were a few weeks ago.

My main candidate to miss from the West a few weeks ago was Winnipeg and that hasn’t really changed.  They’re a weaker team than they were before with an expectation of two more key players moving between now and the trade deadline.  That’s probably not a good recipe to make the playoffs.  Since I had to pick two teams a month ago, my other one was Seattle.  They haven’t done much one way or the other so they’re still a bubble team in my books.

On the other end of the scale, I have Philadelphia in the bottom three as they’re going to go through some growing pains.  San Jose doesn’t have a great roster and if they move Erik Karlsson in a trade that likely won’t bring back much win-now help, they’re going to struggle.  As for the third team, I’m not really too confident in this one but I’ll say Anaheim with the assumption that John Gibson gets moved.  With weak goaltending, that will offset some improvements from their young core, keeping them near the bottom again.

SkidRowe: What would it take to bring Mark Scheifele or Elias Lindholm to the Bruins?

For the purposes of this answer, I’m going to operate under the assumption that it’s an extend-and-trade agreement for both players.  As straight rentals, I don’t think Boston should be pursuing them, at least at this point.

For Scheifele, I think their best shot at getting him is if (or when, perhaps) Connor Hellebuyck gets moved.  Winnipeg is looking for win-now pieces in the hopes of avoiding a rebuild.  I don’t think they’d have a lot of interest in Linus Ullmark (who might have the Jets on his partial no-trade list anyway) but Jeremy Swayman would be an intriguing piece.  If the two moves are made concurrently, the team that gets Hellebuyck could theoretically move the center back for Hellebuyck with Boston’s package for Scheifele being headlined by a controllable young starter in Swayman.

Cap-wise, another piece needs to be in there, likely Derek Forbort or Matt Grzelcyk, both on expiring contracts.  That makes the money work when you factor in the budgeted contract for Swayman.  But there probably needs to be another headline piece in there and that’s where it gets tricky.  Would they move Fabian Lysell?  If I’m Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, I’m asking for him in that package as Swayman for an extended Scheifele slants too heavily in Boston’s favor.  That’s at least where I see the foundation of a move for him.

As for Lindholm, talk about pretty much the ideal replacement for Patrice Bergeron, at least on paper.  Finding a trade match will be a lot trickier, however, as they’re not going to have interest in one of Boston’s goalies.  They also have less cap flexibility than Boston does so now we’re talking about basically a straight money match which limits options.  There aren’t a lot of combinations that work; the closest money-wise might be Jake DeBrusk and either Ian Mitchell or Jakub Zboril.  The problem is a package headlined by those two isn’t getting Lindholm as a rental let alone as an extended player and the Bruins simply lack the draft pick and prospect capital to put a viable package together.  There’s an outside shot to do something with Scheifele but I don’t see a fit for a trade for Lindholm even though he’d basically be the perfect on-ice fit for them.

Brassroo: Robby Fabbri is a decent player when healthy, but I’d like to see younger players get their chances. Any likelihood that he gets bought out or traded?

We can cross off the buyout option as the time that Detroit could have done that has come and gone.  I’d also put the odds of a trade somewhere between slim and nil.  I doubt there’s a team out there that’s willing to trade an asset for Fabbri when they can go sign a similar free agent for less than the two years at $4MM per season.  Meanwhile, the Red Wings aren’t in a spot where they need to free up a roster spot or cap space so it doesn’t make much sense for them to either pay down the contract with retention or give up an asset to get a team with cap room to take on Fabbri’s deal.

There is another option that could achieve your objective though – waivers.  If it gets to a point where Detroit needs a roster spot up front for a younger player that’s forcing their hand, they can just waive Fabbri and send him to Grand Rapids when he clears.  They only clear $1.15MM off the cap in doing so but they’re far enough under where that’s not a problem.  GM Steve Yzerman isn’t afraid to take that route either – Alex Nedeljkovic, Adam Erne, and Jakub Vrana all had AHL stints last season on one-way deals.  That might be the best way for them to accomplish the goal of opening a spot for a prospect without waiting for an injury to arise.

Devil Shark: Which team do you think has the best bottom 6 in the league?

Which team do you think has the best 5th and 6th D pair in the league?

Which team do you think has the best league ready depth playing in the AHL and ready to call up?

Subject to change since there’s bound to be a lot of bottom-six activity in the next two months but I’ll go with Dallas as things stand.  There’s a mixture of youth (Ty Dellandrea and maybe Wyatt Johnston; otherwise veteran Matt Duchene might be in there), scoring depth (at least two of Evgenii Dadonov, Mason Marchment, Duchene, and Tyler Seguin), and some capable veterans in Craig Smith and Radek Faksa.  Sam Steel is also in that group and has proven to be serviceable and I wouldn’t be shocked if a prospect like Logan Stankoven forces his way into the mix.  That’s a group with a fair bit of firepower and versatility.

For the best third pairing, I’ll go with Vegas.  Assuming Alec Martinez plays up at five-on-five with Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore stay intact, that has the third pairing at Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud.  Both players can move onto the second pairing without an issue if injuries arise which also means they can carry heavier minutes than a typical third duo.  They’re also young enough that there’s still room for improvement.  That’s a third pairing a lot of teams would love to have for themselves.

The last one is a bit of an eye of the beholder question.  When I think of NHL-ready depth, I’m looking for players that can easily be slotted in depth roles.  Based on that definition, Pittsburgh stands out as they should have multiple players with NHL experience in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, assuming they get through waivers to get there.  Columbus has a bit of a roster crunch which could result in them sending some younger players down that are capable of playing bigger roles; they might not be as proven as some of Pittsburgh’s options but the upside is better which might be more appealing depending on what it is you’re looking for from a depth perspective.

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Pacific Notes: Pettersson, Mangiapane, Hickey

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Canucks center Elias Pettersson is now eligible for a contract extension since he has entered the final season of his three-year, $22.05MM deal, one that carries a qualifying offer next summer of $8.82MM.  Speaking with Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma, former Vancouver assistant GM Chris Gear (who used to handle negotiations for Vancouver) pegged a rough range of a new deal for Pettersson between $9.5MM and $10.25MM.  The 24-year-old hit career highs across the board last season with 39 goals, 63 assists, and 102 points, finishing tenth in league scoring so his value is certainly at its peak.  Speculatively, if that’s the approximate range that a contract for Pettersson would be at this point, Vancouver might need to go close to the top mark to get him to put pen to paper on it a year early as another 100-point showing next season could push that price tag even higher.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • In an interview with Ryan Dittrick of the Flames’ team site, winger Andrew Mangiapane indicated that there are no more restrictions as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, paving the way for him to be fully ready for training camp in the fall. The 27-year-old is coming off a down year offensively; after putting up 35 goals in 2021-22, he managed just 17 last season despite an increase in playing time.  Both sides are certainly hoping that the nagging shoulder trouble played a significant role in that sizable drop in production.
  • The Golden Knights AHL affiliate in Henderson announced the signing of defenseman Brandon Hickey to a one-year deal. The 27-year-old was originally drafted by Calgary back in 2014 but declined to sign with them or Arizona who acquired his rights three years later.  However, Hickey agreed to sign with Buffalo a year later but failed to advance past the AHL level, eventually being non-tendered.  Since then, Hickey has split time between the AHL and ECHL; he got into 17 games on a tryout last season with the Silver Knights, collecting a goal and an assist.

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