Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for June 2023

Latest On Boston’s Pending Unrestricted Free Agents

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Veteran center David Krejci indicated after the playoffs that he’d take some time to think about his future.  While he hasn’t made a final decision about retiring yet, he told Dominik Dubovci of hokej.cz that when the puck drops on the 2023-24 campaign, he will not be playing, either in Boston or back home.

The 37-year-old returned to the Bruins this past season after spending a year back home.  He basically picked up where he left off, notching 16 goals and 40 assists in 70 games, providing Boston with an important secondary scoring boost which helped play a role in them taking home the Presidents’ Trophy during the regular season.  That performance helped earn Krejci the 16th spot on our Top 50 free agents list, even with the expectation that it would be the Bruins or retirement for him.

Krejci admitted that Prague hosting the 2024 World Championship is particularly appealing to him so he’s not ruling out playing at some point next season.  While it’s possible that it could be with the Bruins, signing with them would run the risk of not being able to play in the tournament if Boston was able to pull off a long playoff run.

If that’s the case, it’s possible that Krejci could opt to play for part of next season back home, get named to Czechia’s entry for the Worlds, and call it a career on home ice.  It’s a scenario that Krejci himself didn’t think was feasible back in May when he said he’d either play in Boston or retire.  But a chance to go out on home soil while representing his country certainly is an enticing scenario.

Either way, the Bruins will be entering this weekend’s free agent period with certainty now that Krejci will not be on their roster in October when 2023-24 gets underway.  It remains to be seen what happens with fellow veteran middleman Patrice Bergeron and with his future also being in question, Boston will undoubtedly be looking to try to fill two center spots over the coming days.

They also will be looking to fill a key winger slot as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period relays (Twitter link) that Tyler Bertuzzi will be heading to the open market on Saturday.  When they moved Taylor Hall to Chicago on Monday to free up $6MM in cap space, there was some expectation that Boston would then turn around and try to get something done with Bertuzzi and then make another cap-clearing move.  Clearly, that hasn’t happened.

The 28-year-old is coming off a quiet season, one that saw him manage just eight goals and 22 assists in 50 games.  However, Bertuzzi is only a year removed from a 30-goal campaign while he also has two other 21-goal campaigns under his belt so it’s believed that this was a blip and not a sign of things to come.

Bertuzzi’s performance with Boston certainly helps to fuel that belief.  After being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, he picked up 16 points in 21 games down the stretch before tying for the team lead in scoring in their first-round loss to Florida with five goals and five assists in seven contests.  That performance landed him in the tenth spot in our rankings, fifth among wingers.

Barring any moves being made tomorrow, Boston will enter Saturday’s free agent period with a little over $11MM in cap space, per CapFriendly.  However, with six forwards to sign with that money along with re-signing netminder Jeremy Swayman, a lot of their shopping is likely to come at the lower end of the market even though they have several prominent players to try to replace.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sabres Notes: Jost, Draft, Rochester

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the deadline for tendering a qualifying offer now less than 24 hours away, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams told Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that the ball is in Tyson Jost’s court as the two sides try to plug away at a new contract.  The 25-year-old was claimed on waivers back in November from Minnesota and had some success with his new team, picking up 22 points in 59 games.  However, he’s owed a $2.25MM qualifying offer tomorrow, one that also grants him arbitration eligibility.  That offer is a bit on the pricey side for someone who has yet to have a lot of offensive success in the NHL, not to mention the risk of the arbitrator adding to that.  Adams noted that discussions have been ongoing for several weeks now so it’s clear that Buffalo would like to keep Jost in the fold but if a deal can’t be reached by 4 PM CT on Friday, there’s a decent chance that the center will be non-tendered.

More from Buffalo:

  • The Sabres were among the teams that were trying to move up into the top ten last night, Adams noted (video link). However, those efforts were rebuffed but in the end, they wound up with the player that they were trying to move up to get as forward Zach Benson, a consensus top-ten selection heading into the draft, wound up slipping to Buffalo at the 13th pick.
  • Buffalo’s AHL affiliate in Rochester has added a pair of youngsters for next season as the Americans announced that they’ve signed 21-year-old forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz to a two-year contract and 21-year-old defenseman Nicolas Savoie to a one-year deal. Fiddler-Schultz just finished up a five-year career with WHL Calgary and notched 31 goals and 44 assists in 64 games this past season.  Savoie, meanwhile, spent his five-year junior career with Quebec of the QMJHL, picking up 48 points in 65 games in 2022-23 while helping lead the Remparts to the Memorial Cup.

