Kuznetsov On The Hot Seat Next Year
In his ongoing series throughout the summer, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News touched on Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov and explained that he is on the hottest seat for the Capitals entering into the upcoming season. Although Washington and Kuznetsov seem intent on starting the 2023-24 season together, the Russian forward has not officially rescinded his trade request from last summer.
Following up on one of the most disappointing seasons of his career, Kuznetsov has a lot to prove this year. Last season, playing in 81 games, Kuznetsov scored 12 goals and 43 assists with a -26 rating, not quite living up to his $7.8MM salary. If the Capitals hope to move Kuznetsov for something substantive, or even hope to make the playoffs in a loaded Metropolitan division, they will need Kuznetsov to find his old form in the top six.
Carl Hagelin Announces Retirement
Two-time Stanley Cup champion winger Carl Hagelin announced his retirement today via an Instagram post. Now 35 years old, Hagelin missed the 2022-23 season due to severe eye and hip injuries.
“It’s been an amazing ride, but it ends here,” Hagelin said. “Unfortunately, my eye injury is too severe to keep playing the game I love.” He told reporters at the beginning of the offseason that he hoped to return to NHL play for the 2023-24 campaign, but unfortunately, that won’t be the case. His four-year, $11MM extension he’d signed with Washington in 2019 expired on July 1.
Picked in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers out of Södertälje SK’s junior program in Sweden, Hagelin took a somewhat unconventional path for European prospects and immediately came over to North America, embarking on a four-year collegiate career with the University of Michigan. It was undoubtedly the right choice, however – by his senior year, he was named team captain and produced over a point per game over his last two seasons.
Aside from a few games in the minors in 2011-12, Hagelin made the jump to the NHL immediately from college, recording 38 points in 64 games during his rookie season with the Rangers, along with a +24 rating. That placed him fifth in Calder Trophy voting and even earned him a few votes for the Selke Trophy.
He would continue consistently producing in the 30-40 point range over his four-year tenure with the Rangers but never really built on that rookie campaign. That’s not a knock on Hagelin at all, however. He was a quintessential two-way middle-six secondary scoring forward with a good amount of speed to his game. That’s even more impressive in relation to his sixth-round selection, given he went on to play over 700 NHL games.
His tenure in New York ended somewhat unceremoniously. A restricted free agent at the end of 2014-15, he couldn’t agree to a new deal with the Rangers and his signing rights were dealt to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for depth forward Emerson Etem (along with some draft picks changing hands, but nothing of significance). Anaheim compensated him nicely by signing him to the richest contract of his career (four years, $16MM), but Hagelin couldn’t really find his game in Southern California. He recorded just 12 points in 43 games to begin 2015-16 before Anaheim moved him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for David Perron, who was similarly underperforming in Pittsburgh.
It would turn out to be one of the most underrated transactions in Penguins history. Down the stretch, Hagelin would complete the famed third line with Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel that played such a crucial role in Pittsburgh winning their first of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016. Hagelin exploded for 27 points in 37 games after the trade and added 16 points in 24 playoff games en route to the championship.
Again, he couldn’t quite recapture that performance the following season. While he would win another championship in 2017, he scored just two goals in 15 games during that playoff run. Fast forward to 2018-19, and Hagelin had scored only one goal and two assists through the first 16 games of the season. A move to the Los Angeles Kings in November didn’t do much for him, either – he recorded just five points in 22 games there. It was near the 2018-19 deadline that the Kings moved him to Washington, where he notched 11 points in the final 20 games of the season, appearing rejuvenated and earning himself the final four-year extension.
Hagelin would wrap up his career by scoring 20 goals and 66 points throughout 187 games in a Capitals uniform, posting solid numbers for a bottom-six scoring winger. Unfortunately, it was a freak eye injury in a practice in March of 2022 that would end his career.
PHR extends our best wishes to Hagelin in his continued recovery from both injuries and congratulates him on a championship-caliber career.
Washington Capitals Announce Front Office Restructuring
The Washington Capitals have unveiled a reshuffle in their leadership hierarchy ahead of the 2023-24 season, with general manager Brian MacLellan adding president of hockey operations to his job title. They’ve also promoted Chris Patrick to associate general manager and appointed Dick Patrick as chairman.
MacLellan’s affiliation with the Capitals now enters its 23rd year, having joined the organization in various capacities since his arrival in 2000. He’s been at his current post of GM since 2014, during which time he’s also served as the team’s senior VP of hockey operations. Since taking over as GM, the team has amassed a record of 409-213-77, boasting a .640 winning percentage that ranks third only behind the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. Washington didn’t have a dedicated president of hockey operations last season, meaning job titles are being shuffled around among the team’s upper management before the upcoming season begins.
