PHR Mailbag: Sabres, Kane, Henrique, Flyers, Ruff
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Buffalo’s disappointing first half of the season, Patrick Kane’s future with Detroit, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s column.
YzerPlan19: What happened to the Buffalo Sabres?! Did the lofty expectations for this season crush them?
I was certainly among those who had Buffalo at least being in the playoff mix this season. I had them being in a close battle for a Wild Card spot and they currently sit 10 points out which isn’t exactly a close battle. They’ve certainly underachieved.
I’m not sure it’s the lofty expectations (being a possible playoff team isn’t exactly a huge bar to clear) that have hurt them. Instead, I think it’s the byproduct of an overly young roster with veterans who haven’t been able to step up to cover for the youngsters’ inconsistency.
When you look at the young talent they have, the tendency is to look at the year they just had and expect that they’ll be able to improve on it. Thus, several core players each take a step or two forward and there are a bunch of internal gains that move them up in the standings. It’s great in theory but in hindsight, expecting all of those players to take a leap forward was probably asking too much.
Not to single out the goaltending but hopes were quite high for Devon Levi based on how he finished last season. But we’re talking about a stretch of barely two weeks. Expecting him to stay at that level just might have been too much, too soon for him. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been inconsistent which is to be expected for a young goalie while Eric Comrie couldn’t pick up the slack which is why he cleared waivers earlier this season. Improved goaltending was a big reason for the higher expectations but the hopes were too high, too fast.
Similar statements could be made for several forwards as well, particularly Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and even Alex Tuch to a lesser extent. The hope was they’d maintain or beat their production from last season but they’ve all taken a step back. Kyle Okposo and Victor Olofsson aren’t picking up the slack either, unfortunately. If a couple of the youngsters are producing like they were last year, they probably have a few more wins and are at least in a realistic battle for a Wild Card spot in the stretch run.
I still think there’s a pretty good core here for Buffalo to work with. The goaltending should get better as Levi and Luukkonen get more seasoned. Bounce-back performances from some forwards can definitely happen as well. I think they’ll be in good shape in the long run but it appears their playoff drought is going to last a little longer.
Millville Meteor: Adam Henrique is having a good season. I expect the Ducks to trade him. What kind of return can we expect for him?
Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek must be thrilled at the way things have played out. Calgary moved Elias Lindholm earlier than expected, pushing Henrique up a rung on the talent list. Lindholm’s removal from the market then boosted Sean Monahan’s market, resulting in Montreal pulling the trigger on a trade early. Now Henrique is the top rental option available. That can only help his market.
Having said that, I’m skeptical that the Ducks will be able to get a first-round pick like the Flames and Canadiens did in their moves. Henrique’s numbers are quite comparable to the other two but Lindholm has the stronger reputation while Monahan’s contract is much more affordable. With Henrique making $5.825MM, that’s a price tag that few teams can afford, let alone few contending teams. They’re going to need retention and quite likely a second team to retain another chunk which could dilute the return Anaheim gets. I’ll say he fetches the Ducks a second-round pick and maybe a lesser asset (a late-round pick, a fringe prospect, or salary ballast) while the acquiring team will flip a fourth-rounder to whoever retains the second chunk.
rule78.1: Regarding Patrick Kane, the Red Wings, and the trade deadline. Keep him or trade him? If a trade is made, what expected return would the Red Wings receive?
First things first, he needs to show he’s healthy. He didn’t make it back before the All-Star break as they hoped he might be able to so he needs to clear any lingering doubts about his health. And with what he’s coming back from with his hip surgery, any injury is going to give teams some hesitance.
As of today, Detroit sits tied for the top Wild Card spot with Toronto. All things considered, that’s a bit better than I expected. It’s particularly impressive considering the spotty goaltending they had early in the year, resulting in third-stringer Alex Lyon taking over the number one job and running with it. Unless their place in the standings craters over the next month, I’d be inclined to hold onto Kane. Yes, there’s a risk of missing the playoffs and potentially losing him for nothing but it’s not like they gave up anything to get him. And with the Red Wings not being in any sort of meaningful playoff race since 2016, there’s some inherent value in just keeping their group together and giving their younger players a taste of a tight stretch run.
