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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.

Pacific Notes: Schwartz, Comtois, Demers, Vikman

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Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz was a late scratch in yesterday’s contest against Chicago.  Postgame, head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters, including Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times, that it wasn’t a rest day for the 30-year-old but rather he was out and is listed as day-to-day.  Schwartz has had a much healthier season compared to his first year with Seattle and it has resulted in him having his fifth career 20-goal campaign.  The Kraken are still in a position to battle for seeding in the Pacific as they’re only two points behind Los Angeles for third place while they have a game in hand.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • The Ducks announced (Twitter link) that winger Max Comtois will miss the final three games of the season due to an upper-body injury. His year comes to an end with just nine goals and ten assists in 69 games.  The 24-year-old is a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights but with a $2.55MM qualifying offer, he looks like a potential non-tender candidate in June.
  • The Oilers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned defenseman Jason Demers back to Bakersfield of the AHL. The 34-year-old logged nearly 11 minutes on Saturday in his first NHL appearance since May 2021, his 700th in total.  Demers has spent the rest of the year with the Condors, recording 18 assists in 55 games.  It’s believed that the veteran is leaning towards retiring after the season.
  • The Golden Knights have given prospect Jesper Vikman his first pro contract but it’s only of the AHL variety as their farm team in Henderson announced they’ve signed the goaltender to a tryout agreement. The 21-year-old had a 3.29 GAA along with a .903 SV% with Vancouver of the WHL this season.  Vikman was a fifth-round pick by Vegas in 2020 (125th overall) and the Golden Knights have until June 1st to give him an entry-level deal or lose his rights.

Pacific Notes: Burakovsky, Comtois, Murray

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The hope for the Kraken was that winger Andre Burakovsky would have been back a couple of weeks ago.  However, GM Ron Francis acknowledged to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times that the veteran suffered a setback in his recovery that has delayed his return to the lineup.  The 28-year-old has missed nearly two months with a lower-body injury and had a strong first half of the season before that, notching 13 goals and 26 assists in 49 games.  Burakovsky has started skating with development coaches but isn’t ready to get back into team drills yet.  Francis indicated that even if he isn’t able to get back to full practices by the time the playoffs start, they’ll have no hesitance in putting him back in when Burakovsky is eventually cleared to return.

More from the Pacific:

  • This season hasn’t been a great one for Ducks winger Max Comtois. Now two years removed from a 33-point campaign, his point total since then is 33 between 2021-22 and 2022-23.  Accordingly, Eric Stephens of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that it’s unlikely that the 24-year-old will be tendered his $2.55MM qualifying offer this summer.  Not long ago, Comtois was viewed as a possible power forward on the rise but Stephens notes that he was available in a trade this season with a swap obviously failing to materialize.
  • Oilers defenseman Ryan Murray has resumed skating, relays TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link). The 29-year-old has been out with a back injury for the last three months and has been limited to just 13 appearances this season where he has three assists while averaging a little over 13 minutes a night.  Murray isn’t likely to crack Edmonton’s top six when he’s cleared to return but he’d at least give them some extra veteran depth for the playoffs.

Anaheim Ducks Activate Max Comtois, Move Isac Lundeström To IR

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The Anaheim Ducks placed forward Isac Lundeström on injured reserve Tuesday and activated left wing Max Comtois, according to CapFriendly.

Lundeström suffered a finger injury on December 1, and the team gave him a six-week recovery timeline on Saturday. A capable young bottom-six center, Lundeström had six points in 24 games before the injury, which should see him return to the lineup in mid-January.

If needed for whatever reason, Lundeström is eligible for long-term injured reserve. With the team not needing the salary cap benefits of such a move, though, expect Lundeström to stay on IR until he’s ready to go.

Comtois hasn’t played in nearly a month, last playing in a November 12 loss to Chicago. He missed the following 11 games with a lower-body injury, and he’ll look to build on the four goals he scored pre-injury. Comtois is expected to draw into the lineup tonight when the Ducks host the Carolina Hurricanes.

Ducks Activate Derek Grant Off Injured Reserve, Place Max Comtois On IR

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The Ducks will have a bit of extra help up front as they get set to take on Seattle tonight.  Lisa Dillman of the Orange County Register reports (Twitter link) that center Derek Grant has been activated off injured reserve and will suit up against the Kraken.  He’ll take the place of rookie winger Pavol Regenda.

