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Aleksander Barkov Wins 2024 Selke Trophy

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Continuing on with the slow drip of announcing award winners from the 2023-24 regular season, the National Hockey League has announced this year’s winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, given to the player who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. The league announced this year’s winner as captain of the Florida Panthers, Aleksander Barkov, who will win the award for the second time in his career.

Barkov, who last won the award over the 2020-21 season, will end the two-year run of former Boston Bruins captain, Patrice Bergeron. Now earning his second Selke Trophy victory, Barkov is tied with the captain of the Los Angeles Kings, Anze Kopitar, with the most Selke Trophies among active players.

There is little doubt about Barkov’s case for the win, as he has regularly been one of the league’s top defensive forwards for the last several years. This season in particular, Barkov finished with a +33 rating, a +31 takeaway-to-giveaway ratio, and kept the puck in the offensive zone 46.3% of the time at even strength, putting him in the 97th percentile in the NHL.

Although being an individual award, Barkov’s defensive capabilities are certainly boosted by the rest of his teammates on the Panthers roster, as they tied for first in the league this season with 2.41 GA/G. Not only did Barkov help Florida excel at limiting goals against, but the team finished with the third-fewest shots against, as well as sustaining the league’s sixth-best penalty kill.

Afternoon Notes: Drouin, Henrique, Bruins, Brandsegg-Nygard

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Colorado Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin has shared that he’s hoping to re-sign with the team this summer, per Meghan Angley of TheDNVR.com (Twitter link). Drouin joined the Avalanche on a one-year, $825K contract last July and looked great in their system, posting a career-high 56 points. He appeared in 79 games – the second-most he’s played in any of his 10 NHL seasons, behind the 2018-19 campaign.

Drouin seemed to find his footing with the Avalanche and will now hope to solidify his future with the club. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring while admirably filling Gabriel Landeskog’s role on the second line. That should be enough to earn him a substantial raise from his sub-$1MM salary this season, though he’ll still have to settle for a cheaper deal, with Colorado boasting just $15MM to re-sign their 11 free agents, including Sean Walker and Alexandar Georgiev.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers are expected to once again be without forward Adam Henrique for Game 6, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Knoblauch also shared that the Oilers will have an extra forward in warmups, with one lineup forward questionable with an illness. Henrique has missed five of the six games this series and hasn’t been particularly effective when he is on the ice – with just two points in six postseason games so far. Connor Brown will remain in the lineup in Henrique’s absence, while one of Sam Carrick, Sam Gagner, or Adam Erne will likely skate as the precautionary extra forward.
  • A pair of Boston Bruins could be set to join Team Czechia at the World Championship, with Czechia news outlet iDNES.cz reporting that both David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha could join the team as soon as Monday. That decision will be made by general manager Petr Nedved and assistant general manager Martin Havlat, who shared that Pastrnak and Zacha are set to undergo medical evaluation on Sunday. These would be substantial additions to a Czechia roster that’s already leading Group A, with four wins in six games. They recently added Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas following their elimination and are now set to add two more difference-makers – a substantial boost ahead of their Tuesday matchup with Team Canada, their final of the group stage.
  • Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has signed a one-year deal with the reigning SHL champions: Skelleftea AIK. Brandsegg-Nygard spent the season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league, where he posted 18 points in 41 games. He’s also managed five points in five World Juniors games and 12 points in nine international friendlies with Norway’s U20 team – and is currently one of just six goal-scorers on Norway’s World Championship roster. It’s been a strong year for Brandsegg-Nygard, the fifth-ranked European by NHL Central Scouting. He should only add to his momentum on a flashy, high-skill Skelleftea team next year.

Hurricanes Notes: Skjei, Pesce, Guentzel

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei has shared that getting a “fair offer” will be his top priority as he enters free agency, per Walt Ruff of NHL.com (Twitter link). Skjei is coming off a career year, posting a career-high 47 points in 80 games and averaging the second-most ice time on Carolina’s defense. The Hurricanes have expressed interest in hanging onto Skjei, but his strong performance – following an 18-goal season last year – has positioned him as one of the top names set to hit the open market.

