Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for July 2024

Blue Jackets To Sign Zachary Sawchenko

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to sign depth goaltender Zachary Sawchenko to a one-year deal, per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News (Twitter link). Sawchenko became an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Vancouver Canucks following a one-year, two-way deal with the club.

Sawchenko spent the full contract with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, though he served as the team’s third-string goalie and only drew in to 12 games, split evenly between the regular season and playoffs. He was hot in the flashes he played in, ending the year with six wins and a .910 save percentage. That includes a standout performance in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, when Sawchenko posted a career-high 47 saves to propel Abbotsford to the second round.

But even with promising flashes, it was a down year for Sawchenko – just one season after his first season as a starter. Sawchenko – signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019 – appeared in a career-high 41 games with the Chicago Wolves last season, after three seasons in backup roles. He didn’t find much of a groove in the spot, though, posting just 17 wins and a .895 save percentage. That performance pushed him back down the depth chart – a role he’s likely to maintain with the Blue Jackets, who already have Nolan Lalonde and Jet Greaves signed to contracts that could push them into an AHL role.

Snapshots: Snuggerud, Keenan, Carrick

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The St. Louis Blues will have to wait for the end of another collegiate season to see former first-round pick Jimmy Snuggerud make the full-time jump to the NHL. However, that may be the maximum length of time the team will have to wait as general manager Doug Armstrong believes Snuggerud can join the team towards the end of next season (Subscription Article).

The Blues organization drafted Snuggerud with the 23rd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft and he has spent the last two seasons at the University of Minnesota. During that time, Snuggerud has been an impactful player at the NCAA level as he’s scored 42 goals and 84 points in 79 games with the Gophers. The St. Louis prospect will hope that the third time is a charm for his National Championship dreams as the Gophers finished as runner-ups in 2022-23 and lost in the Regional Final this season to Boston University.

Despite his reputation as a promising prospect in the Blues organization, it may be difficult for Snuggerud to find a comfortable position in the lineup as the team has considerably improved its forward depth over the summer. If St. Louis finds themselves out of the playoff race by the time Snuggerud makes the jump to the NHL, they may have to part with Radek Faksa or Kasperi Kapanen in some manner to make room in their everyday lineup.

Other snapshots:

  • Legendary head coach Mike Keenan will not return as Team Italy’s head coach as he transitions to a consulting role while recovering from open heart surgery (X Link). Keenan had been serving as head coach of Italy’s national team since his ouster as head coach of the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2022. It appears Keenan’s career as a head coach may be coming to an official close. Infamously, Keenan spent 25 years as a head coach in the NHL while combining for a 672-531-147-36 record while being the first coach to win a Stanley Cup and Gagarin Cup.
  • Veteran defenseman of the American Hockey League, Trevor Carrick, will return to his original home as the Charlotte Checkers announced he has signed a two-year AHL deal with the franchise. Carrick spent the first five years of his professional career within the Carolina Hurricanes organization where he compiled 40 goals and 181 points for the Checkers in 347 games. Carrick has spent the last four years bouncing between the San Diego Gulls and Syracuse Crunch where he has continued to be one of the top offensive defensemen in the league.

Flyers Sign Jett Luchanko To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have put pen to paper with their first-round pick of the 2024 NHL Draft as the team announced it had signed forward Jett Luchanko to a three-year, entry-level contract. Luchanko was the 13th overall pick of last week’s draft and the Flyers organization did not seem comfortable letting him walk away from the team’s development camp without a deal in place.

Luchanko’s immediate attribute whenever he hits the ice is his energy. During his time in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm Luchanko is consistently seen tailing opposition players with the puck and transitioning the play into offense. Throughout his second year in the Storm program, Luchanko scored 20 goals and 74 points in 68 games while leading his team in all major offensive categories.

Even though he consistently steals pucks from his opponents, Luchanko appears to be in their good graces as he won the OHL’s William Hanley Trophy as the league’s most sportsmanlike player. Outside of the regular season, Luchanko has been unable to generate much playoff production as he’s tallied four assists over 10 postseason contests throughout his major junior career. The young forward is bound to return to Guelph for the 2024-25 OHL season as he could still use some seasoning before turning professional.

