Archives for October 2021

15 Players Clear Waivers

October 2, 2021 at 1:05 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Saturday: Aside from Montembeault who was claimed by Montreal, the other 15 players cleared waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).

Friday: While there weren’t quite as many players placed on waivers today compared to Thursday, it’s still a long list. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star and TSN reports (Twitter links) that the following players have been put on the waiver wire:

Ben Gleason (DAL)
Joel L’Esperance (DAL)
Zac Dalpe (FLA)
Noah Juulsen (FLA)
Sam Montembeault (FLA)
Kevin Czuczman (MIN)
Joe Hicketts (MIN)
Dakota Mermis (MIN)
Mason Shaw (MIN)
Taylor Fedun (PIT)
Jayden Halbgewachs (SJ)
Joel Kellman (SJ)
Jaycob Megna (SJ)
Nicholas Merkley (SJ)
Teemu Kivihalme (TOR)

James Mirtle of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that Hurricanes goaltender Alex Lyon is also on waivers today.

Two of Florida’s players stand out among the group. Juulsen was claimed off waivers by the Panthers from Montreal late in training camp last season but the 26th pick in 2015 was still only limited to four NHL games last season in part due to injury. As for Montembeault, the 24-year-old didn’t see any NHL action last season but has 25 career appearances under his belt and with the way goalies moved around on waivers last season, a claim can’t be ruled out.

Among the others, Merkley had 10 points in 27 games with New Jersey last season before being traded to San Jose over the offseason while Halbgewachs was a top scorer in the WHL several years ago and has had some success so far in the minors. Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Saturday to place a claim.

Meanwhile, Johnston adds (Twitter link) that all 21 players that were on waivers yesterday passed through unclaimed.

Injury Updates: Backstrom, Kravtsov, Boeser, Senators

October 2, 2021 at 12:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom doesn’t want to rule out the possibility that he’s available for Washington’s season opener, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reports that all signs point to the veteran not being available when the regular season gets underway. Backstrom is dealing with a hip injury, the same side that he had surgery on in 2015 and is hopeful to start skating soon. The Caps don’t have the cap space to carry a full 23-man roster so this could put them in a bit of a tight squeeze to start the season. It could, however, create an opening for youngster Connor McMichael to break camp in a top-six role, at least in the short term. Backstrom would need to miss three weeks and ten games to be eligible for LTIR relief.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

Rangers winger Vitali Kravtsov left Friday’s game after the first period due to a lower-body injury but it’s not believed to be a serious one, head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters including Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Kravtsov had four points in 20 games last season after coming over from the KHL and is expected to have a regular role in their lineup in 2021-22.
Canucks winger Brock Boeser will miss at least a week due to an undisclosed injury, relays Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday but hasn’t skated since. With still more than a week left until the start of the regular season, Boeser should be ready to go on opening night as long as there aren’t any setbacks along the way.
Senators defenseman Victor Mete suffered a minor injury in Friday’s victory over Montreal and while he was supposed to play tonight as well, that won’t be the case, notes Ian Mendes of The Athletic (Twitter link). There’s no word regarding the nature of the injury. Meanwhile, Mendes adds in a separate tweet that prospect Parker Kelly is undergoing further evaluation for an upper-body injury that he suffered last night and that they’re hoping for more information on how long he might be out for on Sunday.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

October 2, 2021 at 11:52 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

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

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $72,103,969 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Morgan Barron (two years, $925K)
F Adam Fox (one year, $925K)
F Kaapo Kakko (one year, $925K)
F Vitali Kravtsov (one year, $925K)
F Alexis Lafreniere (one year, $925K)
D Nils Lundkvist (three years, $925K)
D K’Andre Miller (two years, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Barron: $850K
Fox: $850K
Kakko: $2.65MM
Kravtsov: $850K
Lafreniere: $2.85MM
Lundkvist: $850K
Miller: $350K
Total: $9.25MM

Kakko’s first two seasons haven’t gone particularly well as he hasn’t been able to produce with much consistency. That can certainly change but at this point, a shorter-term second contract seems likelier than a long-term pact while the bulk of those bonuses won’t be met. Lafreniere’s rookie campaign was similar to Kakko’s and he is one of New York’s big wild cards heading into this season. A strong sophomore year could put him in position to meet most of his ‘A’ bonuses at least, totaling $850K though the ‘B’ bonuses remain unlikely. Kravtsov had a good season in the KHL but was relatively quiet in his first taste of NHL action. Now only a year away from his second contract, a bridge deal should be forthcoming. Barron may wind up also seeing action in AHL Hartford but if he winds up being a regular, he’s likely not going to be able to hit most of his ‘A’ bonuses.