His significance to the Capitals cannot be understated, and he’s a lock to receive high honors from the organization whenever he does step away from the game. He built a good portion of the team that won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2018, with eight of the 19 players on the ice during the series-clinching Game 5 of the Final against the Vegas Golden Knights signed, traded for, or drafted under his direction.
Chris Patrick is also a longtime fixture in Washington’s front office, now entering his 16th year with the team. He’d previously served as an assistant general manager to MacLellan with a specialty in player personnel, a promotion that came just two years ago. Now he’s been promoted again, and his new role as an associate will take a considerable load off MacLellan as the latter shoulders more wide-ranging responsibilities in his presidential role. Patrick will now oversee the team’s analytics department, player contract negotiations, hockey operations staff, player personnel, budget, and team scheduling issues, per the team. He’ll be tasked with more impactful decisions as the team enters quite a tricky retooling phase, and it seems apparent Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has identified him as a potential candidate to replace MacLellan as general manager when he eventually steps away.
Dick Patrick bears no relation to Chris, but he is the grandson of NHL forefather Lester Patrick. He’s held an active role in the sport for as long as his grandfather, serving as the Capitals’ president for 40 years – he assumed the role in 1982. The 77-year-old will now take on a bigger-picture role, likely passing on some of his former day-to-day responsibilities to MacLellan. Patrick had also served as the COO for Leonsis’ Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which also owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. His role will now be solely focused on the Capitals. In Patrick’s 40 seasons as president, the Capitals only missed the playoffs eight times.
Spencer Carbery Has Spoken With Evgeny Kuznetsov
- One surprisingly quiet storyline throughout the offseason has been that of Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who the team confirmed had requested a trade earlier this summer. In an interview with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti earlier this week, Capitals incoming head coach Spencer Carbery said he’s spoken with Kuznetsov multiple times this summer and “it sounds like there’s a real focus to his preparation for next season.” While it’s far from a confirmation he’s rescinded his trade request, Kuznetsov staying in the nation’s capital and returning to form could very well thrust Washington back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, something captain Alex Ovechkin would certainly love to see while he chases the NHL’s all-time goals record.
Washington Capitals Loan Ludwig Persson To Mestis’ IPK
The Washington Capitals have loaned forward prospect Ludwig Persson to Finnish team IPK in the Mestis, the country’s second-tier professional league, for the 2023-24 season, per an announcement from the team.
Washington selected the 19-year-old Swede with the 85th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to an entry-level contract days later. This is the second straight season the Capitals have loaned Persson out to a European club to continue his development.
Persson spent last season on loan with BIK Karlskoga in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league. His point totals didn’t jump off the page there, as he recorded four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 45 games, but Karlskoga finished in the middle of the pack in the 14-team league, and it’s rather difficult for a teenager to carve out much of a role for themselves in European pro hockey unless they have an elite trajectory. By moving him to a different environment, Washington hopes there will be more ice time for Persson with IPK and, hopefully, a more fruitful development season.
By loaning him out, Washington also defers the start of Persson’s entry-level contract for a second and final season. His three-year, $2.85MM deal will kick in with the 2024-25 season and run through 2026-27. He’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of the contract.
In their 2022 Draft Guide, Elite Prospects called out Persson’s hockey sense as the most noticeable aspect of his game, saying he “consistently displays an understanding of positioning and spacing on the ice and of how to open up gaps in the opposing coverage with his skating, especially off of the rush.” If he can carve out an NHL role, Persson projects as a bottom-six playmaking winger.
To create room on the roster, IPK mutually terminated the contract of 20-year-old undrafted defenseman Aapo Siivonen, who had signed on with them earlier this summer after completing his tenure in the Finnish junior circuit.
Capitals A Potential Landing Spot For Puljujarvi
- This summer, the Washington Capitals and their General Manager, Brian MacLellan, have been adamant about adding some forward depth to the lineup. Having this in mind, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News asserts that the Capitals should entertain the idea of bringing in free agent Jesse Puljujarvi on a professional tryout for training camp. Throughout his time in the NHL, Puljujarvi has not lived up to being the fourth-overall selection of the 2016 NHL Draft. However, as Silber points out in her article, the new Capitals head coach, Spencer Carbery, has excelled throughout his career in getting the most out of up-and-coming players and may be exactly what Puljujarvi needs to turn his career around.
