Snapshots: Red Wings, Broberg, Islanders
As the Red Wings work through the process of signing their two top remaining RFAs in defenseman Moritz Seider and winger Lucas Raymond, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press suggests that their preference is to keep the cap hit for both players below Dylan Larkin’s $8.7MM price tag. With the price tag for top blueliners coming off their entry-level deals going up relatively quickly, Seider has some comparables past the $8MM mark (Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson and Buffalo’s Owen Power) so it wouldn’t be surprising to see his cost come in relatively close to Larkin’s. Raymond, meanwhile, might be using Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle ($8.35MM) as a possible comparable which could result in his cost coming close to the captain’s as well.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- While the Blues handed a pricey contract to get Philip Broberg from Edmonton via an offer sheet this summer, Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch relays that the blueliner probably won’t see power play action right away, even without Torey Krug who is out for the season. Broberg had 39 points in 47 games with AHL Bakersfield last season but head coach Drew Bannister has indicated that their plan for the 23-year-old at this point is to have him killing penalties and that they don’t want to load up on his workload too fast after having a limited role with the Oilers.
- In his media availability yesterday (video link), Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello indicated that there probably won’t be much of a battle for roster spots on the back end in training camp. Their top six is healthy after an injury-riddled year and their preference is to not have prospects Calle Odelius and Isaiah George in a reserve role to start the season. Accordingly, the battle for the seventh and final defensive spot in camp could be between returnees Simon Bolduc and Dennis Cholowski. Bolduc is now waiver-eligible which could help give him a leg up in that battle since Cholowski has cleared successfully in the past.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Utah Hockey Club
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 begin with a look at the Central Division; next up is Utah.
Utah Hockey Club
Current Cap Hit: $78,079,643 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Logan Cooley (two years, $950K)
F Josh Doan (two years, $925K)
F Dylan Guenther (one year, $894K)
Potential Bonuses
Cooley: $3.5MM
Guenther: $850K
Total: $4.35MM
Cooley’s first NHL season was a solid one. They kept him in the top six for most of the year while not frequently exposing him to top checking. While he struggled mightily at the faceoff dot (many rookies do), Utah still views Cooley as their top center of the future. If he can take a step forward offensively this season, he could be a candidate for a long-term extension next summer. If that happens, his camp will likely use Juraj Slafkovsky’s contract (eight years, $60.8MM) as a comparable.
Doan impressed in his first taste of NHL action down the stretch, giving him a shot at earning a full-time spot in camp. But even if that happens, he’ll likely have too small of a track record for an early extension next summer. Guenther, meanwhile, was able to play in the minors last season but played his way into a promotion relatively quickly where he picked up 35 points in 45 games. With just 78 games under his belt, an extension in the coming weeks is unlikely but if he puts up a full season at that level of production, he could push for a long-term deal starting with a seven next summer.
Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level
F Nick Bjugstad ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Michael Carcone ($775K, UFA)
D Ian Cole ($3.1MM, UFA)
F Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Jack McBain ($1.599MM, RFA)
G Karel Vejmelka ($2.725MM, UFA)
Kerfoot was a nice addition by Arizona last summer, giving them a capable two-way pivot who is capable of playing high in the lineup, allowing them to ease Cooley in. If he can have a similar offensive showing this season (45 points), he could push for upwards of $5MM on a multi-year agreement next summer given the consistently high demand for centers. Bjugstad made the decision to return to the Coyotes last summer and it was a good one as he had his best season offensively since 2017-18. While they’re certainly pleased with the performance, his track record is as a player with limited offense. Accordingly, an early extension would be hard to come by as both sides would be better off seeing if his production can be repeatable. If it is, he could come in closer to $4MM next time out.
McBain has become a capable checking center who has chipped in a bit offensively while throwing his body around. That’s a solid profile for a player at this price point. If the upcoming season is similar to these last two, he could double this price tag with arbitration eligibility. Carcone reached 20 goals last season, his first full NHL campaign at the age of 27. Obviously, getting a 20-goal scorer for the league minimum is excellent value but how close he comes to repeating that will dictate if he’s going to stay close to this price tag or easily reach seven figures in 2025-26.
This is the fourth year in a row that Cole has taken a one-year deal with a price point between $2.9MM and $3.1MM. Barring a significant change in his performance, it seems fair to infer that he could be in line for something close to that range next summer as well.
