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Lightning To Extend Emil Martinsen Lilleberg On Two-Year Deal

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are reportedly in agreement on a two-year, $1.6MM extension with defenseman Emil Martinsen Lilleberg (X Link). The deal will carry an AAV of $800K at the NHL level and is set to begin a year from today.

Lilleberg made his professional debut in North America last season with the Lightning after coming over from IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League. Since being drafted 107th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Norwegian defenseman had spent all of his professional career in the SHL as he scored three goals and 18 points over 93 games.

Lilleberg went on to tally five assists in 37 games for the Lightning over two separate call-ups throughout the regular season. He spent more time with the Lightning than not this year as he only collected 33 games with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and scored two goals and 13 points in that time.

With Tampa Bay already having six NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster, and plenty of depth options still available on the free-agent market, Lilleberg should start the season in AHL Syracuse. Lilleberg should represent the top option to be called up if the Lightning’s blue line succumbs to injury at any point during the 2024-25 regular season.

Wild Extend Jacob Middleton

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7/1: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Wild have signed Middleton to a four-year, $17.4MM extension at a $4.35MM AAV.

6/27: The Wild are likely to announce an extension for defenseman Jacob Middleton soon after he becomes eligible to sign one on Monday, The Athletic’s Michael Russo wrote earlier this week. It’s likely to come in at four years between $16MM and $18MM total, working out to a cap hit between $4MM and $4.5MM.

Middleton, 28, faced increased responsibility in 2023-24, his second full season in Minnesota. The shutdown blue-liner averaged a career-high 19:49 per game, with captain Jared Spurgeon missing most of the season due to multiple injuries and top matchup defender Jonas Brodin missing significant time as well.

With increased opportunity came increased production for Middleton, who posted a career-high 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 80 games. His -15 rating was a career-low, but he’s one of more than a few Wild skaters whose ratings were negatively impacted by poor seasons from goaltenders Marc-André Fleury and Filip Gustavsson.

He’s never had spectacular possession numbers on his own, but he did prove to be a good partner for Spurgeon in 2022-23 when the two were healthy at the same time. Skating in 76 games, they controlled 53.5% of expected goals when deployed together, per MoneyPuck. The same couldn’t be said for him and rookie Brock Faber this year, who controlled only 48% of expected goals and was Minnesota’s most commonly deployed pairing at over 800 minutes together.

Middleton has certainly proven he can hold his own as a complementary top-four piece, but with him set to turn 29 midway through next season, there’s little room left for further development. Considering a four-year, $4-$4.5MM AAV deal is likely similar to what the much more established Chris Tanev will land this summer, it seems a little steep. Evolving Hockey’s projections concur that it’s a tad above market value, pegging a four-year extension for Middleton in the $3.8MM AAV range.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin also has a recent history of handing out premature extensions that are not aging well. He inked depth center Frédérick Gaudreau to a five-year, $10.5MM extension with trade protection after last season ended, and he proceeded to have his worst year in the State of Hockey with just 15 points and a -23 rating in 67 games this year. A four-year, $16MM deal set to kick in next season for Marcus Foligno also looks a tad steep after the 32-year-old struggled with injuries last season and had only 10 goals and 22 points in 55 games.

That said, the Wild will have some cap flexibility opening up when Middleton’s extension would go into effect for the 2025-26 season. The combined penalties from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts will drop from $14.744MM to just $1.667MM, where they’ll remain annually through 2028-29. Middleton, whom Minnesota acquired from the Sharks at the 2022 trade deadline, is entering the final season of a three-year, $7.35MM deal with a $2.45MM cap hit.

Predators Re-Sign Alexandre Carrier To Three-Year Deal

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As alluded to yesterday, the Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a three-year, $11.25MM contract per a team announcement. By retaining Carrier over the next three years, the Predators organization continues its drive to build a contending roster for the 2024-25 NHL season.

It’s a nice bit of security for the 27-year-old, who spent last season on a one-year prove-it deal. Prove it he did, providing serviceable top-four minutes with 20 points and a +7 rating in 73 games.

Carrier won’t ever likely return to the 30-point form while averaging nearly 21 minutes per game that earned him a spattering of Calder Trophy votes a few years back, but he’s certainly an everyday NHLer with some upward mobility in the lineup. He demonstrated that clearly in the playoffs, upping his ice time to over 21 minutes per game in the first round against the Canucks and showcasing solid offensive instincts with a goal and two assists in six games.

Given the price tag ($3.75MM cap hit), the Predators likely expect Carrier to compete for a top-four spot on the right side, likely on a new-look second pairing with Brady Skjei to his left. It would likely result in some more offensive usage for Carrier, who’s been used in shutdown situations at even strength more than you’d think. Over 60% of his zone starts at even strength came in the defensive end last season, a career-high.

He’ll become a UFA upon expiry of his new deal in 2027.

