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Five Key Stories: 5/16/22 – 5/22/22

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While the second round of the playoffs is in full flight, the biggest news came off the ice in a week filled with plenty of coaching headlines which dominate the key stories.

Dallas Cleans House: While the Stars made the playoffs and gave Calgary all they could handle in the first round, there will be plenty of changes behind the bench.  Rick Bowness decided to step down while the team also dismissed assistant coaches Derek Laxdal, John Stevens, and Todd Nelson.  Bowness had been the head coach in Dallas since taking over partway through the 2019-20 season, his first NHL head coaching role in more than 15 years.  The Stars did relatively well under his watch with an 89-62-25 record while they reached the Stanley Cup Final in the bubble.   Although he’s 67, it’s expected that Bowness will be looking into other coaching opportunities around the league.

Lambert Promoted: Part of the rationale for the Islanders firing Barry Trotz was that GM Lou Lamoriello wanted a new voice guiding the team.  He didn’t need to go outside the organization to find that new voice as he instead promoted associate coach Lane Lambert to serve as their new bench boss.  It will be Lambert’s first opportunity as an NHL head coach and his first time as a head coach at any level since 2011 when he was last in charge with AHL Milwaukee.  Lambert had worked with Trotz since 2011 but will now get the opportunity to implement his own systems and will be tasked with getting New York back into the playoff picture.

Six Years For Rust: The Penguins have several prominent pending unrestricted free agents and they were able to get a deal worked out with one of them as they inked winger Bryan Rust to a six-year, $30.75MM contract.  The 30-year-old has become a key part of Pittsburgh’s attack over the past three seasons, scoring at least 22 goals per year in that stretch.  In 2021-22, he had the best output of his eight-year career, recording 58 points in just 60 games during the regular season while averaging over a point per game (eight in seven contests) during the playoffs.  The $5.125MM AAV is certainly a team-friendly one although Rust still nearly doubles his career earnings to date with this deal.  GM Ron Hextall still has some work to do with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Rickard Rakell among their remaining pending UFAs.

DeBoer Out: If there are two things we’ve learned about Vegas in their brief tenure in the NHL, it’s that they’re not particularly patient nor are they afraid to take big swings.  In that spirit, they opted to make a coaching change, firing head coach Peter DeBoer along with assistants Steve Spott and Ryan McGill.  DeBoer was with the team for 160 regular season games with the Golden Knights going 98-50-12 in that span while reaching the final four twice.  However, they missed the playoffs this season which was enough of a reason for GM Kelly McCrimmon to pull the trigger on a change.  They’ve now gone through two veteran head coaches in their first five years of existence with inaugural bench boss Gerard Gallant getting let go in his third season.

Sticking Around: The Maple Leafs have done well in recent years to get some veterans to sign for deals that are well below their market value to allow them to build as strong a roster as possible.  They were able to accomplish that once again, inking defenseman Mark Giordano to a two-year contract worth just $800K per season.  The 38-year-old came over from Seattle just before the trade deadline and helped to stabilize Toronto’s back end.  While he was unlikely to command the $6.75MM AAV he made on his soon-to-expire deal, it’s certainly quite clear that he left a lot of money on the table to try to win with his hometown team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Checklist: Ottawa Senators

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The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t playoff-bound plus some that were eliminated early in the playoffs.  It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Ottawa.

Before last season, Senators GM Pierre Dorion declared the rebuild over.  The team went on to post a weaker points percentage and finished seventh in the Atlantic Division after finishing sixth in the North the year before.  Nevertheless, they’re still on the right path towards trying to get back into the playoff picture and their checklist follows that mindset with a mixture of retaining their current core and trying to add to it.

Shore Up Goaltending

One area that hasn’t been pretty the last couple of years is between the pipes.  Anton Forsberg exceeded expectations as a waiver claim and did well enough to earn himself a three-year extension just before the trade deadline.  After him, however, there are question marks; even Forsberg is somewhat of a question with just 104 games under his belt.

Matt Murray has struggled mightily in his two seasons with Ottawa, posting a 3.23 GAA and a SV% of just .899 over that stretch.  He suffered a concussion back in early March, the third documented one of his career already after having two in quick succession with Pittsburgh.  At this point, it’s hard to rely on him to provide much even though he has two years left on his contract at a $6.25MM AAV, one that’s effectively untradeable.

