The calendar has turned to April but with three weeks left in the regular season, some of the expected mid-April offseason decisions will likely trickle over into May. However, there was still some notable news over the past seven days which are recapped in our top stories of the week.
Michigan Exodus: Once Michigan was eliminated from the NCAA tournament, it was expected that the Wolverines would be losing several players in a hurry. That’s exactly what happened. Buffalo signed the top pick from 2021, inking Owen Power to an entry-level contract. The AAV is $1.85MM which is low for a number one pick but he was ineligible for ‘A’ bonuses this season having signed so late and since there are limits on how quickly the bonuses can increase on a year-to-year basis, the 19-year-old wasn’t able to max out his bonus potential.
Meanwhile, Columbus got into the mix as well. As expected, they signed Kent Johnson to his entry-level deal with the 2021 fifth-overall pick landing nearly the identical contract as Power did. They also landed undrafted defenseman Nick Blankenburg on a one-year, entry-level deal. Both his deal and Johnson’s begin this season so Blankenburg will hit restricted free agency this summer. Seattle then signed Matty Beniers on Sunday as expected with the same terms as Power and Johnson. The second pick from 2021, he led the Wolverines in scoring with 43 points in 37 games while also playing at the Olympics.
Done For The Year: The Devils are playing out the stretch as they sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and now they’ll be without a trio of important players. Top center Jack Hughes is out for the season with a sprained MCL, a tough end to what has been a very strong year as he had 56 points in just 49 games, providing the production that was expected with his top draft slot in 2019. Meanwhile, New Jersey also opted to shut down winger Miles Wood after just three games for precautionary reasons after he missed most of the year following early-season hip surgery while defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler is also out due to a broken hand.
Calling It A Career: Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf acknowledged last month that he had yet to decide his plans for next year. That decision has now been made as the veteran has decided that this season will be his last. The 36-year-old was the 19th pick back in 2003 and has spent his entire 17-year career in Anaheim. In his prime, Getzlaf was a feared number one center who could play in all situations and he recently surpassed 1,000 career points, becoming just the 93rd player in NHL history to reach that particular milestone. This season, Getzlaf has been limited to just 49 games but still sits third on the Ducks in assists, showing that even as he’s about to hang up his skates, he’s still a pretty strong playmaker.
Wilson Resigns: After missing the majority of the season while being on medical leave, long-time Sharks general manager Doug Wilson has tendered his resignation to focus on his health and recovery. Wilson had been at the helm in San Jose since 2003 with the team making 14 playoff appearances during that time. In the meantime, interim GM Joe Will will continue in that role until a permanent GM is hired. The organization has committed to waiting for all prospective candidates to be available to be interviewed which suggests that Wilson’s replacement won’t be hired in the near future.
NCAA Champions: The University of Denver is the 2022 NCAA National Champions after beating Minnesota St. on Saturday night in the final game of the Frozen Four tournament. It’s their ninth-ever title, tying them with Michigan for the most ever. Flyers prospect Bobby Brink led the Pioneers in scoring this season with 57 points in 41 games which also made him the NCAA’s scoring leader. He was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year, entry-level deal that begins this season, meaning that the 34th pick in 2019 should be making his NHL debut in the coming days.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Denver beat Minnesota State Mankato…not Minnesota-Duluth.