Pacific Notes: Backlund, Hirose, Broberg
Trade offers for Flames center Mikael Backlund have been soft thus far, notes Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg. The 34-year-old is actually coming off a career year offensively, notching 19 goals and 37 assists in 82 games last season while continuing to be strong in the defensive end. However, while his performance last year was strong, his contract, which carries a $5.35MM AAV, is likely contributing to a weak trade market at this time. Backlund hasn’t ruled out signing an extension to stay with the team that drafted him back in 2007 but wants to see how the team fares in 2023-24 before making a decision. Cap space is tight for Calgary at the moment so GM Craig Conroy is likely open to trying to free up some salary but with Backlund’s trade market being light, it’s unlikely that the veteran middleman will be the cap casualty.
More from the Pacific:
- While Akito Hirose impressed for the Canucks late last season, his waiver exemption could work against him in training camp, suggests Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province. The 24-year-old held his own after signing as an undrafted college free agent, collecting three assists in seven games while logging over 16 minutes a night. However, Jack Rathbone, Guillaume Brisebois, Noah Juulsen, and Matt Irwin (among others) must pass through waivers to go to AHL Abbotsford. If Vancouver is worried about possibly losing one of them on the wire, Hirose could find himself on the outside looking in as a result.
- Although blueliner Philip Broberg is viewed as one of the Oilers’ top youngsters, Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal wonders if he could be a victim of what could be too much left-side defensive depth. Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm are entrenched in the top two slots on that side while Brett Kulak has three years left on a deal worth $2.75MM which would be hard to move in this market. Those three present some roadblocks for Broberg who will be looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL player this coming season. If the 22-year-old gets a chance to play his off-side in the preseason, that might be his best chance of earning a significant role in 2023-24.
Mark Stone Played Through Fractured Wrist In Cup-Clinching Game
The fifth and final game of the Stanley Cup Final was certainly a productive one for Golden Knights winger Mark Stone as he notched a hat trick, becoming the first player to score three in a game in the final series since 1996. It turns out he accomplished that despite being injured earlier in the contest. In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link), the veteran indicated that he suffered a fractured wrist in the first period of that contest and played through it the rest of the way.
The 31-year-old is no stranger when it comes to having to battle through back trouble over the last two seasons, undergoing two surgeries in the span of nine months, the second of which came back in February. However, he was able to return for the playoff opener and had a very productive postseason, notching 11 goals and 13 assists in Vegas’ 22 games.
This particular injury shouldn’t be an issue when it comes to Stone’s availability for training camp next month. At the moment, there aren’t believed to be any carryover injuries from their appearance in the Final as goaltender Logan Thompson will be ready for camp. Robin Lehner is expected to be back on LTIR next season but missed all of the 2022-23 campaign after undergoing double hip surgery last August.
Metropolitan Notes: Hurricanes, Farabee, Haman Aktell
Carolina finds itself without an AHL affiliate for the upcoming season after Chicago opted to become an independent franchise. Speaking with reporters today including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer, GM Don Waddell indicated that he is in discussions with a handful of teams about loaning out some of their prospects. The Hurricanes opted to loan several European players overseas for 2023-24, a move that Waddell acknowledged wasn’t ideal but was workable for 2023-24. Waddell hopes that Carolina will once again have its own affiliate for 2024-25 and are looking into potential options but with 32 AHL franchises and Chicago’s desire to be an independent one, one NHL team will be in this situation each season moving forward.
More from the Metropolitan:
- This time last summer, Flyers winger Joel Farabee was recovering from undergoing artificial disk replacement surgery in his neck and wasn’t able to get in a full summer of training. Speaking with NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman, the 23-year-old indicated that there are no lingering issues from the procedure which has allowed him to have a more traditional offseason in terms of preparation. Farabee is coming off a 15-goal, 24-assist season, an output that was lower than expected but with a full summer under his belt, he could be a bounce-back candidate for Philadelphia this coming season.
- Allan Mitchell of The Athletic recently examined (subscription link) some of the top NHL-affiliated players that didn’t suit up at the top level last season. Atop his list was Capitals free agent signing Hardy Haman Aktell who inked an entry-level agreement back in April. The 25-year-old had a breakout year last season with Vaxjo of the SHL with Mitchell honing in on his even-strength goal differential as an element that could get him an opportunity with Washington sooner than later.
Oilers Prospect Shane Lachance Commits To Boston University
Boston University has added another NHL-drafted prospect to the mix as they announced (Twitter link) that Oilers prospect Shane Lachance will be suiting up for them next season.
The 19-year-old was drafted by Edmonton back in the sixth round in 2021, going 186th overall. He spent that season with the Boston Jr. Bruins of the NCDC before moving to Youngstown of the USHL in 2021-22.
Lachance is coming off a strong season with the Phantoms where he helped lead them to a Clark Cup title. In 62 games last season, Lachance, the son of former NHL blueliner Scott Lachance, picked up 33 goals and 21 assists while also chipping in with three goals and three helpers in nine playoff contests.
