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Atlantic Notes: Shanahan, Geekie, Heponiemi, Merrill

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In an article from The Buffalo News, journalist Mike Harrington argues that the Buffalo Sabres should appoint Brendan Shanahan to a senior advisory role, even if only for one year. Recently, it was confirmed that the Toronto Maple Leafs would not renew Shanahan’s contract, and since then, he has only been publicly linked to the New York Islanders.

While the Islanders were allowed to interview Shanahan, there is no indication of any remaining interest, especially after they hired Mathieu Darche as General Manager and executive vice president of hockey operations yesterday. The Sabres would be the only remaining team seeking a high-level executive this summer. Harrington noted that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Buffalo’s interest in adding a senior advisor to work alongside Kevyn Adams.

The hire would make a lot of sense. The Sabres appointed Adams as a rookie General Manager ahead of the 2020-21 NHL season, and the needle hasn’t moved for the organization one iota. Toronto didn’t make it to the Eastern Conference Final during Shanahan’s 11 years of stewardship, but that’s more than the Sabres can say, who have missed the postseason for 14 consecutive years.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • In an interview with Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald, recently extended General Manager of the Boston Bruins, Don Sweeney, expressed confidence that the team would re-sign forward Morgan Geekie at some point this summer. Geekie will become a restricted free agent on July 1st, and is eligible for an offer sheet from the 31 other teams in the league. Still, Sweeney hopes a contract can be agreed upon sooner rather than later, saying, “We’ve been in constant communication with Morgan’s camp since the time the season ended.“
  • There’s a small chance that a Florida Panthers prospect could return to the organization this summer. According to a team report, the NL’s EHC Biel-Bienne have released forward Aleksi Heponiemi from his contract. Heponiemi scored 13 goals and 35 points in 59 games for EHC Biel from 2023 to 2025. Still, since the Panthers own his contractual rights in the NHL, he won’t be able to join a different team this summer unless the Panthers choose to leave him unqualified.
  • A Montreal Canadiens prospect is on the move at the junior level. Forward Ben Merrill shared on his Instagram that he’s committed to Boston University for the 2025-26 NCAA season. The former 2024 sixth-round selection scored 15 goals and 23 points in 50 games for the BCHL’s Penticton Vees this past year.

Maple Leafs Showed Strong Interest In Acquiring Rasmus Ristolainen Earlier This Season

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Back at the trade deadline, the Maple Leafs and Flyers made one of the bigger trades of the day with Toronto picking up center Scott Laughton.  However, it appears that Laughton wasn’t the only veteran Flyer they were going after as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that Toronto also made a serious run for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen at the deadline with a league source suggesting that the Maple Leafs made a very strong offer but were rebuffed.

The 30-year-old has been in trade speculation for the last couple of years now but he wasn’t moved at the 2024 deadline with the team still in the mix for a playoff spot.  Well out of contention by then this season, Ristolainen was believed to have more of a chance of moving although it appears GM Daniel Briere set a very high asking price.

Ristolainen enjoyed a bounce-back year in 2024-25, picking up 19 points in 63 games, his second-best output over the last five seasons.  More important, he upped his playing time by nearly four minutes per game compared to the year before, going from being a depth piece to one of former head coach John Tortorella’s more trusted options.

As it turns out, the deadline might have been the best time for the Flyers to move Ristolainen.  Soon after the deadline, he was shut down with an upper-body injury.  Then last month, he underwent triceps surgery, a procedure that carries a recovery timeline of six months, meaning that Ristolainen will miss training camp and the first couple of weeks of the regular season.  Speculatively, teams will want to ensure that he has fully recovered from that before putting forth their best efforts to acquire him and the final two years left on his deal that carries a $5.1MM cap charge.

On the surface, it seems unlikely that Toronto would rekindle their interest.  After failing to acquire Ristolainen, GM Brad Treliving turned his focus to acquiring defenseman Brandon Carlo to seemingly fill the same top-four role that they were likely viewing Ristolainen to fill.  With their top six on the back end intact and some prominent free agents up front, reshaping the forward group will likely be Toronto’s top priority in the coming weeks.  But with a relatively thin free agent market for right-shot blueliners, Briere should expect to be receiving some phone calls about Ristolainen once again this offseason.