Offseason Checklist: Vegas Golden Knights

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The offseason is now fully underway after Vegas took home the Stanley Cup which means that it’s time to examine what each team will need to accomplish over the coming months.  We wrap up our series with a look at what the Golden Knights have left to do.

When team owner Bill Foley talked about winning the Stanley Cup in six years after their expansion team started, the idea seemed far-fetched.  But in the end, that’s exactly how it played out as they took out Winnipeg, Edmonton, Dallas, and Florida to take home the title.  GM Kelly McCrimmon is now tasked with trying to keep as much of his Cup-winning core intact as possible.  He has already made some moves that were on the original version of this checklist but here’s what’s left for them to work on.

Goalie Moves

It’s interesting that Adin Hill’s reported two-year extension that was reportedly agreed to over the weekend has yet to be registered with the league compared to someone like Ivan Barbashev, whose deal was agreed to and registered on Wednesday.  Speculatively, this could be related to tagging space since LTIR players (like Robin Lehner) count against that limit.  Because we’re not in the new league year yet, the tagging rate is 10% above the $82.5MM cap.  In the offseason, you can go 10% above the new cap level, or $83.5MM while offseason LTIR is also an option if needed.

Not registering the deal now gives them some extra flexibility in the short term as they have $1.1MM less in spending allowance before Saturday to fit Hill’s contract into.  This likely played a role in Barbashev’s deal getting announced only after they moved Reilly Smith.  This isn’t anything to be concerned about if you’re a Vegas fan as this is just a bit of CBA minutia but they will have to get Hill’s contract finalized in the coming days.

Speaking of goalies, they need to make a determination about Lehner’s future.  With Hill’s pending new contract, it appears that they don’t think Lehner will be able to return next season.  If that happens, they can put him on LTIR as they did this past season.  But it’s also possible that they want to clear that contract off the books as they did with Shea Weber’s deal at the trade deadline.  Deciding if it’s worth parting with an asset to free up the contract slot will be a small item on McCrimmon’s list.

They will also need to decide if they want to carry a veteran third-stringer behind a tandem of Hill and Logan Thompson which is still relatively inexperienced all things considered.  They’ve had one in place the last two years with Laurent Brossoit and Michael Hutchinson but among the three other netminders signed for next season, none have any NHL experience while pending RFA Jiri Patera has just two appearances.  This is another small item on the list but with free agency almost here, it’s a decision that will need to be made quickly.

Work On Marchessault Extension

It’s safe to say that Jonathan Marchessault has worked out well as their expansion pick from Florida back in 2017.  The 32-year-old is their franchise leader in goals, assists, and points and is coming off a playoff performance that saw him lead the league in goals with 13, helping him take home his first Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.  That’s certainly a nice ending to his campaign and will give him some extra leverage as he becomes eligible to sign a contract extension as of Saturday.

Marchessault signed a six-year, $30MM deal just months into his tenure with Vegas and it has held up well through the first five seasons.  However, it’s safe to say that it’s going to take a higher AAV for him to put pen to paper on an extension, especially this far out from his free agent summer.  Yes, the Upper Limit of the cap is expected to jump but he turns 33 in December and wingers don’t typically show offensive improvement at that time.

Marchessault has reached the 30-goal and 60-point mark just once in the last five years and as he gets older, he should move more into a middle-six role.  Is that a lineup spot that they should be committing a pricey long-term contract to?  On the other hand, he’s one of the original ‘misfits’ and while the Golden Knights have made some moves that could be described as callous along the way, it’s possible that they could allow sentimentality to come into play with Marchessault.  At this point, an AAV of around $6MM on a medium-term extension might be needed.  Expect discussions on a new deal to happen at some point this summer.

Try To Create More Cap Space

At the moment, Vegas has around $7.6MM in cap room for next season, per CapFriendly.  That amount includes them using Lehner’s full LTIR space and does not count Hill’s expected contract, one that is expected to carry an AAV of around $4.9MM.  Basically, they’re going to have around $2.7MM at their disposal and that’s with a couple of forward spots to try to fill.  It’s a manageable situation but is one that would leave them in a spot where they’d have limited flexibility for any in-season activity.  While they’re more than used to being in that situation, it’s still one that they might want to avoid.

To do that, they’re probably going to look at dealing from their defensive depth.  Veteran Alec Martinez has a $5.25MM AAV and one year remaining on his deal.  The 35-year-old is still a serviceable piece but is better served as being more of a depth defender at this stage of his career.  In this market, clearing the full contract would be difficult but even if they’re able to move him with some retention, it’d help to free up some wiggle room.