Vejmelka is an interesting case in terms of his free agent value. On the surface, his numbers are rather pedestrian; he has yet to record a save percentage of .900 or better while the lowest GAA of his three-year career is 3.35, set last season. And yet, the general perception around him has been that perhaps on a better team, he’s someone who might be more impactful. With the overhaul Utah has had on the back end this summer, this could be a good test of that theory. If that happens, Vejmelka could conceivably push for a contract in the higher tier of backup or platoon goalies with a price tag approaching $4MM. If that doesn’t happen, however, a small pay cut might be coming his way.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Barrett Hayton ($2.65MM, RFA)
G Connor Ingram ($1.985MM, UFA)
D Michael Kesselring ($1.4MM, RFA)
F Matias Maccelli ($3.425MM, RFA)
F Nick Schmaltz ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Kevin Stenlund ($2MM, UFA)
D Juuso Valimaki ($2MM, UFA)
D Shea Weber ($7.857MM, UFA)
Schmaltz has very quietly been one of the steadier Coyotes in recent seasons, ranging between 58 and 61 points in the last three seasons, two of which saw him over a point per game while dealing with injury trouble. While he’s not a full-time center anymore, he can still play down the middle which will help from a value perspective. Assuming this production keeps up, he should push past the $7MM mark on his next deal. Maccelli, meanwhile, wasn’t quite able to produce at the same level as 2022-23 but he came close, giving Arizona solid value on the first year of his bridge deal. Staying around this level of offensive numbers could put him around the $6MM range on his next contract.
Hayton followed up a career year with arguably his worst one, resulting in what amounts to a second bridge contract. He’ll only have one season of club control left after this contract expires and both sides will be hoping that he can become much more impactful by then. Stenlund had a solid season with Florida, chipping in 11 goals in a limited role which allowed him to double his price tag from a year ago and tack on a second season. This is more on the upper tier for someone who projects as a fourth liner but if he can hang around the double-digit goal mark, he could beat this price tag.
Weber has been on LTIR for the past three years and will continue to be there for the rest of the deal. With Utah having ample cap space, he won’t be a burden on their cap. Valimaki has become a reliable second-pairing defender at a price point well below market value. While the additions could push down his playing time, he could still conceivably double this in 2026. Kesselring spent most of last season in Arizona for his first consistent taste of NHL action. He fared pretty well all things considered but with his limited track record, a bridge deal was the way to go. He’ll have arbitration rights next time out and could double this if he holds onto a regular spot on the third pair.
Ingram has turned into one of the better waiver claims in recent years, going from a third-string option with Nashville to a starter as he played in 50 games last season while leading the league in shutouts. If he continues on that trajectory and becomes a consistent starter, he could push past $5MM two years from now.
Signed Through 2026-27
F Lawson Crouse ($4.3MM, UFA)
D John Marino ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Liam O’Brien ($1MM, UFA)
It took some time but Crouse has emerged as a consistent top-six power forward, hitting the 20-goal mark in three straight years while averaging 183 hits per season in that span. Given the high demand for players like this, Crouse appears to be well on his way to passing the $6MM mark on his next deal. If the cap goes up quickly before 2027, $7MM could be possible if he stays at that level of production. O’Brien had a career year offensively last season while leading the league in penalty minutes. That helped earn him this three-year contract, something that a lot of enforcers don’t typically get. Even if O’Brien struggles, the deal can come off the cap entirely if he’s in the minors, making it a low-risk signing.
Marino was acquired at the draft from New Jersey to help bolster the back end. While he hasn’t been able to get back to the level of production from his rookie year (which largely helped him earn this agreement), he has been a consistent minutes-eater, logging over 20 minutes a night in each of his five NHL seasons while recording 25 points in two of the last three years. For a second-pairing player, that’s solid value.
West Notes: Vladar, Perfetti, Molendyk
With Jacob Markstrom now in New Jersey, the starting job in Calgary is up for grabs. While top prospect Dustin Wolf is garnering most of the attention, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson relays that Flames netminder Daniel Vladar is now pain-free and fully recovered from his hip injury. The 27-year-old struggled mightily last season in limited action, putting up a 3.62 GAA with a .882 SV% in 20 appearances before undergoing surgery in March but he noted that he had been dealing with discomfort for at least the last two seasons. It’s a contract year for Vladar who carries a $2.2MM price tag. A pending unrestricted free agent, he could push for double that if he’s able to secure the starting role in 2024-25.
