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Luostarinen, Lundell Set To Play Game 1 For Panthers

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Forwards Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell missed Saturday’s practice for the Florida Panthers, but coach Paul Maurice said afterward that both are expected to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, per George Richards of NHL.com. Maurice did, however, note that forward A.J. Greer’s availability may be in question.

“I think the only question mark is Greer. We will list him as day-to-day. The other guys are fine. They’ll be back on the ice tomorrow when we do a little bit of an optional,” Maurice said.

Greer and Luostarinen were both injured in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes. There was no explanation given for Lundell’s absence from practice, but he played a key role in closing out the Hurricanes, scoring a goal in the Panthers’ 5–3 win in Game 5, while also winning 62 percent of his faceoffs. Lundell put up a career-high 45 points in the regular season and has added five goals and 12 points during the playoffs.

In his first season with the team, Greer has made a significant impact despite averaging just 9:36 of ice time per game. He appeared in 81 regular-season games, posting 17 points while leading the team with 222 hits. The physical forward has added two goals and three points during the playoffs.

Luostarinen has elevated his game in the playoffs, recording 13 points in 18 games after tallying just 24 points in 80 regular-season games. His availability for Game 1 is a major boost for the Panthers, especially given that he ranks second on the team this postseason in hits (71) and leads all forwards with 19 blocked shots.

Dallas Notes: Benn, Hintz, Lundkvist, Oettinger

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For the first time in his career, longtime Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn is heading for free agency. That said, Benn told reporters he intends to play next season — and plans to do so with the Stars, per Taylor Baird of NHL.com.

The Stars’ captain said, “I’m going into the summer planning on playing next year. I don’t see myself going anywhere else. This is all I know. Hopefully, we can figure something out.”

Benn has played all 1,192 of his games in Dallas. The soon-to-be 36-year-old ranks second only to franchise legend Mike Modano in several key categories, including games played, points, goals, and shots on goal. He also secured the franchise’s only Art Ross Trophy when he posted 87 points during the 2014-15 season.

This past season, Benn proved he can still contribute in a bottom-six role, finishing with a respectable 16 goals and 49 points. However, his production dipped in the postseason, where he managed just three points in 18 games.

Elsewhere with the Stars:

  • GM Jim Nill confirmed that forward Roope Hintz sustained a foot fracture after being slashed by Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Darnell Nurse in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. The injury kept Hintz out of Game 3, and while he was on the ice for Games 4 and 5, the injury limited the defensively responsible forward. The slash was originally called a major penalty; however, the referees later downgraded it to a minor, much to the frustration of coach Pete DeBoer. Nill also confirmed that defenseman Nils Lundkvist was recently cleared by his surgeon for full contact in practice. Lundkvist underwent shoulder surgery in February that was originally labeled as a season-ending procedure. However, DeBoer noted at the start of the playoffs that Lundkvist could have potentially returned if the Stars made a deep enough run. While Lundkvist ultimately wasn’t able to return, it appears he’ll have a clean bill of health heading into next season.
  • DeBoer also noted that the coaching staff discussed potentially sitting goalie Jake Oettinger for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, citing his heavy playoff workload (more than any other goalie) and the fact that he was dealing with an “upper-respiratory thing,” per Assimakopoulos. The 26-year-old started strong in the playoffs but cooled off considerably against the Oilers. His postseason ended abruptly in Game 5, when he allowed two goals on the first two shots he faced in a 6–3 loss that eliminated the Stars.

Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks

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Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Blackhawks.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Philipp Kurashev – As the Blackhawks continue to navigate through a rebuild, holding onto a 25-year-old forward with a 50-plus point season on his résumé makes plenty of sense, and that’s exactly what they have in soon-to-be restricted free agent Philipp Kurashev. But after a breakout 54-point campaign in 2023–24, Kurashev took a step back this past season, managing just 14 points in 51 games. So, who is the real Kurashev? And what is his value to the Blackhawks, or potentially other teams? These are the questions the Blackhawks’ front office must answer as they weigh his next contract.

