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Archives for May 2025

The Stars Are Facing A Cap Crunch

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The NHL salary cap is set to rise significantly for the first time since before the pandemic-shortened seasons, which will be welcome news for contending teams that are facing a cap crunch. Despite the increase, several teams will still have significant work to do to be cap-compliant by the time NHL training camps open in September. Most of these teams remain in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and that is where the Dallas Stars come in.

The Stars are one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year, and no doubt are fine with their upcoming salary cap predicament. Dallas will have just $5.873MM in salary cap space entering this summer and have just 15 players signed in that projection (as per PuckPedia). The Stars will need to make some tough decisions to remain under the salary cap, but the good news is that most of their pending UFAs are in their mid-30s, and they have just a couple of RFAs to sign who won’t break the bank. Positive news aside, a couple of the Stars’ UFAs will be ones they likely want to keep, and they will have to move out significant salary if they hope to do so.

Matt Duchene has been an excellent fit for Dallas after playing under back-to-back one-year $3MM contracts. The likelihood that he does this again is slim, but he might enjoy the fit so much that he offers another discount. There are several caveats regarding Duchene’s pending free agency, the first being that he is still being paid handsomely by the Nashville Predators after he was bought out two seasons ago. Duchene is set to be paid over $6.5MM by the Predators next season as part of his buyout, so he may be inclined to sign a similar deal and take a total $9.5MM package.

The other caveat is that the buyout drops to just $1.5MM in the 2026-27 season and the 2027-28 season, meaning that Duchene will look at a significant drop in total salary. This, coupled with Duchene’s age (34) and his terrific production this season (30 goals and 52 assists in 82 games), could mean that he sees this summer as his final chance to cash in. If he doesn’t, the Stars might not be able to bring him back, even if he offers a discount on his market value.

The Stars will also have to deal with long-time veteran Jamie Benn, a pending UFA. Benn is no longer the power forward he was in his prime, but he can still put up points at even strength and has value in that he rarely misses games and can offer a veteran presence. This past season, the 35-year-old tallied 16 goals and 33 assists in 82 games, and while those numbers are respectable, they are a far cry from how he used to produce back when he won the Art Ross Trophy in 2014-15.

That being said, most players fall off in their 30s. It’s no surprise that this has happened to Benn, but he can still produce at five-on-five, and there is value in him remaining with the Stars if they can find cap space and opt to bring him back. Benn is completing the final season of an eight-year contract that paid him $9.5MM annually, and he said in October that he intended to play out his contract and see where things go (as per TSN), but the Stars have expressed interest in retaining him. AFP Analytics is projecting a two-year deal for Benn at $4.8MM per season, which would take up nearly all of Dallas’ remaining cap space and only allow them to sign one more player at the league minimum. They’ll need to move out salary to retain Benn or let him walk into free agency.

The Stars must also contend with forward Evgenii Dadonov’s free agency as the 36-year-old is set to hit the market as a UFA. Dadonov had an off year during the 2023-24 season but bounced back this year with 20 goals and 20 assists in 80 games. The veteran will likely seek a two-year deal, and AFP Analytics has him projected to earn a two-year contract in the range of $3.25MM annually, making it challenging for Dallas to slot him into their salary cap ledger.

So, what can the Stars do? Well, if they hope to bring back any of these three men, they will likely need to find a way to move on from a player such as Tyler Seguin and his $9.85MM cap hit or move out a combination of veterans such as Matt Dumba ($3.75MM) and Mason Marchment ($4.5MM).

Seguin would be a difficult player to trade, as only a handful of teams could afford to take on his salary, and those teams are unlikely to be ones for which Seguin would waive his no-movement clause (NMC). Seguin has two years left on his contract and is still productive when he can play. This past year, he was limited to just 20 games, but he still managed to pile up nine goals and 12 assists. In contrast, last year, when he was in better health, he scored 25 goals and added 27 assists in 68 games. Seguin is 33 and no longer an All-Star, but he remains a solid top-six player that Dallas will want to (and have to) hang onto.

The most likely moves involve moving on from several veterans. The aforementioned Dumba is a good candidate to move as he has no trade protection, and right-shot defensemen are always in demand. Dumba had a decent season with the Stars in sheltered minutes and could draw some trade interest even though he’s been a healthy scratch in the playoffs thus far. The Stars could certainly replace what Dumba does by committee, as they have Lian Bichsel ready to make the jump to the NHL full-time, and although he is a left-shot defender, the Stars could shift some bodies around to make it work. They are already using Alex Petrovic over Dumba in these playoffs, so cutting that cost would be a big move to get under the cap and bring a veteran back into the fold on an extension.

