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Checking In On 2024 First-Round Picks

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Most of the players selected in the first round of the 2024 draft have signed their entry-level contracts, but very few will actually suit up for their NHL clubs or AHL affiliates in the fall. Here’s a look at where all 32 of this year’s first-round talents project to spend their time in their post-draft season.

1. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, F

Status: Signed 
Expected 2024-25 team: Sharks

Celebrini isn’t the only high-end pick to sign his entry-level contract coming out of college, but he is the only one who’s a sure bet to start the season on an NHL roster. The 18-year-old phenom will likely be given a shot to anchor the Sharks’ first line down the middle out of the gate. Seeing him on assignment to the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, this season would be a huge surprise.

2. Chicago Blackhawks: Artyom Levshunov, D

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

When the Blackhawks drafted Levshunov earlier this summer, there was some uncertainty about whether he would turn pro following his freshman season at Michigan State University. It didn’t last long, though, as he signed his ELC with Chicago less than two weeks after being drafted. However, their signings of veterans T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez in free agency muddy his path to a roster spot. Early-season injuries or an exceptional training camp could land Levshunov a nine-game trial with the Blackhawks but expect to see most of his action this season come in the minors.

3. Anaheim Ducks: Beckett Sennecke, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Sennecke is the first player here who’s ineligible for an AHL assignment this season because he was drafted out of the Canadian Hockey League. It’s either Anaheim or Oshawa for the surprise third-overall pick. It’ll end up being the latter, as he likely needs at least another full year of development time in juniors before he’s ready to compete for a roster spot.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Cayden Lindstrom, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

Lindstrom isn’t signed yet, but he’s expected to do so next month. The pivot is still recovering from a herniated disc in his back that limited him to 32 games with the Tigers last season. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell already confirmed that barring an unforeseen development, Lindstrom will be loaned back to Medicine Hat for 2024-25, although a nine-game trial isn’t out of the question.

5. Montreal Canadiens: Ivan Demidov, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

There’s no real rush to sign Demidov. As a player drafted out of a Russian league, the Habs own his signing rights indefinitely. The dynamic winger spent the entirety of his draft year in his native country’s junior circuit, though, which would have been an unprecedented jump to NHL ice in 2024-25. As such, Demidov will play out the final season of his contract with SKA, which has already announced its season-opening roster with Demidov on it as compared to their junior or minor-league affiliate. All signs point to Demidov signing his ELC and arriving in Montreal at the end of the KHL season, potentially still with a few games left on the Habs’ 2024-25 schedule.

6. Utah Hockey Club: Tij Iginla, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

As one of the younger players in the class and a late riser, there’s little question about Utah returning its first-ever draft pick to juniors. Iginla will look to build on his 84-point season with Kelowna and will challenge more seriously for a roster spot with Utah in 2025-26.

7. Ottawa Senators: Carter Yakemchuk, D

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

Yakemchuk will return to the Hitmen for 2024-25, but unlike most other CHL-drafted players in this class, he only has to wait one year until he’s eligible to play in the AHL full-time. That’s due to his late September birthday, which made him one of the oldest players eligible for selection for the first time in 2024. The 6’3″ right-shot likely won’t have a lot to prove in juniors after this season, either. After all, he led all WHL defenders in goals last year with 30.

8. Seattle Kraken: Berkly Catton, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Seattle selected Catton out of their own backyard. The skilled center still needs to improve his all-around game before looking for NHL ice with the Kraken. His raucous 116-point campaign with Spokane last year could earn him some outside consideration for a nine-game trial, but all signs point to him being loaned out to Eastern Washington for 2024-25.

9. Calgary Flames: Zayne Parekh, D

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Parekh likely needs a bit more seasoning in Saginaw to round out his defensive game before he’s ready for the pros. But the dynamic right-shot defender has little left to prove after being named the CHL’s Defenseman of the Year last season, and he should be expected on the Flames’ opening-night roster in 2025-26.

10. New Jersey Devils: Anton Silayev, D

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

All of what can be said about Demidov applies to Silayev, except his much larger defensive counterpart is much more of a project development-wise. Accordingly, the hulking defender is under contract for two more years with Torpedo, and he’s fully expected to play that out before signing his ELC with Jersey as soon as 2026. He’ll feature heavily on Nizhny Novgorod’s blue line again after spending all of his draft year’s regular season in the big leagues.

