Nikita Zadorov Receives Two-Game Suspension
After announcing a hearing just a few hours ago, the Department of Player Safety has made a quick ruling on Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov. The league announced (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been handed a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against Detroit forward Lucas Raymond.
The incident occurred early in the second period today with Zadorov receiving a match penalty on the play. As the league’s accompanying video notes, Zadorov’s hit satisfies both elements for an illegal check to the head with the head being the principal point of contact and the hit being avoidable; it was deemed that Zadorov’s hit was mistimed and that he needed to take a better angle to hit Raymond’s core.
With Vancouver being back in action on Sunday, the league needed to make a ruling fairly quickly. Zadorov will miss that contest against Washington as well as Tuesday’s game versus Chicago; he’ll be eligible to return on Thursday when they host Detroit in a rematch of today’s game. It’s the first suspension of Zadorov’s career and he will forfeit a little over $39K in salary, that money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. 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 that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 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 CapFriendly.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Current Cap Hit: $84,629,281 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
None on the active roster.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
F Jeff Carter ($3.125MM, UFA)
F Jake Guentzel ($6MM, UFA)
F Jansen Harkins ($850K, UFA)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph ($850K, RFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($800K, UFA)
Guentzel’s situation is well-known at this point. There haven’t been any substantive discussions about a new deal but the 29-year-old is set to be one of the top forwards available in free agency this summer and will be eyeing a multi-million-dollar raise on a long-term agreement. That will still be the case whether it’s Pittsburgh or someone else giving it to him. Whoever has him on their roster after the trade deadline will be the only team that can offer the max-term eight-year deal; everyone else will be limited to seven.
Carter did well in his first year and a bit with the Penguins, earning this extension as a reward. But on this contract, he has struggled considerably, especially this season. Now 39, it’s fair to wonder if this will be his final year. If it’s not, he’ll be looking at a deal worth close to the league minimum with perhaps some small incentives. Harkins came over in October as a waiver claim before clearing waivers less than three weeks later. Despite that, he has spent most of the season in the NHL on the fourth line. That gives him a chance at securing another one-way contract but it’s also likely to be at or very close to the $775K minimum salary.
Joseph has battled injuries this season and hasn’t played a lot when he’s healthy. While his qualifying offer is for just under $900K, tendering it would give him arbitration eligibility. With over 100 NHL games under his belt, the potential award could be more than what Pittsburgh would want to pay him. If they can reach a deal beforehand, it should come in close to the $1MM mark. Ruhwedel has been a serviceable depth piece for several years now and being a right-shot player certainly helps his value. Another one-way contract close to this one should be doable.
After a particularly rough showing last season with Detroit, Nedeljkovic has bounced back quite nicely with his best performance since his breakout stretch in 2020-21. If teams feel this level of play is sustainable, then he could conceivably double this on the open market. But with the year-to-year volatility, something closer to the $2.75MM range may be more realistic.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Sidney Crosby ($8.7MM, UFA)
F Lars Eller ($2.45MM, UFA)
D John Ludvig ($775K, RFA)
F Matt Nieto ($900K, UFA)
F Drew O’Connor ($925K, UFA)
D Marcus Pettersson ($4.025MM, UFA)
F Jesse Puljujarvi ($800K, UFA)
F Reilly Smith ($5MM, UFA)
Crosby has been a Penguin for his entire 19-year NHL career and while some have openly speculated about him being traded, that doesn’t seem like a probable outcome at this point. He will have just turned 38 when the 2025-26 season gets underway so another multi-year agreement (between two and four years) isn’t entirely unrealistic. For Pittsburgh, the longer the term of the offer, the lower the cap hit would be, similar to some of the other deals their long-term veterans have received. Considering how he has performed this season, there’s a chance that his next contract could carry the same cap charge as this one and the one that preceded it.
Smith came over from Vegas in a cap-dumping move but he’s still a capable middle-six player. However, this price point is on the high side for someone in that role based on his usage with the Penguins. If he winds up being in the 40-point range (compared to the 56 he had in his final year with the Golden Knights), Smith may need to take a small pay cut heading into his age-34 campaign in 2025. Eller is still a serviceable third-line center for now but he’ll be 36 when his next contract starts. Assuming he slows down a bit more, he’ll likely have to go year-to-year with a price tag a bit below this one.
