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Archives for August 2023

Former Vancouver Canuck Josh Teves Signs In Italy

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Italian club HC Bolzano of the Austrian ICEHL has signed former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Josh Teves to a one-year contract, according to a team press release. The move fills out Bolzano’s roster for the 2023-24 campaign, which also includes former Montreal Canadien and Phoenix Coyote Lucas Lessio.

This is Teves’ third European team in the last two seasons after he failed to secure an NHL or AHL contract in the 2022 off-season. After signing with Liiga club JYP, he struggled in a top-four role to start the year and slowly slid down the depth chart, totaling ten points in 48 games and a -16 rating. With just weeks left in the season, JYP and Teves mutually terminated their contract, and he immediately signed with Swiss club SC Bern, where he had two points and a +3 rating in 13 combined regular-season and playoff games to close out 2022-23.

Without much to prove he can be a serviceable top-four defender at the top flight of European pro hockey, he drops down to a slightly less competitive league in the ICEHL. While still a solid European network that sends teams to the Champions Hockey League, it’s not a league that routinely produces NHL draftees or even free agents.

It’s been a tough few seasons for Teves after signing with the Canucks as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton University in 2019 when he looked like a rather promising depth add. He made his NHL debut with Vancouver to end that season, although it would end up being the only appearance of his career to date (and, likely, ever). Unfortunately, injuries limited his playing time the following season, and his development never recovered. He would score just one goal and six points in 52 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets while a member of the Canucks organization over the next two years and Vancouver didn’t issue him a qualifying offer when his entry-level contract expired in 2021. He then signed an AHL deal with the Rochester Americans for 2021-22, the Buffalo Sabres’ affiliate, although he failed to capture much attention despite playing a full 72-game season. There, he recorded a career-high six goals, 15 assists, 21 points, and a -8 rating.

In Bolzano, the 28-year-old Teves will look to prove that he can still shoulder heavy minutes at the pro level and hope to rebuild some career stock, even if just to return to a higher-level European pro league next season.

Snapshots: Letang/Karlsson, Lundell, Top 50 Prospects

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One potential aspect of concern for Pittsburgh Penguins fans regarding the acquisition of Erik Karlsson is the rather rocky history of his playing with another high-powered right-shot defenseman. While there were no off-ice issues between him and similarly offensively elite teammate Brent Burns with the San Jose Sharks, they didn’t seem to exactly benefit each other on the ice, and Karlsson’s performance diminished when he wasn’t the sole go-to offensive defenseman for his team (although injuries also became a factor). With Kris Letang heading things up for the Penguins, it was natural to wonder whether similar issues may arise this time around.

Letang himself says he’s not worried, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel that Karlsson’s fit in Pittsburgh is “unbelievable.” The veteran Penguins defender alluded to the fact that Pittsburgh still has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on separate lines and that having two elite puck-moving defenders to play with each at even strength will still allow both Letang and Karlsson to play to their strengths. Regarding his role on Pittsburgh’s power play, Letang said, “If they ask me to play in the pocket, if they ask me to play [in the left circle], on top, net front, it doesn’t matter.”

Elsewhere from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Florida Panthers are going to need contributions from everywhere in the lineup to keep their momentum rolling next season after last year’s breakthrough playoff performance, and The Hockey News’ David Dwork believes center Anton Lundell is primed for a breakout campaign in 2023-24. Dwork expects Lundell to see some more power play time next season after taking a small step back in the point production department last year, although he did have a strong postseason with ten points in 21 games. The 2020 12th-overall pick remains on track to become one of the better two-way talents in the game, following closely in the footsteps of teammate and fellow Finn Aleksander Barkov. Lundell will look to build on his rookie season form from 2021-22 when he recorded 44 points in 65 games to match a similarly stellar +33 rating and 56% Corsi For at even strength. He’s been relied upon to play solid penalty-killing minutes throughout both of his NHL seasons so far, too, an area where he did noticeably improve last season.
  • NHL Network released their yearly list of the league’s Top 50 Prospects, with 2023-drafted players taking the first four spots on the list. To no one’s surprise, Chicago Blackhawks projected first-line center Connor Bedard tops the list as a projected generational talent, but a fair amount would argue recency bias was quite strong in this year’s list. New Jersey Devils 2021 draft pick Luke Hughes was ranked as the top defenseman at number five on their list, while Minnesota Wild netminder Jesper Wallstedt was ranked as the top netminder at #21.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Easton Cowan