Their other in-house option is Filip Gustavsson.  Once viewed as a key goalie prospect of Ottawa’s future, he has underwhelmed in his limited NHL action so far.  He is waiver-eligible next season so he’s likely to be on the roster although relying on him would also be risky.

This is not a trio of goaltenders that will inspire a lot of confidence for a team with playoff aspirations.  Finding a capable second goaltender to partner with Forsberg would give them a big lift.  It’ll be easier said than done with Murray on the books and Gustavsson’s trade value not exactly at its peak but Dorion would be wise to try to bring in an upgrade between the pipes.

Flip The Switch

Regardless of whether or not they’re able to shore up the goaltending, Dorion needs to start focusing on some win-now moves.  They’re not going to go from being near the basement to a contender right away but the time has come to start shopping for veterans that are going to help the process of turning things around.

Up front, that means looking for a top-six winger.  Ottawa’s front line appears to be set with Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson flanking Joshua Norris.  However, with Tim Stutzle anchoring the second line, his options on the wing aren’t anywhere near as strong and have been a collection of youngsters looking to establish themselves in the NHL or a veteran like Connor Brown who has been more of a two-way player than a consistent offensive threat.  Bringing in a quality scoring winger would elevate Stutzle’s play and really give the Senators a second line that’s capable of producing with consistency.

There’s also work that needs to be done on the back end beyond non-tendering Victor Mete and parting with Michael Del Zotto.  Travis Hamonic was brought in to try to stabilize a back end that bleeds shots allowed (more than 33 per game after allowing just over 32 per game the year before) but while he’s a stable veteran, that alone isn’t going to change their fortunes.  A full season from Jake Sanderson probably doesn’t hurt but another impact defender would make a big difference.

Ottawa doesn’t yet have $60MM in commitments for next season and while that will change once they re-sign their restricted free agents, they will have ample room to try to add.  If they opt to buy out Colin White (at a cap charge of $3.75MM total spread out over six seasons), they’ll have nearly $4MM extra to work with this summer as well.

Re-Sign Norris

Last summer, it was Tkachuk that was in line for a big contract coming off his entry-level deal.  This year, it’s Norris.  The 23-year-old had a breakout campaign, leading Ottawa in goals with 35 while finishing third in points with 55.  Dorion’s preference has been to sign long-term contracts off expiring entry-level pacts as he did for Tkachuk, Batherson, and Thomas Chabot so he’s likely going to want to do the same here.

One of the challenges that both sides will here is Norris’ shorter track record.  His first season was just three games and he has only 125 career NHL appearances under his belt, the equivalent of a year and a half.  That isn’t a big sample size to go off of and he doesn’t have arbitration eligibility so this has the potential to be a particularly drawn-out negotiation.  If Ottawa wants to skip the bridge contract and look for a long-term pact, Norris’ camp is likely to point to Nick Suzuki’s contract in Montreal (eight years, $7.875MM AAV) which would also stay within their salary structure as it would check in a little below Tkachuk and Chabot.

Extension Talks

Speaking of long-term contracts handed out to players coming off of their entry-level contracts, Ottawa could be in that situation next summer with Stutzle’s deal coming to an end.  After a stronger sophomore year, Dorion will likely want to kick the tires on what an extension now might cost, knowing that a stronger platform season would result in a higher asking price the following year.  It’s likely to fall in the range of Tkachuk, Chabot, and probably Norris in terms of the AAV.

Ottawa also has a pair of intriguing players that will be unrestricted next summer and thus eligible for extension talks at the start of the new league year in mid-July.  Brown has been a solid performer since coming over from Toronto but is his role likelier to stay where it is now or do they envision him being more of a third-liner down the road?  The answer to that will go a long way in determining whether or not discussions of a new deal make sense.

The other UFA of note in 2023 is defenseman Artem Zub.  His numbers don’t jump off the page (22 points in 81 games) but he logged over 21 minutes a night and is a right-shot defender that will hit the open market in 2023 at the age of 27.  In other words, there is going to be a lot of interest if he gets to that point.  Dorion moved quickly to extend Zub when his entry-level contract ended and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him try to get an early extension done again.  If so, his teammate Nikita Zaitsev’s contract ($4.5MM AAV) is a possible comparable.

For the last few seasons, the Senators have been near the bottom in spending on the cap.  As their young core matures and other veterans are added or brought in to deepen the roster, that’s going to change fast.  The more certainty they can get on the spending front, the better which is why being proactive on the contract discussion front should be a priority for Dorion.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Salary figures courtesy of CapFriendly.

