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Archives for August 2024

Summer Synopsis: Detroit Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings missed the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the thinnest of margins after tying with the Washington Capitals in points, but falling five games shy of Washington’s regulation wins. It was splitting hairs, and while Washington went on to be unceremoniously swept by the New York Rangers, it was nonetheless encouraging to see Detroit mixed up with playoff hopefuls. The Red Wings are currently riding an eight-year playoff drought – set on trusting that the long-term outlook of general manager Steve Yzerman (creatively dubbed the ‘Yzerplan’) will return them to their previous glory. But one summer of high-turnover removed from their first 90-point season in nine years, Detroit still doesn’t jump off the page as a playoff favorite.

Draft

1-15: F Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Mora IK, Sweden
2-47: F Max Plante, USA U18, NTDP
3-80: F Ondrej Becher, Prince George, WHL
4-126: G Landon Miller, Soo, OHL
5-144: D John Whipple, USA U18, NTDP
6-176: X Charlie Forslund, Falu IF, Sweden
7-203: F Austin Baker, USA U18, NTDP
7-208: X Fisher Scott, Dubuque, USHL

Yzerman kicked off the summer in typical Red Wings style: opting to take an under-discussed European with their first-round pick. This year’s selection of Brandsegg-Nygård is a bit less egregious than most, largely thanks to his already-established role in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league. Brandsegg-Nygård managed 18 points across 41 games with Mora IK this season, while also supporting Norway internationally at the World Juniors and World Championship. He scored five points in both tournaments, playing five games in the former and seven in the latter. All the while, Brandsegg-Nygård looked as reliable as they come with his two-way play, excelling at forcing turnovers and playing through contact. His upside isn’t as high as those drafted around him, but Brandsegg-Nygård seems to have all of the fixings of an eventual lock in the NHL lineup.

Detroit will have to hope that’s the case, if for no other reason than to elevate a draft class that’s otherwise a bit lackluster. The Red Wings made a pair of interesting picks in the second and third rounds, first taking the undersized but highly intelligent Max Plante, balanced out by hefty role specialist Ondrej Becher. The pair matches up nicely – both showing the ability to support their teammates from anywhere in the offensive end, but also lacking a layer of explosivity or assured decision-making.

That missing piece will make Plante and Becher’s climb to the pros tough, but they’re still both more projectable than Detroit’s string of late-round picks defined by players with clear standout traits and glaring pitfalls. Charlie Forslund and Austin Baker are perhaps the most interesting – bot high-energy power-forwards unafraid of playing into the dirty areas of the ice. Where Baker earns his role with gritty play behind the net and in the corners, Forslund has found good use of his heavy shot. But the latter is also extremely unproven, getting drafted directly out of Sweden’s U18 league.

Joining the pair of power-forwards are high-upside picks Landon Miller – an athletic goaltender with a six-foot-five frame, but poor track record; Fisher Scott – a diligent defenseman on his own side of the red line; and John Whipple – once a top defense prospect in his age group who’s sacrificed offensive upside for added physicality. All three players have pieces to add after last season, but should find more upside as they settle into stronger roles next season.

UFA Signings

F Jakub Rychlovsky (two-year, $1.9MM)*
F Patrick Kane (extended one-year, $4MM)
F Christian Fischer (one-year, $1.1MM)
F Vladimir Tarasenko (two-years, $9.5MM)
F Tyler Motte (one-year, $800K)
F Joe Snively (one-year, $775K)*
F Sheldon Dries (two-years, $1.6MM)*
D Erik Gustafsson (two-years, $4MM)
D Tory Dello (one-year, $775K)*
G Cam Talbot (two-years, $5MM)
G Jack Campbell (one-year, $775K)*

* denotes two-way contract

The Red Wings were facing looming turnover this summer and chose to embrace it with open arms, finding multiple long-term NHL veterans to fill the holes in their lineup. That started with re-signing Patrick Kane to a true, one-year contract – after he joined the team midway through last season. Kane managed an impressive 47 points in 50 games, but continued to let up opportunity off of the puck. Those concerns could be mitigated by Vladimir Tarasenko, likely Kane’s new wing pairing. Tarasenko recorded 55 points in 77 games last season, split between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers, and seemed to be on an upswing in a career plagued by fluctuating defensive performances.

