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Archives for August 2025

Blue Jackets Sign Mikael Pyyhtia To Two-Way Deal

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Blue Jackets RFA Mikael Pyyhtia has signed a two-way deal for 2025-26, the team announced. The winger was one of two remaining RFAs in Columbus alongside defenseman Daemon Hunt.

His deal will carry a league-minimum salary in the NHL and will be accompanied by a $100K AHL salary and a $140K guarantee, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. It’s only the second pro deal Pyyhtia has signed after inking his entry-level contract in 2022.

Pyyhtia, 23, was a fourth-round pick by the Jackets in 2020. He worked his way up the development ladder in the coming years and made his NHL debut in the closing days of the 2022-23 season.

Columbus has slowly increased his NHL workload, up from two games to 17 in 2023-24 before he appeared in 47 contests – over half the team’s games – last season. Routinely serving in the No. 13-15 range on the Jackets’ forward depth chart, the 6’0″ Finnish winger managed four goals and three assists while averaging 12:06 per game. He saw some penalty kill deployment, nearly 1:30 per game.

Overall, Pyyhtia’s possession impacts were fine but underwhelming. He posted a relative Corsi share of -4.5% at even strength with a 57.0 dZS%, and a relative Corsi share of -2.2% on the PK.

He’ll check back in a similar role in 2025-26, with a roster spot out of camp a possibility but not a guarantee. He would need to clear waivers if he doesn’t make the team and is assigned to AHL Cleveland. He’ll compete with veteran depth like Zach Aston-Reese while fending off competition from younger names like Luca Del Bel Belluz and Jack Williams.

Extension Talks Slow Between Jets, Kyle Connor

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Reporting out of Winnipeg early in the offseason indicated the Jets would make an extension for top winger Kyle Connor their No. 1 priority as he hurtles toward unrestricted free agency in 2026. Talks could have started at any point before he became eligible to sign a new deal on July 1.

Yet six weeks into his eligibility period to sign an extension, there hasn’t been much reporting on the status of talks. That could change quickly as parties reconvene for training camp next month, but as of now, there hasn’t been anything beyond preliminary negotiations, independent insider Frank Seravalli told Bleacher Report earlier in the week.

The lack of negotiation stems from a lack of urgency from Connor’s camp as they “evaluate their options,” Seravalli said. It’s a sensible approach from the 28-year-old as he enters both the most pivotal in-season and offseason of his career for his earning potential.

In 613 games for the club, the 6’1″ lefty has 284 goals and 582 points. That puts him third and fourth in Jets/Thrashers franchise history, respectively, and 12th in the league in goals since he debuted in the 2016-17 season. That’s more than names like Brad Marchand, Artemi Panarin, and Steven Stamkos – all of whom have legitimate Hall-of-Fame cases – over the same period.

He’s been especially impactful coming out of the pandemic as he enters his prime. He scored 41 goals last season with a career-high 97 points to lead Winnipeg in scoring, averaging 20:24 of ice time per game and earning MVP votes for the first time. He’s now scored at or over that 41-goal pace in three of the last four seasons, notching 34 tallies in 65 games in 2023-24 for a 43-goal pace.

Needless to say, he’s a must-retain for a Jets team that relies heavily on its first line for offense, particularly after losing Nikolaj Ehlers to the Hurricanes in free agency this summer. Their depth scoring, headlined by a still-developing Cole Perfetti and a giant question mark in Jonathan Toews as he returns to the NHL, already leaves something to be desired entering the season as they look to remain atop the Central Division.

Keeping him in Winnipeg is especially important for a club that understandably struggles to position itself as a prime destination for external UFAs. While there’s still a potentially stacked 2026 class for the Jets to try to grab replacements from, landing any of the few names that actually reach the market isn’t a proven strategy general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff can rely on to replace Connor’s lost offense.

Connor’s extension projection from AFP Analytics at the beginning of the offseason checked in at eight years at $12MM per season, accounting for the projected salary cap jump to $104MM for 2026-27. If testing the market has a legitimate appeal to him, though, that offer might need to increase to the $13MM or $14MM range to dissuade him from considering other offers.

