Ducks winger Alex Killorn was one of the top wingers available in free agency this summer on the heels of a career year that saw him put up 27 goals and 37 assists with Tampa Bay. That helped him earn a four-year, $25MM deal with Anaheim, the priciest deal given to a forward on the open market. Speaking on a recent episode of the Raw Knuckles podcast (video link), he indicated that while the Canadiens weren’t among the teams to show interest in him two months ago, he would like to spend a season with Montreal to end his career. Killorn played his minor hockey in Quebec before going the collegiate route. His new contract runs through the 2026-27 campaign and if he was to play beyond that, he’d be entering his age-38 season where he’d almost certainly be playing on a one-year deal at that time.
Ducks Rumors
Anaheim Ducks Sign Zack Kassian To PTO
The Anaheim Ducks have signed veteran winger Zack Kassian to a professional tryout, per a team post on X. The 32-year-old Canadian will now attempt to land a roster spot in Southern California after spending last season in a limited role with the Arizona Coyotes.
As outlined in our extensive breakdown of Kassian’s free agency last week, 2022-23 was a campaign to forget in the desert for the physical winger. He recorded just two goals (and no assists) in 51 contests and a -18 rating despite playing just 9:09 per game. As such, he was arguably the worst full-time player in the league last season – no other player with more than 41 games played in the previous year had less than four points, and no other player who averaged less than 10 minutes per game recorded a plus-minus rating worse than -10.
That culminated in the Coyotes buying out Kassian in June with one season left on his contract. The Coyotes acquired Kassian and his $3.2MM cap hit from the Edmonton Oilers at the 2022 NHL Draft.
Kassian had spent the previous seven seasons in Edmonton, playing 412 games in an Oilers jersey. He bounced up and down the lineup, at times even playing a complementary role alongside Connor McDavid when the Oilers were in the early days of building out their secondary scoring around their superstar. In 2019-20, Kassian posted a career-high 15 goals and 34 points despite playing in just 59 games, by far the best point-producing pace of his career.
Since the Buffalo Sabres took him 13th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft (he’ll be up soon in our ongoing Take Two series), Kassian has 92 goals, 111 assists, 203 points, and 913 penalty minutes in 661 NHL games with the Oilers, Sabres, Coyotes, and Vancouver Canucks.
This could very well be a move for the Ducks to hit the veteran minimum during a handful of preseason games. It’s hard to make an argument for Kassian to win a roster spot over younger players in a similar role, such as Brett Leason or Pavol Regenda, and the Ducks would surely instead give any potential in-season call-ups to a bevy of younger forward prospects like Nathan Gaucher, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Nikita Nesterenko.
Kassian is the second player invited to the Ducks’ training camp on a tryout basis. The team inked defenseman Scott Harrington to a PTO earlier this month.
Carl Hagelin Announces Retirement
Two-time Stanley Cup champion winger Carl Hagelin announced his retirement today via an Instagram post. Now 35 years old, Hagelin missed the 2022-23 season due to severe eye and hip injuries.
“It’s been an amazing ride, but it ends here,” Hagelin said. “Unfortunately, my eye injury is too severe to keep playing the game I love.” He told reporters at the beginning of the offseason that he hoped to return to NHL play for the 2023-24 campaign, but unfortunately, that won’t be the case. His four-year, $11MM extension he’d signed with Washington in 2019 expired on July 1.
Picked in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers out of Södertälje SK’s junior program in Sweden, Hagelin took a somewhat unconventional path for European prospects and immediately came over to North America, embarking on a four-year collegiate career with the University of Michigan. It was undoubtedly the right choice, however – by his senior year, he was named team captain and produced over a point per game over his last two seasons.
Aside from a few games in the minors in 2011-12, Hagelin made the jump to the NHL immediately from college, recording 38 points in 64 games during his rookie season with the Rangers, along with a +24 rating. That placed him fifth in Calder Trophy voting and even earned him a few votes for the Selke Trophy.
He would continue consistently producing in the 30-40 point range over his four-year tenure with the Rangers but never really built on that rookie campaign. That’s not a knock on Hagelin at all, however. He was a quintessential two-way middle-six secondary scoring forward with a good amount of speed to his game. That’s even more impressive in relation to his sixth-round selection, given he went on to play over 700 NHL games.