Tarasenko and Kane each bring 100 games worth of playoff experience and Stanley Cup precedent – invaluable experience for a Red Wings team needing a push. But they’ll likely be the only ones to impact the top ranks of Detroit’s lineup. Their free agent signings otherwise fill the menial and gritty roles down the depth chart, with Christian Fischer and Tyler Motte bound for a fourth-line battle, while Erik Gustafsson carries his depth offense to yet another new blue-line.

But then there’s Cam Talbot, who joins a goalie room that was seemingly already filled by Ville Husso and Alex Lyon. Talbot started for the Los Angeles Kings last season, posting a commendable .913 through 54 appearances. That was better than either Husso or Lyon managed in Detroit, and Talbot now carries the added distinction of being the only Red Wings signed through the 2025-26 season. But it seems premature to assume he’ll be the first choice for the starting role in a room with $4.75MM-man Husso, and emerging minor-league veteran Lyon. The trio will be entrenched in a deep position battle when training camp opens up – one that may not have much impact on Detroit’s long-term outlook.

It’s also worth taking a moment to point out the signing of undrafted free agent Jakub Rychlovsky – a 23-year-old winger who scored 26 goals and 46 points in 51 Czechia Extraliga games last season. He’s a well-built, shoot-first winger who could claw his way into strong opportunity on an open Red Wings’ bottom-six.

Trade Acquisitions

G Gage Alexander (acquired from Anaheim)

Detroit acquired Gage Alexander in return for Robby Fabbri and a fourth-round pick in their only trade action of the summer. It was a deal that seemed more designed to trim lineup fat than anything else, undercut by Alexander’s struggles as a pro. He’s managed an .884 save percentage through 22 ECHL games, and a .887 in 16 AHL games, over the last two seasons, losing ground to a the many other goalies fighting for ice time in Anaheim’s minor leagues. Alexander is a sharp and athletic skater but has major holes to patch before he’s ready for the top flight. He’ll look to hone those abilities and earn a spot on the Grand Rapids Griffins this season.

RFA Re-Signings

F Joe Veleno (two-years, $4.6MM)

Begrudginly, the Red Wings’ only RFA action has come through Joe Veleno’s bridge contract. The deal itself is good value. Veleno showed he can hold strong Detroit’s third-line center role last season, managing a stout 12 goals and 28 points in 80 games. He’ll now get a chance to really plant his feet in the lineup and earn a pay raise before his prime.

But Detroit is still working on new deals for franchise pieces Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Unlike the ongoing negotiations of Jeremy Swayman or Seth Jarvis (the latter recently resolved), there’s been little update on where Detroit sits with their two lineup pillars. The Red Wings have just enough cap space to give both players as much as $8.75MM a year on new deals – which should be enough to secure both long-term – but may opt for bridge contracts amid a growing salary cap. The duo joins Jonatan Berggren, who scored 56 points in 53 AHL games last season, as Detroit’s only remaining RFAs.

Departures

F Theodor Niederbach (unsigned draft pick, unrestricted free agent)
F Daniel Sprong (Vancouver, one-year, $975K)
F David Perron (Ottawa, two-years, $8MM)
F Matt Luff(unrestricted free agent)
F Taro Hirose (unrestricted free agent)
F Zach-Aston Reese (Vegas, one-year, $775K)*
F Robby Fabbri (traded to Anaheim)
D Jake Walman (traded to San Jose)
D Tnias Mathurin (unsigned draft pick, unrestricted free agent)
D Radim Simek (unrestricted free agent)
D Shayne Gostisbehere (Carolina, three-years, $9.6MM)
G John Lethemon (signed with Liberec, Czechia Extraliga)
G James Reimer (Buffalo, one-year, $1MM)
G Michael Hutchinson (unrestricted free agent)

* denotes two-way contract

Detroit’s heft of free agent signings was necessitated by a long list of departures, kicked off by the pre-draft and surprising trade of Jake Walman to San Jose. Yzerman revealed that the move was a needed cap-dump, but that doesn’t make losing the prolific partner of star defender Seider any easier. Walman scored 12 goals last season, the most of any Red Wings defender since Mike Green in 2016-17. Third on the list is Gostisbehere’s 10 goals last season. But now both defenders are headed for new opportunities, to be replaced by Gustafsson and Detroit’s top defense prospects, like Simon Edvinsson. That’s encouraging turnover for a team amid a rebuild, but the Red Wings are suddenly in the mix of playoff hopes – and could be prone to losing a step with such a shift on the back end.