Fox, the Norris Trophy winner, is on quite the bargain of a contract. His sophomore season was a dominant one and it’s safe to say he’ll be using some of the recent contracts for Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen (eight years, $8.45MM AAV) and Colorado’s Cale Makar (six years, $9MM AAV) as comparables. As long as he stays healthy, he should hit all of his ‘A’ bonuses. Miller is likely to have a similar role on New York’s back end this season which should give him a shot at two or three of his ‘A’ bonuses while setting him up for a nice second contract though nowhere near what Fox’s will be. Lundkvist is expected to contend for a regular role but if they ease him in, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to hit most of his bonuses.

There’s more emphasis on bonuses here than usual for a reason. While the Rangers are more than $9MM under the cap, that doesn’t factor in bonuses. Knowing that several million of those bonuses are likely to be hit, their effective cap space is lower unless they want to face an overage penalty in 2022-23 which would not be a wise idea if it can be avoided.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Sammy Blais ($1.5MM, RFA)
F Julien Gauthier ($775K, RFA)
G Alexandar Georgiev ($2.425MM, RFA)
D Libor Hajek ($874K, RFA)
F Ryan Strome ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Mika Zibanejad ($5.35MM, UFA)

All eyes are on Zibanejad as what happens with him will greatly affect their plans moving forward. If they lock him up to a long-term extension which could cost upwards of $10MM based on his current asking price, it’s going to take them out of the mix for adding down the middle. On the flip side, if they don’t re-sign the 28-year-old, they’ll be entering next summer with a significant void down the middle to try to fill if they aren’t able to trade for a certain Buffalo center by then. For the time being, Zibanejad is a number one pivot that’s being paid like a number two center which is a great bargain for the Rangers but that is going to change before next season one way or the other.

New York reportedly gave consideration to non-tendering Strome in the 2020 offseason before signing him to this deal and he responded with a career year. Part of that is playing with a top winger but another showing like that will give him a lot more leverage than he’s accustomed to having as he enters the UFA market for the first time. Blais was brought in to give the team some more grit but he will need to produce more offensively if he wants to get much more than his $1.6MM qualifying offer. Gauthier managed to earn a spot on the fourth line for a good chunk of last season but will need to bring something offensively to the table. He has produced at the lower levels but two goals in 47 career games isn’t going to help his cause for a new deal.

Georgiev has seen his save percentage dip each season which is never a good sign while he is now firmly entrenched as the backup. His $2.65MM qualifying offer may be a bit high for what they’ll be able to afford next season so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in trade speculation again. With the going rate for a good backup, Georgiev’s next deal should come in only a bit higher than his qualifier unless he has a big platform year.

Two Years Remaining

F Filip Chytil ($2.3MM, RFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($1.75MM, UFA)
D Jarred Tinordi ($900K, UFA)

The Rangers drafted Chytil hoping that he would eventually fill a role down the middle. That could still happen but so far, he has primarily been on the wing while his production has largely been limited so far. Still just 22, that could change between now and 2023 where he’ll be owed a $2.6MM qualifying offer. He’ll need to improve his offensive output to have a shot at earning a bigger raise beyond his qualifier. Reaves is high-paid for the limited minutes he plays but players like him are always in demand. He’ll be 36 when his one-year extension is up and at that point, it seems unlikely that he’ll be looking at a raise.

Tinordi has taken a long time to get to the NHL but a good showing in the second half of last season allowed him to land a two-year, one-way commitment on the open market. If he can hold down a regular spot on the third pairing each season, he’ll have a shot at a bigger deal in 2023 but if he winds up being more of a depth player as he typically has been, this is about as high as his salary will get.