“No Updates” On Talks Between Wild And Kirill Kaprizov, Marco Rossi

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There continues to be a lack of meaningful progress in contract talks with pending UFA superstar Kirill Kaprizov or restricted free agent center Marco Rossi, Wild general manager Bill Guerin told RG’s James Murphy in an interview published Wednesday.

That said, it’s not a point of stress for the front office, Guerin said. “The talks have been pretty consistent, and I’ve been happy with them.. I don’t like to put really anything out in the public when it comes to negotiations, but no, there’s no real updates.”

There’s obviously less urgency on Kaprizov’s deal – they still have nearly 11 months before he can hit the open market. Going into the regular season without an agreement with Rossi or an appropriate trade return for his rights, however, leaves them without one of just three 20-goal scorers from last season with no surefire insurance policy.

To that end, there had been speculation that Rossi wasn’t considering any contract offers from Minnesota until Kaprizov’s situation was settled. That statement never made much sense, considering Rossi remains under team control through the 2028-29 season, and Guerin refuted it in the interview.

Even though that isn’t a factor, there’s still an interminable stalemate. Reporting last month indicated Rossi’s camp hadn’t engaged in contract talks with the Wild since June, after which they pivoted to trade discussions only. Whether that’s changed in recent weeks, or if Guerin’s response of consistent talks is nothing more than a platitude, remains unclear.

With trade talks remaining similarly quiet around Rossi at this point in the offseason, a bridge deal is presumably the best way forward for both sides – even if he’s shown some hesitation about leaving himself exposed to a trade to an undesirable destination. A bridge deal should come across in the $4.5MM range annually for the next two seasons, AFP Analytics projects. With nearly $9.5MM in cap space, that wouldn’t be a concern for Minnesota.

It’s likely not worth checking in on either situation until the beginning of training camp, when Rossi’s camp will be more inclined to acquiesce on a bridge deal and Kaprizov will be back in Minnesota.

KHL’s Shanghai Dragons Name Gerard Gallant Head Coach

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Aug. 13: After rebranding as the Shanghai Dragons earlier this month and announcing plans to move back to China following the 2025-26 season, the club has officially named Gallant as its new head coach. It’s a two-year deal, the league announced.

July 17: Veteran NHL coach Gerard Gallant is officially heading overseas, having agreed to a deal with the KHL’s Kunlun Red Stars, according to RG’s Daria Tuboltseva. While the team had previously been linked to other high-profile NHL coaches like Mike Babcock and John Tortorella, Gallant will ultimately take the reins.

The team is technically based in Beijing, but Kunlun hasn’t played in China since the pandemic. Instead, they’ve played out of a suburb in Moscow the last few years, but will now begin playing out of St. Petersburg’s SKA Arena, which has an impressive capacity of 22,500.

While last season marked the team’s best finish in five years, Kunlun Red Stars still posted a lackluster 19-34-9-6 record. The club hasn’t made the KHL playoffs since the 2016-17 season, and now they will turn to Gallant—who has coached 705 NHL games—to lead their turnaround.

Gallant, 61, last coached in the NHL with the New York Rangers during the 2022–23 season, guiding the team to a 47-22-13 record. However, the Rangers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, leading to his departure. Despite his .662-point percentage with the Rangers, the team went a different direction following the 2022-23 season (replacing Gallant with Peter Laviolette).

Gallant’s most successful season as a head coach came during the 2017-18 season when he improbably led the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final during their first season. He led the expansion team to a 51-24-7 record, clinching first place in the Pacific Division, and won the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top coach. However, two seasons later, Gallant was fired and replaced by Peter DeBoer.

Over parts of 11 seasons as an NHL head coach, Gallant has compiled a 369-262-4-70 record, good for a .576 points percentage. The Prince Edward Island native also enjoyed a productive playing career, appearing in 615 NHL games and tallying 480 points over 11 seasons. After hanging up his skates, Gallant worked his way through the coaching ranks, holding positions in the IHL, QMJHL, and AHL before eventually making the jump to the NHL.

