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Alexander Barabanov Signs With KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan

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Alexander Barabanov, who’s spent the last four seasons in the NHL with the Maple Leafs and Sharks, has signed a two-year contract with Ak Bars Kazan in Russia, per a team release.

The 30-year-old winger arrived in the NHL as an undrafted free agent signing by Toronto in the 2020 offseason, but couldn’t break through amongst a deep Maple Leafs offense. The Russian had just one assist through 13 games in fourth-line minutes before the Leafs traded him to San Jose for minor-league forward Antti Suomela, giving Barabanov a better chance at frequent NHL minutes.

It was a prudent move from the Sharks. Barabanov quickly became a top-six option for a paper-thin San Jose forward group, averaging north of 15 minutes per game in each of his three full seasons in the Bay Area. In 2022-23, he was their best winger not named Timo Meier, finishing fifth on the team in scoring with 47 points (15 goals, 32 assists) in 68 games. A pending UFA, some thought San Jose would move on from Barabanov last summer, but he was still with the Sharks come opening night.

Unfortunately, 2023-24 proved to be somewhat of a nightmare for Barabanov. A finger injury cost him a good chunk of the first two months of the campaign, and a lower-body injury kept him out of action at the end of the season. Overall, he was limited to 46 contests, struggling with only four goals and nine assists for 13 points despite still seeing top-six minutes. He shot a career-low 6.0% and had a -24 rating, although he still managed to post strong possession numbers compared to his teammates.

But with the lack of production on the league’s worst team, it wasn’t surprising to see a report last month that Barabanov was receiving calls from Kontinental Hockey League teams to return home. He was previously a member of SKA St. Petersburg from 2013 to 2020, recording 137 points (62 goals, 75 assists) in 262 games in parts of seven seasons. SKA’s roster is full after making a notable signing of their own yesterday in Evgeny Kuznetsov, so he won’t be returning there. But the St. Petersburg native still finds a good landing spot with Ak Bars, which also added NHL veteran Nic Petan to its forward group last month.

Barabanov played 206 NHL games over his four-year stint in North America, scoring 32 goals and adding 75 assists for 107 points with a -58 rating.

Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Montgomery, Nadeau, Daws

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The Rangers’ defense core from last season is largely returning, minus Erik Gustafsson, who departed for the Red Wings in free agency. But the big stars and supporting cast are largely back, even down to seventh defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. All that likely means more opportunity for the younger Zachary Jones, who’s spent the last few seasons in a fringe role. But as Peter Baugh of The Athletic writes, that lack of major moves will mean defense takes the top spot on the Rangers’ trade deadline shopping list.

New York’s group of defenders was good enough to get them to another President’s Trophy last season and deep into the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost to the eventual champion Panthers. But it will rely more on youth next season, asking more out of Jones and especially Braden Schneider. Schneider is expected to assume top-four duties on the right side, with captain Jacob Trouba declining into a third-pairing role.

“The type of defenseman Drury pursues could depend on how the team looks through the first half,” Baugh wrote. “If Jones settles in nicely, the Rangers probably could look more at shutdown candidates. If Trouba and Lindgren both rebound from up-and-down 2023-24s, the front office could look to someone more offensive-minded.”

The Blue Jackets’ Ivan Provorov and the Kraken’s William Borgen and Adam Larsson are among some preliminary targets should the Rangers look to pick up a rental blue-liner in March, Baugh opines.

There’s more from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Hurricanes defense prospect Bryce Montgomery is staying in the organization on a two-way AHL/ECHL deal with the Chicago Wolves next season, the team announced yesterday. Montgomery, 21, was a sixth-round pick of the team in 2021 but has yet to sign his entry-level contract. They have until June 1, 2025, to sign him before his exclusive draft rights expire. Montgomery spent last season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, with 14 points and a +4 rating in 42 games.
  • Sticking with Carolina, 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau is fully intent on making the NHL roster out of camp in his first full professional season, he told NHL.com’s Kurt Dusterberg. Nadeau, 19, was drafted out of the British Columbia Hockey League’s Penticton Vees and jumped to NCAA hockey for 2023-24, lighting up the collegiate circuit with 46 points in 37 games for Maine as a freshman. That performance made him a one-and-done player, and he signed his entry-level contract with Carolina to close out last season. “The jump from Penticton (of the BCHL) to the NCAA is honestly probably a bigger jump than what he is going to do next,” Hurricanes assistant general manager Darren Yorke told Dusterberg. “No disrespect to the league he played in previously, but that’s a huge jump.” He could be an impact piece to watch with multiple open spots in Carolina’s forward group.
  • The Devils yesterday re-upped RFA netminder Nico Daws on a two-year contract, which carries a two-way structure in 2024-25 before converting to a one-way deal in 2025-26. Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Advance Media writes that indicates a clear succession plan at backup with veteran Jake Allen entering the final season of his contract. Daws will likely start this season on assignment to AHL Utica, but the 23-year-old should be ready for full-time backup duties behind Jacob Markstrom in 2025-26.

