Evening Notes: Denisenko, Kadri, Cogliano, Kane, Peter MacTavish
A somewhat mysterious injury for a top Florida Panthers prospect has been cleared up, with Grigori Denisenko confirmed to have suffered a broken kneecap back on January 12th while playing with the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers announced the injury today. The injury occurred in what would prove to be an incredible effort from the Russian winger, who broke his kneecap on a blocked shot, but continued to play, scoring the game winner. Denisenko would ultimately have surgery on his knee, but appears to be in good spirits and confident that he will be ready to go in time for Florida Panthers training camp.
Florida’s first-round pick in 2018, 15th overall, Denisenko’s development has not exactly been meteoric, however the team still has high hopes for him. Prior to being drafted, Denisenko was a standout for Yaroslavl in the KHL as a part of their development program and on Russia’s junior teams. After being selected by Florida, Denisenko made his KHL debut with Yaroslavl, though he didn’t take the steps forward Florida, and Yaroslavl, might have hoped, recording just 18 points in 63 games over two seasons. The forward made the jump to North America ahead of the 2020-21 season, but due to injuries and the COVID-19 situation, he was limited to just 45 AHL games and 8 NHL games over two seasons. In his limited time, Denisenko was solid, putting up 27 points in those 45 AHL games, and an impressive four assists in seven games in his NHL debut in 2020-21. Once healthy, if Denisenko hopes to have an impactful NHL career, he will have to continue to take steps forward in his production, especially if he wants to appear regularly in an incredibly deep Panthers lineup. The good news for Denisenko on that front is, with the flat salary cap and the Panthers being near the ceiling, they will need affordable pieces that they can rely on, and one of their top prospects may be a solution.
- After being listed as day-to-day with speculation about when either could return, Colorado Avalanche forwards Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano are now officially listed as scratches for tonight’s Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, confirms ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. Though not particularly surprising, being without either player is a tough blow for Colorado who is tasked with defeating the reigning two-time Cup Champions in the Tampa Bay Lightning, who appear to be icing their regular lineup, which includes for the first time since Game Seven of the first round, playoff standout Brayden Point. Brandon Hagel, who’s status for Game One was questionable and considered a game-time decision is in the lineup tonight, taking the place of Riley Nash.
- Earlier this evening, when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly conducted their media availability ahead of the Stanley Cup Finals, they touched on a range of NHL news and important topics, including the status of Evander Kane‘s contract dispute with the San Jose Sharks. Today’s update was, in essence, not to expect an update all too soon, as Daly disclosed that it is likely Kane’s arbitration will not be decided until after the NHL’s free agency opens on July 13th (link). The reason, Daly added, is that the arbitrator in the matter is not available to conduct the next hearing until next month. Still, as TSN’s Chris Johnston’s notes, this isn’t expected to inhibit his ability to sign a contract for the 2022-23 season, or beyond.
- A few days ago, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Ottawa Senators could be looking to make some hires in their front office after letting go of executive Pierre McGuire less than a year after they hired him (link). Now, it seems a bit more clear why that is, as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Senators Assistant GM Peter MacTavish has departed the organization to join Quartexx Hockey, a full service agency with notable NHL clients such as Patrice Bergeron, Josh Anderson, Drake Batherson, Anthony Beauvillier, and more.
Los Angeles Kings Extend Jacob Moverare
The Los Angeles Kings announced today that they have signed defenseman Jacob Moverare to a two-year contract extension that will run through the 2023-24 season. The deal is worth $1.525MM, carrying a $762.5K AAV, and will leave Moverare a RFA at its conclusion. The extension gives the young defenseman a chance to become a regular in the Kings lineup over the next two seasons after impressing in his NHL debut in 2021-22. In 19 career NHL games, Moverare tallied just two assists, but played quality defensive hockey on the backend.