Failing that, they can look to their depth players.  Ben Hutton has an AAV that’s just $25K above the league minimum that could be appealing to a team looking for cheap depth.  Meanwhile, prospect Brayden Pachal is now waiver-eligible and if the Golden Knights envision him not breaking camp with them, trying to move him now for a waiver-exempt asset would open up a bit more flexibility.  Doing something like this isn’t necessarily a must but a bit more wiggle room on the cap wouldn’t hurt.

Decide Howden’s Future

Vegas has a couple of RFA forwards to re-sign, center Brett Howden and winger Pavel Dorofeyev.  Dorofeyev’s contract should be somewhat straightforward as the youngster only has 20 NHL games under his belt so he’ll be signing for close to the league minimum of $775K.  But Howden’s will be a little trickier to navigate.

The 25-year-old is owed a $1.5MM qualifying offer by tomorrow’s 4 PM CT deadline.  However, the offer also carries salary arbitration eligibility which is something they might want to avoid.  Howden’s coming off a quiet year offensively with just 13 points in 54 games but with 279 career regular season appearances under his belt, he has enough of a track record to land a raise in a hearing.  Obviously, Vegas can’t afford to give him too much of one.

Do they manage to get something done in the next 24 hours that takes away the arbitration risk?  If not, are they comfortable tendering the qualifier?  Howden is coming off a nice playoff run and is someone they will want to keep around but there comes a point where he’s going to cost too much for the role he fills.  He’s not all that far from that spot so getting something done soon would certainly be desirable.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: DeBrincat, Maple Leafs, Hornqvist

at CDT | by 4 Comments

While many expected that the Senators would try to move pending RFA winger Alex DeBrincat at the draft with the hopes of getting a first-round pick, that clearly didn’t come to fruition with nary a single trade involving a first-round selection occurring.  However, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Ottawa is trying to get someone that can help the team win now instead of a futures-based package.  The 25-year-old had 27 goals and 66 points in his first season with the Sens in 2022-23 and was owed a qualifying offer of $9MM.  However, the team got around that by filing for club-elected arbitration earlier this month, allowing them to offer just 85% of that amount ($7.65MM).  DeBrincat is not believed to have asked for a trade from Ottawa but has indicated that he is not interested in signing a long-term agreement to remain with the team.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Maple Leafs don’t plan to execute a buyout before the window closes on Friday, GM Brad Treliving told reporters including Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Veteran goaltender Matt Murray has long been a speculative candidate to be bought out, a move that would free up $4MM in flexibility to work this summer but they won’t go that route.  At least, they won’t for now.  Treliving noted that there is a second window to be made available as long as they have an arbitration filing.  Toronto has three arbitration-eligible players in goalie Ilya Samsonov plus defensemen Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell with the former being the most likely to file.  If that happens, Treliving and the Maple Leafs could re-assess Murray’s situation later in the summer.
  • It appears that winger Patric Hornqvist has indeed played his final NHL game as Panthers GM Bill Zito told George Richards of Florida Hockey Now that the veteran has now moved his family back to Sweden. The 36-year-old was shut down in early December after taking an elbow to the head but remained with the team during their run to the Stanley Cup Final.  Zito indicated that there are discussions underway about Hornqvist remaining with the team in some capacity.

Shayne Gostisbehere To Test Free Agency

at CDT | by 6 Comments

It’s been a busy week. There have been several significant trades, the sell-off of high-priced assets, and buyouts exercised to clear cap space. Oh yeah, and the 2023 NHL Draft, where all 32 teams added young, exciting talent to their prospect pipelines.

One thing that may have slipped under the radar was a note at the very bottom of Pierre LeBrun’s Tuesday column for The Athletic: Shayne Gostisbehere “will not be re-signing with Carolina.”

Gostisbehere, 30, finished 13th on our list of the Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents after an interesting season. He started the year with the Arizona Coyotes, continuing to provide strong offensive production from the back end. His 31 points finished eighth in Coyotes scoring, despite only playing 52 games for the team.

A deadline deal took him from the bottom of the standings to the top, as he joined the Carolina Hurricanes to try and fix a struggling powerplay. In 23 games with Carolina, Gostisbehere added three goals and ten points, posting insane possession numbers in a sheltered role.

That sheltered situation positions Gostisbehere as such an intriguing free agent. He is not a strong defender, and takes too many risks to be trusted as a top-pairing option (at least on a contender). But few defensemen in the league can generate offensive chances as efficiently as him, and he routinely tilts the ice in his team’s favor when played in the right situation.