 

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Philadelphia Flyers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Metropolitan Division, next up are the Flyers.

Philadelphia Flyers

Current Cap Hit: $95,129,762 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alex Bump (three years, $950K)
F Nikita Grebenkin (one year, $875K)
F Jett Luchanko (three years, $942.5K)
F Matvei Michkov (two years, $950K)

Potential Bonuses
Luchanko: $400K
Michkov: $3.3MM
Total: $3.7MM

Michkov was able to come to North America two years earlier than expected and didn’t disappoint.  While there were some ups and downs, that’s to be expected from a rookie while his 63 points led all rookie forwards (though he finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting).  Michkov appears to be well on his way to becoming the type of franchise winger Philadelphia hoped he’d be when they drafted him in 2023 and if he lives up to the hype, a long-term contract could run the Flyers upwards of $9MM.  He maxed out on his four ‘A’ bonuses worth $250K apiece last season and as long as he stays healthy, he should be able to do so again this season.  The rest of the bonuses are ‘B’ ones and those are unlikely to be reached.

Luchanko surprised many by making the roster out of training camp last season and with at least one forward spot likely up for grabs this time around, he could be in the mix again this year although that nine-game threshold will loom large.  That won’t apply for Bump and Grebenkin who should also be in the mix.  Luchanko (technically) and Bump haven’t started their contracts yet so it’d be foolhardy to project their next ones while Grebenkin is likely heading for a bridge deal.  A one-way pact that keeps the cap hit a little lower – somewhere a little above what he’s making now – would make sense.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

F Rodrigo Abols ($800K, UFA)
F Bobby Brink ($1.5MM, RFA)
F Nicolas Deslauriers ($1.75MM, UFA)
D Jamie Drysdale ($2.3MM, RFA)
F Christian Dvorak ($5.4MM, UFA)
G Samuel Ersson ($1.45MM, RFA)
G Ivan Fedotov ($3.275MM, UFA)
D Dennis Gilbert ($775K, UFA)
D Noah Juulsen ($900K, UFA)
D Egor Zamula ($1.55MM, RFA)
F Trevor Zegras ($5.75MM, RFA)

The Ducks decided to pull the plug on Zegras, allowing Philadelphia to step in with an offer that many would qualify as underwhelming but it was enough to get him.  He is coming off another injury-riddled season while producing at a 46-point pace, well below the two seasons of 60-plus points he has under his belt from earlier in his career.  That, coupled with a high-priced bridge deal, hurt his value.  Owed $5.75MM for a qualifying offer with arbitration rights, another season like his last two will make him a non-tender candidate or a club-elected arbitration candidate where they could offer a 15% cut in pay.  Dvorak comes over from Montreal in one of the bigger overpayments of the summer for a player who has yet to reach 40 points in his career.  However, getting him just on a one-year deal as a bridge veteran required the overpayment.  If he can play at a similar level as last season, a multi-year pact in the $4MM range shouldn’t be out of reach if he opts not to do another above-market one-year agreement.

Deslauriers played quite sparingly last season and when he was in the lineup, playing time was rather hard to come by.  He was an every-game player when he first joined Philadelphia but that’s no longer the case.  Enforcers can still generate some open-market interest but he should check in closer to the minimum salary next summer.  Year one of Brink’s bridge deal went quite nicely as he upped his production to 41 points.  Assuming he stays around that number, he’ll have a chance at doubling his current price tag with arbitration rights.  Abols got his first taste of NHL action last season and the Flyers saw fit to hand him a small raise on a one-way deal, suggesting that they view him as a roster regular this year.  At 29, it’s a bit late for a breakout year but if he can grab a full-time spot and have some success, getting a seven-figure pact next summer might be achievable.

Drysdale managed to stay healthier last season compared to the previous two seasons but staying in the lineup on an every-game basis continues to be a challenge.  He still has three more RFA years left which presents an opportunity for effectively a second bridge deal next summer.  If that happens, he could land in the $3.5MM per season range with arbitration rights.  Alternatively, if the sides want to work out a longer-term agreement, it might take closer to $6MM per year on the AAV to get that done.  Barring a breakout year, another short-term deal might make the most sense for both sides.

