2009 NHL Draft Take Two: Fourteenth Overall
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
The results of our redraft so far are as follows, with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Victor Hedman, New York Islanders (2)
2nd Overall: John Tavares, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
3rd Overall: Ryan O’Reilly, Colorado Avalanche (33)
4th Overall: Matt Duchene, Atlanta Thrashers (3)
5th Overall: Chris Kreider, Los Angeles Kings (19)
6th Overall: Nazem Kadri, Phoenix Coyotes (7)
7th Overall: Mattias Ekholm, Toronto Maple Leafs (102)
8th Overall: Evander Kane, Dallas Stars (4)
9th Overall: Brayden Schenn, Ottawa Senators (5)
10th Overall: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Edmonton Oilers (6)
11th Overall: Ryan Ellis, Nashville Predators (11)
12th Overall: Dmitry Orlov, New York Islanders (55)
13th Overall: Anders Lee, Buffalo Sabres (152)
Lee goes much higher this time around, jumping up from the first pick of the sixth round to just above the midway mark of the first after receiving just shy of 30% of the votes. It’s a pick that would have gone over much better for Buffalo after Zack Kassian didn’t quite live up to his draft billing.
Lee’s path to the NHL certainly wasn’t a quick one. He had a stint with Green Bay of the USHL after being picked and then spent the following three years with Notre Dame where he was a consistent scoring threat, putting up at least 17 goals and 34 points each year. That earned him an entry-level deal in 2013 where he made his NHL debut just days later.
But it wasn’t until 2014-15 that Lee became a regular with the Islanders. As he did in college and the minors, he just kept on scoring, notching 25 goals in his rookie year to help him finish in the top ten in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year. His best season came three years later when he cracked the 40-goal mark while also eclipsing the 60-point plateau.
While Lee hasn’t been able to get back to that level since then, he has been a relatively consistent scorer. He has scored 28 goals three times in the past five seasons; the two that he didn’t were the campaigns shortened by the pandemic. Along the way, he took over as captain in 2018 after John Tavares left for Toronto and signed a seven-year extension with the Isles one year later; that deal – which carries a $7MM AAV – still has three seasons left on it.
As things stand, Lee is tied for seventh in most goals scored from the 2009 draft class. He’s tied with Schenn, who went ninth in our redraft, despite playing in 180 fewer NHL games thus far. As a result, he was one of the best bargain selections from 2009, if not the best value pick overall.
Now, we turn our focus to the 14th pick which was held by the Florida Panthers. They selected blueliner Dmitry Kulikov, a player who hasn’t lived up to the offensive profile he had in the QMJHL but one who has carved out a pretty good career for himself nonetheless and actually rejoined his original team in free agency this summer. Was that the right pick for them or is there a better fit on the board? Make your pick by voting in our poll below.
2009 Redraft: Fourteenth Overall
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Tyson Barrie 18% (80)
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Reilly Smith 16% (71)
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Tomas Tatar 11% (47)
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Darcy Kuemper 11% (46)
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Mike Hoffman 6% (25)
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Nick Leddy 6% (25)
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Marcus Foligno 4% (17)
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Kyle Palmieri 4% (17)
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Robin Lehner 3% (13)
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David Savard 3% (12)
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Jakob Silfverberg 3% (11)
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Brian Dumoulin 2% (10)
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Erik Haula 2% (7)
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Sami Vatanen 2% (7)
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Dmitry Kulikov 1% (6)
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Kyle Clifford 1% (5)
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Calvin de Haan 1% (5)
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Brayden McNabb 1% (5)
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Casey Cizikas 1% (4)
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Marcus Johansson 1% (4)
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Craig Smith 1% (4)
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Alex Chiasson 1% (3)
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Nick Jensen 1% (3)
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Mikko Koskinen 1% (3)
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Zack Kassian 0% (2)
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Cody Eakin 0% (1)
Total votes: 433
If you can’t access the poll above, click here to vote.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Raanta, Guentzel, Cossa
Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta acknowledged to Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News that he left both term and money on the table when he decided to re-sign with Carolina on the opening day of free agency back in July. The 34-year-old put up back-to-back strong seasons with the Hurricanes and posted a 2.23 GAA along with a .910 SV% in 27 games last year, numbers that seemingly had him positioned for a raise on the $2MM AAV of his previous deal but instead, he accepted a one-year, $1.5MM agreement. Frederik Andersen also re-signed on July 1st and with Carolina also not having an AHL affiliate this season, Pyotr Kochetkov could also be in the mix as well which means one of the stronger goalie trios remains intact for the upcoming season.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that winger Jake Guentzel appears to be progressing as planned as he works his way back from ankle surgery done roughly seven weeks ago. GM Kyle Dubas was hoping that the 28-year-old would only miss the first five games of the season after it was speculated that he could be out considerably longer. An updated timeline for Guentzel’s return should come later in the preseason.
- MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that Red Wings goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa has a lot to prove in training camp. The 20-year-old spent last season in the ECHL and is expected to move up to AHL Grand Rapids this season but had a very rough showing in the prospect tournament, allowing 12 goals on 39 shots. Veteran netminder Michael Hutchinson signed a PTO soon after so Cossa now has some competition for a spot that was widely expected to be his to partner with Alex Lyon with the Griffins this season.
Snapshots: Chiarelli, Duda, Ponomarev, Sanheim
Could long-time NHL executive Peter Chiarelli be on the move again? Long-time Senators reporter Brent Wallace reported on his podcast recently (video link) that Chiarelli has moved to Ottawa and is likely to join the Sens in some capacity. He actually started his career with Ottawa as their Director of Legal Relations before moving to Boston and later Edmonton as their GM. Chiarelli has spent the last four seasons in St. Louis, the last two of which were as their Vice President of Hockey Operations. Wallace notes that Chiarelli has ties to new owner Michael Andlauer whose purchase was formally approved on Thursday. He has already made one front office hire in bringing back Cyril Leeder and it looks like more could soon be coming.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The NCAA will be re-examining its original denial of Coyotes prospect Artyom Duda’s request to play at the University of Maine this season, relays PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. The 19-year-old saw time at the KHL, VHL, and MHL levels last year and with some of those being pro leagues, it stands to reason that this was the reason his initial request was denied. Duda, a 2022 second-round pick by Arizona, could also play with Youngstown of the USHL this season as it’s believed that the Coyotes would rather not see the blueliner return to play in Russia.
- Hurricanes prospect Vasili Ponomarev will be out for a little while, notes Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). The 21-year-old is coming off a strong first season in North America as he picked up 24 goals and 22 assists in 64 games last season with AHL Chicago. The injury isn’t believed to be overly serious but as someone who might have had a shot at pushing for a spot with Carolina in training camp, missing any time will make that objective harder to accomplish.
- Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim revealed to reporters including Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he suffered a fractured foot while playing for Canada at the Worlds in 2022. While he was able to participate in training camp, he felt that the injury prevented him from a proper summer of training which may have played a role in his struggles last season. It was his desire to have a full proper offseason that led him to decline Canada’s request to take part in the tournament back in the spring.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Detroit Red Wings
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 heading into 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.
Detroit Red Wings
Current Cap Hit: $78,343,473 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Jonatan Berggren (one year, $925K)
F Lucas Raymond (one year, $925K)
D Moritz Seider (one year, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Raymond: $2.5MM
Seider: $850K
Total: $3.35MM
Raymond wasn’t able to match his rookie-season output that saw him finish fourth in Calder Trophy voting but he still did well, notching 45 points in 74 games. Both sides certainly believe he has more in the tank than that which makes him a long-term extension candidate. At this point, the magic number might have to start with a seven for that to happen. A bridge agreement would be closer to the $4MM range. Berggren had a solid rookie showing last season but with the extra depth the Red Wings added up front, he will be hard-pressed to command a higher spot on the depth chart. Accordingly, he’s likely heading for the short-term second contract; if he can stay around the 30-point mark, that deal should check in around double his current price tag.