11. San Jose Sharks: Sam Dickinson, D

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: London Knights (OHL)

Dickinson is a decently well-rounded package already and likely isn’t too far away from NHL ice. But throwing him to the wolves on the Sharks’ paper-thin blue line would be a major mistake for his development, and it’s not an outcome that appears to be under consideration. He’ll return to the powerhouse Knights, where he had 70 points in 68 games last year.

12. Minnesota Wild: Zeev Buium, D

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: University of Denver (NCAA/NCHC)

Buium will be returning to Denver for his sophomore season, but it’s likely to be his final before arriving in Minnesota (or AHL Iowa) in 2025. The cerebral yet skilled two-way defender was a nominee for the Hobey Baker as a freshman and exploded for 50 points in 42 games from the blue line as Denver won the national championship.

13. Philadelphia Flyers: Jett Luchanko, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Guelph Storm (OHL)

Another late birthday from the class, expect Luchanko to take his full two years of runway left in the OHL. The Flyers don’t risk losing him after getting his ELC taken care of already this summer. He’ll play a starring role with the Storm in the coming weeks.

14. Buffalo Sabres: Konsta Helenius, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Rochester Americans (AHL)

Normally, players drafted out of European leagues must be offered back to their overseas clubs before their NHL team attempts to send them to the minors early on in their development. But that provision is lifted for first-round picks, and expect the Sabres to take advantage of it with Helenius. The versatile forward has one of the highest floors of any prospect in this draft class and excelled in a professional environment last season, posting 36 points in 51 games for Jukurit in Finland’s Liiga. He’ll look to lock down top-six minutes with the Sabres’ affiliate in Rochester early on, but NHL games this season aren’t out of the question.

15. Detroit Red Wings: Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

The highest-drafted Norwegian in league history has been playing in neighboring Sweden since 2021, and that’s where he’ll likely remain for 2024-25. Brandsegg-Nygård said after signing his entry-level contract last month that there hasn’t been a decision made on where he’ll play this season. While he’ll attend Red Wings training camp, he’s listed on Skellefteå’s roster in a few places and will likely head back to Scandinavia after being cut. He spent last season in Sweden’s second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, posting 18 points in 41 games with Mora IK.

16. St. Louis Blues: Adam Jiříček, D

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Jiříček and the Blues had myriad playing options for 2024-25. It appears they’ve settled on the easiest level of competition as he looks to get his feet back under him following an injury-plagued draft year. While he was eligible for assignment to their AHL affiliate in Springfield or back to his professional club in Czechia, HC Plzeň, he’s expected to slide down to junior hockey after being selected by the Bulldogs in the CHL Import Draft one year ago.

17. Washington Capitals: Terik Parascak, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Prince George Cougars (WHL)

Parascak was a quick riser on draft boards this year, and his 6’0″ frame, combined with his well-rounded offensive skill set, makes him an intriguing pickup by Washington. His defensive awareness isn’t ready for the pros yet, though, and he wouldn’t have been eligible for an AHL assignment anyway. Back to Prince George, he goes.

18. Chicago Blackhawks: Sacha Boisvert, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: University of North Dakota (NCAA/NCHC)

Boisvert looks to be a solid middle-six pivot for the Hawks down the line, but he’s a few years away. The Quebec native spent last year in juniors with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks and will begin his collegiate career at North Dakota this fall. He’ll likely stick with the Fighting Hawks for at least two or three years before turning pro with Chicago.

19. Vegas Golden Knights: Trevor Connelly, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Providence College (NCAA/Hockey East)

Rinse and repeat most of the last paragraph for Connelly, although the high-tempo winger is nearly the polar opposite of Boisvert’s play style. But like Boisvert, he’ll be making the jump from the USHL to the NCAA this fall and isn’t expected to be one-and-done in college.

20. New York Islanders: Cole Eiserman, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Boston University (NCAA/Hockey East)

Eiserman will enter his freshman year at BU after displaying his electric goal-scoring ability with the U.S. National Development Team Program. Criticisms of his game as one-dimensional are valid, though, and his adjustment to older and larger competition in the NCAA circuit will be something for Isles fans to keep tabs on. His superstar-level shooting accuracy makes it plausible that he’ll turn pro following his freshman year, though.