Metropolitan Notes: Ovechkin, Chatfield, Blue Jackets, Laperriere

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Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is the winner of this year’s Mark Messier Leadership Award, the league announced.  First awarded in 2007, the award goes to “the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.”  Ovechkin helped lead Washington to an improbable top spot in the Eastern Conference while breaking the all-time goal-scoring record on the heels of a 44-goal, 73-point campaign.  Ovechkin has captained the Caps for the last 16 years and this is his first time winning the award; there has yet to be a repeat winner league-wide thus far.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • It appears that Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield will miss another game as Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner is out for tonight’s third game against Florida. This will be the fourth straight game that the 29-year-old will miss due to an undisclosed injury sustained last round against Washington.  Chatfield has a goal in nine games so far in the playoffs while averaging over 20 minutes a night.  Scott Morrow is expected to once again take his place in the lineup.
  • The Blue Jackets have a pair of prospects that they will lose the rights to if not signed by June 1st, wingers Tyler Peddle and Martin Rysavy. It appears they’ll be letting both go as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Columbus won’t sign them before the deadline.  Peddle was a seventh-round pick in 2023, going 224th overall and had just 29 points in 54 games with QMJHL Saint John this season.  Meanwhile, Rysavy was a seventh-rounder two years earlier, going 197th overall.  He spent this season in the Czech Extraliga, posting five goals and four assists in 52 games with Liberec.
  • While Ian Laperriere will no longer be coaching the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley, his days with the organization aren’t numbered. Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period relays (Twitter link) that the former NHLer will remain in the organization in a different capacity.  Laperriere has been with Philadelphia since 2012, spending time in player development while also coaching at the NHL and AHL levels.

PHR Mailbag: Coaches, Cup Winner, Hellebuyck, Lightning, Panthers

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Topics in this edition of the mailbag include predictions for the three remaining head coaching vacancies around the NHL, Connor Hellebuyck’s playoff struggles, and more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in one of our next two mailbag columns.

yeasties: Just for funsies, predict who gets hired for the remaining head coach openings?

Let’s jump right in with a tough one, shall we?  There are three remaining openings after Jeff Blashill got the nod in Chicago: Boston, Seattle, and Pittsburgh.  Here are my picks for those three spots.

Bruins: I’ll go with Marco Sturm for them.  While internal options Joe Sacco and Jay Leach are believed to be in the mix still, can they really justify promoting from within after suggesting their intention is to get back to the playoffs next season?  Sturm has plenty of familiarity with the market after spending a lot of time there as a player which might appeal to management and ownership and he has been in the mix for a few top jobs now with experience as an NHL assistant and an AHL head coach.  He’s bound to get one soon and I think it might be here.

Kraken: The sense was that they were waiting for a candidate or two which tells me that Mitch Love may have been on their radar.  After Spencer Carbery did well as a first-time coach in Washington, it stands to reason that one of his assistants would get poached relatively quickly.  While I doubt management will come out and say this, this feels like a spot where they need to do a bit of a reset.  Getting a bit younger and taking a step back feels like a good opening for a first-time NHL head coach to allow him some time to get his feet wet without a lot of pressure.

Penguins: It wasn’t that long ago that Jay Woodcroft was viewed as one of the up-and-coming coaches before he got a short stint in Edmonton where a poor start last season cost him his job.  He has lots of experience working with younger players and at some point, Pittsburgh has to start getting younger.  On the flip side, he also has experience working in a win-now environment which, for better or for worse, appears to the fine line that they’re trying to walk, remaining competitive while getting younger.  A coach with some experience in both worlds like Woodcroft makes some sense here so I’ll go with him.

Schwa: Curious on your cup pick from the Final 4.

It’s hard not to go with Florida here.  The way they came back against Toronto and the way they’ve started against Carolina has been quite impressive.  The way that series is going, they could be in line for a bit of an extended break if it ends quickly which would be critical for a veteran-laden team who went all the way last season.  That would put them in a great spot to start.

