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Nils Hoglander To Face Player Safety Review

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The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently sat down with the Columbus Blue Jackets’ President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson, to discuss the team’s early season woes. But despite the nine-game losing streak, which has seen Johnny Gaudreau get benched and Patrik Laine get scratched, Davidson says no rash changes are inbound for the Blue Jackets. “Woe is me does not work. It’s an emotional game, a hard game,” Davidson told Portzline, “but we need the improvements we’re seeing with some of our younger players — Alexandre Texier, Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, these guys — to continue, and we need our best players to start playing like they’re capable of playing.”

Davidson went on to support the hard decisions being made by first-time NHL head coach Pascal Vincent, who has benched and scratched players at will through his first two months on the job. Davidson said, “Coach is the coach. Coach works tightly with Jarmo. They discuss things daily, and Jarmo fills me in. The bold moves that Pazzy has made … you have to make bold moves sometimes.”

The topic of Columbus’ slide was also discussed by Elliotte Friedman in the most recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman disagreed with the decision to scratch Laine but did speak optimism about the impact that significant struggles can have on a young star like Fantilli, calling back to his days covering former NBA rookie of the year Damon Stoudamire. The 32 Thoughts team closed the conversation by acknowledging that, while no rash decisions were inbound, heavy losing can still weigh on the team’s veterans. Columbus will be looking to avoid their 10th loss in a row on Wednesday. If they can’t, they could change their tune on what decisions are looming.

Other morning notes:

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vancouver Canucks

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Vancouver Canucks

Current Cap Hit: $86,578,549 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None on the active roster

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Anthony Beauvillier ($4.15MM, UFA)
F Teddy Blueger ($1.9MM, UFA)
D Ian Cole ($3MM, UFA)
G Casey DeSmith ($1.8MM, UFA)
D Mark Friedman ($775K, UFA)
F Dakota Joshua ($825K, UFA)
D Filip Hronek ($4.4MM, RFA)
F Sam Lafferty ($1.15MM, UFA)
D Tyler Myers ($6MM, UFA)
F Elias Pettersson ($7.35MM, RFA)

Headlines were made when discussions about an extension with Pettersson were called off by the center’s camp, citing a desire to play out the season and see where things sit.  That apparently is on hold now as GM Patrik Allvin acknowledged recently that they’re working on a new deal.  It’s fair to say it will be a very pricey one.  After a career year last season, he’s off to an even better start in 2023-24 and has been among the league leaders in scoring (at times the outright leader).  He plays a premium position and is a year away from UFA eligibility which also works in Pettersson’s favor.  Heading into the year, an AAV between $10.5MM and $11MM felt like a possible landing spot.  Now, it seems likely to fall about a million higher.

Beauvillier came over as part of the Bo Horvat trade last season and did well with his new team down the stretch but has underachieved this season.  He has reached at least 18 goals in four of the last six years, however, and that type of offensive consistency will help on the open market.  A big raise doesn’t seem likely but something near this on the open market could be doable.  Blueger opted for a one-year deal over the summer after splitting last season between Pittsburgh and Vegas.  As a bottom-six forward, his market shouldn’t be much stronger next summer unless he’s either able to hit new benchmarks offensively or is able to sustain his 56% success rate on the draw that he had down the stretch with Vegas.

Lafferty was acquired late in training camp with Toronto needing to clear salary.  When he was with Chicago, he did well in a middle-six role but was a lot quieter on the fourth line with the Maple Leafs.  Things have gone well so far with his new team which could push his AAV closer to the $2MM mark in the summer.  As for Joshua, he did quite well in his first year with Vancouver last season, his first full year of NHL action.  If he gets to the double-digit-goal mark again while bringing plenty of physicality, he could double this on the open market.

