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Devils’ Johnathan Kovacevic Undergoes Knee Surgery

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5/8: Kovacevic has undergone successful knee surgery, per Devils’ team reporter Amanda Stein. General manager Tom Fitzgerald confirmed to Stein that Kovacevic is not expected to be ready for the 2025-26 training camp.

5/1: In the wake of their elimination from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, many New Jersey Devils are beginning to reveal the injuries they were playing through. For defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, that’s a serious knee injury that will require surgery this summer. Kovacevic shared with media that he doesn’t expect to be ready for the start of next season’s training camp, per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.

Kovacevic sustained his knee injury on the first shift of Game 3. He played through the remainder of the first period before being pulled by team doctors during intermission. With the season now over, Kovacevic shared he is still in the process of sorting things out and will likely remain in New Jersey through much of May. That should allow him to continue consulting with team doctors as he maps out this new injury.

Kovacevic was otherwise a pillar of good health this season. He appeared in all but one of New Jersey’s 82 games this season – with his only absence coming in New Jersey’s final game of the season. He recorded 17 points, 72 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 in the full season effort – career-highs in the former two stats, and one plus shy of tying his high in the latter. It was a statement year after Kovacevic was a healthy scratch in 20 games for the Montreal Canadiens last season. On a young Canadiens blue-line, the defensive-minded Kovacevic fell as the odd-man-out – prompting a trade to the Devils on June 30th. He moved to New Jersey seemingly set on the role of seventh-defenseman, behind either Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey. But his strong defensive play , and up-and-down play from the top prospects, quickly pushed the veteran Kovacevic into an everyday role.

The Devils affirmed Kovacevic’s role in the lineup by signing him to a five-year, $20MM contract extension on March 7th. It’s the longest deal of the 27-year-old’s pro career, after his first seven pro seasons were spent on a pair of three-year deals, and a standalone one-year contract. All three were two-way contracts. For the first time in his career, Kovacevic can stand tall knowing he has a spot in the NHL awaiting him next season. That assuredness, and a vague path forward after this injury, will likely keep Kovacevic from rushing back too quick – even if it means cutting into his pre-season availability next season.

Young Prospects Will Give Blues A New Look In 2025-26

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St. Louis Blues fans went through a true roller-coaster this season. The team was coming off a disappointing 2023-24 campaign – marked by disappointing scoring from much of the roster, a second consecutive playoff absence, and the handoff of coaching duties from Stanley Cup winner Craig Berube to rookie NHL coach Drew Bannister. That turnover made it clear that the Blues were in quick need of a retool and a productive offseason.

But general manager Doug Armstrong didn’t lead a flashy charge over the summer. The Blues were relatively quiet through June and July, save for the risqué first-round draft pick of injured defenseman Adam Jiříček and low-cost acquisitions of Radek Faksa and Mathieu Joseph. It was an uninspiring offseason, until Armstrong shocked the hockey world by signing top Edmonton Oilers youngsters Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to offer-sheets in August. The deals, shockingly, went through – making the Blues the first club to pull off a successful offer sheet since the Carolina Hurricanes landed Jesperi Kotkaniemi in 2021. The last successful offer sheet before Carolina was in 2007.

Broberg and Holloway made an instant impact on the Blues lineup. Alongside a shock hire of Jim Montgomery, the Blues were able to use their new additions to will out a run to the postseason, against early-season odds. But a first round exit draws attention back to the roster make up. With little offseason cap space to work with – just over $7MM after Torey Krug goes on long-term injured reserve – and only two pending free agents, it seems the Blues are already set to roll out the same group that lost hold this year.

But that’s where their prospect pool begins to sneak in. The Blues have a rare lineup of top young players ready to carve out an everyday role. Winger Jimmy Snuggerud has seemed to already do such, after netting eight points in his first 14 career games this Spring. While he occupies a strong role in the middle-six, centerman Dalibor Dvorsky will enter a winnable competition against Brayden Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist for a role in the team’s center depth. Dvorsky ranked third on the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds with 45 points in 61 games this season, and showed the heft and grit needed to play at an NHL level in his first two career games, even despite recording no scoring.