Luchanko also has some experience at the international level as he suited up for Team Canada in the 2024 Under-18 World Junior Championships. The London, Ontario native quickly became one of the top players in the tournament as he scored two goals and seven points in seven games en route to Team Canada winning their first gold medal since the tournament in 2021.

Carolina Hurricanes Pursuing Nikolaj Ehlers

at CDT | by 13 Comments

One of the storylines heading into the 2024 offseason was the number of players on the trading block. Although a few players have already been moved to new clubs, Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets has still not found a new home. Hoping to change that, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported yesterday that the Carolina Hurricanes are pushing heavily for Ehlers’ services.

Carolina’s interest comes as no surprise with the team losing Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, and Stefan Noesen on the free-agent market in only a week. Acquiring a player of Ehlers caliber could help soften the blow for the Hurricanes as they look to continue their dominance in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division during the regular season. Carolina would also present a natural trade partner for Winnipeg as they have a change-of-scenery candidate, as well.

The likelihood of Carolina moving on from forward Martin Necas has certainly dissipated over the last several days as the Hurricanes may be better served by signing the restricted free agent to contract with the amount of depth they lost up front. However, if Carolina is still looking to trade Necas, a one-for-one swap with the Jets might make the most sense. Assuming that both players are willing to discuss an extension as a part of the deal — a trade involving Ehlers for Necas might be the easiest path forward for both sides.

Ehlers style of play would fit seamlessly in Carolina as he has one of the better possession games in the league. Throughout his tenure in Winnipeg dating back to the 2015-16 NHL season, Ehlers has scored 201 goals and 457 points in 605 games while averaging a CorsiFor% of 57.6% over that stretch. The biggest criticism of Ehlers’ game, and simultaneously for the Hurricanes, is his lack of performance during the postseason as he’s only scored four goals and 14 points in 37 playoff contests.

Blackhawks Sign Artyom Levshunov To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The last of the top-three selections of the 2024 NHL Draft has signed his entry-level contract as the Chicago Blackhawks announced they have signed the second overall pick, Artyom Levshunov. Levshunov foregoes his sophomore season at Michigan State University to compete for a spot on the Blackhawks’ opening night roster out of training camp.

Immediately becoming the best defensive prospect in the organization under contract with this move, the Blackhawks will take care of Levshunov’s development for the rest of the way. Chicago’s general manager, Kyle Davidson, praised Levshunov after the signing, “Signing Artyom gives us the opportunity to continue his development in house and take the next step into professional hockey. He’s a strong two-way defenseman that has all the tools to be a high-end player in the NHL and we’re excited to continue his growth at the pro level“.

Levshunov joined the Spartans after spending one season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL where he recorded 13 goals and 42 points in 62 games. The young Belarusian defenseman grew his game extensively upon reaching the NCAA ranks by scoring nine goals and 35 points in 38 games while earning a +27 rating. At the end of the 2023-24 NCAA season, Levshunov made the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team in addition to being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

The Spartans also recorded one of their best seasons in recent history on the backs of Levshunov. Michigan State finished first in the Conference for the first time since the 2000-01 season and beat their rival University of Michigan in the Conference Championship. Unfortunately for Levshunov and the Spartans, the team would have their season ended in the Regional Final of the 2024 Frozen Four in an act of retribution from the Wolverines.

The Blackhawks organization may do well to start Levshunov in the American Hockey League with their affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Levshunov should get plenty of ice time down in the AHL and can build up confidence in his game at the professional level before joining the team in Chicago when they are ready to take the next step in their rebuild.

Capitals Sign Cam Allen To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals got some work done today regarding one of the draft selections from the 2023 NHL Draft. The organization announced they have signed defenseman Cam Allen to a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $866.7K at the NHL level.

The Capitals drafted Allen with the 136th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft out of the Guelph Storm program of the Ontario Hockey League. During his draft season, Allen scored five goals and 25 points for the Storm in 62 games which was good for third on the team in scoring amongst defensemen. There may be concerns about Allen’s discipline as he finished second on the team in penalty minutes with 72.