Juulsen came over in free agency this summer after spending the last four seasons in Vancouver.  He has largely filled the seventh spot over that span and is likely to have a similar role with the Flyers, ensuring that he’ll stay relatively close to the minimum next summer as well.  Gilbert was also brought in via free agency after splitting last season between Buffalo and Ottawa.  Like Juulsen, his role has largely been limited at this stage of his career so unless he can establish himself as a full-time regular, he should be staying in this price range as well.

At the time Ersson signed his contract, it seemed a little strange with it being a bridge deal that came a year early.  But since then, he has become their undisputed starter.  He hasn’t necessarily thrived in that role but he’s gaining enough experience to put together a decent case as he becomes arbitration-eligible next summer.  It would be surprising to see GM Daniel Briere hand him a long-term deal but a short-term pact with a price tag at more than double his $1.6MM qualifying offer is realistic.  Fedotov quickly signed this deal soon after coming over from Russia, an agreement that seemed to be in place when he first came to North America.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out.  He struggled in his first full NHL campaign as a backup and it’s quite possible that he’s waived in training camp and sent to the minors where his cap hit would drop to $2.125MM if he clears.  Given his previous track record, there might be a team or two who wants to give him a look next summer on a cheaper deal but it would likely fall closer to the $1MM mark.

Signed Through 2026-27

D Ryan Ellis ($6.25MM, UFA)
F Tyson Foerster ($3.75MM, RFA)
F Garnet Hathaway ($2.4MM, UFA)
G Daniel Vladar ($3.35MM, UFA)

Foerster has reached the 20-goal mark in his first two full NHL seasons and finished one behind Michkov for the team lead in that department last season.  But the Flyers elected to kick the can down the road on a long-term pact, working out this bridge deal that gives him a $4MM qualifying offer and arbitration rights at the end of it.  If he stays on this trajectory, he could land closer to $7MM on his next deal.  Hathaway got a small raise to sign an early extension last summer.  An impactful fourth liner, he ultimately might have left a bit of money on the table doing so but he stays in a spot he’s comfortable with.  Given he’ll be 35 when he begins his next contract, it would be surprising to see him land more than another two-year agreement in 2027, one that should land around this price point.

Ellis hasn’t played since November 2021 due to ongoing back trouble and isn’t expected to play again.  He’s LTIR-eligible but if he winds up on there, the Flyers will have to contend with a bonus carryover penalty for whatever bonuses their youngsters (like Michkov) achieve, one that would count against their 2026-27 cap.  Of course, keeping him on the books in full this year limits their flexibility.  Neither outcome is particularly appealing but they’ll have to decide what’s the lesser of two evils.

Vladar came over in free agency from Calgary with Briere trying to do something to shore up a goaltending position that has been a big weak spot.  He showed some flashes at times with the Flames although he’s not the most proven player either, allowing the Flyers to get him at a backup-level price tag.  If he can establish himself as being part of the solution, pushing past $5MM next time is feasible.  If he remains more of a mid-level backup, then he’s likely to remain more in this range.

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Snapshots: Cooley, Murray, Mastrodonato

