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Training Camp Cuts: 9/29/24

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With just five days to go until the NHL’s first regular-season games for 2024-25, the rate of training camp cuts is speeding up. More players are beginning to land on waivers, while waiver-exempt fringe players are heading to teams’ AHL affiliates en masse. As always, we’ll keep track of Sunday’s cuts in this article.

Last updated 1:52 p.m. Monday

Anaheim Ducks (per team release)

F Judd Caulfield (to AHL San Diego)
F Ruslan Gazizov (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
D Dillon Heatherington (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
D Tyson Hinds (to AHL San Diego)
F Travis Howe (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
F Josh Lopina (to AHL San Diego)
F Nico Myatovic (to AHL San Diego)
D Roland McKeown (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
F Sasha Pastujov (to AHL San Diego)
F Coulson Pitre (to AHL San Diego)
D Konnor Smith (to AHL San Diego)
F Jaxsen Wiebe (to AHL San Diego)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Joey Abate (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Drew Bavaro (assigned to AHL Providence)
G Ryan Bischel (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Frederic Brunet (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Michael Callahan (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Riley Duran (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Trevor Kuntar (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Fabian Lysell (assigned to AHL Providence)
G Nolan Maier (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Ryan Mast (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Adam Mechura (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Georgii Merkulov (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Mason Millman (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Jaxon Nelson (assigned to AHL Providence)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Clark Bishop (assigned to AHL Calgary)
D Jonathan Aspirot (assigned to AHL Calgary)

Chicago Blackhawks (per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope)

F Colton Dach (to AHL Rockford)
D Ethan Del Mastro (to AHL Rockford)
F Cole Guttman (to AHL Rockford)
F Ryder Rolston (to AHL Rockford)
F Samuel Savoie (to AHL Rockford)
F Landon Slaggert (to AHL Rockford)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Chase Bradley (to AHL Colorado)
F Tye Felhaber (released from PTO to AHL Colorado)
D Jacob MacDonald (to AHL Colorado) pending waivers
F Oskar Olausson (to AHL Colorado)
F Nikita Prishchepov (to AHL Colorado)

Edmonton Oilers (per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector)

F Sam O’Reilly (assigned to OHL London)
F Matthew Savoie (assigned to AHL Bakersfield)
F Seth Griffith (released from PTO to AHL Bakersfield)

Los Angeles Kings (per team releases)

F Martin Chromiak (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Aatu Jamsen (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Kaleb Lawrence (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Francesco Pinelli (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Koehn Ziemmer (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Angus Booth (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Jakub Dvorak (assigned to AHL Ontario)
G Erik Portillo (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Bryce Brodzinski (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Jacob Doty (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Shawn Element (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Charles Hudon (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Patrick Moynihan (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Quinn Olson (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Jake Wise (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Parker Berge (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Dru Krebs (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Jack Millar (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Luke Rowe (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Anthony Angello (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Easton Armstrong (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Alexander Campbell (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
G Magnus Chrona (to AHL Milwaukee)
G Drew DeRidder (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Jordan Frasca (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Kevin Gravel (to AHL Milwaukee)
G Ethan Haider (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jeremy Hanzel (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kale Howarth (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Lucas Johansen (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Joakim Kemell (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jake Livingstone (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Jake Lucchini (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kyle Marino (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jack Matier (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Navrin Mutter (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Chad Nychuk (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Cal O’Reilly (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Luke Prokop (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Reid Schaefer (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Ryan Ufko (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kevin Wall (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)

New York Islanders (per Newsday’s Andrew Gross)

F William Dufour (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Aidan Fulp (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Marc Gatcomb (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Isaiah George (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Alex Jefferies (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Eetu Liukas (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Matthew Maggio (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Travis Mitchell (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Calle Odelius (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Cam Thiesing (to AHL Bridgeport)
G Henrik Tikkanen (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Marshall Warren (to AHL Bridgeport)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement)

G Eetu Mäkiniemi (to AHL Lehigh Valley)

San Jose Sharks (per team release)

