West Notes: Oilers, Lavoie, Jets
The Oilers were among the teams that had shown interest in center Tomas Nosek, reports Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. Edmonton wasn’t able to afford to keep Nick Bjugstad who went back to Arizona in free agency and Nosek would have been a capable replacement, particularly in terms of his faceoff skill and penalty killing acumen. It’s believed that they offered a deal that was at least close in money to the $1MM that Nosek received from New Jersey earlier this week. The fact that they were in on the 30-year-old suggests that GM Ken Holland is still keeping an eye on the bottom end of the UFA market to potentially round out his roster.
Elsewhere in the West:
- Also from Leavins’ column, he noted that the Oilers made a sizable two-way offer to winger Raphael Lavoie, one that would have lowered his NHL salary but given him a bigger guaranteed salary. Instead, the 22-year-old opted to accept his qualifying offer worth just over $874K earlier this month, giving him a bigger potential payday in the NHL. Lavoie has yet to play at the top level in his three professional seasons but clearly feels he’ll have a shot at a spot at the end of the roster, particularly since he is now waiver-eligible.
- Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun examines the Jets’ offseason thus far and highlights the situation on the back end as something to watch for. Prospect Declan Chisholm is now waiver-eligible which makes it likely that he breaks camp with the team while Logan Stanley’s trade request from last season still hasn’t been granted. Notably, Stanley declined to file for arbitration earlier this month. Meanwhile, Ville Heinola, who has made it known in the past that he’s looking for more NHL time, remains waiver-exempt. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Winnipeg try to do something to sort out what is a bit of a logjam toward the back of their back end as even if they carry eight defensemen to start next season, someone isn’t making the cut.
Snapshots: Gagner, Aubry, Blue Jackets, Howard
Free agent forward Sam Gagner is back on the ice rehabbing after undergoing double hip surgery late last season, relays Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription link). The 33-year-old was injured at the end of February but had provided Winnipeg with a bit of depth scoring prior to that point as Gagner had eight goals and six assists in 48 games. Gagner already has more than 1,000 career NHL appearances under his belt and doesn’t appear to be ready to call it a career just yet. Considering the year he had and the recovery from injury, Gagner might have to settle for a training camp PTO in the coming weeks with the hopes of converting it to a full-fledged deal closer to the start of the season.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The University of Nebraska-Omaha announced that they have hired now-former Blackhawks development coach Peter Aubry as their associate coach. The 46-year-old spent the last eight seasons in Chicago’s organization, working with goaltenders at both the NHL and AHL levels. It won’t be Aubry’s first time behind the bench at the college level as he previously served as an assistant with both Mercyhurst and Lake Superior State.
- The Blue Jackets aren’t planning to replace former coach Kenny McCudden, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). McCudden spent the past eight seasons as a skills coach with Columbus but resigned earlier this month to join Washington as an assistant coach. Mike Babcock (head coach) and Niklas Backstrom (goalie coach) are the newcomers to their coaching staff, joining holdovers Pascal Vincent (associate coach) and Steve McCarthy (assistant coach).
- Lightning prospect Isaac Howard was one of the most prominent players in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, moving from Minnesota-Duluth to Michigan State. Speaking with NHL.com’s Corey Long, the 2022 31st selection indicated that he wanted to go to a more offensive-oriented environment which he felt would be a better fit. Tampa Bay assistant GM Stacy Roest added that Howard didn’t consult with the team prior to the decision but that they’re hopeful that the Spartans will be a better fit for the 19-year-old after he put up just six goals and 11 assists last season.
Free Agent Profile: Matt Dumba
Generally speaking, impact defensemen are snapped up quickly in free agency. However, now three weeks into the open market, Mathew Dumba remains without a contract which comes as a bit of a surprise.
Back in 2018, the 28-year-old was coming off a breakout year, one that saw him put up 50 points while logging nearly 24 minutes a night. It looked as if he was well on his way to becoming a long-term, top-pairing piece for Minnesota. However, he battled injury trouble the following year and since then, things haven’t gone as well.
Dumba has yet to reach the 30-point plateau since his career year and was basically taken off the power play entirely last season. Despite that, he has continually logged heavy minutes for the Wild and entered free agency as arguably the top right-shot defender available after Damon Severson reached a sign-and-trade deal with Columbus, taking his name off the free agent list in the process.