But if they were to move him, the return isn’t going to be quite as high as it was a year ago when he yielded a second and a fourth-round pick to Chicago (plus a third to Arizona for retaining another 25%). He’s having a good year but we’re talking about a 19-game sample size, lingering issues about his hip in his first post-surgery campaign, and a lower-body issue that has cost him three weeks already. Accordingly, I could see a second-rounder on its own being the ceiling for what Kane would bring back in return if Detroit decided to trade him.
Black Ace57: Who do you think on the Flyers is likely to get traded now? Atkinson? Walker? I’ve heard with Seeler that they want to see if they can agree on an extension. Do you think there’s a chance Frost still gets traded after the rumors earlier?
Sean Walker certainly seems like a good bet to be dealt. He’s having a nice bounce-back year after his playing time getting limited with Los Angeles and at $2.65MM, his contract is affordable, particularly if Philadelphia pays it down. The fact he’s a right-shot defender certainly helps as he might be the most coveted option once Chris Tanev is moved. For someone who was acquired at least in part as salary ballast, the Flyers are well-positioned to get some value for him. If a team wants extra depth, maybe there’s a late-round pick somewhere for Marc Staal as well. And if Nick Seeler signs an extension – it seems like they’re trying to hammer one out – then he’s off the list of options to trade.
I doubt there’s a strong market for Cam Atkinson. He has been decent this season coming back from neck surgery that cost him an entire season but it’s that injury and the fact he has a $5.875MM AAV through next season that will scare teams off now. In the summer, if Philadelphia is willing to pay down the contract and take a light return, then there should be a small market at least. One forward to keep an eye on is Scott Laughton. With the center market being so light, if GM Daniel Briere decides to make him available, he could command a quality return with two years left after this one at a below-market $3MM price tag.
Morgan Frost feels like he could be an offseason trade more than an in-season one at this point. A trade involving him might be a player-player swap of players that are of a similar age or team control. It might be more appealing to rebuilding teams but they generally aren’t looking to do those moves until the summer.
SpeakOfTheDevils: Assuming Ruff is fired after the season, who will be the next coach of the Devils???
First, I’m not certain that Lindy Ruff is going anywhere. Extending a coach to a multi-year deal and then firing him soon after doesn’t happen a lot (periodically, but not often). How much of New Jersey’s struggles are coaching-related compared to their injuries (Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier have all missed double-digit games)? And is it the fault of the head coach when the goaltending falls off the proverbial cliff? I’m not absolving Ruff of any responsibility here but certainly all the blame can’t be laid at his feet either.
But I’ll play along with the premise. If Ruff is gone, I don’t think GM Tom Fitzgerald will be looking for a first-time head coach; this is a team built to win now. If we look at who’s out there with some NHL head coaching experience, Craig Berube comes to mind as someone who might try to get this Devils team to play a bit more structured. I also could see them turning to Jay Woodcroft who had lots of early success with Edmonton and could bring a newer approach after having a long-term veteran in Ruff. Those are who I’d lean towards predicting if Ruff is let go but again, I’m not sure that scenario is going to happen just yet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Reinhart, Vatrano, Pettersson, Salminen
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart is the top-scoring forward that’s eligible to hit the open market this summer. With a career-best 37 goals already along with 62 points, he’s well on his way to commanding a significant raise on his current $6.5MM AAV while securing a long-term pact for the first time. Speaking with reporters including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, he acknowledged that talks continue but the fact a deal isn’t done isn’t serving as a distraction:
We both know where each other stands. We both know we want to get something done. And we’re both comfortable with how it’s going, so it’s not distracting me by any means at all. I think when you’re trying to build something we’re trying to in Florida, some things take time. We’re both comfortable, we’re both trying to ultimately win a Stanley Cup this year. And that’s where our focus mainly is.