D Wyatt Kaiser – No pending free agent, restricted or unrestricted, may be more important to the Blackhawks than Wyatt Kaiser, who took a clear step forward this past season. The 2020 third-round pick appeared in a career-high 57 games, recording four goals and eight points, and finishing third on the team with 93 blocked shots. Just as notable, his even plus-minus rating was the best among all Blackhawks defensemen and second-best on the roster overall, behind only forward Ilya Mikheyev’s plus-four. At just 22 years old, Kaiser may be the kind of defenseman the Blackhawks look to sign long-term as they aim to solidify their blue line for the Connor Bedard era.

G Arvid Soderblom – Despite being buried on the depth chart heading into the last season, Soderblom ended the season with more games between the pipes than any Blackhawks goalie. With Laurent Brossoit missing the season with a meniscus tear, and veteran Petr Mrázek being traded at the deadline, Soderblom saw action in 36 contests, compiling a 10-18-7 record to go with a .898 save percentage. While those numbers are unflattering by league standards, Soderblom statistically outperformed Mrazek and Spencer Knight, who came over in a blockbuster trade that sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. Knight appeared in 15 games for the Blackhawks, finishing with a 5-8-2 record and .893 save percentage. While the Blackhawks may like the idea of keeping Soderblom in the mix, they already have $7.8MM committed to Brossoit and Knight next season. If Soderblom is now viewed in the league circles as a legitimate backup, another team could step in with a solid offer.

Other RFAs: D Louis Crevier, D Victor Soderstrom, F Antti Saarela, F Aku Raty, F Jalen Luypen

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Alec Martinez – On April 13, the day of the Blackhawks’ last home game of the season, Martinez announced that he would be retiring following the season. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, the 37-year-old was signed last offseason to a one-year, $4 million deal to bring leadership and experience to a young Chicago lineup. And while it’s difficult to measure the impact of his presence in the locker room, Martinez’s on-ice performance left much to be desired. He finished the year with 12 points and a minus-15 rating in 44 games. Martinez will finish his career with 862 games played, 289 points, and, of course, those three Stanley Cups.

F Pat Maroon – Similar to Martinez, veteran Pat Maroon is hanging up his skates after a 14-year career. Back in March, Maroon announced he would be retiring, citing a desire to start a new chapter with his family. He signed a one-year, $1.3MM contract with the team in free agency last summer, and like Martinez, was brought in to provide mentorship and leadership. In 68 games on the season, Marron totaled five goals and 19 points in a bottom-six role. He’ll finish his career with 323 points in 848 games. Like Martinez, he can also boast three Stanley Cups (winning in three consecutive years with the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning).

F Ryan Donato – Donato, coming off a career-best season with 31 goals and 62 points, is among the top centers headed for unrestricted free agency. If the Blackhawks hope to keep him, they’ll likely have to fend off interest from around the league. At the trade deadline, the Blackhawks held discussions with Donato about a possible contract extension and did not end up dealing him for future assets. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the deal the team put on the table was a three-year offer worth somewhere around $4MM per season, essentially doubling his expiring contract. Donato did exactly what any player on an expiring contract hopes to do — post career-best numbers and set himself up for a sizable payday. The reported $4MM per season may not be a large enough figure to keep Donato in Chicago.

Other UFAs: F Andreas Athanasiou, F Zach Sanford, F Brett Seney, F Cole Guttman

Projected Cap Space

General manager Kyle Davidson will have plenty of financial flexibility this summer, as the team has nearly $30MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. If the team is serious about keeping Donato and Kaiser in Chicago long-term, their new contracts would certainly put a dent into that space, but would still leave Davidson with ample flexibility to pursue additional free agents.

PHR Mailbag: Avalanche, Devils, Marner, Canadiens, Flyers, Offseason

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include an assessment of the Avalanche, several questions about the Canadiens, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s column while we have one more coming from our most recent call for questions.