Myers was the subject of trade speculation throughout the summer but remains with Vancouver.  He’s still capable of playing in the top four although his best role might be as a fifth that moves up when injuries arise.  In free agency, that’s closer to a $3.5MM player.  It’s worth noting that the bulk of his salary was paid in September as a signing bonus so if he was to be acquired midseason, his new team wouldn’t have to pay much in the way of actual money.  Hronek was brought in from Detroit at the trade deadline, a confusing move on the surface for a team that was selling.  He has been quite productive early on so far and should be in good shape to land much more than his $5.28MM qualifying offer this summer.  Like Pettersson, he has just one year of club control remaining.  Friedman has played regular minutes since being acquired early in the year but has cleared waivers in two straight years now, suggesting that he will probably stay near the minimum moving forward.

DeSmith is another newcomer to the team after being acquired at the start of training camp.  Over the last few years, he has been a capable backup and with that market going up in recent years, a good showing this season could propel him to a deal closer to the $3MM mark next summer.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Brock Boeser ($6.65MM, UFA)
D Guillaume Brisebois ($775K, UFA)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe ($775K, UFA)
D Akito Hirose ($787.5K, RFA)
F Nils Hoglander ($1.1MM, RFA)
D Noah Juulsen ($775K, UFA)
F Andrei Kuzmenko ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Tucker Poolman ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Pius Suter ($1.6MM, UFA)

Boeser was in trade speculation last season when things weren’t going too well offensively.  He stated his desire to stay and got his wish.  That has worked out quite well considering the hot start he has had.  That said, if he stays in the 25-goal range, it’s hard to see this price tag going much higher; he’ll need to carry this hot start to a career year to have a shot at any sort of significant raise.  Kuzmenko had a very strong first NHL season but with his track record being short, the two sides ultimately worked out a bridge extension.  If he has two more years of 70 or more points, he could push past the $7MM mark in 2025.

Suter was a late signing in free agency after a down year with Detroit.  That said, he has scored at least 14 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons and spent most of that time at center.  As long as he holds down a regular spot on the third line, they’ll do well with this contract.  Meanwhile, a couple more years scoring at that rate would give Suter a much better platform to hit the open market with.  Hoglander spent most of last year in the minors but did enough before that to get a seven-figure bridge deal.  Now, it’s about re-establishing himself as a regular and if he can produce in a top-nine role (he’s not an ideal fourth line candidate), he could push for closer to $2MM with arbitration rights.  Di Giuseppe has largely been a journeyman, often splitting time between the NHL and AHL with several organizations but has found a home with Vancouver where he’s seeing regular minutes and producing.  Given his age (30), it’s unlikely a significant bump is coming his way but if he stays a regular, a one-way deal around the $1.5MM mark could be doable.

Poolman is once again on LTIR with concussion issues that have limited him to just 43 games with the Canucks over the last two seasons, only three of which came last year.  At this point, it’s hard to see him playing again.  If he does try to push through it and play after this deal, his injury history will limit him to a league-minimum contract.  Hirose impressed after signing as a college free agent down the stretch, earning this deal for his efforts, one that converts to a one-way salary next season.  If he’s established as a roster regular at that point (even if he’s in the sixth or seventh depth role), arbitration eligibility would push him past $1MM.  As for Juulsen and Brisebois, both are depth defenders who are likely to continue to stay at or close to the minimum moving forward.

Signed Through 2025-26

G Thatcher Demko ($5MM, UFA)
F Conor Garland ($4.95MM, UFA)
F Ilya Mikheyev ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Carson Soucy ($3.25MM, UFA)

Garland has been a capable secondary scorer throughout his career but his contract was viewed as a negative with Arizona and he’s now in that situation with Vancouver despite starting off rather well with them.  While his agent has been given permission to try to facilitate a move, that will be hard to do without salary retention and possibly taking a contract back.  Meanwhile, Garland will need to get back to the 50-point mark if he wants a shot at another deal like this.  Mikheyev’s contract raised some eyebrows given his limited track record and injury history with Toronto.  However, when healthy, he has produced at a rate worthy of this type of contract.  If he can continue that and stay off the injury list, he could tick past the $5MM mark next time.

Soucy came over from Seattle as a pricey third pairing option.  He does well in his limited role, however, which helps to justify the price tag.  Given his playing style and the fact he’ll be entering his age-32 year on his next contract though, it would be surprising to see a big raise coming his way.