Three Years Remaining

D Ryan Lindgren ($3MM, RFA)
D Patrik Nemeth ($2.5MM, UFA)

Lindgren moved into a regular top-four role for the first time last season and handled the extra responsibility well, earning him this three-year bridge deal that allows both sides to reassess before he gets to the open market. Owed a $3.6MM qualifying offer (120% of the AAV is lower than the final-year salary), Lindgren will need to do more at the offensive end if he wants to get more than that. Stay-at-home defenders can provide value still but at a lower price point than more offensive counterparts. Nemeth is a good example of that. He was in Detroit’s top four for most of the last two seasons (plus a short stint on Colorado’s third pairing) but while he’s steady in his own end, his market value is capped by a lack of production.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Barclay Goodrow ($3.642MM through 2026-27)
F Chris Kreider ($6.5MM through 2026-27)
F Artemi Panarin ($11.643MM through 2025-26)
G Igor Shesterkin ($5.667MM through 2024-25)
D Jacob Trouba ($8MM through 2025-26)

There’s no doubt that Panarin’s contract is on the high side – he’s the highest-paid winger in the league. However, the Rangers have gotten two high-scoring years out of him so far. It’s never going to be a bargain price tag but so far, so good on the production side of things. Kreider’s deal is cheaper but has the potential to be more concerning. As their younger wingers move up the depth chart, Kreider will see his role reduced while power forwards don’t always age well. It seems likely that his contract will be an issue for them at some point down the road. Goodrow managed to land a six-year deal which is impressive for a bottom-six player but he had a big impact for Tampa Bay on their third line and for the Rangers to trade for his rights early to give him the contract, they must have felt that bigger offers were coming had he made it to the open market.

Trouba was brought in to be the all-situations player that he wanted to be in Winnipeg but didn’t get the chance there. He hasn’t exactly made the most of the opportunity. His production has fallen off and while he’s still a top-four defender, he’s getting paid to be a number one, not a solid role player.

Shesterkin’s NHL experience is quite limited – 47 career regular season games, to be exact – but he still carried some leverage in negotiations this summer which led to a four-year deal. The 25-year-old had long been their goalie of the future while his early performance suggests he can live up to that billing. The price tag is reasonable for someone in that role so while it’s pricey for someone with as little NHL experience as he has, they should get a good return on their investment.

Buyouts

D Anthony DeAngelo ($383K in 2021-22, $883K in 2022-23)
D Dan Girardi ($1.11MM through 2022-23)
G Henrik Lundqvist ($1.5MM in 2021-22)
F Brad Richards ($1.055MM through 2025-26, cap-exempt)
D Kevin Shattenkirk ($1.433MM through 2022-23)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Zibanejad (among non-ELC deals)
Worst Value: Trouba

Looking Ahead

Cap space isn’t going to be an issue for GM Chris Drury this season as even after factoring in their bonus situation, they’ll have ample space to try to add if the opportunity presents itself. Having nearly a third of the roster on entry-level deals typically means a team is in good shape cap-wise.

But that only lasts for so long. Big deals are on the horizon for Zibanejad and Fox for next season and likely Lafreniere a year later so those bargains won’t be in place much longer. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rangers be a cap ceiling team as early as 2022-23. Accordingly, if Drury does add this season, it’s likely they’ll be targeting expiring contracts before their core gets a lot more expensive fairly quickly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Metropolitan Notes: Nyquist, Domi, Hajek, Jarvis

October 2, 2021 at 10:47 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While Blue Jackets winger Gustav Nyquist has yet to suit up in the exhibition season, don’t interpret that as a setback in his return from a shoulder injury. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes that the veteran is cleared for contact and is on the second line in practice but clearly, they’re being cautious after the 32-year-old missed all of last season. Meanwhile, center Max Domi did some drills at practice on Friday as he works his way back from shoulder surgery of his own. He’s still expected to be out until November at the earliest but his participation in practice suggests his recovery could be on the shorter end of the five-to-six-month timeline.

Montreal’s Sami Niku Suffers Concussion

October 2, 2021 at 10:15 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Saturday: The Canadiens announced that Niku suffered a concussion on the play and is out indefinitely.

Friday: Newly signed Montreal Canadiens defenseman Sami Niku has left tonight’s preseason game against the Ottawa Senators and won’t return. The team reports he suffered an upper-body injury, leaving the game after a hit from Ottawa’s Josh Norris.

