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Sharks Sign Aaron Dell, Joey Keane To PTOs

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The San Jose Sharks are adding to their training camp on day two, signing defender Joey Keane and goaltender Aaron Dell to professional try-out agreements.

This deal gives Dell a chance for yet another reunion with the San Jose Sharks. His first NHL games came in San Jose, after working his way up their minor league depth charts as an undrafted free agent. He made his Sharks debut in 2016, serving as the backup to Martin Jones during his prime starting years. Dell flashed bright spots as a rookie, recording an 11-6-1 record and .931 save percentage. He continued to proudly fill San Jose’s backup role through the 2019-20 season but was never able to work into more than 33 games in one season, leading to a move to New Jersey in 2020.

Dell’s production took a major hit when he left San Jose. He’s played in just 23 games since then, recording a measly two wins and .887 save percentage. Not even a return to San Jose in 2022-23 could save Dell’s slide. Now 35, Dell has become a de facto minor leaguer but could make one more lunge toward the NHL lineup on this PTO, joining a Sharks team with shallow goaltending behind star prospect Yaroslav Askarov.

Keane hasn’t achieved the same NHL success, instead spending the majority of his North American career in the AHL. He recorded 83 points across 144 games, including supporting the 2022 Chicago Wolves to a Calder Cup Championship. That production was enough to earn Keane two spot starts in the Carolina Hurricanes lineup, though he wasn’t able to record a point in either outing. Keane has spent the last two seasons with the KHL’s Moscow Spartak, where he’s scored 35 points in 102 games.

Snapshots: NHL Expansion, Stajan, Nylander, Buchnevich

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The NHL’s owners will be meeting on October 1st to vote on opening another NHL Expansion window, shares Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest. Strickland adds that the leading candidates for expansion are Houston, led by Tilman J. Fertitta, and Atlanta, led by Vernon Krause. NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes seconded the story, sharing that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the NHL grow to between 34 and 36 teams.

Adding the pair of southern cities to the NHL would maintain the balance between conferences, but it could throw off Divisional alignment. Every division currently holds eight teams, but additions in Houston and Atlanta could push the Central and Atlantic Divisions, respectively, up to nine. That could be an incentive for further expansion in the future, assuming the NHL keeps their structure the same.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Calgary Flames have hired longtime Flame Matt Stajan as a skills consultant. Stajan spent nine years with the Flames from 2009 to 2018 – the final years of his 15-year, 1,003-game career in the NHL. That career kicked off with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who drafted Stajan in the second round of 2002 and elevated him to the NHL two seasons later. He quickly became known for his reliable two-way play down the lineup, even briefly flirting with strong scoring with 55 and 57 points in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. Those stood as career-highs, but Stajan’s responsible play carried into Calgary, earning him a consistent third-line role during an era of flux for the Flames. He’ll now bring that hockey IQ to the coaching stage, looking to support Calgary as they once again enter a new era.
  • New Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has shared that William Nylander will start training camp at center, with Max Domi on his wing, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Nylander has flirted with a center role throughout his nine-year career, but hasn’t fully absorbed the role over John Tavares. Nylander was impressive at the faceoff dot when he did take draws, recording a 51.4 faceoff percentage in 2017-18, his only year taking more than 400 faceoffs in a season. On his career, Nylander has won 963 of a possible 1,909 faceoffs, good for a 50.4 percentage. Domi will offer helpful support in the event that Nylander struggles in the new role, boasting a 52.5 faceoff percentage over the last two seasons.
  • Pavel Buchnevich will also move from the wing to center, shares Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Buchnevich has been much less successful at the faceoff dot, winning just 37.4 of his 206 faceoffs last season. He’s one of St. Louis’ most prolific scorers, forming a strong trio with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. But center depth is a sudden concern for the Blues, with players like Brayden Schenn taking a recent step back and prospects like Nikita Alexandrov failing to emerge. The Blues will look to mitigate that lacking depth by spreading out their star talent to start the year.

Penguins Sign Luke Richardson To PTO

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed goaltender Luke Richardson to a professional try-out agreement, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Rorabaugh points out that Kain Tisi – the current goalie coach of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – coached him during his time with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.

Richardson, 25, is five years removed from his years in Kitchener, since spending three years at Queens University, signing with the AHL’s Belleville Senators at the tail-end of the 2022-23 season. That made last year Richardson’s first full pro season, though he only managed to slot into 12 games for the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits. However, he won in seven of those appearances, while saving 298 of the 320 shots he faced (.931). That’s a strong way to start a career and continues Richardson’s reliability from college. He posted a combined .922 save percentage through 62 games and three seasons, per HockeyDB.