Since entering the league in 2015, Gostisbehere sits 17th in points from defensemen, ahead of names like Aaron Ekblad, Shea Theodore, and Josh Morrissey. Over that stretch, he ranks even higher in powerplay points, ahead of players like Morgan Rielly and Dougie Hamilton.

There is a role for Gostisbehere on a contending team, but it’s unclear how much teams will want to pay. The six-year, $27MM contract he received from Philadelphia in 2017 is probably out of the question, but it will be interesting to see how much he can secure this time.

Edmonton Oilers Qualify Five Players

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Edmonton Oilers have decided to negotiate with all five of their pending restricted free agents, issuing qualifying offers to Ryan McLeod, Raphael Lavoie, Noah Philp, Evan Bouchard, and Olivier Rodrigue.

According to CapFriendly’s qualifying offer calculator, that means each received the following:

  • Evan Bouchard: One-way, $874,125
  • Raphael Lavoie: Two-way, $874,125
  • Ryan McLeod: One-way, $837,900
  • Noah Philp: Two-way, $787,500
  • Olivier Rodrigue: Two-way, $787,500

For Bouchard and McLeod, in particular, this comes as no surprise. Each has become an important part of the Oilers’ lineup, giving them the depth needed to advance further in the playoffs.

Bouchard, 23, registered his second straight 40+ point season in 2022-23, effectively making Tyson Barrie redundant enough to trade at the deadline. The 10th overall pick from 2018 has grown into one of the most effective puck-movers in the league and showed off some incredible vision in this year’s postseason, racking up four goals and 17 points in just 12 games.

McLeod, meanwhile, grew into a valuable depth center option this season, scoring 11 goals and 23 points in 57 games. His elite skating ability and tenacity make him a nice fit on a third line, and his offensive number are trending upward. He was held goalless in the playoffs but still contributed five points, playing mostly in a defensive role.

Despite the Oilers’ release indicating otherwise, it is actually McLeod—not Bouchard—that is eligible for arbitration this summer, according to CapFriendly. The young forward is a candidate for a bridge deal, given the tight nature of the Edmonton cap situation.

The other three, Lavoie, Philp, and Rodrigue, have yet to make their NHL debuts are will likely be retained on short-term two-way deals to maintain organizational depth.

Free Agency Notes: Kings, Kurashev, Merkley

at CDT | by 13 Comments

The Los Angeles Kings have been busy over the last couple of months, shipping out Calvin Petersen and Sean Walker to the Philadelphia Flyers, as well as acquiring and extending Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets most recently. After those moves, the Kings have a little over $4.5MM in cap space, with only 15 roster spots filled, according to CapFriendly. Due to the nature of their cap situation, it is more than unlikely that trade deadline acquisition, Joonas Korpisalo, will be retained by the team.

Los Angeles, who currently only has Pheonix Copley under contract to mind the net, will be looking for another goalie to pair with him next season. Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period has shed some light on how exactly the Kings are looking to fill that hole in their lineup, reporting that Los Angeles is looking for a goalie in the $1MM-$1.5MM range. It is unknown at the time if the Kings are planning on using Copley as their main starter next year, but it will be tough to find a goalie better than him at that price.

Many teams still have time to qualify their eventual restricted free agents, so Los Angeles may have some options available to them after that list is more well-known. At the time, in that range of salary, the Kings will likely be looking at goalies such as Alex Stalock or David Rittich, and even a potential bounce-back candidate in Alex Nedeljkovic.

Other notes:

  • Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Chicago reports that the only restricted free agent on the Chicago Blackhawks to receive a qualifying offer will be Philipp Kurashev. This means that Anders Bjork, Austin Wagner, and Caleb Jones will all go to the open market on Saturday. Jones is one of the more surprising players not to receive a qualifying offer, as he was originally brought in from the Edmonton Oilers to play with his brother, Seth Jones. Caleb is not a game-breaking player by any means but did eat just over 19 minutes a night for Chicago this season while also bringing quite the physical presence to their back end. Given that his qualifying offer would have been $1.35MM, and the Blackhawks are not in a cap crunch, it is likely that he will be playing for another team next season.
  • The Colorado Avalanche did not issue a qualifying offer to defenseman Ryan Merkley, as reported by Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Merkley was originally acquired by the Avalanche along with Matthew Nieto from the San Jose Sharks for Martin Kaut and Jacob MacDonald. Coming into the 2018 NHL Draft, Merkley was one of the most talented players in the draft, but questions about his attitude and work ethic led to his slide to 21st overall. Failing to turn a corner in his professional career, Merkley will head to unrestricted free agency this Saturday.