Seider also didn’t live up to the expectations of his rookie campaign in 2021-22, a performance that saw him win Rookie of the Year. But as far as sophomore seasons go, his was still pretty good. The sixth-overall pick in 2019 is their undisputed number one defenseman and there’s little reason to think that the best isn’t yet to come. With that in mind, it would make sense for GM Steve Yzerman to zero in on a long-term second contract. The eight-year, $64.4MM extension that Jake Sanderson signed with Ottawa recently figures to be the starting point in negotiations. From the bonus perspective, Seider could reach all four of his ‘A’ bonuses (Raymond has four worth this amount as part of his deal as well) but Detroit has ample space to absorb that on their books this season.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
F Christian Fischer ($1.125MM, UFA)
D Shayne Gostisbehere ($4.125MM, UFA)
F David Perron ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Michael Rasmussen ($1.46MM, RFA)
G James Reimer ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Daniel Sprong ($2MM, UFA)
F Joe Veleno ($825K, RFA)
Perron typically hadn’t had much success outside of St. Louis but changed that last year, continuing his streak of recording at least 55 points in a season for the fourth year in a row. Another season like that would seemingly boost his value but he’ll be 36 at that time and pricey multi-year deals are hard to come by at that age. Sprong was non-tendered for the second straight summer to avoid salary arbitration despite a breakout performance that saw him pass 20 goals and 20 assists for the first time. If he can repeat that this season, he could double this price tag a year from now.
Rasmussen battled injuries last year but still hit a new benchmark in points. His development has been slower but steady as they look to turn him into a second-liner. That might not happen this season but he’s still setting himself up for an AAV past the $2MM mark if he can repeat last year’s output. Fischer came over in unrestricted free agency after being non-tendered by Arizona and will need to show that last season’s offensive improvement (27 points) is repeatable to avoid being typecast into a fourth-line role. Veleno opted for a one-year lower-cost bridge agreement in the hopes of locking down a bigger role which would set him up for a better pay day next summer. Either way, he’ll be arbitration-eligible which will help his cause.
Gostisbehere’s case is an interesting one. Offensively, he produces at a rate that’s well above average but he gives a good chunk of it back at the defensive end. His situation reminds me of Tyson Barrie, a proven offensive producer but someone who struggles to generate long-term contracts on the open market. Playing time will be harder to come by in Detroit which should lower his output (and value) next summer. A multi-year deal starting with a three might be his best option next summer.
Reimer comes over in free agency from San Jose coming off by far the worst season of his career. On what should be a better team, a rebound is expected but if it’s not a significant one, his market value might take another tumble at the age of 36 next summer.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Robby Fabbri ($4MM, UFA)
G Ville Husso ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Klim Kostin ($2MM, RFA)
D Olli Maatta ($3MM, UFA)
D Jeff Petry ($2.344MM, UFA)*
*-Montreal is retaining $2.344MM per season; Pittsburgh is retaining $1.563MM per season.
Fabbri’s contract seemed like a reach when he signed it in 2021. When healthy, he plays like a $4MM player but he just can’t stay healthy. He will need to shed that label to have any chance of a deal near this price point in 2025. Kostin came over in an odd trade with Edmonton as one player was bought out and Kostin himself was non-tendered to avoid arbitration. They got this deal done soon after, a nice improvement for someone who cleared waivers in training camp last season. Detroit is clearly banking on Kostin having an ability to improve upon last season’s production and if he can, they’ll have an intriguing power forward on their hands. With those, the price tag usually only goes up from there.