PHR Mailbag: Devils, Trotz, Maple Leafs, Predators, Predictions, Penguins, Quenneville

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Barry Trotz’s market, Toronto’s early playoff exit, what’s next for Nashville, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.

M34: With a pretty strong young core and some team-friendly veteran contracts with plenty of room to spare, which UFA goalie does NJ pursue?  Kuemper?  Fleury?

Non-tendered: Another one regarding the Devils — It appears as if they have the assets and cap space to acquire an elite goaltender, which many believe is their biggest need. Is the notion of needing an elite goaltender done? The Oilers are primed to go deep and look at all the goalie problems they’ve had. Carolina is a revolving door of consonants between the pipes. How many elite goalies are there, really? Vasy, Shesterkin, Bob?

I’d prefer the Devils to shore up the netminder for 7+ years to come, but I’m not sure Kuemper, Gibson, or Husso are the ones. Who do the Devils look to to improve the goalie situation and what do they with all their assets?

I had a similar question in a mailbag last month so I won’t dig too deep into who they go after.  But I think the Devils are going to have a hard time making themselves attractive to veterans like Darcy Kuemper and Marc-Andre Fleury.  Kuemper is on a top team with a chance for a long playoff run.  To turn around and go to a team that has consistently been out of the playoffs for a while would be surprising.  As for Fleury, he’s near the end of his career.  He wants to win or play where he’s comfortable.  I don’t think New Jersey fits either situation.

The UFA I think they go after is Ville Husso.  They have the cap space to go higher on the AAV than most teams will so why not go for some upside?  There’s some risk but if they offset that with a capable 1B option (I suggested a trade for Boston’s Linus Ullmark in that previous mailbag assuming he’s willing to waive his no-move protection), the risk would be mitigated to an extent.  That would give them a capable tandem with a big of upside and some certainty; Ullmark is signed for three years and Husso will probably get that long or more.  Some stability between the pipes certainly wouldn’t hurt.  I also don’t think they’d need to part with any significant asset to get Ullmark from the Bruins.

Now to circle back to the question that’s sort of sandwiched by what New Jersey should do.  You make a good point in that there are few elite goalies in the league and of the three you suggested, I wouldn’t put Sergei Bobrovsky in that category.  (If you want a darkhorse candidate for who’s in net for New Jersey next year, it’s him in a cap dump from Florida if they can get him to waive his no-move clause.)  Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin are definitely in there and Juuse Saros has a chance to get into that group.  But in terms of elite, that’s about it.

Teams are beginning to embrace the platoon option more and more now which makes sense if they don’t have an elite or at least a higher-end starter.  It’s more cost-efficient and is a better hedge against in-season injuries.  New Jersey has tried to go that way the last couple of years and will likely stay on that path moving forward.

Johnny Z: NJ hinted at trading #2 OA. Do you think it could be offered for a player such as Fiala or Willie Nylander?

The speculation about New Jersey’s openness to move their first-round pick came before the Draft Lottery when their pick sat fifth and could drop as low as seventh.  Things have changed since then with them winning the second draw, giving them the second pick.  Now, they have a chance to get a core piece in the draft, either a winger like Juraj Slafkovsky or a defenseman like Simon Nemec or David Jiricek (assuming Montreal takes Shane Wright).  That jump of a few spots really changes the outlook.  If you can get a long-term core piece that should be NHL-ready fairly soon, they’re probably going to be better off keeping the pick.

For me, to even consider trading the pick, I’d want someone either signed or under team control for at least four years, someone that’s going to be part of their long-term core.  William Nylander has two years left on his contract and with how contentious his last contract talks went, there’s little reason to think he’d sign an early extension so there would be a risk to acquiring him in such a move.  It’s possible they could work out a long-term agreement with Kevin Fiala as part of a deal but if management thinks Slafkovsky can produce at a similar level, why not keep the pick and take him instead?

Never say never but there’s a reason teams very seldom trade top picks, let alone trading out of the draft entirely.  They’ll certainly listen to what’s out there but I’d be surprised if that trend changes with the Devils this summer.

2012 orioles: What are the most realistic destinations for Trotz?

Player free agency doesn’t happen for a couple more months but coaching free agency just got a whole lot more interesting when Lou Lamoriello made Barry Trotz available.  He’s probably going to wind up with a raise on the $4MM that he was getting with New York (and is still owed until he finds a new team) and plenty of job security in the form of a long-term deal.