My pick to come out of the West is Dallas but that’s not going to be a short series.  After needing 13 games to get this far and likely six or seven in this one, I’m a bit concerned that they might be a bit too worn down by the end of it.  And if Edmonton makes it a repeat of last year’s Final, their goaltending is even more erratic than it was a year ago with more inconsistent special teams.  It’s not that neither team couldn’t win but for me, the Panthers are the current favorite.

PyramidHeadcrab: So, what’s the deal with Connor Hellebuyck? If we look at advanced stats of the team around him, is it truly a case of an elite goalie consistently collapsing in the playoffs? Or is it the defense around him?

It’s absolutely stunning to see the Jets go from winning the Presidents’ Trophy to seeing Hellebuyck post the worst numbers of any goaltender in the playoffs – an unacceptable 0.866 save% (and it was worse than that at various points).

And I guess the follow-up question is… Where does the team go from here? Is this something that can be corrected?

I think there are two parts to it.  One is that the recent road struggles are in his head.  And it’s really only the road games that are the issue.  His home save percentage in the playoffs was .913 and while a pair of shutouts boosted that, those were his last two home games against a tough Dallas team.  I don’t want to take the easy way out and say it’s the yips but that’s a roadblock he’s going to have to get over and generally, the only way to do that is to keep throwing him out there in those situations.  And really, as their sure-fire starter, they’re going to keep doing that.  With the contract he has and not a particularly deep goalie pool of prospects, he will continue to be Winnipeg’s starter for the long haul.  This playoff run doesn’t change that.

The other factor at play that hurts here is game planning.  The book on Hellebuyck is that he’s more prone to be beat when he has to go side to side, suggesting more cross-ice play is the way to go.  If you’re a team playing Winnipeg in game 46 of the regular season, you’re aware of the scouting report but if you don’t play that way, you’re not going to overhaul your strategy for a random game in January.  But if you’re playing them in a best-of-seven series, you’re going to make some changes to try to maximize that particular weakness.  And that has happened for the last couple of years now.  The fix there is goalie coach Wade Flaherty coming up with some adjustments to help Hellebuyck improve in those situations or at least mitigate that weakness.  Considering how long he has been in the league for, I think the latter is more realistic than the former of those two options.

I have a hard time pinning a lot of this on the defense aside from perhaps not making adjustments of their own to take away some of the cross-ice options.  But they only allowed 23 shots per game in the playoffs which, while it’s a bit simplistic, is a number any team would be happy with.  I think Hellebuyck can get past this but there will definitely be question marks for his next playoff run.

The Duke: Lightning Round!

Is Merilainen Ottawa’s backup next season – and eventual #1?
More goals: Gauthier or Carlsson.
Is Snuggerud Top-6 and #1 PP unit?
Is Levshunov or Korchinski Chicago’s PPQB?
Levi’s short- and long-term future?

1) With Ottawa locking in with Linus Ullmark on a long-term pricey deal, it makes sense that the Sens would look to go with a low-cost backup.  That should give Leevi Merilainen the edge but with all of 14 NHL games under his belt, I think they’re going to want an insurance policy.  I could see them going after a lower-tier backup that could push for the backup spot or be on standby in the minors if Merilainen struggles.  Something sort of along the lines of what Buffalo tried to do this year with James Reimer although that didn’t work quite as planned.

2) Short-term, probably Cutter Gauthier.  But if Leo Carlsson’s training wheels eventually comes off and gets into that top-line role, he could be a 35-40-goal player if all went well.  I don’t see Gauthier reaching that level on an annual basis.

3) If all goes well, that should be the outcome for Jimmy Snuggerud.  He got a bit of time in those spots in the playoffs but I wouldn’t expect him to be a fixture in those spots next season as he’ll likely be moved up and down the lineup at times.

4) Out of the two, I’d say Artyom Levshunov since Kevin Korchinski didn’t exactly have a great season and I could see him back in Rockford, to be honest.  With how well Sam Rinzel played down the stretch, he probably will get a shot in that role as well.