AHL Notes: Marody, Fizer, Johnson, Newkirk, Scheel

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AHL fixture Cooper Marody is returning to the Flyers organization after signing a two-year AHL contract with Lehigh Valley yesterday, per a team release. The 27-year-old became a UFA this summer after the two-year, two-way deal he signed with Philadelphia as a Group VI UFA in 2022 expired.

Marody was a sixth-round pick of the Flyers back in 2015 but never signed with them, instead landing with the Oilers as a free agent after a dominant senior season at Michigan in 2017-18. He spent four seasons in Edmonton as one of the AHL’s most dominant scoring threats, routinely putting up over a point per game, but appeared in only seven NHL games for them during that time. He reunited with Philly on the open market, but much like his time in Edmonton, he didn’t get an NHL shot and spent the entirety of his now-expired two-year deal in the minors.

Lehigh Valley hasn’t gotten the best version of Marody, but he’s still been a bonafide top-six AHL contributor. He led them in scoring last season with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 68 games. Marody has 271 points in 297 career AHL games dating back to his professional debut and will take part in his eighth minor-league season in 2024-25. He’ll play an important role in helping anchor the Flyers’ farm team as they look to graduate prospects from Lehigh Valley in the latter stages of their rebuild.

More updates from the AHL:

  • The Blues’ primary affiliate was busy yesterday as the Springfield Thunderbirds announced a trio of signings. Forwards Tarun Fizer and Reece Newkirk, as well as goaltender Cam Johnson, will help fill out St. Louis’ organizational depth next season. Fizer does still carry a bit of upside at age 23, but the former Western Hockey League All-Star has struggled to keep a full-time role in the AHL since turning pro. The 5’11” winger had five points in 30 games for the Belleville Senators last season but looked quite comfortable at the ECHL level, posting 10 points in a 10-game stint for the Allen Americans. He’ll look to provide scoring depth for the T-Birds but may begin the season on assignment to the Blues’ new ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades. Newkirk, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Islanders and 2019 but became a UFA this summer upon being non-tendered at the conclusion of his entry-level contract. He had three points in 16 games with AHL Bridgeport last season but, like Fizer, was an effective producer in limited ECHL minutes with 14 points in 16 games for the Worcester Railers. Johnson, 30, has backstopped ECHL Florida to three consecutive Kelly Cup championships and will head back there for another campaign. He’s been unreal in ECHL playoff action, posting a .928 SV% and 1.97 GAA with 11 shutouts and a 47-16 record in 63 games over the past three years.
  • The Avalanche continued to replenish their goaltending depth with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles signing Adam Scheel to a one-year deal. Scheel, 25, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Stars out of North Dakota in 2021 but wasn’t given a qualifying offer when his entry-level contract expired in 2023. He spent last season in the starter’s crease for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, making a career-high 42 appearances with a 2.84 GAA and .907 SV%. He’ll compete for playing time with the Avs’ NHL-contracted depth goalies, Kevin Mandolese and Trent Miner.

Evgeny Kuznetsov Signs Four-Year Deal In Russia

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As expected, veteran center Evgeny Kuznetsov is headed home to Russia. The 32-year-old has signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League, per the league.

The move was initially reported by Championat’s Arina Nuriakhmetova back on July 15 but was quickly refuted by Kuznetsov’s agent, Shumi Babaev. Kuznetsov, who was entering the final season of his contract with the Hurricanes in 2024-25, landed on unconditional waivers two days later and had his contract terminated after clearing the following day.

Last week, Babaev told Russian media that Kuznetsov was still receiving interest from other NHL teams after the mutual termination with Carolina, potentially in a ploy to drum up interest in the KHL. Now, he lands what’s assumedly a rich multi-year commitment from one of Russia’s hockey powerhouses.

Kuznetsov was still a 70-point threat as recently as two years ago, but those days are clearly behind him. 2023-24 was the worst campaign of his career and saw his lengthy stint with the Capitals end. Washington dumped the last year and a half of his $7.8MM cap-hit contract on the Hurricanes at 50% retention in a deadline deal, leaving both teams on the hook for $3.9MM against the cap for 2024-25. That cap hit vanished for both clubs when Kuznetsov’s deal was terminated earlier this month, though.