If Reinhart pushes past the 100-point mark plateau this season, there’s a case to be made that his next contract should be past the $10MM mark. However, that’d be tough to fit on the books for the Panthers who would likely want to see him slot in at or closer to Matthew Tkachuk’s $9.5MM price tag.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Ducks winger Frank Vatrano is having his best season, notching 36 points in 50 games already to secure an All-Star spot. With one year left on his contract at $3.65MM and Anaheim in a firm rebuild, some have wondered if the 29-year-old could be a trade candidate. Speaking to reporters on All-Star Media Day including Forever Blueshirts’ Jim Cerny, Vatrano acknowledged the situation is out of his hands but that he’d prefer to remain with the Ducks. That said, teams looking for some scoring help on the wing and don’t want to pay a high price tag for a rental will likely be calling about Vatrano over the next few weeks.
- If the Penguins opt to sell at the trade deadline, Jake Guentzel would obviously receive the most interest. Beyond him, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that defenseman Marcus Pettersson might be their next-best trade chip. The 27-year-old has had one of his more productive years with 19 points in 46 games while averaging a career-high 22:37 per night, third among Pittsburgh’s rearguards. With one year left on his deal after this one with a cap hit of just over $4.025MM, he could certainly be an intriguing acquisition for a playoff-bound team looking for more than a one-year rental.
- Devils prospect Samu Salminen received a one-game suspension from Hockey East for a hit on Friday night, notes Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a third-round pick by New Jersey back in 2021 but has seen his production this season with Connecticut slow down, notching just five goals and five assists in 26 games (after putting up 17 points in 27 games in his freshman year).
Golden Knights Place Brayden Pachal On Waivers
While they’re off until Tuesday, the Golden Knights have made a roster move today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Vegas has placed defenseman Brayden Pachal on waivers.
The 24-year-old cleared waivers early in training camp back in October but never wound up being assigned to AHL Henderson. Instead, he has been a full-timer on the active roster although playing time has been difficult to come by. Pachal has played in 17 games for the Golden Knights so far, picking up a goal while averaging 14:37 per night. For his career, he has three points in 29 NHL contests.
While that’s not necessarily the statistical profile that would jump out at anyone, Pachal is in the first season of a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of the league minimum ($775K). Between that and the fact he’s a right-shot defender, there’s certainly a chance that a team looking for low-cost depth on the right side opts to take a flyer on Pachal.
At the moment, the Golden Knights are only carrying a minimum-sized active roster of 11 forwards and seven defensemen so if Pachal was to clear waivers, he couldn’t be sent to the Silver Knights without another move being made first. Blueliner Ben Hutton was listed as week-to-week when he was injured in late December while recent waiver claim Tobias Bjornfot went on IR three weeks ago with an undisclosed injury. If one of those two was to be activated, then Pachal could be removed from the roster. Shea Theodore is also injured and is on LTIR but his return might still be a couple of weeks away.
Julien Gauthier Clears Waivers
Saturday: Gauthier has cleared waivers, Friedman reports; he has been assigned to Bridgeport.
Friday: The Islanders have placed winger Julien Gauthier on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Bridgeport, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Friday.
Gauthier, 26, is without a point in his last six games. He was a healthy scratch in the Islanders’ last game before the All-Star break, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers on Saturday.
The 2016 first-round pick signed a two-year, $1.575MM deal with the Islanders last July after reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career. After ending last season in a Senators jersey as a result of a February 2023 trade from the Rangers, Gauthier did not receive a qualifying offer after scoring three goals and adding two assists in 17 games with Ottawa.
A bottom-six power winger with good size at 6-foot-4 and over 220 pounds, Gauthier made the Islanders’ roster out of camp after failing to do so with the Rangers last season. He’s been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions this season, including three times since the beginning of January.
In 27 games on the season, he’s posted five goals and nine points while averaging 10:10 per game. His possession metrics have been the worst on the team in his limited role, posting a 36% Corsi share at even strength. Given he’s under contract until 2025 and is not on an expiring deal, and his $800K salary next season is higher than his $787.5K cap hit, the likelihood of a waiver claim appears low.