Moverare was a fourth-round pick for the Kings back in 2016 coming out of the HV-71 program in his native Sweden, where he played two seasons at the junior level, making his SHL debut in his draft season for HV-71. After being drafted, the defenseman made the interesting choice to come to North America and play for the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, registering 53 points in 95 games for a pair of competitive Mississauga teams, serving as an assistant captain in his second season. Prior to 2018-19, Moverare would head back to Sweden, playing two seasons with Frolunda before spending part of 2020-21 with SaiPa Lappeenranta in the Finnish Liga. Moverare then returned to North America, debuting for the Ontario Reign of the AHL last season and again this season, where he of course also made his NHL debut.
With the extension, the Kings buy themselves two years at a favorable cost of a young defenseman who should push for regular ice-time on the up-and-coming club. For the player, he will have the opportunity to prove he can be a reliable contributor and a building block in a young and talented Los Angeles defense group that includes the likes of Michael Anderson, Sean Durzi, Tobias Bjornfot, and Jordan Spence, not to mention incumbent star and former Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty.
Business Notes: Salary Cap, 2022-23 Schedule, LTIR
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke today from Ball Arena in Denver prior to Game 1 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, giving a pseudo-state of the league address as the offseason begins to commence. One of the most striking and important notes from his presser was about the future of the salary cap, including that league revenues hit a record $5.2 billion this year. Drawing on that and the projected revenue increase from that point, Bettman notes that normal salary cap growth should resume within two to three seasons, a much shorter timeline than the five-to-six-year plan rumored early in the season. It’s wonderful news for teams and players, as contending teams will finally begin to have more flexibility when the offseason hits, and players can begin to capitalize on their earning potential in line with inflation.
- We have a start date for the 2022-23 NHL campaign: Wednesday, October 11. It’s finally in line with the normal routine the NHL had been acclimated to over the past years prior to COVID, and we’re expected to see a normal schedule for the first time since 2018-19. The 2022-23 schedule will be released by the league early next month.
- Contrary to previous rumors, deputy commissioner Bill Daly doesn’t anticipate the topic of changing the NHL’s long-term injury reserve rules to come up at the next Board of Governors meeting. Noise had been made in past months about some general managers growing unsatisfied with the ability for teams to greatly exceed the normal playing roster salary cap during the playoffs. However, Daly said during the presser that he believed this year demonstrated that teams couldn’t successfully use LTIR as an intentional loophole and still have a successful enough regular season to make the playoffs.
Free Agent Focus: Pittsburgh Penguins
Free agency is now less than six weeks away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Penguins.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Danton Heinen — Heinen joined the Penguins last offseason after the Anaheim Ducks chose not to issue him a qualifying offer, and he did everything asked of him in a depth role for Pittsburgh in 2021-22. Playing in 76 games, Heinen notched a career-high 18 goals serving in a middle-six role on the wing. Every aspect of his game took a gigantic step forward in Pittsburgh this season, and the former Bruins fourth-round pick truly showed his ceiling as an NHL player. 26 now, (he’ll turn 27 before free agency opens on July 13), this is undoubtedly the best chance Heinen will have to earn a big contract in his career. With that kind of production, Heinen could likely earn a deal north of $2.5MM per year in free agency, likely even into the $3MM range. As a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, though, it’s not a sure thing Pittsburgh qualifies him. The Penguins have some higher priority players to give money to this offseason, to say the least, and the arbitration risk with Heinen could be too high.
F Kasperi Kapanen — Kapanen’s second season in Pittsburgh was mired in inconsistency. Failing to take a step forward in his development and even healthy scratched at times, Kapanen managed 11 goals and 32 assists after scoring 30 points in just 40 games last season. A strong shooter, Kapanen isn’t the grittiest or most defensively responsible player either. He’s also eligible for arbitration, like Heinen, but with his poorer season and inconsistent track record, the risk for an intolerable offer is likely lower than Heinen’s. Considering Kapanen’s ceiling as he demonstrated in 2020-21, the Penguins would likely want to keep him around with the hope that he finds that level of game again.