Skjei, 30, is likely set to join the team he’ll finish his career with on his next deal. It’d be no surprise if that remained Carolina, who Skjei joined via trade from the New York Rangers in the 2019-20 season – with Carolina sending the 2019 first-round pick used on Hendrix Lapierre the other way. After five up-and-down seasons in New York, Skjei found a home in Carolina – becoming a much more consistent and reliable defender in all three zones. He’s appeared in 302 games and recorded 135 points – both ranked second among Hurricanes defensemen since 2019, behind Jaccob Slavin. Skjei, Slavin, and Brett Pesce have become pillars of the Hurricanes’ defense in the years since, though Carolina is already planning to part ways with the latter. That should give them more cap space to negotiate with Skjei, though they’re sure to have no shortage of competition in pitching a “fair offer”.

Other notes from Carolina:

  • Speaking of Pesce, he shared with Chip Alexander of The News and Observer that he was close to returning from injury before the season ended, sharing he was hoping to return in the Conference Finals. Pesce was bearing through a fracture in his fibula, near his ankle, suffered in Game 2 against the New York Islanders. He missed the final nine games of Carolina’s season – a quiet end to what was a quiet season, with Pesce posting a career-low 13 points through 70 games. He finished his closeout interview by adding that he’s hoping both he and defense-partner Skjei will find a way to re-sign in Carolina, saying “We don’t want our story to end, for sure. We both want to be back, it’s pretty obvious.”
  • New Carolina Hurricanes star Jake Guentzel didn’t rule out a return to Carolina during locker room clean-out, though he made sure to emphasize that it’s a business at the end of the day, shared Ruff (Twitter link). Guentzel was dazzling in Carolina, recording 25 points in 17 regular-season games and nine points in 11 postseason games. He was, in his usual fashion, one of the team’s most consistent performers in the playoffs, serving a strong role on Carolina’s top line after spending the regular season throughout the top six. Guentzel, 29, would challenge Steven Stamkos as the most coveted player on the open market this year, should he enter free agency. That excitement could have him interested in playing the field, though he made sure to speak highly of the Hurricanes in his final interview, sharing “This team for sure can win a Stanley Cup. I think it’s right there… I want to win more than anything and that’s all I care about.”

Canucks Notes: Zadorov, Demko, Mikheyev, Cole

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Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov has fit in quite well since being acquired from Vancouver and has seen his playing time jump to over 20 minutes a night in the playoffs while adding four goals and four assists.  That performance certainly will help his cause as he reaches unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer.  To that end, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggested in a recent appearance of Canucks Conversation by Canucks Army (video link) that the blueliner could be seeking a six-year contract with an AAV in the $6MM range this summer.  That would certainly represent a sizable raise on his current $3.75MM price tag while giving him some contractual stability which he hasn’t had; since his entry-level deal, Zadorov hasn’t had a contract longer than two years.

More from Vancouver:

  • While goaltender Thatcher Demko has resumed skating, head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters including Postmedia’s Steve Ewen that it “would be a stretch” for his starter to return in this series. He has been out since suffering a knee injury in the first game of the opening round against Nashville.  However, Arturs Silovs has done well in his absence, posting a 2.62 GAA and a .907 SV%, getting them a game away from being Edmonton which lessens the urgency to get Demko back in the lineup.
  • After missing last game with an undisclosed injury, it doesn’t appear as if winger Ilya Mikheyev will return tonight. Thomas Drance of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that there’s unlikely to be any lineup changes tonight which means he’ll be out once again.  Mikheyev took part in the optional skate with Demko which suggests he’s not too far away from returning.  It has been a tough postseason for the 29-year-old as he has been held off the scoresheet in ten games after scoring just once in his last 50 regular season contests.
  • Speaking of injuries, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that blueliner Ian Cole is dealing with an undisclosed lower-body injury. The veteran has had some struggles this round but is still logging over 15 minutes a night while chipping in with nearly three blocks per game in the first five matches of this series.

Central Notes: Landeskog, Hakanpaa, Hintz

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Speaking with reporters including NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link) following their elimination, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar indicated that winger Gabriel Landeskog wasn’t particularly close to returning and had already been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs had Colorado advanced.  However, he’s optimistic that his captain will be able to return next season.  Landeskog hasn’t played since the 2022 playoffs and underwent a knee cartilage transplant procedure last May.  He was ruled out for the entire regular season soon after, allowing the Avs to put his $7MM contract on LTIR which gave them some spending flexibility.  If they’re expecting Landeskog to return in 2024-25, however, they won’t have that option this time around.

