It was a week of highs and lows around the NHL with a triumph at one end and a tragedy at the other. Both of those are among the biggest stories from the past seven days.
Kivlenieks Passes Away: The week got off to a devastating start as Blue Jackets netminder Matiss Kivlenieks passed away as a result of chest trauma due to a fireworks mortar blast. The 24-year-old signed with the Blue Jackets back in 2017 and had been with them since then, splitting time between the AHL and NHL. Everyone here at PHR joins the rest of the hockey community in sending our condolences to his friends and family.
Bjugstad Stays Put: Nick Bjugstad decided that he likes playing in his home state and has decided to continue to do so as he turned down a shot at testing unrestricted free agency and instead signed a one-year, $900K contract with the Wild. The deal represents a significant pay cut as Bjugstad had a $4.1MM AAV on his previous contract with a $5.25MM salary. At the time his previous contract was signed, the 28-year-old looked like a fixture as a second liner but injuries and general ineffectiveness scuttled that. This past season, he was able to stay relatively healthy, suiting up in 44 games, recording 17 points and if he can put up even those numbers next year, he’ll go from being an overpaid role player to a bargain.
Repeat Champions: It’s always difficult to win the Stanley Cup but even more so to do it in two years in a row but that’s what Tampa Bay has been able to accomplish after a 1-0 victory in the fifth game of their series against Montreal to take home their second straight title. Ross Colton was the unlikely hero in the series clincher with the only goal of the contest. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP while Nikita Kucherov, who didn’t play at all during the regular season, led all playoff scorers with 32 points in 24 games. Now, GM Julien BriseBois will be tasked with stripping down his roster with the team already over the cap with several roster spots to be filled. If they’re going to try to make it three championships in a row, they’ll be doing so with a different-looking roster next season.
New Deal For Dermott: The Maple Leafs took care of their only NHL restricted free agent as they inked defenseman Travis Dermott to a two-year, $3MM deal. The 24-year-old had a much more limited role this season, logging a career low 13:13 per game and the end result was a quiet year at the offensive end with just two goals and four assists in 51 contests. He was then a healthy scratch in four of their seven playoff games. Still, Dermott has shown he can be a capable regular and this deal – one that yields a $1.75MM qualifying offer at the end of it – gives him a bit more time to prove himself. We’ll find out in a week and a half if that opportunity will be with Toronto or with Seattle as the Maple Leafs are likely to make him available in expansion.
Tarasenko Wants Out: Earlier this offseason, it was revealed that the Blues were working on finding a new home for winger Vladimir Tarasenko. However, it turns out that Tarasenko himself was seeking the change of scenery, citing a distrust with their medical staff after his first two shoulder surgeries in 2018 and 2019 didn’t solve the problem, resulting in a third procedure that cost him more than half of this season. Having only played 34 regular season games over the past two years combined, there would definitely be some risk but if Tarasenko truly has recovered from these lingering shoulder issues, there would also be plenty of upside in bringing in the 29-year-old.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.