Other RFAs: F Justin Almeida, F Jordy Bellerive, F Kasper Bjorkqvist, F Jan Drozg, F Alexander Nylander, D Niclas Almari, D Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D Cameron Lee, D Will Reilly, G Alex D’Orio
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Evgeni Malkin — There’s little left to say about Malkin, who’s cemented his legacy as one of the elite players in the history of the NHL with 1,146 career points and a gigantic trophy shelf as well. More importantly for the Penguins, he had a gigantic bounceback season this year from his eight-goal campaign in 2020-21. Although he was limited to exactly half the season (41 games) with injury, he regained his point-per-game pace and tallied 20 goals and 42 points. With his injury history though, and at age 35 already, anything more than a three-year deal for Malkin would be an ill-advised move. The Penguins will do everything in their power to keep him, no doubt, and he’ll likely take a little bit of a pay cut from his previous $9.5MM cap hit to make it happen.
D Kris Letang — Letang had a monster season, finishing seventh among all NHL defensemen with 68 points in 78 games. He also finished fourth among defensemen with an average time on ice of 25:47. He’s coming off a $7.25MM per season deal and, right now, he’s worth at least that if not more. Also at age 35, though, giving Letang term is a gigantic risk. Letang is reportedly the team’s first priority to re-sign, but it’ll take more than the team’s last offer of just under $7.25MM for four years. Whether or not the team and the player can come to a compromise on term and value remains to be seen.
F Rickard Rakell — Adding Rakell at the trade deadline turned out to be a smart move from general manager Ron Hextall, as the skilled but inconsistent winger scored 13 points in 19 games, reclaiming some of his former glory in Anaheim. Unfortunately, Rakell was injured in the playoffs and registered no points in two games, averaging just 9:26 per night over the two. The 29-year-old is evidently one of the best secondary scoring options the team has, but it’s unlikely Pittsburgh can afford to give him the best offer available on the open market.
Other UFAs: F Brian Boyle, F Evan Rodrigues, F Anthony Angello, F Michael Chaput, D Nathan Beaulieu, G Casey DeSmith, G Louis Domingue
Projected Cap Space
The Penguins are currently over $23MM away from the $82.5MM salary cap Upper Limit, which is top ten in the league in terms of offseason space. Yet signing Malkin and Letang will likely take $15-16MM away from that number, leaving Pittsburgh with only around $7.5MM to work with to fill out the roster. With four forward spots and a backup goalie slot to fill, Pittsburgh will need to make concessions somewhere, either via trade or relying more heavily on their aging stars to carry the workload.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Pontus Aberg, Ryan Spooner Staying In Europe
A pair of former NHLers are staying across the Atlantic Ocean for the 2022-23 campaign. Swedish winger Pontus Aberg has signed a one-year agreement with BK Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Extraliga, while Canadian forward Ryan Spooner is remaining in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk.
Aberg, 28, attempted an NHL comeback last season when he signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators. However, he was waived prior to the season and spent 17 games with the Belleville Senators before mutually terminating his contract to return to Sweden with Timrå IK in the SHL. He netted two goals, nine assists, and 11 points in those 17 games with Belleville. Aberg’s last taste of NHL action came in 2019-20, where he got a five-game look with the Toronto Maple Leafs, registering one assist. A second-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2012, Aberg could really never hold onto a full-time NHL role, shuffling between the NHL and AHL in nearly every season he spent in North America.
Spooner hasn’t been in the league since 2018-19, when he split the season between the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. He’s been one of the best scorers in the KHL since then, and after one year in Yekaterinburg, he returns to Dinamo Minsk where he led the club in scoring in 2019-20 with 37 points in 43 games. Spooner had a few NHL stretches where it looked like he could become a great middle-six depth piece, especially when he scored 41 points in 59 games between the Rangers and Boston Bruins in 2017-18. His offense disappeared the next season, however, and he hasn’t returned to North America. Now 30 years old, it’s unlikely he ever will.