Pearlo: Do we have a Colorado team spiraling towards a rebuild? No draft picks in first three rounds of the next draft, a very poor prospect pool, a very inconsistent Necas and a questionably effective Landeskog with no second line capable center in their top six as well as a fair top off after Girard with their defense with only $8MM in cap space to fill holes. Seems to me they are skating on pretty thin ice. What say you?

It’s safe to say you’re not in the glass-full camp.  There will come a time when the Avs need to flip the switch and think about the future.  I don’t think they’re there yet.  After all, they weren’t that far off getting through Dallas in the opening round in a matchup that wouldn’t have happened had it not been for a playoff format that is starting to lose its luster, no matter what the league wants to say.

This is a team that still has one of the top forwards in the league in Nathan MacKinnon.  They have one of the top blueliners in Cale Makar.  Those are two premier building blocks signed for at least the next two years; Makar will need a new contract in 2027 (and, barring injury, that will undoubtedly be setting a new NHL record for defensemen at that time).  When you have those pieces in place, it’s hard to say it’s time to take a step back even though your correct assessment of their pick and prospect cupboard suggests it’s an option that should be considered.

I expect Martin Necas will be better next season.  He’s going to have a lot to play for and a full training camp should help after being brought in midseason.  He won’t produce at the same level as Mikko Rantanen but I think he can produce like a top-liner.  On defense, I wouldn’t be surprised if GM Chris MacFarland looks into moving one of Samuel Girard or Josh Manson which could allow the back end to be reshaped a bit and add some cap space potentially.

A lot is going to hinge on if they can address the second center spot.  Whether that’s re-signing Brock Nelson, finding someone externally, or even giving Necas an extended look there, filling that position would really solidify them having two strong scoring lines.  Even with all the question marks (and I’d put goaltending in there as well), that should be more than enough for them to safely be a playoff team.  There will come a time to rebuild.  I don’t think that’s coming for a while yet though.

SpeakofTheDevils: What does a Devils dream offseason look like? Trades? Free Agency? Etc.

First, getting Luke Hughes signed to a long-term deal.  I know the bridge pact would make things a lot easier for GM Tom Fitzgerald in terms of utilizing cap space but if the team feels he’s the high-end defender it looks like he can be, that’s someone you sign now before it gets a whole lot more expensive after a bridge deal.

I wrestled with putting this in their Offseason Checklist earlier this week but finding a way to offload at least most of Ondrej Palat’s contract would go a long way toward giving them some cap space.  I think they’re at a spot where trading with 50% retention is preferable to a buyout but the latter shouldn’t be ruled out.  Palat’s a serviceable player but that’s one spot they can upgrade.

They need to improve on their third center after a tough year from Erik Haula.  They were believed to be looking for that leading into the trade deadline but they might be able to get that in free agency.  They also could use a fourth-line pivot.

Adding a top-six winger would also be a big help.  For them to barely crack the top 20 in goals scored with the roster they have is a problem.  They’re better than that and a key addition should put them back in the top half.  In an ideal world, they land one of the better wingers available.

On defense, I don’t want to say they have an embarrassment of riches but they have a lot of depth and two promising youngsters in the pipeline in Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey.  Can one of those – maybe Jonas Siegenthaler – be packaged with someone like Haula to add a $6MM or so piece to further add on the wing?

And while we’re at it, a veteran goalie that’s a bit more reliable than Nico Daws would be nice too.

I’m sure you were hoping for some names but with how long that list is and their cap situation (barely $12MM in space per PuckPedia), they’re not going to get to all of those without some other moves being made first and I’d simply be guessing on those which doesn’t add much value to the discussion.  Realistically, if they got half or more of these done, it would be a solid offseason.  The dream one might have to wait at least one more year.

Unclemike1526: Since my other question basically was answered, would you please tell me if you’ve ever read anywhere that Mitch Marner won’t play for a rebuilding club?

If it makes you feel any better, the only assistant coach in Chicago I’d have predicted correctly was Anders Sorensen.  Keeping him around would be a good reward for coming up and struggling through the rest of this season so I felt confident about that.  I’d have been hypothesizing Jeff Blashill going after some assistants he had with Detroit had that situation not largely been finalized by last weekend.