NHL Reinstates Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac, Joel Quenneville

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The NHL issued a press release today indicating that former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and head coach Joel Quenneville have been reinstated from their respective suspensions and may now seek employment in the league (via Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli). The league’s full statement on the matter is as follows:

For more than the last two and a half years, these individuals have been ineligible to work for any NHL team as a result of their inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks’ Player, Kyle Beach, had been assaulted by the Club’s video coach.

While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals (Messrs. Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville) has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership. Moreover, each has made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse. The League expects that they will continue this commitment in any future capacity with the NHL and/or one of our Clubs.

While Clubs are free to discuss potential employment opportunities with Messrs. Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville effective immediately, they will not be permitted to enter into new employment relationships with any of these individuals until on or after Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

Bowman likely won’t be out of work for long, as he’s viewed as a top contender for the Oilers’ GM vacancy, Seravalli reports. He was viewed as a candidate for the Oilers’ CEO of hockey operations position last summer but was still ineligible to work, said Seravalli. They hired Jeff Jackson, now their acting GM after Ken Holland’s contract wasn’t renewed, instead.

Jets To Sign Kaapo Kähkönen

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The Jets are signing goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen to a one-year, $1MM deal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Winnipeg could be replacing Laurent Brossoit, last season’s above-average backup, by committee. After he left for the Blackhawks in free agency today, the Jets signed a duo of tenders – Kähkönen and Eric Comrie, who projects to be the third-string netminder but could compete for NHL starts.

Kähkönen is the overwhelming favorite to serve as the full-time backup to Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck, though. The 27-year-old Finn was solid in a tough situation with the Sharks last year, putting up a respectable .895 SV% behind the league’s worst defense with a 3.81 GAA and 6-20-3 record. He continued a strong run of play after a deadline deal to the Devils, where he ended the campaign with a .923 SV% and 2.51 GAA in a brief sample of six starts.

There wasn’t any room for him in New Jersey after they traded for Jacob Markström, so he found a new market to take his services to. Now on his fourth team in the past four seasons, the 2014 fourth-round pick of the Wild likely won’t replicate Brossoit’s .927 SV%, but he’s a solid bet to yield some slightly above-average numbers at $1MM. If he truly flames out and regresses to his 2022-23 form, when he put up a .883 SV% for the Sharks and conceded 25 goals above average, the contract can be completely buried in the minors.

Hurricanes Agree To Three-Year Deal With Shayne Gostisbehere

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The Hurricanes are close to a three-year deal worth around $10MM for UFA defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. It would be his second stint with the club. The deal isn’t finalized, Pierre LeBrun of TSN says, but they’ve agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $3.2MM per season. Carolina later officially announced the terms of the deal, confirming the $3.2MM AAV and $9.6MM total value.

Gostisbehere alone may singlehandedly replace the offense Carolina lost when Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei both found new homes on the open market today. The 31-year-old flourished in Detroit last season in sheltered even-strength minutes while seeing top power-play time, recording 10 goals and 56 points in 81 games – his most since his career-high 65 points set in 2017-18.

He last suited up in Carolina in 2022-23 after a deadline deal sent him from Phoenix to Raleigh. He fit right in to end the season, posting 10 points in 23 games in bottom-pairing minutes, but ended up finding a bigger role with the Wings.

With the increased stability that comes with a three-year deal, Gostisbehere is well-positioned to take on the third-pairing, first-unit power-play role that suited him so well in Detroit. While he can play both sides, he’s a natural lefty and will likely sit behind Jaccob Slavin and Dmitry Orlov on the depth chart.

Carolina’s defense is likely completely filled out for next season, with Gostisbehere and Sean Walker serving as much cheaper replacements for Pesce and Skjei. They still have upward of $10MM in projected cap space for next season to make adds on offense as the week goes on, although the market is quickly dwindling as most of the top-flight UFAs have already signed.

Sharks To Sign Alexander Wennberg

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The Sharks are signing UFA center Alexander Wennberg to a two-year deal worth $5MM annually, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

It’s clearly above market value for Wennberg, likely signed with the intent to help San Jose stay above the $65MM cap floor. But that doesn’t mean the addition is devoid of value for the Sharks, who desperately need veteran talent to help avoid overworking rookies like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, both of whom project to slot into the opening night lineup.

Wennberg is what he is at this stage of his career, recording between 30 and 40 points for three years in a row. The 29-year-old has logged heavy minutes over the past few years, averaging around 18 minutes per game since 2020-21, certainly more than he’s suited for. But he does manage decent possession numbers in defense-oriented usage at even strength, and he’s been a fixture on the Kraken’s penalty kill since they signed him in free agency three years ago. He’ll remain a top PKer as he makes the move to San Jose via a brief stop in New York thanks to a deadline deal to the Rangers in March.

He struggled to produce in postseason action for the Blueshirts, limited to one goal and one assist in 16 games. He’ll look for a fresh start in San Jose, where he’ll get a solid paycheck and is joined by veteran additions Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Toffoli up front to help add some much-needed secondary scoring.