Beyond Dumba and Seguin is where the Stars’ options become murky. Sure, they could look at Marchment as he has one year left on his contract, but given that he can play top-six minutes and brings a lot to the table, the Stars might not have an appetite to move him while they are trying to contend.

Whatever happens in Dallas, the Stars will look different next season, but it’s unlikely that they care now. The Stars will remain contenders next season even if they let all their veteran UFAs walk, as they have a young core in their prime that is under contract and set to continue their strong play.

Photo by Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Canucks GM Allvin States Team Is Interested In Retaining Brock Boeser

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Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin appeared to extend an olive branch to soon-to-be free agent Brock Boeser, adding another twist to their ongoing saga, per Patrick Johnston of The Province.

Allvin met with season ticket holders and answered some questions from the fanbase, with several directed at the ongoing situation involving Boeser. On one hand, Allvin has been clear the team needs to acquire goal scorers. On the other, the franchise and Boeser have been at odds over a potential contract negotiation. So, where does the franchise stand on the idea of keeping Boeser in Vancouver? Allvin simply stated, “We’re going to see if there’s a chance to keep Brock Boeser.”

If Allvin’s words hold weight, the Canucks still have time to negotiate a contract extension with Brock Boeser and his agent, Ben Hankinson. The challenge, however, is that at this stage in the process, a hometown discount seems unlikely. With free agency fast approaching, Vancouver will likely need to match, or exceed, the going market rate to retain their star forward.

Boeser was a big name during the trade deadline, but a rich asking price kept him with the Canucks for the remainer of the season. Then in April, Boeser acknowledged that the chances of re-signing with Vancouver beyond this season were unlikely. He said at the time: “Honestly, it’s unlikely at this point. It sucks, it’s unfortunate. I’m just trying to play good hockey, and then I’ll worry about everything after that. We all know it’s been a roller coaster of a year. There’s been a lot of different things.”

In late February, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Boeser declined a five-year, $40MM extension. This would have represented a raise on his expiring contract, but maybe isn’t what Hankinson believes Boeser can get on the open market, especially with the salary cap set to climb. However, Boeser’s production (25 goals and 50 points) did not match his 2023-24 results of a career-highs of 40 goals and 73 points. It will be interesting to see what kind of deal Boeser signs this offseason—and where he ultimately lands.

Jay McKee Could Be On Flyers Coaching Radar

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As Flyers general manager Daniel Brière and his staff continue to explore options for their next head coach, the list of candidates keeps growing, and current OHL coach Jay McKee could be among those in consideration, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Brière has previously stated that the next head coach should be someone who can effectively communicate with, and develop, a young roster. That’s where Briere’s former teammate McKee, the current head coach of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, may excel. At just 47-year-old, McKee had a successful career in the NHL and has a great track record coaching younger players in the OHL. These qualities, along with the familiarity Brière has with his former teammate, may make McKee a strong candidate for the Flyers’ head coaching job.

McKee led Brantford to a 44-19-5 record this past season, and helped the team capture the 2022 OHL title. McKee has spent parts of eight seasons as a head coach in the OHL. His coaching career began in 2011 when he was named an assistant coach of the Rochester Americans. McKee began his coaching career as an assistant with the OHL’s Erie Otters, where he worked with future superstar Connor McDavid. He later served several seasons as head coach of the Kitchener Rangers before taking over behind the bench in Brantford in 2021. Since then, he has compiled a 121-62-21 record and led the team to one division title. And as Hall points out, several coaches have successfully made the jump from the OHL to the NHL, including Jacques Martin, Peter DeBoer, and Sheldon Keefe.

In addition to McKee, the Flyers have also been linked Philly legend Rick Tocchet, Western Michigan University coach Pat Ferschweiler, and current interim head coach Brad Shaw.

Ducks Owner Henry Samueli Discusses Future Goals For Team

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In a rare interview, Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli discussed the need to provide GM Pat Verbeek with more financial flexibility, the decision to hire coach Joel Quenneville, and his desire to make the team a Stanley Cup contender moving forward, per Eric Stephens of The Athletic.

After seven consecutive seasons without making the playoffs (including a 35-37-10 record this year, Samueli said he wants a more competitive team moving forward. Samueli, 70, has owned the team for more than 20 years and oversaw the team’s 2007 Stanley Cup win. As Samueli put it, “That is the pressure we’re putting on both Pat and Joel. They know that the fans and the ownership expect to make the playoffs this (next) season. There’s a lot of pressure to put on a coach and a GM. But you got to do it.”