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With max-term contracts for re-signings set to shrink from eight years to seven next year, some feel teams will look to push to get their players signed this summer to guarantee that eighth season.  Among those eligible to sign now is Mammoth center Logan Cooley, a player Utah would undoubtedly like to lock up, especially with GM Bill Armstrong favoring long-term deals for core pieces as soon as possible.  However, Brogan Houston of the Deseret News recently argued that it’s not in Cooley’s best interest for him to extend now.  Given his stature as a young potential top-line center, he’d have to have a disastrous season to really tank his value compared to what it might be now while with the rising cap, it might be better for him to wait until next summer when the maximum term drops, allowing him to reach unrestricted free agency a year sooner.  AFP Analytics pegged a potential long-term extension for Cooley this summer to come in around seven years at around $9.5MM.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Winger Brett Murray has been with the Sabres for the better part of a decade after he was drafted by them back in 2016. However, now that he’s on the open market, he’ll be looking for a new team as his agent Dave Gagner told Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that the organization has informed Murray that they won’t be offering a contract to him.  The 27-year-old played in three games with Buffalo last season and has 26 appearances at the top level under his belt.  Murray spent most of last year with AHL Rochester where he had 27 goals and 22 assists in 66 games.  However, he now qualifies as a veteran under AHL roster rules which has likely limited his marketability so far.
  • The Kings have added some extra minor-league depth as their AHL affiliate in Ontario announced the signing of forward Keaton Mastrodonato to a one-year deal. The 24-year-old has two full professional seasons under his belt, split between the AHL and ECHL levels.  Last season, Mastrodonato was held off the scoresheet in the 13 games with AHL Colorado but was quite productive with ECHL Utah, tallying 19 goals and 30 assists in 53 outings with the Grizzlies.

Arbitrator Rules In Favor Of Flyers In Ryan Johansen’s Grievance

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An arbitrator has ruled in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers in a grievance filed by veteran centerman Ryan Johansen, over the team’s termination of his contract prior to the 2024-25 season, shares TSN’s Darren Dreger.

The Flyers acquired Johansen alongside a conditional 2025 first-round pick at the 2024 Trade Deadline, in exchange for sending defenseman Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche. Philadelphia placed Johansen on waivers immediately after the trade, with the intentions of assigning him to the AHL and potentially flipping him before the deadline. When no trade manifested, Johansen refused to report to the minor leagues, instead claiming that he was limited by a nagging hip injury. The NHL sided with Johansen, and reversed his AHL assignment after a failed physical exam.

Johansen spent the remainder of the 2023-24 season on injured reserve. There was a clear wedge between him and the Flyers’ top brass – one that only rooted deeper as the 2024 summer went on. By August, Philadelphia decided to place Johansen on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination – citing the player’s delay in notifying them of the injury, and failure to pass physicals or report to his assignment.

Johansen passed through waivers and became an unrestricted-free agent. He filed a grievance with the NHLPA soon after, claiming the Flyers had wrongly terminated his contract. Now, a full year later, it seems the NHL will side with Philadelphia in their handling of the situation.

The implications of this decision aren’t immediately clear. Johansen had one year remaining on an eight-year, $64MM contract originally signed with the Nashville Predators in 2017 – though Philadelphia was only due $4MM in cap hit, after Nashville retained half of the contract when they traded Johansen to Colorado. The range of outcomes seems far-reaching – from Philadelphia being due that full $4MM price tag, to a settlement with the player, to no cap implications on the team’s side at all. Details on the exact impact against the Flyers will likely be revealed in the coming days.

The NHL’s last contract termination to reach headlines over a material breach came in 2015, when the Los Angeles Kings terminated forward Mike Richards’ contract with five years remaining. He was still due $22MM on the deal. Richards also filed a grievance with the NHLPA, and would end up settling with the team for an undisclosed amount before becoming a free agent. He signed for one season with the Washington Capitals following the dispute, but would retire from hockey in 2016.

It seems less likely that Johansen will return to the NHL. His play gradually dwindled throughout the 2020s – falling from 63 points in the 2021-22 season to just 23 points in 2023-24. He slowed down in all aspects, likely due to what was proven to be a very real and long-running hip injury. That slow-down pushed Johansen to Colorado’s fourth-line in his final few games with the team. With a decision in place on his grievance with the Flyers, he would realistically have time to sign a short contract, or try-out agreement, before the 2025-26 season. But those chances hinge on the 33-year-old’s recovery, and willingness to return, after a full season away from the league. If he does call his career to a close, the former fourth-overall selection will finish with 578 points in 905 games in the NHL.