It seems wise to bet that Dvorsky will find his way into routine NHL minutes next season. He could be supported by upcoming forwards like Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg, who both flashed strong play in their first AHL season. Theo Lindstein could be a much-needed injection of youth on defense, after spending all season in a daily lineup role in Sweden’s SHL. He recorded just 14 points in 61 games on the year, but reminded the hockey world of his prowess with four points in seven games at the World Junior Championship. St. Louis even has a strong next-man-up in net, after goaltender Colten Ellis managed a dazzling 22-14-3 record and .922 save percentage in 42 AHL games. It was a continuation of Ellis’ strong play in the minors, after he posted a .924 in 16 games of the 2023-24 season.

All of those options will ensure that St. Louis’ deck stays full, even amid a summer with minimal roster flexibility. Getting a full year out of the productive Snuggerud – who already looks at home as a career-Blue – or adding the gut punch of Dvorsky down the lineup chart could go a long way towards making St. Louis a foe to fear in the Western Conference. The Blues finished fifth in the Central Division in each of the last two seasons, but managed a postseason berth by the skin of their teeth this year. With additions of more young and budding talent, their chances of more confidently locking up a summer bid should only continue to rise through the next few years.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Morning Notes: Pietrangelo, Jankowski, Robertson, Heiskanen

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The Vegas Golden Knights were without alternate captain Alex Pietrangelo is Game 1 of the Second Round on Tuesday due to illness. The Golden Knights fell to the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 4-2 without their top-pair defenseman. Pietrangelo played tough minutes for the Golden Knights through the first round, even recording 28:48 in ice time in their overtime win in Game 4. He’s totaled three points in six playoff appearances, while averaging roughly 22:30 in nightly ice time. That mark makes Pietrangelo the second-most utilized defenseman in Vegas’ postseason behind Noah Hanifin, who also has three points. Pietrangelo’s plus-two leads the club in playoff plus-minus, and makes him one of just two defenders with a positive mark, beside Nicolas Hague (plus-one).

The Golden Knights turned towards Kaedan Korczak is Pietrangelo’s absence. Korczak received a sheltered role and under 14 minutes of ice time in what was the first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance of his career. He played through his sophomore season in the NHL this year, netting 10 assists in 40 games after posting nine points in 26 games last season. Korczak is a young, lumbering defenseman who fits Vegas’ M.O. when it comes to shutting down the back-end. But it seems the Golden Knights will need more than that to get around Edmonton and superstar Connor McDavid, who had a point on all four of the Oilers’ goals in Game 1. With a pair of days to rest, Pietrangelo should at least be questionable for Game 2.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Carolina Hurricanes forward Mark Jankowski left the team’s Game 1 matchup early on Tuesday after sustaining an undisclosed injury. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour shared that Jankowski’s injury wasn’t serious and that he’ll be a gametime decision for Thursday’s Game 2, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Jankowski was red-hot in the back-half of Carolina’s regular season after joining the team at the Trade Deadline. He scored eight goals in 19 games with the ’Canes, while shooting at an incredible 38.1 percent success rate. Those numbers have cooled down significantly in the postseason, though Jankowski does have one assist through three appearances so far. He’s been demoted to a seldomly-used, bottom-six role over the start of the postseason, and should be easy to replace if he’s forced to miss time.
  • Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer has shared that forward Jason Robertson will be a game-time decision for Wednesday night’s Game 1, while defenseman Miro Heiskanen will continue to sit out, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News. Getting Robertson back would be an incredible boost for the Stars roster. The winger led the team in goals (35) and ranked second in points (80) through 82 games this season. He continues to stand as a pillar of goal-scoring for the Stars, even as he falls short of reaching the 46 goals and 109 points he posted two seasons ago. Robertson has a pattern of producing in the postseason – with 38 points in 45 career games compiled between 2022 and 2024. Heiskanen will be much of the same upgrade when he’s back to full health. He again served as Dallas’ top defenseman this season and managed 25 points in 50 games before going down with injury. Heiskanen has 61 points in 85 career playoff games, including 16 points in 19 games last season.

Sabres Hire Eric Staal As Special Advisor

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The Buffalo Sabres have hired former NHL forward Eric Staal as a special advisor to general manager Kevyn Adams. Staal’s role will involve supporting multiple aspects of the hockey department, including scouting and direct involvement with players and prospects. That could mean supporting the team’s pre-season rookie or training camps, which would offer invaluable experience to a young Sabres playerbase.