In terms of who is a realistic fit for him, Vegas is the first team that comes to mind.  They’ve set the bar high and Trotz is a coach that has plenty of pedigree and a good playoff track record.  Both of those appeal to an organization like the Golden Knights.  And if the Golden Knights are worried about how things went down with Robin Lehner down the stretch, what better move could they make by bringing in his coach from his best NHL season (2018-19)?  He’s a splashy hire and would give them a boost while they have the willingness to spend big to get him.  I’d handicap them as the top contender as a result.

Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher believes the core of his team is still good enough to contend and will go into this offseason with an eye on a quick turnaround.  Trotz is the type of coach that could them back to the playoffs so they’ll be in the mix.  Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has talked about wanting more defensive structure so they’ll kick the tires as well although Jim Montgomery still feels like the best fit to me.  With Rick Bowness stepping down in Dallas, I’m sure they’ll also have interest although I’m not sure ownership will want to pay what it will cost to bring Trotz in.

The big wild card here is Winnipeg.  Trotz is a Winnipeg native and the chance to coach his hometown team has to be appealing.  They’re in a similar situation as Philadelphia in that they have a roster that underachieved but could plausibly get back in the hunt with the right coach.  Speculatively on my part, if Trotz has interest in being a GM down the road, could he sign on as coach for a few years and then potentially move into the front office with Kevin Cheveldayoff moving up to team president (assuming he’s still around by then)?  The Jets probably won’t be able to offer top dollar though.

Basically, every team with an opening is going to at least call.  It wouldn’t surprise me if a team or two that doesn’t have an opening quietly interviews Trotz anyway.  But right now, Vegas seems like the most realistic landing spot with Philadelphia and Winnipeg being in that next tier of options.

Y2KAK: When do the Maple Leafs win a first-round series? 2023? 2025? 2040?

Put me in the crew that thinks this core can still get there soon.  They played a solid series against Tampa Bay and the final game was basically a coin flip.  They didn’t get over the hump but this was far from choking away the series victories they could (and frankly, should) have had in the past.  As a result, I wouldn’t drastically shake things up this summer if I were the Leafs.

If that’s the course that GM Kyle Dubas pursues, then it’s quite possible they get over that hump next year.  Boston may take a step back depending on what happens with their captain, Florida’s roster won’t be as strong as it is now, and Tampa Bay is going to be squeezed by the cap as well.

Nothing is a guarantee and the questions are going to linger throughout the summer and into next season, as they should.  But I’m pretty confident that this core is going to get through a round if it stays together.  It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that happened next season.

ckw: With the questionable coaching from Hynes and moves by Poile, where do you think the Preds go from here? Two forty-goal scorers, a record season by Josi and a Vezina-caliber goalie in Saros, and an arguable Calder trophy finalist they still could barely squeak into the playoffs.

A commonly-used phrase in sports is when a team is ‘spinning its wheels’.  That’s a sentiment that I think applies pretty well to Nashville.

First things first, I was quite impressed with their season as I didn’t think they’d come close to making the playoffs.  Even though they went out quickly, the fact they even got there surprised me with the moves they made over the summer.

But here’s the thing.  The Predators are good enough to hang around the edge of the playoff mix.  But how much more upside does their core group have?  It’s probably not much, certainly not enough to catapult them into contender status.  But they’re also not in a spot where they can really embrace a rebuild as some of their bigger contracts (Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen) aren’t easy to move.  If Filip Forsberg re-signs, he’ll be in that salary tier as well.

With the two-year extension given to Hynes, it’s a signal that they’re going to stay on this path for the time being.  So where do they go from here?  If Forsberg sticks around, they’re probably bringing a very similar team back to the one that finished this season unless they get the green light to spend closer to the cap ceiling which could allow them to add a player or two.  That will have them either just in the playoffs or just out which is basically where they’ve been the last three years.  They’re in that mushy middle and don’t appear to be changing course.  From a sports perspective, they’re spinning their wheels.

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Seattle Kraken Close To Signing Samuel Bucek

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The Seattle Kraken look to continue to build their prospect pool this offseason, and not just through the draft. The Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker reports that the team is close to signing Slovakian winger Samuel Bucek to a contract.