With this commitment, Edmonton is set to hold Lachance’s NHL rights through the 2026-27 season, giving the Oilers plenty of time to evaluate his development. He becomes the third NHL-drafted forward to join the Terriers for the upcoming season, joining Jack Hughes (Los Angeles) and Jack Harvey (Tampa Bay).
West Notes: Canucks, Yurov, Labanc
Following last week’s signing of Pius Suter, the Canucks find themselves even further above the $83.5MM cap ceiling with more than $88MM in commitments per CapFriendly and with a surplus of forwards. Thomas Drance of The Athletic examines (subscription link) how Vancouver can get cap-compliant even with Tanner Pearson’s potential return from LTIR. It would require carrying a 22-man roster instead of the maximum of 23 and would require at least three players to go on waivers, one of which needs to make at least $1.15MM. That would give them less than $150K in wiggle room, however, so it wouldn’t be surprising if GM Patrik Allvin looks to make a move or two to try to give themselves at least a bit of flexibility.
More from the Western Conference:
- Minnesota is open to trying to turn prospect Danila Yurov into a center down the road, relays NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. The 19-year-old was a first-round pick (22nd overall) by the Wild last year and is set to remain with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL next season before coming to North America. Generally speaking, teams often allow center prospects to develop on the wing to start so it might take some time before Minnesota determines whether this is an experiment worth pursuing. However, finding and developing an impact young middleman has proven to be a challenge in recent years so if Yurov could be up to the task down the road, he’d help fill a big organizational void.
- With the Sharks adding four forwards to their roster this summer, there aren’t many openings up front for prospects. One idea to open up a spot would be to waive and demote frequent speculative trade candidate Kevin Labanc but Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News believes that option would be a far-fetched one. The 27-year-old is entering the final year of his contract which carries a $4.725MM AAV. Labanc has shown he can still produce after notching 15 goals in 72 games last season although that’s not a great return on their investment. San Jose has one salary retention slot remaining for 2023-24 and burying Labanc in the minors for any period of time would likely hurt their chances of moving him with 50% retention later in the year.
Predators Prospect Alexander Campbell Transfers To Northeastern
Predators prospect Alexander Campbell is on the move. After spending his first three seasons at Clarkson, Northeastern University announced (Twitter link) that the forward will suit up for the Huskies in 2023-24.
The 22-year-old was a third-round pick by Nashville back in 2019 (65th overall) after a strong season with Victoria of the BCHL. Campbell spent the following year with USHL Omaha before making the jump to the collegiate level in 2020-21.
Over his three seasons with Clarkson, Campbell was quite productive. He notched 17 points in just 22 games in his freshman year before following that up with 16 goals and 17 assists in 37 contests in 2021-22. Last year, he wasn’t quite able to reach those numbers but still finished third in team scoring with 14 goals and a dozen helpers in 34 contests.
His success with Clarkson makes it a bit surprising that Campbell has opted to transfer for his senior year. He is one of just two NHL-drafted forwards with Northeastern for the upcoming season so he’ll undoubtedly have a significant role which could be worth his while as he looks to earn an entry-level deal from the Preds by June 1st, 2024.
Flyers Prospect Alex Bump Commits To Western Michigan
While he had originally committed to play at Vermont, Flyers prospect Alex Bump has already transferred before playing a single game. Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now relays that the winger will now play for Western Michigan next season. The reason for the transfer pertained to Vermont dismissing head coach Todd Woodcroft earlier this summer.
The 19-year-old was selected in the fifth round last year (133rd overall) after splitting the season between the Minnesota high school level and Omaha of the USHL. His performance with Prior Lake High earned him USA Today’s Hockey Player of the Year honors that season.
Bump then spent last year with the Lancers for part of the campaign before being dealt to Tri-City back in February. Between the two teams, he picked up 14 goals and 19 assists in 48 games.
It has been a successful summer on the transfer front for the Broncos. Bump is the fourth NHL-drafted player to transfer there in recent months, joining forwards Sam Colangelo (Anaheim), Ethan Phillips (Detroit), and Matteo Costantini (Buffalo).
Five Key Stories: 8/7/23 – 8/13/23
The first full week of August is in the books and, as is usually the case at this time of year, it was a relatively quiet one. However, there were a few moves of some note which are recapped here.
Goalie Moves: A pair of teams shored up their goaltending depth with training camps now only a month away. First, the Ducks signed Alex Stalock to a one-year, $800K deal. The 36-year-old posted an impressive .908 SV% with Chicago last season, ten points higher than the team save percentage. He’ll battle youngster Lukas Dostal for the number two spot behind John Gibson. The Maple Leafs also got in on the action, inking Martin Jones to a one-year, $875K agreement. Jones played in 48 games with Seattle last season but posted a career-low .886 SV%. The 33-year-old will battle Joseph Woll for the number two spot but is likely ticketed to start with the AHL Marlies and be available as a recall if needed.