East Notes: Point, Penguins Front Office, Popugayev
Jun 15: Point is officially playing in tonight’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, per Cooper.
Jun 14: There’s finally confirmation that Brayden Point will be back within the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup this season. Point took practice today with the team, practicing on the first power-play unit. Head coach Jon Cooper said after practice that “there’s a chance” Point will play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tomorrow night, and that he “really anticipates” Point being available for Game 2.
Point’s return certainly begins to stack the cards more in favor of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Historically a point-per-game player in the playoffs, a healthy Point gives Tampa Bay two elite centers to counteract the strong Colorado Avalanche offense. With Nazem Kadri potentially still injured for Colorado, it swings the center matchup massively in Tampa’s favor.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced three front office promotions today. Chris Pryor moves from director of player personnel to assistant general manager, Andy Saucier moves from video coach to hockey operations analyst/pro personnel, and Erik Heasley will assume the role of general manager of AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Pryor becomes an AGM for the second time in his nearly 30-year NHL management career, serving in that role for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2016 to 2018. Saucier had been the team’s video coach since 2012.
- After retiring from hockey to pursue a career as a social media influencer, former New Jersey Devils prospect Nikita Popugayev has given up his internet dreams after just one year away from the game. The hulking 6’6″ winger has been signed to a professional tryout by Amur Khabarovsk in the KHL. Popugayev remains on the Devils’ reserve list indefinitely, meaning they hold his rights if he decides to pursue a career in North America as well.
West Notes: Woodcroft, Nill, Preseason
A few months ago, many would have identified the Edmonton Oilers as a team with coaching uncertainty heading into the offseason after they fired Dave Tippett mid-season. However, after their run to the Western Conference Final this year, Jay Woodcroft would appear to have earned the confidence of the team and fanbase to continue in his role. TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting today that Woodcroft and the Oilers continue to have ongoing discussions about a new contract this week, although there’s still more to be done.
With the Oilers yet to be linked publicly to any other coaching free agents, it’s becoming clear that the team prefers to retain Woodcroft as their head coach. It’s important to note that Woodcroft was fully named the head coach when he took over for Tippett; he was not given the interim title. Woodcroft led the Oilers on a 26-9-3 run to end the regular season in addition to their playoff run.
- One team that isn’t having such a smooth time with their coaching hiring process is the Dallas Stars. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that potential candidates are hesitant to commit to the Stars given the fact that general manager Jim Nill only has one year left on his deal. It’s understandable that when a coach commits long-term, they’d like to have a solid idea of the team’s vision for the future. With Nill’s future uncertain, Dallas’ new coach won’t have that guarantee.
- The Stars will be playing in two neutral-site preseason games come September and October. On October 1, they’ll be facing off against the St. Louis Blues at Cable Dahmer Arena in Kansas City, home of the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks. Before that, though, they’ll be playing the Arizona Coyotes in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 27, as previously announced. It marks a return to normalcy for the NHL’s regular-season preparations.
Avalanche Notes: Kuemper, Burakovsky, Kadri
The goaltending uncertainty surrounding the Colorado Avalanche entering the Stanley Cup Final appears to be resolved. Darcy Kuemper, who is now 100% healthy after leaving Game 1 of the Western Conference Final with an injury, took the morning skate today in the starters’ crease for the Avalanche. While head coach Jared Bednar declined to officially name Kuemper the starter, all signs at this juncture point to Kuemper regaining the starter’s net for Colorado tonight.