Maple Leafs To Sign Jani Hakanpää

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The Maple Leafs are expected to land UFA defenseman Jani Hakanpää, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. It’s a two-year deal, Dreger adds. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports it’s a $1.5MM cap hit.

Hakanpää is the final item in a Toronto defense shopping list today that also includes Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Now 32, the defensively stout Finn heads to his fourth NHL team since arriving from Europe in 2019.

Last year was a tough ending for Hakanpää. His season ended around the trade deadline due to injury, and he wasn’t able to suit up in postseason action for the Stars as they advanced to the Western Conference Final. Much like he has the past few years in Dallas, he logged fringe top-four minutes in the regular season, also contributing 12 points and a +10 rating in 64 games. He was among the Stars’ most frequent hitters, using his 6’6″, 225-lb frame to lay the body 196 times.

Used almost exclusively in defensive situations, Hakanpää will be a steady and perhaps more competent replacement for depth players like Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin who signed elsewhere for much more money today. In that sense, it’s an extremely shrewd pickup by GM Brad Treliving for a player who could prove to be the right kind of third-pairing partner for the more offensively-inclined Ekman-Larsson.

With their signings today, the Leafs now have a chance to ice a reliable puck-mover on each pairing in Ekman-Larsson, Timothy Liljegren and Morgan Rielly, paired each with Hakanpää, Jake McCabe and Tanev on their flanks. That’s a much more balanced composition than the D-core that largely failed to hold its weight in their first-round loss to the Bruins, plagued by a lack of competent puck-moving defenders.

After today’s moves, the Leafs are fully capped out with a 23-man roster.

Canadiens Sign Juraj Slafkovsky To Eight-Year Extension

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The Canadiens have signed 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year extension, the team announced. The deal, which begins with the 2025-26 season, carries a $7.6MM cap hit.

This is an outcome that wouldn’t have seemed possible just a few months ago.  The 2022 first-overall pick struggled considerably in his rookie season, recording just ten points in 39 games before missing the rest of the season due to injury.  Then, he struggled even more out of the gate last season, picking up only one goal and one assist in his first 15 outings.

While many felt that a trip to AHL Laval would be the best course of action, Montreal basically took the exact opposite route.  Instead of sending him down to play a bigger role with the Rocket, they moved him up to the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.  It didn’t take long for Slafkovsky to find his footing and he wound up finishing the year with 20 goals and 30 assists in 82 games.

Clearly, his performance in the second half of the season was enough to convince management to commit to a max-term agreement, one that buys out Slafkovsky’s four remaining RFA years while adding four more seasons of club control.  The deal is likely to carry some form of trade protection in those final four seasons; he’s ineligible for trade protection in any of his RFA years.

Notably, this price tag comes in below Suzuki’s $7.875MM cost, keeping their internal cap in place for skaters as no one yet is set to make more than the captain (aside from Carey Price’s LTIR contract).  It also keeps Montreal’s top line under contract through at least the 2028-29 season with all three players making below $8MM.

As is often the case with these types of early extensions off an entry-level deal, the price is likely to be on the high side early on in the deal.  However, if Slafkovsky is able to progress and live up to his first-overall billing, the hope for the Canadiens is that this agreement will become a team-friendly one in the end.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Shane Pinto Has Not Requested Trade From Senators

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2:32 p.m.: Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff has counteracted Di Marco’s report, claiming that Pinto has not officially asked Ottawa for a trade.

10:13 a.m.: Earlier this morning, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reported that forward Shane Pinto may be leaning towards requesting a trade from the Ottawa Senators. Following up on the initial report, Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period confirms Pinto has officially requested a trade from the organization.

This request continues what’s been a very eventful four years in Ottawa. Originally drafted 32nd-overall, then a second-round pick, in the 2019 NHL Draft – Pinto turned pro at the end of the 2020-21 season and managed seven points across his first 12 games. It was an electric start but Senators fans would have to wait for the encore, as a dislocated right shoulder would rob Pinto of all but five games in the 2021-22 season. He came back from the injury with purpose last season, posting 20 goals and 35 points through 82 games while serving as an everyday middle-six center.

Finally removed from injury and on the back of a 20-goal season, this year was meant to be Pinto’s breakout performance. Instead, it very quickly became a year to forget, as Pinto was dealt a 41-game suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy. The punishment was handed out while Pinto was in the middle of contract negotiations with Ottawa. The Senators instead signed Pinto through the second half of the 2023-24 season, set on finding him a longer-term deal in RFA negotiations this summer. Pinto vindicated the deal with a strong nine goals and 27 points – on pace for 54 points across 82 games, which would’ve sat 17 points above his career-high.

But even after so many ups-and-downs, it seems Ottawa won’t be the ones to benefit from Pinto’s slow burn. He’ll instead enter the trade market, where plenty of teams will surely be eager to sign a productive, 23-year-old centerman. Ottawa extended a qualifying offer to Pinto before the June 30th deadline, giving them control over his rights throughout the summer, though any new team will also have to sign him to his next contract.

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