F Mitchell Russell (to AHL San Jose)
F Lucas Vanroboys (to AHL San Jose)
F Anthony Vincent (to AHL San Jose)
D Artem Guryev (to AHL San Jose)
D Braden Hache (to AHL San Jose)
D Valtteri Pulli (to AHL San Jose)
D Joey Keane (to AHL San Jose)

St. Louis Blues (per team release)

D Jérémie Biakabutuka (to AHL Springfield)
D Michael Buchinger (to AHL Springfield)
G Will Cranley (to AHL Springfield)
F Tanner Dickinson (to AHL Springfield)
F Antoine Dorion (to QMJHL Québec)
F Dalibor Dvorský (to AHL Springfield)
G Colten Ellis (to AHL Springfield)
D Marc-Andre Gaudet (to AHL Springfield)
D Samuel Johannesson (to AHL Springfield)
F Aleksanteri Kaskimäki (to AHL Springfield)
D Leo Lööf (to AHL Springfield)
D Anton Malmström (to AHL Springfield)
F Dylan Peterson (to AHL Springfield)
F Marcus Sylvegård (to AHL Springfield)

Tampa Bay Lightning (per Bally Sports Florida’s Gabby Shirley)

F Dylan Duke (to AHL Syracuse)
F Gabriel Dumont (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Jaydon Dureau (to AHL Syracuse)
F Lucas Edmonds (to AHL Syracuse)
G Ryan Fanti (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Tyson Feist (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Dyllan Gill (to AHL Syracuse)
G Brandon Halverson (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Niko Huuhtanen (to AHL Syracuse)
F Kale Kessy (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Jujhar Khaira (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Milo Roelens (to AHL Syracuse)
D Roman Schmidt (to AHL Syracuse)
F Lukas Svejkovsky (to AHL Syracuse)
F Gabriel Szturc (to AHL Syracuse)
F Joel Teasdale (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Daniel Walcott (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Scott Walford (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

F Tristen Nielsen (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
F Danila Klimovich (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
G Ty Young (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
F Chase Wouters (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
F Vilmer Alriksson (assigned to OHL Guelph)

Washington Capitals (per team announcement)

D Logan Day (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
F Pierrick Dube (to AHL Hershey)
F Zac Funk (to AHL Hershey)
G Mitchell Gibson (to AHL Hershey)
D Vincent Iorio (to AHL Hershey)
D Nicky Leivermann (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
D Jake Massie (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
D Jon McDonald (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
F Luke Philp (to AHL Hershey) injured, pending waivers
F Ilya Protas (to OHL Windsor)
F Henrik Rybinski (to AHL Hershey)
F Spencer Smallman (to AHL Hershey) injured, pending waivers
G Clay Stevenson (to AHL Hershey)
F Alexander Suzdalev (to AHL Hershey)
F Bogdan Trineyev (to AHL Hershey)

Winnipeg Jets (per the team’s Mitchell Clinton)

F Colby Barlow (to OHL Owen Sound)
G Domenic DiVincentiis (to AHL Manitoba)
F Parker Ford (to AHL Manitoba)
F Daniel Torgersson (to AHL Manitoba)
F Brayden Yager (to WHL Moose Jaw)

Bruins Cut Top Prospect Fabian Lysell From Camp

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The Boston Bruins have announced that star prospect Fabian Lysell has been reassigned to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, as part of 18 training camp cuts made today. A full list of cuts can be viewed here. Lysell was perhaps the single most anticipated player at Boston’s camp this year, looking to finally vindicate his first-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. He is one of 11 first-rounders taken that year yet to make his debut, though peers like Fedor Svechkov and Sebastian Cossa could shift that tide in their own training camp battles.

Lysell has been the focal piece of Providence’s offense over the last few seasons, working his way into a top-line role after a turbulent start to his career in North American pros. The Swedish national moved to the AHL in 2022-23, following one season in Sweden’s SHL and one with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. He came out of the gates on fire, scoring nine points through his first six AHL games, and 19 points in 20 games across the year’s first half. That scoring made him an easy choice for Sweden’s 2022 World Juniors team, but he’d end up without any scoring (and 29 penalty minutes) in seven tournament games. Even worse, he brought the bug back with him – taking a hit to his production with only 18 points across Providence’s final 34 games.

