Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Snapshots: Drysdale, Thompson, Lee, Draft Lottery, Playoffs

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It was a tough season for Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale as he battled injury woes at multiple parts of the year.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), the blueliner indicated that when he was in the lineup, he was often playing hurt and that he might need a procedure done this summer to get back to full health for next season.  The 22-year-old was the centerpiece of the return they received for Cutter Gauthier back in January but he was limited to just 24 games with his new team and 34 on the season, a year after playing in only eight contests in 2022-23.  Drysdale is still viewed as a key piece of Philadelphia’s future and they’ll certainly be hoping that he can not only stay healthy but be an impactful player next season.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • During his end-of-season media conference (video link), Sabres GM Kevyn Adams indicated that the lower-body injury that Tage Thompson sustained in Monday’s season finale against Tampa Bay will take a few weeks to heal. Accordingly, he won’t play for Team USA at the upcoming Worlds.  After a slow start to his year, Thompson wound up collecting 29 goals and 27 assists in 71 games, an output that was down from the past two seasons but was still good enough to finish with three points of the team lead.
  • Islanders winger Anders Lee was a late scratch for their game tonight against Pittsburgh but it wasn’t for injury reasons. Instead, the team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran was scratched for personal reasons.  Lee’s season comes to an end with 20 goals and 17 assists in 81 games.  He also chipped in with a career-high 176 hits despite having his lowest ATOI (15:34) since the 2016-17 campaign.
  • The draft lottery will be held on either May 6th or 7th, pending finalization of the first-round schedule, relays David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The lottery will set the order for the first 16 selections for the upcoming draft in June.
  • The league announced the first game for each of the four Eastern Conference playoff series. Two series will begin on Saturday and two on Sunday.  The full schedule for each series will be released at a later date.  Heading into tonight’s action, three of the four series in the West weren’t set so those schedules aren’t likely to come for another couple of days.

2024 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Today, the NHL announced the 32 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Each team submitted their nominee; they are as follows:

Anaheim Ducks: Cam Fowler
Arizona Coyotes: Nick Bjugstad
Boston Bruins: Linus Ullmark
Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch
Calgary Flames: Andrew Mangiapane
Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin
Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy
Colorado Avalanche: Cale Makar
Columbus Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski
Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger
Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin
Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse
Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles Kings: Kevin Fiala
Minnesota Wild: Marc-Andre Fleury
Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki
Nashville Predators: Roman Josi
New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes
New York Islanders: Anders Lee
New York Rangers: Jacob Trouba
Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk
Philadelphia Flyers: Scott Laughton
Pittsburgh Penguins: Bryan Rust
San Jose Sharks: Luke Kunin
Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz
St. Louis Blues: Brayden Schenn
Tampa Bay Lightning: Nick Paul
Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews
Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes
Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel
Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg Jets: Josh Morrissey

Unlike most awards which are voted on by the players or media, the winner of this award is selected by a committee consisting of Commissioner Gary Bettman and former winners of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award, one that was awarded from 1997-98 through 2016-17.

Last year’s winner was Calgary’s Mikael Backlund.  The winner for this season will be revealed in late June.

Ryan Leonard To Remain At Boston College Next Season

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Following a dominant freshman year at Boston College and the fact that the Capitals are heading to the playoffs, some wondered if prospect Ryan Leonard would opt to turn pro and potentially suit up for Washington in the postseason.  However, that will not be the case as GM Brian MacLellan released a statement (Twitter link) announcing that Leonard will return for his sophomore year:

Ryan Leonard indicated his desire to return for his sophomore season at Boston College. We support Ryan’s decision to return to one of the best programs in the nation to continue his development. Ryan showed great leadership and made tremendous progress during his first year, which saw him score the most goals by a freshman in Boston College program history and the third-most goals in the NCAA. We will continue to monitor his development and progress next year and look forward to watching Ryan build upon his successful freshman season.

The 19-year-old was the eighth overall pick back in June and has only seen his stock go up since then.  Leonard appeared in 41 games with the Eagles this season, tallying 31 goals and 29 assists, good for third on the team in scoring but also fourth in NCAA Division I scoring.  He played a key role for Boston College on their way to the Frozen Four finals where they were ousted by the University of Denver.