His tenure in New York ended somewhat unceremoniously. A restricted free agent at the end of 2014-15, he couldn’t agree to a new deal with the Rangers and his signing rights were dealt to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for depth forward Emerson Etem (along with some draft picks changing hands, but nothing of significance). Anaheim compensated him nicely by signing him to the richest contract of his career (four years, $16MM), but Hagelin couldn’t really find his game in Southern California. He recorded just 12 points in 43 games to begin 2015-16 before Anaheim moved him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for David Perron, who was similarly underperforming in Pittsburgh.
It would turn out to be one of the most underrated transactions in Penguins history. Down the stretch, Hagelin would complete the famed third line with Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel that played such a crucial role in Pittsburgh winning their first of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016. Hagelin exploded for 27 points in 37 games after the trade and added 16 points in 24 playoff games en route to the championship.
Again, he couldn’t quite recapture that performance the following season. While he would win another championship in 2017, he scored just two goals in 15 games during that playoff run. Fast forward to 2018-19, and Hagelin had scored only one goal and two assists through the first 16 games of the season. A move to the Los Angeles Kings in November didn’t do much for him, either – he recorded just five points in 22 games there. It was near the 2018-19 deadline that the Kings moved him to Washington, where he notched 11 points in the final 20 games of the season, appearing rejuvenated and earning himself the final four-year extension.
Hagelin would wrap up his career by scoring 20 goals and 66 points throughout 187 games in a Capitals uniform, posting solid numbers for a bottom-six scoring winger. Unfortunately, it was a freak eye injury in a practice in March of 2022 that would end his career.
PHR extends our best wishes to Hagelin in his continued recovery from both injuries and congratulates him on a championship-caliber career.
Anaheim Ducks Prospect Pool Ranked Best In NHL
It’s been more than a half-decade since the Anaheim Ducks made it to the NHL’s postseason, and despite acquiring some talented players this offseason they remain likelier to finish the season outside of the playoff picture looking in. But even though Pat Verbeek’s rebuilding team may not be ready to earnestly compete for a Stanley Cup in 2023-24, Anaheim may not be far away. That’s at least according to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, who ranked the Ducks’ prospect pool as the NHL’s best. (subscription link) Headlined by a trio of highly talented pivots in ascending star Trevor Zegras, 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson, and 2021 third-overall pick Mason McTavish, the Ducks have the sort of foundation down the middle that most true contenders boast.
But even beyond those three centers is a deep group of high-upside players, including a glut of talented defensemen. Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Tristan Luneau each scored at high rates in the CHL last season and all three would be in the conversation for best prospect in several other NHL systems. In Anaheim, they rank fifth, sixth, and ninth, according to Pronman. So regardless of how the Ducks ultimately perform in the standings next season, it appears fans in Orange County will have plenty to look forward to.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Scott Harrington To PTO
The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Scott Harrington to a professional tryout, according to a team post on X.
Harrington, 30, will attempt to extend his stay with the Ducks after he landed there via the waiver wire in February. He started the 2022-23 season as a member of the San Jose Sharks, signing there as a free agent in late September, but was included in the blockbuster deal that sent Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils on February 26. New Jersey waived him the following day, and the Ducks opted to claim the veteran defender.
In 45 games split between the Sharks and Ducks, Harrington recorded four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 45 games with a respectable -6 rating, given the poor quality of the teams he played on. Working his way into a more consistent bottom-pairing role, Harrington played his most games in a single season since he suited up for 73 with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018-19. Now nine seasons deep into his NHL career, the journeyman defender has posted 49 points in 255 games split between the Blue Jackets, Ducks, Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
If he can convert on his PTO, Harrington could very well stick in the NHL full-time next season for the first time in a couple of years. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has been clear about his intention not to rush the team’s boatload of defensive prospects, and Harrington, along with 22-year-old Jackson LaCombe, could conceivably comprise the Ducks’ left side on defense on opening night behind Cam Fowler. The Ducks signed Robert Hägg last month to fill a depth role on defense, but Harrington posted better results last season and would likely slot in above Hägg on the team’s depth chart if he lands a contract.