When Demko is on his game, he can be among the top goalies in the league.  We saw it a couple of years ago when Vancouver nearly pulled off the improbable comeback to make the playoffs (coming up just short) and we’re seeing it early on this year.  When things are going well, this is a contract that’s well below market value.  Of course, things didn’t go anywhere near as well last season which was a big reason for their drop in the standings.  While the starting goalie market has largely stagnated lately with the backups getting a boost in free agency instead, Demko could help break that trend.  If he plays up to his capabilities for the rest of this contract, a long-term deal worth $7MM or more should be doable.  If it goes really well, he’ll be eyeing Connor Hellebuyck’s $8.5MM but his track record isn’t as strong at the moment.

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Vancouver Canucks Send Down Linus Karlsson; Recall Akito Hirose

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After making his NHL debut last night for the Vancouver Canucks, the team announces Linus Karlsson has been sent back down to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Meanwhile, in the same announcement, Vancouver has recalled defenseman Akito Hirose.

It was no question as to why Karlsson was originally called up by the Canucks, as the young forward is off to a blazing start in the AHL this year. In 13 games played in Abbotsford, Karlsson has two goals and nine assists, good for fifth on the team in scoring.

Now that Andrei Kuzmenko is expected back into the lineup for the team’s next game, Karlsson will continue to grow his game at the AHL level for the time being. He was originally acquired by the Canucks in a 2019 trade with the San Jose Sharks, making his way to North America last season.

In the case of Hirose, he will serve as a depth defenseman for the team, much like he has done over the last two seasons when he has been in the NHL. So far this year, Hirose has suited up in two games for Vancouver, averaging a touch over 12 and a half minutes of ice time per night.

Hirose is also scoreless in 11 games at the AHL level, indicating he may need more seasoning in the minor leagues to get back to the production levels he saw during his tenure at Minnesota State University. Nevertheless, with both Hirose and Karlsson on the roster in Abbotsford, the team has gotten off to an 8-4-1 start, being one of the better teams in the AHL to start the year.

Carson Soucy Out Week-To-Week With Foot Injury

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November 15th: The Vancouver Canucks have updated Soucy’s status and provided a clear timeline by now saying that the defenseman will miss the next six-to-eight weeks of action.

November 14th: Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared that defenseman Carson Soucy will undergo further evaluation on a foot injury that currently has him designated as week-to-week. Tocchet also shared that Tyler Meyers should be ready for the team’s Wednesday night matchup against the New York Islanders. The team also recalled Akito Hirose to the NHL lineup ahead of their Tuesday practice.

Soucy has been out of action since he left the team’s November 12th game early. He’s appeared in 13 games this season, netting two goals and five points, while averaging just under 17 minutes of ice time. He’s in his first season with the Canucks, after signing a three-year contract on July 1st that carries a $3.25MM cap hit.

Meyers’ return to the lineup will help fill in for the missing Soucy. The 33-year-old defenseman looked strong to start the season, netting six points in 15 games before his injury while operating on the team’s second pairing. If he can’t go, Akito Hirose will step back into the lineup after spending 11 games in the AHL. Hirose appeared in two Canucks games earlier in the season before being sent to the minors. He’s failed to score in either the NHL or AHL this year, although he did record two penalties and a +2 in his AHL appearances. Hirose is in his first full season as a professional, although the NCAA free agent he did appear in seven games with the Canucks last year as well – netting three assists. He’ll have a chance to record his first NHL goal or his first point of the year if he’s able to slot into the lineup.

Canucks Working On Extending Elias Pettersson

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Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff released an interview with Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin that spoke to the team’s efforts to re-sign their star forward, Elias Pettersson. Specifically, Allvin said he’s been in touch with both Pat Brisson and Pettersson’s Swedish agent and that he hopes to get something done sooner rather than later.

A Pettersson extension is undoubtedly one of Allvin’s top priorities. The 25-year-old forward has been a pivotal piece of the Canucks’ early success, currently leading the league in scoring with a monstrous 25 points in 15 games. His 18 assists also rank top in the league, although he’s tied with co-star Quinn Hughes in that category.