As for Marner, I’ve not seen anything credible that says he wouldn’t play for a rebuilding club.  At this point, it feels like his intention is going to be that he’s going to go to the open market and see what’s out there.  If you’re taking that approach, you’re probably not going to rule out a bunch of options off the bat by saying he won’t go to a rebuilding club.

What is Marner’s priority?  Is it to go to a contender?  Not a lot of those have the type of money that he’ll be commanding.  Beyond re-signing with Toronto, Carolina would and, well, that’s about it.  Vegas is being suggested as a speculative link but that would require a lot of money being moved out first although their penchant for big swings means it can’t be ruled out.

But if his priority is top dollar, it might come from a non-contender.  Chicago should be aiming higher this summer.  Utah has an owner willing to spend, a team on the rise, and a lot of cap space.  Anaheim has a promising young core and the purse strings have been loosened a bit.  Columbus nearly made the playoffs with their group and might want to swing big as well.  There’s a compelling case to be made for any of those teams.

In a perfect world, Marner, or any other top free agent really, would get his cake and eat it too by finding a legitimate contender that has a lot of cap space.  He’ll have to figure out what level of importance to place on either of those options.  He has another month to do so before anything probably truly gets ruled out.

frozenaquatic: The NHL has about 10 Kershaws through history. Marner, Matthews, Panarin, Hellebuyck now. Historically, Yashin, Rick Nash, Todd Bertuzzi, Joe Thornton — even Marcel Dionne — were known to disappear come May. Stammer was accused of being a regular-season merchant for a while, but busted the reputation during the Covid Cup Dynasty. What do you think it takes to coach a guy to play with more intensity, take hits, block shots, not make east-west passes, go to the net, and find shooting lanes — to do the things necessary to play good playoff hockey? Who would even want Marner at $12 – 14 million if he has this reputation?

I don’t think there’s a coach out there who’s going to drastically change Marner’s style of play.  Over 700 games into his career (regular season and playoffs), he is who he is at this point.  If there wasn’t a material change under a coach with a tougher reputation in Craig Berube, I don’t think there’s necessarily a coach out there who is going to make him change the way he plays to do the things you listed on a full-time basis.

But what Marner is at this stage of his career is still a really good player.  He’s a premier playmaker, is pretty consistent offensively year-to-year, and his defensive game often goes under the radar.  There’s a reason he’s being projected to sign a record-breaking contract and that’s because of all of the positives he brings to the table.  The playoff performance doesn’t help his cause but it doesn’t materially cripple his value either.

As for who would want him?  The list of who wouldn’t is probably longer than the list of who would.  I expect any team that has that much money to at least kick the tires with probably six to eight teams making him their top target.  Players of his skill level are rarely available ‘for free’ on the open market.  His playoff reputation won’t be scaring many teams off.  Those teams’ coaches will be saying that they can make it work with Marner being exactly who he is.

Jaysen: Let’s say every player is available. What are your top 3 targets for 2C position if you are Kent Hughes? And what do you think is the value of Logan Mailloux in a trade? Not really overly impressed with him but I do know that defensemen take longer to develop.

Finally, Fowler seems like the real deal. I expect Dobes to back up Montembeault this year but next year? If Fowler develops the way he is supposed to, what do you do? Trade Dobes? Or do you go for the big decision and trade Montembeault do let Dobes and Fowler tend the twine??

The qualifier that everyone is available makes this a little unrealistic but I’ll play along and give you a couple more than three.  Anaheim’s Mason McTavish fits the age of Montreal’s core group and feels like someone they’d acquire and then sign long-term.  I don’t see the Ducks moving him though.  I’d throw Quinton Byfield (Los Angeles) and Matty Beniers (Seattle) in there as well but again, I don’t see them being available.  Maybe Barrett Hayton in Utah if they wound up taking a big swing at adding a center in free agency but that’s from a guarantee.  If Florida re-signs Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad and makes Anton Lundell available, he’d be on the list too but that’s three ifs.  The key elements are they’re young, have upside, and several years of team control or contract remaining.  But there’s a reason they’re so hard to come by.