Kuemper has struggled somewhat in the playoffs up until this point, but despite his .897 save percentage, he still boasts a 6-2 record in the postseason in 10 starts. Backup Pavel Francouz, in four starts and six games played, has yet to lose a game this postseason with a 6-0 record and .906 save percentage. Kuemper’s shown the ability to elevate his game more consistently than Francouz though, and with Kuemper hopping in and out of the playoff lineup due to injury, it’s been hard to make a real judgment call on his playoff performance. With such a close margin separating the two goalies right now with Francouz’s undefeated record, expect Colorado not to hesitate to make a switch if Kuemper’s goaltending performance is subpar in Game 1. However, the 32-year-old Kuemper has had a fantastic season as a whole and has earned the right to keep his net.
- Andre Burakovsky left the morning skate early today, but Bednar says the winger is still expected to be available tonight for Game 1. Burakovsky’s had a tough playoff, missing four games due to a combination of injuries and healthy scratches, but he’s still managed five points in 10 games despite limited ice time. The 27-year-old pending free agent had a career-high 22 goals and 61 points during the regular season. Burakovsky’s expected to slot in alongside Mikko Rantanen (playing center) and Artturi Lehkonen on the second line in the absence of Nazem Kadri.
- Speaking of Kadri, Bednar notes that he and Andrew Cogliano are both listed as day-to-day after suffering injuries during the Western Conference Final. Neither is expected to play tonight, but as the Tampa Bay Lightning get healthier with the return of Brayden Point, the team is anxious for them to return.
Ottawa Senators Sign Dylan Gambrell To Extension
Forward Dylan Gambrell has agreed to a one-year extension with the Ottawa Senators, as announced today by the team. The deal carries a cap hit of $950,000 and will make him a restricted free agent again in 2023.
Ottawa acquired Gambrell from the San Jose Sharks a few weeks into the 2021-22 season in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick for some additional forward depth. San Jose’s second-round selection in 2016 didn’t exactly pan out in Ottawa either, scoring just three goals, four assists, and seven points in 63 games. Aside from the games played, those were all career lows for Gambrell in a full NHL season, of which this was his third.
Gambrell is a decent defensive specialist and could succeed alongside offensively-inclined linemates in a limited role, but he’s struggled considerably in pretty much every other area of the game at the NHL level. It’s certainly not anywhere close to the upside Gambrell had when the Sharks drafted him after his 47-point freshman season at the University of Denver.
The Washington native will stick around in Ottawa for another season, likely in a mirrored role to last season.
Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Daniil Tarasov
A promising young goalie is under contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the next three years. The team announced a three-year extension for Daniil Tarasov today worth $3.15MM, paying him $1.05MM per season. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that the deal pays Tarasov $750,000 in 2022-23, $1.05MM in 2023-24, and $1.35MM in 2024-25.
Just 23 years old, Tarasov had a .937 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against average in his first four NHL games last season before suffering a season-ending hip injury. In 11 games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, Tarasov also had a 5-3-4 record, 3.06 goals-against average, and .893 save percentage. The Blue Jackets took Tarasov in the third round, 86th overall, in the 2017 draft.
A multi-year, seven-figure commitment seems like a lot for a netminder who’s played less than five NHL games and is looking for his first NHL win. However, Tarasov’s put together an impressive professional career over the past few seasons despite the lack of NHL experience. He emerged as a full-time starter for Ässät in the Liiga at just 21 years old in 2019-20, playing in 41 games with a .899 save percentage and 11-17-9 record for the Finnish team. Columbus loaned him back to his native Russia in 2020-21, where Tarasov exploded for a .925 save percentage and 11-3-2 record for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL.
Tarasov is still waivers-exempt, meaning the team can safely send him back to AHL Cleveland if they desire. Yet, the worth of the deal and its one-way nature could indicate that the team views him as an NHL option next season as the backup to Elvis Merzlikins, or at least working as a team of three with Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo. Korpisalo only has one season remaining on his deal with a $1.3MM cap hit, so it’s entirely likely the team could opt to trade him this offseason and open the door for Tarasov full-time.
Again, that’s still a risky move considering Tarasov’s inexperience at the NHL level, but he remains one of the better goalie prospects in the league.