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Summer Synopsis: Seattle Kraken

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With training camps now less than a month away, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  Next up is a look at Seattle.

When the Kraken promoted Dan Bylsma to take over as head coach last summer, Seattle was hoping that he’d be able to get them going back in the right direction after taking a big step back.  Unfortunately for them, they instead took another step back, prompting not only a coaching change again with Lane Lambert taking over but even a new front office structure with Jason Botterill being elevated to general manager.  His first summer at the helm saw the team make a few moves but the primary core of this group remains largely unchanged.

Draft

1-8 – F Jake O’Brien, Brantford (OHL)
2-36 – D Blake Fiddler, Edmonton (WHL)
3-68 – D Will Reynolds, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
5-134 – D Maxim Agafonov, Ufa (MHL)
7-205 – D Karl Annborn, HV71 (Sweden U20)
7-218 – F Loke Krantz, Linkoping (Sweden U20)

There’s a saying that a team can’t have enough centers.  Seattle’s draft history might yet put that theory to the test as the selection of O’Brien made it four middlemen taken with their top pick in five years, all of those coming no later than eighth overall.  O’Brien had a breakout season with OHL Brantford, finishing as one of the league’s top assist and point leaders, an impressive feat for a player in his draft-eligible season.  He has already signed his entry-level contract taking a possible NCAA detour off the table but he doesn’t have a lot left to prove in junior either.  He might not push for a spot with Seattle this season but next fall, he could legitimately get a look.

Fiddler was a nice pickup in the early second round as a player ranked by some in the late teens.  The son of long-time center Blake Fiddler, he’s a strong skater on the back end with a bit of secondary offensive upside and showed well at the World Under-18s back in May.  Size-wise, he’s already big enough to fit in on an NHL back end but he’s probably a few years away from getting that chance.  The Kraken stayed in the junior ranks with Reynolds, another big defender but whose profile is much different than Fiddler’s.  He’s more of a true physical shutdown player, a profile they don’t have a lot of in their system.

Among the late-round selections, Agafonov showed well at the Russian junior level last season with his mobility standing out in particular.  He’s someone who will need a couple of years to work up to the KHL and then likely a year or two from there before being NHL-ready.  Annborn, their fourth straight rearguard, got a brief taste of SHL action but spent most of the year at the Under-20 level where he notched 21 assists in 39 games.  Under contract through 2027-28 back home, he won’t be on the radar for a while.  The same can be said for Krantz, though not necessarily because of his contract.  He has a strong shot that made a big impact in Sweden’s Under-18 level but it didn’t translate to the Under-20 division.  He still has some work to do there and is a multi-year project as well.

Trade Acquisitions

F Frederick Gaudreau (trade with Minnesota)
F Mason Marchment (trade with Dallas)

With Dallas needing to free up some money this summer, Seattle was there to take advantage, acquiring Marchment and his $4.5MM contract for the low cost of a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2026 third-round selection.  For a player who has put up 100 points over the last two seasons while also bringing some physicality to the table, that’s a nice bargain acquisition for them.  If things go well, he’s someone who plausibly could be offered a deal to stick around beyond this season.  If not, he’s someone that they should be able to flip closer to the trade deadline as a rental player for a return that’s better than what they gave up to get him.  Either way, the Kraken should come out of this trade a winner.

Very quietly, Gaudreau has put up solid offensive numbers for a secondary producer in recent years, tallying at least 14 goals and 37 points in three of the last four seasons while also being a regular killing penalties and respectable at the faceoff dot.  The Wild decided that they’d rather try someone else in that role and again, while Seattle has a lot of center depth already, the acquisition cost of a fourth-round pick is quite reasonable, especially since he has three years left on his contract.  That said, his role might be a bit lower on the depth chart than it was in Minnesota.

UFA Signings

D Cale Fleury (two years, $1.78MM)^
F John Hayden (two years, $1.55MM)^
D Ryan Lindgren (four years, $18MM)
D Josh Mahura (two years, $1.815MM)^
G Matt Murray (one year, $1MM)
F Ben Meyers (one year, $775K)^

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

For the second straight summer, Seattle’s biggest free agent splash came on the back end although Lindgren’s deal isn’t anywhere near as significant as the seven-year, $50MM contract given to Brandon Montour.  Lindgren has largely been the same player for most of his career, a second-pairing defensive-minded player whose possession metrics aren’t the prettiest while he doesn’t bring much to the table offensively; last season was the first time he reached 20 points.  His addition gives the Kraken one of the more expensive bluelines in the NHL for the upcoming season but with the team allowing an extra 30 goals compared to 2023-24, it’s not much of a surprise that their top signing was someone who they hope can help on the defensive side of things.

Most of their other three signings were more of the depth variety, aside from Mahura who spent most of the year on the third pairing and should be in that sixth or seventh battle once again.  Murray will be given a shot to battle for the backup job but could be ticketed to start the year with AHL Coachella Valley.  Fleury has seen NHL action in each of the last four years, albeit in a limited role as he spent the bulk of last season with the Firebirds, a role he’ll likely have once again.  As for Meyers, he had five recalls in 2024-25 although that only led to eight appearances with the Kraken.  He’s also likely heading for the minors where he’ll be one of their veteran recall options when injuries arise as will Hayden.

RFA Re-Signings

D Ryker Evans (two years, $4.1MM)
F Kaapo Kakko (three years, $13.575MM)
F Tye Kartye (two years, $2.5MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Kakko had a rough start with the Rangers last season and New York decided that the time was right to move him.  As they did with their two trade pickups this summer, the Kraken were there to take advantage of a buy-low pickup.  The change of scenery certainly seemed to work as Kakko collected 30 points in 49 games following the swap, allowing him to set new career bests in assists and points.  After filing for arbitration back in July, the two sides settled on this deal soon after.  Considering his overall struggles in his young career, it’s a deal that carries some risk but if Kakko is able to keep up the same type of production he had following the swap, he could become an important part of their top six.