Anton Forsberg Nearing Return
The Senators could get some help between the pipes when they play their first game after their bye week next Saturday. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Anton Forsberg is on track in his recovery from a groin injury and might be ready to be activated off LTIR for that game against Toronto.
The 31-year-old is in the second season of a three-year, $8.25MM contract that he signed back in 2022 while in the middle of his best year at the NHL level. However, since then, Forsberg hasn’t played anywhere near as well and has struggled to the tune of a 3.35 GAA and a .889 SV% in 16 appearances so far this season. That said, those numbers are better than what Mads Sogaard was able to do in his stint as Forsberg’s replacement so his return will still be an upgrade.
However, Forsberg returning to the lineup will once again bring Ottawa’s cap crunch to the forefront. Per CapFriendly, the Sens are currently using $1.55MM of LTIR; that amount will need to come off their books before they can bring the netminder back onto the active roster. That means that two players will need to be cleared off.
One of them is fairly straightforward as Kevin Mandolese, currently the second option on the depth chart after being recalled following Wednesday’s game, can go back to AHL Belleville. That will clear $775K of that amount, leaving another $775K to come.
That one will be a little trickier to open up. Ottawa has just two waiver-exempt players, defenseman Jake Sanderson and center Ridly Greig. Both play key roles for the Senators so it’s safe to say that they won’t be going down.
Winger Zack MacEwen and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker both cleared waivers earlier this season but neither would be a lock to clear again. MacEwen’s on a three-year deal but at the minimum salary, a team looking for extra grit could easily put in a claim. Meanwhile, Bernard-Docker has been a regular on the third pairing most nights and as a young right-shot blueliner now with some NHL time under his belt, there’s likely a rebuilding team or two that would claim him now. Either of them coming off the books would barely squeak them under the cap line, leaving no wiggle room for recalls if needed.
If GM Steve Staios doesn’t want to risk one of those two and doesn’t have a trade on the horizon, one other option might be to waive Dominik Kubalik. The winger is believed to have been available for a couple of months now with no takers. With a $2.5MM cap charge, he might pass through unclaimed and while that full amount wouldn’t come off their books, they’d open up $1.15MM in room, creating enough space to activate Forsberg. It might not be the most desirable option but that could be a short-term fix.
With Ottawa being one of the few teams to play leading up to the All-Star break, Staios still has the better part of a week to determine how to make the money work. But after being able to delay dealing with this cap crunch which was lingering back in training for more than half the season, it appears the time has come to deal with it.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Philadelphia Flyers
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Philadelphia Flyers
Current Cap Hit: $83,322,620 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
G Samuel Ersson ($859K this season)
F Tyson Foerster (two years, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Ersson $32.5K
Foerster impressed in limited action last season and has become a full-time regular this year. That said, he’s more of a secondary player at this point which likely has him heading for a short-term second contract, especially with the limited action as a rookie. If he finds another gear offensively next season and pushes into the 40-point-pace range, he could surpass the $2MM mark on that agreement.
Ersson has already signed his second contract so we’ll look at that in more detail shortly but it’s worth noting his bonuses are based on games played. The exact number needed isn’t known but the lower end of a games played bonus is usually around 20. If that’s the case here, he has already reached it.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
G Carter Hart ($3.979MM, RFA)
D Nick Seeler ($775K, UFA)
D Marc Staal ($1.1MM, UFA)
D Sean Walker ($2.65MM, UFA)
D Yegor Zamula ($775K, RFA)
Walker was picked up from the Kings in the summer with his inclusion appearing to primarily be for cap purposes. However, the 29-year-old has rebuilt his value nicely, spending a lot of time on the second pairing. Now, instead of a likely pay cut had this season gone like last year, Walker is set up to potentially land a small raise on a multi-year agreement. In the meantime, he is a speculative trade candidate as is Seeler. Seeler has become a regular with the Flyers over the last year and a half after being a player on the fringes of the roster. His playing time is still somewhat limited as he’s a full-time part of the third pairing. Philadelphia is believed to be interested in an extension, one that should push into the $1.25MM to the $1.5MM range.