Maatta’s decision to sign with Detroit last summer proved wise as he earned himself this in-season extension to keep him around longer. He’s not at the level he was in his rookie year but can still play in the top four when needed and kill penalties. This seems a bit above market but not by much. Petry is coming off a down year in Pittsburgh but still should serve as a capable replacement for Filip Hronek behind Seider on the right side of the depth chart. He’ll be turning 38 soon into his next deal and it’s fair to say that it will be a lot lower than his base $6.25MM AAV.
Husso was an interesting pickup by Yzerman last summer. Detroit traded for his negotiation rights which is something we don’t see a lot of nowadays. Husso then received a pretty sizable contract for someone with just 53 career NHL starts under his belt. The results in his first season were mixed. There were flashes where Husso looked like a capable starter (or at least a strong-side platoon option) and others where he struggled mightily. Now with a full season under his belt, it will be interesting to see if he can improve and help lead Detroit into a push for the playoffs. If that happens, he could set himself up for a small raise in 2025 but if not, he’ll drop more into the category of a true platoon goalie whose market value is about a million less than his current price tag.
Signed Through 2025-26
D Ben Chiarot ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Justin Holl ($3.4MM, UFA)
D Jake Walman ($3.4MM, UFA)
Chiarot received one of the bigger deals for a blueliner last summer but he struggled in his first season despite playing a similar role to the one he had some success with in Montreal. With a deeper back end now, it’s possible that a lesser role might make Chiarot a better fit this season. Walman is still relatively unproven as last season was his first where he played more than 51 games. But he showed enough to give the Red Wings some enthusiasm to think there’s more still to come. If that’s the case, this could be a bargain. If not, it might wind up a bit above market value as well. Holl’s contract looks above market value already after he struggled in Toronto last season to the point where he was scratched at times in the playoffs. A right-shot defender (which always carries extra value), he can hold down a lesser role on this back end but this is a high price for a third-pairing player.
Metropolitan Notes: Carter, Teravainen, Stillman
After struggling for most of last season in Pittsburgh, many have speculated that retirement could soon be on the horizon for Penguins forward Jeff Carter. He told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he has not yet given any thought as to whether this season – his 20th in the NHL – will be his last. The 38-year-old played in 79 games last season, his highest total since 2016-17 but managed just 13 goals and 16 assists while seeing his playing time drop under 14 minutes per game. Early indications in training camp are that it might be dropping again as he has lined up as a fourth line winger so far which wouldn’t be a great return on a deal that carries a $3.125MM cap hit for the upcoming season.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen dealt with a thumb injury last season that caused him to miss part of the playoffs as well. While he was able to return for the final game of the postseason and is a full participant in training camp, the winger told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that while his thumb feels pretty good, he doesn’t believe it will truly get back to ‘normal’. The 29-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and will be looking for a big year whether it’s with Carolina or elsewhere; significant talks on an extension have yet to begin.
- Devils prospect Chase Stillman will be out for multiple weeks after being injured in New Jersey’s prospect tournament, relays Ryan Novozinsky of the Newark Star-Ledger. The 20-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2021 (29th overall) and will be making his professional debut this season after spending last year with OHL Peterborough where he had 48 points in 59 games in 2022-23.
Avalanche Notes: Toews, Cogliano, Manson, Wagner, Maenalanen
Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews told reporters including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post that the two sides had some discussions about a possible contract extension. The 29-year-old has dominated over the past two seasons, reaching the 50-point mark both times while logging over 25 minutes a night. That’s the type of stat line for a number one defenseman but Toews is being paid nowhere near there with the AAV on his expiring deal checking in at $4.1MM; it wouldn’t be surprising to see him double that on a long-term contract. Toews also made it known that his desire is to remain with Colorado but with the big-ticket deals they have on the books and Mikko Rantanen being UFA-eligible in 2025, it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to accommodate Toews’ preference.
More from Colorado:
- Forward Andrew Cogliano will take part in training camp but is unlikely to suit up in the preseason, relays NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter thread). He suffered a fractured vertebra in the playoffs against Seattle and it stands to reason that the Avs will opt to be careful with the 36-year-old who signed a one-year, $825K deal with them earlier this offseason.