Seattle had enough cap space to try to do a long-term deal with Evans but they instead elected to do a bridge.  He impressed in his first full NHL campaign last season, notching 25 points in 73 games while logging over 19 minutes a night before getting a look with Canada at the Worlds in May.  He projects to be a big part of their long-term plans defensively but the big pay day will have to wait a little while longer.  Kartye made a name for himself when he debuted in the 2023 playoffs but since then, he has been limited to primarily fourth-line duty.  A short-term pact accordingly made sense for both sides as he’ll look to grab hold of a spot higher on the depth chart over the next couple of years.

Departures

F Brandon Biro (signed in Russia)
D Nikolas Brouillard (signed with San Diego, AHL)
F Andre Burakovsky (trade with Chicago)
F Michael Eyssimont (signed with Boston, two years, $2.9MM)
F Luke Henman (signed in Finland)
D Maxime Lajoie (signed in Russia)
D Gustav Olofsson (signed with Coachella Valley, AHL)
G Ales Stezka (signed in Czechia)

*-denotes two-way contract

After acquiring Marchment, the Kraken quickly moved out Burakovsky to Seattle, taking back Joe Veleno who was promptly bought out.  Brought in on the heels of a career year with Colorado that saw him score 61 points in 2021-22, Burakovsky only managed 92 points over his three seasons with the Kraken, two of which were plagued by a significant injury.  On top of that, he dropped under the 15-minute-per-game mark over the last two seasons, not ideal for one of their top-paid forwards.  Still, they managed to clear out his $5.5MM AAV with only needing to eat a $379K cap charge for the next two seasons with the Veleno buyout so with them deciding the time was right to part ways, it could have gone worse.

Eyssimont was acquired at the trade deadline as part of the return for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand and played well in limited action following the swap.  However, Gaudreau could ultimately wind up taking his place in the lineup.  Most of their other departures had at least a little bit of NHL experience over the years but those players were primarily regulars at the AHL level and in Olofsson’s case, he remains with the organization, just not on an NHL contract.

Salary Cap Outlook

By electing to do a bridge contract for Evans, Botterill has left himself plenty of flexibility heading into the season with the team projected to open up with just under $4.6MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  That gives them more than ample coverage should injuries arise while if they find themselves in the mix by the trade deadline, they’ll have more than enough room for a couple of additions.  On the other hand, if they’re not in the playoff picture, they’ll be able to retain on some of their pending unrestricted free agents or act as a third-party facilitator (which is still legal for this season before becoming much more restrictive for 2026-27).

Key Questions

Will Beniers Take The Next Step? When Seattle drafted Matty Beniers second overall in 2021, they thought they had their top center of the future in place.  After putting up 57 points in his rookie season, it looked like he was on his way to being that player.  But production has been harder to come by over the last two years with point totals of 37 and 43.  Those are still decent for a player who is still only 22 but they’re not top-end either.  Right now, he looks more like a second option than a first; if he can get to that top level, the trajectory of this offense changes considerably.

Can Grubauer Deliver NHL-Level Goaltending? Last season was an unmitigated disaster for goaltender Philipp Grubauer and frankly, that still might be an understatement.  He struggled out of the gate and never really got going after that.  The end result was him clearing waivers midseason and posting a career-worst .875 SV% in 26 starts, leading to some buyout speculation this summer.  With Murray in the mix now, Grubauer will simply be fighting to keep a roster spot in training camp, an outcome few thought possible when he signed a six-year contract with them back in 2021.

Will The Special Teams Improve? Botterill indicated recently that one of the goals for this season will be to improve on special teams.  Both units struggled last season with the power play checking in 23rd overall (18.9%) while the penalty kill came in 21st (77.2%).  Neither of those numbers are at the level of a playoff-caliber team and with the Kraken electing not to rebuild but merely to tinker with their core, it’s clear they envision themselves as a group capable of making the postseason.  Can they get the desired rebound on special teams?  If not, their goal of getting back to the playoffs is going to be even tougher.

Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski and Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Blue Jackets Prospect Malte Vass Transfers To Boston University

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Sept. 1: Vass has made his college commitment official as Boston University recently announced (Twitter link) that the blueliner will indeed suit up for them this season.  He’s their final addition to a class that saw them add multiple NHL draft picks including Ryder Ritchie, Haoxi Wang, and Sacha Boisvert, among others.

Aug. 9: It’s not very often that a player will leave a professional team to go to college but it does happen periodically with international players.  It appears that Blue Jackets prospect Malte Vass will be one of them as Varmlands Folkblad’s Johan Ekberg reports (subscription link) that the blueliner is leaving Sweden to play in the NCAA next season.  Which school he has chosen to go to yet remains unknown but Boston University is a school that is believed to have shown interest in him.

Vass was a third-round pick by Columbus last month, going 76th overall.  However, he was rated much higher on their draft board as Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch relayed after the draft that the Blue Jackets had Vass within the top 15 in their rankings, a sign that they clearly viewed him as being first-round-worthy.

Vass spent last season in Farjestad’s system, playing predominantly with their junior team where he had 11 points and 53 penalty minutes in 40 games.  However, he also got into five games with their SHL club where he was held off the scoresheet.  It’s likely that he would have had a chance to get some more action at their top level in 2025-26 but that’s no longer in the cards.

Vass noted that the recent change to allow CHL players to play in the NCAA expedited his decision to come to North America as the spot that’s being made available to him now might not have been available next year, given the number of junior players now seeking a school to play at.  It will be interesting to see if other international players start to feel that same pressure and up the urgency to pursue an NCAA spot as well over the next couple of years.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

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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 Central Division, next up are the Wild.

Minnesota Wild

Current Cap Hit: $91,088,165 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Zeev Buium (two years, $966.5K)
D David Jiricek (one year, $918.3K)
F Liam Ohgren (two years, $886.7K)
F Danila Yurov (three years, $950K)

Potential Bonuses
Buium: $1MM
Jiricek: $1MM
Ohgren: $500K
Yurov: $2MM
Total: $4.5MM

Yurov is coming off a bit of a tough year in the KHL after a breakout 49-point effort in 2023-24 but he’s still expected to come in and play a regular role with Minnesota right away.  His $1MM in ‘B’ bonuses are unlikely while he’ll need to play regularly in the top six if he is going to have a shot at his $250K ‘A’ bonuses, of which there are four of them.  Ohgren’s first season in North America didn’t go quite as well as the Wild had hoped.  He was a solid scorer with AHL Iowa but didn’t fare particularly well with the big club.  Projected as more of a depth player this season, his ‘A’ bonuses seem unlikely while he’d be trending toward a bridge deal if he winds up in that limited role this year.