21. Montreal Canadiens: Michael Hage, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: University of Michigan (NCAA/Big 10)

Hage wraps up the string of USHL/NTDP-to-NCAA jumps here. The two-way, playmaking pivot will play an important role for the Wolverines in his freshman year, with last year’s three leading scorers all signing NHL contracts this summer. Like Boisvert and Connelly, though, Hage is likely looking at multiple seasons of NCAA play before signing his ELC.

22. Nashville Predators: Yegor Surin, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)

Surin is signed for two more seasons with Lokomotiv, so the earliest the Preds will likely be able to sign him is 2026. A true throwback power forward, the 6’1″ Russian will look to make the jump to consistent KHL minutes after spending most of last season with Yaroslavl’s junior team, where he had 52 points and 108 PIMs in 42 games.

23. Anaheim Ducks: Stian Solberg, D

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Färjestad BK (SHL)

Solberg would have been Norway’s new draft record-holder if not for Brandsegg-Nygård. Like his countryman, he’ll likely be loaned out to Sweden this season but to a rival club in Färjestad. It’s a bigger jump for the defender, though, who’s yet to play professionally outside of a weak Norwegian league.

24. Utah Hockey Club: Cole Beaudoin, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Barrie Colts (OHL)

Beaudoin is one of the more projectable picks in this first round, and Utah’s new fanbase can be reasonably confident he’ll pan out as a steady bottom-six fixture down the middle. But they’ll likely have to wait two seasons to see him, as a pair of season-opening loans back to Barrie likely await him this year and next.

25. Boston Bruins: Dean Letourneau, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Boston College (NCAA/Hockey East)

Figuratively and literally, Letourneau is the biggest project in this class. The center already checks in at 6’7″ and 214 lbs, but the sniper has only seen low-level competition in the Canadian high school system. However, that will change this fall as he looks to bring his pro-ready frame to the NCAA.

26. Los Angeles Kings: Liam Greentree, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Greentree will return to the Spitfires in a few weeks, although he’ll get an extended look at the Kings’ camp, in all likelihood. His Jan. 1 birthday means he’s just hours short of being eligible to jump to the AHL for 2025-26, so he could be facing two more years in Windsor if he can’t crack the NHL roster in a year’s time. The physical, playmaking winger served as Windsor’s captain last season and led the fledgling club in scoring by a wide margin with 90 points in 64 games.

27. Chicago Blackhawks: Marek Vanacker, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Vanacker was the last of the Hawks’ three first-rounders this year and the second to sign his ELC after Levshunov. The high-IQ winger will return to Brantford to hone his skills for at least another season, likely two.

28. Calgary Flames: Matvei Gridin, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)

Gridin has had an unconventional summer. Initially expected to make the jump from the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks to the University of Michigan, he instead opted to sign his ELC with the Flames and forego his collegiate eligibility. That doesn’t mean he’ll be turning pro, however. The QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs made him the first overall pick in this year’s CHL Import Draft, but the club is expected to trade him to Shawinigan before the season starts, reports Pierre-Olivier Poulin of Le Citoyen. Gridin, who posted 83 points in 60 games last season with Muskegon, will see his entry-level deal slide at least one year with his projected loan to the Cataractes.

29. Dallas Stars: Emil Hemming, F

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Barrie Colts (OHL)

Hemming will also arrive in the CHL for the first time in his post-draft season. The Finnish winger spent last season at home with Liiga’s TPS, where he recorded 11 points in 40 games. He’ll look to torch some easier competition in Barrie, who managed to snag him at 15th overall in this year’s CHL Import Draft amid doubts that he’d come to North America right away.

30. New York Rangers: EJ Emery, D

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: University of North Dakota (NCAA/NCHC)

Emery projects as a solid, smooth-skating stay-at-home defender who can log heavy minutes, especially on the penalty kill. But he’ll need a few years in college to hone his craft, so Rangers fans should expect to see him stick with North Dakota for a while – potentially a full four years – before he turns pro.

31. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ben Danford, D

Status: Signed
Expected 2024-25 team: Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Also a mobile stay-at-home defender, the Leafs will loan Danford back to juniors for the next two seasons, in all likelihood, before he can join the Leafs or AHL Marlies in 2026-27.

32. Edmonton Oilers: Sam O’Reilly, F

Status: Not signed
Expected 2024-25 team: London Knights (OHL)

O’Reilly is still waiting to put pen to paper on a deal with the Oilers, who traded back into the first round to select him. The 6’1″ pivot will remain with the Knights, where he had 56 points in 68 games last season en route to a league championship.

International Notes: Curran, Kirk, Studenič

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Veteran defenseman Kodie Curran is continuing his lengthy career overseas. Swiss club HC Ambrì-Piotta announced Friday that they’ve signed him through the November international break with an option to extend the deal for the rest of the season.

Curran, 34, was never drafted and wound his way through various leagues, going from the Canadian university system to the AHL and ECHL, also making stops in Denmark and Norway before ending up in a starring role for Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League, one of the world’s best circuits. He landed his first NHL deal as a 30-year-old undrafted free agent signed by the Ducks in 2020.

However, that contract with Anaheim didn’t result in an NHL call-up. Curran spent his two-year, $2MM deal buried in the minors, recording 29 points (7 G, 22 A) in 61 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls before going pointless in 11 games with the AHL’s Providence Bruins after his NHL rights were dealt to Boston at the 2022 trade deadline.

Curran has spent the last two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Russia’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Belarus’ Dinamo Minsk. He hasn’t been able to replicate his past offensive success, posting a more conservative 50 points (14 G, 36 A) in 122 games with a -5 rating. The 6’2″, 201-lb puck mover will look to impress in a depth role with Ambrì-Piotta and earn a spot on the team for the rest of the season. There, he joins former NHLers Tim Heed, Jakob Lilja, Philippe Maillet, and Gilles Senn.

More notes from the international stage:

  • Former Coyotes prospect Liam Kirk already has a home for this season with Germany’s Eisbären Berlin, but he’s still looking to put himself back on the map in hopes of another NHL deal. The 24-year-old’s performance for Great Britain at the ongoing final qualification tournament for the 2026 Winter Olympics could go a long way toward doing that, and he already has a goal in the Brits’ lone outing – unfortunately, it was a 3-1 loss to Denmark yesterday. The 2018 seventh-rounder impressed in World Championship action earlier this year, posting four points in six games, but it wasn’t enough for GB to avoid relegation back to the Division 1A tournament for 2025. Kirk also had three goals and seven assists in three games at last year’s Olympic pre-qualifiers. Kirk, who’s aiming to be the first born-and-trained British NHLer, was strong in Czech league action last season with 30 points in 52 games for HC Litvínov.
  • Ex-depth NHLer Marián Studenič was supposed to help his native Slovakia qualify for one of the three spots remaining for the Olympics, but the country’s federation announced the 25-year-old abruptly left the roster due to a disagreement over his role. The winger was a Group VI UFA this summer and opted to head overseas, signing a two-year deal with Sweden’s Färjestad BK after spending the last six years playing professionally in the Devils, Stars and Kraken organizations. He posted six points in 46 NHL games over the past four seasons and had 44 points in 64 games on assignment to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds while under contract with Seattle last year.

Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Gaudreau Pass Away

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Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, passed away on Thursday, the team has confirmed in a statement. They were struck by an accused drunk driver while biking near their New Jersey home, police confirmed to Jeff Goldman of NJ Advance Media. They were 31 and 29 years old.

“The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew,” said league commissioner Gary Bettman. “While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path. Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey, and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons.”

Both Gaudreaus prefaced their professional careers with stints at Boston College, where Johnny immediately emerged as a star after being selected in the fourth round by the Flames in 2011. After recording a point per game as a freshman, he was the best player in college hockey by his junior year, leading the NCAA in scoring in 2013-14 with an incredible 80 points and 40 games. He won the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player in the country and signed his entry-level contract with Calgary to end the campaign, scoring his first NHL goal in his first NHL game against the Canucks on April 13, 2014.