2023 NHL Draft Results By Team

at CDT | by 16 Comments

A lightning round of sorts concluded today’s 2023 NHL Draft, with Rounds 2-7 getting completed in under four hours. If you want to see who your team got in this year’s draft haul, you’re in the right place:

Anaheim Ducks

1-2: F Leo Carlsson, Orebro (SHL)
2-33: F Nico Myatovic, Seattle (WHL)
2-59: F Carey Terrance, Erie (OHL)
2-60: G Damian Clara, Farjestad (Sweden U20)
3-65: F Coulson Pitre, Flint (OHL)
3-85: F Yegor Sidorov, Saskatoon (WHL)
4-97: D Konnor Smith, Peterborough (OHL)
5-129: D Rodwin Dionicio, Windsor (OHL)
6-161: D Vojtech Port, Edmonton (WHL)

Arizona Coyotes

1-6: D Dmitri Simashev, Yaroslavl (MHL)
1-12: F Daniil But, Yaroslavl (MHL)
2-38: G Michael Hrabal, Omaha (USHL)
3-70: F Jonathan Castagna, St. Andrew’s (CAHS)
3-72: F Noel Nordh, Brynas (Sweden U20)
3-81: F Tanner Ludtke, Lincoln (USHL)
3-88: F Vadim Moroz, Minsk (KHL)
4-102: D Terrell Goldsmith, Prince Albert (WHL)
5-134: G Melker Thelin, Bjorkloven (Sweden U20)
5-160: D Justin Kipkie, Victoria (WHL)
6-162: F Samu Bau, Ilves (Liiga)
6-166: G Carsen Musser, USA U-18 (NTDP)

Boston Bruins

3-92: F Christopher Pelosi, Sioux Falls (USHL)
4-124: F Beckett Hendrickson, USA U-18 (NTDP)
6-188: F Ryan Walsh, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
7-214: F Casper Nassen, Vasteras (Sweden U20)
7-220: D Kristian Kostadinski, Frolunda (Sweden U20)

Buffalo Sabres

1-13: F Zach Benson, Winnipeg (WHL)
2-39: F Anton Wahlberg, Malmo (Sweden U20)
2-45: D Maxim Strbak, Sioux Falls (USHL)
3-86: D Gavin McCarthy, Muskegon (USHL)
4-109: F Ethan Miedema, Kingston (OHL)
5-141: G Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle (WHL)
6-173: D Sean Keohane, Cape Cod (18U AAA)
7-205: D Norwin Panocha, Berlin (Germany U20)

Calgary Flames

1-16: F Samuel Honzek, Vancouver (WHL)
2-48: D Etienne Morin, Moncton (QMJHL)
3-80: F Aydar Suniev, Penticton (BCHL)
4-112: F Jaden Lipinski, Vancouver (WHL)
6-176: G Yegor Yegorov, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)
7-208: D Axel Hurtig, Rogle (J20 Nationell)

Carolina Hurricanes

1-30: F Bradly Nadeau, Penticton (BCHL)
2-62: F Felix Unger Sorum, Leksand (Sweden U20)
3-94: F Jayden Perron, Chicago (USHL)
4-100: F Alexander Rykov, Chelyabinsk (VHL)
4-126: F Stanislav Yarovoi, Vityaz Moscow (KHL)
5-139: D Charles-Alexis Legault, Quinnipiac (NCAA)
5-158: G Ruslan Khazheyev, Chelyabinsk (MHL)
6-163: F Timur Mukhanov, Omsk (MHL)
6-190: F Michael Emerson, Chicago (USHL)
7-222: G Yegor Velmakin, Novovoronezh (NMHL)

Chicago Blackhawks

1-1: F Connor Bedard, Regina (WHL)
1-19: F Oliver Moore, USA U-18 (NTDP)
2-35: G Adam Gajan, Chippewa (NAHL)
2-44: F Roman Kantserov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
2-55: F Martin Misiak, Youngstown (USHL)
3-67: F Nick Lardis, Hamilton (OHL)
3-93: F Jiri Felcman, Langnau (Switzerland U20)
4-99: F Alex Pharand, Sudbury (OHL)
5-131: F Marcel Marcel, Gatineau (QMJHL)
6-167: F Milton Oscarson, Orebro (SHL)
7-195: D Janne Peltonen, Karpat (U20 SM-sarja)