Buium was a late-season addition, getting into four playoff games where he held his own.  Without a ton of firepower on the back end, he should be able to play an important role this season, including seeing some action on the power play.  Reaching a couple of his ‘A’ bonuses should be doable while if things go as planned, he could be the type of player that they want to sign long-term quickly.  Jiricek, on the other hand, feels likely for a bridge as well.  He has yet to establish himself as a full-time NHL player and while he should get there this year, that won’t be enough to land a long-term pact.  If he can lock down a regular third-pairing spot, he could potentially double his current price tag although his bonuses are unlikely to be hit.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

D Zach Bogosian ($1.25MM, UFA)
G Filip Gustavsson ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Marcus Johansson ($800K, UFA)
F Kirill Kaprizov ($9MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Tarasenko ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Mats Zuccarello ($4.125MM, UFA)

The timing of the multi-year cap increase couldn’t have been any better for Kaprizov.  Already poised for a multi-million-dollar raise, his market value will only go up now.  Recent speculation has a possible offer landing in the $16MM per season range which feels a bit much on the high side but if it gets a deal done, expect GM Bill Guerin to do it.  When healthy, he’s one of the elite wingers in the league.  Tarasenko was brought in from Detroit in a cap-clearing move from the Red Wings and is coming off a rough year that only saw him record 33 points, the lowest full-season total of his career.  A rebound this season could keep him in this price range but if he has a similar showing in 2025-26, landing half of this could be tough.

Zuccarello saw his production dip last season but he still managed 54 points, a solid return on the first season of this contract.  Now 38, it’d be surprising to see him land another two-year pact but if both sides are happy, he could land another one-year agreement.  His next deal would be a candidate to be bonus-laden if Minnesota needs some extra flexibility next summer with an overall price checking around this one.  Johansson opted to take just above the minimum to ensure he stayed with the Wild.  He probably could have beaten that on the open market with something more in the $1.5MM range based on the season he had but as long as he’s content in Minnesota, they could keep him around at a price close to the minimum if he has a similar role this season.

Bogosian wasn’t quite as impactful last season as he was in his first year with the team but he still held down a steady third-pairing role while taking a regular turn on the penalty kill.  This type of salary for that type of role is reasonable value but it would be surprising if he landed this much on his next deal when he’s 36.  By that point, he may be better off in a seventh defender role who steps in when injuries arise.

While plenty has been said about Kaprizov’s situation (and justifiably so), Gustavsson’s expiring contract also looms large.  After a tough 2023-24 showing that saw him lose the starting job at times to Marc-Andre Fleury, he rebounded quite nicely, making a career-high 58 starts while finishing sixth in Vezina Trophy voting.  The starting goaltender market has gotten a lot more expensive over the last 18 or so months and while he’s not in the same echelon as the starters who passed the $8MM mark recently (Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman, Jake Oettinger, and Thatcher Demko), there’s a case to make that he’s in the tier below them.  That could allow him to push for $7MM on a long-term agreement which would be another sizable jump on their books.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Ryan Hartman ($4MM, UFA)
D Jared Spurgeon ($7.575MM, UFA)
F Nico Sturm ($2MM, UFA)
G Jesper Wallstedt ($2.2MM, RFA)

Hartman has shown some flashes of being a legitimate top-six threat over his six seasons with the Wild which earned him this vote of confidence.  However, the first year of the deal wasn’t great while he has now dealt with injury issues in four of those six years.  Still, a center who has 20-goal upside when things are going well should be able to command at least a little more than this on the open market two years from now on another multi-year deal.  Sturm was Minnesota’s most notable UFA signing this summer, coming over from Florida to help the penalty kill and play in the bottom six.  He’ll need to get back into the 20-point range with Minnesota to avoid being cast more into the fourth-line role which would lower his market value.

Spurgeon has been a big-minute, all-situations player for a long time but it has started to catch up with him in recent years.  They’ve managed his minutes a bit more lately to the point where he was fourth in ATOI among Minnesota’s blueliners.  While that’s an appropriate role for his age, this contract is definitely on the expensive side for someone in that role.  If there’s an extension two years from now, it could be worth closer to half this amount, including incentives.

Wallstedt’s deal was a headscratcher when it was signed and it looks even worse now.  Following San Jose’s path when they signed Yaroslav Askarov early, he struggled considerably with AHL Iowa last season, posting a .879 SV%.  Had they waited, they probably could have signed him for half this amount.  Nonetheless, he’s still viewed as a quality prospect and if he performs to those expectations, they should still get a good return on this deal.  He’ll need to cut into Gustavsson’s playing time if he wants to get more than an incremental raise in 2027.

Signed Through 2027-28

D Jonas Brodin ($6MM, UFA)
F Marcus Foligno ($4MM, UFA)
F Marco Rossi ($5MM, RFA)
F Yakov Trenin ($3.5MM, UFA)

Few players were in as much trade speculation as Rossi was this summer.  For months, it had been well known that he wanted a long-term, big-money contract while Guerin’s preference was a bridge deal.  A suitable trade offer wasn’t made, nor did an offer sheet materialize and in the end, Rossi moved toward Minnesota’s preferred option.  Coming off a 60-point season, this isn’t bad value for the Wild and notably, the contract is back-loaded, carrying a $6MM salary in 2027-28; that number becomes his qualifying offer when he’ll also have arbitration rights.  If all goes as planned in his development, the big payday coming his way will be even higher than the contract he was originally seeking this summer.

Foligno also got an early extension a couple of years back like Hartman did.  Unlike Hartman, the offensive upside isn’t there as he has only reached 30 points once in his 14-year NHL career nor does he play center.  He’s still an effective third liner but this is on the high side of things for someone who is best known for his physicality.  Considering he’ll be 37 when his next contract starts, he’ll probably be year-to-year on his next deals at a lower cost than this.  Trenin’s deal was baffling at the time as giving someone who is best suited as a fourth liner this term and money was not necessarily the best of ideas.  Clearly, they were banking on a bounce-back offensively and that didn’t come.  Trenin can contribute, sure, but his value might be closer to half of this.