Mailloux is a hard player to evaluate.  He’s still very raw and underdeveloped after his OHL career consisted of just 75 games or barely a single season so he’s behind on the development curve, so to speak.  Offensively, he can probably play at the NHL level now.  Defensively, he has shown flashes of being NHL-level there but at other times, he has struggled.  That’s not uncommon for young blueliners as you note but that type of inconsistency will give some teams pause.

As a young, right-shot blueliner with enough raw skills to play in the top four, there’s a lot to like.  But with how things have gone to this point, there will be some who shy away or come in low with offers knowing there’s some risk in acquiring him.  Other teams will probably feel that their coaches can get those fundamentals in place more frequently, making him a top-four option.  His trade value revolves around how he’s perceived.  If it’s a team that is hesitant, they’re probably going no higher than a second-round pick.  If it’s the latter category, a first-round value isn’t off the table.  I don’t think Mailloux is the centerpiece of a big trade this summer but if they find a team that believes in the upside, he could be a key component of one.

Goalie coaches have said in the past that they generally want a goalie to get at least 100 starts in the AHL.  I’ve seen some say 150.  Jacob Fowler is at all of eight at the moment.  Accordingly, I don’t think he’s even in the equation for full-time NHL duty for at least two more years at which time Sam Montembeault’s deal is up.  To be honest, I’m not even fully certain that Jakub Dobes is the full-time backup in Montreal next season as he’s only at 65 AHL games.  I could see Montreal signing a veteran third-stringer and then calling that goalie up periodically to give Dobes some games in Laval and a higher workload than he’d get as the permanent backup in Montreal.  If all goes well, they’ll have to make room for Fowler eventually but they’re probably not giving that serious thought for another 24 months or so.

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Matt Duchene Seeking Multi-Year Deal This Summer

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Matt Duchene has spent the last two seasons with the Stars on one-year contracts.  However, just because he signed a one-year pact to remain with Dallas last year doesn’t mean he will this time around.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), the center indicated that while he’d like to remain with the Stars, he’s also looking for stability beyond another one-year deal.

The 34-year-old fit in quite well with Dallas after he signed a one-year, $3MM contract following his somewhat surprising buyout from the Predators in 2023.  He put up 25 goals and 40 assists in the 2023-24 campaign before struggling in the playoffs where he had just six points in 19 games.  Still, that was more than a good enough performance to earn a second act with the Stars but once again, their cap situation necessitated another one-year, $3MM agreement.

This season was better than his first with Dallas.  Duchene potted 30 goals along with a career-high 52 assists in 82 games while logging over 17 minutes a night during the regular season.  Unfortunately for him and the Stars, his playoff struggles returned as he scored just one goal with five helpers in their 18 contests before being ousted in five games by Edmonton earlier this week.

While the second straight postseason struggle likely doesn’t help his value, Duchene is still very well positioned to land a fair-sized raise and a multi-year deal this summer if he reaches the open market.  He is a legitimate second center in a market that will feature a lot of teams looking to upgrade down the middle.  On top of that, he has been above average at the faceoff dot in every season but his first back in 2009-10 and with nearly 900 career points in over 1,100 games, he’s a proven commodity.  It’s not outlandish to think he could double his contract from these last two seasons.

But if that happens, Duchene won’t be able to get his wish to stay in Dallas, at least barring some moves to open up salary cap flexibility.  The Stars have less than $5MM in cap space this summer per PuckPedia with several roster spots to fill with that money.  It’d be one thing to try to free up a bit of room to sign Duchene around the salary he’s earned the last two years but it would take multiple moves to have a chance to pay him market value.

With that in mind, Duchene will have to decide between taking less than his value to stay on Dallas with the hopes of getting at least two years on his next deal or testing free agency where he’d undoubtedly get both big money and term.  He has the next month to deliberate just how important remaining with the Stars is to him.