5) I think it’s hard for Buffalo to call Devon Levi their starter of the future but I could still see him being viewed internally as a goalie of the future for him.  Whether that’s as a backup or platoon piece remains to be seen.  If it were up to me, he’d play in Rochester next season with Buffalo getting a more proven backup.  But if they need cap space to fill other holes, Levi could start next season as the backup once again.

FeeltheThunder: I’m quite curious about Tampa’s offseason plans. GM Julien BriseBois stated about a week ago that the organization is still debriefing on their offseason plans. However, the belief is they need to boost their bottom-six with more secondary scoring and some additional grit. Furthermore, there is speculation they also need to possibly upgrade their 3rd defensive unit. I’m wondering (and have some ideas) who they should look into or go after in FA whether it’s UFAs or even RFAs in retooling these areas to certain degrees as I would like to hear your thoughts?

Also, with Jeff Blashill leaving as an assistant, does this potentially open the door for Derek Lalonde to return who many Tampa fans want back on the staff?

One last thing, Tampa needs to move Conor Sheary which would give them an additional $2MM in cap space as that $2MM that could be used elsewhere, wouldn’t you agree?

Let’s answer these out of order as the last two are pretty quick.  I agree that they could better use Sheary’s $2MM but he also has negative trade value at this point.  They will have to attach an asset to clear his contract outright and is that better than waiving and burying him in the minors again, clearing $1.15MM off the books?  It depends on what they have in mind for adding to their roster.  As for Lalonde, it’s certainly a possibility if he wants to go back to that role.  But if he wants to be a head coach again, he could opt to stay on the sidelines and be available for any in-season openings, something that wouldn’t be an option if he were an assistant coach somewhere.

Tampa Bay has less than $6MM in cap space to work with, per PuckPedia.  With that, they have a forward or two to add or re-sign and probably at least one defenseman.  That doesn’t leave a lot of flexibility to work with although Gage Goncalves shouldn’t cost too much to re-sign.  Basically, they want to find someone who can fill Sheary’s spot better than Sheary and I agree, helping the third pairing would be ideal.  They’re going to have to aim low to do those things though with their lack of space.

I don’t see them targeting any restricted free agents as they lack the draft capital to go after some of the better options via an offer sheet while diluting their cupboards to fill a depth role doesn’t make a lot of sense when they can probably get a similar UFA to fill the spot where the only cost is money.

Some of the trade deadline candidates I suggested for them before make some sense here.  Luke Kunin won’t score a lot but gives them some positional versatility.  Joel Armia plays a good possession game that would fit on the third line and might only cost a bit more than Sheary.  I think Justin Danforth would be someone they’d like, a player who can play all three forward spots and can cover different roles in the lineup when needed.  When cap space is limited, flexibility becomes a lot more appealing.

For defensemen, assuming that Nick Perbix prices himself out of town, I think they’ll look at a short-term veteran on a one-year deal where they can get creative with bonuses to lower the 2025-26 charge.  Ryan Suter signed a contract like that this summer and might be willing to again.  If they want a right-shot option, Jeff Petry in a limited role could fit.  Jan Rutta, a familiar name for Tampa fans, could be open to a return to the role he had a few years ago.

In a perfect world, they bank some in-season cap space so out of that $5.8MM or so that they have, they might only spend $4.5MM this summer.  With a few players needing to be paid from that, they’re going to be bargain hunting for each role they’re trying to fill.

frozenaquatic: What do you think about this idea that the Panthers are franchise killers? They run roughshod over teams who have no answer for their combination of grit, compete, execution, and opportunism. I’m not a fan, but I’m in awe of how they dismantle teams and expose their flaws — with the Canes it looks like they’re being patient, goading them into taking penalties, and using their size advantage. If they win again this year, would you consider them a dynasty, or do they need one more championship?

Do you think they’ll try and retain Bennett? It seems like Ekblad is out the door, and I think he’s definitely a huge part of their imposing backend. Lastly, what do you think about the talk of them being “dirty,” “headhunting,” and Paul Maurice basically being a bounty coach (obviously not explicitly)?