Brodin has been a key shutdown defender throughout his 13-year NHL career, playing big minutes and anchoring the penalty kill.  Those players typically don’t get big contracts but Brodin, being one of the better players in that role, was the exception with this deal.  As market values increase with the cap, this contract will hold up just fine, as long as he stays healthy.  Unfortunately, that has been a consistent challenge for him lately.

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Five Key Stories: 8/25/25 – 8/31/25

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The month of August is in the books which means training camps are getting a lot closer now.  It was a relatively quiet week around the hockey world which isn’t uncommon for this time of year but there was still some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.

Calling It A Career: Veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie has hung his skates, announcing his retirement at the age of 34.  When asked why now by NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy (Twitter link), Barrie jokingly said it was a decision made in tandem with all 32 teams, suggesting his desire was to keep playing but no offers were coming.  He was once a premier offensive defenseman but had struggled in recent years, only getting into 13 games with Calgary last season.  Barrie ends his career with 508 points in 822 games over 14 NHL seasons, including four 50-point campaigns, a very solid career for a player drafted in the third round by Colorado back in 2009.

A Case Of When, Not If: Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson has been in trade speculation for a while but there remains the possibility of a contract extension as well.  Some cold water was poured on that by team captain Mikael Backlund who indicated that after talking to the blueliner, he’s going to get traded with Andersson hoping that his situation won’t become a distraction.  The 28-year-old has been a top-pairing defender for Calgary for several years now while averaging 42 points over the last four seasons.  That has him in position for a significant increase on his $4.55MM AAV and it appears that contract will be coming from somewhere else.

Still Lots Of Work To Do: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes is one of the top remaining restricted free agents.  Usually, there’s a lot of haggling still to do with money in these situations.  However, on top of that, it appears as if the sides are far apart on term as well.  New Jersey’s preference appears to be either a short-term bridge deal or a long-term one while Hughes would prefer a five-year pact that takes him to free agency at the same time as his brother Jack Hughes.  Notably, he has five RFA-eligible years remaining, meaning such a move wouldn’t gain the Devils any extra years of control which is the exact situation they want to avoid.  Clearly, there’s a long way to go before the two sides reach an agreement.

Carolina Tryouts: The end of August and early September is often colloquially known as PTO season in the NHL.  With guaranteed deals less likely, players will start settling for tryouts with the hopes of landing a full-season contract from there.  The Hurricanes are the latest team to go that route, reaching PTO deals with defenseman Oliver Kylington and winger Givani Smith.  Between injuries and a personal leave, Kylington hasn’t played much in recent years and only got into 19 games between Colorado and Anaheim last season where he had five points in a little over 12 minutes a night of ice time.  He could find himself battling for a reserve spot on the back end.  As for Smith, he got into just 13 NHL games last season, logging barely six minutes a night in those outings while being in the minors the rest of the way.  Speculatively, he’ll be vying for a two-way deal that would have him likely starting in the AHL and hoping for a recall.

Off To Switzerland: One player who looked like he’d be involved in PTO season was veteran blueliner Jan Rutta.  However, instead of going that way, he has decided to play in Switzerland, inking a two-year contract with Geneve-Servette.  He didn’t make his NHL debut until his age-27 back in 2017-18 with Chicago and leaves with 417 outings over parts of eight seasons.  Rutta had 98 points and 479 blocked shots in those outings along with a pair of Stanley Cup victories from his time with Tampa Bay.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Snapshots: Samsonov, KHL, Evason

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Nearly two months into free agency, veteran goaltender Ilya Samsonov finds himself still looking for a team to play with this season.  It appears at least one KHL team investigated the potential of bringing him back home as KHL Metallurg Sports Director Evgeny Biryukov told Match TV’s Nikita Maximov that he talked to the 28-year-old about playing for them but Samsonov’s intention is to remain in the NHL for the upcoming season.  Samsonov posted a 2.82 GAA and a .891 SV% in 29 starts last season with Vegas, numbers that weren’t too much of an improvement over 2023-24 when he was in Toronto.  At this point, he may have to settle for a training camp PTO and hope to land a second-string option from there.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Still with the KHL, player agent Darryl Wolski relayed (Twitter link) the top-five KHL salaries for the upcoming season. Long-time AHL winger Rocco Grimaldi has the highest base salary, checking in around $1.19MM US.  Meanwhile, winger Daniel Sprong has the highest potential pay day when factoring in performance bonuses.  After making $975K last season, his base salary this year is close to that while if he reaches his incentives, he could ultimately wind up with a raise compared to a year ago.  Former NHL winger Dmitrij Jaskin is the only other player with a seven-figure USD salary in that league this season.
  • Dean Evason had a solid first year in Columbus, helping lead the Blue Jackets to an improbable late-season playoff push that ultimately came up just short. It turns out he very nearly didn’t have the opportunity to join them as Michael Arace of The Columbus Dispatch noted in a thorough profile of the bench boss that it looked like he was going to land the head coaching job in Seattle until they decided to promote Dan Bylsma from the AHL to the top job instead.  Bylsma, of course, was let go back in April after just one season behind their bench.

PHR Originals: 8/25/25 – 8/31/25

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With the end of August typically being very quiet around the NHL, we had plenty of original content here at PHR over the past seven days.  Here’s a recap of those columns.

When July 1st came, the unrestricted free agent defenseman with the most points was Matt Grzelcyk.  He was coming off a career-best 40 points while also logging more than 20 minutes a night for the first time.  In a market bereft of top-four defenders, he was an exception.  And yet, nearly two months into free agency, he’s still looking for a contract.  Josh Cybulski examined Grzelcyk’s situation, noting the rarity of a player coming off a “show me” contract, performing better than expected, and remaining in free agency this late.  While his play was worthy of a raise from the $2.75MM he made last season, it’s looking less likely that he’ll actually beat that.