O’Connor had been more of a role player until this season where he’s averaging nearly 15 minutes a night while setting career highs offensively. If that usage and production hold next season, he could at least double his current price tag on his next deal. Nieto has battled injuries this year but, when healthy, has been a regular on the fourth line, a role he is used to holding. This has been his price range for the last two contracts and it’s unlikely that will change on his next one. Puljujarvi’s market was recently set with the winger finally signing earlier this month. Unless he can establish himself as a top-nine regular, he’ll continue to be on the fringes, keeping his price tag close to the minimum.
Pettersson had a couple of rough seasons but turned things around last year and has been even better in 2023-24, showing he can still be a top-half defender on a depth chart. However, his lack of offensive output most years will limit his earnings upside. Still, another long-term agreement and at least a small raise should be doable, an outcome that would have been surprising just a couple of years ago. Ludvig was a waiver claim but an early-season concussion has limited him thus far. If he can stick around as even a seventh defenseman, however, he could land at least a mild raise a couple of years from now.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Noel Acciari ($2MM, UFA)
F Evgeni Malkin ($6.1MM, UFA)
Malkin has certainly slowed down this season but at 37, that’s to be expected. He’s still producing at a top-six rate so for now, they’re getting a good return. As he ages, however, the value of this contract will drop. Similar to the Crosby discussion, that’s the trade-off for getting an AAV that’s lower than what his market value would have been otherwise. Acciari has shown flashes of third-line production over the year (he even had a 20-goal campaign) but is best utilized as a fourth liner with some extra faceoff utility. This contract is a bit pricey for someone with that profile but it’s not a significant overpayment either.
East Notes: Forsling, Peeke, Iskhakov
Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling is one of Florida’s prominent pending unrestricted free agents. The 27-year-old has gone from being a waiver claim in 2021 to a top-three defender and his price tag is set to jump considerably from his current $2.667MM AAV. Keeping him, blueliner Brandon Montour, and forward Sam Reinhart will be difficult to do but Forsling told Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald that he has made it known that he wants to remain with Florida. However, discussions on a new deal have been minimal so far. Forsling has 22 points in 50 games so far this season while averaging over 22 minutes a night, putting him in a position to more than double his current cap hit.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli wonders if the Blue Jackets might look at buying out defenseman Andrew Peeke this summer. Columbus has been shopping a blueliner for most of the season (Peeke and Adam Boqvist have been the players believed to be available) but has yet to find a suitable trade, likely because both blueliners have cap hits at or above $2.6MM. Peeke struggled last season and has been a frequent healthy scratch this year (playing just 20 times), providing a weak return on a $2.75MM price so far. He has two years left on his deal and if Columbus was to buy him out, they’d eat a $917K dead cap charge for the next four seasons.
- Dan Milstein, the agent for Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov, told Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News that contrary to speculation from earlier this week that had him linked to the KHL, the forward has yet to engage in discussions for next season. The 23-year-old is in his second AHL season and has been quite productive, collecting 34 points in 44 games this season after putting up 51 points in his rookie campaign in 2022-23 but is still looking for his first NHL opportunity. Iskhakov is set to become a restricted agent with arbitration eligibility this summer.
Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Rangers, Pacioretty
The Devils have been pondering about making a big push to acquire Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. After a rough 2022-23 campaign, the 34-year-old has bounced back nicely this year, posting a .914 SV% in 31 starts to keep Calgary within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the West. Markstrom is signed through 2025-26 with a $6MM cap hit and has a full no-move clause, giving him control on where he goes if he decides to accept a move; Pagnotta notes that Markstrom would seriously consider approving a trade to New Jersey should talks get that far. The Devils have a team save percentage of just .881 this season, tied with Ottawa for last in the NHL so a significant upgrade between the pipes like Markstrom would be would give them a huge boost for the stretch run.
More from the Metropolitan:
- The Rangers are believed to have interest in center Adam Henrique but are not willing to part with the first-round pick the Ducks are seeking, reports USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano. The 34-year-old is the best rental middleman left on the trade market, giving Anaheim some extra leverage in discussions. Henrique has 15 goals and 18 assists in 49 games so far this season while winning 53.4% of his faceoffs. However, he carries a $5.825MM cap hit, one that the Ducks will need to pay down half of to maximize his value.