Rocco Grimaldi, Joseph Blandisi Sign In KHL

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Former New Jersey Devils forward Joseph Blandisi has signed a two-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of Russia’s KHL. Blandisi will be joined in the move by fellow AHL veteran Rocco Grimaldi, whose contract details haven’t yet been revealed, per Pavel Panyshev of Russia’s Championat. This will mark the first overseas move of both player’s careers, after years of rooted roles in the minor leagues.

Grimaldi boast the slightly richer career of the two, accumulating 203 NHL games and 499 AHL games over his nine-year career. He was originally drafted with the 33rd-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. Grimaldi followed his draft selection with three seasons at the University of North Dakota. He found great success in college, despite a freshman year derailed by injury, and entered the pros with wind behind his sails in the 2014-15 season.

Grimaldi scored a hot 42 points in 64 games of his AHL rookie season. That was enough to earn the first seven games of his NHL career, though he only managed one goal in those appearances. He spent the next four years firmly rooted in the rut of hot AHL scoring and meager NHL totals, until the 2018-19 Nashville Predators opted to reward Grimaldi with his first full year in the NHL. He scored just 13 points in 53 games with the club, but shined through enough to cement a bottom-six role for the next three seasons. But after not finding another gear at the top flight, Grimaldi was relegated back to the minors in 2022. His role was defined as a top AHL scorer with limited upward mobility – a sentiment that’s kept Grimaldi from receiving any NHL games in three years, despite scoring 256 points in 252 games since 2022.

Blandisi has fallen into a similar rut over recent years. After bearing through split AHL and NHL minutes between 2015 and 2020, the former sixth-round selection landed a full-time role in the minors in the 2020-21 season. He’s since found upside as both a scorer and bruiser, a role best highlighted by his 59 points and 110 penalty minutes in 70 games with the Toronto Marlies in the 2023-24 season. He followed that performance with 35 points and 82 penalty minutes in 58 games last season, bringing his career-long totals up to 321 points and 664 penalty minutes in 448 games and 10 seasons in the AHL. He also has 31 points in 101 NHL games.

Both players will look to escape middling roles in North America with a move to Russia’s top squad. They’ll join a rich squad in SKA, headlined by returning scorers Sergei Plotnikov and Marat Khairullin. Grimaldi and Blandisi should have no trouble finding hardy middle-six minutes, following SKA’s loss of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Mikhail Grigorenko this off-season. SKA finished second in their division, and got bumped from the conference quarterfinals, last season.

Will Calvin De Haan Get Another NHL Job?

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Carp, Ontario native Calvin de Haan is currently navigating his fifth stint as an unrestricted free agent, four of which have occurred over the past four summers. Since signing a four-year contract in 2018, the 34-year-old defenseman has agreed to three consecutive one-year deals at or just above the NHL minimum.

It’s common for veteran depth players to wait until late in the summer to secure free agent contracts. However, considering de Haan signed early in free agency on July 1 and 2 in the previous two summers, it is surprising to see him still unsigned. This raises the question: will de Haan find an NHL team this summer, or will he need to explore options elsewhere?

Despite a decline in play after turning 30, de Haan has remained a low-maintenance depth defenceman who generally produces solid underlying stats in limited minutes. In 47 games last season, split between the Rangers and Avalanche, de Haan recorded eight assists, despite starting a staggering 65.9% of his shifts in the defensive zone, yet he still posted a decent Corsi share of 50.7%. Some will scoff at eight assists in 47 games, but offense has never been de Haan’s calling card. He has only surpassed 20 points in a season once, back in 2016-17, when he scored five goals and 20 assists in 82 games.

Those 82 games also marked a career high for the 2009 12th overall pick. It’s the only time he has played over 80 games in a season, and in fact, it’s one of only three occasions where the 13-year NHL veteran has played more than 70 games.

And therein lies another obstacle for de Haan: his inability to perform consistently over a full season. Considering his age and the mileage on his body, de Haan isn’t likely to become an ironman in his mid-30s, and teams are aware of this. That’s why de Haan has played for less than $1MM in three consecutive seasons despite showing good on-ice results.