Staal signed with the Flyers early in free agency to give them a bridge veteran, allowing them to keep some of their youngsters in AHL Lehigh Valley a little longer. He has missed time with injuries and has been scratched at times as well. Accordingly, while it’s possible he lands another deal to fill that type of role, it’s likely to come in closer to the league minimum. As for Zamula, he hasn’t been in the lineup every night but he has more than held his own and is even seeing time on the second power play unit at times. Doubling his current AAV on a two-year bridge deal could be achievable for the 23-year-old.
Hart had been performing at a level similar to last season which had him on track to be qualified at just under $4.5MM. However, his leave of absence pertaining to the sexual assault charge as part of the 2018 investigation into Canada’s World Junior team now has that outcome looking doubtful. Now, a non-tender looks likely.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Cam Atkinson ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Morgan Frost ($2.1MM, RFA)
F Noah Cates ($2.65MM, RFA)
F Garnet Hathaway ($2.375MM, UFA)
F Travis Konecny ($5.5MM, UFA)
G Cal Petersen ($5MM, UFA)
D Cam York ($1.6MM, RFA)
After missing all of last season due to a herniated disk in his neck, Atkinson has been healthy all season long and is producing at close to a 50-point pace. That’s on the high side for this price tag but that was likely expected when he signed this deal back with Columbus in 2017. His next contract should check in closer to the $4MM mark if he can stay at that pace for another year and a half.
Konecny’s future with the Flyers has been speculated about for a while. First, he looked like a long-term core piece but then when he took a step back in 2020-21 and then followed it up with just 16 goals the following year, some questioned if he was going to be part of those plans much longer. Since then, he has authored a year and a half of top-line production and now, the idea of an extension is very much on the table. If it happens, Philadelphia will be paying him off two career platform years which certainly will carry some risk while likely upping the price tag close to the $8MM mark. But after leading the team in scoring last season and for most of this year, there’s a strong case to make to keep him around.
Cates has had a year to forget. A broken foot kept him out for the better part of two months and in between, he has struggled mightily, sitting on just one goal in 28 games. This AAV will be his qualifying offer in 2025 and he’ll have arbitration rights again at that time. There’s plenty of time to turn his fortunes around but at this point, a non-tender could be on the table if his struggles continue.
Hathaway signed a surprisingly high contract for someone who is best deployed on the fourth line but the Flyers put extra value in trying to fill his particular role. It would be surprising to see another raise coming but in a more favorable cap environment, it’s not out of the realm of possibility either. Frost had a breakout year last season, earning a nice bridge deal for his troubles but he has struggled somewhat this season while John Tortorella has scratched him frequently, leading to trade speculation. At this point, a one-year deal after this one that basically works as a second bridge might be the most likely outcome; that contract would check in a bit higher than his $2.4MM qualifying offer if his production stays in its current range.
York is also on his bridge contract and while the offensive potential he showed in the US National Team Development Program and in college hasn’t quite translated to big point totals yet, he’s logging heavy minutes. That alone could help him double this price tag in 2025 and if the production comes, the cost of a long-term agreement will go up quite quickly.
Petersen was acquired as salary ballast in the Ivan Provorov three-way trade last summer and has spent most of the last year and a half in the minors. With Hart’s absence, that should change but his struggles in his limited NHL action make this a steep overpayment. If this continues, he’ll be closer to the $1MM territory as a free agent.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Nicolas Deslauriers ($1.75MM, UFA)
G Samuel Ersson ($1.4MM in 2024-25 and 2025-26, RFA)
D Jamie Drysdale ($2.3MM, RFA)
F Scott Laughton ($3MM, UFA)
F Ryan Poehling ($1.4MM this season, $1.9MM in 2024-25 and 2025-26, UFA)
Laughton has shown he can play in the top six but is likely best utilized as a third-line middleman. This price tag is certainly quite fair for that role which is why teams are starting to call about his potential availability. With a 43-point season under his belt, there’s room for his price tag to grow if he’s able to produce near that level with any type of consistency; doing so could push him into the $4MM range.