More from out West:
- While there appears to be a gap to still bridge in discussions between the Jets and RFA forward Cole Perfetti, the 22-year-old told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that he has given no consideration to the thought of trying to land an offer sheet over concern of creating tension with the organization. Perfetti had a career-best 19 goals and 38 points in 71 games last season but is most likely heading for a short-term bridge deal, allowing Winnipeg to stay cap-compliant while giving Perfetti a chance at a fair-sized increase with arbitration rights in the near future.
- Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk could be hindered in his push to make the team by the NHL-CHL agreement that will prevent him from being assigned to the AHL this season, suggests Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. The 19-year-old had 56 points in 50 games with WHL Saskatoon last season, putting him in a spot where he could legitimately make a push for a roster spot in training camp. However, without an ability to recall him once returned to junior, Molendyk will have to show that he’s worthy of keeping around by his play over the next few weeks. Otherwise, his NHL debut will have to wait another year.
Canucks Have Offered Kevin Lankinen A Contract
In recent weeks, the Canucks have been offering PTO deals to some veteran goalies as some insurance with Thatcher Demko’s health still in some question. After being unable to get either Kevin Lankinen or Antti Raanta to agree to a tryout, they’ve now gone a step further. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Vancouver has made a one-year full contract offer to Lankinen. However, the offer was believed to be for less than $1MM, a price tag he doesn’t appear to be willing to accept at this time.
The 29-year-old made $2MM last season in Nashville so Vancouver’s offer would certainly represent a sizable pay cut. However, the Canucks have less than $200K in cap space per PuckPedia and have made it known that they don’t want to go into using LTIR. Accordingly, even to make that offer work, they’d have to drop a skater off their roster to be able to afford Lankinen, effectively having to carry three goalies heading into the season if Demko isn’t able to play.
Lankinen spent the last two years with the Predators and put up solid numbers overall, posting a 2.79 GAA and a .912 SV% in 43 games over that span. Those are certainly above-average for a second-string option which is likely why his camp has been holding out in the hopes of landing a more substantial offer. However, barring an injury of some significance, most teams have their goaltending set so that better offer might not materialize for a while yet if at all if he continues to wait.
The fact that the Canucks have opted to make a full offer to Lankinen would imply that they remain concerned about Demko’s recovery from a knee injury sustained early in the playoffs last spring. If they felt he was on track to return on time or even a few games into the season, Vancouver could simply run with Arturs Silovs and new third-stringer Jiri Patera for a couple of weeks and get by that way. Silovs had a good run in the playoffs and could easily handle the starting role for a handful of games early on.
But if they feel their best option now is to get someone on a full-season deal, it would seem as if there is at least the potential for Demko’s recovery period to drag out even longer. That type of uncertainty is hardly ideal with training camps now less than a week away. Whether that will push them to up their offer or if they’ll hold out hope that Lankinen will have a change of heart and accept their most recent offer remains to be seen.
Golden Knights Notes: Marchessault, Theodore, Hagg
The departure of Jonathan Marchessault to Nashville in free agency was one of the bigger surprises with many expecting that he’d have re-signed with the Golden Knights. Team reporter Gary Lawless transcribed a part of a Sirius XM interview with Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon where he indicated that while they eventually went to four years on their offer for the 33-year-old, they weren’t comfortable going to five which is how many he received from the Predators. Marchessault spent seven seasons with Vegas, recording 192 goals and 225 assists in 514 games, making him the franchise leader in every category.
More from Vegas:
- One player who will beat at least one of those club records this season is defenseman Shea Theodore who sits just two assists behind Marchessault (while also being 70 games behind that mark). The 29-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and Vegas’ Jason Pothier highlights how it won’t be easy to retain him. Theodore held out for a pricey post-entry-level contract after being acquired (one that sees him making $5.2MM) and has been one of the more productive blueliners since then, ranking 13th in points by a defender since 2018. He’ll begin his next deal at 30 and could add $3MM or more to his current price tag. With Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin already on the books at more than $16MM combined, it might be tough for the Golden Knights to afford a third big-ticket rearguard on their books.