In 63 games split between the Caps and Canes, Kuznetsov produced only eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points. Those 0.38 points per game were the worst of any NHL season for “Kuzy,” including his 17-game stint as a rookie in 2013-14. Before being traded to Carolina, Kuznetsov spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and was placed on waivers upon leaving, but no team claimed the full remainder of his contract.

Drafted 26th overall in 2010, Kuznetsov was once a top-six fixture in Washington and often alternated with Nicklas Backstrom as the team’s first-line center in his prime, routinely suiting up alongside countryman Alex Ovechkin. His career-best season in 2017-18 came at just the right time for the Caps, as after producing a career-high 83 points in the regular season, he led the playoffs in scoring with 32 points in 24 games to help Washington to its first and only Stanley Cup championship.

Today’s move keeps Kuznetsov with SKA through 2026, all but certainly marking the end of his NHL career. He finishes with 173 goals, 402 assists, 575 points and a +38 rating in 743 career games, 723 of which came in a Capitals sweater.

He’s the second notable former NHLer St. Petersburg brought home this summer, joining ex-Blackhawks defenseman Nikita Zaitsev.

Kaiden Guhle Signs Six-Year Extension With Canadiens

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The Canadiens have signed top-four defenseman Kaiden Guhle to a six-year, $33.3MM contract extension, per a team release. Guhle will cost $5.55MM against the salary cap starting in 2025-26 and will remain under contract through the 2030-31 season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA has the full breakdown of the deal:

2025-26: $2MM base salary, $5MM signing bonus
2026-27: $5.25MM base salary
2027-28: $6.55MM base salary
2028-29: $5MM base salary
2029-30: $5MM base salary, modified no-trade clause (five-team no-trade list)
2030-31: $4.5MM base salary, modified no-trade clause (five-team no-trade list)

It’s a hefty second contract for the 22-year-old, who was entering the final season of his entry-level deal. He’s the second young Hab to ink a long-term extension this month, joining 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, who signed an eight-year, $60.8MM deal immediately upon becoming eligible to extend on July 1. This isn’t a max-term extension for Guhle, but it is long enough to walk him to unrestricted free agency upon expiry in 2031, when he’ll be 29.

The deal provides some cost certainty for both the Canadiens and Guhle, whom they selected 16th overall in 2020. After a pair of post-draft seasons in juniors, Guhle jumped to the NHL in 2022, bypassing an assignment to AHL Laval. Leg and ankle injuries cost him nearly all of the back half of his rookie season, limiting him to 44 games overall in 2022-23.

But the Edmonton native showed he was on track to shoulder top-four minutes. He averaged 20:31 per game, providing decent offensive contributions with four goals, 14 assists and 18 points (0.41 PPG) despite not seeing significant power play time. Things were a bit of a struggle defensively as Guhle posted a -19 rating, 43.6 CF% and 40.2 xGF%, but that was to be expected for a rookie blue liner thrust into difficult usage on a rebuilding team. He did see usage on the Habs’ second penalty kill unit, primarily with Mike Matheson, averaging 2:07 per game shorthanded.

Last season, Guhle’s point totals took a step back, but his all-around game avoided a sophomore slump. His average time on ice increased by 20 seconds, and perhaps most importantly, he avoided any major injuries, playing in 70 of Montreal’s 82 games. He finished third among Canadiens defensemen in scoring with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists). He finished second on the team in blocks with 178, trailing only Matheson, his usual defense partner at even strength. That’s notable for the lefty, who’s been able to look comfortable on his off side in top-pairing duties with Matheson. Guhle’s possession metrics improved in 2023-24 across the board as well, despite seeing an uptick in defensive zone starts.

For the Canadiens, it’s a sizeable long-term investment in a player who projects to be a strong anchor piece of their top four on defense for years to come. He doesn’t have upside as a true No. 1 at this stage, but he isn’t being paid like one on this extension. $5.55MM is a comparable cap hit to what players like Brett Pesce and Matt Roy earned on the open market this summer, both good comparables for Guhle’s ceiling.

Considering his prime will come near the tail end of this deal when it costs a lower percentage of the salary cap, it seems like a smart choice early on. Becoming a UFA at 29 also permits Guhle to land a second big payday, either on a max-term extension or elsewhere on the open market.

Guhle will cost just $863K against the cap this season in the final year of his ELC.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

International Transactions: Glauser, Bayreuther, Svechnikov

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Defenseman Andrea Glauser will not come to the National Hockey League after all. According to a press release, Fribourg-Gottéron of Switzerland’s National League announced they have signed Glauser to a seven-year contract starting in the 2025-26 season. Glauser previously played for Fribourg-Gottéron between 2015-2018.