Undrafted, the 23-year-old Bucek stands at 6’3″, 205 lbs. Playing for HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga, he led the entire league in goals (41) and points (64) in 50 games. The highlight on a team that includes 2022 draft-eligibles Simon Nemec and Adam Sykora, Bucek wouldn’t be coming to North America for the first time. In an effort to improve his development and get more playing time, Bucek played in 52 games with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes in 2016-17, scoring 33 points. He also played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 2015-16 and 2017-18.

Bucek uses his larger frame to play a strong net-front game, generating a lot of offense from tips and deflections. Bucek will likely challenge for a large role with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds in their inaugural season.

Mark Giordano Signs Extension With Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed an extremely team-friendly extension with defenseman Mark Giordano, paying him $800,000 per season for two years.

Toronto acquired Giordano, the 2019 Norris Trophy winner, at the 2022 Trade Deadline from the Seattle Kraken. The first captain in Kraken history had new life breathed into his game upon joining Toronto. While he saw more limited ice time, the ageing defenseman showed that he could get back to his elite game given less pressure and minutes. Averaging under 20 minutes per game in Toronto for the first time since 2009, Giordano had a very respectable 12 points in 20 regular-season games. He added on two assists in seven playoff games.

While broken up in the playoffs, he and Timothy Liljegren looked absolutely spectacular for Toronto post-deadline. With similar play styles, Giordano seemed to be the appropriate mentor for the young Liljegren. It’s hard to imagine that they won’t see some more time together in 2022-23.

The 50+ point seasons of yore certainly aren’t in the cards for Giordano moving forward. However, he’s shown the ability over the past few seasons to maintain his defensive game even as his point totals fall. He’s still much more valuable than a standard seventh defenseman, immediately making his contract a steal. If he’s able to maintain that level of defensive play or even just limit its decline, this becomes an extremely valuable signing to add defensive depth on the left side while Rasmus Sandin continues to develop his game.

Giordano was also the recipient of the 2020 Mark Messier Leadership Award, evidencing his long-standing reputation of being a strong voice in the room. Over 1024 career games, the 6’1″ / 200 lb defenseman has 151 goals, 393 assists, and 544 points.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the deal.

Red Wings Sign Steven Kampfer

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The Detroit Red Wings have gotten a head start on the offseason, making a free agent signing while other teams are still in the midst of playoff action. The Red Wings announced today that they have signed free agent defenseman Steven Kampfer to a one-year contract.

Kampfer, 33, is a veteran of 231 NHL games and last played in the NHL in 2020-21, getting into 20 games for the Boston Bruins. He played this season for Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL, potting 11 goals and 30 points, which ranked third on the team. Kampfer also represented the United States at the Beijing Olympics, scoring four points in four games. That level of offense hasn’t shown up at the top level in North America, though, as Kampfer only has 39 points in those 231 career NHL games.

But, even with that said, Kampfer is fresh off of his most productive season as a professional player. His play in the KHL and at the Olympics was legitimately impressive, so the Red Wings are making this signing as a bet that the Ann Arbor, Michigan native has made the necessary changes to his game to allow him to be a more productive defenseman in North America than he was in his past AHL/NHL seasons.

Stars Notes: Tocchet, Savard, Hintz

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While the Rick Bowness era in Dallas officially came to a close two days ago, it could have ended far sooner. On the 32 Thoughts segment of last night’s Sportsnet broadcast of the Avalanche-Blues game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Dallas Stars “considered a coaching change” around the All-Star break, and had “zeroed in on” former Arizona Coyotes head coach and current TNT analyst Rick Tocchet as their next bench boss. Friedman states that the two parties could not come to terms on a deal at the time, but speculates that he could be a name the team circles back to for their current vacancy.

Tocchet, 58, last coached the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21 and has most recently been working as an analyst for Turner Sports’ NHL coverage, primarily on TNT. Tocchet also coached the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons from 2008-09 and 2009-10. Tocchet’s results as a head coach are mixed, with his teams only making the playoffs once, in the unique bubble situation of the 2019-20 season. But with those mixed results comes the two Stanley Cup rings Tocchet won as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and there are many coaches who have difficult early tenures only to finally figure things out in a second or third job. While Tocchet never played for the Stars during his illustrious 1144-game NHL career, it seems that he may end up there as their next head coach.