Now, Leonard will set his sights on helping the Eagles have another long run next season.  While they’ve lost Cutter Gauthier to the pros, their forward group still features – for now, at least – Will Smith and Gabe Perreault, two high-scoring first-rounders from last year, giving Boston College a very strong core to work from to do just that.

Oilers Recall Sam Gagner And Adam Erne

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Oilers will have some extra depth on hand for their final couple of games of the season.  The team announced today that they’ve recalled forwards Sam Gagner and Adam Erne from AHL Bakersfield.

Gagner had an extended PTO with Edmonton back in training camp but was converted to a full-season deal back at the end of October.  Since then, he has split time between the Oilers and Condors.  The 34-year-old has been reasonably productive in limited minutes with Edmonton, tallying five goals and five assists in 27 games while averaging a little over ten minutes a night.  He has fared better in the minors on a per-game basis, collecting three goals and six helpers in 15 contests.

As for Erne, he also signed in-season with the Oilers, inking a two-way deal back on October 13th.  The 28-year-old has suited up 23 times for Edmonton so far but has just two points along with 67 hits while logging less than eight minutes a night.  Meanwhile, in Bakersfield, Erne has six goals and six assists through 35 contests.

Both players are set to become unrestricted free agents in July and aren’t expected to be in the lineup tonight against Arizona.  However, they could suit up on Thursday versus Colorado if the team decides to rest some forwards heading into the playoffs.

Five Key Stories: 4/8/24 – 4/14/24

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the playoffs now just days away, there was plenty of news of note around the hockey world.  We recap the biggest news from the past seven days in our key stories.

Coyotes To Salt Lake City? Early in the week, it came out that an alternate schedule was being drafted that had the Coyotes playing out of Salt Lake City.  Soon after, momentum increased toward a full relocation and while it hasn’t officially been announced yet (that should come as soon as this week), things are trending in that direction with players reportedly being told that the move is happening.  With an uncertain arena situation in Arizona, this is an outcome that the league and NHLPA will both likely be pleased with.  However, this might not be the end of NHL hockey in Arizona.  Outgoing owner Alex Meruelo is believed to have a five-year window to trigger an expansion franchise, giving him ample time to secure a new arena, whether it’s by winning the current auction that will end in June or on another site altogether.

Golden Knights Get Stronger: Vegas got a big boost to their lineup early in the week when they activated center Tomas Hertl off LTIR.  One of their key deadline pickups, Hertl will give the Golden Knights another impact center and some more firepower.  When they acquired him, it was expected that Hertl would be available for the stretch run, allowing him to get some games in before the playoffs.  Meanwhile, captain Mark Stone has been cleared to return to practice as he works his way back from a lacerated spleen.  Vegas used Stone’s LTIR savings to make their trade deadline additions so they won’t be able to activate him now as they did for Hertl.  However, with a full week next week of practice, the winger might be available when the playoffs get underway.

Sticking Around: One of the other players Vegas added at the deadline using Stone’s LTIR placement is defenseman Noah Hanifin.  He won’t be a short-term rental after all, however, as he signed an eight-year, $58.8MM contract extension.  The $7.35MM AAV will make the 27-year-old the second-highest-paid blueliner on the Golden Knights behind Alex Pietrangelo ($8.8MM).  Hanifin has seen his offensive output increase in recent years while remaining a strong defensive blueliner, making him a relatively safe bet for this long of an extension.  Worth noting is that Vegas now has over $85MM in commitments for next season already, per CapFriendly.  While Robin Lehner’s $5MM will likely stay on LTIR giving them a bit more wiggle room, Jonathan Marchessault, Anthony Mantha, and Chandler Stephenson are among the players who need new deals and it will be near-impossible to keep all of them around.

Not Sticking Around: When the buzzer sounds at the end of the game on Thursday against Vegas, Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg’s NHL career will come to an end as he announced he plans to retire from the NHL.  The 33-year-old started his career with Ottawa but was moved to Anaheim the following season and has stayed there ever since, spanning 11 seasons.  In his prime, he was an impactful two-way player with a stretch of four 20-goal seasons in five years.  Since then, he has become more of a depth piece and rather than search for a new contract in free agency, Silfverberg will instead return to play back home in Sweden.