A few months ago, there was documented interest in Glauser from the New York Islanders organization which was reportedly set to offer the 28-year-old defenseman a one-year, $1.5MM contract. Glauser excels in the transition game from the blue line and plays a very physical game compared to his peers which led to Lou Lamoriello and Patrick Roy scouting the Swiss defenseman. It is unknown if the Islanders offered Glauser a contract but he has inevitably decided to stay in his home country.

It’s difficult to imagine Glauser having excelled after transitioning to North American hockey at the professional level given that his career-high in points (in a much weaker league to add) is 17. He’s also suited up for Team Switzerland in the last three World Championships where he has scored two goals and four points in 24 tournament contests.

Other international transactions:

  • It did not take long for Lausanne HC to replace Glauser on the back end as the team announced they had signed defenseman Gavin Bayreuther to a one-year contract. It will be Bayreuther’s first attempt at international hockey after spending the last eight years split between the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets organizations. The former undrafted free agent from St. Lawrence University is a veteran of 122 games at the NHL level while adding five goals and 28 points to the scoresheet. Bayreuther spent much more time in the AHL where he has suited up in 238 games while scoring 25 goals and 117 points in the process.
  • Another former NHL player is on the move internationally as Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL announces they have signed forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year contract. The former 19th overall pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Draft spent last season in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan where he scored eight goals and 13 points in 31 games. Svechnikov never panned out to live up to his draft ranking with Detroit but did earn 39 goals and 101 points at the AHL level with 186 games played.

Penguins Sign Sergei Murashov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing a solid goaltending prospect to North America as the team announced they have signed goalie Sergei Murashov to a three-year, entry-level contract. Murashov should compete with Penguins’ prospect Taylor Gauthier for the backup minutes with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with the loser of that battle earning the starter’s role with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.

It is Joel Blomqvist’s net to lose with the AHL Penguins but Marashov should be biting at his ankles relatively quickly. No matter how this situation plays out — Pittsburgh is quickly building one of the better goaltending pipelines in the league.

The Penguins selected Murashov with the 118th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft after a promising season with Loko-76 Yaroslavl of the MHL. In his draft year, Murashov played in 41 games for Yaroslavl and recorded a 21-16-3 record with a .927 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average. Hoping to keep his confidence up by playing in his birth city, the Penguins have left Murashov to develop in Russia for the last two years.

Murashov has continued his development with Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL over the last two years and had brief playing time with their KHL affiliate, the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Playing on one of the most successful organizations in Russia’s major feeder league, Murashov produced a 24-7-5 record in 37 games during the 2022-23 season with a .948 SV% and 1.53 GAA. Murashov carried a .932 SV% in that year’s playoffs before losing in the semi-finals.

The 2023-24 season became his most dominant as Murashov collected 24 wins in 34 games with a .930 SV%. In the playoffs, the young Russian netminder earned a .926 SV% and 2.07 GAA en route to his team becoming champions at the end of the season.

Murashov is still young for a goaltending prospect at only 20 years old, so he may end up starting the year in Wheeling just for development’s sake. However, if he continues his upward trajectory there should be no question Murashov will be competing for a full-time job in the AHL soon.

Flames Re-Sign Dustin Wolf To Two-Year Deal

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The parade of unsigned RFAs inking deals today continues. Joining the list is Flames top goaltending prospect Dustin Wolf, who PuckPedia reports has signed a two-year, $1.7MM deal. It’s a two-way pact in 2024-25 ($850K NHL/$275K AHL) before transitioning to a one-way structure in 2025-26 ($850K). He has a $375K salary guarantee this season. The team made Wolf’s deal official shortly after the initial report.

It looks to be a short-term bargain pact for one of the best young goalies in the world. Wolf, 23, was a seventh-round pick back in 2019 but has been dominant in the juniors and minors since. The California native won the Western Hockey League’s top goaltender award in his final two seasons with the Everett Silvertips and followed that up by winning the AHL’s top goalie award in each of his first two professional seasons. Over the last four seasons, Wolf has a 2.29 GAA, .926 SV%, 11 shutouts and a 97-32-10 record in 141 games with the Calgary Wranglers and Stockton Heat.

Things haven’t been quite as smooth at the NHL level for Wolf, though. The 6’0″ netminder has gotten spotty action the past two years but was relied upon more heavily as a third-string option last season, starting 15 games and making two relief appearances. He was below average in that run, posting a .893 SV% with a 3.16 GAA and a 7-7-1 record. Putting such a young goalie behind a non-playoff team is always a tough ask, though.