This past season, Allen only managed to suit up in 25 games for Guelph as he recovered from an injury towards the beginning of the season. The young defenseman scored two goals and nine points for the Storm down the stretch while collecting 23 penalty minutes and posting a -7 rating. Allen was largely ineffective in Guelph’s appearance in the OHL playoffs this year as he registered zero points in four games and the team was quickly swept in the first round by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Before the 2023 NHL Draft, Allen was ranked 12th among North American defensemen by NHL Central Scouting due to his play for Team Canada at the international level. During his draft year, Allen scored one goal and seven points over five games in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and four assists in seven games during the under-18 World Junior Championship. Allen served as team captain on both renditions of Team Canada’s roster.

Sharks Sign Macklin Celebrini To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by 16 Comments

A little after a week drafting him with the first overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft the San Jose Sharks have locked up their new player. The team announced they have signed Macklin Celebrini to a three-year, entry-level contract starting in the 2024-25 NHL season.

According to Puckpedia, Celebrini will make a base salary of $877.5K each year of his entry-level deal. Additionally, the team has offered Celebrini the maximum amount of signing bonuses possible, as he will receive a signing bonus of $97K, Group “A” performance bonuses totaling, $1MM, and Group “B” performance bonuses of $2.5MM in all three years which could bring his AAV up $4.475MM if all conditions are met.

The signing confirms that Celebrini will suit up for the Sharks next season as players become ineligible for NCAA participation after signing professional contracts. The young prospect will become a one-and-done player with Boston University and move to the Bay Area to start his professional career.

It was not a bad lone collegiate season for Celebrini as he joined the Terrier program after spending one season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL in the year prior. In 38 games for Boston University this past season, Celebrini scored 32 goals and 64 points which was good for third in league-scoring in his freshman campaign. At the end of the season, Celebrini was named the Hockey East Player of the Year, Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Scoring Champion, Hockey East Three Stars Award, and the Hobey Baker Award winner.

Celebrini became the youngest player in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker and the fourth freshman all-time behind Paul Kariya (1993), Jack Eichel (2015), and Adam Fantilli (2023). Celebrini became the unanimous best prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft by achieving such a dominant season in the American collegiate scene. He will continue his rise to stardom in the Sharks organization as the team looks to rebuild its team from the ground up. San Jose has not quite taken the next step to be considered a playoff contender for the 2024-25 NHL season but they should be exciting to watch with Celebrini and former fourth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Will Smith, on the roster after signing his entry-level contract at the end of May.

Agent For Leon Draisaitl: Ball Is In Oilers’ Court For Extension Talks

at CDT | by 5 Comments

With the bulk of the heavy lifting already done in the 2024 class of unrestricted free agents, many have started looking ahead to a 2025 group that is currently star-studded.  Among the headliners is Oilers center Leon Draisaitl who, despite making $8.5MM per season, has been one of the better bargains in the NHL in recent years.  That should soon change as the 28-year-old will undoubtedly become one of the NHL’s highest-paid players on his next contract.

How soon that next deal comes is still under question.  Edmonton is currently without a GM following the departure of Ken Holland with team president Jeff Jackson serving in the interim role; Jackson has previously indicated that he doesn’t want to take on the full-time managerial position.  To that end, the search for a full-time replacement for Holland is ongoing and it makes sense for that hire to be in place before any substantive discussions get underway.

However, it appears that Draisaitl’s European-based agent feels there’s a deadline to get this done.  Speaking with Eishockey News’ Michael Bauer, Jiri Poner indicated that the end of the summer might be the deadline to get a deal in place:

There’s no rush yet, but either it happens quickly, i.e. by the end of August, or it doesn’t work out at all. It will also become clear whether Edmonton really wants him or not. Leon holds all the trump cards.

Technically, Edmonton can negotiate with Draisaitl right up to free agency next July so this stance from Poner suggests that Draisaitl’s preference might be to set a hard line of not negotiating during the season.  If that’s the case, whoever takes over as GM won’t have much time to work out an agreement to keep him in the fold.