Staal brings 18 years of NHL experience, and a 2006 Stanley Cup win and Finals appearances in 2021 and 2023, to the Sabres organization. He only played in 32 games with the Sabres over his extensive career – coming at the start of the shortened 2020-21 campaign. Staal recorded 10 points and a minus-20 with the Sabres, before being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens mid-season, where he finished the year with 11 points in 42 games, between the regular and postseason.

The bulk of Staal’s career was spent across the Eastern Conference with the Metropolitan Division’s Carolina Hurricanes. He was drafted second-overall in the 2003 NHL Draft and moved to the NHL right away. He was immediately impactful and scored 11 goals and 31 points in 81 games of his rookie season. But that was only a glimmer of Staal’s upside and, after spending the lockout 2004-05 season in the AHL, he posted a true breakout campaign in the 2005-06 season. Staal led the Hurricanes in scoring with an incredible 45 goals and 100 points in the regular season, then added 28 points in 25 postseason games to push Carolina to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Staal never topped his performance in 2005-06, but he did continue to rival 30 or 40 goals and/or 70 or 80 points throughout the next 10 years in Carolina. That scoring stuttered when he left Carolina for the New York Rangers partway through the 2015-16 season, but Staal rediscovered it by joining the Minnesota Wild from 2016 to 2020. He added two more seasons of 65-or-more points, and one 40-goal campaign in his age-33 season, during his time in Minnesota. Staal left for the Sabres in the 2020 off-season, and lost his grip on top scoring soon after that – though he had a pair of final hoorays as the 2021 Canadiens and 2023 Panthers carried him to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Both teams lost, but the experience gave Staal a hint of the Cup-winning heights he reached early in his career. He’ll now turn his attention towards the operational side of hockey, looking to bring a habit of Cup pursuits to a desolate Sabres squad. With the right momentum, this could be the move that sparks a long managerial career for Staal.

Lightning Sign Jonas Johansson To Two-Year Extension

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed depth goaltender Jonas Johansson to a two-year, $2.5MM contract extension. Johansson was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Instead, he’ll re-up with the team after spending the full season on the NHL roster.

This season marked Johansson’s second consecutive season serving as Tampa Bay’s full-time backup. He seemed to find a bit more comfort in the role this year, recording a 9-6-3 record and .895 save percentage through 19 games – slightly better than his 12-7-5 record and .890 Sv% in 26 games last year. The boost in ice time last season came largely as a result of superstar starter Andrei Vasilevskiy missing nearly two full months to start the season due to injury. Vasilevskiy returned with vigor this year, recording a .923 Sv% through 63 games on the season. Those numbers are certainly strong enough to keep his feet planted in the high-usage role, while Johansson should gain clear control of the backup role now on an NHL salary. Johansson has totaled a 21-13-8 record and .892 Sv% in 45 career games with Tampa Bay.

Prior to his time in Tampa Bay, Johansson went through stretches with in the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers organizations. He struggled to earn NHL minutes at every stop, and often found himself rotating between the major and minor lineups, serving as a fill-in for injuries or absences. Johansson did have a hardy stretch as an ECHL and AHL starter from 2016 to 2020, and even posted a career-year in 2019-20 with a 14-4-3 record and .921 Sv% in 22 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Through his career, he’s totaled 32 wins and a .890 Sv% in 80 NHL games; and 39 wins and a .911 Sv% in 69 AHL games.

Lane Hutson, Macklin Celebrini, Dustin Wolf Named Calder Trophy Finalists

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The NHL announced the finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy ahead of the 2025 Draft Lottery. The award is handed out annually to the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. This year’s finalists will be Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, San Jose Sharks centerman Macklin Celebrini, and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf.

The 2025 Calder Trophy race has been anticipated for years. Celebrini headlined a class full of rookie talent, and seemed deadset on a bid for the award after going first-overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. But his rookie year exceeded even optimistic expectations, as Celebrini managed to lead the Sharks in scoring with 63 points in 70 games – an 82-game pace of 74 points. He also recorded 25 goals on the year, making him the second rookie to reach that mark since Kirill Kaprizov in the 2020-21 season alongside Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, who recorded 26 goals.

Celebrini managed that scoring despite playing for a dismally low-scoring Sharks roster. San Jose ranked dead-last in scoring this season, with just 208 total goals – four fewer than the dismal Nashville Predators. It was the seventh-fewest total goals scored by a team since 2021, though a slight bump over the 180 goals San Jose totaled last year. That difference – 28 goals – can largely be chalked up to the impacts Celebrini made by seamlessly entering San Jose’s top center role. The Vancouver native won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s MVP last season, and both the MVP and ’Rookie of the Year’ awards in the USHL the year before. A title win here would continue his streak of lifting hardware at every single stop.