Pacific Notes: Prosvetov, Mammoth, McCarthy

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Earlier this month, goaltender Ivan Prosvetov was released from his KHL contract to pursue an NHL opportunity.  It appears that opportunity might be coming with Calgary as Sport-Express’ Mikhail Zislis reports that the Flames are the main contender to sign the 26-year-old.  Prosvetov posted a 2.32 GAA and a .920 SV% in 38 games with CSKA Moscow this season.  He has 24 career NHL appearances under his belt between Arizona and Colorado plus another 146 outings at the AHL level.  With Daniel Vladar eligible for unrestricted free agency, Prosvetov, if he ultimately signs, could have a chance to battle with Wranglers veteran Devin Cooley for the backup spot behind Dustin Wolf next season.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • The European Assignment Clauses that the Mammoth gave to Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev this week are a little different than usual. Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune relays that the two are only able to execute that clause after the first 18 months of the contract, or January 1, 2027.  That ensures that Utah will have full developmental control over the first rounders for the first year and a half in North America but if the two aren’t full-fledged NHL regulars by then, they will then have the opportunity to return home if they desire.
  • The Sharks have signed AHL head coach John McCarthy to a contract extension, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The 38-year-old has been a fixture with the Sharks going back to his playing days which started back in 2009 and ended in 2018 when he retired from playing to become an assistant with the Barracuda.  McCarthy has been in charge of the Barracuda for the past three seasons with the team making the playoffs for the first time in that stretch this year.

Rangers Gauging Interest Level In K’Andre Miller

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This past season was a rough one for the Rangers who went from a perceived Stanley Cup contender to missing the playoffs altogether.  Along the way, GM Chris Drury tried to shake up his roster while some of his older veterans could still be available as further shakeups are believed to be desired.

It appears that one player who could be in the mix in a shakeup deal is defenseman K’Andre Miller.  In a recent appearance on Sportsnet 590 (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Miller’s name is definitely out there as Drury is trying to gauge the market for some of his players.

Two years ago, it looked like the 25-year-old had taken a big step forward toward becoming an all-situations core blueliner with a 43-point breakout year while logging more than 22 minutes a night.  While New York would have preferred to sign him to a long-term deal at that time, their cap situation forced them to pursue a bridge option instead with the sides agreeing on a two-year, $7.74MM pact.

Unfortunately for Miller and the Rangers, his play took a step back the following year and another step back this season.  Offensively, his output dropped to just 27 points in 74 games while some ill-timed defensive miscues helped contribute to the team going from being one of the stingier defensive teams in 2023-24 to one in the bottom half of the league in that category this season.

While this is generally the time that a player would sign a long-term deal coming off a bridge pact, Friedman suggests that the team isn’t ready to make that commitment at this point.  With two RFA-eligible seasons remaining, they could theoretically look to work out a one-year deal but the back-dated nature of his bridge deal puts his qualifying offer alone at $4.646MM.  Between that and Miller being eligible for salary arbitration, even a one-year deal might be costlier than they can afford.

Per PuckPedia, the Rangers enter the summer with just $8.4MM in cap space with Miller and winger Will Cuylle being their most prominent players to re-sign.  But considering the two of them alone could cost that much let alone filling out the rest of their roster or trying to add an impact player, it’s certainly understandable that Drury is at least exploring what level of interest would be out there in Miller to see if a feasible trade presents itself.  But if one does, New York will have a big hole to try to fill on their back end moving forward as well.

Central Notes: Marchessault, Taylor, Safonov

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While there has been some speculation that Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault might be open to a trade after an underwhelming first year with Nashville, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests it might not be quite that simple.  In the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), he relayed that the list of teams Marchessault might actually be willing to go to is rather small.  Having played exclusively in no-tax states, there’s a sense that Marchessault would prefer not to take a big hit to his bottom line in pay with a move while preferring to go to a legitimate contender, a combination that not a lot of teams can offer.  That said, Marchessault can only control things to a certain point as he only has a 15-team no-trade clause in his deal, one that has four years remaining on it at a $5.5MM cap charge.