Niku signed a one-year, two-way deal with Montreal on September 24 after having his contract with the Winnipeg Jets mutually terminated. It was going to be the second year of a two-year deal for him with a cap hit of $725,000.

Drafted 198th overall in 2015, Niku’s stock rose steadily within the Winnipeg organization after his draft year. He had two impressive seasons with JYP in the Liiga in 2015-16 and 2016-17, tallying 38 points in 97 games while holding his own defensively in a professional league.

It hasn’t gone nearly as smoothly for Niku in the NHL, though, struggling to land a full-time spot with the team. Niku spent the majority of 2020-21 on the taxi squad, getting into just six games with Winnipeg and no AHL time whatsoever. Over a four-year career in Winnipeg, Niku’s gotten into 54 games, scoring two goals and eight assists for 10 points.

Niku was hoping a change of scenery and an uncertain defense in Montreal could translate into a consistent lineup spot this season. With Shea Weber missing the entire year and Alexander Romanov possibly moving into a top-four role, there’s space to fight for on the bottom pairing. Without a more extended internal scouting of their newly acquired talent, though, Niku’s opportunities to enter the lineup could be more limited than otherwise. He’ll be fighting for games played with more experienced talents like Brett Kulak and Chris Wideman. It’s not at all a guarantee that Niku is able to translate this one-year deal into a full-time role.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/21

October 2, 2021 at 9:35 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 5 Comments

It should be another busy day on the training camp cut front as teams continue to whittle down their rosters in advance of opening night. We’ll keep track of the cuts here.

Boston Bruins (via team release)

G Callum Booth (to Providence, AHL)
G Jeremy Brodeur (to Providence, AHL)
D Jack Dougherty (to Providence, AHL)
F Ian McKinnon (to Providence, AHL)
D Andrew Peski (to Providence, AHL)
F Eduards Tralmaks (to Providence, AHL)
F Alex-Olivier Voyer (to Providence, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)

D Nick Boka (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Matthew Cairns (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Mitch Eliot (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Dominic Franco (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Michael Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Mat Robson (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Ryan Scarfo (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Josh Teves (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Peter Tischke (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)

F Dominik Bokk (to Chicago, AHL)
F David Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)
F Blake Murray (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jesper Sellgren (to Chicago, AHL)
G Eetu Makiniemi (to Chicago, AHL)
G Beck Warm (to Chicago, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via Mark Lazerus of The Athletic)

G Tom Aubrun (to Rockford, AHL)
F D.J. Busdeker (to Rockford, AHL)
F Liam Folkes (to Rockford, AHL)
F Carson Gicewicz (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kale Howarth (to Rockford, AHL)
F Riley McKay (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dylan McLaughlin (to Rockford, AHL)
F Garrett Mitchell (to Rockford, AHL)
G Cale Morris (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ryan Stanton (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
F Chris Wilkie (to Rockford, AHL)
F Chad Yetman (to Rockford, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via team release)

F Jeremy Gregoire (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Anthony Louis (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
D Max Martin (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Josh Melnick (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
G Colton Point (to Texas, AHL)
G Adam Scheel (to Texas, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (via team release)

F Adam Cracknell (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Vincent Desharnais (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Luke Esposito (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F James Hamblin (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Philip Kemp (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Michael Kesselring (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Brad Malone (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Markus Niemelainen (to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Olivier Rodrigue (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

F Karen Bachman (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Henry Bowlby (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Grigori Denisenko (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Max Gildon (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Aleksi Heponiemi (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Logan Hutsko (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Justin Nachbaur (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Serron Noel (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Cole Schwindt (to Charlotte, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release)

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Brayden Burke (to Ontario, AHL)
*D Kale Clague (to Ontario, AHL)
F Jacob Doty (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Aidan Dudas (to Ontario, AHL)
D Sean Durzi (to Ontario, AHL)
F Samuel Fagemo (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Martin Frk (to Ontario, AHL)
D Cameron Gaunce (released from PTO to Ontario, AHL)
D Helge Grans (to Ontario, AHL)
G Jacob Ingham (to Ontario, AHL)
F Adam Johnson (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Arthur Kaliyev (to Ontario, AHL)
F Brett Kemp (released from ATO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
G John Lethemon (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Tyler Madden (to Ontario, AHL)
*D Jacob Moverare (to Ontario, AHL)
G Lukas Parik (to Ontario, AHL)
F Nikita Pavlychev (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
D Markus Phillips (to Ontario, AHL)
F Johan Sodergran (to Ontario, AHL)
*G Garret Sparks (to Ontario, AHL)
D Jordan Spence (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Brett Sutter (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)
*F T.J. Tynan (to Ontario, AHL)
G Matt Villalta (to Ontario, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (via team Twitter)