But the flashy forward flung the monkey off his back last season, proudly taking on top-end minutes and scoring consistently. He ended up with 50 points in 56 games, a boost from the 37 points in 54 games he totaled as an AHL rookie. That return to scoring form seemed to give Lysell all of the momentum needed to finally earn an NHL debut this season, but it seems that’s not the early plan in Boston, as they instead opt to keep bruiser presences like Mark Kastelic, Justin Brazeau, and John Beecher. Boston sat perfectly average in terms of penalty minutes last season, with 780 total PIMs tied with the Rangers and Oilers for the league’s median. They, perhaps consequently, were quickly eliminated by the eventual-champion Florida Panthers in last year’s Second Round – and could be looking to spur that precedent with a preference of size over skill in this year’s roster building.

This certainly won’t be the last that Bruins fans hear about Lysell, one of only two first-round picks Boston has made since 2020. A move back to the minors should provide him an instant smash-role, and may even give him a chance to rival the league-leading scoring previously set by the likes of Logan Stankoven and Cole Perfetti. All three are undersized players who punch above their weightclass – and the latter two have each clawed their way up NHL depth charts. Lysell is preparing for that clawing this year, though could be a lucrative trade candidate if Boston continues to struggle to fit him in.

Arber Xhekaj Fined By Department Of Player Safety

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The NHL Department of Player Safety has fined Montreal Canadiens defender Arber Xhekaj $3,385.42 – the maximum allowed under the CBA – for an infraction with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare. The incident was retaliation for an awkward knee-to-knee collision that Pare delivered to Habs winger Patrik Laine, who had to be helped off the ice and is out indefinitely. Pare was not penalized for his hit on Laine, while Xhekaj received a minor roughing penalty, 10-minute instigating misconduct, and game misconduct for fighting. Both incidents occurred in the game’s first period.

This, surprisingly, marks the first run-in with the DoPS for the enforcer Xhekaj, though he received numerous suspensions during his days in the OHL for blindside hits and instigating fights. That’s the hard-nosed style he’s leaned into early into his pro career, recording a staggering 182 penalty minutes across his first 95 NHL games. That includes 101 penalty minutes in 51 games as a rookie, a penalty-per-game average similar to what players like Kevin Bieksa and Colton Orr managed in their first seasons. Xhekaj hasn’t offset those penalties with much scoring, netting just 23 points across his NHL career – though he did manage a more stout 11 points in 17 AHL appearances last year.

Xhekaj will look to translate that production – and after this fine, likely more poise – into a full year with the Canadiens this year. He’s currently in competition with players like Jayden Struble and Kaiden Guhle for a spot on Montreal’s third-pair, though could end up the de facto seventh man thanks to his typecast as a bruiser. The Canadiens could use all the physical presence that they can get this year, as they anticipate a lineup potentially featuring all of Lane Hutson, Alex Newhook, Joshua Roy, and Nick Suzuki.

Morning Notes: Shesterkin, Ovechkin, Chychrun, Clifford

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Superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin spoke highly of the Rangers organization, but added that you never know what can happen, when asked about his looming contract year shares Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Talks around Shesterkin’s next deal will be the contract negotiations to watch this season, likely to be the deal that sets the bar for goalie salaries.

That’s an apt responsibility for Shesterkin, perhaps the best goalie in the NHL. He’s coming off yet another strong season, posting 36 wins and a .913 save percentage in 55 starts – a stat line that ranked second, eighth, and 10th among the league’s goalies respectively. Those are dazzling numbers, but actually marked a career-low year for the 28-year-old, who managed a higher save percentage in each of his previous four seasons. That includes his Vezina-winning 2021-22 campaign, when Shesterkin set the second-highest save percentage since 2000 – a .935 in 53 games, then only behind Tim Thomas’ 2010-11 campaign, though Linus Ullmark has since split the bunch.