- Veteran free agent blueliner Robert Hagg inked a one-year, one-way deal worth $775K with Vegas this summer. The 29-year-old told Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom that he had an offer from Modo in Sweden this summer which would have been a return to the program he played in before making the move to North America. However, after a rough 2023-24 season that saw him play in just five NHL games with Anaheim, Hagg wanted an opportunity to show that he can be more of a contributor at the top level and isn’t ready to return to play at home just yet.
Antti Raanta Indicates He Won’t Play In The NHL Anymore
One of the remaining veteran free agent goaltenders is Antti Raanta but don’t expect his name to be added to the list of players accepting PTOs. The veteran told Ilta-Sanomat’s Sami Hoffren that he has decided that his playing days in North America have come to an end.
The 35-year-old indicated that he did have some interest from NHL teams in free agency, including Toronto. Meanwhile, Vancouver reached out with a PTO offer a few weeks ago as they look for veteran insurance with the uncertainty surrounding Thatcher Demko’s situation. However, Raanta indicated that those teams were viewing him more as an insurance option and that there was a possibility that he would have had to start in the AHL.
Last season, Raanta was back with Carolina after a strong 2022-23 showing that saw him post a 2.23 GAA and a .910 SV% in 27 games. Unfortunately for him and the Hurricanes, he struggled mightily last year, putting up a 2.99 GAA with a save percentage of just .872 and eventually, Carolina had to run him through waivers multiple times, sending him down to AHL Chicago after he cleared. He didn’t see much playing time with the Wolves but didn’t fare any better than he did with Carolina. Accordingly, the type of offer he was hoping for from an NHL team was unlikely to materialize.
Raanta’s NHL playing days end with 277 career appearances at the top level with four different organizations. He posted a 139-80-29 record while putting up a 2.48 GAA, a .915 SV%, and 20 shutouts. Overall, it was a solid career for someone who went undrafted and didn’t make his NHL debut until his age-24 campaign.
But while it’s the end of the road for Raanta in North America, it’s not necessarily the end of his playing days. Raanta indicated to Hoffren that he’s looking to land a spot in Switzerland, Czechia, or Germany. While he had offers from there in the spring, he turned them down at the time, hoping for an NHL offer to his liking to come around. At this point, with international leagues either underway already or about to start, Raanta will be biding his time for the time being with the hopes of getting a call in the near future.
Morning Notes: Raymond, Whitehead, Walsh
Elliotte Friedman spoke on the 32 Thoughts podcast about the Detroit Red Wings negotiations with forward Lucas Raymond. Friedman had used recently signed Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis as a comparable contract for Raymond stating that his $7.42MM cap hit was likely what Raymond’s camp was using in negotiations. However, Friedman informed his audience that a player agent told him that Raymond’s agent is more than likely using a higher comparable and mentioned Senators forward Tim Stützle and his eight-year $66.8MM contract.
Friedman added that there is little chance that Yzerman would accept that comparison and Stützle’s $8.35MM AAV. Stützle signed that contract extension after posting 58 points in 79 games, which was a good season, but not worth that number. At that time the Ottawa Senators were desperate to show their market that they were ready to contend and gave Stützle an above-market deal that now looks like a bargain. Friedman thinks that the Jarvis comparable is probably too low at this stage, which likely means that a Raymond extension will fall between the cap hits of Jarvis and Stützle.
In other morning notes:
- Greg Wyshynski of ESPN is reporting that Braxton Whitehead of the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats has received a verbal commitment from Arizona State University that would open the door for him to play in the NCAA in the 2025-26 season. Whitehead is the first Canadian Hockey League player to receive a commitment from the NCAA since a class action lawsuit was proposed against the NCAA and 10 universities last month that claimed the eligibility rules around the league violated antitrust laws. The class action suit is looking to allow players to play hockey in college as well as major junior, something that would be a massive change from the current paradigm.
- NHL player agent Allen Walsh also tweeted in regard to Whitehead’s news saying that he’s heard from several NCAA head coaches who expected that there will be former CHL players dressing in the NCAA as early as next season. The current NCAA eligibility rules don’t allow any player who has played a major junior hockey game to play college hockey in the United States, however, the aforementioned class action lawsuit could turn that rule on its head depending on how it plays out.