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Aug 11: CapFriendly has the full breakdown of Cowan’s three-year entry-level contract, which carries a $935.8K cap hit. Cowan has an $82.5K minors salary in all three seasons of the deal, which is slide-eligible for two seasons if he plays less than ten NHL games in each season.

2023-24: $830K salary, $92K signing bonus
2024-25: $842K salary, $93.5K signing bonus
2025-26: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus

Aug 10: Being there only once in the first four rounds of the 2023 NHL Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 28th overall selection Easton Cowan to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team announcement. Cowan will continue his junior career not too far from Toronto, as he is once again scheduled to suit up for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League next season.

In his first full season in the OHL, Cowan played well, scoring 20 goals and 33 assists in 68 games for the Knights as a 17-year-old. More impressive than his regular season point production, Cowan was incredible in the playoffs, scoring nine goals and 12 assists in 20 games. He would help lead the Knights all the way to the OHL Championship series, eventually losing to the Peterborough Petes in six games.

Two of the best qualities in Cowan’s game are his hockey intelligence and speed. He was largely able to out-maneuver most opponents due to his creativity matching up very well with his quickness. If the Maple Leafs are able to keep their current group intact, Cowan should fit in rather nicely to their top six down the line.

Per the NHL-CHL transfer agreement, Cowan is not yet eligible for the American Hockey League, and it is highly unlikely that he will get a look at the NHL level this season, even if only for nine games. At least for next year, and potentially the year after that, Cowan will likely continue to grow his game in the OHL, hoping to make his mark on the Original Six organization in the near future.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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It has been a busy offseason so far for many NHL teams, punctuated by one of the bigger trades we’ve seen in a while which occurred over the weekend.  Meanwhile, there are a handful of notable names still unsigned so there’s some hope that there could be more activity to come before training camps get underway in about six weeks.

With that in mind, it’s a good time to run our next mailbag.  Our last one ran in three parts.  The first segment looked back at the draft, what should be expected from the Flyers next season, and the Kings’ aggression in recent years.  The second discussed Boston’s center situation, Robby Fabbri’s future with Detroit, and expectations for Columbus in 2023-24.  Meanwhile, the third one examined the recent inactivity from Calgary and Winnipeg with some of their veterans, Ty Smith’s first season with Pittsburgh, and big names that could be on the move next.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below.  The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Pius Suter

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent center Pius Suter to a two-year contract worth $3.2MM, according to the team. The deal carries a $1.6MM cap hit and keeps him in Vancouver through 2025.

Suter heads to his third NHL organization in four seasons after coming over from Switzerland for the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign. 2022-23 was his second year with the Detroit Red Wings after signing a two-year, $6.5MM contract with them in the summer of 2021, but he saw his production take a step back from the previous two NHL seasons he’d played to date. The 27-year-old center had 14 goals, ten assists and 24 points in 79 games for Detroit, setting career-lows in assists and points in the process. Part of that was likely due to a decrease in ice time, as he played just over 14 minutes per game after averaging north of 16 minutes over the previous two years.

With Detroit signing J.T. Compher to fortify their center depth when free agency opened on July 1, there simply wasn’t a place for Suter in the organization anymore, and they opted not to re-sign him. That being said, Suter is a fine third-line center – a position Vancouver’s struggled to get quality out of for the past few years. $1.6MM is a solid cap hit for what he brings to the table, even if he is coming off a down season. Suter’s agent, Georges Mueller, told CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal that they’ve been in discussion with the Canucks since the beginning of free agency, and it’s likely he sees significant time on their penalty kill. He excelled there in Detroit, posting strong relative Corsi numbers in each of his two seasons there. Dhaliwal also reports Vancouver was the only NHL team to offer Suter more than one year on a new deal.