He added that the team has completed its rebuilding process and have reached the point where they’re looking to win. He said the team is now focused on becoming “perennial playoff contenders” and noted that they needed to add an experienced head coach to support with that goal. Enter Quenneville, who despite his baggage, comes with the second-most wins of any coach.

“And that was one of the main reasons for wanting to bring someone like a Joel Quenneville in, because we felt comfortable that he could take us from the end of a rebuild to the beginning of a playoff era.”

Samueli was also specifically asked about the optics of hiring someone with Quenneville’s history. He discussed the thorough investigation the team underwent and ultimately determined they were comfortable with Quenneville moving forward. As he said: “I fully respect people who have negative opinions or going to have negative comments. There’s a lot of people who are victims of abuse, and I have nothing but the most respect for them. We’ll listen and try to convince them that we really did go through a thorough process and that Joel really is a good person who happened to make a mistake. I feel comfortable that we can deal with the situation.”

Samueli acknowledged that success requires spending more, starting with the price tag of Quenneville’s salary. However, when asked if he would allow Verbeek to spend to the cap, Samueli said he has given his GM the flexibility to make the moves necessary to make the team a playoff contender. He added, “If it means signing big-name free agents, go for it. We told him going forward you will not be constrained by the budget.”

Heiskanen To Miss Game 3 For Stars

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The Dallas Stars have ruled out top defender Miro Heiskanen for today’s Game 3 matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, per team reporter Mike Heika. Heiskanen has not suited up since having surgery in February to repair a knee injury.

Prior to the series, coach Pete DeBoer listed Heiskanen and forward Jason Robertson as day-to-day. While Robertson returned from his knee injury for Game 1, Heiskanen has yet to rejoin the lineup. DeBoer maintains that Heiskanen is day-to-day, but did tell reporters to quell expectations whenever the defender does return.

“When he comes back, it’s going to be a good day. But even when he comes back, he’s been out for three and a half months. He’s going to help immediately, but we’re going to have to temper our expectations.”

DeBoer noted that the team is excited to have Heiskanen back, but also emphasized that they’ve managed to succeed in his absence. His greater concern seems to be the team’s lack of offensive production. While Miko Rantanen has been on a tear, Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, Mason Marchment, and Mikael Granlund have struggled in the playoffs. With Robertson and Tyler Seguin not at full strength, and the Stars need to dig deep to find ways to light the lamp post.

As DeBoer noted: “We need guys to get on the board, but you also have to understand that Winnipeg is the best defensive team in the league and it’s not going to be easy. We might not get guys lighting it up this series, we might have to win 1-0, 2-1. It would be great if everyone was scoring, but it’s more important that we’re winning games.”

Golden Knights’ Mark Stone Out Day-To-Day

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While the Vegas Golden Knights came away with a Game Three win over the Edmonton Oilers last night, not all the news out of Vegas was positive. Captain Mark Stone left the game in the first period with an injury and did not return. He is now listed as day-to-day, per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The team announced on social media that Stone would not be returning after leaving the game with 6:20 of the first period due to an upper-body injury. The injury occurred when stone collided with Corey Perry in the neutral zone. After remaining down for a brief second, Stone skated back to the bench and did not return. While Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t provide much of an update after the game, he did state that Stone could be available as soon as Game 4. He added that the team would learn more about Stone’s status today.

If Stone does miss time, Cassidy said it provides players like Reilly Smith more of an opportunity to step up. As Cassidy told reporters: “It seemed the guys wanted to pick him up. What it does is allow other players like a Reilly Smith to get more opportunity, and he took advantage of it.”

While the Golden Knights managed to avoid a 3-0 series deficit without Stone, they’ll undoubtedly need their captain—not just for his leadership, but for his proven playoff performance. In 84 career playoff games with Vegas, Stone has posted 36 goals and 72 points, including eight points in nine games this season. As series victory, as well as a deep run in the playoffs, will likely hinge on getting Stone back into the lineup.