Our Summer Synopsis series continued with our writing team taking looks at Toronto, Tampa Bay, and St. Louis.  The Maple Leafs lost one of their top players this summer with Mitch Marner heading to Vegas while the team added some extra grit and defensive acumen up front.  Meanwhile, the Lightning largely had a quiet summer with their biggest move being the re-signing of 33-year-old center Yanni Gourde to a six-year contract, one that carries a team-friendly $2.33MM AAV.  Meanwhile, the Blues had plenty of trade speculation over the summer but made just one move, a swap of 2021 first-round picks while they shored up their center depth in free agency.

Meanwhile, our Salary Cap Deep Dive series continues its tour through the Central Division as I examined the situations for Colorado and Dallas.  Last season, the Avs weren’t able to re-sign a key pending UFA winger and they could be in a similar situation this year with Martin Necas, especially with Cale Makar due a significant raise two years from now.  Meanwhile, Dallas is a year away from an intriguing summer with both Jason Robertson and Thomas Harley in line for significant raises without a ton of cap room.  This season, both teams have limited room below the Upper Limit so making moves of significance won’t be easy unless they’re sending a key piece out as part of the swap.

With training camps fast approaching, one of the early storylines is always about trophy contenders.  It’s an impressive-looking field for Rookie of the Year, headlined up front by Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov, Capitals winger Ryan Leonard, and 2025 Hobey Baker winner Isaac Howard, acquired by Edmonton this summer, among others.  It’s arguably even more crowded on the back end with the group including Islanders first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer, Minnesota’s Zeev Buium, Chicago’s Sam Rinzel, and Carolina’s Alexander Nikishin.  Will one of them take home the Calder Trophy or someone else?  You can make your prediction here.

While the Flyers haven’t had a ton of success as of late, their latest attempt at rebuilding kicked off a couple of years ago.  Josh took a look at how things have gone so far with a prospect pool that is improved but still not among the NHL’s best while their roster isn’t particularly young for a team that’s in rebuilding mode.  Still, GM Daniel Briere has made some progress as he continues to reshape Philadelphia’s group.

Our latest mailbag was posted, wrapping up the series of questions from a few weeks ago.  Topics in this one included my predictions on some teams who could find themselves back in the playoff picture this season if all goes well, a possible breakout candidate, and rounding out Toronto’s top-six forward group.

Lastly, there was certainly an expectation of a busy summer in terms of transactions.  The increase to the salary cap was supposed to open up more flexibility, leading to an active free agency and trade period.  Instead, it has been much quieter.  Josh looked into why the frenzy that was widely expected turned largely into a flop.  As it turns out, the extra cap flexibility allowed more teams to keep the core they had, leading to less player movement than expected.

Summer Synopsis: St. Louis Blues

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With training camps now less than a month away, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  Next up is a look at St. Louis.

Last summer, the Blues were relatively quiet early on before striking with a pair of successful offer sheets to bring in a couple of potential core players.  A second-half push helped propel them into the playoffs, and in his final summer at the helm as GM, Doug Armstrong largely elected to keep the status quo with only a few moves of consequence.

Draft

1-19 – F Justin Carbonneau, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
5-147 – F Mikhail Fyodorov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
6-179 – G Love Harenstam, Skelleftea (Sweden U20)

If this section feels a little light, there’s a good reason for that.  The silver lining for St. Louis is that most of the missing draft picks turned into established players.  The second rounder went in the offer sheet for Philip Broberg after being reacquired from Pittsburgh.  Broberg showed lots of promise in his first full NHL season.  The third rounder went in the offer sheet for Dylan Holloway.  He finished third on the team in scoring.  Even the fourth rounder yielded a roster regular as it went for Alexandre Texier.  His first year wasn’t great, but he still has one more year left on his contract to turn things around.  With the thought that a draft class should ideally yield two NHL players, they already got there before even drafting anyone.  Not too shabby.

Carbonneau was one of the better offensive wingers in this year’s class and isn’t just a one-trick pony as he’s a deft playmaker with an above-average shot.  There was some talk that he might make the jump to college hockey this season, but he decided to return to QMJHL Blainville-Boisbriand, although he notably hasn’t signed his entry-level deal yet, keeping his NCAA options on the table.  Carbonneau is a few years away from being NHL-ready, but he has legitimate top-six upside.  Fyodorov is a late-round project as he finds himself still in the Russian junior ranks, while Harenstam did okay in Sweden’s junior level last season and will now look to make the jump to the second-tier Allsvenskan.  Both players are longer-term development pieces.

Trade Acquisitions

D Logan Mailloux (trade with Montreal)

While there was a lot of trade speculation surrounding the Blues, including one of their top-paid players in Jordan Kyrou, there was only one trade made.  And while the Canadiens were one of the teams believed to be interested in Kyrou, the two sides made a much different deal, one that we don’t see occur too often with the teams swapping fairly recent first-round picks, with St. Louis dealing from their winger surplus to bring in an intriguing blueliner.

Mailloux has played the bulk of his two-year professional career in the minors, where he has been quite productive for a blueliner, recording 80 points in 135 regular-season games.  With five points in eight NHL contests, he has done well in the offensive zone at the top level as well.  There remain questions about his overall defensive game and how he’ll adapt to playing against tougher competition, but Mailloux should be able to be a capable secondary producer from the back end while likely starting in a depth role as he gets his first taste of extended NHL action this season.  The ceiling is enticing, though if he can put everything together.

UFA Signings

F Nick Bjugstad (two years, $3.5MM)
F Milan Lucic (signed to PTO)
F Matt Luff (one year, $775K)*
F Pius Suter (two years, $8.2MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Shoring up their center depth was the theme of Armstrong’s summer signings.  Suter picked the perfect time for a breakout year last season, really boosting his stock heading into a free agent period that was lacking in terms of impactful middlemen.  After being more of a middle-six player for the first few seasons of his career, Suter was able to produce at a much better rate, earning himself a near-permanent spot in Vancouver’s top six on the heels of a 25-goal, 46-point effort.  While there are some reasonable questions as to whether he can repeat that performance, the Blues aren’t necessarily paying him to be that player.  If he settles in behind Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn and helps anchor the third line while helping out on the penalty kill, he’ll fit in pretty well even if the production reverts closer to the usual high 20-point mark.