Back-to-back championships would be impressive but that’s not enough to qualify as a dynasty.  They’d need at least a third in a short period of time to get into that discussion.  I also wouldn’t call them franchise killers.  They’re a well-balanced team with few weaknesses and a deeper roster than it might seem at first glance.  That, coupled with above-average physicality, makes them a tough team to beat but they’re far from unbeatable.  Toronto gave them a good run in five of their seven matchups, at least and had they not fallen apart in one of those, we could easily be seeing a Maple Leafs-Hurricanes matchup here.

I do expect them to try to keep Sam Bennett and I do think he’ll re-sign close to the start of free agency.  He won’t get top dollar from them but their no state tax situation should allow Florida to get close enough where it makes sense for him to stay.  I agree that Aaron Ekblad is likely gone; I think the move they made to get Seth Jones was his preemptive replacement while getting the benefit of having both for this playoff run.

I don’t think they’re necessarily a head-hunting team but they know where the line is and step over it from time to time.  I wouldn’t put Maurice in that category though.  He encourages his teams to be physical but that alone isn’t enough to put that particular qualifier on him.  But his roster has some players who, again, will go over that line at times but I feel that’s of their own volition, not from a sense of expectation from the coach that it needs to happen.

Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.

Steven Kampfer Announces Retirement

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Veteran blueliner Steven Kampfer has decided to call it a career.  Championnat’s Anton Nekrasov relays that Kampfer told fans during a meeting between them and his KHL Traktor team that he is retiring at the age of 36.

Kampfer surprised some by heading to the KHL last summer after spending the previous 15 years in North America.  He played in 59 games in Chelyabinsk this season and fared rather well offensively, tallying 10 goals and 22 assists to lead all Traktor blueliners in scoring.  He was also productive in their run to the Gagarin Cup Finals, picking up four goals and six helpers in 20 postseason efforts.

Kampfer played in 231 career NHL games over parts of nine seasons at the top level with four different teams.  The bulk of those came with Boston where he had 25 points in 113 games over two separate stints with the Bruins, bookending his NHL time.  Overall, Kampfer had 15 goals and 24 assists along with 305 blocks and 328 hits in just under 16 minutes per game at the top level.

He also played in 378 AHL contests over parts of 11 seasons.  His best year offensively at that level came back in 2022-23 when he posted 29 points in 59 games.  In total, Kampfer had 40 goals and 130 assists at that level.  All told, with over 700 professional games between the NHL, AHL, and KHL the 2007 fourth-round pick certainly had a solid career.  We at PHR wish Kampfer well in his retirement.

Sam Reinhart Listed As Out Day-To-Day

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As the Panthers look to take a stranglehold on their Eastern Conference Final series against Carolina tonight, they’ll be doing so without the services of one of their top players.  Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald that forward Sam Reinhart will not play and is listed as day-to-day.

The 29-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of Thursday’s game on a hit from Sebastian Aho.  He left the game and did not return although that didn’t slow Florida down as they picked up the 5-0 victory.

Reinhart didn’t score at quite the same pace as a year ago when he had 57 goals but he was certainly a core contributor this season, tallying 39 goals and 42 assists in 79 games while averaging a career-high 20:30 in ice time, a solid return on the first year of his eight-year, $69MM contract signed on the opening day of free agency last summer.  He hasn’t been quite as productive in the playoffs but is still seventh in team scoring with four goals and seven assists in 14 games.

In Reinhart’s absence, winger Jesper Boqvist will return to the lineup.  He has played in nine playoff games thus far and has a goal and an assist, both coming in the same game in the Toronto series.  Boqvist is averaging just 8:53 per game in the postseason but with Maurice not wanting to change his other lines around, the 26-year-old should be in line for a bigger role as he’ll line up on the top line alongside Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodrigues.

Lukas Rousek Expected To Sign In Sweden

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Sabres center Lukas Rousek’s season was extended by at least one more game following AHL Rochester’s victory on Friday in Laval but it appears his time in North America will soon be coming to an end.  Expressen’s Johan Svensson reports (subscription link) that Rousek will be joining HV71 of the SHL next season.