But despite that status and what has still been a pretty successful career thus far, Dumba remains unsigned. It’s a situation where he might have to wait for another domino to fall before his market really opens up as well.
Stats
2022-23: 79 GP, 4-10-14, -8 rating, 81 PIMS, 99 shots, 116 blocks, 49.0% CF, 21:17 ATOI
Career: 598 GP, 79-157-236, +29 rating, 399 PIMS, 1,121 shots, 699 blocks, 49.1% CF, 20:37 ATOI
Potential Suitors
There are a couple of potential types of suitors for Dumba’s services. There will be some that strike out in the Erik Karlsson sweepstakes that will turn around and pivot to Dumba to try to land at least a top-four addition. Alternatively, if the market isn’t to Dumba’s liking, he’s a strong candidate to sign a one-year pillow contract with an eye on boosting his value, possibly being moved at the deadline, and hitting the market again next summer in a more favorable cap environment.
In the East, Toronto showed interest in him early before pivoting to former teammate John Klingberg. While making the money would be tricky, they’re believed to have shown interest in Karlsson so new GM Brad Treliving appears to have some sort of plan to get creative to make the money work. Dumba might not be a great long-term fit in Detroit but they have enough cap space for a one-year agreement that would go a long way toward helping their playoff chances. With Carolina sniffing around on Karlsson, it stands to reason that Dumba could be an option there as well assuming they can open up the cap space to do so. If he’s willing to sign for the type of money that Brett Pesce (a UFA next summer) isn’t, there could be a long-term fit.
Out West, the Coyotes have been linked to Dumba since the market opened up. They have a definite need to add on the back end and could be a fit either on a pillow deal or a longer-term agreement where he becomes a key part of their core group. Depending on what happens with Karlsson and if they take a right-shot defender back as part of a return, the Sharks could be a fit for both options as well. If Nashville is looking to stay in the playoff mix, Dumba would help solidify their top four and they have the cap space to sign him without needing to make another move. If Anaheim wants to do like they did with Klingberg a year ago, the Ducks could be a viable landing spot for a one-year deal with the hopes that this one would turn out better than the deal with Klingberg ultimately did.
Projected Contract
Dumba slotted in 18th on our Top 50 UFA Rankings with a projected contract of four years at an AAV of $5.25MM. At this point in time, it seems fair to suggest that a deal of that value hasn’t been on the table yet; otherwise, he likely would have taken it. It’s possible that Dumba could still reach that price tag but only on a one-year deal. Otherwise, a longer-term agreement might check in closer to the $4MM mark. If Dumba believes a change of scenery could help him rediscover his offensive touch, he might be better off taking a one-year agreement and then aiming for a better longer-term deal than he could get now in 2024 when there should be more money to spend in free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Olofsson, Seider, Raymond, Bouchard
Earlier this offseason, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson and his representatives expected a trade to be coming at some point before training camp. However, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News suggests that a move involving the 28-year-old is a lot less likely now thanks to the Achilles injury to Jack Quinn that will keep the youngster out for at least the first two months of the season. Olofsson is now in the final year of his contract which carries a $4.75MM AAV which, in itself, makes a trade difficult despite coming off a year that saw him collect 28 goals, a new career high. With Quinn out for a while, Olofsson could lock down a spot a little higher in the lineup after seeing time on the fourth line last season which would give him a chance to be a productive piece for Buffalo in the early going in 2023-24.
More from the Atlantic:
- A pair of Red Wings in defenseman Moritz Seider and winger Lucas Raymond are eligible for contract extensions this summer. MLive’s Ansar Khan assessed both players to try to determine a rough idea of what a max-term agreement for each would look like. In Seider’s case, Dallas blueliner Miro Heiskanen’s deal which carries an AAV of $8.45MM is a good comparable and a deal around that price point could keep him below Dylan Larkin’s $8.7MM price tag which could be a soft ceiling. Meanwhile, Khan feels that Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield whose AAVs are just below $7.9MM might be the right spot for Raymond. GM Steve Yzerman has a little over $54MM in commitments on the books for 2024-25 per CapFriendly which means that Detroit has more than enough wiggle room to do long-term agreements with both youngsters if they so desire.