Gaudreau was an immediate standout, locking down a top-six role and posting 64 points in 80 games during his rookie season to help the Flames to their first playoff berth in six years. He led the team with nine points in 11 postseason games as they upset the rival Canucks in the first round and stole a game from the heavily-favored Ducks in Round 2.

Over the next decade, Gaudreau would cement himself as the cornerstone of the Flames’ offense. He was their representative at the NHL All-Star Game for five years to begin his career and quickly made a name for himself as one of the league’s most agile wingers.

His first true breakout came in 2018-19 when he torched the league for 36 goals and 99 points en route to Calgary’s first division title since 2006. He averaged over 20 minutes per game and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting.

Gaudreau continued to serve as Calgary’s top offensive option up until 2021-22. Entering the final season of a six-year, $40.5MM contract, Gaudreau, along with linemates Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk, put up one of the most dominant seasons from a single forward unit we’ve seen in quite some time. He recorded career-highs with 40 goals, 75 assists and 115 points and also led the league with a remarkable +68 rating. His expert playmaking also helped Lindholm and Tkachuk to breakout campaigns, and for a time, they were the most suffocating two-way line in the league at 5v5.

An unrestricted free agent for the first time the following summer, Gaudreau opted to head east to return closer to his New Jersey home. The top UFA on the market that summer, he landed a seven-year, $68.25MM deal with Columbus. Both he and the team hoped he would be the veteran offensive presence necessary to help guide the team out of a rebuild. Gaudreau led the Blue Jackets in scoring each of the past two seasons, posting 33 goals, 101 assists and 134 points in 161 games.

Matthew never made his way to the NHL, but he did have a strong career in the minor leagues. After playing spot duty as a freshman at Boston College in Johnny’s junior season, he later emerged as an important player for the program in his own right, tying for the team lead in scoring during his senior season with 35 points in 40 games.

The younger Gaudreau began his pro career in the Islanders organization in 2017, signing a two-way AHL contract with their affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He had five points in 17 games over his first two years there, spending most of his time down in the ECHL with the Worcester Railers. It was there he was able to shine offensively, posting 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points in 88 games.

In 2019-20, Gaudreau opted to join Johnny in the Calgary hockey pyramid, inking a deal with the Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat. He made four appearances for them and had a breakout year on loan to the ECHL’s Reading Royals, where he erupted for 29 assists in 40 points in 38 games.

Gaudreau headed overseas when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, posting six points in 12 games for Sweden’s Tyringe SoSS. He returned to the Railers for 2021-22, making a lone appearance before announcing his retirement.

All of us at PHR send our deepest condolences to the Gaudreau family, their friends, their fans, and the many organizations where the brothers took their talents.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Hurricanes, Seth Jarvis Making Progress On Long-Term Contract

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Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis is one of the more prominent restricted free agents with camps just a few weeks away from opening up.  However, it appears that might not be the case for much longer as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported earlier this week in an NHL Tonight appearance (video link) that the two sides are getting close to a max-term eight-year deal.

The 22-year-old was the 13th overall pick by Carolina in 2020 and after spending his post-draft campaign in the WHL, he has been a fixture in their lineup since.  Jarvis put up 40 and 39 points over his first two seasons, decent numbers for a youngster in his first taste of the pros but he managed to find another gear in 2023-24.

Last season, Jarvis set career bests with 33 goals and 34 assists in 81 games while logging 18:45 per night.  His 67 points were good for second on the Hurricanes in scoring behind only Sebastian Aho.  He was also one of their top scorers in the playoffs, recording five goals and four helpers in 11 contests, putting him third in team scoring behind Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.

It was suggested earlier this month that the Hurricanes might view Svechnikov’s $7.75MM AAV as the ceiling for Jarvis; the 2018 second-overall pick received that on a max-term agreement coming off his entry-level deal.  Pagnotta suggests that the price tag for Jarvis could creep past the $7.5MM mark so while it might come in below Svechnikov’s, it could be pretty close to it.

Carolina has around $6.44MM in cap room, per PuckPedia.  However, with today’s news that winger Jesper Fast will likely miss the entire season after undergoing neck surgery, he will be eligible to be placed on LTIR.  Depending on their exact situation at the time of his placement, the Hurricanes could go over the cap by up to Fast’s $2.4MM.  That amount added to their base cap space would be enough to get Jarvis under contract while leaving a bit of flexibility to afford a recall or two when injuries strike.