Either way, the down year is much more a testament to Shesterkin’s greatness than a sign of decline. Even at his worst, he sits among the absolute best goalies in the league. The Rangers will have the dreaded task of paying for that value next summer. They may need to prepare for a deal north of $10MM annually – which would put a second eight-figure man on the Rangers roster, next to Artemi Panarin.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Washington Capitals returned forward Alex Ovechkin and defender Jakob Chychrun to the practice ice early this morning, looking to catch both players up after Ovechkin missed parts of training camp with a small injury, while Chychrun faced an illness shares NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Both players could be headed for top-line roles this season, making their conditioning a top priority for the playoff-hopeful Capitals. Ovechkin in particular will be the focus of the hockey world this year, sitting just 42 goals back from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record. He’s hit that scoring mark on 13 different occasions, including as recent as the 2022-23 campaign. That record, and their role in Washington’s long-term success, will make Ovechkin and Chychrun two names to watch closely through the rest of the Capitals training camp.
  • Veteran bruiser Kyle Clifford has been designated as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Clifford signed a minor-league deal with the Toronto Marlies last month, giving him room to join yet another Maple Leafs training camp. He’ll be working towards his 15th professional season when he returns from injury. Last season marked the first year of that career where Clifford didn’t earn NHL ice time, though he stayed true to form with 140 penalty minutes in 53 AHL games.

Snapshots: NHL Expansion, Stajan, Nylander, Buchnevich

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The NHL’s owners will be meeting on October 1st to vote on opening another NHL Expansion window, shares Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest. Strickland adds that the leading candidates for expansion are Houston, led by Tilman J. Fertitta, and Atlanta, led by Vernon Krause. NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes seconded the story, sharing that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the NHL grow to between 34 and 36 teams.

Adding the pair of southern cities to the NHL would maintain the balance between conferences, but it could throw off Divisional alignment. Every division currently holds eight teams, but additions in Houston and Atlanta could push the Central and Atlantic Divisions, respectively, up to nine. That could be an incentive for further expansion in the future, assuming the NHL keeps their structure the same.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Calgary Flames have hired longtime Flame Matt Stajan as a skills consultant. Stajan spent nine years with the Flames from 2009 to 2018 – the final years of his 15-year, 1,003-game career in the NHL. That career kicked off with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who drafted Stajan in the second round of 2002 and elevated him to the NHL two seasons later. He quickly became known for his reliable two-way play down the lineup, even briefly flirting with strong scoring with 55 and 57 points in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. Those stood as career-highs, but Stajan’s responsible play carried into Calgary, earning him a consistent third-line role during an era of flux for the Flames. He’ll now bring that hockey IQ to the coaching stage, looking to support Calgary as they once again enter a new era.
  • New Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has shared that William Nylander will start training camp at center, with Max Domi on his wing, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Nylander has flirted with a center role throughout his nine-year career, but hasn’t fully absorbed the role over John Tavares. Nylander was impressive at the faceoff dot when he did take draws, recording a 51.4 faceoff percentage in 2017-18, his only year taking more than 400 faceoffs in a season. On his career, Nylander has won 963 of a possible 1,909 faceoffs, good for a 50.4 percentage. Domi will offer helpful support in the event that Nylander struggles in the new role, boasting a 52.5 faceoff percentage over the last two seasons.
  • Pavel Buchnevich will also move from the wing to center, shares Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Buchnevich has been much less successful at the faceoff dot, winning just 37.4 of his 206 faceoffs last season. He’s one of St. Louis’ most prolific scorers, forming a strong trio with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. But center depth is a sudden concern for the Blues, with players like Brayden Schenn taking a recent step back and prospects like Nikita Alexandrov failing to emerge. The Blues will look to mitigate that lacking depth by spreading out their star talent to start the year.

Pacific Notes: Lehner, Poolman, Kassian

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The Vegas Golden Knights are exploring all options, including contract termination, after goaltender Robin Lehner failed to attend the contractually mandatory pre-season medical exam ahead of training camp, shares Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The exam was necessary to confirm Lehner’s medical ineligibility for next season. Seravalli adds that Vegas has been in contact with the NHL and NHL Players’ Association on how to reasonably handle the manner, considering Lehner hasn’t played in over two years. His last game came on April 20, 2022, with his career ended by a hip injury, though Lehner also faced multiple concussions.