This strong scoring continues the trend of Pettersson scoring more and more every season. He scored a career-high 102 points last season, the most scored by a Canuck since Daniel Sedin scored 104 in the 2010-11 season. Pettersson became the fourth Canuck to cross the century mark since 2000, joining the Sedin brothers and Markus Naslund.

But with high scoring comes an inevitably high price tag. Of the 11 players to score 100 or more points last season, Pettersson is one of three players to carry a cap hit under $8MM, alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Robertson. Pettersson also joins Robertson as the only two among the group without any movement protection in their contracts. Both of those variables are bound to be addressed in Pettersson’s next contract, which could reach upwards of eight figures. Any long-term deal would also carry Pettersson to his age 32 or 33 season, likely solidifying his place in Vancouver for the long term. If, and when, a new contract will come is yet to be seen, although it’s encouraging to see the two sides engaged in extension talks.

Canucks Recall Akito Hirose

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The Vancouver Canucks have announced the recall of defenseman Akito Hirose to the NHL lineup. Hirose has appeared in 11 AHL games so far this season, going without a point while also accruing four penalty minutes and a +2. Hirose made his NHL debut with the Canucks last season, signing with the team after the conclusion of the Minnesota State University-Mankato season.

Hirose was one of three players from last year’s Mankato lineup to sign NHL contracts, joining Nashville’s Jake Livingston and Colorado’s Ondrej Pavel. All three players were undrafted free agents at the time of their signing and all three have since made their NHL debut. Hirose has played in the most NHL action of the bunch, with nine games under his belt. He also leads the group in scoring, with three points in those nine games topping the one point Livingston has scored through five games. Pavel has yet to score his first NHL point.

Hirose has already appeared in two games with Vancouver’s NHL lineup through the early season, going without any changes to his stat line. He also recorded a 39.39 CF% (Corsi-For Percentage) and 43.87 xGF% (expected-goals-for percentage) in the pair of games – both modest tallies that are certainly influenced by a small sample size, although both numbers are an improvement from the CF% and xGF% he recorded in his seven NHL games last season.

Carson Soucy was announced with injury on November 12th and the team has yet to provide an update on his status. Hirose will provide some depth to the Canucks’ blue-line while Soucy works his way back into the lineup.

Canucks Place Jack Studnicka On Waivers

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The Vancouver Canucks placed forward Jack Studnicka on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks on Monday, general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement.

Studnicka, 24, has been a healthy scratch in nine out of the last ten contests. The 2017 second-round pick last played on November 2 in the team’s 10-1 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks, logging 17:09 of ice time but failing to get on the scoresheet or record a shot on goal.

This is Studnicka’s second time on the waiver wire this season. He cleared just before the season started but was recalled under emergency conditions after the Canucks’ first game after salary cap constraints forced them to dress only 17 skaters.

Studnicka was placed on the active roster from his emergency exception five days later and has remained with the Canucks since. Since more than 30 days elapsed since his initial recall on October 12, his temporary waiver exception has lapsed, and he must clear again to return to Abbotsford.

In five games with Vancouver this season, Studnicka has one goal, coming in his season debut on October 14 against the Edmonton Oilers. He has averaged 10:11 per game but attempted just eight shots during his time in the lineup, four of which got on goal.

If he clears, Studnicka could make his debut for Abbotsford this week. He has not played for Vancouver’s primary minor-league affiliate since they acquired him from the Boston Bruins in exchange for goalie prospect Michael Dipietro and defense prospect Jonathan Myrenberg early in the 2022-23 season.

In 90 NHL games across five seasons with the Bruins and Canucks, Studnicka has six goals, ten assists, 16 points, and a -16 rating. He’s been much more productive in the AHL since his pro debut in 2018, recording 34 goals and 62 assists for 96 points in 117 contests with the Providence Bruins.

Studnicka is in the final season of a two-year, $1.525MM contract with a $762.5K cap hit. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Gustav Lindström, Loan Joel Armia To AHL

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The Montreal Canadiens have recalled defenseman Gustav Lindström, according to a team announcement. In a corresponding move, the Canadiens loaned Joel Armia to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

The rationale behind these two roster moves is quite clear. The Canadiens were carrying only six defensemen, in large part thanks to the fact that they are carrying three goalies on their 23-man roster.