Injury News: The Devils have been without their star center for the last few games as Jack Hughes underwent season-ending shoulder surgery.  The 22-year-old ends his campaign with 74 points in just 62 games, his third straight year of averaging more than a point per game.  Hughes is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp in the fall.  Meanwhile, their state rival got some good news on the injury front as center Filip Chytil was cleared to start skating with the Rangers.  He has missed the majority of the season after sustaining what’s believed to be two concussions with the team shutting him down for the year back in January.  Now, while he’ll undoubtedly be ramped up slowly, the 24-year-old could potentially return at some point in the playoffs which would certainly be a big boost to their lineup.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Kane, Pacioretty, Highmore

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It was only a few months ago that we were talking about Patrick Kane’s free agency before he signed a one-year, $2.5MM contract with Detroit in late November.  Now less than three months out from testing the open market again, the veteran told reporters including MLive’s Ansar Khan that he’s not concerned about his next deal just yet:

Obviously, it’s in the back of your mind. Right now, it’s more about being in the moment, being here with this team and trying to get in the playoffs. I think just with the situation I was in and coming in and being here for maybe three-quarters of the season, it’s just this year and then we’ll see what happens. Hopefully all that stuff figures itself out.

The contract has worked out well for both sides.  Kane is averaging nearly a point per game, notching 20 goals and 26 assists in 48 appearances.  That’s a strong return on Detroit’s investment while Kane has demonstrated that he has fully recovered from his hip resurfacing surgery which should put him in a better position for a pricier multi-year deal in July.  Whether that deal comes with the Red Wings or not will have to wait a little while longer.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • When Capitals winger Max Pacioretty didn’t move at the trade deadline, it came as somewhat of a surprise. Speaking with Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, the 35-year-old outlined his reasons for not waiving his NTC.  On top of staying close to his family, the veteran has enjoyed playing a notable role after missing so much time the last couple of years; it’s quite likely his role would have been more limited had he accepted a move.  Pacioretty has just four goals in 45 games this season but has added 19 assists while averaging over 14 minutes a night.  He’s certainly playing in meaningful games too with Washington in the thick of the race for the final playoff spots in the East.
  • After Saturday’s victory over Montreal, the Senators announced (Twitter link) that forward Matthew Highmore was assigned to AHL Belleville. The 28-year-old missed a little more than a month with an upper-body injury but returned to practice yesterday and has been given the green light to return.  Highmore has played in seven games with Ottawa this season, picking up two assists while adding 29 points in 40 appearances with Belleville, a team that is right in the thick of the playoff race in the AHL’s North Division.

Devils Prospect Samu Salminen Transfers To University Of Denver

at CDT | by 8 Comments

On Saturday, the University of Denver won the Frozen Four, beating Boston College 2-0.  Now, their reloading begins.  Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald notes that Devils prospect Samu Salminen has officially transferred to Denver, a move first reported earlier this month by PHR’s Gabriel Foley (Twitter link).

The 21-year-old was a third-round pick by New Jersey back in 2021, going 68th overall.  He had a strong showing in Jokerit’s junior program, averaging over a point per game in 2021-22 before making the jump to UConn for the 2022-23 campaign.

In his freshman year, Salminen recorded nine goals and eight assists in 27 games, solid production for a first-year player.  However, he was only able to match that this season, notching seven goals and ten helpers in 35 contests, resulting in the decision to try his hand elsewhere.

That Salminen wound up with Denver shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.  On top of the fact they’re now the reigning champions, he actually originally committed there in 2022 before reportedly running into difficulty with their admissions, resulting in the decision to join UConn instead.  Two years later, Salminen now lands as his originally intended destination.

Ducks Sign Cutter Gauthier

at CDT | by 16 Comments

The Ducks have reached an agreement with one of their top youngsters, announcing that they’ve signed forward Cutter Gauthier to a three-year, entry-level contract.  The team confirmed that the first year of the contract will be this season, meaning he will be eligible to play in their final game of the season on Thursday against Vegas.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that it breaks down as follows:

2023-24: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus
2024-25: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $950K ’A’ performance bonuses
2025-26: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $950K ’A’ performance bonuses, $950K ’B’ performance bonuses

That puts the cap hit for Gauthier at $950K and the AAV at $1.9MM.