Colorado Avalanche

1-27: F Calum Ritchie, Oshawa (OHL)
1-31: D Mikhail Gulyayev, Omsk (MHL)
5-155: D Nikita Ishimnikov, Yekaterinburg (MHL)
6-187: D Jeremy Hanzel, Seattle (WHL)
7-219: F Maros Jedlicka, Zvolen (Slovak Extraliga)

Columbus Blue Jackets

1-3: F Adam Fantilli, Michigan (NCAA)
2-34: F Gavin Brindley, Michigan (NCAA)
3-66: F William Whitelaw, Youngstown (USHL)
4-98: D Andrew Strathmann, Youngstown (USHL)
4-114: F Luca Pinelli, Ottawa (OHL)
5-156: G Melvin Strahl, MoDo Hockey (Sweden U20)
7-194: F Oiva Keskinen, Tappara (Finland U20)
7-224: F Tyler Peddle, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Dallas Stars

2-61: D Tristan Bertucci, Flint (OHL)
3-79: F Brad Gardiner, Ottawa (OHL)
4-125: D Aram Minnetian, USA U-18 (NTDP)
5-157: G Arno Tiefensee, Mannheim (DEL)
6-189: F Angus MacDonell, Mississauga (OHL)
7-221: F Sebastian Bradshaw, Elite Hockey Academy (18U AAA)

Detroit Red Wings

1-9: F Nate Danielson, Brandon (WHL)
1-17: D Axel Sandin Pellikka, Skelleftea (Sweden U20)
2-41: G Trey Augustine, USA U-18 (NTDP)
2-42: D Andrew Gibson, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
2-47: D Brady Cleveland, USA U-18 (NTDP)
3-73: F Noah Dower Nilsson, Frolunda (Sweden U20)
4-117: D Larry Keenan, Culver Military Academy (USHS)
5-137: D Jack Phelan, Sioux Falls (USHL)
5-147: F Kevin Bicker, Mannheim (Germany U20)
6-169: G Rudy Guimond, Taft School (USHS)
7-201: F Emmitt Finnie, Kamloops (WHL)

Edmonton Oilers

2-56: D Beau Akey, Barrie (OHL)
6-184: G Nathaniel Day, Flint (OHL)
7-216: F Matt Copponi, Merrimack (NCAA)

Florida Panthers

2-63: F Gracyn Sawchyn, Seattle (WHL)
4-127: D Albert Wikman, Farjestad (Sweden U20)
5-159: G Olof Glifford, HV71 (Sweden U20)
6-191: D Luke Coughlin, Rimouski (QMJHL)
7-198: F Stepan Zvyagin, Minsk (MHL)

Los Angeles Kings

2-54: D Jakub Dvorak, Liberec (Czech Extraliga)
3-78: F Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George (WHL)
4-118: G Hampton Slukynsky, Warroad (USHS-MN)
5-150: D Matthew Mania, Sudbury (OHL)
6-182: F Ryan Conmy, Sioux City (USHL)

Minnesota Wild

1-21: F Charlie Stramel, Wisconsin (NCAA)
2-53: F Rasmus Kumpulainen, Pelicans (Finland U20)
2-64: F Riley Heidt, Prince George (WHL)
5-149: D Aaron Pionk, Waterloo (USHL)
6-181: D Kalem Parker, Victoria (WHL)
7-213: F Jimmy Clark, Green Bay (USHL)

Montreal Canadiens

1-5: D David Reinbacher, Kloten (NL)
3-69: G Jacob Fowler, Youngstown (USHL)
4-101: F Florian Xhekaj, Hamilton (OHL)
4-110: D Bogdan Konyushkov, Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
4-128: G Quentin Miller, Quebec (QMJHL)
5-133: F Sam Harris, Sioux Falls (USHL)
5-144: G Yevgeni Volokhin, Khanty-Mansiysk (MHL)
6-165: F Filip Eriksson, Vaxjo (Sweden U20)
7-197: D Luke Mittelstadt, Minnesota (NCAA)

Nashville Predators

1-15: F Matthew Wood, UConn (NCAA)
1-24: D Tanner Molendyk, Saskatoon (WHL)
2-43: F Felix Nilsson, Rogle (Sweden U20)
2-46: F Kalan Lind, Red Deer (WHL)
3-68: F Jesse Kiiskinen, Pelicans (Finland U20)
3-83: D Dylan MacKinnon, Halifax (QMJHL)
4-111: F Joey Willis, Saginaw (OHL)
4-121: G Juha Jatkola, KalPa (Liiga)
5-143: F Sutter Muzzatti, Rensselaer (NCAA)
6-175: F Austin Roest, Everett (WHL)
7-218: F Aiden Fink, Brooks (AJHL)