- Over the weekend, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that the expectation for defenseman Josh Manson would be that he’d be ready for the start of camp. While he’ll be able to meet that timeline, Bednar told Boulding that Manson is dealing with a lower-body injury and won’t be 100% recovered. The 31-year-old battled injuries last season and was limited to just 27 games where he had 10 points but was limited to just 17:41 per game, a career low.
- Offseason signing Chris Wagner won’t be able to push for a roster spot after all as Bednar told Boulding that the forward ruptured his Achilles tendon and will be out until sometime in 2024. The 32-year-old has 360 career NHL games under his belt and could have fit in on a new-look fourth line but instead, he’ll miss at least the first half of the season.
- Saku Maenalanen was supposed to push for a roster spot while playing on a PTO but Peter Baugh of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the winger failed his physical and has been released from his deal. The 29-year-old had 10 points in 64 games with Winnipeg last season and will now look to catch on elsewhere. Peter Holland and Joel Kiviranta are the remaining PTO forwards that will be aiming to secure a contract with the Avalanche.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Buffalo Sabres
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 heading into 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.
Buffalo Sabres
Current Cap Hit: $74,723,570 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Peyton Krebs (one year, $863K)
G Devon Levi (two years, $925K)
F John-Jason Peterka (two years, $856K)
D Owen Power (one year, $916K)
F Jack Quinn (two years, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Krebs: $412.5K
Levi: $925K
Peterka: $32.5K
Power: $1.85MM
Quinn: $850K
Total: $4.07MM
Krebs locked down a regular spot in Buffalo’s lineup last season but saw his per-game production drop along the way, failing to crack the double-digit goal mark in the process. He’s still an important part of their future but unless he can jump into an impact role this year, a bridge deal around the $2MM mark looks like his likely outcome while he’s unlikely to hit his ‘A’ bonuses. Quinn, on the other hand, already saw some top-six time last season and should get back to that role once he recovers from surgery. If he gets into the 25-30-goal range, he’s a candidate to go for a long-term contract right away. The injury will make it difficult for him to max on his four ‘A’ bonuses.
Peterka’s first full NHL campaign was a strong one given what was a bit of a limited role. He doesn’t necessarily profile as the type of player who the Sabres would want to bypass a bridge deal with but again, if he can lock down a full-time top-six spot over the next two years, it’s possible he plays himself into that core role. Peterka’s bonuses are of the games-played variety and as long as he stays healthy, he’ll hit them.
Power made his presence felt in his first full NHL season in 2022-23. He logged nearly 24 minutes a night, seeing tough minutes in all situations. He only scored four goals but added 31 assists, demonstrating that there is plenty of upside at that end of the rink. The 2021 first-overall selection is extension-eligible now and GM Kevyn Adams has indicated a desire to get an early extension done. Those contracts are rarely bridge agreements so a long-term pact will be coming his way. The eight-year, $64.4MM extension given to Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson stands as the likely starting point for those discussions. Notably, Power will have five years of club control next summer so a max-term deal will only give Buffalo three more years to work with. He has four ‘A’ bonuses and $1MM in ‘B’ bonuses; the A’s are likely to be hit while the B ones are quite difficult to hit.