The 25-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Buffalo back in 2019, going 160th overall.  After spending the following two years in the Czech Extraliga, Rousek came to North America and has spent the last four seasons in Buffalo’s system, primarily at the AHL level.

This season, Rousek played in all 72 games with AHL Rochester, notching seven goals and 35 assists, seeing his per-game numbers dip for the second straight year.  He has been more productive in the playoffs though, collecting two goals and six helpers through six games thus far.

Rousek didn’t see any NHL action this season but does have 17 games at the top level with the Sabres during his time with them.  In those outings, he has a goal and three assists in 10:42 of ice time per game.  Between his age and lack of experience in the NHL, Rousek qualifies for Group Six unrestricted free agency this summer.

Instead of looking to try his hand in another organization to see if he could land a little higher on the depth chart to get another NHL chance, Rousek instead will try his hand with HV71 where he should have a chance to play a prominent role and a good showing with them could boost his stock in North America should he decide to give playing there another push.

Offseason Checklist: Utah Mammoth

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The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those already eliminated through the first couple of rounds.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Utah.

A year ago today, the Utah franchise didn’t even have its initial Hockey Club moniker, nor was the sale officially giving Smith Entertainment Group ownership of the deactivated Coyotes franchise hockey operations assets formally complete.  They gave their new fans in Salt Lake City an entertaining inaugural season in the Beehive State, but some notable injuries on defense early in the season put them in a hole they couldn’t get out of, and they finished seven points out of a playoff spot. However, with a young core and high-end possession numbers to build on, general manager Bill Armstrong will be looking to add once again to thrust the Mammoth franchise out of its years-long rebuild that started in Arizona. Here’s what he’ll look to do to make that happen.

Start Working On Extensions

While Utah has a mammoth amount of salary cap space to work with this summer (more on that later), it’s never too early to start looking ahead, especially when your No. 1 center is entering the final season of his entry-level contract. That’s the case with 21-year-old Logan Cooley, who took a demonstrable step forward for Utah in the second year of his NHL career this season. There’s no real rush – Cooley is a restricted free agent in the summer of 2026 and won’t be arbitration-eligible. Still, it may be advantageous for all parties involved for the two sides to come to terms on a long-term agreement shortly after he becomes eligible to sign an extension on July 1.

Cooley finished the year second on Utah with 65 points in 75 games and averaged nearly 18 minutes per game, up almost two minutes from his rookie deployment. After a corresponding 0.33 points per game improvement between his sophomore and freshman years, there’s reason to believe he can be a point-per-game threat alongside star winger Clayton Keller or sniper Dylan Guenther in 2025-26. It’s worth noting he did operate at a point-per-game pace over the final 18 games of the campaign with Utah in a playoff race.

Utah’s already shown a willingness to give max-term extensions to their foundational pieces early on. Armstrong did so with Guenther last offseason, awarding him an eight-year, $57.14MM extension after just 78 career appearances over two seasons. He rewarded the club with a 60-point effort in 70 games this season. With Cooley entering his first extension-eligible offseason with more than twice the career games played, it stands to reason Armstrong will have no hesitation in pushing for an eight-year contract.

With the salary cap projected to jump to $104MM for 2026-27, it will likely be pricey. AFP Analytics projects a long-term extension for Cooley at a $9.5MM price tag per season for seven years if signed this offseason. Waiting well into next year, if Cooley continues his upward trajectory, could very well mean he demands a price tag in the $10MM range. It’s likely better for the Mammoth to commit now and get a deal across the finish line to ensure any big free-agent spending this summer is amicable toward their long-term salary cap picture.

Stabilize The Goalie Tandem

2024-25 was a pivotal season for Karel Vejmelka. The 28-year-old netminder was inconsistent over his first three NHL seasons in Arizona but emerged as a legitimate No. 1 for Utah this season, starting 55 games with a .904 SV% and 2.58 GAA and ranking 18th in the league with 14.2 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. He earned a five-year extension in March for his work, which included a stretch of 23 straight starts at the tail end of the season with a playoff spot on the line.