- Earlier this offseason, Tampa Bay hired Joel Bouchard as their new head coach with AHL Syracuse, taking the place of Benoit Groulx. Speaking with Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette, Bouchard indicated that he wasn’t actively seeking another coaching position at this time and that he never interviewed for the job; it was simply offered to him by Lightning GM Julien BriseBois. This is his third different AHL coaching position after spending time previously with Laval and San Diego.
PHR Mailbag: Playoffs, Bruins, Fabbri, Depth, Blue Jackets, Bonuses
Topics in this edition of the mailbag include the potential fit in Boston for a pair of key rental centers, fair expectations for a new-look Blue Jackets squad, rules surrounding bonuses, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag while there will also be one that runs tomorrow.
PyramidHeadcrab: Considering the changes brought by the draft and UFA day, what are some teams you see making the playoffs in 2024 that weren’t really in the picture in 2023? And what are some teams you see missing the playoffs?
And who are your favorite three teams to finish with the highest draft lottery odds?
I tackled a similar question to this one last month before free agency so let’s check in on those teams and see what has changed.
In the East, I had Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo as playoff candidates among those that missed a year ago. As things stand, I’m not as bullish on the Sens now as I was then as I’m not overly confident that Joonas Korpisalo is going to move the needle enough in goal and their offense has taken a step back for the time being. The Penguins have improved its roster this summer so I still expect them to jump back in and while the Sabres haven’t done much, they’ve added to their back end and can rely on internal growth up front to bolster their chances. I think they still get in.
As for my candidates to miss, I had Florida, the Islanders, and possibly Tampa Bay. The Panthers have added some depth which helps but their question will be how impactful their early-season injuries will be. I’m leaning more toward them being in now, however. New York didn’t exactly improve or get worse so they’ll probably be just in or just out. The Lightning are definitely weaker and while I’m not ready to proclaim they’re a non-playoff team yet, I think they’re vulnerable. I could see Boston missing out now unless their goaltending tandem is able to play at a similar level next season; that would be the great equalizer after losing a lot of firepower.
As for the West, I had Vancouver getting in and maybe St. Louis. The Canucks have mostly stayed quiet this summer and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. On paper, they’re a better team than their record has been and if they play up to their potential, they’re a playoff-caliber squad. I like what the Blues have done, getting Kevin Hayes on the cheap and adding Oskar Sundqvist for the minimum. I’m still skeptical that they’ll get in but they’re better than they were a few weeks ago.
My main candidate to miss from the West a few weeks ago was Winnipeg and that hasn’t really changed. They’re a weaker team than they were before with an expectation of two more key players moving between now and the trade deadline. That’s probably not a good recipe to make the playoffs. Since I had to pick two teams a month ago, my other one was Seattle. They haven’t done much one way or the other so they’re still a bubble team in my books.
On the other end of the scale, I have Philadelphia in the bottom three as they’re going to go through some growing pains. San Jose doesn’t have a great roster and if they move Erik Karlsson in a trade that likely won’t bring back much win-now help, they’re going to struggle. As for the third team, I’m not really too confident in this one but I’ll say Anaheim with the assumption that John Gibson gets moved. With weak goaltending, that will offset some improvements from their young core, keeping them near the bottom again.
SkidRowe: What would it take to bring Mark Scheifele or Elias Lindholm to the Bruins?
For the purposes of this answer, I’m going to operate under the assumption that it’s an extend-and-trade agreement for both players. As straight rentals, I don’t think Boston should be pursuing them, at least at this point.
For Scheifele, I think their best shot at getting him is if (or when, perhaps) Connor Hellebuyck gets moved. Winnipeg is looking for win-now pieces in the hopes of avoiding a rebuild. I don’t think they’d have a lot of interest in Linus Ullmark (who might have the Jets on his partial no-trade list anyway) but Jeremy Swayman would be an intriguing piece. If the two moves are made concurrently, the team that gets Hellebuyck could theoretically move the center back for Hellebuyck with Boston’s package for Scheifele being headlined by a controllable young starter in Swayman.