Levi had quite a run down the stretch after his college season ended as he quickly took over the number one role, helping the Sabres to stay in the playoff race. Buffalo opted to not get another veteran to help ease him in so it’s fair to say he’s likely to get a big workload this year, giving him a chance to hit at least some of his four ‘A’ bonuses. Assuming he can hold it down, he could be eyeing a bridge deal around the $4.5MM mark, similar to the ones that Jake Oettinger and Spencer Knight signed. A long-term agreement would probably push past the $6MM mark.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
D Jacob Bryson ($1.85MM, RFA)
G Eric Comrie ($1.8MM, UFA)
D Rasmus Dahlin ($6MM, RFA)
F Zemgus Girgensons ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Erik Johnson ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Henri Jokiharju ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Tyson Jost ($2MM, UFA)
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen ($837.5K, RFA)
F Casey Mittelstadt ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Kyle Okposo ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Victor Olofsson ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Riley Stillman ($1.35MM, RFA)
Potential Bonuses
Okposo: $500K
It feels like Olofsson has been a speculative trade candidate for a few years now but yet, here he is still with Buffalo…for now at least. He impressed with 28 goals last season but still found himself on the fourth line and even out of the lineup at times. Buffalo has opted to keep giving him raises but if his ice time is limited again this season, the chances of another team seeing fit to do so next summer appear to be low. Okposo opted not to test free agency this summer, instead accepting this deal, a considerable cut from his $6MM AAV last season. He would have been hard-pressed to beat this the way the open market went and since he’ll be 36 in April, he’s likely going year-to-year from here on out. His bonus is payable with a Stanley Cup victory.
Girgensons also elected not to test free agency, inking this deal to stay with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2012. The market for bottom-six forwards wasn’t great so this looks like a wise move in hindsight. If he’s back on the fourth line routinely next season, free agency might not be as kind to him a year from now. Mittelstadt had a breakout campaign in 2022-23, setting new career bests across the board despite seeing a small dip in playing time. Given how his first few years went, this is a case where both sides will want to wait and see what comes next. A repeat showing could push his AAV toward the $6MM mark while if he takes a step back, it could land closer to $4MM. Jost chose to take less than his qualifying offer to stick around in Buffalo. He held his own after being claimed off waivers from Minnesota but will need to push for a regular top-nine spot if he wants to get another look as eventually, the Sabres will need to cut costs in their bottom six.
Dahlin’s situation has generated a lot of attention in recent weeks. Some had suggested it was likely that an early extension was coming early in the summer. Clearly, that hasn’t happened. Then the target appeared to be the start of training camp but that hasn’t happened yet either. A max-term agreement should push his AAV into the $10.5MM territory, give or take a couple hundred thousand either way. At this point, it’s possible that the term of the deal is the hold up more than the cap hit. If Dahlin opted for a medium-term pact, Buffalo would still gain several years of team control but he’d also be positioned to test the market while still being in his prime where a max-term pact could be more lucrative. The AAV on a shorter-term pact should check in at or just below $10MM.
Johnson’s signing was a puzzling one on paper after his role and playing time dipped sharply in Colorado the last couple of years. However, he adds some experience and leadership to a back end that didn’t have a ton of it before and it seems like Adams was willing to overpay for it. If he stays around the 17-minute mark, his market value might be closer to half things next summer. Jokiharju has struggled to stay healthy in the first two years of his bridge deal but has also logged more than 21 minutes a night in the 60 games per season he has played. If that continues this year, he’ll be positioned to at least get past the $3MM mark with arbitration rights even without much in the way of offensive production.
Both Bryson and Stillman find themselves in a similar situation, trying to secure a full-time spot in the lineup. Bryson looked like a future regular just a year ago but saw his playing time drop to under 15 minutes a game last season. Stillman, meanwhile, is with his third team in less than a year and has yet to solidify himself as a regular yet. Bryson needs to be qualified at $1.9MM and Stillman at $1.35MM. If they can’t lock down a bigger role in the lineup, both could be non-tender candidates.
Luukkonen had a rough year with Buffalo last season, posting a 3.61 GAA and a .891 SV% but it was his first taste of extended NHL action. He’s not ready to be a starter yet but he still is likely part of their future plans. At the moment, his next deal might be in the $1.5MM territory but a good year could send that upward quickly.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Jordan Greenway ($3MM, UFA)
F Lukas Rousek ($775K, RFA)
Greenway came over in a midseason trade with Minnesota and didn’t exactly light it up. Overall, he had just 11 points in 67 last season, numbers that are more in line with a fourth liner. Power forwards get plenty of runway to develop though and he’ll have a chance to rebuild some value over the next couple of years. Rousek is a contender to land a spot in training camp after a strong showing last season with Rochester. If he’s able to do so, a seven-figure deal should be achievable in 2025.