The loss of pivotal middle-six wingers Perron and Sprong also opens glaring holes, though Detroit did better at matching the missing shooting talent with the signing of Tarasenko. He should make up for one of the veterans, leaving one open spot for a scoring winger on Detroit’s third line. That could prove a good opportunity for prospects like Berggren or Brandsegg-Nygård, though it’ll be a role ultimately filled in training camp.

Interestingly, Detroit also let numerous draft picks walk to free agency this summer – but replaced them with signings of undrafted free agents like Rychlovsky, Snively, and Dries. There will be plenty of openings in Grand Rapids this season, giving the new faces a chance to form into the sub-in support Detroit’s offense needs.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Red Wings enter September with $17.65MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. Their RFAs will zap that up quickly once they’re signed, which could make it difficult for the Wings to maintain enough cap space to be comfortable during the regular season. Detroit isn’t out of the weeds of cap troubles just yet. The extent of their troubles will become clear when Raymond and Seider land on a price.

Key Questions

Is Cam Talbot The Starter? Cam Talbot has taken on the role of traveling nurse in his later career, bouncing around goalie-needy teams and always findingstrong results. He’s posted a .911 save percentage in 198 games over the last five seasons, as part of four different clubs. It’s not much of a secret that the tandem of Ville Husso and Alex Lyon wasn’t going to get Detroit to the playoffs, but to see them bid for Talbot’s traveling support is a certain surprise. That’s emphasized by the red-hot emergence of Sebastian Cossa in the minor-leagues. One of the two star goalie prospects in Detroit’s system, Cossa managed a .913 save percentage in 40 AHL games last year – and could challenge the NHL roster sooner rather than later. That’s a lot of competition for one spot, and all four options carry their own right to ice time. Who wins out the Red Wings’ crease – and the extent of role give to Ville Husso and his $4.75MM cap hit – could go a long way towards determining whether this season will be the year that Detroit breaks their playoff drought.

Which Prospects Will Emerge? The Red Wings are entering September down a winger and a defender, and aren’t in much of a position to buy any more free agents. That should spell a great opportunity for top prospects like Nate Danielson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Simon Edvinsson, and Shai Buium. All four are expected to attend Detroit’s training camp and each boast the talent to warrant NHL games, though there’s no guessing how comfortable they look once they’re in the lineup. If not with one of their prospects, Detroit will need to fill their fringe with the lackluster-but-consistent impacts of vets like Tyler Motte and Erik Gustafsson. The quartet of top prospects would be much, much more exciting options – but they’ll first need to win a spot out of camp.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Evening Notes: Swayman, Dubois, Flames

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The Boston Bruins could opt for a short-term, bridge deal with starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman, as contract talks drag into Labor Day weekend, shares Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. Dupont mentioned that the $7.74MM cap hit on Juuse Saros’ recent eight-year extension could be a guiding light for the Bruins and Swayman, though there’s no definitive way to know what’s inspiring negotiations. A short-term deal would certainly be easier to price out, and give Boston the comfort of not committing much to a goaltender who hasn’t yet played a 50-game season.

But Swayman has commanded a lot of respect through just three full NHL seasons. He’s posted a .919 save percentage in 132 career games and has already won the William Jennings Trophy and earned top-10 Vezina Trophy consideration – all before his 26th birthday in November. That impressive precedent, Linus Ullmark’s move to Ottawa, and some well-timed studying of the CBA has Swayman inevitably positioned for a hefty contract. Boston could cut into the total salary with a short-term deal, but they’d run the risk of walking the still-young Swayman into long-term negotiations after the likes of Igor Shesterkin and Jake Oettinger set the bar for elite-goalie salaries. The Bruins currently have $8.64MM in available cap space, with no remaining free agents besides Swayman.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Washington Capitals are preparing for summer acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois to play alongside hard-nosed winger Tom Wilson, head coach Spencer Carbery shared with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Carbery added, “I think those two guys playing together – big bodies, guys that can hold onto the puck – could be a good duo.”  That assignment likely means that Dubois is headed for Washington’s top line, one season after his top-line opportunity with the Los Angeles Kings turned into muddling third-line minutes and broken relationships. Dubois scored just 40 points last season, 20 fewer than his totals in the two prior years. Playing with Wilson should give Dubois the space to rediscover that scoring this season, though Washington will have to be careful with their usage – as the two players have combined for 562 penalty minutes over the last three seasons (Dubois – 253; Wilson –  309).
  • The Calgary Flames are still open for business on the trade market, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period shared during an appearance on NHL Tonight. Pagnotta went on to mention a string of players that may be on the trade block, including lineup pillars Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson, indicating that the Flames could be heading for a more true-to-form rebuild, as they look to build around top youngsters like Dustin Wolf, Zayne Parekh, and Samuel Honzek.