- When Max Pacioretty signed with the Capitals in free agency, he landed a full no-move clause as part of the contract, seemingly hoping to stick with them for the full season. However, Pierre LeBrun notes in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that his sense is that the 35-year-old might waive that trade protection for the right fit and a chance to go for a Stanley Cup. Pacioretty has a base $2MM cap charge, plus another $2MM in games played bonuses. Half of those bonuses have been met already while another $500K will be earned when he plays his next game which should come on Saturday versus Boston.
Maple Leafs Among Many Teams Interested In Maxim Tsyplakov
Maxim Tsyplakov is having a career year in the KHL and saying he has caught the eye of some NHL teams would be putting it lightly. Tsyplakov’s agent Alexander Chernykh told The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke that at least a dozen NHL teams have expressed an interest in signing the winger for next season. He confirmed that the Maple Leafs are among those teams pursuing Tsyplakov.
The 25-year-old had a bounce-back season in 2022-23, picking up 25 points in 63 games with Spartak Moscow. However, Tsyplakov has found another gear this season, lighting the lamp 30 times already while chipping in with 15 assists in 58 contests while logging nearly 18 minutes a night. His goal total is tied for the third-highest in the KHL this season behind former NHLers Reid Boucher and Nikolay Goldobin.
Standing 6’3, Tsyplakov is also able to play with some physicality which would help him potentially fit in on a lower line to start next season as it’s rare that an undrafted free agent would jump into an NHL top six right away. Kloke notes that Toronto also discussed the possibility of trying to play Tsyplakov at center which would certainly increase his value if he’s able to do so consistently.
Tsyplakov is still subject to entry-level regulations so wherever he signs, it will be a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary worth less than $1MM. Considering the level of interest expressed so far, it stands to reason that he should be able to secure some performance bonuses which are capped as well. Most teams will make the same offer so it will be up to Tsyplakov to determine the best fit, especially since he’d be arbitration-eligible following next season.
Unlike pending NHL free agents, KHL contracts expire at the end of April so Tsyplakov will be eligible to sign at that time. With the interest he has already received, there’s a good chance it won’t take long for him to sign when the calendar turns to May.
Atlantic Notes: Newhook, Robertson, Tarasenko
The Canadiens are expected to activate forward Alex Newhook off injured reserve on Saturday, paving the way for him to return against Dallas, relays Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. The 23-year-old has missed nearly two and a half months with an ankle injury but had gotten off to a decent start to his first year in Montreal before that, recording 13 points in 23 games. While Newhook has spent a lot of time on the wing in his career, he’ll likely play at center more frequently down the stretch following the recent Sean Monahan trade. The Canadiens opened up a roster spot to activate Newhook earlier today when they returned Lucas Condotta to AHL Laval.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Nicholas Robertson has popped up in recent trade chatter and the Maple Leafs are believed to be willing to move the winger, reports The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. The 22-year-old has managed to stay healthy this season, resulting in him playing in a career-best 31 games where he has seven goals and seven assists. However, Robertson hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot in Toronto’s lineup. Considering his offensive success at the lower levels, it stands to reason that several rebuilding teams would have some interest in seeing if Robertson can take a step forward with a new organization.
- While many expect the Senators to move pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko before next month’s trade deadline, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes that it’s not a lock that Ottawa even wants to move him. The Sens are known to be looking to add quality veterans to help their younger core and have been impressed with how he has become a leading voice in their dressing room. Tarasenko recently changed agents again; perhaps it was on the hopes of spurring along extension talks that have yet to begin at this point.
Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Stars
With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Dallas Stars.
Things have gone mostly according to plan for the Stars this season. They’re among the top-scoring teams in the NHL and have been in a battle for the top spot in the Central Division for the majority of the season. However, they’ve been a bit shakier on the defensive side of things so if GM Jim Nill is able to add to his roster, the back end could very well be the area he tries to shore up in the coming weeks. However, with very limited cap space, they may be limited in what they’re able to accomplish on the trade front.
Record
31-14-6, 1st in the Central
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$1.924MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 5th, DAL 7th
2025: DAL 1st, DAL 3rd*, DAL 5th, NJ 5th DAL 6th, DAL 7th
*-If Nils Lundkvist gets 55 total points between 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Rangers would get this pick instead of Dallas’ 2025 fourth-rounder. Lundkvist has 30 points in a Dallas uniform heading into tonight’s action so this condition is unlikely to be met but the pick will be encumbered for trade purposes.