Aside from health and availability, many other factors work against a player like de Haan. The NHL tends to favor younger players, and teams aim to add youth to their lineups. If a team is rebuilding, it might prefer not to have a veteran blocking prospects from gaining vital playing time.

The opposite side of that is veteran teams chasing a Stanley Cup might not view de Haan as a player who can realistically fit into their top six. This was probably true in Colorado last season, where de Haan signed for $800K on a one-year deal in early July but was ultimately traded to the Rangers as part of the Ryan Lindgren trade.

Two other issues work against de Haan. The first is his playing style. He is a throwback defenseman who plays a safe, responsible game and can kill penalties. General managers still like to employ such defensemen, but they also look for other qualities like size, physicality, or the ability to thread breakout passes to jumpstart the transition game. Unfortunately for de Haan, he isn’t overly big, and his hitting has declined as he has aged. He also isn’t an excellent passer, often relying on quick outs of the zone or deferring to his partners with better passing skills.

The second challenge facing de Haan this summer is that he was very vocal about his exit from the Rangers this past offseason, voicing his displeasure with how he was treated in New York and how little he played down the stretch. While some teams might value the veteran’s candour and transparency, others could see de Haan’s honesty as a red flag and a potential problem in the dressing room. It’s difficult to determine if this is a factor, as de Haan has historically been a good teammate in the NHL and has a solid reputation as a team player.

All in all, de Haan is in a situation that many NHL depth players have faced over the past decade: struggling to extend their NHL careers with one-year contracts and PTOs.

If this is the end for de Haan, he has already laid the groundwork for a potential shift to his post-playing career. He owns a brewery/restaurant in his hometown of Carp, which has become a fixture in the small village located west of Ottawa.

At 34 years old, it’s hard to imagine de Haan walking away, especially with the passion he displays when talking about playing hockey. He could follow former teammate Jimmy Vesey overseas to extend his career, but with roots in the Ottawa area and a solid 13-year NHL run, he might value being at home more than life abroad. Time will tell with de Haan, but given his skill level, he should find an NHL job for at least one more season.

Photo by Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Chad Ruhwedel Announces Retirement

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Longtime NHL defenseman Chad Ruhwedel has decided to hang up his skates. In an announcement from the NHLPA, Ruhwedel has officially retired after a 13-year NHL career.

Ruhwedel’s NHL career began in the 2012-13 NHL season, signing as an undrafted collegiate free agent after a successful tenure with the University of Massachusetts – Lowell. He signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres and played in seven games for them down the stretch of the regular season.

He spent the next three years with the Sabres, primarily serving as an immediate injury call-up. Throughout his tenure with the Sabres, Ruhwedel finished with two assists in 33 games, averaging 16:22 of ice time per night. He performed much better with their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, scoring 24 goals and 90 points in 178 games played.

Becoming an unrestricted free agent after the 2015-16 season, Ruhwedel signed with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh is easily where Ruhwedel enjoyed the most success of his career, even outside of winning the first and only Stanley Cup ring of his career in his first season with the club.

The San Diego, CA native served as a depth defenseman for the Penguins, remaining primarily on the NHL roster rather than being sent down to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He played nearly 10 times as many games with Pittsburgh compared to Buffalo, finishing with 13 goals and 47 points in 326 games, averaging 15 minutes and 2 seconds of ice time per game. Although he wasn’t known for his offensive capabilities, he managed productive defensive metrics, earning a 51.1% CorsiFor% at even strength and a 91.8% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

After seven and a half years with the Penguins, the team traded Ruhwedel to the New York Rangers during the 2023-24 season for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Despite staying with the team for another year, Ruhwedel only managed one assist in 10 games with the Rangers. He spent much of this past season with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring three goals and 18 points in 50 games, with a +12 rating.

Over his 13-year career, Ruhwedel retired with 13 goals and 50 points in 369 NHL contests while going pointless in 25 postseason matchups. In the AHL, he finished with 32 goals and 129 points in 261 games, scoring another two goals and five points in five Calder Cup playoff contests.

All of us at PHR congratulate Ruhwedel on his lengthy career and wish him well as he begins the next chapter of his life.

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