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Morning Notes: Blues, Fedorov, Ciernik

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Aside from 2023 10th overall pick Dalibor Dvorsky, forwards Aleksanteri Kaskimäki and Dylan Peterson have the best chance among the Blues’ young AHL-bound prospects of seeing NHL ice at some point this season, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic relays.

Both are coming off their first full minor-league season with Springfield, although Kaskimäki is the younger one. The 21-year-old Finnish pivot was a third-rounder in 2022 and adjusted well to North American ice in his first season stateside, tying for fifth on the team in scoring with an 11-23–34 line in 63 games.

Peterson, two years Kaskimäki’s senior as a 2020 third-rounder, was in his first pro season altogether after four years at Boston University. The 6’4″ center/winger is more of a checking piece than a scorer – evidenced by his 82 PIMs – but still managed 13 tallies in 52 appearances for the Thunderbirds.

Rutherford posits they’ll have the upper hand over some potentially higher-ceiling scoring options like 2023 No. 25 pick Otto Stenberg, who only arrived in Springfield midway through last season. The organization would like to give him some more runway in the minors before considering him for a call-up.

More from around the hockey world:

  • More than 20 years after his last game for the team, the Red Wings announced today they’ll be retiring Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 before their game on Jan. 12 against the Hurricanes. Fedorov, perhaps the most high-profile member of Detroit’s ’Russian Five,’ sits fourth in franchise history in points per game (1.05), and his cumulative +276 rating is the best of any Red Wings forward. He was a defining member of Detroit’s 1997, 1998, and 2002 championship teams and also won a pair of Selke Trophies and a Hart, twice cracking the 100-point threshold in the process.
  • Flyers prospect Alex Čiernik is hoping to continue to re-energize his development after getting past some injury troubles, he told Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 2023 fourth-rounder signed on with Pelicans in Finland’s Liiga for the upcoming season – his first in a top-flight European pro league – and will be coached by former Flyers forward and development coach Sami Kapanen. He scored 23 points in 46 games last season for Nybrö Vikings IF in Sweden’s second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan after missing most of his post-draft season due to multiple head injuries.

Blues Sign Milan Lucic To Professional Tryout

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The Blues have signed left winger Milan Lucic to a professional tryout, the team announced.

Lucic, 37, last played in the NHL with the Bruins in October 2023. While on injured reserve for an ankle injury, he was arrested in November and charged with assault and battery for a domestic incident. Those charges were later dropped in February 2024, but he remained in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program throughout the season and did not return to Boston for the balance of the season and became an unrestricted free agent.

Late last offseason, Lucic expressed interest in making an NHL return but said he was still in the assistance program, making him ineligible to play until he was cleared by league medical staff. He was never suspended or disciplined by the league as a direct result of his charges. The Blues confirmed in their press release today that he has been cleared from the program and thus reinstated by the league.

While once one of the league’s top power forwards in his early days with Boston, Lucic took on bottom-six journeyman status as soon as he entered his 30s. The 6’3″, 240-lb lefty hasn’t had 30 points in a season since the 2017-18 campaign. In his last three seasons plus his four-game stint with the Bruins in 2023, he averaged 10 goals, 24 points, a -12 rating, and 198 hits per 82 games while averaging 12:16 of ice time per night. For his career, he’s got a 233-353–586 scoring line in 1,177 games.

The Blues haven’t had any major roster turnover at forward this offseason, and with Lucic not playing in nearly two years, he’s at best battling for a press-box role or a two-way deal out of the gate in camp. It’s unclear if he’d be willing to accept an AHL assignment if it helped facilitate an NHL return. The Vancouver native has never played in the minors – he jumped straight from juniors to Boston when he began his NHL career back in 2007.

Even then, it’s hard to see where he fits in if not in a minor-league role. St. Louis already has its bottom-six forward group filled out, plus two extras with Nick Bjugstad, Mathieu Joseph, Jake Neighbours, Oskar Sundqvist, Pius Suter, Alexandre Texier, Alexey Toropchenko, and Nathan Walker all relatively safe locks for spots. That doesn’t include much room for top prospect Dalibor Dvorsky to land a job, let alone a veteran reclamation project like Lucic.

Scheifele Excited To Add Toews To Mix

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Count Winnipeg Jets alternate captain and first-line center Mark Scheifele among those excited about the addition of longtime NHL captain Jonathan Toews. Calling Toews’ signing with the Jets “the perfect storm,” Scheifele expressed excitement about adding the three-time Stanley Cup champion and Winnipeg native, per NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest.