Red Wings Have Shown Interest In Max Pacioretty

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Earlier this week, it was reported that Toronto was one of the teams showing interest in unrestricted free agent winger Max Pacioretty.  Evidently, they’re not the only Atlantic Division squad that has some interest in the veteran as Arthur Staple of The Athletic adds (subscription link) that the Red Wings are believed to be interested in adding the veteran as well.

The 35-year-old spent last season with Washington after inking a one-year, $2MM contract which also carried another $2MM in performance bonuses which were reached once he played in 20 games.  While Pacioretty was able to play in that many games, last season was still an injury-riddled campaign as he worked his way back from his second torn Achilles tendon sustained in the 2022-23 season while playing for Carolina.

As a result, Pacioretty was limited to just 47 games last season.  A six-time 30-goal scorer, he struggled considerably in that department, scoring just four times although he was able to add 19 assists to stay near the half-point-per-game rate.  Nevertheless, that wasn’t the type of performance that gave him some bargaining power heading into free agency.

The Red Wings have already been active up front with their free agent moves this summer.  They re-signed wingers Patrick Kane and Christian Fischer, added wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Motte, and also inked Austin Watson to a PTO agreement.  Considering they still have to re-sign wingers Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren (plus defenseman Moritz Seider), it’s hard to see a viable fit for Pacioretty.

While the veteran is believed to have interest from multiple teams, that shouldn’t be enough leverage to land much more than the league minimum of $775K at this point of free agency so this could be a case of Detroit viewing Pacioretty as a low-cost depth option over someone worthy of a full-time lineup spot.  In that scenario, adding him could make some sense.  But until they finalize contracts with their three remaining RFAs to get a better sense of what they have to work with financially, it would be a little surprising to see the Red Wings commit any sort of guaranteed contract to Pacioretty or any other free agent.

Bruins Sign Tyler Johnson To PTO

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With training camps now less than three weeks away, it’s expected that there will be an uptick in PTO activity over the coming days as players look to catch on somewhere.  The Bruins are getting involved in the tryout market as the team announced that they’ve signed veteran forward Tyler Johnson to a tryout agreement.

[Related: 2024 Professional Tryout Tracker]

The 34-year-old spent the last three seasons with Chicago after being acquired from Tampa Bay in a salary cap-clearing move.  Staying healthy had been a challenge for Johnson in his time with the Blackhawks which certainly didn’t help his cause on the open market.  Nonetheless, he managed to put up 32 points in 56 games in 2022-23 and followed that up with 17 goals and 14 assists in 67 contents last season while logging 15:32 per night.

Before that time, Johnson spent nine seasons with Tampa Bay, being a key secondary scorer for most of his tenure with them.  Over his 12-year career, he has 193 goals and 238 assists in 738 games between the Lightning and Blackhawks.  With that track record and a decent showing offensively when healthy with Chicago over the last two years, it’s a little surprising that he wasn’t able to secure a guaranteed contract for the upcoming season.

Earlier this month, we took a closer look at Johnson’s free agency and highlighted the Bruins as one of the possible fits.  While Johnson has spent more time on the wing than down the middle in recent years, he can still play center and would represent some insurance on Matthew Poitras who missed 38 games last season due to shoulder troubles.  If they want Poitras to ease in on the wing to start the season – or even start at AHL Providence – Johnson could serve as some low-cost insurance on that front.

At the moment, the Bruins have around $8.64MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  However, most of that will be earmarked for RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman; they will need to sign him before they can get a better sense of what they might or might not be able to spend on a contract for Johnson or any other veteran free agents that they might have their eye on.  In the meantime, Johnson will at least have a shot at suiting up in the preseason and making a case for a contract either with Boston or elsewhere.