Richardson will now look to truly sink his teeth into a pro career under his former coach. He’ll step into a crowded Penguins goaltending room – joining Joel Blomqvist, Sergei Murashov, Taylor Gauthier, and Filip Larsson in the fight for AHL ice time. Winning out minutes over that bunch could be difficult, though even a full season as the ECHL backup could provide Richardson with an uptick in games. He’s stood tall in his pro appearances so far and may even end up a surprise of training camp if he stays locked in.

Pacific Notes: Lehner, Poolman, Kassian

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The Vegas Golden Knights are exploring all options, including contract termination, after goaltender Robin Lehner failed to attend the contractually mandatory pre-season medical exam ahead of training camp, shares Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The exam was necessary to confirm Lehner’s medical ineligibility for next season. Seravalli adds that Vegas has been in contact with the NHL and NHL Players’ Association on how to reasonably handle the manner, considering Lehner hasn’t played in over two years. His last game came on April 20, 2022, with his career ended by a hip injury, though Lehner also faced multiple concussions.

Lehner was three years into a five-year, $25MM contract when he stepped away from the game, with the last season slated for the upcoming 2024-25. He only played in 99 games on the contract – spending a third with the Chicago Blackhawks – but he was accomplished when he played, recording 55 wins and a .913 save percentage. Lehner took home the William M Jennings Trophy twice in his career, the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2019, and ranked in the top six of Vezina Trophy voting every year between 2018 and 2020. The achievements spanned a 12-year, 364-game tenure in the NHL.

Other notes from out West:

  • Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that defender Tucker Poolman won’t play this season, per Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650. Poolman hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season, when his career was ended by chronic migraines. He played in three games and scored one assist that year, marking the fifth NHL season Poolman took part in, though he only managed to play in a majority of his team’s games once. That came in the 2019-20 season, when Poolman played in 57 games and scored 16 points with the Winnipeg Jets. He worked his way up to second-pair ice time for parts of that season, but ultimately couldn’t stick in the lineup through repeat injuries. His career ended at 163 games and 17 points – still impressive numbers for a fifth-round pick out of the 2013 NHL Draft.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have hired the recently-retired Zack Kassian as a pro scout, per NHL.com’s Jim Matheson. Kassian spent 12 years in the NHL, seven being served in Edmonton. He was never much of a scorer, but fought his way into a middle-six role as the hardnosed and gritty presence to back Edmonton’s finesse players. He even worked into occasional power-play usage – despite a career-high of just 34 points – thanks to his ability to body opponents out of shooting lanes. Kassian’s career ended with 661 games and 203 points. He’ll now look to translate that experience to the hockey ops side of house, supporting a Oilers scouting room that recently departed with longtime pro scout and assistant general manager Brad Holland.

Stars Notes: Robertson, Oettinger, Benn

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Star Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson will miss the bulk of training camp after undergoing surgery this summer to remove a cyst from his foot, shares NHL.com’s Bruce LeVine. LeVine adds that Robertson just started skating again, and is still expected to join the team for the start of the regular season.

Robertson has emerged as perhaps the top player on a loaded Dallas roster. He crossed the 40-goal mark in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, capping the latter year off with a career-high 109 points. Those numbers came down to Earth last season, though his 80 points still led the Stars by 13 points. He’s proven just as impactful in the postseason, combining for 48 points in 55 games over the last three playoffs.

At 25, Robertson is still a stride away from his prime years but already sits among the league’s top scorers. His health and ability to contribute will be paramount as Dallas prepares for another run toward the Western Conference Finals.

Other notes out of Texas:

  • General manager Jim Nill shared in his opening day press conference that there have been no talks of an extension with goaltender Jake Oettinger, per Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest. Nill added that there are a few goalies on the open market that they’ll use to help price Oettinger, inadvertently mentioning the ongoing holdout between the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman. Oettinger holds the upper hand to Swayman despite the two being the same age, with the former already achieving seasons of 50 and 60 games. He’s held strong in those outings, boasting a career save percentage of .913 through 193 games. Formerly a first-round pick, Oettinger has grabbed full control of Dallas’ starting role. He’ll look to be compensated as such as Dallas approaches a 2025 summer featuring an endless list of key pending-free agents, including Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston, and Jamie Benn.
  • Speaking of Benn, Nill also shared that he’ll be adamant about keeping the Stars’ captain when his deal expires. The GM went as far as saying, “As long as I’m GM, [Benn] is going to be a Dallas Star,” as captured by LeVine. Benn’s average ice time has decreased in the wake of Dallas’ emerging stars, but he remains a productive piece of the lineup – posting 21 goals and 60 points this season, and 33 goals and 78 points last season. He’s also played in every Stars’ regular season game dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season. At 35, Benn’s next deal is likely to carry him to retirement. Nill wants to ensure that happens with the only club that Benn has ever played for.