Minor Transactions: 08/21/23
Training camps are now exactly one month away, and NHL news is starting to heat up again with a pair of PTOs signed today. Nonetheless, corresponding moves are set to be made at the minor-league and overseas levels. We’re keeping track of those, as always, on a daily basis.
- The AHL’s Rockford IceHogs are adding forward Bryce Kindopp on a one-year deal, according to a team release. Kindopp broke into the NHL sphere in March 2020, when the Anaheim Ducks signed him to an entry-level deal after getting passed over in the draft but posting back-to-back point-per-game seasons with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. He had quite the solid rookie season in the minors, notching 20 points in 39 games with the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21, but he hasn’t since recaptured that form. Last year was incredibly trying for Kindopp, who scored just six goals (and added only three assists) for nine points in 65 games with San Diego, who finished last in the AHL. Kindopp has made one NHL appearance with Anaheim, coming in the 2021-22 season. The Ducks did not issue a qualifying offer to Kindopp when his entry-level deal expired this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
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The WHL’s Vancouver Giants are set to name Manny Viveiros as their new head coach later this week. The report comes from Steve Ewen of The Province who credits multiple sources. The 57-year-old Viveiros was previously the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL up until this past April when he and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Henderson missed the playoffs this past season with a record of 29-38-0-5 sparking Viveiros and the club to move on. Viveiros will be the replacement for former Giants head coach Michael Dyck who took an assistant coach job with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in July.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Summer Synopsis: Anaheim Ducks
Last season was a tough one for Anaheim in the standings. With the team squarely in a rebuild, they struggled considerably at both ends of the ice, allowing the most goals in the league while scoring the second-fewest. That resulted in head coach Dallas Eakins being let go with Greg Cronin, a long-time coach at lower levels, getting his first opportunity to run an NHL bench. However, based on what has been a quiet summer, expectations for 2023-24 should be similar to how last season went as this is a team that remains in transition.
Draft
1-2: F Leo Carlsson, Orebro (SHL)
2-33: F Nico Myatovic, Seattle (WHL)
2-59: F Carey Terrance, Erie (OHL)
2-60: G Damian Clara, Farjestad (Sweden U20)
3-65: F Coulson Pitre, Flint (OHL)
3-85: F Yegor Sidorov, Saskatoon (WHL)
4-97: D Konnor Smith, Peterborough (OHL)
5-129: D Rodwin Dionicio, Windsor (OHL)
6-161: D Vojtech Port, Edmonton (WHL)
While Anaheim finished last in the league, they weren’t able to win the lottery for the top pick, sliding to second. GM Pat Verbeek then surprised some with the selection of Carlsson over the consensus second choice (Adam Fantilli). Carlsson gives the Ducks a third center with early first-round pedigree and the hope is that he along with Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish will allow them to eventually be a dominant team down the middle. Carlsson has already signed his entry-level deal but could be loaned to the AHL or back to the SHL if he doesn’t crack the roster.
Myatovic was a bit of a surprise selection as the top pick on the second day of the draft but he rose up draft boards all season long and should be in line for a much bigger role with the Thunderbirds this coming season. Terrance tripled his goal total from his rookie OHL season to become one of the better draft-eligible scorers in that league while finishing strong at the World Under-18s. Clara also was picked well before his consensus rankings but was one of the tallest goalies in this draft class. Anaheim hopes the Italian netminder will one day push for NHL playing time but is a longer-term project.
Trade Acquisitions
F Andrew Agozzino (San Jose)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (Buffalo)
Agozzino was acquired the day before the draft in a swap of veterans that spent most of last season in the minors. The 32-year-old was productive in limited NHL duty last season, recording three points in four games while averaging nearly a point per game in 63 AHL contests. Agozzino will get a chance to crack Anaheim’s roster in training camp but is likely ticketed for AHL San Diego.
Lyubushkin was recently acquired from Buffalo for a fourth-round pick. The 29-year-old will bring some physicality to their third pairing and with him being on an expiring contract, he becomes a strong candidate to be flipped at the trade deadline with some salary retention.