Snapshots: Fiala, Norringer, Bertucci, Hemming, Terness

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Kings winger Kevin Fiala’s season hasn’t come to an end just yet.  After originally being unable to play at the Worlds due to some travel issues, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation announced that Fiala will indeed be able to join the squad, filling their final spot.  The 28-year-old was the tournament MVP last year, notching seven goals and six assists in just eight games.  This season, Fiala had a career-high 35 goals in 81 games for Los Angeles while recording seven points in six games in their first-round exit at the hands of Edmonton.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Predators prospect Viktor Norringer has decided where he’ll play college hockey as he announced on his Instagram page that he has made a verbal commitment to Boston University. The 18-year-old was a fourth-round pick last year, going 127th overall.  Norringer had a dominant showing in Frolunda’s junior system this season, tallying 24 goals and 33 assists in just 39 games.  It’s expected that Norringer will debut at BU in 2026-27 so for next season, he could remain at home or look to play in the USHL.
  • Two of Dallas’ top prospects have seen their seasons extended. Per the AHL’s transactions log, defenseman Tristan Bertucci and forward Emil Hemming have been assigned to AHL Texas.  Bertucci was a second-round pick in 2023, going 63rd overall, and spent the season with OHL Barrie, notching 37 points in 52 regular season games while adding 18 more in 16 playoff contests.  Hemming, meanwhile, was a first-round pick (29th overall) by the Stars last June.  The 18-year-old had 48 points in 60 games with Barrie during the regular season but also improved his output in the playoffs, collecting 15 more points in those 16 playoff outings.
  • Still with the Stars’ farm team, they’ve added some goalie depth for their playoff run. Per an announcement from Ohio State (Twitter link), Texas has signed Logan Terness to an ATO agreement.  The 22-year-old split his college career between UConn and Ohio State and saved his best performance for last, putting up a 2.46 GAA and a .917 SV% in 25 outings this season.  Terness will use this stint to try to earn himself a pro deal for 2025-26.

Offseason Checklist: Seattle Kraken

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The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those eliminated in the first round.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Seattle.

Expectations were high for the Kraken heading into 2023-24, perhaps a bit too lofty after an impressive second season.  The team struggled, resulting in a new coach and some big free agent splashes.  That didn’t move the needle, however, as the struggles continued, leading to another coaching search while the front office has been shaken up.  Accordingly, new GM Jason Botterill has plenty on his checklist in the weeks and months ahead.

Find A New Coach

After Dave Hakstol was let go last year, the Kraken promoted from within, naming veteran Dan Bylsma as their new head coach.  Considering that he had some NHL success in the past with Pittsburgh and had fared quite well with AHL Coachella Valley, it was a reasonable decision.  But now, they’re on the lookout for a new bench boss again following the decision to move on from him quite quickly.

It would be a bit surprising to see recent history repeat itself with another promotion from the Firebirds.  Derek Laxdal took over from Bylsma this season in the minors and while he has a decent track record as a head coach there (and in the OHL where he was Coach of the Year last season), it feels like this is a situation where they’re going to be looking for someone more experienced that can get them back to the playoffs next season.

Rick Tocchet’s name has surfaced as a strong candidate.  He’s more than familiar with the division having been with Vancouver the last couple of years and he also has some familiarity with Botterill dating back to their days in Pittsburgh.  Last year’s Jack Adams Award winner, Tocchet is also a strong candidate for several other openings.  On the other side of the front office, Ron Francis has worked with Peter Laviolette before from their days in Carolina which could help his cause when it comes to being considered.

One under the radar option that has some ties to Seattle is Jay Leach.  He was one of the finalists for the top job last year and was an assistant with them until this season.  It would be a little surprising to see a first-time head coach get the job but Leach having worked with a lot of the team before could give him a leg up in discussions.  If management wants to go with a younger coach with some experience, Jay Woodcroft could be a fit as well.

With several openings around the league, the potential exists for this to drag out a bit, especially if teams have their eyes on assistants who are currently still working which could slow the market down.  But if Botterill and company have their eyes on someone who’s available now, they could move relatively quickly to get this hire done.

Decide Grubauer’s Fate

When Seattle signed Philipp Grubauer to a six-year, $35.4MM contract back in 2021, it looked like they might have their goalie situation settled for a while.  While there was some risk in signing someone coming off a career year with Colorado (one that made him a Vezina finalist), his overall track record was still pretty solid with a 2.30 GAA and a .920 SV% in 214 games up to that point.

Let’s just say things have not gone as planned for Grubauer since then.  Over the first half of the deal, he failed to post a save percentage above .899 and ultimately lost the starting job to Joey Daccord.  This season, it got even worse.  His GAA jumped to a career-high 3.49 while his SV% dropped to a career-low .875, numbers that were significantly worse than the league average.  By MoneyPuck’s Goals Saved Above Expected mark, he failed to crack the top-100 league-wide which also says a lot.  Unsurprisingly, he cleared waivers in late January and played in seven games with Coachella Valley where his numbers were a bit better but still below average.