Trade Chips
As a team that won’t be intent on moving impactful pieces off its roster, Dallas will undoubtedly be fielding inquiries about Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque. They are the top two scorers in the AHL but have yet to see NHL action so far given the depth that the Stars have up front. If it’s only a depth move that they’re able to make, these two won’t be in play but if Nill wants to make a significant upgrade, one of these two could help yield Dallas a strong roster player.
If Dallas does look to make a move to add a piece on the back end, Lundkvist could also be someone who generates some interest. The 23-year-old has basically been limited to full-time third-pairing duty at even strength while seeing some secondary power play time. Accordingly, the points weren’t exactly piling up as the Stars hoped when they traded for him in 2022. That said, Lundkvist is still on his entry-level deal and he’d likely be of interest to quite a few rebuilding teams although his $925K cap hit doesn’t help much when it comes to matching money. It’s unlikely Nill would move him for a rental player but if they could get an impact blueliner with some salary retention signed beyond this season, Lundkvist could conceivably be part of the package heading the other way.
In terms of other depth players who could go to help match money in a trade, Craig Smith and Sam Steel come to mind. Both forwards (who are pending free agents) have fared relatively well on the fourth line but could slip out of the lineup should an upgrade be acquired. Smith makes a bit more at $1MM while Steel is a little cheaper ($850K) but has one more year of team control though it comes with arbitration eligibility. Neither player has much trade value directly but as pieces to help make the finances work, they’re candidates to be moved.
If they look to bring in someone with a bigger contract, the money-matcher going the other way could very well be Radek Faksa. The 30-year-old is a strong defensive player but his offense simply hasn’t come around. At $3.25MM through next season, he might be a luxury they can no longer afford if they add a bigger-ticket player.
One prospect who isn’t quite at Bourque and Stankoven’s level offensively in the minors but should draw some interest is Matej Blumel. The 23-year-old is coming to the end of his entry-level deal and has 77 points in 99 career AHL games with Texas. He also has six games of NHL experience under his belt. Blumel will still have another year of waiver exemption after this one, giving him some extra value in a move.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Oskar Back, F Nicholas Caamano, F Riley Damiani
Team Needs
1) Defensive Upgrade: There’s a definite gap between Dallas’ top three defensemen and the rest. Getting a proven second-pairing option would certainly give that unit a boost while also hedging against injuries. If the player happens to be a right-handed shot, that would be even more beneficial although, as always, impact right-defenders are in short supply and high demand. If they can’t land a top-four player, adding some extra depth to hedge against injuries would be beneficial and affordable in their cap structure.
2) Experienced Third Goaltender: When Jake Oettinger missed time earlier this season, they leaned heavily on Scott Wedgewood with third-string option Matt Murray having very limited NHL experience. If Dallas isn’t comfortable using Murray at this point, it would be worth trying to find a veteran third option, one who could be stashed in the minors and come up if one of Oettinger or Wedgewood go down. This is the type of move where one of their AHL skaters could be on the move as the return for that insurance policy between the pipes.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Injury Updates: Miromanov, Senators, Killorn, Bedard, Raanta
The Golden Knights welcomed back one of their blueliners for their game tonight versus Arizona as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated Daniil Miromanov from injured reserve. The 26-year-old had yet to play with Vegas this season as he worked his way back from ACL and meniscus surgery in the summer. He got into five games with AHL Henderson last month on a conditioning stint and fared quite well, notching a goal and five assists before being recalled a couple of weeks ago. However, Vegas opted to play it safe with Miromanov, allowing him more time to skate with the team before officially having him suit up for his season debut with the big club.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- The Senators are expected to welcome back goaltender Anton Forsberg and defenseman Travis Hamonic for their next game on Saturday, relays Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan (Twitter link). Forsberg is currently on LTIR and Ottawa will need to make some roster moves to get cap-compliant before activating him. The 31-year-old has a save percentage of .889 in 16 games so far this season. Meanwhile, Hamonic has missed the last couple of weeks due to an upper-body injury but has remained on Ottawa’s active roster so no roster move is necessary for him to return. The 33-year-old has five points and 69 blocked shots in 40 appearances.
- Ducks winger Alex Killorn skated before practice today as he works his way back from knee surgery, relays Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link). The 34-year-old had the procedure two weeks ago and it carried a four-to-six-week recovery period. While he didn’t stick around for Anaheim’s full practice, the fact Killorn is back on the ice is a promising sign that his return date could come closer to the earlier part of that range. He has 19 points in 34 games so far this season, his first with the Ducks.