Bjugstad is only a year removed from a 45-point effort in Arizona, but he wasn’t able to sustain that production following the move to Utah.  His playing time fell by more than five minutes per game as he was deployed pretty much exclusively in their bottom six.  That’s about the same role he’ll have with St. Louis, but having him as a fourth center is a nice luxury to have, while he could also move up and play alongside Suter on the third line, where the two could only focus on strong-side draws, with their overall faceoff success rate being limited.

Lucic is one of the more intriguing PTO candidates this fall.  Between injuries, charges that were later dropped, and a stint in the Player Assistance Program, he hasn’t played in the better part of two years.  While he’s far from the top-six power forward he was in his prime, he could come in and give St. Louis some extra grit on the fourth line if all goes well, giving them a bit more depth to work with.

RFA Re-Signings

F Nikita Alexandrov (one year, $775K)*
G Joel Hofer (two years, $6.8MM)
D Hunter Skinner (one year, $775K)*
G Vadim Zherenko (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

Despite the lack of prospect pedigree, Hofer is quickly becoming the heir apparent to netminder Jordan Binnington, making him the most important RFA for the Blues this summer. The new two-year pact will run through the 2026-27 season, the same time that Binnington’s six-year, $36MM extension expires.

As Binnington ages the next two years, Hofer should have access to additional playing time. In the past two years, Hofer has achieved a record of 31 wins, 20 losses, and 4 overtime losses in 61 games, with a .909 SV%, a 2.65 GAA, and 11.0 goals saved above average while serving in a backup role.

Outside of Hofer, Alexandrov is the only recent RFA that should feature on the Blues’ roster next season. Throughout the past two years, although he has typically played in the AHL, Alexandrov has scored three goals and nine points in 51 games in a bottom-six role.

Departures

F Corey Andonovski (unsigned)
F Zachary Bolduc (trade with Montreal)
F Tanner Dickinson (signed in Slovakia)
F Radek Faksa (signed with Dallas, three years, $6MM)
D Nick Leddy (waivers, claimed by San Jose)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (signed with Vancouver, two years, $1.55MM)*
D Anton Malmstrom (signed in Sweden)
D Ryan Suter (unsigned)

*-denotes two-way contract

St. Louis didn’t lose too much on the offensive side of the puck this offseason, but the jury is still out on whether they’ll be kicking their butts about trading Bolduc. In their defense, the Blues have sufficient depth in their top six, and prospects like Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky are ready to make an impact.

Still, Bolduc is one year removed from a solid sophomore campaign, scoring 19 goals and 36 points in 72 contests, typically situated in a middle-six role. In contrast, Mailloux is the same age as Bolduc, and although it usually takes defensemen longer to develop, he only has eight games of NHL experience.

Outside of Bolduc, the Blues lost solid, albeit replaceable, veterans in Leddy and Faksa. It didn’t take long for the team to replace either, as Leddy’s minutes will be replaced by one of the multiple young defensemen on the roster, while the Blues signed Suter and Bjugstad to balance out their center depth.

Salary Cap Outlook

As things stand, St. Louis projects to have around $625K in cap space to start next season, per PuckPedia.  That doesn’t make for much wiggle room when the minimum salary is $775K.  However, that number does not include potential LTIR flexibility.  After missing all of last season due to an ankle injury, Armstrong noted this offseason that he doesn’t expect Krug to play again, meaning his $6.5MM is eligible to land on LTIR.  The exact amount of cap space that would provide depends on their roster at the time they place him on there, but it’s safe to say they’d be able to use around $6MM of that if they have to go that route.  There’s more wiggle room here than it might appear at first glance.

Key Questions

How Will Snuggerud Fare In His Rookie Season? As one of the more exciting prospects coming up through the Blues’ system, Snuggerud will have every opportunity to make a positive impact on St. Louis this season. Finishing off the 2024-25 campaign, Snuggerud scored one goal and four points in seven contests before matching that total (two goals, two assists) in seven games in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. There were a few instances, especially during the postseason, where Snuggerud’s lack of experience showed. Still, if Snuggerud can match his brief scoring pace from last season, he may compete for the Calder Memorial Trophy by the end of the campaign.

Will The Penalty Kill Improve? Without a doubt, one of the biggest weaknesses for the Blues last year was their penalty kill. St. Louis finished with a 74.35% kill rate, ranking 27th in the NHL, and was the second-lowest among playoff teams. Retaining most of their team from last season, it begs the question of whether the additions of Suter and Bjugstad will be enough to change their fortunes. Suter has maintained an impressive on-ice save percentage throughout his career, while Bjugstad displays his skill in the faceoff dot and with his physicality. Hopefully, for the penalty kill’s sake, the combination of the two can prove beneficial.

PHR’s Brennan McClain also contributed to this post.

Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder and Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

PHR Mailbag: Maple Leafs, Senators, Breakout Player, Playoffs, Salary Floor

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag including a prediction for a breakout player, potential teams to make and miss the playoffs, and more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in our last two mailbag columns.

Spaced-Cowboy: Who do you expect to be the top 6 forward group for the Leafs come opening night or perhaps the deadline?

Let’s get the easy ones out of the way first.  The top two centers will continue to be Auston Matthews and John Tavares.  On the wing, William Nylander and Matthew Knies, fresh off a new deal this summer, are sure bets to play similar roles as they did last season.

But then it starts to get interesting.  I’d pencil in Matias Maccelli for one of the remaining winger spots.  It’s not that Toronto paid a high price to get him that warrants a look in a key role, nor does his performance from last season which left a lot to be desired.  But he’s a pure playmaker and with Mitch Marner departing, Maccelli could plausibly slide into that same role alongside Matthews and Knies to try to keep the same general line structure intact.  He showed enough skill in Arizona to make me think that he can have some success in that role.