“Coming back to Winnipeg, coming back from not playing for a couple of years, I thought it all made so much sense. I was obviously hoping that we were the front-runner and we’re very excited to have him,” said Scheifele.

Toews signed a one-year deal with Jets on June 20, marking his return to the NHL after being sidelined since April 2023 after being diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). After a trip to India to seek additional healing practices, Toews announced in May that he intended to make a comeback, and ultimately chose to play for his hometown team.

While it’s difficult to predict how Toews will perform after such a long layoff, he’s expected to slot into a top-nine role and could provide the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners with a dependable two-way presence, which was a hallmark of his game during his time with the Blackhawks. Toews, along with fellow recent signees Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, and Cole Koepke, will look to pick up the offensive slack left behind by Nikolaj Ehlers, who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes this offseason.

Scheifele acknowledged that losing Ehlers is a challenge, but believes the team can take the next step in their success after being eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the playoffs.

“I think the biggest thing for us is to take those expectations and use it as motivation. You want to be just as good as last year, but at the same time, it’s about winning a Stanley Cup and that’s the end goal. We didn’t get that done last year and that at the end of the day, is our biggest goal,” he said.

Mark Kirton Passes Away

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Former NHL forward Mark Kirton, who spent six seasons in the league, passed away on Sunday, per a league announcement. He was 67.

Kirton played 266 games in the NHL from 1979 to 1985. This included stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs (who drafted Kirton in the third round of the 1978 NHL Draft), the Detroit Red Wings, and the Vancouver Canucks. His most productive season came in 1981–82, when he posted a career-high 42 points with the Red Wings. Interestingly, his career high in goals (17) came during his final season with the Canucks.

An advocate for ALS research, Kirton joined the board of ALS Action Canada after being diagnosed with the disease in 2018. Though his prognosis eventually left him confined to a wheelchair, it never diminished his unwavering efforts to advance research and raise awareness for ALS. This included his efforts to unify all seven Canadian-based NHL teams to raise funds for imperative research. Nine months later, Kirton’s long-time friend and ex-NHL Darryl Sittler announced on Parliament Hill in Ottawa that Kirton’s seven-team effort raised more than $1 million. That same day, Wayne Gretzky, who was in attendance for the announcement, called Kirton, “A hero of mine.”

The NHL Alumni Association also announced Kirton’s passing, highlighting his strength, compassion, and the lasting legacy he leaves behind—both in the hockey world and within the ALS community.

“Mark’s career in the NHL was defined by determination, teamwork, and heart. Off the ice, he brought those same qualities into his fight against ALS. Faced with one of life’s toughest challenges, he chose to become a voice and champion for others, raising awareness and inspiring hope. His courage was unshakable, his advocacy was selfless, and his spirit touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Mark was not only a teammate but also a friend, mentor, and role model,” the release said.

Kirton is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their three children. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Kirton’s family, friends, and loved ones.

Snapshots: Valentini, Thornton, Nikishin, Wilsby

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Initially announced by the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and later confirmed by the University of Michigan, a top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft will play for a different team next season. Adam Valentini will be joining the Wolverines next season rather than the Rangers.

The Toronto native is projected to be a late first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but his prospect ranking could rise following his performance with Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He finished the tournament with four goals and nine points in five games, after scoring 17 goals and 39 points in 58 games with the USHL’s Chicago Steel.

Moving from the OHL to the NCAA will be a significant risk for Valentini. If he performs well against much older competition, he could find his way into being a late lottery selection. Still, if the transition goes poorly, Valentini could fall out of the first round altogether. Furthermore, with the Wolverines having one of the youngest rosters in the Big Ten Conference next season, there’s no guarantee the team around him can lift him if he falters.

Other snapshots:

  • According to a post on his LinkedIn, and shared by Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, former NHL enforcer Shawn Thornton is moving on from his position with the Florida Panthers. Despite not sharing the next role of his career, Thornton had been working as the Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Panthers for the last four years. Without speculating too much on his next chapter, it’s realistic to think that Thornton has found another role in hockey operations elsewhere.
  • In a new interview with Daria Tuboltseva of RG Media, Carolina Hurricanes Alexander Nikishin spoke at length about his preparation for what’s expected to be the first full season in the NHL this upcoming year. Up to this point, Nikishin only has four postseason games under his belt from the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs, but he did play the entire regular season with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg. In the interview, he spoke about how seriously he’s taking his preparation for the upcoming campaign, saying, “I want to train properly. My first NHL experience was a lesson – I realized what I need to work on. Now it will be easier because I already know the guys, the staff, the locker room, how practices go. I can’t wait for the season, but preparation is the key. I want to be as useful for the team as possible, without being the weak link.“
  • A few weeks ago, reports emerged that Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney considered retiring last summer. Similarly, a new interview between Rasmus Kågstrom of Hockeysverige and defenseman Adam Wilsby indicates that the latter was considering a return to his native Sweden rather than continue his pursuit of an NHL role. As things turned out, Wilsby spent most of his time playing for the Predators last season and has a decent chance to make the team out of training camp this September. In the interview, Wilsby was quoted as saying, “Of course, I started thinking about where I would take the next step. At the same time, I felt like I wasn’t quite done with the US yet. I felt like it would either work out, or I would probably end up going to Europe. It’s great that it paid off.“