Snapshots: Norris, Fehervary, Bjorkstrand, Johansson

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After undergoing shoulder surgery back in March, Senators center Josh Norris is expected to be a full participant when training camp gets underway next month, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  The 25-year-old has had three separate shoulder procedures done and he has yet to play more than 66 games in a single season.  Last season, Norris played in 50 games for Ottawa, recording 16 goals and 14 assists.  He has six years remaining on his contract with a $7.95MM cap charge and the Sens will be counting on him to stay healthy and play a prominent role in 2024-25.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary will not suit up for Slovakia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Hockey Slovakia announced. The blueliner recently indicated that he has been dealing with a minor injury and clearly, he hasn’t fully recovered from it to be able to play.  The 24-year-old had 16 points in 66 games for Washington last season while adding 188 hits and 109 blocked shots in 19:38 per night and would have played a prominent role for the Slovaks in the tournament.
  • Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand was a late scratch for Denmark in their Olympic Qualifying Tournament game against Great Britain today. Team radio host Mike Benton relays (Twitter link) that the injury, which occurred in a tune-up game for the tournament, isn’t believed to be serious but GM Ron Francis noted that it’s something that needs to be looked at which means it’s highly unlikely he’ll play in the other two games.  Bjorkstrand, who had 20 goals and a career-high 39 assists last season, is expected to be ready to participate in training camp.
  • While unrestricted free agent Simon Johansson has received interest from overseas (particularly SHL Djurgarden), the blueliner is focusing on playing in North America this season, notes Hockey Sverige’s Mans Karlsson. The 25-year-old spent the last two seasons in Minnesota’s system and recorded 21 points in 72 games with AHL Iowa in 2023-24.  However, he was still non-tendered back in June.

Flyers Sign Eetu Makiniemi To PTO

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The Flyers will have some extra goaltending depth on hand at training camp.  The agency for Eetu Makiniemi, WD Sports and Entertainment, announced (Twitter link) that the netminder has accepted a PTO offer and will attend training camp with Philadelphia.  Team reporter Bill Meltzer relayed last week that the Flyers were interested in bringing Makiniemi to camp.

[Related: 2024 Professional Tryout Tracker]

The 25-year-old was originally drafted in the fourth round by Carolina in 2017 but after spending one year in their farm system, he was dealt to San Jose in 2022 as part of the Brent Burns trade.  Makiniemi spent the last two years in the Sharks’ system, primarily at the AHL level but he did make two appearances with the big club, putting up a 2.13 GAA and a .906 SV%.

Last season, Makiniemi played in 18 games with AHL San Jose, putting up a 3.14 GAA with a .900 SV%.  He also suited up for three contests with ECHL Wichita, posting a 3.39 GAA and a .907 SV% in those outings.  At the end of the contract, he became a Group Six unrestricted free agent.

There has been some uncertainty surrounding Flyers prospect Alexei Kolosov who is believed to be seeking a return to the KHL for the upcoming season while the organization does not appear to be willing to loan him back.  Veteran Cal Petersen is expected to be the starter with AHL Lehigh Valley (assuming he clears waivers once again in training camp) while the Phantoms have added Keith Petruzzelli and re-signed Parker Gahagen to give themselves some insurance between the pipes.  Makiniemi will now try to play his way into that mix on what would likely ultimately be an AHL contract.

CHL Notes: Muhonen, Vaisanen, Sansonens, Loshko

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While NHL training camps are still a few weeks away, CHL camps are already underway.  That has brought about some early activity on the transaction front; here’s a rundown of some recent moves involving NHL prospects.