The other winger might be Max Domi, more by process of elimination.  I expect head coach Craig Berube to put a third line together that will have some size and defensive acumen with a trio of newcomers Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy with possibly Bobby McMann on the other wing.  Domi doesn’t fit on that line, nor is he a great fit on the fourth line either.  At this point, Toronto’s preference is probably to keep him on the wing anyway so his spot on the second line feels like a mixture of fit and convenience.  Easton Cowan could play his way into the mix but starting with the AHL Marlies feels like the likeliest outcome.

Forecasting the trade deadline is a little difficult as like many, I don’t think Toronto is done yet this summer.  We know they want to move out David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok and doing so would greatly change their salary cap forecast, unless that money is going to Jack Roslovic who has been linked to them for a while now (but might not supplant Domi in that top-six spot anyway).  If they wind up opening up more room before the season and hold it heading into the deadline, they could afford a top-end acquisition while if they can only move one and spend those savings plus more on Roslovic, they could be shopping in more of the secondary market.  How they operate these next few weeks could materially impact their plans in March.

sluggersdad: What is Ottawa’s next move in upgrading their roster? Thanks…

This is a hard one to project.  They have nearly $4.3MM in cap space per PuckPedia which has them in a good spot in theory to add before the season starts.  However, we also know that they are a ‘cash over cap’ team as owner Michael Andlauer alluded to back in June.  Why that matters is that because of that status, GM Steve Staios acknowledged that he wasn’t going to have the green light to spend to the cap ceiling this summer.  So, while they have close to $4.3MM in cap room, how much budget room do they have left?

There’s also the matter of bonuses, of which they have $3.75MM between Claude Giroux and Lars Eller.  Some of them are pretty easy to reach based on games played while others will require some playoff success as well.  But for a cash over cap franchise, any achieved bonuses become payable when reached.  Honestly, I’m not sure they have much, if any, wiggle room in the budget right now to upgrade their roster.

I’d like to give you a specific answer here but in the short term, I don’t think they’re going to do anything.  I could see them sniffing around the PTO market a little bit, especially on the back end if it looks like Nick Jensen is indeed going to miss some time to start the season even though he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery and maybe there’s a minimum-salary contract that comes out of that.  But beyond that, their next move might be at the trade deadline when they have a better sense of their revenue situation that will dictate if they can actually go ahead and add to their player cost budget.  At that point, it would be assess the team’s biggest need and go from there.

NhaTrang: Training camp looms soon, so it’s time for me to come out with my annual “Tage Thompson” question for Brian: who is the guy who comes out of absolutely nowhere to be a significant impact player this season?

Unfortunately, my track record continues to go in the wrong direction.  Thompson was a great pick the first time.  Taylor Raddysh had 20 goals the year I picked him but wasn’t a big breakout player.  I was a year early on Morgan Geekie as it turns out; I picked him in his 39-point year, not his 33-goal effort last season.  And last year’s was arguably the worst one as Kirby Dach battled injuries, as did his projected linemate in Patrik Laine.  The end result was 22 points in 57 games so that one’s a whiff.

For 2022-23, I put in a self-imposed criterion that a player couldn’t be in the top 300 in scoring.  Otherwise, that player wouldn’t exactly be coming out of nowhere.  Given my recent track record, it’s tempting to change it but I’ll continue to stick with it for this year.

I had my best pick with Buffalo so it’s time to go back to that well with winger Zach Benson.  Yes, his sophomore year wasn’t really any better on paper than his rookie campaign but 28 points in 75 games is still respectable for someone who still could have been playing at the major junior level.  And the underlying numbers were pretty solid.  Benson should have a top-six role this season (possibly even playing with Thompson) and I expect him to have a breakout effort.  If all goes well, doubling last year’s point total could be doable and that would be a nice rebound after last year’s pick.

Breakaway: 4-in and 4-out.

Name one team from each division that made the playoffs last year that will not make the playoffs this year. And what four teams replace them?

Atlantic: I would say Toronto and Tampa Bay remain safe bets to get back in.  Florida should be unless Matthew Tkachuk’s absence proves to be a big problem and they start out how they played down the stretch last season before flipping the script in the playoffs.  Ottawa is more or less the same and on the way up so I’m pretty comfortable penciling them in as well.  By process of elimination, that would mean my pick would be Montreal.  They had some good luck on the injury front last year and their underlying numbers weren’t great.  I could see a scenario where they actually play a bit better this season but instead of just making the playoffs, they just miss them.

The challenge is that I have to pick one of the other three to replace them, something I’m not overly confident in.  I expect Boston’s lack of offense to be their downfall and as much as I think Buffalo is capable of improving, their annual self-destruction makes it hard to actually predict that happening.  So I guess it’s Detroit by default with John Gibson giving their goaltending enough of a boost.  But really, this side of the bracket could largely remain the same next season.

Metropolitan: Carolina is always a top regular season team and they’ve improved so they’re in.  New Jersey slipped down the stretch due to injuries but I still think they’re on the way up so I’d have them in.  On the one hand, Washington won the division last year and didn’t change their roster up much but on the other hand, many felt they were a bubble team at best heading into last season.  Did they overachieve?  I guess since I have to pick one to fall out of the race, it’s them.

On the other end, I don’t expect Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or the Islanders to be real threats.  Columbus is on the way up but as I noted in a recent mailbag, I don’t trust their goaltending to be good enough to get them in there.  That leaves the Rangers.  Things have to be better for them this season, doesn’t it?  Odds being odds, some of their underachievers will turn things around which might be enough to get them back in.

Central: I see no reason to take Dallas or Colorado out.  Winnipeg may very well drop a bit but as long as Connor Hellebuyck remains one of the top netminders, they should be fine.  That leaves St. Louis and Minnesota.  I could make a case for either one making or missing but I’ll go with the Blues continuing their strong play under Jim Montgomery and getting a Wild Card spot and the Wild missing.  For all the cap space they had this summer, they didn’t get a whole lot better unless Vladimir Tarasenko has a resurgence.  A full season from Kirill Kaprizov would help but given Jesper Wallstedt’s struggles in the AHL last year, their goaltending is more of a question mark than they probably hoped.

As for who gets in, Chicago is a safe no.  I think Nashville will be better than last year and they have the veteran talent to surprise and get back in.  But I’ll go with Utah, a team that’s slowly getting better and just added a top-six talent in JJ Peterka.  That, coupled with continued improvement from their young core, means that this could be the year for them to get back in.