UFA Signings
D Trevor Carrick (one year, $775K)*
D Radko Gudas (three years, $12MM)
D Robert Hagg (one year, $775K)
F Alex Killorn (four years, $25MM)
G Alex Stalock (one year, $800K)
*-denotes two-way contract
Killorn’s AAV wound up being the most expensive of any forward in this UFA class, a distinction few would have expected heading into the open market. He also received a full no-trade clause in the first two seasons of the deal plus a partial no-trade in the final two years. For a player best utilized as a second-line winger, it’s definitely an overpayment from Anaheim’s perspective but it’s clear that Verbeek is placing a high level of importance on what he also brings off the ice to help what is a very young core. The 33-year-old is coming off his two best seasons offensively and has hit the 25-goal mark in three of the last four years. It will be interesting to see how close he can get to that going from one of the strongest offensive teams to one of the weakest.
Gudas certainly bolstered his value with a good playoff showing for Florida in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, providing plenty of snarl and physicality on the third pairing. He’ll likely be asked a more prominent role with Anaheim with many of their strong blueline prospects still a year or two away from making a serious push for playing time. Hagg is best known for, you guessed it, his physicality on the back end. Injuries limited him last season in Detroit and he’ll be trying to lock down a regular spot on the blueline to help rebuild some value. Carrick is a strong offensive blueliner at the AHL level and should be a key piece for San Diego next season. The move reunites him with his brother Sam who played in 52 games for the Ducks last season.
Stalock was one of the feel-good stories in the NHL in 2022-23. Battling through myocarditis the previous two years, the veteran had only made one NHL appearance in those two campaigns combined. He wound up making 27 appearances in Chicago, posting a .908 SV% that was above the league average despite being on a rebuilding team that had only one more point than the Ducks in the standings. He’ll battle prospect Lukas Dostal for the second-string position between the pipes.
RFA Re-Signings
G Lukas Dostal (two years, $1.625MM)*
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx (one year, $775K)*
F Troy Terry (seven years, $49MM)
*-denotes two-way contract
Terry is an example of how a bridge contract can work out well for a player in the end. It took him a while to make an impact in the NHL which led to his second contract being a three-year bridge. In the second season of that deal, his production took off as he recorded 67 points and then followed it up with a 61-point showing last season despite missing a dozen games. In doing so, he showed that he is a capable top-line weapon for the Ducks and he should be a focal part of the attack for years to come to work with their young middlemen. This deal took until just before a scheduled arbitration hearing to get done where the two sides were well apart in their filings but it should work out well for both sides.
Groulx has seen NHL action in each of the last two seasons, totaling 20 appearances. He will be waiver-eligible for the first time this fall and isn’t a lock to get through unclaimed. The long-term Achilles injury to Isac Lundestrom could open up a spot for him to break camp with Anaheim if he has a strong training camp.
Dostal held his own in 19 appearances with the Ducks last season but took a bit of a step back with the Gulls in the minors, seeing his GAA go up from 2.60 to 2.97 while losing four points off his save percentage (to .912). Even so, he’s viewed as a possible goalie of the future for Anaheim and so even with Stalock in the fold, it’s likely that Dostal will see at least some NHL action this season.
Departures
D Nathan Beaulieu (unsigned UFA)
D Simon Benoit (unsigned UFA)
F Max Comtois (unsigned UFA)
F Derek Grant (Zurich, NLA)
D Scott Harrington (unsigned UFA)
F Justin Kirkland (Arizona, one year, $775K)*
F Jayson Megna (Boston, one year, $775K)*
D John Moore (unsigned UFA)
D Chase Priskie (Washington, one year, $775K)*
D Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston, one year, $1.05MM)
F Josiah Slavin (Toronto, AHL)
G Anthony Stolarz (Florida, one year, $1.1MM)
D Andrej Sustr (trade with San Jose)
Up front, Comtois is the most notable loss. A couple of years ago, he looked like a middle-six fixture of the future but struggled considerably since then resulting in a mutual non-tender. Grant has had three stints with the Ducks and had a career year in 2021-22 but was limited to just five goals in 48 games last season. Rather than seek a PTO, he decided to try his hand overseas where he’ll have a more offensive role. Megna played in 55 NHL games last season between Colorado and Anaheim in a fourth-line role that can be replaced from within while Kirkland and Slavin were regulars with the Gulls.