The 32-year-old has been out for a little over three weeks due to an upper-body injury.  Prior to sustaining it, Grant had played in 11 games, picking up a goal and an assist while logging heavy minutes shorthanded; his 2:39 of ice time per game in that situation is second among Anaheim forwards behind only Jakob Silfverberg.

A pending unrestricted free agent, Grant is the type of depth forward that tends to be moved closer to the trade deadline as someone that can kill penalties, play both down the middle and on the wing, and is affordable on the cap (he carries a $1.5MM AAV).  With the Ducks appearing to be well on the path towards selling over the next few months, Grant figures to be on the move at some point but he’ll give Anaheim a boost in the bottom six in the meantime now that he’s healthy.

It’s not all good news on the injury front for the Ducks, however, as Dillman also notes that blueliner John Klingberg will miss his second straight game due to a lower-body injury.  It has been a tough start to the season for the veteran who was looking to rebuild some value after not getting the type of contract he was seeking in free agency last summer.  Instead, he has just one goal in 20 games and will be out of the lineup a little longer.

Meanwhile, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Max Comtois has been placed on injured reserve.  He has been out for the last two weeks due to a lower-body injury which allows Anaheim to backdate the placement.  Accordingly, he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s healthy.  Comtois has four goals in 15 games so far this season.

Hockey Canada Announces 2022 IIHF World Championship Roster

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The roster is set, with just a few days to go before things kick off for Hockey Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Championship. The defending gold medalists will be icing a rather youthful roster this season, highlighted by some of the league’s up-and-coming stars, along with some established top-end youngsters.

The full roster will be:

G Chris Driedger
G Logan Thompson
G Matt Tomkins

D Thomas Chabot
D Ryan Graves
D Nick Holden
D Dysin Mayo
D Travis Sanheim
D Damon Severson
D Zach Whitecloud

F Josh Anderson
F Mathew Barzal
F Drake Batherson
F Max Comtois
F Dylan Cozens
F Pierre-Luc Dubois
F Morgan Geekie
F Noah Gregor
F Kent Johnson
F Adam Lowry
F Dawson Mercer
F Eric O’Dell
F Nicolas Roy
F Cole Sillinger

For a player like Mayo, this selection truly solidifies the hard work he has put in over years of grinding in the minor leagues. The fifth-round pick spent parts of seven seasons in the AHL before arriving this year with the Arizona Coyotes and becoming one of the team’s most reliable options. Now 25, he’ll be suiting up for his country for the first time at a major international tournament.

Meanwhile, someone like Cozens is taking the next step in representing his country, after last captaining Team Canada at the 2021 World Juniors (where he scored an incredible 16 points in seven games). The Buffalo Sabres forward had 38 points in his first full-length NHL season and has huge upside as a potential franchise cornerstone. The same could be said for players like Johnson and Sillinger, two names that will likely drive the offense for years to come in Columbus.

Perhaps the most interesting name in the group is Dubois, given the Winnipeg Jets center doesn’t have a contract for next season. Pending restricted free agents, especially ones as important as Dubois, usually skip the tournament because of insurance issues and the risk of injury. Instead, he’ll head overseas to play in a tournament he’s already attended twice previously, despite still just being 23 years old.

Snapshots: Capitals, Comtois, UFA Extension Discussions

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With the March 21st trade deadline approaching, and the Washington Capitals currently in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, the organization is looking at different trade deadline scenarios. The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir shared his thoughts on the team’s deadline approach (subscription required). Perhaps most notably, the Capitals could look for an upgrade at the goaltender position, as the team is currently running a tandem of Vitek Vanecek and the struggling Ilya Samsonov. While Vanecek has impressed as of late, El-Bashir mentions the desire for the Capitals to add a veteran goaltender who would be a “significant or legitimate” upgrade over their current goaltenders.

Also mentioned was the Capitals’ possible desire to add a forward. While an addition such as Filip Forsberg or Claude Giroux has not been ruled out, it is unlikely. El-Bashir suggests Seattle forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Marcus Johansson as potential options for depth scoring. Both players are unrestricted free agents after this season, Jarnkrok carrying a $2MM cap hit and Johansson a $1.5MM cap hit. In addition to those two, the Capitals could also call on the Detroit Red Wings’ Vladislav Namestnikov, as well as New York Islanders’ forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Zach Parise. While none of these players would bring the excitement of a Giroux or a Forsberg, they can certainly provide the low-cost, depth scoring the Capitals need.

  • Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, SportsNet’s Jeff Marek added a new name to the list of trade deadline candidates: Max Comtois. The young forward has struggled to stay in the lineup this year, and has struggled when he is in the lineup.  Comtois has just six points in 31 games this season, missing time with a hand injury and COVID-19 earlier in the year, and has been scratched lately as well. It certainly has been a turn this year for Comtois, after leading the Ducks with 33 points in 55 games last season.
  • Also on Hockey Night in Canada yesterday, SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman touched on several notable pending UFAs, including Forsberg, Johnny Gaudreau, Tomas Hertl, and Hampus Lindholm. Friedman mentions that their teams are pushing hard to extend them prior to the trade deadline, and of course before the free agency period. While the Calgary Flames are quite unlikely to try and move Gaudreau, with the team poised to make a playoff run, rumors about Forsberg, Hertl and Lindholm continue to swirl, especially with San Jose and Anaheim on the outside of the playoff picture. Nashville on the other hand, is in a tricky position, as they currently sit in a playoff spot, but holding on to a major trade chip in Forsberg. Friedman also adds that while the contract talks have really heated up on Hertl and Lindholm, word around Forsberg and Gaudreau is notably quiet.

Pacific Notes: Oilers, Donato, Comtois

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The Edmonton Oilers are in a deep slide, exacerbated by a 3-2 overtime loss today to the New York Islanders. Now, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports two pieces of bad news on the injury front. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins returned to Edmonton to get his undisclosed injury looked at, and Spector says to assume he’s “out a while.” Additionally, he notes that goalie Mike Smith, who just returned from injury, is now day-to-day with an upper-body injury separate from the one that just kept him out for over two months. Smith’s struggled this year, the first of a two-year extension he signed this summer, posting a .897 save percentage in five games. It’ll mean more action for the 23-year-old Stuart Skinner, who’s helped buoy the team with a .916 save percentage through 10 games. They’ll also be in tough with Nugent-Hopkins for the next little bit, who only has three goals but is still on a great pace with 26 points in 30 games.

Other rumblings from around the Pacific Division on New Years Day:

  • Seattle Kraken forward Ryan Donato will return tonight after being activated from COVID-19 protocol. Donato last played December 18 against Edmonton, and he’s been a decent contributor for the expansion Kraken with eight goals and 13 points in 27 games. He’ll likely get back in on the team’s third line, playing left wing with Alexander Wennberg and Joonas Donskoi.
  • Some good news injury-wise — Anaheim Ducks forward Max Comtois is expected to make his return to the lineup tonight against Colorado. Comtois has played just once since suffering a hand injury on November 11. It’s been a tough year for him with just one assist through 14 games, but after his 16-goal, 33-point season last year, expect some bad shooting luck to turn around for him in a short manner.

Anaheim Ducks Add Two Players, Staff Member To COVID Protocol

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The Anaheim Ducks announced via Twitter on Sunday afternoon that left wing Max Comtois, center Sam Steel, and a staff member entered the NHL’s COVID protocol.

Comtois had just been cleared to return to the lineup after missing nearly a month with a hand injury. The 22-year-old Canadian has really struggled to produce offensively this season, garnering only one assist through 14 games.

Steel’s solidified a role in the lineup after some healthy scratches early in the season. The 23-year-old has four goals and four assists in 25 games.

The Ducks previously had no extra healthy skaters on the roster. Expect a series of recalls soon from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

Comtois and Steel will likely miss Anaheim’s next four games and could return on January 6 against the Detroit Red Wings.

Ducks Activate Max Comtois Off IR

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The Ducks will be welcoming back an important part of their forward group tonight as Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register notes (Twitter link) that winger Max Comtois has been activated off injured reserve.  He had missed the previous 16 games after breaking a bone in his hand.

2021-22 has been a surprising season for the 22-year-old and not in a good way.  After leading Anaheim in scoring last season with 33 points in 56 games, his production had gone in the complete opposite direction prior to the injury.  This year, he has just a single assist in 13 contests despite still logging over 13 minutes a game while his shots and shot attempts are down considerably.  With Anaheim off to a surprising 17-9-5 start to sit atop the Pacific Division heading into tonight’s game against Arizona, Comtois will have to be more productive if he wants to maintain his spot in the lineup.

Meanwhile, the Ducks will also welcome back John Gibson to the lineup after missing the last two games due to a lower-body injury.  He’ll get the start and give Anthony Stolarz – who is on a nice run as of late with a .951 SV% in his last six games – the night off.  Lukas Dostal was sent back to AHL San Diego in a corresponding move.

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