  • WHL Medicine Hat announced that they’ve signed Stars defenseman Niilopekka Muhonen and Utah blueliner Veeti Vaisanen to contracts for the upcoming season. The Tigers selected the two players in the CHL Import Draft earlier this offseason.  Muhonen was a fifth-round pick last month after spending most of last season in KalPa’s junior system in Finland.  Vaisanen, meanwhile, was a late third-rounder and spent the majority of last season in Finland’s top level, getting into 50 games with KooKoo where he had two goals and eight assists.
  • After spending last season in Switzerland, Basile Sansonnens is on the move. His club team in Lausanne announced that they have loaned him to QMJHL Rimouski for the upcoming season.  The Canucks selected the defenseman late in the seventh round in June after he picked up three points in 40 games with Gotteron at the junior level.  It’s a one-year loan for Sansonnens who will return to Lausanne for the 2025-26 season; he’s signed with them through the 2027-28 campaign which is also the deadline for Vancouver to sign him to an NHL contract or lose his rights.
  • Kraken prospect Andrei Loshko is on the move as OHL Niagara announced that they’ve claimed the forward off waivers. The 19-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2019 and is coming off a productive season with QMJHL Rouyn-Noranda, one which saw him record 28 goals and 37 assists in 64 games.  However, the Huskies picked up two new players in the Import Draft, resulting in Loshko hitting the waiver wire.  Seattle has until June 1, 2025 to sign Loshko to an entry-level deal.

Jesper Fast To Miss 2024-25 Season After Neck Surgery

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The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that forward Jesper Fast will miss the entirety of the 2024-25 season after undergoing neck surgery. Fast suffered the injury in Carolina’s final game of the regular season, and missed out on the entirety of the postseason as a result. The injury capped off his season at 19 points in 73 games – the lowest that Fast has scored in a full season since his rookie year in 2014-15.

Fast will now miss a full year after a career of consistency. He’s never missed more than 16 games in a season since becoming a full-time pro, playing in 634 of a possible 712 games since the 2015-16 season. His career kicked off with the New York Rangers, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Draft. Fast moved to the AHL full-time three seasons later, quickly working his way into the NHL with reliable two-way play on the wings. That style hasn’t elicited much scoring, with Fast boasting a career-high of just 33 points, but it’s been enough to earn him a concrete NHL role, and even Selke Trophy votes in the 2015-16 and 2021-22 campaigns.

Fast brought those talents to Carolina with a free-agent contract in 2021 – moving on from a seven-year tenure with the New York Rangers. He’s since become a glue piece in Carolina’s bottom six, serving as an energy piece around budding roster pieces like Jack Drury and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. That would have been the role awaiting him again next season, but Carolina will now have to pivot – and maybe even turn toward top prospects to pick up the slack. The Hurricanes have Bradly Nadeau, Jackson Blake, and Gleb Trikozov all signed to entry-level contracts. Each of the quartet holds a claim to the NHL lineup, but will have to fend off the pressure of veteran fourth-liners Eric Robinson and Tyson Jost and other quick-rising prospects like Felix Unger Sorum and Justin Robidas.

Predators’ Decision To Extend Juuse Saros Was An Easy One

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The Nashville Predators were doomed for a goalie logjam the moment they selected Yaroslav Askarov in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. That’s since come to fruition, with Askarov outgrowing his box and demanding a trade to the San Jose Sharks, following Nashville’s long-term signing of starter Juuse Saros. Predators general manager Barry Trotz spoke intimately about the situation with The Athletic’s Michael Russo – sharing that, at the end of the day, Nashville couldn’t deny Saros’ winning precedent. Trotz said, “We went on a really incredible [16-0-2 run in March] and all of a sudden, everything came together and we were a good team… I saw that our older players — Saros, the Josis, Forsbergs and everybody — that they got themselves to a really high level. And I said, ‘If we’re going to have a little bit of a window, elite goalies don’t grow on trees.'”

That was the mindset that drove Nashville to sign Saros the day he became eligible for an extension. Trotz said that it was an easy decision for both sides, adding that Saros had always wanted to be a Predator, and carries the exact mindset the organization looks for. The two sides landed on an eight-year, $61.9MM extension with an annual cap hit of $7.74MM, a nod to Saros’ jersey number.

On the surface, it’s hard to say Nashville made the wrong choice. Saros has emerged as a premier NHL starter after honing his skills through four seasons as the backup to franchise legend Pekka Rinne. The gradual climb paid off when Saros took on the starting role in the 2020-21 season and posted a .927 save percentage in 36 games – good for fourth-highest in the league. He’s stayed at that level ever since, appearing in a league-high 64 games this past season and maintaining a .906 save percentage. That statline brings Saros’ totals since 2020 up to 231 appearances and a cumulative .916 save percentage – good for second and seventh in the league respectively.