There has been considerably more turnover on the back end. Shattenkirk was second on the Ducks in points by a defender last season, a role that isn’t going to be filled from their external acquisitions. RFA Jamie Drysdale, on the other hand, seems poised to assume that role. Benoit very quietly logged over 19 minutes a night on the back end and held his own, making him one of the more intriguing options left on a thinned-out UFA market.
Beaulieu was supposed to be a blueliner with some upside when he came into the league but has seen his production crater in recent years; he hasn’t scored a goal in the last three seasons. He’ll likely need to go the PTO route to have a shot at making a roster in October. Harrington is in a similar situation. He has been a seventh defender in recent seasons and is serviceable in that role but it’s not one that will have teams offering up guaranteed money at this point of the summer. Sustr and Priskie were AHL regulars last season while Moore missed the entire season dealing with lingering concussion symptoms.
Stolarz battled injury trouble last season, costing him 39 games in total and perhaps a shot at landing a likelier backup spot along the way. He struggled in 2022-23 with a save percentage of just .874 in 19 games but in his first three seasons with Anaheim, he had a .920 mark in 37 contests. He’ll battle for the number two role in Florida but is likely ticketed to be a high-paid insurance option in the minors.
Salary Cap Outlook
Few teams have as much cap space as the Ducks do as they have roughly $16.6MM in flexibility, per CapFriendly. That number will certainly go down once Zegras and Drysdale – their two remaining restricted free agents – sign new contracts but Anaheim has ample cap space at their disposal both for the upcoming season and the foreseeable future.
Key Questions
To Bridge Or Not To Bridge: Zegras has been a productive center over the last two seasons, notching 23 goals in both campaigns while improving his point total from 61 to 65 in 2022-23. The market for these types of players is well-defined; a max-term contract should cost somewhere around the $8MM mark which would move him ahead of Terry. Is that a price tag Verbeek is willing to pay or would he prefer to see if Zegras has another gear he can get to first? A bridge contract should be more in the $5MM range but could push his next contract into the $10MM range if he has another level to get to offensively. Verbeek has suggested that if Carlsson is able to make the team at center, it could be Zegras who is shifted to the wing which could also affect his value moving forward.
Will Gibson Move? There has been no shortage of trade speculation involving veteran goaltender John Gibson this summer. It got to the point where there were reports of a trade demand although those have been denied. That said, it wouldn’t be shocking if the 30-year-old would want a change of scenery as he’s under contract for four more years and let’s face it, the Ducks aren’t exactly close to challenging for a playoff spot. A $6.4MM cap charge will make getting commensurate value very difficult in this marketplace but if a team runs into goalie trouble early in the year, Gibson could be an intriguing target.
Defensive Youth Movement? There are definitely some placeholders on Anaheim’s back end right now as only Cam Fowler and Radko Gudas are signed for more than one year with Drysdale likely to add to that list (even on a bridge contract). Meanwhile, the Ducks are loaded in defensive prospects with the top rearguards in the WHL (Olen Zellweger), OHL (Pavel Mintyukov), and QMJHL (Tristan Luneau) with Jackson LaCombe and Drew Helleson already having gotten their feet wet at the NHL level. Zellweger and Mintyukov can start their pro careers this season with the Gulls and if they can push for playing time quickly along with LaCombe and Helleson, the blueline that ends the season could look a whole lot different than the one that starts the year while giving the team (and fans) a glimpse of what’s to come.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anaheim Ducks Acquire Ilya Lyubushkin
The Buffalo Sabres have announced they are sending defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025, originally owned by the Minnesota Wild. It had been rumored for several weeks that Lyubushkin could be on the chopping block due to the logjam on defense in Buffalo, and a move finally came to fruition.