New Jersey Devils

2-58: F Lenni Hameenaho, Assat (Liiga)
4-122: F Cam Squires, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
5-154: D Chase Cheslock, Rogers (USHS-MN)
6-164: F Cole Brown, Hamilton (OHL)
6-186: D Daniil Karpovich, Yekaterinburg (MHL)

New York Islanders

2-49: F Danny Nelson, USA U-18 (NTDP)
4-113: F Jesse Nurmi, KooKoo (Finland U20)
5-145: F Justin Gill, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
6-177: D Zach Schulz, USA U-18 (NTDP)
7-209: D Dennis Good Bogg, AIK (Sweden U20)

New York Rangers

1-23: F Gabriel Perreault, USA U-18 (NTDP)
3-90: D Drew Fortescue, USA U-18 (NTDP)
5-152: D Rasmus Larsson, Vasteras (J20 Nationell)
6-178: F Dylan Roobroeck, Oshawa (OHL)
6-183: F Ty Henricks, Fargo (USHL)

Ottawa Senators

4-108: D Hoyt Stanley, Victoria (BCHL)
5-140: D Matthew Andonovski, Kitchener (OHL)
7-204: F Owen Beckner, Salmon Arm (BCHL)
7-207: G Vladimir Nikitin, Astana (Kazakhstan U20)
7-215: F Nicholas VanTassell, Green Bay (USHL)

Philadelphia Flyers

1-7: F Matvei Michkov, St. Petersburg (KHL)
1-22: D Oliver Bonk, London (OHL)
2-51: G Carson Bjarnason, Brandon (WHL)
3-87: G Yegor Zavragin, Khanty-Mansiysk (MHL)
3-95: F Denver Barkey, London (OHL)
4-103: F Cole Knuble, Fargo (USHL)
4-120: F Alex Ciernik, Sodertalje (Sweden U20)
5-135: D Carter Sotheran, Portland (WHL)
6-172: F Ryan MacPherson, Leamington (GOJHL)
7-199: D Matteo Mann, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins

1-14: F Brayden Yager, Moose Jaw (WHL)
3-91: D Emil Pieniniemi, Karpat (Finland U20)
5-142: F Mikhail Ilyin, Cherepovets (MHL)
6-174: F Cooper Foster, Ottawa (OHL)
7-217: F Emil Jarventie, Ilves (Finland U20)
7-223: D Kalle Kangas, Jokerit (Finland U20)

San Jose Sharks

1-4: F Will Smith, USA U-18 (NTDP)
1-26: F Quentin Musty, Sudbury (OHL)
2-36: F Kasper Halttunen, HIFK (Liiga)
3-71: F Brandon Svoboda, Youngstown (USHL)
4-123: D Luca Cagnoni, Portland (WHL)
5-130: D Axel Landen, HV71 (Sweden U20)
5-132: D Eric Pohlkamp, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
7-196: F David Klee, Waterloo (USHL)
7-203: F Yegor Rimashevsky, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)

Seattle Kraken

1-20: F Eduard Sale, Brno (Czech Extraliga)
2-50: F Carson Rehkopf, Kitchener (OHL)
2-52: F Oscar Fisker Molgaard, HV71 (SHL)
2-57: D Lukas Dragicevic, Tri-City (WHL)
3-84: D Caden Price, Kelowna (WHL)
4-116: F Andrei Loshko, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
5-148: D Kaden Hammell, Everett (WHL)
6-168: G Visa Vedenpaa, Karpat (Finland U20)
6-180: F Zeb Forsfjall, Skelleftea (Sweden U20)
7-212: F Zaccharya Wisdom, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

St. Louis Blues

1-10: F Dalibor Dvorsky, AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
1-25: F Otto Stenberg, Frolunda (Sweden U20)
1-29: D Theo Lindstein, Brynas (SHL)
3-74: D Quinton Burns, Kingston (OHL)
3-76: F Juraj Pekarcik, Nitra (Slovak Extraliga)
4-106: F Jakub Stancl, Vaxjo (Sweden U20)
5-138: D Paul Fischer, USA U-18 (NTDP)
6-170: D Matthew Mayich, Ottawa (OHL)
7-202: F Nikita Susuyev, Spartak Moscow (MHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning

2-37: F Ethan Gauthier, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
4-115: F Jayson Shaugabay, Warroad (USHS-MN)
6-179: D Warren Clark, Steinbach (MJHL)
7-193: F Jack Harvey, Chicago (USHL)
7-211: F Ethan Hay, Flint (OHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs

1-28: F Easton Cowan, London (OHL)
5-153: F Hudson Malinoski, Brooks (AJHL)
6-185: D Noah Chadwick, Lethbridge (WHL)

Vancouver Canucks

1-11: D Tom Willander, Rogle (Sweden U20)
3-75: D Hunter Brzustewicz, Kitchener (OHL)
3-89: D Sawyer Mynio, Seattle (WHL)
4-105: F Ty Mueller, Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)
4-107: F Vilmer Alriksson, Djurgarden (Sweden U20)
4-119: F Matthew Perkins, Youngstown (USHL)
6-171: D Aiden Celebrini, Brooks (AJHL)

Vegas Golden Knights

1-32: F David Edstrom, Frolunda (Sweden U20)
3-77: F Mathieu Cataford, Halifax (QMJHL)
3-96: D Arttu Karki, Tappara (Finland U20)
6-192: F Tuomas Uronen, HIFK (Finland U20)

Washington Capitals

1-8: F Ryan Leonard, USA U-18 (NTDP)
2-40: F Andrew Cristall, Kelowna (WHL)
4-104: F Patrick Thomas, Hamilton (OHL)
5-136: D Cameron Allen, Guelph (OHL)
7-200: F Brett Hyland, Brandon (WHL)
7-206: G Antoine Keller, Geneve-Servette (Switzerland U20)

Winnipeg Jets

1-18: F Colby Barlow, Owen Sound (OHL)
3-82: F Zachary Nehring, Shattuck St. Mary’s (USHS)
5-146: F Jacob Julien, London (OHL)
5-151: G Thomas Milic, Seattle (WHL)
7-210: F Connor Levis, Kamloops (WHL)

New Jersey Devils Extend Shane Bowers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils have announced a one-year, two-way contract extension with recently acquired forward Shane Bowers. Per the announcement, he’ll have a league-minimum $775k cap hit at the NHL level, as well as a $125k salary at the AHL level.

Bowers, 23, was recently acquired by New Jersey in a one-for-one trade that sent defenseman Reilly Walsh to the Boston Bruins. That was the second time Bowers was traded this year, as he was actually dealt to Boston in a one-for-one mid-season trade that sent Keith Kinkaid to the Colorado Avalanche.

A 2017 first-round pick, Bowers has been traded one additional time in his career, when he was sent to Colorado as part of their return for parting with Matt Duchene. A six-foot-two forward with the versatility to play both center and the wing, Bowers had an underwhelming collegiate career as a Boston University Terrier and never quite found his footing in the AHL with Colorado. His best season game in 2019-20, when he scored 27 points in 48 games, but in the following two years he scored just 18 points combined.

Bowers wasn’t horrible with Boston, scoring seven points in 20 games for the AHL’s Providence Bruins, and he even earned his first NHL game this year with Colorado. But until he shows some more consistency and scoring touch at the AHL level, he won’t be a regular consideration for NHL call-ups, and this contract extension reflects that.

He will get a chance to prove himself with the Utica Comets, though, a team that made the AHL’s playoffs and could have some openings up front if players like Graeme Clarke and Alexander Holtz finally graduate to full-time NHL duty.

Jesse Puljujarvi Undergoes Double Hip Surgery

at CDT | by 11 Comments

NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston has an unfortunate injury update on 2016 fourth-overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi: he “recently underwent double hip surgery and is facing a lengthy recovery.” Johnston adds that Puljujarvi won’t be issued a qualifying offer by the Carolina Hurricanes and will hit unrestricted free agency in a few days.

This is the second significant medical setback hitting a young winger of the day, as it was recently announced that Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn will miss quite some time with an Achilles injury. But while Quinn is firmly in an NHL team’s future plans, Puljujarvi is going to be looking for a new opportunity on the open market. The 25-year-old was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes last season but struggled to make an impact for head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s team. He scored just two points in 17 games and one point in seven playoff games.

Puljujarvi had his moments as an Edmonton Oiler, such as in 2021-22 when he scored 36 points in 65 games but struggled immensely early in the season with them and played his way out of a future with that organization. Since he was making $3MM against the cap his qualifying offer’s cost made it incredibly unlikely, and now we know he will indeed go unqualified.

The level of interest he garners on the open market is going to be a bit of a mystery due to this injury, which does not have a disclosed recovery timeline. Given the severity of the injury, though, it could be quite some time before we see Puljujarvi back on NHL ice.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top