This was Suter’s second stint on the UFA market after the Chicago Blackhawks surprisingly opted not to qualify him after a strong rookie season. He’ll be a UFA again in two seasons at age 29.

Suter is widely believed to start the season at center behind Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller in a third-line role. Out of CapFriendly’s lineup projection for Vancouver’s bottom six, Suter’s 0.3 points per game last season trailed only Conor Garland.

The signing does exacerbate Vancouver’s salary cap bind, however. While CapFriendly projects the Canucks with just over $750K in cap space after the signing, that’s not entirely accurate. Forward Tanner Pearson is listed as a candidate for long-term injured reserve, but GM Patrik Allvin said earlier this summer that Pearson is likely to be fully healed from his hand injury by the end of the summer and is expected to join the team at camp. Losing out on his $3.25MM of LTIR relief means Vancouver is now close to $2.5MM over the Upper Limit, although Dhaliwal says he believes the Canucks can be compliant without making a trade from their roster, although he doesn’t rule out the possibility.

Minor Transactions: 08/11/23

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There’s nothing much expected in terms of big news at the NHL level on a Friday in August. That being said, there’s still a fair amount of notable minor-league transactions trickling in today. As always, we’re keeping a running list of today’s deals here:

  • The AHL’s San Jose Barracuda have signed goaltender Beck Warm to a one-year contract, per a team release today. Warm joins the San Jose Sharks’ minor-league affiliate after bouncing around between the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres organizations the past three seasons. Warm, 24, went undrafted but signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Hurricanes in 2020 after a five-season WHL career with the Tri-City Americans and Edmonton Oil Kings which saw him post a .908 save percentage and five shutouts over the course of 150 games. He didn’t look bad by any means during his time in Carolina with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, posting a save percentage above .910 with both teams. However, he fell victim to a deep goalie depth chart in Carolina, and the Hurricanes opted not to issue him a qualifying offer in the summer of 2022. He then signed an AHL contract with the Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s affiliate, but spent the season in the starting role for the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, where he posted a 28-9-4 record, one shutout, and a .899 save percentage in 43 regular-season contests. He’ll now look to leverage a strong ECHL performance into consideration for more playing time in the AHL with the Barracuda. He’ll compete for playing time with a trio of Sharks goalies likely headed for minor-league assignments next season: Eetu Mäkiniemi, Magnus Chrona and Georgi Romanov.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Debating Extensions For The Calgary Flames’ Pending UFAs

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The Calgary Flames have been one of the most talked-about teams this offseason, but not necessarily for the moves they’ve made now. Calgary has multiple core players set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024, and they’ll be faced with multiple decisions on whether to extend or trade certain players before next season’s trade deadline. New GM Craig Conroy already made one decision, shipping out right winger Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils after he set career highs in goals, assists and points last season. Forwards Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev headline the remainder of Flames players set to hit the open market next summer, with valuable depth defenders Oliver Kylington and Nikita Zadorov also slated for unrestricted free agency.

Conroy has made it clear Calgary won’t lose out on these players for no return after the organization let star left winger Johnny Gaudreau walk in free agency to the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer. If they do end up trading the lion’s share of their pending UFAs, they should be able to reform the roster and stay in playoff contention, as there looks to be a strong pool of other UFAs to choose from next summer. However, many of the players listed above have played quite well for the Flames and are even core pieces of their leadership group, and Conroy will surely attempt to extend most of them.