East Notes: Raymond, Berggren, Voronkov, Capitals

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The Red Wings still have three restricted free agents to re-sign, defenseman Moritz Seider along with wingers Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren.  In a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link), David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period relayed that while there’s no concern on either side yet, talks don’t appear to be progressing between Detroit and Raymond’s camp.  The 22-year-old is coming off his entry-level deal and had a breakout showing last season, recording 31 points and 41 assists in 82 games, leading some to suggest that a long-term agreement between the two sides is likely to push past the $7MM mark per season.

Berggren, meanwhile, was largely a regular for the Red Wings in 2022-23 but spent most of last season with AHL Grand Rapids, tallying 24 goals and 32 assists in 53 games.  The 24-year-old also collected six points in 13 games with Detroit.  Pagnotta reports that a deal between the two sides is expected before training camp and it’s likely to be a short-term agreement.  With a little over $17MM in cap space per PuckPedia, it’s possible that the eventual contracts with Seider and Raymond could dictate how short of a deal Berggren ultimately receives.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • Dating back to last season, there was speculation that Blue Jackets winger Dmitri Voronkov might want to return to the KHL. In an interview with Championat’s Dmitry Storozhev, Ak Bars GM Marat Valiullin acknowledged that he spoke with Voronkov after last season, presumably to gauge his interest in returning to the KHL but no discussions have taken place since then.  The 23-year-old had a solid rookie season last year, notching 18 goals and 16 assists in 75 games and is someone that Columbus will undoubtedly be looking to keep beyond the upcoming season when his current contract expires.
  • While the Capitals have already inked a PTO agreement with Jakub Vrana, don’t expect them to be signing any others. GM Chris Patrick recently told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link) that he doesn’t envision bringing in any more players on tryouts for training camp.  Washington has shaken up their roster a fair bit this summer, bringing in Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy, and Logan Thompson (and others) so allowing the newcomers to get some early chemistry may be the focal point at camp.  If that’s the case, bringing in other players with an outside shot of making the team would run counter to that objective.

Utah Signs Robert Bortuzzo

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It has been a busy offseason for Utah as the former Coyotes get set for their first season in their new home.  With training camp approaching, they’ve added some extra depth on the back end as the team announced (Twitter link) that they have signed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo to a one-year deal.  PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that it’s a two-way agreement that pays $775K in the NHL and $450K in the minors.

The 35-year-old is a veteran of 13 NHL seasons, spanning 560 games.  Last season, Bortuzzo started the year in St. Louis but had a very limited role and spent considerable time as a healthy scratch.  He was then acquired by the Islanders in December with New York dealing with considerable injuries at that time.  Bortuzzo played a regular role after being acquired but then was injured himself, missing 28 games due to a lower-body issue.  The veteran then returned to his third-pairing role for the stretch run and playoffs.

Between the two teams, Bortuzzo played in 27 regular season games last season.  While he was held off the scoresheet entirely, he collected 51 blocked shots and 38 hits while averaging 13:44 per night.  For his career, he has 74 points, 711 blocks, and 1,095 his to his credit while spending time with Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and New York.

Bortuzzo is the latest addition to a Utah back end that has undergone significant changes this summer.  The team added Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino on the second day of the draft in trades with Tampa Bay and New Jersey and then inked veteran Ian Cole to a one-year, $3.1MM deal in free agency.  The four newcomers join holdovers Sean Durzi, Juuso Valimaki, and Michael Kesselring on a much-improved blueline as the franchise looks to take a step forward toward emerging from its long-term rebuild.

Former NHL winger Scottie Upshall was the first to report the signing.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  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 often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 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 PuckPedia.  We begin with a look at the Central Division, starting with Chicago.

Chicago Blackhawks

Current Cap Hit: $81,322,500 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Connor Bedard (two years, $950K)
D Kevin Korchinski (two years, $918.3K)
F Frank Nazar (two years, $950K)

Potential Bonuses
Bedard: $3.5MM
Korchinski: $1MM
Nazar: $900K
Total: $5.4MM

Expectations were quite high for Bedard, the 2023 top pick, heading into his rookie year.  He was given every opportunity to play a prominent role and be the go-to threat on the power play.  He was a bit overmatched at times defensively but acquitted himself quite well, showing that he could be the next generational talent as he has been hyped up to be.  At a minimum, he should be able to hit the $1MM in ‘A’ bonuses but he’d need to be among the league’s top scorers to have a shot at the rest of them.  When it comes to his next contract, if he lives up to expectations, Connor McDavid’s eight-year, $100MM agreement could very well be the comparable.