More from the Central:

  • The Predators have signed AHL head coach Karl Taylor to a contract extension, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Taylor helped lead Milwaukee to the Central Division regular season title for the second straight year and a top-two finish for the fourth straight season so the extension should come as little surprise.  Taylor has been running Nashville’s farm team for the last seven seasons and has not yet had a chance to work at the NHL level.
  • Blackhawks prospect Ilya Safonov has signed a one-year contract extension with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL, per a team release. The 24-year-old center was a sixth-round pick by Chicago back in 2021, going 172nd overall.  Safonov had a minor role with Kazan at the time but had a breakout 37-point performance in 2022-23, providing some enthusiasm that he could come to North America and push for a spot with Chicago.  However, his production has dipped over the last two years; this season, he had 22 points in 51 outings and will now remain overseas for at least one more year.

Atlantic Notes: Robertson, Hutson, Heponiemi

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While Nicholas Robertson got into a career-high 69 games with the Maple Leafs this season, his trade request from last year still stands, reports Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic (subscription link).  The 23-year-old had a career-best 15 goals this season and even chipped in with a pair of points in three postseason outings.  However, playing time remained hard to come by as he averaged just 12 minutes a night of ice time and it’s clear he’d like a shot at a bigger role elsewhere.  Robertson is a pending restricted free agent owed a qualifying offer of just under $919K.  However, he’s also arbitration-eligible which could push his price tag closer to the $1.5MM range.  If Toronto isn’t willing to pay that price, Robertson could get his wish for a change of scenery in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • While Lane Hutson will be eligible for a contract extension this summer, Arpon Basu of The Athletic posits (subscription link) that this file might not get done right away. The Canadiens have tried to keep their core players signing below captain Nick Suzuki’s $7.875MM but Hutson’s rookie year, his comparable players, plus the big increases coming in the salary cap will make that difficult.  It’s possible Montreal opts for a shorter-term pact to keep the AAV lower but it could also make sense to see what happens next year and decide from there.  Hutson, a Calder Trophy finalist, had six goals and 60 assists in 82 games this season.
  • After moving on from his team in Switzerland to become a free agent, it looked like there was a chance that Aleksi Heponiemi could be returning to the Panthers. However, that’s not the case as he recently inked a two-year deal with HV71 in the SHL, per a team release.  The 26-year-old has 25 career NHL games with Florida under his belt but after being primarily in the minors in North America, he headed overseas two years ago.  This past season with EHC Biel-Bienne, Heponiemi had 18 points in 37 games.  Florida will retain his rights as a restricted free agent through next summer.

Golden Knights Receiving Interest In Nicolas Hague

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Nicolas Hague has been one of the longest-tenured Golden Knights players.  He has spent the last six seasons with the team and was one of their first-ever draft picks back in 2017.  But his time in Vegas might be coming to an end as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the team has started to field calls about Hague in advance of his upcoming restricted free agency.

The 26-year-old has never been a big point producer at the NHL level as his career high in that regard is just 17, set back in 2020-21 and 2022-23.  However, Hague has been a steady physical shutdown defender throughout his NHL career, a role he should be able to fill for several more years.

This past season, Hague played in 68 games for Vegas, picking up five goals and seven assists while averaging 17 minutes a night.  He also chipped in with 74 blocked shots and 82 hits, numbers that were a fair bit below the 111 and 153, respectively, he had the year before.

Hague is entering his final year of restricted free agency and will have arbitration eligibility for the first time.  His qualifying offer also checks in above his cap hit from the last three seasons at $2.7MM and it stands to reason he could push past $3MM on a one-year deal if he makes it to a hearing.  Meanwhile, a longer-term pact could land closer to the $4MM range.

That’s an amount that the Golden Knights might not be able to afford.  They presently have $9.6MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, but have several roster spots to fill with that money.  Reilly Smith, Victor Olofsson, Brandon Saad, and Ilya Samsonov highlight the list of pending unrestricted free agents while Hague and Alexander Holtz are the notable restricted free agents.  If Vegas wants to try to add a piece or two this summer, they’re going to have to go cheap to fill the other roster spots which could push Hague out, making his case one to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.

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