Cap-wise, another piece needs to be in there, likely Derek Forbort or Matt Grzelcyk, both on expiring contracts. That makes the money work when you factor in the budgeted contract for Swayman. But there probably needs to be another headline piece in there and that’s where it gets tricky. Would they move Fabian Lysell? If I’m Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, I’m asking for him in that package as Swayman for an extended Scheifele slants too heavily in Boston’s favor. That’s at least where I see the foundation of a move for him.
As for Lindholm, talk about pretty much the ideal replacement for Patrice Bergeron, at least on paper. Finding a trade match will be a lot trickier, however, as they’re not going to have interest in one of Boston’s goalies. They also have less cap flexibility than Boston does so now we’re talking about basically a straight money match which limits options. There aren’t a lot of combinations that work; the closest money-wise might be Jake DeBrusk and either Ian Mitchell or Jakub Zboril. The problem is a package headlined by those two isn’t getting Lindholm as a rental let alone as an extended player and the Bruins simply lack the draft pick and prospect capital to put a viable package together. There’s an outside shot to do something with Scheifele but I don’t see a fit for a trade for Lindholm even though he’d basically be the perfect on-ice fit for them.
Brassroo: Robby Fabbri is a decent player when healthy, but I’d like to see younger players get their chances. Any likelihood that he gets bought out or traded?
We can cross off the buyout option as the time that Detroit could have done that has come and gone. I’d also put the odds of a trade somewhere between slim and nil. I doubt there’s a team out there that’s willing to trade an asset for Fabbri when they can go sign a similar free agent for less than the two years at $4MM per season. Meanwhile, the Red Wings aren’t in a spot where they need to free up a roster spot or cap space so it doesn’t make much sense for them to either pay down the contract with retention or give up an asset to get a team with cap room to take on Fabbri’s deal.
There is another option that could achieve your objective though – waivers. If it gets to a point where Detroit needs a roster spot up front for a younger player that’s forcing their hand, they can just waive Fabbri and send him to Grand Rapids when he clears. They only clear $1.15MM off the cap in doing so but they’re far enough under where that’s not a problem. GM Steve Yzerman isn’t afraid to take that route either – Alex Nedeljkovic, Adam Erne, and Jakub Vrana all had AHL stints last season on one-way deals. That might be the best way for them to accomplish the goal of opening a spot for a prospect without waiting for an injury to arise.
Devil Shark: Which team do you think has the best bottom 6 in the league?
Which team do you think has the best 5th and 6th D pair in the league?
Which team do you think has the best league ready depth playing in the AHL and ready to call up?
Subject to change since there’s bound to be a lot of bottom-six activity in the next two months but I’ll go with Dallas as things stand. There’s a mixture of youth (Ty Dellandrea and maybe Wyatt Johnston; otherwise veteran Matt Duchene might be in there), scoring depth (at least two of Evgenii Dadonov, Mason Marchment, Duchene, and Tyler Seguin), and some capable veterans in Craig Smith and Radek Faksa. Sam Steel is also in that group and has proven to be serviceable and I wouldn’t be shocked if a prospect like Logan Stankoven forces his way into the mix. That’s a group with a fair bit of firepower and versatility.
For the best third pairing, I’ll go with Vegas. Assuming Alec Martinez plays up at five-on-five with Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore stay intact, that has the third pairing at Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud. Both players can move onto the second pairing without an issue if injuries arise which also means they can carry heavier minutes than a typical third duo. They’re also young enough that there’s still room for improvement. That’s a third pairing a lot of teams would love to have for themselves.
The last one is a bit of an eye of the beholder question. When I think of NHL-ready depth, I’m looking for players that can easily be slotted in depth roles. Based on that definition, Pittsburgh stands out as they should have multiple players with NHL experience in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, assuming they get through waivers to get there. Columbus has a bit of a roster crunch which could result in them sending some younger players down that are capable of playing bigger roles; they might not be as proven as some of Pittsburgh’s options but the upside is better which might be more appealing depending on what it is you’re looking for from a depth perspective.