But a smooth and successful rookie flight won’t win Celebrini the award outright. Hutson offers formidable competition after scoring the fifth-most points from a rookie defenseman in NHL history. More impressive than that, Hutson’s 60 assists tie with Larry Murphy for the most ever recorded by a rookie defender. That is Hall of Fame company for the young Canadiens defenseman – an incredible mark given the fact that he wasn’t a first-round draft pick just three years ago. Hutson instead went 62nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, nearly out of the second round as well. He followed his draft selection with two standout seasons in college hockey, where he was named a Hobey Baker finalists in both seasons.

Through dazzling paths to the show, neither Hutson nor Celebrini had a tougher path to a starring role than Dustin Wolf did. Wolf was a seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, selected just four picks before the end of the draft. Like Hutson, many docked his size and ability to play the position at a top role. But Wolf quickly began to silence critics when he turned pro in the 2021-22 season. He set a fantastic 33-9-4 record and .924 save percentage in the AHL that season, good enough to land the ’Baz Bastien’ Award as ’AHL Goalie of the Year’ in his rookie season. Even more impressive than that, Wolf improved on the feat in his sophomore season – recording a 42-10-2 record and .932 and again winning ’Goalie of the Year’. He became just the third goaltender to ever win the award twice, and the first to do it in back-to-back seasons.

Wolf split time between the NHL and AHL lineups last season, hampering his chances for a three-peat of the AHL title. But he could make up for that by winning NHL ’Rookie of the Year’ this summer. Calgary’s success this season seemed to hinge on Wolf’s ability to perform on a nightly basis – and their finish as the highest-scoring team to ever miss the postseason is a testament to his prowess. He finished the year with 0.224 goals-saved above-expected per-60. That’s to say, on a nightly basis, Wolf’s appearance in net afforded Calgary a 0.224 goal advantage – 21st highest in the league between Mackenzie Blackwood (0.248) and Jake Oettinger (0.188). While Celebrini’s impact on a desolate Sharks lineup, or Hutson’s rival of the record books, may warrant more acclaim – Wolf’s rookie year will cement his spot in the Flames lineup all the same.

Sharks’ William Eklund Undergoes Surgery, Will Miss World Championship

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Team Sweden had a scary start to their pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the World Championship, when top forward William Eklund has his wrist cut by a skate blade. Eklund very quickly left the ice and received medical attention. Shortly after, his agent, Todd Diamond, told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey News that Eklund was in stable condition and that the cut seemed to avoid any major tendons or nerves. Now, Diamond has also told Peng that Eklund has undergone surgery to address his laceration and will spend the next three months recovering from the procedure. His recovery isn’t expected to interfere with Eklund’s preparation for next season’s training camp – but he will be forced to miss the entirety of the World Championship.

All things considered, Sharks fans can breath a sigh of relief with this news. Eklund’s injury was scary for many reasons, but the budding star should be able to mount a full recovery before his third full NHL season. Eklund was one of the few bright spots on the Stars roster last season, ending the year second on the team in scoring with 58 points in 77 games. He also recorded 41 assists in a full season next to superstar Macklin Celebrini, making Eklund the first Shark to break the 40-assist mark since Tomas Hertl in 2022-23 and Timo Meier in 2021-22. That’s certainly welcome company for the dynamic Eklund, especially as San Jose eyes adding another franchise-definer with a top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

This year marked Eklund’s first opportunity to participate with Sweden’s Men’s team on an intercontinental level. Unlike many top prospects, Eklund didn’t get any chance to participate in the World U18 Championship, and only appeared in two World Junior Championship games, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and an early COVID infection. He’ll now have to wait even longer before he can make an impact on Sweden’s trophy cabinet – though a feature on the World Championship roster, and a 40-assist season in the NHL, should give Eklund a good shot at making the 2026 Winter Olympics roster.

Predators’ Barry Trotz Needs To Have A Much Better Summer

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Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz had an illustrious career behind the bench as a head coach, winning a Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals and accumulating many other accolades. He was also the first and longest-tenured coach in the Predators’ history.