Deslauriers is another player they willingly gave more than market value to in order to have their desired grit on the fourth line. While he has had some success offensively in the past, he is starting to slow down on that front. Another contract is definitely achievable (even at 35 which he’ll be when this deal ends) but it should come in closer to the minimum next time. Poehling has held his own in a bottom-six role and inked his new deal recently, a nice outcome for someone who was non-tendered last summer. He’ll need to become more productive to have a chance at getting third center money.
Drysdale was acquired less than a month ago and has fit in nicely so far. Injuries have limited him significantly the last two seasons which hasn’t helped to firm up where his expected long-term deal after this one will land. If he lives up to his upside and stays healthy, he should become Philadelphia’s top-paid blueliner. But if the injury trouble continues, that will certainly scale that price tag down.
Ersson impressed down the stretch last year, landing this extension before the 2023-24 campaign started. It’s a move that looks better now as he had pushed his way into more playing time early on and is now their likely starter the rest of the way. He’ll have that time to show if he’s a legitimate number one or more of a backup with the range of outcomes money-wise stretching past a few million per season depending on how he plays.
Morning Notes: Skills Results, Lacher, Coyotes
The NHL’s All-Star Skills Competition was held on Friday night in a revamped format that saw a dozen players compete in a head-to-head format while taking part in at least four of the events. Oilers center Connor McDavid took home the title and $1MM while the rest of the results were as follows.
Fastest Skater: McDavid (Oilers, 13.408 seconds)
One-Timers: Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche, 23 points)
Passing Challenge: Elias Pettersson (Canucks, 25 points)
Hardest Shot: Cale Makar (Avalanche, 102.56 mph)
Stick Handling: McDavid (Oilers, 25.755 seconds)
Accuracy Shooting: McDavid (Oilers, 9.158 seconds)
One-On-One: William Nylander (Maple Leafs, 9 points), Alexandar Georgiev (Avalanche, 9 saves)
Obstacle Course: McDavid (Oilers, 40.666 seconds)
Other early news from around the hockey world:
- Former Bruins goaltender Blaine Lacher passed away on Friday at the age of 53, the team announced (Twitter link). Lacher made an immediate impact in the NHL, coming up as Boston’s starter in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign, putting up a 2.41 GAA in 35 games to earn him a top-five finish in Calder Trophy voting. However, Lacher only made seven appearances at the top level after that. No cause of death was revealed.
- On Friday, the NHLPA expressed its frustration with Arizona’s search for a new arena site, stating that they’ve missed two deadlines already while not engaging with the PA on numerous fronts. However, it appears the team remains on track to purchase a parcel of land as the team confirmed (Twitter link) a report from ABC15’s Taylor Rocha that they are moving forward with a plan to buy in North Phoenix. At this point, multiple arena sites are still being considered which means we’re still likely a little while away from having more clarity on that front.
Evening Notes: Hughes, Savard, Sandin-Pellikka
Star New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes told All-Star Game reporters, “I think I’m really close, hopefully I can come out of the break here and feel good, finish the year really strong.” Hughes has missed New Jersey’s last 10 games with an upper-body injury. The absences earned Hughes a spot on injured reserve ahead of the All-Star break, though that move was seemingly a paper transaction so the team could claim defenseman Nick DeSimone from the Calgary Flames.
This injury marks Hughes’ second long-term absence this season, with the star also missing five games earlier in the season with a shoulder injury. He’s been a force to be reckoned with when he is healthy, boasting 45 points through just 32 games. That ranks him second on the team in scoring, despite his absences, and fifth in the league in points per game. Hughes, 22, has done a lot to establish himself as the Devils’ franchise centerman of the future. Now, he just needs to prove he can stay healthy.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Montreal Canadiens aren’t planning on parting ways with defenseman David Savard, per team general manager Kent Hughes. Savard is in his third season with the Canadiens, joining the team via unrestricted free agency with a four-year, $14MM contract signed during the 2021 summer. It was the first time in Savard’s then 11-year career that he reached free agency and he made sure to return to his hometown team. Hughes isn’t looking to change that decision this Spring.