Lehner was three years into a five-year, $25MM contract when he stepped away from the game, with the last season slated for the upcoming 2024-25. He only played in 99 games on the contract – spending a third with the Chicago Blackhawks – but he was accomplished when he played, recording 55 wins and a .913 save percentage. Lehner took home the William M Jennings Trophy twice in his career, the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2019, and ranked in the top six of Vezina Trophy voting every year between 2018 and 2020. The achievements spanned a 12-year, 364-game tenure in the NHL.

Other notes from out West:

  • Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that defender Tucker Poolman won’t play this season, per Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650. Poolman hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season, when his career was ended by chronic migraines. He played in three games and scored one assist that year, marking the fifth NHL season Poolman took part in, though he only managed to play in a majority of his team’s games once. That came in the 2019-20 season, when Poolman played in 57 games and scored 16 points with the Winnipeg Jets. He worked his way up to second-pair ice time for parts of that season, but ultimately couldn’t stick in the lineup through repeat injuries. His career ended at 163 games and 17 points – still impressive numbers for a fifth-round pick out of the 2013 NHL Draft.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have hired the recently-retired Zack Kassian as a pro scout, per NHL.com’s Jim Matheson. Kassian spent 12 years in the NHL, seven being served in Edmonton. He was never much of a scorer, but fought his way into a middle-six role as the hardnosed and gritty presence to back Edmonton’s finesse players. He even worked into occasional power-play usage – despite a career-high of just 34 points – thanks to his ability to body opponents out of shooting lanes. Kassian’s career ended with 661 games and 203 points. He’ll now look to translate that experience to the hockey ops side of house, supporting a Oilers scouting room that recently departed with longtime pro scout and assistant general manager Brad Holland.

Canucks To Start Camp Without Teddy Blueger, Cole McWard

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The Vancouver Canucks will begin training camp without forward Teddy Blueger and defenseman Cole McWard after both underwent minor, lower-body surgery – general manager Patrik Allvin shared with The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. The two will join forward Dakota Joshua and goaltender Thatcher Demko in working to recover from lower-body injuries before camp ends.

Blueger, 30, will stand as the biggest missing piece, having played 68 games with the Canucks last season. It was his first year in Vancouver and he used it to good effect, tying his career-high of 28 points while making the second-most appearances of any one season. The stout year succeeded a 2022-23 campaign to remember for Blueger. He started the year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he spent the first five years of his career, but a Trade Deadline move landed Blueger on the Vegas Golden Knights. He’d proceed to slot into 24 games with Vegas, between the regular and post-seasons, serving a depth role as the team ran to the first Stanley Cup win of their young history. That was Blueger’s first chance to get his name etched on the Cup, having spent the years of  Pittsburgh’s back-to-back Cup wins in the minor leagues.

McWard, 23, is on the other end of his career, just completing his first season after joining Vancouver as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He’s been awarded six NHL games to this point, scoring one goal, though he spent the majority of this season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. McWard managed 17 points in 57 games with the junior Canucks, ranking fourth among the team’s defenders in scoring.

The training camp absence will hinder both – as Blueger looks to fend off competition for his fourth-line role, and McWard looks to claim one of the open spots on Vancouver’s blue-line. The pair’s injuries could give a boost to players like Kiefer Sherwood and Noah Juulsen, or even open more room for Sammy Blais as he tries to vindicate a professional try-out agreement. All three will battle for quaint roles in the lineup, but could end up pivotal pieces as Vancouver eyes another berth into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Snapshots: CHL/NTDP, Brind’Amour, Bruins

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The Canadian Hockey League’s top draft-eligible players will take on the U.S. National Development Team’s U-18 tier for the first time this November, the junior league announced Tuesday (via TSN). The pair of contests, which will take place in London and Oshawa, Ontario, on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27, will be the first installment in an annual “CHL-USA Prospects Challenge.”