One of their desired extension candidates is Lindholm and for good reason. He’s developed into a bonafide top-six two-way center during his time in Alberta and is normally a solid bet to churn out nearly a point-per-game pace. Reporting this summer has indicated he’s been back-and-forth on whether he’s willing to extend in Calgary, but the pendulum swung back toward an extension a few days ago with The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reporting Lindholm was “well into discussions” with the Flames on an eight-year extension. Getting him under contract until age 37 likely won’t pan out well for Calgary near the end of the deal, but such is the price of retaining pending UFAs. He’s played 369 games for the Flames since they acquired and extended him on a six-year deal in 2018, scoring 139 goals, 186 assists and 325 points while averaging over 19 minutes per game. He finished second in Selke Trophy voting in 2022 and has accumulated a +99 rating in Calgary, although most of that comes from his standout defensive seasons in 2018-19 and 2021-22. His 56% Corsi For at even strength last season suggests his rather pedestrian +6 rating was tanked by the team’s subpar goaltending.

And that’s where it gets tricky – while there are a lot of solid free-agent pickups available next summer, most of them are on the wing. The only center who could hit the open market conceivably as either an upgrade or lateral move for Lindholm is Winnipeg Jets pivot Mark Scheifele, who could very well be taken off the UFA market via a sign-and-trade deal next season (much like Lindholm if talks fall through with Calgary).

Backlund is also a tough piece to part with. The standout shutdown center has appeared in 15 seasons for Calgary, accumulating 908 games as a Flame. However, he seems an unlikelier bet to sign an extension with Lindholm at this point in time, admitting to Swedish outlet SportExpressen earlier this summer that his willingness to remain in Calgary will depend on the team’s performance in 2023-24. He may not have Lindholm’s offensive upside and minute-munching capabilities, but he is one of the most consistent defensive presences in the league and is showing no signs of slowing down as he enters his mid-30s. Some would argue it’s borderline surprising he hasn’t received the captaincy yet, potentially another reason why he hasn’t committed to extending in Calgary. He’s not likely to command much of an increase on his current AAV of $5.35MM given his age, either, and he should remain a priority for Calgary to keep in the fold for the next few seasons if they truly do intend on remaining competitive.

One player who they’ll likely attempt to shop is Hanifin, who was reportedly unwilling to sign an extension with the team earlier in the summer and has already been mentioned in specific trade rumors with teams such as the Florida Panthers. That was all before free agency opened, however, and a trade still hasn’t happened. It might be Calgary will look to have Hanifin boost his stock with a strong start to the season before moving him, or they’re hoping a reversal in the team’s fortunes would persuade him to stay. He’s certainly the most replaceable of their big-ticket pending UFAs – assuming they pursue extensions hard with Tanev, Zadorov and Kylington, they’d be able to replace Hanifin by committee (along with Rasmus Andersson) if Conroy doesn’t net a direct replacement for him via trade.

Conroy will need to be careful in how he manages the salary cap with the moves he makes, however, especially if he is intent on extending Lindholm. That extension would require a rather substantial raise on his current $4.85MM cap hit, something the team doesn’t have room for right now as it would take nearly all of the cap space afforded to them by 2024’s expected $4MM jump in the Upper Limit from $83.5MM to $87.5MM. If he moves out backup netminder Daniel Vladar and his $2.2MM cap hit to pave the way for top prospect Dustin Wolf to assume an NHL role, that should give him some breathing room. It won’t be much if Wolf has a strong season, though, as he’s a restricted free agent in 2024 and will surely require a new seven-figure deal if he puts up good numbers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

PWHLPA Expected To Hire Brian Burke

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After spending the last three seasons serving as the President of Hockey Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Brian Burke will reportedly take his services outside the NHL for the first time since 1987. Breaking the news, Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News could not confirm if Burke would be the new President of the Player’s Union, but only that he would be taking a leadership role for the next several seasons.

This is another major step forward for professional women’s hockey in North America, continuing the momentum that started when the Premier Hockey Federation was purchased by the Mark Walter Group on June 30, 2023, creating a unified professional women’s hockey league that will start operations in January 2024. Kennedy theorizes that with Burke now at the helm of the PWHLPA, the league will grow faster than previously expected, and lead to more NHL involvement down the line.