The same can be said for Connor Ingram, but not in the same light. After tying for the league lead in shutouts last year, he started just 22 games and regressed to a .882 SV%, 3.27 GAA, and an -11.6 GSAx that ranked 98th out of 103 NHL goalies this season despite his limited workload. The fallback was understandable. He battled through injuries early in the campaign and also lost his mother. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in March, and he remains there today with his status for the beginning of 2025-26 uncertain until the program’s doctors clear him.

With Ingram under contract through next season at $1.95MM, it would make sense for the Mammoth to pursue another backup option in free agency to supplement Vejmelka. Ingram can’t be traded or waived while in the program, although he could be placed on long-term injured reserve to begin the season if he’s expected to miss at least the first 10 games and 24 days of the campaign.

If Ingram returns and plays closer to his 2023-24 form, the UFA pickup can be waived or traded. They already have three minor-league goaltenders signed through next year in Jaxson Stauber, Anson Thornton, and Matt Villalta, so there isn’t a need for another name in the mix with everyone healthy.

Consider Moving Underperforming Forwards

The Mammoth’s first season in Utah was marked by near across-the-board improvement. Wingers Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli were notable exceptions to the rule. Crouse, who’s been with the Arizona/Utah skater group for his entire NHL career and had established himself as a consistent 20-goal, 40-point force, dropped off the map entirely in 2024-25. The 6’4″, 214-lb power forward had just 12 goals and 18 points in 81 games and had his ice time slashed along the way. His 13:44 worth of deployment per game was his lowest in five years.

Maccelli’s regression was also quite disappointing. The 24-year-old Finn looked well on his way toward being a top-nine fixture for the franchise after scoring at a 60-point pace over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. He scored just eight goals and 18 points in 55 games this year, though, spending most of the last few months of the campaign as a healthy scratch due to his limited effectiveness in a checking role compared to Crouse.

Both are making significant cash. Crouse is signed through 2026-27 at a $4.3MM cap hit, while Maccelli has one year left on his deal at $3.425MM. The latter is probably worth keeping around and hoping for a bounceback. Trading him now would mean parting ways at the lowest point of his market value, and his signing rights will still be under team control as an RFA in 2026 if they still want to recoup an asset for him. Crouse, who has a much lower offensive ceiling but boasts a more consistent track record, may draw more interest.

Even with the Mammoth expected to be aggressive in free agency this summer, there isn’t a substantial financial urge for them to move either player. It might be more prudent to hope for rebounds for both next year. They have $21.2MM in cap space to fill just three roster spots, per PuckPedia, enough for them to potentially land the top UFA available in Mitch Marner, re-sign their lone notable RFA in Jack McBain, and land another serviceable depth piece on the open market. Mulling a trade for either Crouse or Maccelli would purely stem from fit and roster construction as the motivating factor.

Land A Needle-Moving Forward

Even with Sean Durzi and John Marino missing significant time on defense and their goaltending outside of Vejmelka putting up poor performances, Utah was still league-average defensively in 2024-25. Some natural improvement will come, especially with underlying metrics painting a much rosier picture of their defensive showing at 5-on-5 than their actual goals against indicate.

But the Mammoth, despite boasting five 20-goal scorers, ranked 20th in the league in offense in 2024-25. They have goal-scoring help coming soon in the form of top prospects Daniil But and Tij Iginla, but for a club with cap space to burn and an eagerness to bring postseason hockey to a new market, they’ll be in on the top names on this year’s UFA market.

They’ll consider the top name available in Marner, but landing a center, particularly one with size, might be the priority to serve as a more veritable second-line option behind Cooley. Former top-five pick Barrett Hayton has finally established himself as a quality two-way piece. He hit 20 goals and 46 points this year and averaged north of 16 minutes per game, but he’s likely best served as a No. 3 option long-term on a contending team.