Capitals Seeking Top-Six Help: While there aren’t many top-six options left in free agency, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan acknowledged that he’s still hoping to add an impact forward to their roster for the upcoming season. Washington missed the playoffs in 2022-23 and while they’ll eventually get Max Pacioretty when he’s cleared to return from his Achilles injury, that addition alone might not be enough to get them back to the postseason. However, Washington is basically capped out at this point so if they do find a trade for a forward they’re coveting, they will need to create some cap room to do so; speculative trade candidates including Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Kuznetsov but both veterans are coming off down years which won’t help their value around the league.
Suter To Vancouver: One of the top forwards left on the market now has a new home as the Canucks signed center Pius Suter to a two-year contract that carries a cap hit of $1.6MM. The 27-year-old has scored at least 14 goals in each of his three NHL seasons and will give Vancouver a boost to their secondary scoring while he should slot in as a regular on the penalty kill as well. Suter’s addition adds to what already looked like a bit of a logjam up front, especially if Tanner Pearson is able to return. That will present GM Patrik Allvin with a bit of a cap and roster crunch to navigate through but considering that the Canucks were a little thin up front behind J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, Suter’s addition is certainly a worthwhile one for them.
Sutter To Edmonton: Free agent center Brandon Sutter is looking to make a comeback after missing the last two seasons due to recurring symptoms from Long COVID and has picked the roster he wants to make as he has agreed to a PTO deal with Edmonton. The 34-year-old was a key third-line middleman in his prime but over his last few seasons with Vancouver, he was more of a defensive specialist while he won more than 55% of his draws in 2020-21. That’s basically all the Oilers would be looking for him to do as if Sutter was to earn a contract, he would almost certainly be signing for the league minimum.
New Arena Site For Arizona? After their plan to build a new arena in Tempe fell through following a public referendum, the Coyotes went back to the drawing board to see what other options might exist. It appears they’ve found one as they’ve submitted a letter of intent to purchase a parcel of land in Mesa to house an arena and entertainment district. While this certainly isn’t the end of what has been a very long process, it’s definitely a step in the right direction although the team will also continue to explore possible sites in Phoenix and Scottsdale even with their announcement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Lafreniere, Ovechkin, Panthers
While Alexis Lafreniere is one of 13 restricted free agents still looking for a contract for next season, he told Simon-Olivier Lorange of La Presse that discussions are ongoing and that he’s hoping to see a deal reached within the next few weeks. The 2020 top pick has had some ups and downs in his young career as he looks to secure a full-time spot in the top six for the Rangers. Coming off a 39-point season and the fact that New York’s cap space is quite limited, it’s a lock that Lafreniere won’t be getting a long-term agreement when an agreement is reached. At this point, the question is likely more if he’ll be receiving a one-year bridge deal or a two-year pact. Either way, he’ll have arbitration eligibility when that contract expires.
Elsewhere in the East:
- In an interview with Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express, Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin indicated that he was pleased with Washington’s decision to hire Spencer Carbery as their new coach, citing Carbery’s familiarity with the organization having spent time as the coach with AHL Hershey. The 37-year-old was also asked about the possibility of changing teams one day but answered that unless the team asked him to accept a move, it wouldn’t make sense for him to move on as long as everything continues to suit him. Ovechkin has three years left on his contract with a $9.5MM AAV.
- While the Panthers have some short-term wiggle room from a salary cap perspective with both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour likely to start on LTIR, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now figures that Florida is done on the free agent front this summer. They were active on the back end on the open market, adding four players that project to be on their roster when the season starts while they also added Evan Rodrigues and Kevin Stenlund up front. Eric Staal, who spent most of 2022-23 on the fourth line, is still unsigned but Richards feels he’s unlikely to accept a PTO this time around without a likely roster spot available for him; Stenlund is likely to fill that particular spot on the depth chart.
Pacific Notes: Marchessault, Bouchard, Blackwood
While there have yet to be any extension discussions between the Golden Knights and Jonathan Marchessault, SinBin.Vegas’ Jason Pothier notes that this shouldn’t be construed as Vegas being willing to move the veteran. The 32-year-old is entering the final year of his contract which carries a $5MM AAV and after putting up 123 points in 152 games over the last two seasons plus earning the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP, it stands to reason that he’ll be in line for at least a small raise. Vegas doesn’t generally rush to give their players early extensions but considering Marchessault’s importance to the team, it seems like only a matter of time before those discussions begin.
More from the Pacific:
- Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard is one of the top remaining restricted free agents and with Edmonton’s salary cap situation, a two-year bridge deal appears to be a foregone conclusion. To that end, Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal posits that Edmonton may wind up needing to back-load the contract, a move that will result in a higher qualifying offer. However, with the 23-year-old having two straight seasons of at least 40 points under his belt and an expectation of more upside to come, a higher qualifying offer would basically be a moot point anyway as his next contract, one that would carry arbitration rights as well, would almost certainly cost more than the qualifier.
- In a recent piece for NBC Sports Bay Area, Sheng Peng takes a look at San Jose’s acquisition of Mackenzie Blackwood earlier this offseason. Even strength save percentage was a significant issue for the Sharks last season and that was a strong point for Blackwood earlier in his career. If he’s able to rediscover some of his earlier form, the 26-year-old will be a worthwhile pickup for the Sharks, a team that seems likely to allow a lot of shots per game once again next season.