F Danick Martel (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
G Kevin Poulin (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team release)

D Jeremy Groleau (to Utica, AHL)
G Mareks Mitens (to Utica, AHL)
F Ryan Schmelzer (to Utica, AHL)
D Michael Vukojevic (to Utica, AHL)

New York Rangers (via The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello)

*D Mason Geertsen (to Hartford, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (via team Twitter)

D Xavier Bernard (to Belleville, AHL)
F Philippe Daoust (to Belleville, AHL)
F Tyrell Goulbourne (to Belleville, AHL)
F Roby Jarventie (to Belleville, AHL)
D Zac Leslie (to Belleville, AHL)
D Vincent Sevigny (to Belleville, AHL)
G Mads Sogaard (to Belleville, AHL)
F Matthew Wedman (to Belleville, AHL)
D Colby Williams (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia)

D Quinn Schmiemann (released from ATO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Kirill Ustimenko (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Jackson van de Leest (released from ATO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

D Niclas Almari (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Raivis Ansons (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Matt Bartkowski (released from PTO)
F Jordy Bellerive (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jonathan Gruden (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Cam Lee (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Filip Lindberg (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Kyle Olson (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Will Reilly (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Felix Robert (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release)

F Joel Kellman (to San Jose, AHL)
D Artemi Kniazev (to San Jose, AHL)
F John Leonard (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Jose, AHL)
G Alexei Melnichuk (to San Jose, AHL)
F Nicholas Merkley (to San Jose, AHL)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to San Jose, AHL)
D Brinson Pasichnuk (to San Jose, AHL)

Seattle Kraken (via team release)

*G Antoine Bibeau (SEA)
*D Connor Carrick (SEA)
*D Cale Fleury (SEA)
F Luke Henman (to Charlotte, AHL)
*D Gustav Olofsson (SEA)
F Scott Wilson (released from PTO)

St. Louis Blues (via team release)

F Zach Bolduc (to Quebec, QMJHL)
G Will Cranley (to Ottawa, OHL)
D Tyson Galloway (to Calgary, WHL)
*F Tanner Kaspick (to Springfield, AHL)
F Mathias Laferriere (to Springfield, AHL)
D Griffin Luce (to Springfield, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Springfield, AHL)
*F Matthew Peca (to Springfield, AHL)
*F Nolan Stevens (to Springfield, AHL)
F Nathan Todd (to Springfield, AHL)
F Alexei Toropchenko (to Springfield, AHL)
F Keean Washkurak (to Springfield, AHL)
D Josh Wesley (to Springfield, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via team release)

F Paul Cotter (to Henderson, AHL)
F Daniel D’Amato (to Henderson, AHL)
D Peter DiLiberatore (to Henderson, AHL)
F Pavel Dorofeyev (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jack Dugan (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lucas Elvenes (to Henderson, AHL)
G Dylan Ferguson (to Henderson, AHL)
D Zack Hayes (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Jones (to Henderson, AHL)
D Kaedan Korczak (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jake Leschyshyn (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jermaine Loewen (to Henderson, AHL)
F Maxim Marushev (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lynden McCallum (to Henderson, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (released from PTO, to Henderson, AHL)
D Daniil Miromanov (to Henderson, AHL)
D Brayden Pachal (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jiri Patera (to Henderson, AHL)
D Derrick Pouliot (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mason Primeau (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jonas Rondbjerg (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Thomson (to Henderson, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team Twitter)

F Kody Clark (to Hershey, AHL)
*D Cody Franson (to Hershey, AHL)
*F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
F Kale Kessy (to Hershey, AHL)
*D Dylan McIlrath (to Hershey, AHL)
F Mason Morelli (to Hershey, AHL)
G Hunter Shepard (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Eddie Wittchow (to Hershey, AHL)

*-pending the player clearing waivers

No Players Expected To Opt Out Of 2021-22 Season

October 1, 2021 at 6:06 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

NHL insider Chris Johnston reports that no NHL players are expected to opt-out of the 2021-22 season before tonight’s midnight ET deadline. This is the second straight regular season in which opting out has been an option available to players.