More from the Central Division:

  • The Stars have been without defenseman Jani Hakanpaa for more than two months after initially being listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. However, it appears he could be available in the somewhat near future as Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News relays that the 32-year-old has been skating on his own and accompanied the team to Colorado for their series-clinching victory on Friday.  While he still needs to get in some practices with the team before getting the green light to return, the fact he’s skating and traveling now suggests he could be cleared at some point next round.
  • Still with the Stars, head coach Peter DeBoer told team reporter Mike Heika (Twitter link) that center Roope Hintz would have been doubtful to play in Game Seven had the series gotten that far. Hintz suffered an upper-body injury in the fourth game of their series against Colorado and was designated as out day-to-day at the time.  Now, he’ll have a few more days to rest up for the Western Conference Final.  Hintz has had a quiet playoff performance, notching six points in 11 games but four of those came in one contest in the second round.

East Notes: Lindgren, Mikkola, Garand

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After initially declining the invitation in recent weeks, Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren has had a change of heart and will now join Team USA at the Worlds, the team announced.  He’ll take the place of Detroit’s Alex Lyon who was the number one goalie to start the event before suffering a hand injury, ending his tourney prematurely.  The 30-year-old had a breakout year, earning the starting job in Washington while putting up a 2.67 GAA along with a .911 SV% and a league-high six shutouts in 50 games, helping to lead them to the playoffs before being swept in the opening round.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Although he exited Friday’s game late in the third with an undisclosed injury, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola is fine, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including team reporter Jameson Olive. The 28-year-old plays a key role on Florida’s back end, logging over 20 minutes a night during the regular season while recording nearly 200 hits.  His playing time has dipped slightly in the playoffs but he’s still fourth in defensive ATOI, checking in at 18:30 per game.  Through the first two rounds, Mikkola has a pair of points along with 17 blocks and 33 hits.
  • The Rangers have returned goaltender Dylan Garand to AHL Hartford, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post (Twitter link). He had been brought up earlier in the week to briefly serve as the third-string emergency goalie with Louis Domingue not at 100%.  With Olof Lindbom believed to have been injured last game, Garand should get the nod against Hershey tonight in the second game of the Atlantic Division Finals.  Garand had a save percentage of just .898 during the regular season but that sits at .931 in seven playoff appearances so far.

Red Wings Re-Assign Nate Danielson To AHL

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Nate Danielson’s junior season has come to an end but he could still see some game action yet.  Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids announced that the Red Wings have re-assigned the center to AHL Grand Rapids.

The 19-year-old was the ninth overall selection last June following a strong campaign with WHL Brandon.  This season, he put up similar numbers, notching 24 goals and 43 assists in just 54 contests between Brandon and Portland, who acquired him midseason after suiting up for Canada at the World Juniors.  Danielson was quite productive in the postseason as well, collecting 24 points in 18 games, good for a tie for fourth in WHL playoff scoring.

If he gets into a game, he’ll be the fourth Detroit first-round pick and sixth draft choice overall to make his Griffins debut a year after being drafted.  Grand Rapids won the opener of the Central Division Finals back on Wednesday so they will have some time to work Danielson into their lineup if they want to give him a taste of AHL action ahead of what should be his first full professional campaign next season.