With Daccord beginning his five-year, $25MM contract next season, Seattle is now primed to be one of the top-spending teams in goal.  Given their cap situation (they have over $21MM in space per PuckPedia), they can afford it.  On the other hand, that’s a lot of money to pay a goalie they don’t have much faith in, making a buyout a potential option.

Should Seattle buy Grubauer out this summer, they would take on dead cap charges of $1.983MM in 2025-26, $3.083MM in 2026-27, and $1.683MM in 2027-28 and 2028-29.  Still, that would free up nearly $4MM in space next season and $3MM the year after that before adding on extra money the following two seasons.  Meanwhile, unless he’s being moved as salary ballast to offset a pricey contract coming back the other way, a trade is probably an unrealistic outcome.

Could the Kraken find a better goaltender for the savings from a Grubauer buyout?  Even with a thin UFA market, there’s a good chance they could do so and potentially even free up a bit of space to put toward filling another spot on the roster.  Is that improvement enough to justify adding dead cap money in 2027-28 and 2028-29?  That’s what management will need to decide over the next six-plus weeks.

Re-Sign Key RFAs

A decent chunk of Seattle’s current cap space is going to be required to keep their RFA class intact.  Tye Kartye has earned a small raise off his entry-level deal which is pretty straightforward but their other two restricted free agents of note have a bit more complicated cases.

Last offseason, both the Rangers and Kaapo Kakko opted to kick the can down the road, so to speak, with the winger preemptively accepting what would have been his qualifying offer.  It was a chance for more evaluation time for both sides.  That evaluation eventually led to the 24-year-old getting a fresh start with Seattle, one that did him a lot of good.  After notching just 14 points in 30 games to start the season, Kakko was more productive following the swap, tallying 10 goals and 20 assists in 49 outings with the Kraken.

Notably, this is his final RFA-eligible year.  Kakko could simply opt to file for arbitration, go to a hearing, and probably get a $1MM or so raise from his $2.4MM qualifying offer while setting himself up to hit the open market next summer at the age of 25, an outcome we rarely see.  But if both sides are happy with how things went following the swap, a multi-year agreement could be worked out.  With Kakko’s inconsistency, a long-term deal feels unlikely for both sides but effectively another bridge contract that buys up a UFA year or two might make sense for both player and team.  In that case, the price tag could jump closer to the $4MM per year range.

Then there’s Ryker Evans.  The defenseman played his first full NHL campaign this season and fared quite well, notching 25 points while logging over 19 minutes per game while seeing a bit of action on both special teams units.  Already basically a top-four piece, he’s the type of player Seattle would likely want to sign to a long-term agreement.  A max-term deal could push the AAV past the $6MM range while a six-year pact that only buys out a couple of UFA seasons could start with a five.  Alternatively, if one side wants a bridge agreement, the price tag would probably land in the $3MM territory which would give them a bit more cap flexibility to add pieces this summer although they’d be paying a higher price tag for Evans down the road.  They’ll have to decide which is the better option over the coming weeks.

Look Into Moving A Forward

Considering that it appears the goal for next season is to make the playoffs, this might seem a little odd.  However, there aren’t many open roster spots (once Kakko and Kartye sign, they’ll have 10 forwards locked up) and it seems likely that management will once again try to add a piece or two on the open market.  On top of that, they have some forwards including Jani Nyman and 2024 first-rounder Berkly Catton who are close to being NHL-ready.  Integrating them into the lineup will also require some spots to be opened up.

The way to open up a spot or two will likely have to come through a trade.  Forward Jaden Schwartz is about to enter the final year of his contract and while he’s extension-eligible, it doesn’t feel like the Kraken would want to do an early extension.  He stayed healthy this season and finished third in team scoring with 49 points in 81 games but injuries plagued his first three years with the team.  Given that he has dabbled at center a bit in the past and is on a manageable $5.5MM cap charge, there could be some trade interest in him from a team looking just for a short-term addition up front that doesn’t want to commit to a longer-term deal on the open market.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Botterill look into moving Andre Burakovsky as well.  He has two years left at $5.5MM and like Schwartz, injuries have been an issue since signing that deal as he missed 33 games in each of his first two seasons.  However, he had a 37-point effort this year and had 39 points in 49 games in 2022-23 with them so there is still some offensive upside to work with.  Similar to Schwartz, a team looking for a shorter-term addition might be more interested in flipping something to get Burakovsky on a short-term deal.