Players must notify their team in writing prior to the deadline in order to opt-out of the season. If any player had decided to opt-out, the rules, which carry over the same from last season, are as follows, per NHL documents:

Upon the provision of such notice, the Player will be under no further obligation to participate during the 2021-22 Season, the Club shall have no further obligations to pay such Player’s Salary and Bonuses for the 2021-22 Season, and the Player’s SPC will be considered tolled for the duration of that Season and all provisions of the SPC shall remain applicable upon the commencement of the 2022-23 Season.

The Sabres’ Casey Nelson was the only player to opt-out of the 2020-21 campaign, subsequently retiring from hockey.

This option, without the contract stipulations, was given to players ahead of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and Return to Play. Multiple players took advantage of this opportunity, including Travis Hamonic, Mike Green, and Roman Polak.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Braeden Kressler To Entry-Level Contract

October 1, 2021 at 4:15 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 3 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 18-year-old center Braeden Kressler to a three-year entry-level contract, announced by agent Dan Milstein on Twitter. Kressler was eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft but was not selected. PuckPedia reports the structure of the $835,000 cap hit deal as follows:

2021-22: $750,000 salary, $75,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary
2022-23: $750,000 salary, $75,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary
2023-24: $775,000 salary, $80,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary

Kressler attended Toronto’s training camp as an undrafted free agent, playing his way into an entry-level contract. It’s the second undrafted free agent signing we’ve seen from the 2021 class, following up Philadelphia’s signing of Jon-Randall Avon.

One of the players seriously affected by the lost 2020-21 season in the OHL, Kressler will be returning to the Flint Firebirds next season as the first year of his entry-level contract will slide, in all likelihood. A prototypical two-way center, Kressler tallied 18 points in 46 games as a rookie for Flint in 2019-20. He’s set to resume a much more important role in Flint this year, meaning his point totals will likely see a sharp uptick.

The 2003-born forward is likely a few seasons away from playing professional hockey for the Leafs, but it’s a no-risk move that carries potential upside years down the line for this Toronto organization.

Seattle Kraken Sign ECHL Affiliation Agreement With Allen Americans

October 1, 2021 at 4:03 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 5 Comments

The Seattle Kraken announced today that they’ve signed an affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. It marks the second minor-league affiliation Seattle’s signed, supplementing their one-year pact with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Terms of the agreement have yet to be disclosed.

Needless to say, this agreement marks Seattle’s first foray into ECHL affiliation. Allen, located just to the north of Dallas, TX, was not affiliated with an NHL team last season.

While the Kraken don’t have a full roster by any means in terms of players under NHL contracts, Allen could still prove valuable to the organization this season. There’s expected to be a logjam for playing time in Charlotte, as they’re sharing an affiliate for this season only with the Florida Panthers. It could mean that a player like Luke Henman, who was the first to sign a contract with the Kraken this summer, is assigned there to have a more everyday role. The same could go for one of Seattle’s two goalies designated for the minors, most likely Antoine Bibeau as he’ll be preceded by Joey Daccord on the depth chart.

Regardless, it’s not exactly common that one sees an ECHL player called up for NHL action. While it’s usually only seen for goalies under emergency situations (see Michael Houser), the ECHL can still serve as a valuable step in the developmental path for prospects. While the Kraken won’t be able to fully stock those cupboards for a year or two, it could be a sign of a long-standing agreement.

Atlantic Notes: Eichel, Ennis, Barkov

October 1, 2021 at 2:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 13 Comments

For the majority of the prolonged Jack Eichel trade negotiations, the Sabres hadn’t been sharing medical information with other teams. However, as TSN’s Darren Dreger noted in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, that has now changed and interested teams are now receiving Eichel’s medical information as it’s collected. It’s a small step as the stalemate continues with Eichel’s camp wanting artificial disc replacement surgery with Buffalo insisting on fusion surgery and the Sabres have the final say on the matter. It’s unknown if the exchanging of medical info will make other teams suddenly increase their offers for the disgruntled center but at least they’ll have updated information to work off of.

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