It’ll run for at least three years, with sites rotating between OHL, QMJHL, and WHL hosts. The CHL and NTDP will have the opportunity to re-up the initial deal securing the event in 2027.

It will serve the purpose of an early-season showcase for draft-eligible talent, so don’t expect to see CHL superstars coming back for their post-draft seasons or beyond. The NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau will select most of the CHL’s roster for the series, Darren Dreger of TSN reports.

Thus, this year’s event will be headlined by 2025 draft-eligible talent. The rosters will likely include forwards Porter Martone, Michael Misa, and Roger McQueen as the CHL’s most notable names, and center William Moore and defensemen Logan Hensler and Charlie Trethewey should highlight the U.S. squad.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Forward Skyler Brind’Amour is reportedly planning to terminate his AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers and sign a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. The move – which is not yet official – was first reported by AHL.com’s Tony Androckitis and seconded by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Brind’Amour played in his rookie AHL season with the Checkers last year, netting eight points in 54 games. He took the step to the pros after four years with Quinnipiac University, where he supported the school’s 2023 National Championship win. He ended his collegiate career with 76 points in 145 games. He’ll look to rediscover that production in the Hurricanes organization, likely set on a role with the Chicago Wolves – who Carolina announced an affiliation agreement with in May.
  • The Boston Bruins have scheduled a press conference for 12 P.M ET tomorrow, where both head coach Jim Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney will speak with media. They’ll most likely be speaking on the team’s first day of training camp, though Ty Anderson of Boston radio outlet 98.5 The Sports Hub reports that contract talks are picking up with RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Swayman was left off of Boston’s initial training camp roster as he continues a contract standoff. He’ll be in for a major role when he does sign, with Boston dealing Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators earlier this summer.

Bruins Notes: Swayman, PTOs, Spicer

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The Boston Bruins are planning to enter training camp without a confirmed starter, with general manager Don Sweeney sharing that there are still no updates on a new deal – only telling Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, “We’ll talk [with Swayman] next week.” Boston begins their training camp on September 18th and will be doing so with Joonas Korpisalo as their top netminder, pending a sudden change.

That’s certainly not what the team could have planned when they traded former Vezina Trophy-winner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, clearing a path for Swayman to finally take on the starting role. The two have split time for the last three seasons, with Swayman managing a dazzling .919 save percentage in 132 games over the stretch. He played in a career-high 44 games last season but still sits without a legitimate test in a starting role. That’s likely one of, if not thee, biggest pieces holding up negotiations – though a rumored high asking price and lack of comparable contracts don’t make matters easier.

Other notes out of Boston:

  • Sweeney also shared with NHL.com’s Mark Divver that the team isn’t expecting to sign any more PTOs, though he didn’t rule them out entirely. That would leave former Stanley Cup-winner Tyler Johnson as the team’s only try-out this camp, potentially opening more opportunity for fringe players like Justin Brazeau, John Beecher, and John Farinacci to get noticed. The quartet will are a part of a crowded competition for ice-time in Boston’s bottom-six, after the team lost an endless list of depth pieces this summer.
  • Bruins prospect Cole Spicer took the ice with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday night, making his first appearance since stating that he’d be stepping away from the game indefinitely for personal reasons. Spicer was listed as the Saints’ top-line center in Dubuque’s final game of the pre-season. He’s spent the last two seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, recording a measly 15 points in 49 appearances. A return to the USHL would make Spicer one of the league’s older players, though it could also mark a necessary change of scenery after two down years. The feisty centerman will be one to watch as the season rolls around, as he looks to gather his footing in the hockey world and begin fighting his way up the Bruins organization.

Big Hype Prospects: Benak, Demidov, Barlow, Eliasson

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The hockey world has one final hurdle to get through before the hustle-and-bustle of the regular season – presently shrouded by the start of the college football and NFL seasons. To cut through that cloud, we’ll once again borrow the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and break down some of the prospects getting attention heading into the 2024-25 season.