Atlantic Notes: Liljegren, Toronto’s Coaching Staff, Buchberger, LeClerc

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After being eliminated in the first round, there has been plenty of speculation about the Maple Leafs shaking up their core forwards.  However, a move there almost certainly won’t be the only change this summer.  To that end, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that there is some early chatter that defenseman Timothy Liljegren is coming up in trade talks.  The 25-year-old matched his career high in points this season with 23 despite missing 27 games while also setting new personal bests in blocks (116) and average ice time (19:20) which puts him in good shape as he reaches restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility this summer.  If GM Brad Treliving doesn’t want to pay a raise that will likely push past the $2MM mark or if he’s looking to add more grit on the back end, Liljegren could be an intriguing trade target, one that should draw a lot of attention should Toronto opt to formally put him on the block.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Still with Toronto, the Maple Leafs named Craig Berube as their new head coach yesterday, signing him to a four-year contract. Berube, of course, last worked in St. Louis and it appears that Berube won’t be the only one joining Toronto from the Blues.  James Mirtle of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Berube will be bringing some of the staff from St. Louis with him.  Steve Ott, Mike Weber, David Alexander, and Michael Babcock are the current assistants on Drew Bannister’s staff.  As it is, Berube will be reunited with one of his former assistants as Mike Van Ryn was on his staff in St. Louis before being hired by Toronto last offseason.
  • The Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval announced (Twitter link) that assistant coach Kelly Buchberger will not return next season. The 17-year NHL veteran had been an assistant for the Rocket for the past three seasons.  Buchberger has since been named as head coach and GM of the Devon Xtreme of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
  • The Red Wings have invited forward Cy LeClerc to their upcoming development camp, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 21-year-old had a productive sophomore season with the University of New Hampshire, notching 10 goals and 18 assists in 36 games to finish second on the team in scoring.

Stars Recall Four Players From AHL

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After bringing up a trio of players (Mavrik Bourque, Alex Petrovic, and Lian Bichsel) earlier this week, the Stars have added to their taxi squad of Black Aces.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled forwards Fredrik Karlstrom, Oskar Back, and Matej Blumel along with goaltender Remi Poirier from AHL Texas.

Karlstrom saw action in Dallas in 2021-22 and 2022-23, spanning eight games in total where he had an assist but played exclusively for Texas this season.  The 26-year-old had his most productive year in the minors, notching 21 goals and 23 assists in 72 games during the regular season while averaging over a point per game in the playoffs.  That should help his case as he reaches Group Six unrestricted free agency this summer.

Back, meanwhile, is wrapping up his entry-level deal and has yet to see any NHL action.  The 24-year-old hasn’t been a big scorer in the minors – he matched his career-best with seven tallies in 59 games for Texas – but he set a new benchmark for assists with 29.

As for Blumel, he played in six games with Dallas last season, registering his first career NHL goal and point in the process.  The 23-year-old finished second on Texas in scoring this year, tallying 31 goals and 31 assists in 72 games while leading them in goals in the playoffs, adding five more in nine appearances.  Like Back, he’s set to be a restricted free agent this summer.

Poirier’s addition is strictly for extra depth as he’ll be their fourth-string netminder for the rest of the postseason.  The 22-year-old played his first full AHL campaign this year, posting a 3.18 GAA with a .904 SV% in 38 games but improved on those numbers (2.60 and .907 respectively) in seven playoff contests.  He has one year left on his entry-level contract.

USA Hockey Names Mike Sullivan Head Coach For 2025 4 Nations Face-Off And 2026 Olympics

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Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NHL and has plenty of international experience.  That made him a strong candidate to be named head coach for the upcoming key events, the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Olympics.  USA Hockey indeed will be going with Sullivan as the organization announced that he has been named head coach for both events.  GM Bill Guerin released the following statement:

We’re excited to have Mike guiding our teams. He is one of the very best coaches in the game and his background, including with international hockey, is well-suited to help put our team in the best position to win.

Sullivan has been behind the bench in Pittsburgh for the last nine seasons with the Penguins winning a Stanley Cup title in his first two years.  His teams have played to a combined 375-219-77 record in that stretch, good for a .616 points percentage while he is the winningest coach in franchise history.  However, the Pens have also narrowly missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

Sullivan is one of three American-born head coaches to reach the 400-win mark, joining John Tortorella and Peter Laviolette.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see at least one of them on Sullivan’s staff once it’s finalized.

Internationally, Sullivan most recently worked as an assistant coach at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.  Most of his experience in the international game came well before that, however.  He was an assistant coach for the U.S. at the 2006 Olympics while working in two World Championships soon after, serving as the head coach in 2007 and an assistant one year later.

The NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will take place instead of the All-Star break next season, consisting of a seven-game event played over nine games between February 12th to the 20th while the Olympics will be held between February 6th to the 22nd in 2026.

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