New Ownership Potential Emerges For Pittsburgh Penguins

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Aside from the quality of their roster and potential moves of several veterans in the lineup, one of the main storylines from the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer has been that Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the majority owner of the Penguins franchise, is interested in selling a portion of the team. Up to this point, the former ownership group, led by franchise icon Mario Lemieux, has been the only entity to have expressed interest in purchasing the minority stake, and potentially even the majority share of the franchise should the opportunity arise.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, another interested party has emerged. The Hoffmann family, composed of David and his son Geoff, the owner of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, has thrown their hat in the ring for ownership of the Penguins. Although Forbes doesn’t know the exact net worth of anyone unless personally disclosed, they’ve projected Hoffmann’s net worth to be approximately $2 billion.

If that’s the case, Hoffmann would likely require external assistance instead of using his assets for a loan, considering the Penguins’ projected value is approximately $1.75 billion. Lemieux sold the team to FSG in 2021 for a reported $900 million, meaning that the franchise has nearly doubled in perceived value in four years.

It could come as a surprise that FSG would be willing to sell the Pittsburgh-based franchise only four years after its acquisition, but it’s not entirely without precedent for the ownership group. In 1999, the group purchased the MLB’s Miami Marlins for $150 million, and sold it in 2002 for an $8.5 million profit. Due to the exponential increase in the value of sports franchises in the current market, FSG would realize a significant profit if it opted for a full sale.

Still, there is no guarantee that FSG is willing to sell its entire stake in the franchise. Friedman reported that although Hoffmann is interested in purchasing a part of the Penguins, there is still much to be done, and the deal is far from completion. Additionally, considering his ties to the organization and his contributions to the franchise throughout his career, along with their previous agreements, Lemieux and his team might have the advantage despite the new competition.

Josh Leivo Signs With KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk

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The reigning MVP of the KHL has found a new home. In an announcement from the league, forward Josh Leivo has signed a one-year contract with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, the most recent Eastern Conference champions.

It’s quite the addition for Traktor as they look to capture the Gagarin Cup for the first time in franchise history. Leivo is coming off an impressive year with the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, scoring 49 goals and 80 points in 62 games with a +26 rating. This MVP season came one year after he scored 15 goals and 38 points in 40 games throughout his first season in Russia.

Leivo’s postseason record the past two years should also benefit Traktor in its pursuit of the Gagarin Cup. The former 86th overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft has scored six goals and 24 points in 20 games throughout the KHL postseason. It’s also the second time that Leivo has been honored with a league award for his performance throughout his professional career, winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy during the 2022 Calder Cup playoffs after scoring 15 goals and 29 points in 18 games en route to a Calder Cup ring with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

It’s important to note that his journey to Traktor has been quite unusual. Despite signing a multi-year agreement with Salavat Yulaev Ufa after becoming the first Canadian to win the KHL’s MVP award, his contract was mutually terminated a few days ago. Several theories have emerged regarding this situation, including Leivo’s late arrival to training camp, visa complications, and financial difficulties faced by his former team.

All three theories may contain some truth, and we may never fully understand what happened. Still, the latter theory may have the most credibility as several reports from Russia have indicated that his former team requested he restructure his contract with a reduced salary, something Leivo wasn’t willing to do.

Reilly Walsh Signs With KHL’s Barys Astana

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Free agent defenseman Reilly Walsh has a one-year deal with Kazakhstan’s Barys Astana of the KHL, the team announced.

Walsh, 26, heads overseas for the first time in his career after spending the past several seasons as a productive minor-leaguer. He was drafted out of prep school by the Devils in the third round of the 2017 draft before going for three years at Harvard, signing his entry-level deal with New Jersey in 2020.

While the right-shot Massachusetts native has shown good offensive instincts wherever he goes, it has never translated into much NHL time. He only has one appearance to his name, posting an assist and two blocks in 14:23 of ice time for the Devils in a late-season game against the Senators in 2022.