As most have known for over a month, the Sabres organization put themselves in a position to move out a defenseman prior to training camp opening in September. It’s not a bad problem to have for any organization, especially considering Buffalo made other moves to address a weak spot in their lineup. After free agency opened on July 1st this summer, the Sabres addressed this organizational need by bringing in defenseman Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson.
With a $2.75MM salary for the 2023-24 season, and both Clifton and Johnson being right-handed, Lyubushkin quickly became the odd-man out in Buffalo. The Sabres will now have a touch over $8.7MM in cap space heading into the season, with plenty of cap flexibility to make another move prior to opening night, and even more flexibility to make a large-scale trade deadline acquisition.
After moving out Lyubushkin, the Sabres organization still has eight defensemen that could conceivably make the opening night roster, an indication that they may not be entirely finished ironing out their lineup. The only area of tremendous concern in Buffalo should be the current standing of their goaltending situation, but all signs point to the team giving young netminder Devon Levi a legitimate chance at the starting role.
From Anaheim’s perspective on the deal, at face value, it appears to provide stability to an organization that has been lacking in that department for quite some time. Last season, Lyubushkin played in 68 games for Buffalo, scoring two goals and 12 assists. There is not one area of Lyubushkin’s game that he particularly excels at, as both his possession and defensive metrics are lacking compared to league averages. Nevertheless, the Ducks may be more content giving ice time to a league veteran of 279 games, rather than putting a younger player in an uncomfortable position to start the year.
Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff was the first to report Lyubushkin had been moved to Anaheim.
August Free Agency Update: Pacific Division
As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.
Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. We finish up with the Pacific Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here, the list of Metropolitan Division signings here and the list of Central Division signings here.
Anaheim Ducks
*F Troy Terry (seven years, $7MM cap hit)
F Alex Killorn (four years, $6.25MM cap hit)
D Radko Gudas (three years, $4MM cap hit)
G Alex Stalock (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
D Robert Hägg (one year, $775K cap hit)
Calgary Flames
D Jordan Oesterle (one year, $925K cap hit)
Edmonton Oilers
*F Ryan McLeod (two years, $2.1MM cap hit)
F Lane Pederson (two years, $775K cap hit)
F Connor Brown (one year, $775K cap hit)
Los Angeles Kings
**F Anze Kopitar (two years, 35+ contract, $7MM cap hit)
D Andreas Englund (two years, $1MM cap hit)
G Cam Talbot (one year, 35+ contract, $1MM cap hit)
G David Rittich (one year, $875K cap hit)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Trevor Lewis (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)
*D Tobias Björnfot (two years, $775K cap hit)
San Jose Sharks
G Mackenzie Blackwood (two years, $2.35MM cap hit)
*F Fabian Zetterlund (two years, $1.45MM cap hit)
D Kyle Burroughs (three years, $1.1MM cap hit)
F Filip Zadina (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)
F Givani Smith (two years, $800K cap hit)
Seattle Kraken
*D Vince Dunn (four years, $7.35MM cap hit)
D Brian Dumoulin (two years, $3.15MM cap hit)
*D William Borgen (two years, $2.7MM cap hit)
F Kailer Yamamoto (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*D Cale Fleury (two years, $800K cap hit)
F Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)
Vancouver Canucks
D Carson Soucy (three years, $3.25MM cap hit)
D Ian Cole (one year, $3MM cap hit)
F Teddy Blueger (one year, $1.9MM cap hit)
F Pius Suter (two years, $1.6MM cap hit)
*F Nils Höglander (two years, $1.1MM cap hit)
Vegas Golden Knights
*F Brett Howden (two years, $1.9MM cap hit)
*F Pavel Dorofeyev (one year, $825K cap hit)
Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly
Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents
Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.
Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.
This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.
On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.
Anaheim Ducks
*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)
Arizona Coyotes
F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)
Boston Bruins
*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)
Calgary Flames
*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)
Colorado Avalanche
*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)
Detroit Red Wings
F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)
Edmonton Oilers
F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)
Minnesota Wild
*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)
New Jersey Devils
*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)
New York Islanders
D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)
New York Rangers
*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)
Ottawa Senators
*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)
Philadelphia Flyers
F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)
San Jose Sharks
D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)
Winnipeg Jets
G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)
Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.
Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.