[SOURCE LINK]
Cameron Allen Has Shoulder Surgery
- In more unfortunate news, the Guelph Storm announced that defenseman Cameron Allen will miss a significant chunk of next season due to shoulder surgery. In the 2023 NHL Draft, Allen was drafted in the fifth round by the Washington Capitals, coming off a down year by his standards. Allen saw his goal-scoring numbers dip by eight between his freshman and sophomore year and will have limited time this upcoming season to continue improving.
[SOURCE LINK]
August Free Agency Update: Metropolitan Division
As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.
Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. Next up is the Metropolitan Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here.
Carolina Hurricanes
**F Sebastian Aho (eight years, $9.75MM cap hit)
D Dmitry Orlov (two years, $7.75MM cap hit)
F Michael Bunting (three years, $4.5MM cap hit)
G Frederik Andersen (two years, $3.4MM cap hit)
F Jesper Fast (two years, $2.4MM cap hit)
D Anthony DeAngelo (one year, $1.675MM cap hit)
G Antti Raanta (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*D Dylan Coghlan (one year, $850K cap hit)
F Brendan Lemieux (one year, $800K cap hit)
D Caleb Jones (one year, $775K cap hit)
Columbus Blue Jackets
none
New Jersey Devils
F Michael McLeod (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
F Nathan Bastian (two years, $1.35MM cap hit)
*D Kevin Bahl (two years, $1.05MM cap hit)
F Tomas Nosek (one year, $1MM cap hit)
New York Islanders
**G Ilya Sorokin (eight years, $8.25MM cap hit)
D Scott Mayfield (seven years, $3.5MM cap hit)
F Pierre Engvall (seven years, $3MM cap hit)
G Semyon Varlamov (four years, 35+ contract, $2.75MM cap hit)
*F Oliver Wahlstrom (one year, $874.1K cap hit)
F Julien Gauthier (two years, $787.5K cap hit)
New York Rangers
*D K’Andre Miller (two years, $3.872MM cap hit)
D Erik Gustafsson (one year, $825K cap hit)
G Jonathan Quick (one year, 35+ contract, $825K cap hit)
F Blake Wheeler (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Nick Bonino (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Tyler Pitlick (one year, $787.5K cap hit)
F Riley Nash (two years, $775K cap hit)
Philadelphia Flyers
*F Noah Cates (two years, $2.625MM cap hit)
F Garnet Hathaway (two years, $2.375MM cap hit)
*D Cameron York (two years, $1.6MM cap hit)
**G Samuel Ersson (two years, $1.45MM cap hit)
F Ryan Poehling (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
D Marc Staal (one year, 35+ contract, $1.1MM cap hit)
Pittsburgh Penguins
G Tristan Jarry (five years, $5.375MM cap hit)
D Ryan Graves (six years, $4.5MM cap hit)
F Lars Eller (two years, $2.45MM cap hit)
F Noel Acciari (three years, $2MM cap hit)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*F Drew O’Connor (two years, $925K cap hit)
F Matthew Nieto (two years, $900K cap hit)
F Andreas Johnsson (one year, $800K cap hit)
G Magnus Hellberg (one year, $785K cap hit)
D Ryan Shea (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (one year, $775K cap hit)
*D Ty Smith (one year, $775K cap hit)
Washington Capitals
**F Tom Wilson (seven years, $6.5MM cap hit)
*D Martin Fehervary (three years, $2.675MM cap hit)
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2MM cap hit)
F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K cap hit)
Haman Aktell's Even Strength Prowess Could Get Him A Look With Capitals Quickly
- Allan Mitchell of The Athletic recently examined (subscription link) some of the top NHL-affiliated players that didn’t suit up at the top level last season. Atop his list was Capitals free agent signing Hardy Haman Aktell who inked an entry-level agreement back in April. The 25-year-old had a breakout year last season with Vaxjo of the SHL with Mitchell honing in on his even-strength goal differential as an element that could get him an opportunity with Washington sooner than later.
Ovechkin Pleased With Washington's Hire Of Carbery
- In an interview with Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express, Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin indicated that he was pleased with Washington’s decision to hire Spencer Carbery as their new coach, citing Carbery’s familiarity with the organization having spent time as the coach with AHL Hershey. The 37-year-old was also asked about the possibility of changing teams one day but answered that unless the team asked him to accept a move, it wouldn’t make sense for him to move on as long as everything continues to suit him. Ovechkin has three years left on his contract with a $9.5MM AAV.