- While Connor Bedard has been holding out hope that he could return earlier than expected, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson poured cold water on that idea today. He told reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that the rookie center’s return is unlikely to come before the original six-week mark. Despite missing more than a month now, Bedard still leads all rookies in points with 33 in just 39 games.
- After coming into tonight’s game in relief of Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta suffered a lower-body injury, per a team announcement (Twitter link). Raanta made nine saves in his lone period of work. It has been a rough year for the 34-year-old who had a save percentage of just .870 coming into tonight’s action and cleared waivers back in December.
Oilers Targeting Top-Six Forward Help
Goaltending has been the central theme for trade speculation around the Oilers this season after their netminders got off to particularly rough starts. However, things have settled down nicely since then with Stuart Skinner’s play improving considerably since their early-season coaching change and Calvin Pickard faring quite nicely in the backup role.
It appears that their performances have taken off some of the pressure of seeking another netminder. Instead, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment that GM Ken Holland has turned his focus toward adding a top-six forward. More specifically, the goal would be to find someone better suited to play alongside Leon Draisaitl on the second line.
Speculatively, they may be looking to replace Warren Foegele on that trio. The 27-year-old is well on his way toward having a career year offensively (he’s just four points away from matching his previous career high) but he’s a player who has spent most of his career in the bottom six. Getting him back in that role would certainly deepen Edmonton’s lineup.
LeBrun mentioned a handful of players as possible targets, several of which will be dependent on how their current teams fare in their playoff push in the coming weeks. The Oilers are quite familiar with Jordan Eberle; LeBrun suggests that the idea of bringing him back to Edmonton has grown in the front office recently. Ottawa’s Vladimir Tarasenko (who has full trade protection) and Detroit’s Daniel Sprong and David Perron were also floated as possible targets if those respective teams sell by next month’s deadline. All four players are on expiring contracts and with Edmonton’s long-term cap situation, it would make sense for them to be focusing on rental players if they do try to make a key addition up front.
However, cap space is somewhat limited for the Oilers at the moment. Even with their current 21-man roster, Edmonton projects to have a little over $2.3MM in cap space at the trade deadline, per CapFriendly. An injury or two would eat most of that flexibility up. Sprong is the only one out of that group whose salary would fit into their existing space, even if there was the maximum 50% retention on the other three.
Accordingly, Edmonton may need to send out a roster player to help fit in any top-six acquisition on its salary cap. Foegele, on an expiring deal himself, could very well be an option as could one of Brett Kulak or Cody Ceci, defensemen who are signed beyond this season (two more years for Kulak, one for Ceci); moving one of them would also open up a spot for Philip Broberg to return to the big club.
For a team with the top-end firepower that the Oilers have, they’re not even in the top ten in NHL scoring, sitting 12th in that regard heading into Thursday’s action. Meanwhile, only two teams have allowed fewer goals than Edmonton has. Accordingly, if they believe the structural and goaltending improvements are sustainable, looking to add some more offense may very well be the right approach for Holland to take over the next few weeks.
Capitals Looking To Move Joel Edmundson
The Capitals have been carrying eight blueliners for a while now since they added Ethan Bear in late December and it appears they’re intent on clearing that logjam. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in his latest 32 Thoughts column that they’re looking to move blueliner Joel Edmundson prior to next month’s trade deadline.
The 30-year-old is in his first season with Washington after being acquired from Montreal just minutes before free agency opened up back in July. However, injuries have limited Edmundson to 32 games so far and when he has been in the lineup, his playing time has been considerably lower than usual. He’s averaging 16:08 per night, down nearly three and a half minutes from a year ago. While he has never been a big point producer, Edmundson has just three points so far while also recording 41 blocked shots.
Edmundson is in the final season of a four-year, $14MM contract he signed with the Canadiens back in 2020. However, Washington is only responsible for half of his $3.5MM AAV with Montreal retaining the other half as part of the trade which saw the Caps part with a third-round pick and a seventh-rounder for his services.
Edmundson has 75 career playoff appearances under his belt including a pair of runs to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019 with St. Louis and 2021 with Montreal. Between that and a relatively low cap charge, there should be some teams that have interest in a player who could aid their third pairing or at least add some depth for a potential playoff push. Whether GM Brian MacLellan can get a return that matches or beats the one he gave up in the summer remains to be seen but they should be able to get something for his services and clear up the backlog on their back end.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.