But his short time in Nashville as a GM has been eventful, to say the least. Trotz had orchestrated a significant roster turnover that resulted in one of the worst teams in the NHL this season, despite major free agent signings less than a year ago. Given all that has gone on and the direction of the Predators, it is fair to wonder if he is on the hot seat.

Trotz started his reign in Nashville by moving out considerable salaries in Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, who both made $8MM annually on long-term deals signed by the previous management regime led by longtime GM David Poile. Johansen was traded to Colorado, with Nashville retaining half of his cap hit ($4MM) while Duchene was bought out, resulting in a cap charge for the next season of $6.55MM.

Trotz used the cap space to retool his roster in the summer of 2023, signing Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year deal worth $18MM and inking Gustav Nyquist and Luke Schenn to multi-year deals in free agency. The initial results were solid as the Predators made the playoffs in Trotz’s first year at the helm and were bounced in the first round. Overall, it was a good albeit unspectacular first year of work as a GM for Trotz, but that is where things began to go off the rails.

If you looked strictly at the trades Nashville made with the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past year, it would be enough to question the Predators’ direction. But there were signings and moves outside those that have already aged poorly, which may hurt the team for years. Trotz traded Cody Glass to the Penguins last August, along with a third and sixth-round draft pick, for Jordan Frasca, a prospect who might not even be an AHLer at this point.

The move was a salary dump after the Predators’ shopping spree on July 1 that saw them sign Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault to lucrative long-term deals. Glass was owed one more year on his contract at $2.5MM. The Penguins were happy to take that on and flipped him at the NHL Trade Deadline to New Jersey for another third-round pick and two prospects. The trade tree must make one wonder what exactly Trotz thought last August.

Of course, the Philip Tomasino trade to Pittsburgh for a fourth-round pick looks like a massive win for the Penguins. Tomasino didn’t light up the score sheet, but he seems like a solid top-nine piece for the Penguins’ retool. The 23-year-old was the Predators’ 2019 first-round pick (24th overall) and had a terrific rookie season in Nashville, posting 11 goals and 21 assists in 76 games in 2021-22. However, after two uneven seasons, Trotz opted to move on and sent Tomasino to the Penguins. After arriving in Pittsburgh, the Mississauga, Ontario native tallied 11 goals and 12 assists in 50 games. He doesn’t look like a superstar, but he should be a promising young player for the Pens.

Finally, there is the trade deadline acquisition of Michael Bunting from Pittsburgh. The Predators moved Thomas Novak and Luke Schenn for Bunting and a fourth-round pick. The trade was puzzling at first, but then a day later, Pittsburgh flipped Schenn out for a second and fourth-round pick, and it became clear what their motive was. They added a younger (possibly more effective) player in Novak and a second-round pick, which was icing on the cake.

These trades with Pittsburgh show Trotz’s inexperience as a GM and indicate he should probably block Kyle Dubas’ phone number before this summer. The player evaluation from the Nashville side has got to be troublesome for fans as they struggle to comprehend that series of moves. But that wasn’t all that went wrong in Trotz’s second year on the job.

The aforementioned free agent spending spree on July 1, 2024, made a lot of waves around the NHL. Nashville handed Stamkos a four-year deal for $8MM per season, Skjei got $7MM annually on a seven-year contract, and Marchessault received a $5.5MM AAV for five seasons. None of those moves in a vacuum were terrible signings, although paying three players on the wrong side of 30 a total of $20.5MM annually is hard to digest. The thought process made sense, given that Nashville has a lot of draft pick capital, but the free agent signings failed to gel in Nashville, and the result was one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Trotz hasn’t been without his solid moves. He hasn’t been afraid to undo prior mistakes or move on from players he’s acquired if they aren’t working in Nashville. That ability to adjust on the fly and course correct will come in handy and could be the tool that helps Trotz pivot if next season goes off the rails like last year did.

Now, much of Trotz’s future will depend on the upcoming season. If Stamkos, Skjei and Marchessault can find their respective games and lead Nashville back to contention, all will be forgotten, and Trotz will continue as Predators GM. Still, if they have a year like the previous one, and Trotz makes moves similar to the transactions over the last 12 months, Nashville may have to pivot and reimagine their roster under new management.

Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Morning Notes: Marner, Stars, Buium, Lindholm

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were without star winger Mitch Marner at Sunday morning’s practice, as Marner attends to the birth of his first child. He isn’t expected to miss any time, helped along by Toronto’s second round matchup against the Florida Panthers beginning at home on Monday. Marner finally broke through the 100-point glass ceiling this season, scoring a career-high 102 points in 81 games played. He also recorded just 14 penalty minutes – a career-low. Those marks have carried into the postseason, with Marner netting one goal, eight points, and no penalties in six games of the first round. He is notably just under two months away from hitting the open market, unless Toronto can manage an eight-figure contract extension before July 1st. Marner is performing at a top mark at the perfect time – but he’ll have to hold onto the scoring role if Toronto wants to get by a Panthers lineup that averaged the fifth-most goals-per-game in the first round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Dallas Stars head coach told the media on Sunday that it is still unlikely Jason Robertson or Miro Heiskanen are ready for the start of the second round, per Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. DeBoer did share a glimmer of hope, though, adding that both players should be good to go at some point during round two. The Stars lineup will undeniably improve when they receive their top goal-scorer and top defender back from prolonged injury – an exciting thought to consider after they beat the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game series. Robertson and Heiskanen – who both have returned to skating at optional practices – will have at least four more games to work their way back into the lineup.
  • Star prospect Zeev Buium only appeared in four games before the Minnesota Wild were eliminated from playoff contention. He performed well in those appearances, netting one assist and four penalty minutes from a depth role, and now faces the a transitional summer as he moves from college to the NHL full-time. Buium hasn’t shared too many details of what the summer will look like, but he did announce that he’ll join Team USA at the World Championship, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Buium represented his country at the World U18 Championshp in 2023 – netting six points in seven games – and at each of the last two World Juniors – where he combined for 11 points in 14 games. Now, he’ll get to join the Americans at the top flight – stepping onto a blue-line full of young-and-upcoming defensive talent. Buium will fight for a role over Mason Lohrei, Jackson LaCombe, and Michael Kesselring.
  • Speaking of Worlds, the Boston Bruins have shared that centerman Elias Lindholm will join the Team Sweden roster immediately. Lindholm hasn’t played at this tournament since 2019, when he scored six points in eight games. That was Lindholm’s third-consecutive season joining the Swedes at the World Championship. Across the trio of years, he combined for 19 points in 26 games. Lindholm’s only opportunity to represent Sweden since 2020 came earlier this year, when he participated in three games of the 4-Nations Face-Off and managed no scoring. Lindholm totaled 47 points in 82 games of the NHL season, his lowest scoring pace since he recorded 21 points in 58 games as a rookie.

These Players Could Benefit From A Change Of Scenery Trade

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The classic change of scenery trade has been around in professional sports for decades and pre-dates salary caps. A change of scenery trade usually occurs when two (or more) teams swap underperforming players relative to their salary, or a single player is moved out for a fresh start elsewhere. In the case of the NHL, the team would make this move to avoid buying out a player or burying them in the minors. The hope is that a different role or a new environment can jumpstart a player’s play and rejuvenate their career. The trade doesn’t always have to involve another player on a bad contract; it can also include a sweetener to entice another team to take on a bad contract or a player to be named later. In any event, teams are gambling on a return to form when they make this transaction, and there is always a risk when trading away an underperforming player or acquiring one.

The list of reasons a team might do it can extend beyond someone’s performance, but that is usually the main driver for the move. Some recent changes in scenery trades include the Milan Lucic for James Neal trade of 2019, when the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames linked up for a rare Alberta trade. Another example is the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade between Vancouver and Arizona that sent Larsson to the Canucks and Loui Eriksson to the Arizona Coyotes (plus many other pieces).  Finally, a recent change of scenery was between Buffalo and Ottawa at the NHL Trade Deadline when Buffalo swapped Dylan Cozens for Joshua Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Here are the top NHL players who could benefit from a change-of-scenery trade.

First up is Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson. There might not be any name on this list that sparks more of a response than Pettersson, who just completed the first year of an eight-year $92.8MM extension. The 26-year-old had just 15 goals and 30 assists in 64 games this season and became a lightning rod of criticism for many reasons. Pettersson’s uneven play added fuel to a firestorm that brewed from Pettersson’s deteriorating relationship with former Canucks teammate J.T. Miller. Eventually, Miller was dealt to the Rangers, but at this stage, it might be best for Pettersson and the Canucks if he was moved as well.