Draisaitl has passed the 100-point mark in five of the last six seasons and over that stretch, he has the second-most points in the NHL.  His teammate, Connor McDavid, is the only one ahead of him.  With McDavid’s current contract coming back in 2017, his $12.5MM AAV doesn’t stand as a great comparable.  However, the recent $13.25MM AAV that Auston Matthews received from Toronto last year could very well be in play, especially if he makes it to the open market next summer.

Can Edmonton afford to pay Draisaitl market value for 2025-26 knowing that McDavid’s deal will be up a year later and cost considerably more?  That’s a question the new GM will have to answer relatively quickly given Poner’s comments regarding a possible deadline for talks.  Having said that, Poner did add that he’s very confident that the two sides will be able to hammer out a deal to keep Draisaitl in an Oilers uniform for years to come.

Capitals Sign Ilya Protas

at CDT | by 2 Comments

3:15 PM: The Capitals have officially announced the contract.

12:35 PM: A day after signing their first-round pick, the Capitals have signed another one of their 2024 draft picks.  Dan Milstein, the agent for Ilya Protas, announced (Twitter link) that Washington has signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms were not disclosed but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal carries a cap hit of $889K and an AAV of $975K if he reaches his games played bonuses each season.

The 17-year-old was the 75th pick last month, going in the third round.  Protas spent 2022-23 in the Belarusian junior system before coming to North America last season, suiting up with USHL Des Moines.  He had a solid first season with them, collecting 14 goals and 37 assists in 61 games which helped get him on the draft radar.

Protas is the younger brother of Capitals center Aliaksei Protas, who is coming off his best season, one that earned him a five-year deal along the way.  However, it will be a while before the two have a chance to play together.

By signing his entry-level contract, Protas will no longer be able to go the NCAA route.  Accordingly, his two most likely options for next season are to remain with Des Moines or to go to the CHL.  In this week’s Import Draft, Protas was the first player to be picked by an OHL team, going third overall to Windsor.  By picking him that early, the Spitfires are likely quite confident that they’ll be able to get Protas onto their roster for next season.

As long as Protas doesn’t play in more than nine NHL games next season (a likely scenario at this point), his contract will eventually slide and will still have three years remaining on it heading into the 2025-26 campaign.

Capitals Notes: Chychrun, Oshie, Saulnier

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Capitals made a big addition on their back end earlier this month with the acquisition of Jakob Chychrun from Ottawa in exchange for Nick Jensen and a third-round pick.  With Chychrun in the final year of his contract, he’s now extension-eligible.  However, GM Brian MacLellan indicated earlier this week (video link) that they won’t be rushing to get a new contract in place.  Instead, they’ll wait to evaluate his fit with the team before beginning those discussions.  The 26-year-old matched his career high in points last season with 41 and carries an AAV of $4.6MM, suggesting that he’ll be in line for a considerable raise starting in the 2025-26 campaign whenever negotiations on a new contract begin.

More from Washington:

  • In a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link), winger T.J. Oshie provided an update on his injured back. The veteran has been reaching out to different specialists to try to find a long-term solution to his ongoing back issues but they’re running out of new options to try.  The 37-year-old battled the injury throughout last season, putting up a career-low 25 points in 52 games.  However, Oshie indicated he doesn’t want to go through the same struggles to play next season which has led to some speculation that he could wind up on LTIR.  Considering the Caps are more than $13MM above the Upper Limit, per CapFriendly, Washington’s offseason spending suggests that they believe Oshie will ultimately land on LTIR which, coupled with Nicklas Backstrom staying there, would get them cap-compliant for next season.
  • Their farm team in Hershey announced the signing of winger Brennan Saulnier to a one-year deal. The 30-year-old played in 36 games with AHL Belleville last season, recording three goals, four assists, and 94 penalty minutes playing primarily on the fourth line.  Saulnier is likely to have a similar role for the reigning Calder Cup champions.

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

scroll to top