But while Saros has settled into Nashville’s starting role, Askarov has emerged as potentially the best goalie prospect in the league. That’s certainly the torch he was handed when Nashville selected him 11th-overall, making him the highest-drafted goalie since Jack Campbell in 2010, and Jonathan Bernier in 2007 before him. Askarov earned that acclaim with a dazzling start to his pro career, posting a .920 save percentage in 18 VHL games during his draft season. He carried that strong play through the next two seasons, but opted to move to America in 2022-23 after struggling to earn a spot on the KHL roster. He immediately earned the AHL starting role and posted a .911 through 48 games as a rookie – stout numbers for a goaltender adjusting to a smaller rink. Askarov matched that save percentage in 44 games this past season, and even managed 64 saves on 70 shots (a .914 save percentage) through his first three NHL games.

Trotz acknowledged that Askarov has developed into a special talent, telling Russo, “Asky is going to be an excellent goaltender because he’s got unbelievable athletic skills and he’s got a very confident personality — all that.” He continued by acknowledging the steep mental fortitude needed to succeed at the NHL level, stating that Askarov – still just 22 years old – isn’t there just yet. Trotz cited his partnership with goalie coach Mitch Korn – formed over their 15 years coaching together in Nashville – as a key piece of his decision-making. Korn was reportedly prepared to work intimately with Askarov this season, should he have made the NHL out of camp, with an emphasis on building him into a starting goalie.

But the star Russian instead opted to find opportunity where it lay, and is now a favorite to take the reins of a Sharks team that bombarded their goaltenders last season. And as difficult of a decision as it was to let Askarov go, Trotz isn’t worried about Nashville’s long-term success. He shared that expectations are high after the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei this summer – but refrained from jinxing the team too much, adding, “It’s fantasy hockey until we become a good team… right now we’re just excited that Saros will be here for a long time to come.”

The Predators will move forward with Saros maintaining his lion’s share of the team’s starts, while Scott Wedgewood, Magnus Chrona, and Matthew Murray all compete in a now-open competition to be the team’s backup.

Senators Sign Nick Cousins

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3:30 P.M.: Ottawa has made the one-year signing of Cousins official.

2:30 P.M.: The Senators are signing free agent forward Nick Cousins to a one-year deal worth $800K, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports.

Cousins, 31, is a 10-year NHL veteran and reached UFA status this summer after completing a two-year, $2.2MM deal he signed with the Panthers in 2022. He played in 33 of Florida’s 45 playoff games over the last two years as they captured the Eastern Conference championship in 2023 before winning the Stanley Cup this year for the first time in franchise history. This was Cousins’ fifth go-around on the UFA market, going unqualified three times earlier in his career.

Overall, the forward has appeared in 592 regular-season games with Philadelphia, Arizona, Montreal, Vegas, Nashville, and Florida, averaging 10 goals, 16 assists, 26 points, and 127 shots on goal per 82 games while seeing 12:25 on the ice per contest. Cousins, who can play both center and left wing, fell out of the Panthers’ regular lineup last postseason and only appeared in 12 of 24 games, posting a lone assist and a -1 rating with 20 PIMs while averaging 8:42 per game.

Known mainly as a physical presence with some offensive upside, Cousins recorded 16 goals and 42 points in 148 regular-season games during his two years with the Panthers. His 130 hits in 69 games last season were a career-high, finishing sixth on the club. After over six weeks into free agency without landing a deal, Cousins changed his representation earlier this month. He’s now represented by Newport’s Craig Oster, who also landed Noah Gregor a one-year, $850K deal with the Sens earlier in free agency.

The Sens have $1.1MM in projected cap space with an open roster spot after the signing, per PuckPedia. With no notable RFAs needing new deals, they’re in an excellent place to add another depth piece on the open market before training camp.

With Ottawa’s top nine largely set after the signings of Michael Amadio and David Perron in July, Cousins will compete for fourth-line duties with Gregor, Angus Crookshank and Zack MacEwen as his principal competition. Other depth pieces like Matthew Highmore and Zack Ostapchuk are likely ticketed for AHL Belleville to begin the season but will likely be given a long look in camp.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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