Signed Through 2025-26
D Connor Clifton ($3.33MM, UFA)
F Alex Tuch ($4.75MM, UFA)
Tuch had shown flashes of top-six upside with Vegas and in his first stint with the Sabres but couldn’t sustain it consistently. That changed last season as he became a bona fide top liner, shattering his previous benchmarks while passing the point-per-game mark for the first time. Given the premium placed on big forwards, this contract is currently well below market value.
Clifton’s first taste of free agency was a good one, landing a deal whose AAV is almost as high as his career earnings to date. He adds some sandpaper to Buffalo’s back end and should fill the spot of Ilya Lyubushkin who was traded to Anaheim earlier this summer. This deal seemed a bit on the high side when it was signed although his market was relatively strong by all accounts.
Kings Sign 13 Players To Camp Tryout Agreements
The Kings have released their training camp roster, one that features plenty of players on tryout agreements. A total of 13 unaffiliated players will be taking part in camp with Los Angeles as they fill out an extended roster with the majority of their NHL roster in Australia for a pair of games against Arizona later this week.
Up front, Ryan Francis, Nathan Burke, Isaac Johnson, Sean Tschigerl, Ty Thorpe, Easton Armstrong, and Sam Alfaro will all be taking part. They’ll be joined by defensemen Max Coyle, Jacob Modry, Chase Pauls, Samuel Mayer, and Hunter Mayo, along with goaltender Jacob Oster.
Francis, Burke, and Johnson all topped last season at the AHL level with Laval, San Jose, and Manitoba, respectively. As for Tschigerl, Thorpe, and Alfano, they played at the CHL level with Calgary, Vancouver, and Erie. The first two are eligible to turn pro now while Alfano, being 19 until January, is ineligible to play in the minors this season. Armstrong, meanwhile, also was in major junior last year but has already committed to play with Fargo of the USHL in 2023-24.
As for the blueliners, Coyle and Modry played collegiately with Bowling Green State and SUNY-Plattsburgh. Modry is the son of long-time NHL blueliner Jaroslav Modry who spent parts of ten seasons with Los Angeles. Pauls, Mayer, and Mayo all played in the CHL with Lethbridge, Peterborough, and Red Deer. Pauls and Mayer are AHL-eligible but Mayo is not. Oster is also ineligible to play in the minors and is likely ticketed to return to OHL Oshawa.
For the majority of these players, they’ll be looking to land a contract with AHL Ontario, the Kings’ affiliate at that level or at least get an invite to their training camp. For the junior-only players, they’ll be hoping for an entry-level contract or to at least get on an NHL radar moving forward. It’s not often that a team brings in this many players on training camp tryouts but odds being odds, at least one or two of them will get an extended look beyond the next few weeks.
Five Key Stories: 9/11/23 – 9/17/23
With training camps now less than a week away, there was a bit of an uptick in activity around the NHL. As always, we recap the biggest news in our key stories.
Third Time’s A Charm? Things didn’t go particularly well the first two times the NHL set up shop in Atlanta. Despite that, the league appears to be open to the idea of giving that market another opportunity should they decide to expand beyond 32 teams. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly feels that the demographics in Atlanta have changed enough since the Thrashers left in 2011 and that a better-placed arena could give that market an opportunity to succeed the next time around. Despite this, expansion isn’t believed to be at the top of the priority list for the league right now but when the time comes, it might be a familiar city that gets another chance.
Latest Round Of PTOs: As expected, there was another sizable batch of veteran players accepting training camp tryout offers in the hopes of eventually landing a guaranteed contract for the upcoming season. Adam Erne will look to catch on with Edmonton while Zach Aston-Reese is one of many tryouts in Carolina. The Ritchie brothers inked tryout agreements on the same day; Nick Ritchie is heading to St. Louis while Brett Ritchie will look to crack Florida’s roster. Josh Bailey was linked to Ottawa earlier this summer and is indeed now taking part in their camp while defenseman Olli Juolevi is one of many players getting an opportunity with Arizona. Dozens of PTOs have been signed around the league and there are still more to come.