Now, for some other notes regarding the Dallas Stars:

  • Another former player is, like Tocchet, on the Stars’ radar for their vacant head coaching job. Marc Savard, the rookie head coach of the Windsor Spitfires who now has his team in the semifinals of the OHL playoffs, is “on Dallas’ radar,” per Marek. Savard’s Spitfires posted a 44-17-7 record this season, and his connection to prized prospect Wyatt Johnston, who tore the OHL apart this season to the tune of 124 points, could prove useful should he choose to pursue the job.
  • The Stars’ offseason is a crucial one for reasons beyond just their coaching search. Star forward Jason Robertson and goaltender Jake Oettinger, the team’s playoff hero, are out of contract and are eligible for restricted free agency. The direction the team goes in terms of their extensions could dictate what the Stars are able to do in terms of adding other players. Another crucial Star, Roope Hintz, is not out of a contract but eligible for an extension thanks to there only being one season left on his current deal. Per Marek, the Stars want to get an extension “done early” and lock up Hintz along with their other core players. Given Hintz’s play these past two seasons, the Stars’ reported desire to extend him now seems wise, because his price is likely only going up as he gets more productive seasons under his belt.

St. Louis Blues Recall Charlie Lindgren

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With starter Jordan Binnington out for the foreseeable future, the St. Louis Blues have made a move to solidify their backup goalie position behind new starter Ville Husso. The Blues announced today that Charlie Lindgren has been recalled from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds on an emergency basis. The Thunderbirds are still in the mix in the Calder Cup playoffs, and will likely have to turn to goal-scoring goalie Joel Hofer in Lindgren’s absence.

While St. Louis would undoubtedly prefer to have Binnington healthy, there are few teams that can boast the goaltending depth that the Blues’ organization has. Lindgren, 28, has had a brilliant season so far. His work in the AHL, a 24-7-1 record and a .925 save percentage, has been superb. His brief time in the NHL has also gone extremely well, and he has a .958 save percentage and a 1.22 goals-against-average in five games played.

Lindgren is expected to back up Husso, who is set to take the starters’ crease that he occupied for much of the regular season. While this scenario is admittedly unlikely, should Husso struggle as he did early in the playoffs, it’s definitely possible that Lindgren could see game action. Should that happen, Lindgren will have a massive opportunity to showcase the talent he’s flashed this season on one of hockey’s biggest stages.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Riley Kidney

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May 22nd: The Laval Rocket have announced that Kidney has been signed to an amateur tryout contract, in advance of his entry-level deal coming into effect next season. This allows Kidney to be with the team as they attempt to continue their run in the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Rochester Americans.

May 4th: The Montreal Canadiens have signed Riley Kidney to a three-year entry-level contract, adding another prospect to the organization. The young forward’s deal will start in 2022-23 and carries an average annual value of $859K. Kidney currently plays for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL, where he will start a playoff series tomorrow night.

Selected 63rd overall in 2021, Kidney has quickly shot up the prospect charts with an outstanding performance. The 19-year-old scored 30 goals and 100 points in 66 games this season, finishing seventh in league scoring and way out in front of his own team. The next highest scoring player on the Titan was Bennett MacArthur with 77, an undrafted forward who recently signed an entry-level deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Even more impressive is that Kidney only turned 19 in March and will be returning to the junior ranks next season, where he very well could compete for the league scoring title if this kind of production continues. That of course is assuming he doesn’t make the Canadiens out of camp, now that he’s signed and officially a part of the organization.

There is no doubt that Montreal will need dynamic scoring threats in the coming years, meaning a clear path to the NHL is in front of players like Kidney. Whether he can continue on his current development path is another question entirely, and one that will not be answered for some time. An entry-level contract was the next step, now a strong performance in the QMJHL playoffs and a potential spot on next year’s World Junior team is on the horizon.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Olivier Nadeau

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced today that they have signed forward Olivier Nadeau to a three-year entry-level contract. Nadeau was the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft.

Nadeau, 19, has been playing for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL for the past three seasons. He followed up a rookie campaign where he only posted 23 points in 58 games by nearly doubling his point total, scoring 45 points in 34 games in 2020-21. That form made him a top-100 pick at the 2021 draft, and he has followed up that success with a strong 2021-22 campaign. He had 35 goals and 78 points in 65 games this season to go along with six points in six playoff games. Nadeau’s size and skill combination make him an intriguing prospect, although some worry about his skating and overall speed.

Regardless of the exact makeup of Nadeau’s prospect profile, it’s clear that Nadeau helps contribute to the Sabres’ prospect pool being among the league’s best. The team recently signed a second-rounder from the 2021 draft, Aleksandr Kisakov, and should have more prospect signings to finalize as the offseason continues.

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