The 19-year-old was the fifth overall pick back in 2022, going to Philadelphia.  At the time, it looked as if the Flyers had landed a key cog for their forward group for the future.  However, last year, Gauthier informed them that he was not willing to sign with Philadelphia.  The Flyers’ brass made efforts to try to convince him to change his mind but were unsuccessful.

Instead of waiting longer in the hopes he’d eventually have a change of heart, Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere opted to trade Gauthier while his value was at its peak not long after the World Juniors where he tied for the tournament lead in scoring with a dozen points in seven games.  While many teams showed interest, it was Anaheim’s offer that the Flyers accepted, acquiring blueliner Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick in return.

After being a go-to scorer with the U.S. National Team Development Program, Gauthier became an impact scorer with the Eagles right away, recording 16 goals and 21 assists in 32 contests.  This season, he took that even further, notching 38 goals along with 27 helpers in 41 appearances.  While that wasn’t enough to lead the Eagles in scoring – San Jose’s Will Smith was six points ahead of him, he finished second in NCAA Division I scoring.  Gauthier was named a Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist, NCAA All-American, and a Hockey East First Team All-Star for his efforts.

Gauthier, who spent the majority of the season at center, joins an Anaheim group of middlemen that is quickly becoming one of the deepest in the NHL.  The Ducks already have 2021 third overall selection Mason McTavish, 2023 second overall pick Leo Carlsson, and Trevor Zegras (who went ninth in 2019) among their group of centers.  That allows them to let Gauthier get his feet wet on the wing next season if they want although lots can change roster-wise between now and the time the puck drops on the 2024-25 campaign in October.  Regardless, the Ducks now have another core forward under contract as their rebuild continues.

Kraken Reassign Cale Fleury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

April 14: Fleury was returned to Coachella Valley before today’s loss to the Blues, CapFriendly indicates.

April 12: Earlier today, Seattle returned a trio of young forwards to AHL Coachella Valley so that they can get ready for a potentially long playoff run down there.  There weren’t any corresponding recalls announced at the time but the Kraken have indeed brought a player up from the Firebirds.  However, that move came on the back end as the team announced (Twitter link) that Cale Fleury has been recalled on an emergency basis.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to being brought up under these circumstances as it’s the fifth time he has been brought up on emergency recall since last month’s trade deadline, meaning they haven’t counted against Seattle’s four regular recall limit.  However, Fleury hasn’t seen much NHL action on those promotions, suiting up just once this season, coming last Friday.

Fleury has spent the bulk of the year with the Firebirds and has done quite well, notching seven goals and 27 assists while his plus-30 rating is tied for second-best in the AHL.  Most of the time, he has been returned quickly to Coachella Valley following these recalls; we’ll see this weekend if that recent history repeats itself.

Metropolitan Notes: Dobson, Sandin, Nybeck

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Islanders were without Noah Dobson for most of Thursday’s victory over Montreal and he will miss at least one more as the team announced (Twitter link) that the defenseman is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury; he wasn’t in uniform this afternoon against the Rangers.  Dobson is in the middle of a breakout year as he sits second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 60 assists in 79 appearances; his assist total is tied for fifth among all NHL rearguards.  On top of the offensive production, the 24-year-old is also logging a career-high 24:31 per night so his absence is a crucial one with the Isles right in the thick of the battle for a playoff spot.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin didn’t skate on Friday due to his upper-body injury and it’s possible he won’t return before the end of the season next week, notes Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post (Twitter link). The 24-year-old was injured on Sunday against Ottawa.  Sandin has had a good first full season with the Caps, recording 23 points in 68 games while averaging a career-best 21:07 per night.  That helped earn Sandin a five-year, $23MM extension last month.
  • Hurricanes prospect Zion Nybeck has changed teams in Sweden as Oskarshamn in Sweden’s Allsvenskan announced that they’ve signed the forward to a one-year deal. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 (115th overall) but the majority of his time professionally has been spent in the second division.  This past season, Nybeck had 17 goals and 27 assists in 52 games with AIK, good for second on the team in scoring.  Carolina has until June 1st to sign Nybeck and the fact he’s staying in Sweden suggests that the Hurricanes won’t be doing so.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top