A trade of that magnitude will be tough to pull off and would no doubt require the Canucks to either retain (unlikely) or bring significant salary back in the move. The Norris/Cozens swap showed that moving significant money is possible. Still, the Canucks will have to hunt for another team with a player (or players) who need to kickstart their careers with a fresh start in a new organization.

Now, transitioning to Anaheim and forward Trevor Zegras. A few years ago, people were projecting Zegras to become a franchise cornerstone for the Ducks, but those expectations were likely overstated due to the flair with which Zegras was putting up offense. The 24-year-old is undoubtedly talented, but he does too little away from the puck and doesn’t do enough with it these days to make up for his shortcomings. A former ninth-overall pick, Zegras could still be very productive in a different role on a team where he isn’t a focal point.

A team like Pittsburgh might make sense for Zegras, as the Penguins have been stockpiling young, talented forwards who have underperformed and would likely be interested. The problem for the Penguins is that they also have players underperforming under big contracts and might not want to take on another problematic cap hit if they can’t get Zegras to buy in and make the changes necessary to flourish. There are plenty of markets in which Zegras could be a fit, and there should be interest in him if Anaheim opts to move him. Something that would be beneficial for both sides.

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier is another player who could use a fresh start in a new city. The 32-year-old has been relatively healthy the last few seasons, and while he hasn’t produced the same level of offense as he did earlier in his career, he has become a productive player once again. The issue with Couturier is that he will not live up to his $7.75MM price tag at this stage in his career and will likely never. Even if Couturier were to get back to his previous level of play, he doesn’t fit Philadelphia’s timeline, and his play may not even be at its current level when the team is ready to contend.

A Couturier trade would benefit both the player and the team. Still, it would be a complicated move requiring Philadelphia to eat a large portion of the AAV, something they may not want to do with five years left on the deal and over $36MM in actual cash left on the tab. A team with a strong forward group could look at Couturier as a potential candidate to bounce back if he can play with better players than he has in Philadelphia. Still, he would be an expensive risk even if Philly were to eat a significant portion of his salary.

Next up is defenseman Damon Severson of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who is just two years into an eight-year $50MM deal and has not been a good fit in Columbus. The 30-year-old was once a solid offensive defenseman for the New Jersey Devils but has fallen on hard times in Columbus and was a healthy scratch at times this past season in favor of 38-year-old Jack Johnson. Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, Severson (and his contract) have become an issue for the Blue Jackets.

Perhaps Columbus could link up with a division rival to facilitate a genuine change of scenery trade for another former Devils defenseman who has struggled, Ryan Graves of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Graves also just completed the second year of his contract, a six-year deal with an AAV of $4.5MM. Graves has been an unmitigated disaster for the Penguins, playing under a virtually buyout-proof contract. Since signing with Pittsburgh on July 1st, 2023, Graves has dressed in 131 games and has posted just four goals and 14 assists total. Last year was especially tough as the 29-year-old had just four points in 61 games. Perhaps no one needs a change of scenery more than Graves, and it feels unlikely he will get one anytime soon as Pittsburgh enters another retooling season. The Penguins aren’t going to use assets to get rid of his contract (at this time), which leaves a demotion to the AHL or a trade to another team as the likelier option. A swap for a player like Severson makes sense in theory, but Pittsburgh probably doesn’t have an appetite to take on a bigger cap hit for an older player for a more extended period.

Finally, we have goaltender Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry is a former two-time NHL All-Star but has not played remotely close to that level since inking a five-year, $26.88MM contract on July 1st, 2023. The 30-year-old was demoted to the AHL twice this past season but returned at the end to go on a solid run to close out the year. Jarry could benefit from a blank slate more than anyone in the NHL and would be ideally suited to operate with another solid netminder. Jarry’s inconsistency makes it nearly impossible to rely on him as your sole starter, but if he has a safety net, he could regain the form he showed early in his career.

As much as a fresh start would do him some good, Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes there is a very good chance that Jarry starts next season in Pittsburgh, which likely indicates there isn’t a trade market for Jarry’s services now. The Penguins aren’t interested in paying to get rid of his contract, and it may be best to hold on and let him either play out of his funk and get some trade value again or have him tank next season and allow them to get a top draft pick in a strong draft. For Jarry, though, a fresh start would give him room to breathe and remove the pressure of a fan base calling for him to be moved for quite some time.

Photo by Brett Holmes-USA TODAY Sports

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