Pacific: There’s no reason to think Edmonton and Vegas won’t get back in.  I have no reason to think the Kings won’t get back in either but since I have to pick one who made it to miss, I guess it’s them as the third-place team.

San Jose isn’t ready to push for a playoff spot yet.  Anaheim is better and a bit of a Wild Card but I think they’re still on the outside for one more year.  Seattle can’t stop treading water with a core group that’s not good enough so they’re probably in the same boat as a year ago.  That leaves Calgary and Vancouver.  I feel Dustin Wolf made the Flames more competitive than they actually were so them taking a step back wouldn’t surprise me.  That would mean Vancouver, a team that struggled mightily last year, finds a way to turn it around.  Having said that, five Central teams and three Pacific teams might be what happens again.

SirCobblestone: How do you think teams with low cap hits (San Jose, Chicago) will navigate the ELC of players worthy of staying in the show while respecting the cap floor? (23 roster player limit also.)

This cap part of this question shouldn’t be overly difficult this season.  All 32 teams are already above the $70.6MM floor and once Anaheim eventually signs Mason McTavish, every team should be $5MM clear of that floor.  Eventually, once they start selling, they’ll open up some space but there will surely be salary retention on some players while if they wait until closer to the trade deadline to make those moves, they should be able to comfortably stay above the floor.  Any achieved bonuses from their entry-level players would also count on the books this season, also helping them stay above that minimum spending amount.

As to the roster element, most of the lower-spending teams have veteran fillers on their roster that aren’t really part of their plans.  They’re placeholders, if you will, until those entry-level prospects show they’re ready.  And when they’re ready, they’ll get the spot and the veteran will either be traded or waived and demoted to the minors.

I’ll use a San Jose example since you brought them up.  Let’s say Sam Dickinson shows in training camp that he’s ready for NHL duty, or at least a look with the Sharks to start.  Yes, they already have eight blueliners on their roster but someone like Vincent Desharnais is clearly not part of their long-term plans.  He was acquired as a low-cost roster filler before they knew they’d be adding three veteran blueliners over the summer.  If they have to trade or waive him to open up a spot for Dickinson, they’re not going to think twice about it, they’ll just do it.  And if it’s the latter with him passing through unclaimed, the net savings to San Jose would only be just over $200K, barely enough to make a difference from a cap perspective while a player in and a player out keeps them in compliance with the roster limit.

I think you might be ahead of the game with this question.  A few years from now when the cap is much higher and more teams are operating with an internal budget that’s closer to the floor than the ceiling, I could see this question being asked as those teams might not have pricey placeholder veterans anymore but rather lower-cost ones.  Perhaps at that point, this could be an issue but for the upcoming season, teams should be able to navigate through this just fine.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

West Notes: Kaprizov, Armia, Sharks

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The future of Kirill Kaprizov with the Wild beyond this season has garnered plenty of attention with the winger now extension-eligible.  But nearly two months into that eligibility, no agreement has come to fruition just yet.  Speaking in a recent KFAN appearance (Twitter link), GM Bill Guerin seemed confident that a deal eventually will get done:

We’ve been talking all summer. Things are good. Things are in a good spot. I’m comfortable with where everything is. I’m confident. Kirill loves Minnesota. I know he loves Minnesota. I know he believes in the team. These things just take time.

When healthy, Kaprizov has been one of the top-scoring wingers in the NHL.  He’s reached the 40-goal mark three times in his five-year career and was producing at a 50-goal pace last year before he ultimately missed half the season due to injuries.  The Wild’s top priority this summer was trying to get a new deal in place for him, we’ll see soon enough if they’re able to get something across the finish line with training camps now just a few weeks away.

More from the Western Conference:

  • As part of their July 1st spending spree, the Kings added winger Joel Armia on a two-year, $5MM contract. Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider wonders if the 32-year-old might wind up as their best value signing.  It’s expected that he’ll line up on the fourth line at even strength which means his playing time and production might drop from a year ago (14:18 and 29 points) but his ability to kill penalties should take some of the pressure off their top-line penalty killers from a year ago, freeing them up to focus a bit more on their offense.
  • Earlier this month, the Sharks and the City of San Jose reached a tentative agreement on a plan that would see their arena undergo a seven-year upgrade with the team committing to stay through 2050-51, pending ratification from City Council. Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News relays that the approval was made official earlier this week, ensuring that the team won’t be going anywhere for a long time.

Nick Jensen Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery From Hip Surgery

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When Senators defenseman Nick Jensen underwent hip surgery after Ottawa’s playoff appearance, it was unclear how long he’d be out for.  While a firm timeline remains unknown, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the blueliner’s recovery appears to be ahead of schedule.

Back in May when he had the procedure, GM Steve Staios stated his intent “to address the club’s defence after learning the extent of Jensen’s ailment.”  That was a clear suggestion that the initial assessment would be that he’d miss some time at the start of the upcoming season.  He indeed addressed the right side of their back end at the draft with the acquisition of right-shot blueliner Jordan Spence from Los Angeles, shoring up their depth on Jensen’s side of the ice.

Jensen’s first season with the Senators was solid despite the fact he played through the injury in the second half of the year as well as the playoffs.  Acquired as part of the return for Jakob Chychrun last July, he got into 71 games during the regular season, picking up 21 points while logging over 20 minutes per contest for only the second time in his nine-year career.  He was held off the scoresheet in their six playoff outings against Toronto while averaging a little less than 21 minutes per contest.

Suffice it to say, Jensen is a key part of Ottawa’s top four on the back end while the upcoming season is also notable for him as he’s in the final year of his contract that carries an AAV of $4.05MM.  He’ll be wanting to demonstrate that he’s fully recovered and worthy of a new agreement that could push past the $5MM mark but as Garrioch notes, hip surgeries generally carry a recovery time of four to six months.  If things went absolutely perfectly, he could be ready by the end of training camp but given Jensen’s importance to the team, erring on the side of caution and not rushing him back might make the most sense in the long run, even if he is ahead of schedule in his recovery.

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