With defenseman Jordan Harris dealing with an injury and currently a game-time decision for tonight’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks, the Canadiens needed an extra defenseman on their roster to provide security in case Harris can’t play.

With David Savard injured, the state of the Canadiens’ defensive depth chart leaves Lindström as the team’s seventh defenseman. So the veteran has been elevated to the NHL roster, leaving the Rocket just before their game against the Manitoba Moose.

In order to recall Lindström the Canadiens needed to clear room on their roster, and to do so they’ve sent Armia to the AHL. Armia, who cleared waivers earlier this season, was a healthy scratch for the Canadiens’ win last night over the Boston Bruins. With four goals and five points for the Rocket this season, he’d be a major addition to the Laval lineup should he dress for any games.

Olli Juolevi Leaves SHL Club

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Former Vancouver Canucks fifth overall pick Olli Juolevi has left his club team and is on the move again after signing in Sweden this offseason with Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League. Juolevi had a PTO with the Arizona Coyotes earlier this year but failed to land an NHL contract and eventually left North America.

Timrå IK announced Juolevi’s departure and thanked the defenseman for his contributions to the team. It is unclear at this time if the team initiated a release for the 25-year-old or if Juolevi made the request. Timrå IK does have several players returning from injury in the coming weeks so it could be an issue with a lack of playing time for the former Canucks rearguard.

Vancouver selected Juolevi back in 2016 one pick before 2023 Hart Memorial Trophy finalist Matthew Tkachuk. While calling that a misfire would be an understatement, especially given that the Canucks knew that the Calgary Flames would take Tkachuk and could have traded down to draft Juolevi. It should be noted that Juolevi sustained back and hip injuries as well as a knee injury that would require surgery. These significant ailments ultimately hampered Juolevi’s skating mobility before he even played a single NHL game. Juolevi would go on to suit up in 23 NHL games for the Canucks registering two goals and an assist before bouncing around to the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings, all the while dressing in both AHL and NHL games.

So far this season, Juolevi had a single assist in nine games with Timrå IK while going -6. The SHL team is a way out of contention sitting ninth in the league with seven wins in their first 16 games. There is no word yet on what is next for Juolevi, as he attempts to resurrect his career that showed so much promise less than a decade ago.

West Notes: Blueger, Toninato, Kesselring

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Patrick Johnston of The Vancouver Province is reporting that Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger is getting close to making his Canucks debut. The 29-year-old has yet to dress this season after he was injured in a preseason game in early October while blocking a shot. Neither Blueger nor the Canucks have specified what the issue is with Blueger, but Johnston believes the injury is a bone bruise.

Blueger practiced with the Canucks today for their full practice, it was the first time he has done so since he suffered the injury on October 6th. The native of Riga, Latvia skated with a group of fourth liners in Sam Lafferty, Nils Höglander, and Anthony Beauvillier. The Canucks could certainly use Blueger’s penalty-killing prowess as they have been as bad shorthanded this year as they were last year with a success rate of just 77.3%.

The Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night in Ottawa, and if Blueger can’t make his return then, it could happen before the end of their road trip.

In other West notes:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned forward Dominic Toninato back to their AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose. The 29-year-old was called up by the Jets on October 20th but did not dress in an NHL game and will now head back to the AHL where he has a goal and an assist in two AHL games this season. The Duluth, Minnesota native is just two years removed from dressing in 77 games for the Jets in a single season and will likely receive another call-up later in the season should the Jets run into injury issues.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from their AHL affiliate the Tucson Roadrunners as they get set to head out on a five-game road trip. Kesselring has yet to dress in an NHL game this season but has spent some time with the Coyotes. The club made the move today to add emergency depth in case they need it while they are away from home. Kesselring has dressed in six AHL games with the Roadrunners this season and has been held scoreless. Last season, the 23-year-old played nine games with Arizona, posting three assists.

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