Canucks To Start Camp Without Teddy Blueger, Cole McWard

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The Vancouver Canucks will begin training camp without forward Teddy Blueger and defenseman Cole McWard after both underwent minor, lower-body surgery – general manager Patrik Allvin shared with The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. The two will join forward Dakota Joshua and goaltender Thatcher Demko in working to recover from lower-body injuries before camp ends.

Blueger, 30, will stand as the biggest missing piece, having played 68 games with the Canucks last season. It was his first year in Vancouver and he used it to good effect, tying his career-high of 28 points while making the second-most appearances of any one season. The stout year succeeded a 2022-23 campaign to remember for Blueger. He started the year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he spent the first five years of his career, but a Trade Deadline move landed Blueger on the Vegas Golden Knights. He’d proceed to slot into 24 games with Vegas, between the regular and post-seasons, serving a depth role as the team ran to the first Stanley Cup win of their young history. That was Blueger’s first chance to get his name etched on the Cup, having spent the years of  Pittsburgh’s back-to-back Cup wins in the minor leagues.

McWard, 23, is on the other end of his career, just completing his first season after joining Vancouver as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He’s been awarded six NHL games to this point, scoring one goal, though he spent the majority of this season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. McWard managed 17 points in 57 games with the junior Canucks, ranking fourth among the team’s defenders in scoring.

The training camp absence will hinder both – as Blueger looks to fend off competition for his fourth-line role, and McWard looks to claim one of the open spots on Vancouver’s blue-line. The pair’s injuries could give a boost to players like Kiefer Sherwood and Noah Juulsen, or even open more room for Sammy Blais as he tries to vindicate a professional try-out agreement. All three will battle for quaint roles in the lineup, but could end up pivotal pieces as Vancouver eyes another berth into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Flames Sign Cole Schwindt And Ilya Solovyov

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The Calgary Flames have signed their last two pending RFAs ahead of training camp, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract with forward Cole Schwindt, and a two-year, hybrid contract with defenseman Ilya Solovyov. Schwindt will carry an $800K cap hit at the NHL level. Solovyov will earn a league-minimum $775K salary at the NHL level, while his deal will be two-way in year one and one-way in year two. Schwindt’s deal was first reported by Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960, while Solovyov’s contract was announced by agent Dan Milstein.

Schwindt has spent the last four seasons clawing his way up minor-league depth charts, beginning his career with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch in the shortened 2020-21 season. He scored two points in 10 games in his first year – production that paled in comparison to the 40 points he’d score in 72 games with the Charlotte Checkers in the following year. That hot scoring boosted Schwindt to Charlotte’s top line and ultimately earned him the first three games of his NHL career when the Florida Panthers faced injury. He failed to score in those appearances but flashed enough to be included in the infamous Matthew Tkachuk trade a few months later – joining Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and a draft pick in being moved to the Calgary Flames.

That deal moved Schwindt to the Calgary Wranglers lineup, where he took some time to find his footing, scoring just 32 points in 70 games in 2022-23. He improved on that a bit this year, climbing back to 36 points in 66 games and once again earning NHL ice time – though he again failed to score through four outings.

Schwindt seems set to return to his role of top minor-leaguer next season, looking to continue to improve his scoring. If he does, the 23-year-old winger could be a favorite depth fill-in as Calgary pushes through the 2024-25 campaign with a much younger lineup than last season.

Solovyov has been in a similar spot to Schwindt, fighting up the minor-league lineup, though he’s spent the entirety of his three-year pro career in the Flames organization. He moved to the AHL in 2021-22, recording just eight points in 51 games as a rookie. Solovyov boosted that production to 18 points in 68 games in the following year. That seems to be more in line with his routine scoring, vindicated by his 15 points in 51 games this year, which was enough to earn Solovyov his first 10 NHL games in the middle of the year. He recorded three assists and four penalty minutes in those outings, looking fairly stout on a Flames defense in need of help.

While Schwindt will need to work his way up to the NHL fringe, Solovyov will jump straight into a competition for minutes with peers like Joel Hanley, Kevin Bahl, and Jake Bean. Each member of that trio carries more NHL experience than Solovyov, but his deal featuring a one-way year could be a strong indication of his lineup upside.