That’s not to say they won’t look at wingers as well. They have an excellent top-three group at present with Guenther, Keller, and Nick Schmaltz, and Iginla and But will likely fill the last second-line winger role in a few years, but their current options of Crouse, Maccelli, or Josh Doan in the 2RW slot leave a little bit of uncertainty. But whether it’s a name like Marner, Sam Bennett, Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Nelson, or someone else, expect them to have a fresh face near the top end of next year’s lineup to give them an added layer of scoring depth.

Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images.

Eastern Notes: Treliving, Flyers, Byram

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While the Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from Brendan Shanahan on Thursday, the team intends to keep general manager Brad Treliving, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Treliving will report directly to MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley, per Johnston.

Treliving will immediately face tough decisions, as top forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares are set for free agency. Even with the rising salary cap, it seems unlikely Toronto can retain both players and still add other key targets needed to push the team to playoff success.

As Johnston notes, Toronto will more than likely look to lessen the NHL’s largest front office, which included 15 executive positions under Shanahan. Streamlining operations could provide greater clarity for Pelley and Treliving, allowing them to work more efficiently and make clearer decisions. A simplified structure might ultimately prove more effective.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Speaking of Marner, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic wrote that the Philadelphia Flyers should be in the market for forwards this offseason but added that he doesn’t see the potential Toronto free agent or any other big-name player as viable options. While GM Daniel Briere recently expressed that the organization is in a position to add key players as opposed to trade them away, making a move for a player that could receive upwards of $12 million per season may not fit into the Flyers plans. With a roster full of young, promising forwards, adding someone like Marner might accelerate the organization’s timeline prematurely.
  • While the Sabres are gauging the trade market for pending restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram, his new representation has called reports of a trade request a “total fabrication,” per Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report. With Byram set for restricted free agency this summer, he opted to change agents and is now represented by agent Darren Ferris with Quartexx Hockey. Byram set career highs with 38 points in 82 games this past season, while also averaging a career high 22:42 of ice time per game. It will be interesting to see whether the Sabres can generate trade interest for Byram, or if they’ll find a way to keep the 23-year-old long-term.

NHL Won’t Open Expansion Process, Open To Right Bids

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Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addressed a range of topics in an interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, including ongoing expansion talks, updates on a potential collective bargaining agreement extension, and his thoughts on the current playoff format.

LeBrun’s first question focused on the CBA, which the league and NHLPA began discussing in April. While the current CBA doesn’t expire until September 2026, Daly was asked if progress was being made on a possible extension. Daly acknowledged that discussions are ongoing and progressing well, with both sides actively exchanging proposals and continuing the dialogue.

“I don’t have any timetable for you, but I would like to think that we’ll have a successful conclusion at some point in the not-too-distant future,” said Daly.

Daly added that as part of the CBA talks, both sides are discussing solutions to the current LTIR regulations and the lack of a salary cap during the playoffs. As Daly said, “Nothing’s done until it’s done, but I would tell you that I think we’ve made progress toward getting to a good resolution on that issue.”

With rumors swirling about potential expansion teams in Atlanta (for a third time) or Houston, LeBrun asked Daly whether it would be fair to say the league is actively engaged in the expansion process. While Daly said the answer depends on how one defines “expansion process,” he emphasized that the league is always open to the idea if the right opportunity presents itself.

As Daly noted, “I think what Gary (Bettman) is clear about is, there is no current intention to open up a formal expansion process and invite bids. It’s much more of a one-on-one conversation and relationship we have with various potential owners.”

Daly added that he doesn’t believe additional expansion teams would ’water down’ the league, noting that the global pool of elite talent is strong enough to support more NHL clubs. Daly said he shared in those concerns when four expansion teams were added in the late 1990s but added that the hockey world has changed dramatically over the last 25 years, with more elite players are coming from the United States and overseas than ever before.

Daly also touched on the current playoff format, which as LeBrun notes, allows for key matchups like Colorado against Dallas in the first round. Daly acknowledged that, like any topic, the NHL is open to discussing playoff format alternatives with the NHLPA as part of the CBA process but noted that no such discussions have taken place yet.

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