Burke’s career history speaks for itself, serving in high-level roles with the NHL (1993-1999), Vancouver Canucks (1987-1992, 1999-2004), Anaheim Ducks (2005-2009, 2013), Toronto Maple Leafs (2009-2013), Calgary Flames (2013-2019), and finally the Penguins (2020-2023).

His longstanding time in the NHL has not been without controversy, especially during his time in Toronto and Pittsburgh, where media scrutiny of his direction of each team was a major reason for his ouster as a team executive on both occasions. Nevertheless, with a new era starting in professional women’s hockey in North America, Burke’s connection to the NHL and its teams, aided by his knowledge accrued over the past three decades, should help the sport grow significantly in the upcoming years.

2009 NHL Draft Take Two: Second Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Earlier in the week, we kicked off the 2009 Take Two series by polling PHR readers on their pick for first overall with the benefit of hindsight. Defenseman Victor Hedman jumped up to claim the number-one spot by a comparatively slim margin, capturing 53% of the vote. In past years, the choice has been rather clear, with PHR voters settling on the draft class’ best player by scores of 70% or more.

Now with Hedman off the board to the New York Islanders at first overall, John Tavares remains on the board, with the Tampa Bay Lightning picking at number two. At the time of the draft, there was no question about whether Tavares would fall. He was one of the few players granted exceptional status into the OHL as a 15-year-old and, given he was only five days away from being eligible for the 2008 draft, Tavares already had four full seasons of junior hockey under his belt with two 100-plus point seasons to show for it.

While the circumstances of Tavares’ departure in free agency from the Islanders for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 have soured the fanbase’s opinion on his time with the team, he’s inarguably one of the most talented players in team history and was the cornerstone behind their first-round playoff win in 2016, ending a decades-long streak without a series victory. The team’s captain for five seasons ended up with 621 points in 669 games as an Islander and ranks fifth in team history in Hockey Reference’s point shares system.

Among his 2009 peers, he currently sits as the all-time leader in goals, assists and points and is the only one with more than 1,000 career NHL games under his belt. Despite that, Tavares hasn’t taken home any major awards like Hedman – although Tavares was a Hart Trophy finalist in 2013 and 2015 at just 22 and 24 years old. If he had fallen to Tampa for whatever reason, may they have won more Stanley Cups with this core with Tavares in the fold along with Steven Stamkos?

That’s what we’re asking you today, PHR readers. Will Tavares fall yet another spot in your hindsight-influenced 2009 draft ranking, or will the Lightning select a second franchise center to complement Stamkos, who they selected first overall just one year prior? Vote in the poll below:

Click here to vote if the poll doesn’t display.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Caleb Jones

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5:44 pm: The Hurricanes have made the deal official via team release. General manager Don Waddell said Jones’ “NHL experience will help boost our depth on defense.”

3:39 pm: Luke Fox of Sportsnet is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes and defenseman Caleb Jones are in agreement on a contract for the 2023-24 NHL season. Shortly after that, PuckPedia says that the deal will be a one-year, $775K contract.

Right off the bat, it is fair to start wondering exactly how much depth the Hurricanes need on their blue line. Already carrying eight NHL-ready defensemen on their active roster, Jones joins the list as a defenseman that should receive minutes next season.

Playing on a below-average Chicago Blackhawks team last season, Jones averaged just over 19 minutes of ice time per night, sitting fourth among defensemen in that category. Only scoring 16 points in 73 games, Jones was much more respected for his play on the defensive side of the puck rather than any offensive contributions.

Much unlike his last four seasons in the NHL prior to last year, Jones also racked up 118 blocked shots and threw 116 hits, by far the most he’s ever achieved in either category up to this point. In Chicago, Jones also spent time on both the powerplay and penalty kill units, not something that should be expected of him in Carolina.

Even though Jones is a serviceable defensive option for most teams around the NHL, he is going to need to compete heavily in the Hurricanes training camp to be an everyday player. Unlike Chicago, Carolina is considered to be one of the heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup next season.

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