Korchinski also had some defensive struggles but logged consistent top-four minutes as a junior-aged blueliner which is something that doesn’t occur very often.  On a team that should be at least a bit more competitive this coming season, he should be able to put up some improved offensive numbers, giving him a chance at pushing for his four ‘A’ bonuses as well.  If that part of his game comes around, he could be in line for a significant second contract of his own, one that could push past the $6MM mark (potentially more depending on the numbers).  Nazar is somewhat of a wild card as he could be deployed in Chicago’s top six or they could opt to start him in the minors and bring him up midseason.  If it’s the latter, it’d be unlikely that he’d land a long-term second contract since he already burned the first year of his deal last season.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Andreas Athanasiou ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Ryan Donato ($2MM, UFA)
F Taylor Hall ($6MM, UFA)
F Philipp Kurashev ($2.25MM, RFA)
F Pat Maroon ($1.3MM, UFA)
D Alec Martinez ($4MM, UFA)
D Isaak Phillips ($775K, RFA)
F Craig Smith ($1MM, UFA)

Chicago’s big acquisition last summer on the trade front was Hall, a capable top-six forward, to help give Bedard some support.  He only played in ten games before undergoing season-ending knee surgery.  He’ll need a big bounce-back year if he wants a chance at a contract that’s close to this price point.  Athanasiou’s contract seemed pricey at the time he was signed but Chicago was paying an above-market rate to keep a veteran they liked.  With several youngsters getting development time in Rockford, Athanasiou may not get another one of those deals and if that winds up being the case, he hasn’t had great success on the open market before so he could be in for a pay cut as well.

Kurashev had a breakout performance last season, more than doubling his previous career high in points, picking up 54 while spending a lot of time on the top line.  While that might not be the permanent landing spot for him based on how their prospects develop, he has positioned himself for a sizable raise on his $2.25MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights.  Another 50-point performance could push him into $5MM territory.  Donato put up similar numbers to his two seasons in Seattle but is another player who hasn’t had great success in free agency before.  A similar showing in 2024-25 might not be enough to land a raise with teams trying to spend a bit less in their top six.  Maroon and Smith came in this summer to shore up Chicago’s depth; both players will be going year-to-year in all likelihood from here on out on contracts that are likely to stay around their current respective price points.

Martinez was another veteran signing designed to make the team more competitive now and keep some prospects with the IceHogs to help their development.  He’s not the core player he was a few years ago and this felt like another short-term overpayment.  If he plays in a fourth or fifth role this season, he’ll be hard-pressed to get this much next summer.  Phillips is on a two-way deal but is now waiver-eligible.  That might be enough to keep him on the roster in a seventh role as there’s no guarantee he’d pass through unclaimed.  He’ll need to carve out some regular playing time if he wants to get to a seven-figure one-way salary.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Joey Anderson ($800K, UFA)
D T.J. Brodie ($3.75MM, UFA)
G Laurent Brossoit ($3.3MM, UFA)
F Jason Dickinson ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Ilya Mikheyev ($4.0375MM, UFA)*
G Petr Mrazek ($4.25MM, UFA)
D Connor Murphy ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Lukas Reichel ($1.2MM, RFA)

*-Vancouver is retaining an additional $712.5K on Mikheyev’s deal.

Foligno was also acquired from Boston last summer and quickly signed an above-market one-year deal.  Things went well enough that he received an above-market two-year extension which starts in 2024-25.  Foligno is miscast as a full-time top-six player but remains an effective veteran.  That said, it’s hard to picture recent history repeating itself on his next deal.  Dickinson’s contract also feels like an overpayment but he is coming off a 22-goal campaign; if he can stay in that range, they’ll at least get a decent return out of it while the 29-year-old could have a shot at a similar price tag for more term on his next deal.