Walsh remained in the New Jersey organization until the summer of 2023, when the Devils traded his signing rights to the Bruins in exchange for Shane Bowers. He signed a two-way contract with Boston a few weeks later, but spent the entirety of the following season on loan to AHL Providence. That gave him the trifecta needed – age 25, less than 80 games of NHL experience, and at least three years of pro experience – to reach the open market early via Group VI unrestricted free agency.

He landed a slightly richer two-way deal with the Kings last summer but met the same fate. He scored six goals and 32 points in 70 games for the AHL’s Ontario Reign and again became a Group VI UFA on July 1. He presumably landed a richer offer from Barys – although the club has had some recent financial struggles – than any two-way guarantees an NHL team was offering him, if there even were any.

Walsh pauses his career stateside for now with a 38-121–159 scoring line in 304 career AHL contests for Binghamton/Utica, Providence, and Ontario. He joins an Astana club that also has former NHLers Ian McCoshen, Olivier Rodrigue, and Mike Vecchione rostered for 2025-26.

Avalanche Sign Alex Gagne To Entry-Level Deal

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The Avalanche announced that they have signed defenseman Alex Gagne to a two-year, entry-level deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Gagne, fresh off his 23rd birthday, is the first of the group of players who saw their draft rights expire on Friday to land an NHL contract. The Lightning initially selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft, but the two sides didn’t end up finalizing an entry-level contract after his four-year run with the University of New Hampshire came to an end last season. It’s unclear whether Tampa declined to offer him a deal or if Gagne declined to sign one, but the former would make sense as Tampa only has three contract slots available for 2025-26.

The 6’5″, 225-lb lefty isn’t a big point producer but was among the Wildcats’ most important players, particularly later in his career. He’d served as their captain since 2023-24 and finished his college career with a 7-41–48 scoring line in 139 games, totaling a +4 rating. He was named to Hockey East’s Third All-Star Team each of the last two years.

The New Hampshire native wasn’t a particularly high-profile prospect in Tampa’s system and won’t be one in Colorado’s either. Nonetheless, he’ll get a two-year runway, presumably with either AHL Colorado or ECHL Utah, to show enough development to earn a qualifying offer when his ELC expires in 2027.

Colorado had much more flexibility to make late-offseason depth additions than the Bolts. Gagne’s signing brings them to 43 standard contracts on the books for 2025-26, seven short of the limit.

Blue Jackets Sign Hudson Fasching To Two-Way Deal

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The Blue Jackets have brought in winger Hudson Fasching to the organization on a two-way contract, the team announced. It pays him $775K in the NHL and $250K in the minors with a $350K guarantee, per PuckPedia.

Fasching, 30, was a fourth-round pick out of the University of Minnesota by the Kings back in 2013 but never signed with the organization. L.A. traded his signing rights to the Sabres as part of a larger deal for defenseman Brayden McNabb less than a year after drafting him, and he saw brief action for them and the Coyotes over the years before landing with the Islanders, where he’s logged the bulk of his NHL action.

Fasching spent most of his three seasons with the Isles on the NHL roster, logging a combined 137 games played with a 16-21–37 scoring line and a -1 rating in that time. He also saw time with AHL Bridgeport in each of those years, though, successfully clearing waivers at the beginning of the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons. He logged nine goals and 14 points in 28 minor-league games, although the vast majority of his time there was spent on conditioning stints. He’ll now land with the Jackets, technically his fifth NHL organization, after seeing his already menial role with the Isles decrease last season.

While the 6’3″, 205-lb righty was a high-end scorer in college, earning some Big 10 All-Rookie and All-Star nods during his time with the Golden Gophers, that production never carried over to the pros. Even across his lengthy minor-league career, his production has been apt for a solid top-nine piece but never groundbreaking. He’s averaged 0.53 points per game in parts of nine AHL seasons, never hitting the 40-point mark in a single campaign. He does have some offensive upside at the NHL level, but no matter where he plays, he grades out best as a bang-and-crash checking line piece with decent skill.

Columbus still has some promising forward prospects on the way who will continue to compete for NHL jobs and top-end AHL roles, but they’re light on experienced, high-end NHL/AHL “tweeners” like Fasching. They began to address that problem earlier this summer by re-acquiring 31-year-old Brendan Gaunce for his second stint in the organization, but they’ll add some more muscular depth here with Fasching.

If a name like Luca Del Bel Belluz doesn’t command an opening-night job, there will be a bit of competition for press-box roles. Fasching will have an opportunity to compete with Zach Aston-Reese, Gaunce, and Mikael Pyyhtia.

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