But with Jacob Markstrom traded to the Devils and no other notable moves in the Calgary crease, Wolf projects to start next season on the NHL roster, working in tandem with Daniel Vladar. It would be surprising to see the Flames take advantage of the two-way structure of his deal this fall, although it is worth noting he’s still waiver-exempt. That changes in 2025-26. Behind Wolf and Vladar, the Flames’ third-string option is 27-year-old Devin Cooley, who had a .870 SV% in six games for the Sharks to end last season. It was his first time seeing NHL action.

Wolf will be 25 years old upon expiry in 2026 and will still be an RFA. He’ll be eligible for salary arbitration at that time.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers, Ryan Lindgren Avoid Arbitration

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4:25 PM: The Rangers have confirmed the signing according to a public announcement.

12:52 PM: The Rangers and defenseman Ryan Lindgren have reached an agreement prior to their arbitration hearing, which was scheduled for Aug. 2. It’s a one-year deal worth $4.5MM, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Lindgren, 26, will return to the Blueshirts for his seventh NHL season. In his time in New York thus far, the Minnesota-born blue liner has blossomed as a stay-at-home partner for Adam Fox on the team’s top pair. Lindgren’s averaged 19:34 per game since 2020-21, and his offense has remained consistent, providing between 15 and 20 points per campaign. However, he’s coming off a difficult season, one that likely impacted how long negotiations stretched out.

At first glance, last season seemed par for the course for Lindgren, who had 17 points and a +22 rating in 76 appearances while averaging 19:21 per night. But advanced metrics painted a much different story, as his relative CF% and xGF% dipped into the negatives for the first time since his rookie season. The Rangers were out-attempted 1,258-1,153 with Lindgren on the ice at even strength, and his pairing with Fox only controlled 46.5% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck. That figure is way down from 54.6% in 2022-23.

The younger brother of Capitals netminder Charlie Lindgren will try and redeem himself in a 2024-25 campaign that will be the most important of his career. That’s because a one-year pact walks him directly to unrestricted free agency next summer.

After signing Lindgren, the Rangers’ projected opening-night roster is at a full 23-player count with $623K in projected cap space, per PuckPedia. That prorates to about $2.8MM in space come trade deadline day. He’ll be given a chance to reprise his first-pairing role alongside Fox, hopefully with better possession play at even strength.

Last season, Lindgren finished seventh on the Rangers in hits (114) and fifth in blocks (103). Drafted by the Bruins in the second round in 2016, Lindgren was acquired in a 2018 deal that sent Rick Nash to Boston.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Devils Re-Sign Nico Daws To Two-Year Deal

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The Devils have re-signed RFA goaltender Nico Daws to a two-year deal, according to a press release from the team. It’s a two-way pact in 2024-25 ($775K NHL/$350K AHL) before upgrading to a one-way structure in 2025-26, paying him $850K. That works out to an average annual value and a cap hit of $812.5K. Daws also has a salary guarantee of $465K this season, the team said.

Daws, 23, was selected with the 84th overall pick out of the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm in 2020. He signed his entry-level contract with the Devils one year later after playing one season of pro hockey with Germany’s ERC Ingolstadt. He was immediately thrust into action, making 23 starts and two relief appearances in the 2021-22 campaign. The Germany-born Canadian was one of seven netminders the struggling Devils used that season. He was arguably the best of all of them, leading them with 10 wins and posting a .893 SV%, the highest among NJ goalies with at least 15 GP that season.

After the Devils acquired Vitek Vanecek from the Capitals ahead of 2022-23, Daws could more comfortably return to a development role in the AHL. He responded with an All-Star season for the Utica Comets, posting a .904 SV% and 2.70 GAA in 33 contests with two shutouts and a 16-14-3 record. He added a .920 SV% in six playoff games before undergoing offseason hip surgery that delayed his debut last season until December.

Upon returning to health, Daws was again called upon to aid a New Jersey crease struggling with injuries and poor play from its veterans and other youngsters. He remained a passable NHL option, posting a .894 SV%, 3.15 GAA and -5.1 GSAA in 21 performances and a 9-11-0 record.

With other early-20s competitor Akira Schmid out of the picture after being traded to the Golden Knights a few weeks ago, Daws enters 2024-25 as the Devils’ undisputed No. 3 netminder. He remains waiver-exempt and will likely start the season in Utica with veterans Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom manning the NHL crease. Daws has 14 games remaining until he loses that waiver exemption and will require them beginning in 2025-26, regardless of what NHL action he sees this season, per CapWages’ waivers calculator.

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