Mikheyev was acquired as a cap dump from Vancouver after a particularly rough season in 2023-24.  When he’s on, he’s an effective second-line winger but if his offensive struggles continue in 2024-25, he becomes a buyout candidate next summer.  Reichel quickly opted for a bridge contract back in May.  He’ll be owed a $1.3MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in 2026 and if he’s able to secure even a full-time middle-six spot, he could have a shot at doubling that or more.  Anderson was non-tendered in June to avoid giving him arbitration rights but quickly re-signed this contract, one which gives him a one-way salary for only the second (and third) time of his career.  He’s a low-cost depth piece and with Chicago’s youngsters eventually getting more expensive, the Blackhawks will need to keep this roster spot around that price tag whether it’s with Anderson or someone else down the road.

Murphy, when healthy, remains a solid stay-at-home second-pairing blueliner.  However, he has missed significant time with injuries in two of the last three seasons.  Still, if he can stay healthy and in the same role for two more years, he could land a multi-year deal around this price tag two years from now.  Brodie came over as another free agent pickup after a year in Toronto that started off okay but saw him struggle to finish.  He won’t be tasked with as much ice time in Chicago which should help but when this contract is up, he’s probably going to have to go year-to-year moving forward.

Mrazek put up a respectable .907 SV% last season on a team that struggled considerably which helped earn him this two-year extension, one that is also above-market.  He’ll need to put up better numbers over the next two seasons to have a shot at bettering his price tag two years from now.  Brossoit’s decision to return to Winnipeg proved to be wise as he thrived in limited duty, making him one of the better options in free agency this summer.  That said, with a still-limited track record, he couldn’t command top dollar.  He’ll have a chance over the next two years to show that he can carry a bigger workload which could put him in line for another raise if things go well in Chicago.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM, UFA)

Teravainen had a bounce-back year with Carolina, potting a career-best 25 goals which made him one of the more prominent wingers in free agency.  It was a bit surprising to see him land just a three-year agreement but he’ll have a chance to play a prominent role which, if all goes well, could allow him to put up some good numbers, giving him a chance to beat this price three years from now.

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Oilers Still Exploring Trade Market

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It has been a busy couple of weeks for the Oilers, to put it lightly.  They lost Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to St. Louis via offer sheets, moved Cody Ceci and a third-round pick to San Jose for Ty Emberson, and acquired Vasily Podkolzin from Vancouver for a fourth rounder.

With the team largely capped out (they have less than $950K in cap room, per PuckPedia), they’ve been speculatively linked to the PTO market in recent days, particularly on the back end.  But it appears that they’re considering more than just that as well.

In an appearance earlier this week on Oilers Now (audio link), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli relayed that Edmonton is considering some options beyond the PTO market in what would amount to more of a shakeup type of move.  He suggested that GM Stan Bowman may be parsing through as many as seven different options at the moment.

Speculatively, it stands to reason that Edmonton’s focus on the trade front is likely on the back end.  While Broberg might have been expected to play on the third pairing this season given his limited NHL workload so far, Ceci logged at least 20 minutes per game in each of his three seasons with the Oilers.  While Emberson might be able to fill the intended role for Broberg on the third pair, they still need someone capable of playing higher up the lineup.  And while free agents like Tyson Barrie, Tony DeAngelo, and Kevin Shattenkirk, have played that high on the depth chart before, they’re not ideal fits to play in the top four at this point of their respective careers.

How Bowman might be looking to shake things up isn’t quite as clear.  The team has eight players with some form of trade protection in their contracts and are core pieces that aren’t likely to move.  Their four highest-paid players without trade protection are core players who aren’t getting traded (Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard) or just signed with the Oilers (Viktor Arvidsson and Adam Henrique).

At this point, effectively anyone making more than Brett Kulak’s $2.75MM is probably off the table in trade discussions and for that money, it’s going to be tricky to find someone to fit that top-four role.  While Evander Kane ($5.125MM) could be moved to LTIR to start the season as he recovers from a hip injury, that’s only a short-term fix as they’d have to get cap-compliant again to activate him.  Accordingly, dipping into that this early would be somewhat risky.

Seravalli suggested that this move, should it come to fruition, is likely to come before training camps start so Bowman and the Oilers have a couple more weeks to see if they can find a way to shake things up and add to their back end.