Predators To Sign Lucas Johansen To PTO

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Defenseman Lucas Johansen will join the Nashville Predators in training camp on a professional tryout agreement as reported by Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game. The younger brother of former Predator Ryan Johansen has spent the better part of the last decade with the Washington Capitals organization.

Johansen was previously thought to be one of the better two-way defensive prospects in the Capitals pipeline after being selected by the organization with the 28th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. He came from a Kelowna Rockets program in the WHL that became known for churning out quality defensive prospects. Johansen got off to a quick start with the Capitals’ organization in the 2017-18 season scoring six goals and 27 points in 74 games for the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Injuries quickly began to pile up for the young defenseman who only mustered 59 games for the Bears from 2018-2021. The injury concerns negatively impacted his value as a prospect as Washington pivoted to other options on the blue line. Johansen only managed to skate in six games for the Capitals from 2021-24 with only two points to show. There is little to no chance of Johansen cracking Nashville’s blue line for the upcoming season out of camp. Still, he could prove valuable with the organization’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.

The Admirals have been one of the AHL’s best regular season teams over the last few years finishing third or higher in the Central Division in seven out of the previous eight seasons. The team has failed to deliver in the playoffs despite the regular season success losing the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back campaigns against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Johansen may be the missing piece to finally get the Admirals over the hump, however, as he recently won back-to-back Calder Cup championships with Hershey.

Capitals To Place T.J. Oshie On LTIR

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As expected, the Washington Capitals will place T.J. Oshie on long-term injured reserve once the regular season begins. Oshie took part in a medical examination this morning and the medical staff concluded his back issues would prohibit him from playing and he will be out indefinitely. The organization sent out a press release with Oshie’s comments regarding the decision:

“The last season was challenging for me, my family, and my teammates as I dealt with a chronic back injury that kept me out of the lineup. I have used the offseason to explore and pursue long-term solutions for my injury. I remain committed to the process and am working and doing my best to regain total health. In the meantime, I will continue to help and support my teammates and the organization in any way I can. I greatly appreciate all of our fans’ support during this time“.

Oshie only appeared in 52 games for the Capitals last year while recording the lowest point-per-game average of his career with 0.48. He’s been injured relatively frequently throughout his time in Washington as he’s only appeared in 81.1% of the team’s regular season games since the 2015-16 NHL season.

Washington should be able to absorb the vacancy left by Oshie with the team acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane in separate trades over the summer. The team will also free up approximately $14.95MM in cap space with Oshie joining Nicklas Backstrom on the LTIR to open up the year allowing plenty of room for in-season additions.

Oshie was entering the final year of an eight-year, $46MM extension signed with the Capitals in 2017 and it appears he won’t be able to finish the contract on a high note. The chronic back injury not only puts his future in Washington in jeopardy but also the future of his career in professional hockey.

He remains committed to solving his injury woes and will likely have a full year to do so. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer at 38 years old with his most recent game coming on April 28th, 2024.

Metro Notes: Mercer, Karlsson, Danforth

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The New Jersey Devils are prepping to begin training camp tomorrow without forward Dawson Mercer but the team hopes it won’t be for long. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported earlier that the team continues to discuss a new contract with Mercer but there is still no deal.

Mercer has been one of the most consistent forwards for the Devils over his entry-level deal as evidenced by the fact he has not missed a game since debuting in the 2021-22 NHL season. His first two years saw him score 44 goals and 98 points in 164 contests for New Jersey but his scoring depressed last year with 20 goals and 33 points in 82 games. The dip in scoring last year and his discouraging defensive play during his first three years may be why contract talks have dragged into training camp.

He’s still a solid tactician in the offensive zone and his change-of-direction capabilities make him an obvious choice to put on the right wing next to Timo Meier and Jack Hughes. New Jersey currently has just under $5MM in cap space which should allow them to sign Mercer on a two-year bridge deal if both sides are amicable.

Other Metro notes:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins were without top defenseman Erik Karlsson on the first day of training camp due to an upper-body injury (X Link). Head coach Mike Sullivan indicates the absence of Karlsson was only precautionary according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Karlsson is looking to rebound from a 56-point campaign during the 2023-24 NHL season and his offensive output should improve with David Quinn taking over the team’s powerplay coaching duties.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets received some positive news on the injury front as team reporter Jeff Svoboda relays that forward Justin Danforth has been medically cleared from an offseason wrist injury and can begin ramping up for the regular season. Danforth was a bright spot for the Blue Jackets last season on the team’s bottom-six putting up 10 goals and 26 points in 71 games while only averaging 14:16 of ice time per night.

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