- Top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka has returned to the Skelleftea organization after sitting out with an undisclosed injury suffered during the 2024 World Junior Championships. Sandin-Pellikka has been a standout name for Skelleftea, ranking third among the team’s defenders in scoring despite missing 13 games this season. He’s boasting 13 points through 26 games, the most among any U20 defensemen in the SHL. The Red Wings selected Sandin-Pellikka with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Trade Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes
With the All-Star break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month and a half away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Carolina Hurricanes have made their top status in the NHL undeniable this season. They’ve yet to have a losing record, despite facing injuries to top scorer Andrei Svechnikov and multiple goaltenders, including starter Frederik Andersen who is out indefinitely with a blood clotting issue. The Hurricanes have already iced five different goalies through the first half of the season, including waiver claim Spencer Martin and rookie Yaniv Perets. They even had veteran Jaroslav Halak on a professional try-out contract earlier in the season, though the 38-year-old wasn’t able to earn an NHL deal. But Carolina has persevered, fighting their way to ninth in the NHL and ranking in the league’s top 10 in goals for and against. They’ll be gearing up for another long playoff push when the Trade Deadline rolls around.
Record
28-15-5, 2nd in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$8.73MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 41/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, PHI 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
2025: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
Trade Chips
The Carolina Hurricanes have kept their roster fairly tight over the last few seasons and thus, don’t have much in the way of bargaining chips entering trade season. They are once again rumored to be shopping around Tony DeAngelo, who is in his second stint with the team after they traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second, third, and fourth round pick in the 2022 summer. DeAngelo likely hasn’t done much to raise his value since that deal, seeing a decline in his production with 42 points in 70 games last season and just nine in 21 games this year. It’s been coupled with a decreased role, with the 28-year-old averaging just 14 minutes of ice time this season, significantly down from the 22 minutes he averaged with Philadelphia last season. Still, the hope of a revamped role leading to revamped scoring could be enough to convince a deadline seller.
The Hurricanes will otherwise likely be moving on from future assets. They’ve managed to hang on to almost all of their draft picks over the next three drafts and could be poised to cash them in with the wind behind them this season. They’ve also drafted well enough to manage parting with a few top prospects, like winger Noel Gunler who appeared in 42 AHL games and scored 23 points between 2021 and 2023, but is now on loan to the Liiga’s Karpat. Or they could move on from one of their two leading NCAA scorers in Bradly Nadeau – who ranks second on the University of Maine in scoring with 31 points in 22 games – or Cruz Lucius – who leads the University of Wisconsin with 22 points in 24 games.
With Carolina having reportedly taken Brett Pesce off the trade deadline, it’s hard to imagine many other names they’d be excited to move. They’ll be limited to a strict buyer status on deadline day, doomed to part with future capital if they want to build on this season. But they may have a silver lining financially, with CapFriendly estimating the Hurricanes will have roughly $8.7MM in deadline cap space. That could be enough to make bringing on cap feasible, likely cheapening any deal, or helping them contend for the more expensive players on the market.
Team Needs
1) Consistency In Net: The Carolina Hurricanes don’t necessarily need a goaltender. Pyotr Kochetkov has manned the team’s net serviceably, when healthy, tallying 11 wins and a .900 save percentage through 23 games. The 24-year-old is currently in the AHL, looking to make his return from a concussion suffered on January 11th that earned him a stint on injured reserve. Kochetkov’s de facto backup, Antti Raanta, has also managed 12 games this season, though he’s tallied a much lower .870 save percentage. But neither goalie has been able to evade the minors, with Kochetkov not making the Hurricanes out of camp and playing in three AHL games this season, and Raanta getting placed on waivers earlier in the year and appearing in two AHL games.