Atlantic Notes: Swayman, Morello, Norlinder

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Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is one of the top remaining restricted free agents with the calendar set to flip to September tomorrow.  Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald suggests that it’s not time yet for any side to be concerned that a deal isn’t in place.  He noted that it took until the eve of training camp for David Pastrnak to sign his post-entry-level contract and it stands to reason that at this point, Swayman’s camp will be looking to use that as a possible pressure point as well.  It was recently reported that Swayman was seeking a long-term agreement around the $8.5MM mark while Boston was coming in at a little over $6MM.  That’s quite a gap to try to bridge so it wouldn’t be surprising to see this one drag out to the start of camp if not even a little longer than that.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Still with the Bruins, prospect Jonathan Morello has decided on his new college commitment. After decommitting from Clarkson, PuckPreps reports (Twitter link) that the 18-year-old will play for Boston University when he begins his college career.  Morello was a fifth-round pick by Boston back in June, going 154th overall after a solid showing with OJHL St. Michael’s where he had 57 points in 50 games during the regular season while adding 21 more in 11 playoff contests.  He will play for USHL Dubuque this season.
  • Despite non-tendering Mattias Norlinder earlier this summer, the Canadiens have made an offer to bring the defenseman back, his agent Claes Elefalk told Aftonbladet’s Hans Abrahamsson and Tomas Ros. Norlinder was a third-round pick by Montreal back in 2019 but aside from a six-game NHL stint, he has played exclusively in the minors since coming to North America in the 2021-22 campaign.  Last season, the 24-year-old had nine points in 50 games with AHL Laval.  Norlinder is believed to have an offer on the table from SHL Modo; he played in their junior system for several years before being drafted.  It’s expected that he will make a decision on where to sign next week.

Hurricanes Re-Sign Seth Jarvis To Eight-Year Contract

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Earlier this week, a report from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta indicated that the Hurricanes and RFA winger Seth Jarvis were nearing an agreement on a long-term contract.  That is indeed the case as the team announced that the two sides have reached an eight-year, $63.2MM contract.  GM Eric Tulsky released the following statement:

Seth is a cornerstone player for our franchise. He took another huge step last season, playing in all situations and displaying the skill and competitive drive that will make him a star in this league in the years to come.

Typically, the AAV of a contract is the total value divided by the number of years which in this case would be $7.9MM.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (who first reported the deal) reports that there is a deferred signing bonus payment due July 1st, 2032, a day after the expiration of the agreement.  By doing so, the contract’s AAV will actually check in at $7.5MM.  Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the deal contains $30MM of signing bonus money, the breakdown of which is not yet known.

The contract will cover the four remaining RFA-eligible seasons plus his first four seasons of UFA eligibility.  It’s only those last four years that will be eligible for trade protection.

The 22-year-old was selected 13th overall by the Hurricanes in 2020.  Jarvis spent his post-draft campaign in the WHL and then made the jump to the NHL at 19.  He put up 17 goals and 23 assists in 68 games in his rookie season and followed that up with 14 goals and 25 helpers in 82 games in his sophomore campaign.

Last season was a breakout performance for Jarvis.  He set career-highs with 33 goals and 34 assists in 81 games while averaging 18:45 per night.  His 67 points were good for second on the team in scoring behind only Sebastian Aho.  Jarvis was also one of Carolina’s top scorers during the postseason as he had five goals and four helpers in 11 contests, putting him third in team scoring.  That certainly gave him some extra bargaining power heading into contract negotiations.

Carolina went into these discussions with roughly $6.44MM in cap space, per PuckPedia so this agreement will put them around $1MM over the Upper Limit.  However, with Jesper Fast expected to miss the entire season after having neck surgery, the Hurricanes will be able to put him on LTIR, getting them back into cap compliance.  They can also opt to carry a roster with fewer than the maximum of 23 players which would allow them to get under the Upper Limit that way and still bank in-season cap room.

Contracts with deferred money are quite rare in the NHL but it’s actually the second time Carolina has used it this offseason.  Seravalli notes in his report about Jarvis’ contract that there is some deferred signing bonus money in Jaccob Slavin’s contract as well, one that moves the AAV from the reported $6.461MM to $6.396MM.  These structures have been approved by the NHL so there won’t be any concerns about this contract getting vetoed.

Johnston noted (Twitter link) that multiple teams attempted to use this structure in talks this summer, including Vegas in their attempts to re-sign Jonathan Marchessault.  With Carolina now successfully doing this twice, it will be interesting to see if it results in an uptick in these types of agreements moving forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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