Tatar To Colorado: It was a busy summer for Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland as he had already brought in five new forwards to his group. Make that six now as Colorado signed winger Tomas Tatar to a one-year, $1.5MM deal. It’s a considerable pay cut for the 32-year-old who made $4.5MM in each of the last two years and $5.3MM for the four before that. Tatar is actually coming off a pretty good season in New Jersey, one that saw him record 20 goals and 28 assists although he struggled considerably in the playoffs, managing just a single point in 12 games. Tatar adds to what should be an interesting battle on the left side in training camp with Gabriel Landeskog out for the regular season (but returning for the playoffs is a possibility).
Wright AHL-Eligible: It was looking like Kraken center Shane Wright was going to be facing another year of either playing in the NHL or returning to major junior. However, that’s no longer the case as the NHL and OHL has granted Wright an exemption that allows him to suit up with AHL Coachella Valley this season if Seattle elects to send him down. CHL players are typically ineligible to play in the minors unless they are 20 years old on or before December 31st and Wright doesn’t turn 20 until January 5th. The other way to get out of that situation is to play four CHL seasons. Wright wasn’t able to do so as the OHL didn’t play at all in the 2020-21 campaign. However, they’ve basically decided that since he would have done so had the league taken to the ice, they’ll grant him the year of service time, enabling him to become AHL-eligible this season. That’s an ideal outcome for one of Seattle’s top prospects.
Coaching Change In Columbus: Mike Babcock’s tenure as head coach in Columbus is already over before he stepped behind the bench for a single game. Following a joint NHL/NHLPA investigation spurred by allegations that Babcock asked to view phones and/or photographs of several Blue Jackets players, it was mutually decided that Babcock would resign. Babcock had been out of the league since 2019 and after what transpired here, it would be surprising to see him back behind an NHL bench. Meanwhile, Columbus has looked to an internal candidate to take over, promoting associate coach Pascal Vincent to the top job while giving him a new two-year deal. Vincent has seven years of NHL coaching experience between Columbus and Winnipeg but this will be his first time as the head coach at the top level.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Fabbro, Sutter, Canucks
The Predators are believed to have looked into the possibility of moving defenseman Dante Fabbro this summer, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. The 25-year-old’s future with the team has seemed murky at times over the past couple of years and the fact that he took a step back last season offensively (going from 24 points to just 11) won’t help his value. Nevertheless, Fabbro has shown himself to be capable of holding down a fourth or fifth spot on a defensive depth chart and at a $2.5MM AAV, it’s not a particularly pricey gamble for a team to bring him in. The fact he still has another year of club control after this one doesn’t hurt either. Clearly, Nashville didn’t find a trade offer to their liking but Fabbro could be one to keep an eye on as new GM Barry Trotz puts his stamp on this team.
More from the West:
- Last season, Jason Demers attended Edmonton’s camp on a PTO and agreed to an AHL tryout agreement after that before being converted to an NHL contract midseason. Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal wonders if the Oilers might try the same approach with Brandon Sutter. Being out of hockey for two years altogether, going this route would allow both sides more time to assess his overall readiness to play at the top level rather than forcing Edmonton to make a decision on his fate over the next few weeks.
- While the Canucks checked in on free agent winger Phil Kessel earlier in the summer, they’re not believed to be one of the teams pursuing him at the moment, reports CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal (video link). As things stand, Vancouver is going to need to trim its payroll if Tanner Pearson is indeed cleared to play at the start of the season so getting another player at the NHL minimum salary of $775K to replace someone making a bit more than that would help in that. However, the Canucks also have a fair bit of forward depth so it’s not entirely surprising that they’re not in on Kessel for now.