Four Big Hype Prospects

F Adam Benak, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
2024 USHL Preseason: 6 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 TP

The USHL Pre-Season was bound to be headlined by Youngstown Phantoms tender Adam Benak – a starring Czech prospect and client of prolific NHL agent Allan Walsh. He brings a wealth of experience, most notably scoring eight points in eight games at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 24 points in 26 games with the Czech U18 team through friendlies and tourney play.  But even knowing that precedent, his start in the USHL has been shocking. Benak got the primary assist on the first goal of Youngstown’s pre-season – and while it was his only point of game one, he managed five points (1 G, 4 A) in Youngstown’s second pre-season game. Granted it was against a Green Bay lineup clearly not at full strength, but Benak nonetheless played at a step above everyone else, showing power in his strides and confidence on the puck. He worked best with winger Jack Hextall – Youngstown’s starring tender from the 2008 birth year. Hextall is still adjusting to junior-level physicality, but thrived in the tempo and space that Benak was able to create. His next game will be Youngstown’s season opener on September 18th, but Benak’s ability to control possession shined through in his pre-season action. There’s no telling how high on 2025 Draft boards the undersized, but highly-skilled centerman could climb if he carries that momentum into the regular season.

F Ivan Demidov, SKA (KHL)
2024 KHL Regular Season: 2 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 TP

The start of the KHL season has brought the first look at Ivan Demidov, now the Montreal Canadiens’ newest top prospect. He’s served that title well, making SKA’s KHL roster with dominant pre-season performances, and – perhaps more impressively – admirably filling a third-line role through the year’s first two games. SKA has gained notoriety for how they’ve deploy their star teenagers over the last few years, though it seems Demidov is playing above that ire through the early going. There’s no denying Demidov’s prowess. He’s dominant on the puck, showing control at top speeds and using his body to defend possession while driving the net. He’ll be near the top of the shortlist when it comes to exciting prospects to follow this season – especially if he continues earning routine ice time in SKA’s lineup.

F Colby Barlow, OHL
2023 OHL Regular Season (Owen Sound): 50 GP, 40 G, 18 A, 58 TP

Early year speculation has Colby Barlow as near-certainly bound for a trade away from the Owen Sound Attack. Where he’s headed hasn’t yet come clear, but it seems the Winnipeg Jets first-round pick will have a chance to join a stronger roster after scoring six fewer goals and 15 fewer assists last season, compared to the 2022-23 season. He still managed a 40-goal season, speaking to his assured scoring and offering intriguing upside for the winners of Barlow’s trade sweepstakes. Pre-season trades led other top NHL prospects like Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie to bountiful seasons last year, with both players turning pro this summer. Now, it could be the precedent to a big year for Barlow, hopefully providing momentum into his transition into Winnipeg’s pro flanks.

D Gabriel Eliasson, OHL
2023 J20 Nationell Regular Season: 36 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 TP

Gabriel Eliasson is hard to ignore. Literally – he’s 6-foot-7, 216-pounds. But he caught scouts attention for more than just his size – also flashing impressively fluid skating, strong puck control, and – above all else – an old-school style of headhunting. Eliasson seemed to study at the Jacob Trouba school of hitting-defensemen, earning a total of 200 penalty minutes through 65 total games last season, split between league and international play. He’s a high upside bet – with the size and control to play high levels, but lacking poise. Still, the Ottawa Senators were willing to gamble on Eliasson early, taking him 39th-overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. Now, reports claim that Eliasson is headed to the OHL, rather than making his expected move to the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and the Big Ten’s University of Michigan. Eliasson was selected by the Niagara IceDogs in the most recent CHL Import Draft, though additional info suggests he could be traded when Import trades open on September 25th. Fans will have to wait in anticipation for that move, though the thought of Eliasson in the OHL is certainly an interesting one. His reckless abandon would have been well-matched in Cedar Rapids, while the OHL could better encourage the fluid play-driving that makes his skillset so unique. While Eliasson may not be a star at the heights of his peers on this list, his unique frame and heavy hitting will make him an exciting name to follow – whether it be in the OHL or USHL.

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