Consistency in net has been Carolina’s missing piece this year. And while they could continue wishing for better health, this could be the best year to bring in a new name. There’s a long list of quality goaltenders on the trade block, including backups Jake Allen and Marc-Andre Fleury. Both options could come at a cheaper price than top names like Jacob Markstrom or Kaapo Kahkonen, while still providing Carolina with an upgrade over Raanta. With Kochetkov hoping to return from injury soon, the Hurricanes don’t need to sell the lot for a new name. But anyone capable of staying active would provide massive value, especially as the team aims its sights on a deep playoff run.
2) A Big Splash: Carolina hasn’t had much to complain about this season. They’re getting plenty of scoring, with 11 players boasting 20 or more points, including three defensemen. They’re even poised to add a major scoring talent back into the lineup when Andrei Svechnikov returns from an upper-body injury that’s held him out of Carolina’s last three games. But there are plenty of big names on the open market that could put an already-strong Hurricanes team over the top. They could pull off a blockbuster deal to bring in Ottawa’s Jakob Chychrun or Vladimir Tarasenko, Philadelphia’s Sean Walker, or Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel. All four players would provide formidable depth to Carolina, without locking the team into lengthy contracts. It’d be a surefire boost to a Hurricanes lineup that’s pitted up against a strong divisional opponent in the New York Rangers. Carolina doesn’t typically jump for big-name Spring trades, but a rich market could sway them to upgrade while they still can.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Snapshots: NHL Expansion, Thomson, Newhook
The NHL is eyeing expansion, with commissioner Gary Bettman naming Salt Lake City, Houston, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Omaha all as cities that have expressed interest in housing an NHL club. Houston and Omaha are the only cities on the list not currently housing an ECHL club, though Omaha makes up for it with the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Division 1 NCAA team and the USHL’s Omaha Lancers juniors club. Houston did host a minor league club from 1994 to 2013, though they relocated to Des Moines Iowa ahead of the 2013-14 season. The city has been without professional hockey ever since, though this season does mark the first time since World War II that the University of Houston has hosted a club hockey team.
How the NHL will go about reconfiguring divisions if one, or all, of these five cities receive a team is unclear. The list seemingly places three clubs undeniably in the Western Conference – Salt Lake City, Houston, and Omaha – while Atlanta would settle back into their place in the Eastern Conference. Cincinnati would be the toss-up, with the city situated perfectly on the line of conference ambiguity. It’s west of Detroit and Columbus – two teams that have spent time in both conferences – but still east of Nashville, a city that could reasonably mark where the Western Conference ends and the Eastern Conference begins. It seems most likely that Cincinnati will be the balancing piece in any new NHL expansions, if and when they happen.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Ottawa Senators are open to shopping around defenseman Lassi Thomson, per team reporter Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. A recent report on Sweden’s Expressen shared that the defenseman could return to Scandinavian hockey, joining the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks. This rumored move could be a driving factor in any trade talks, as Ottawa will surely want a return on their investment and any recipient will want to ensure they’re getting a long-term piece. Thomson, 23, has spent all season in the AHL, totaling 11 points through 40 games. He’s also added 40 penalty minutes and a -11. All of these stats are a step down from Thomson’s 2022-23 season, when he managed 33 points, 28 penalty minutes, and a -9 through 56 AHL games. The former 2019 first-round pick played two seasons in the Liiga, Finland’s top league, after being drafted and before his career in North American pros began at the end of the 2020-21 season.
- Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook is aiming for a return soon, says team general manager Kent Hughes. Newhook was announced as out for 10-to-12 weeks in early-December after suffering a high ankle sprain. That projection places his return in mid-February, at the earliest – though his return to the ice in late January suggests he’s progressing nicely. Newhook has appeared in 23 games with Montreal this season, scoring seven goals and 13 points. It’s his first time playing in Canada since his two-year stretch in the BCHL prior to being drafted. The Canadiens traded a 2023 first and second round draft pick, as well as Gianni Fairbrother, to the Colorado Avalanche this summer in exchange for Newhook.