Jordan Eberle and Eeli Tolvanen are on expiring deals but Eberle being their captain probably takes him out of consideration at this point while Tolvanen is someone that they may try to keep around.

Moving out a forward isn’t something they necessarily have to do but with two straight disappointing seasons now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to shake up their forward group while simultaneously making room for some new free agents and a prospect or two.

Photo courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Calvin Pickard Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury

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Sunday: Pickard has been ruled out for Monday, relays Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link).  Skinner will get the nod between the pipes for the second straight game.

Saturday: The Oilers will be making a lineup change heading into tonight’s third game versus Vegas.  However, it’s not one they’d prefer to make as goaltender Calvin Pickard did not take part in the morning skate today.  Following the skate, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Pickard is listed as day-to-day and that Stuart Skinner will get the nod tonight.  Olivier Rodrigue will serve as the backup.

Skinner returns between the pipes after two very rocky starts to start the playoffs against Los Angeles.  In those outings, he allowed 11 goals on just 57 shots in 108 minutes of playing time for a .810 SV% to go along with a 6.10 GAA.  Edmonton lost both of those games, leading them to turn to Pickard for the third game of that series.

Since then, Pickard has played well, winning all six of his starts despite a below-average save percentage of his own, checking in at .888 but he hasn’t allowed more than four goals in any of his outings, allowing Edmonton’s high-octane offense to help lead them on this winning streak.  However, Tomas Hertl fell into him late in Thursday’s second game and it’s possible that’s where this injury came about.

Skinner is no stranger to playing in high-pressure games as he was Edmonton’s starter for the bulk of their run to the Stanley Cup Final last year but got off to a slow start in that run as well.  Overall, he had a 2.45 GAA and .901 SV% in that postseason.  He also made 50 starts for the Oilers this season, posting a 2.81 GAA and a .896 SV%.  He now has a second chance to try to reclaim his number one spot while trying to lead Edmonton to a commanding three-game lead in the series.

Noah Cates Reportedly Leaning Toward Filing For Arbitration This Summer

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Arbitration decisions are still nearly two months away but one player may already be leaning toward going in that direction.  Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reports that Flyers forward Noah Cates is not believed to be interested in signing a long-term deal and instead, prefers to simply file for arbitration and take a one-year award.

The 26-year-old has only one RFA-eligible season remaining so such a route would walk him right to UFA eligibility, certainly not an ideal situation for Philadelphia.  However, Cates has had some ups and downs in recent years which makes forecasting the right price tag for a long-term agreement a little trickier.

In 2022-23, Cates had a solid year, tallying 13 goals and 25 assists in his first full NHL campaign.  But with his limited track record, the two sides decided that a bridge agreement would make the most sense, settling on a two-year, $5.25MM deal that summer.  The deal carried a uniform $2.625MM salary, making that the qualifying offer Philadelphia will have to tender him next month.

Unfortunately, the first season didn’t go particularly well as he was limited to just six goals and a dozen helpers in 59 games while seeing his playing time drop by nearly four minutes a night.  Cates fared better this year, rebounding to 16 goals and 21 assists in 78 contests while logging nearly 16 minutes per game of ice time, gaining back a little more than half of his lost ice time the year before.

While that certainly helps his case heading into restricted free agency this summer, the inconsistency still makes it difficult to find a long-term price tag that both sides would likely be happy with.  Di Marco suggests that the team likely views him somewhere in the $3.5MM to $4MM range on a longer-term contract which isn’t that big of a jump from what he has made the last two years.

Given the bounce-back effort this year, Cates’ camp probably feels that they can reach at least the $3MM mark simply by going to a hearing so it’s understandable that a longer-term pact worth not much more than that might not be the most appealing.  If the Flyers are uncomfortable going higher than that long-term (which is also understandable given his inconsistency), opting for the hearing makes a lot of sense.

That approach may lead GM Daniel Briere to examine potential trade options for Cates.  If there’s a team out there willing to meet the higher asking price or even offer a medium-term deal more in his price range, Cates might have more trade value now when that contract could still be signed compared to possibly being an in-season rental player.  Given that Cates predominantly played down the middle this season, Briere should be able to generate some strong interest if he decides to go that route.  Otherwise, it appears we might be seeing Cates among the group to file for arbitration in early July.

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