Snapshots: Crosby, Ullmark, Perfetti
Elliotte Friedman spoke on his 32 Thoughts podcast about Sidney Crosby’s contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Friedman believes that Crosby will sign a short-term deal because he doesn’t want to leave the Penguins in a difficult salary cap situation if his play was to fall off. Friedman adds that he has talked to sources who’ve said that Crosby doesn’t want to do anything that would affect the long-term outlook for the Penguins or his legacy with the team. Crosby is coming off one of the finest seasons ever for a 36-year-old after posting 94 points in 82 games and appears more open to playing into his 40s, however, no one knows if that is his intention.
In other news from around the NHL:
- Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Boston Bruins traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators before signing Jeremy Swayman, because they were concerned that if they waited until July, Ullmark could change his no-trade list and put Ottawa on it. Boston did not have to ask the former Vezina Trophy winner for permission to move him to the Senators, however, it did create a situation where they now rely solely on Swayman for starting goaltending this season, which could be problematic if Swayman misses any length of time due to a contract dispute.
- The Winnipeg Jets and forward Cole Perfetti appear to have a gap in the financials regarding the 22-year-old’s contract extension (as per Elliotte Friedman). Perfetti is reportedly negotiating a bridge deal with the Jets, and while they appear to be on the same page with regard to terms, the two sides have room between them when it comes to dollars. Perfetti is coming off his third NHL season and posted 19 goals and 19 assists last year in 71 games while averaging just 13:35 of ice time per game. He was benched down the stretch last season but does seem poised for a breakout this year, particularly if he can continue to generate chances in the offensive zone and post good defensive numbers.
Evening Notes: Hurricanes, Oligny, Mukhamadullin
Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted that Carolina had to make a number of roster changes this evening prior to their first game of the Prospect Showcase. The Hurricanes announced that their fifth-round pick this year Justin Poirier, as well as invitees Braydon McCallum and Carter Kowalyk would not play due to injury. No word yet on the specifics of the ailments.
Carolina has added forward Sahil Panwar to the roster for the showcase. The undrafted Panwar is signed by the Canes AHL affiliate the Chicago Wolves for this season and at 22 years old has already played a season of professional hockey in the ECHL. The Mississauga, Ontario native had a solid offensive season with the Cincinnati Cyclones registering 22 goals and 32 assists in 64 games.
In other evening notes:
- Former Manitoba Moose captain Jimmy Oligny is taking his career overseas as the 31-year-old has signed with HKM Zvolen in Slovakia (as per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey). The left-shot defenseman has been with the Moose for the past six seasons and captained the team for the last three years. Oligny was undrafted and has never suited up in an NHL game despite playing 473 career AHL games. The move overseas will be a drastic change for Oligny as he has played his entire professional career in the AHL except for one ECHL game back in 2015-16.
- Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that San Jose Sharks defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin will miss the remainder of the Rookie Faceoff tournament due to injury. The 22-year-old did not travel with the team for the tournament and has been ruled out with general soreness. The Sharks don’t seem concerned about the issue becoming a problem long-term and fully expect him to be ready for their main training camp. Mukhamadullin dressed in three NHL games last season and is expected to compete for a depth role this coming season.
Islanders To Sign Artyom Kudashov To PTO
The New York Islanders reportedly have brought in defensive prospect Artyom Kudashov on a professional tryout agreement according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Kudashov, 19, will attend the Islanders’ rookie and training camp over the next several weeks hoping to earn a contract.
Kudashov will be the second player poached by the Islanders this summer from the KHL if he signs a contract joining Maxim Tsyplakov who signed his entry-level deal in May. He doesn’t carry the same pedigree as Tsyplakov so he must earn his spot on the team before New York offers him a contract.
It won’t be the first time he’s skated with an NHL team as the undrafted Russian skated with the Philadelphia Flyers during their summer camp. According to Rosner, the Islanders took an interest then and followed him back overseas while he started the 2024-25 KHL season with Dynamo Moskva.
He spent much of last year with Dynamo’s MHL team scoring five goals and eight points in 21 games. His time in the KHL wasn’t as fruitful with Kudashov failing to put up any points in 25 contests. He considers himself a two-way defenseman but leans much heavier into the defensive side — something New York could use at all levels of their organization.
Artyom is excited about an NHL opportunity after watching his father, Alexei Kudashov, play 25 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1993-94 season. Given that New York could use two-way depth on defense, Kudashov should have every opportunity to earn himself a two-way contract out of camp.