Pacific Notes: Pettersson, Mangiapane, Hickey
Canucks center Elias Pettersson is now eligible for a contract extension since he has entered the final season of his three-year, $22.05MM deal, one that carries a qualifying offer next summer of $8.82MM. Speaking with Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma, former Vancouver assistant GM Chris Gear (who used to handle negotiations for Vancouver) pegged a rough range of a new deal for Pettersson between $9.5MM and $10.25MM. The 24-year-old hit career highs across the board last season with 39 goals, 63 assists, and 102 points, finishing tenth in league scoring so his value is certainly at its peak. Speculatively, if that’s the approximate range that a contract for Pettersson would be at this point, Vancouver might need to go close to the top mark to get him to put pen to paper on it a year early as another 100-point showing next season could push that price tag even higher.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- In an interview with Ryan Dittrick of the Flames’ team site, winger Andrew Mangiapane indicated that there are no more restrictions as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, paving the way for him to be fully ready for training camp in the fall. The 27-year-old is coming off a down year offensively; after putting up 35 goals in 2021-22, he managed just 17 last season despite an increase in playing time. Both sides are certainly hoping that the nagging shoulder trouble played a significant role in that sizable drop in production.
- The Golden Knights AHL affiliate in Henderson announced the signing of defenseman Brandon Hickey to a one-year deal. The 27-year-old was originally drafted by Calgary back in 2014 but declined to sign with them or Arizona who acquired his rights three years later. However, Hickey agreed to sign with Buffalo a year later but failed to advance past the AHL level, eventually being non-tendered. Since then, Hickey has split time between the AHL and ECHL; he got into 17 games on a tryout last season with the Silver Knights, collecting a goal and an assist.
Erik Karlsson Has Spoken With Numerous Teams About A Trade
For the past few weeks, there have been suggestions that Pittsburgh and Carolina are the two front-runners to land Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson. However, the blueliner himself revealed to SportExpressen’s Adam Johansson that he has spoken to several other teams about the possibility of a swap. The two that he noted specifically were Seattle and Toronto while he acknowledged that there are a few others as well.
Karlsson has been in trade speculation dating back to before the trade deadline with San Jose squarely in a rebuild and the 33-year-old coming off a surprising career year. Last season, Karlsson became the first defenseman in more than three decades to surpass the 100-point mark, helping him take home his third career Norris Trophy.
In doing so, he presented the Sharks with an opportunity to trade his contract, a scenario that didn’t seem all that feasible just a year ago. Karlsson is on the richest deal for a blueliner in NHL history, one that still has four years remaining at a cap hit of $11.5MM. Even though it was a front-loaded pact, there is still nearly $40MM in total compensation owed to him. That’s a particularly notable figure as while there is an expectation that San Jose will need to retain some money, it isn’t going to come close to the maximum allowable of 50% as they’re not going to pay Karlsson nearly $20MM over the next four years not to play for them.
Of course, that also complicates things on the trade front as none of the Hurricanes, Penguins, Maple Leafs, or Kraken have anywhere near enough cap space to take Karlsson on outright. They will need the Sharks to retain a sizable piece while sending a significant salary offset or two to San Jose in order to make the money work. Clearly, it’s a process that is taking some time.
When asked by Johansson if he had a preferred destination, Karlsson declined to provide one, only saying that he knows what he and his family wants and that he hopes he gets that chance. Long citing his desire to land with a contender, wherever (and whenever) he goes, Karlsson should be landing with a team that’s much closer to playoff contention than San Jose currently is.
Free Agent Profile: Pius Suter
At this point in free agency, many teams are looking for bargains, trying to find a certain role player that fits a need while also fitting within their tight salary structure. It isn’t often this deep into the summer that there is a potential bargain addition that carries some upside. But that just might be the case when it comes to Pius Suter.
The 27-year-old got a late start to his NHL career, only signing with Chicago back in 2020 coming off a stellar season in Switzerland that saw him pot 30 goals in 53 games. Suter made what looked like a favorable first impression in his rookie campaign, collecting 27 points in 55 contests while finishing 11th in Calder Trophy voting. However, concerned with a possible arbitration award, the Blackhawks somewhat surprisingly non-tendered him that summer, sending him back to free agency.
His stint on the open market didn’t last long as Suter quickly inked a two-year, $5MM deal with Detroit. He collected 36 points in his first season with the team and while he had a more limited role offensively last season, he still was a decent depth contributor while also taking a regular shift on the penalty kill. He also showed that he can play on the wing after spending his first two seasons as a full-timer down the middle.
While this isn’t necessarily the most exciting profile, Suter has scored at least 14 goals in each of his first three years, can kill penalties, and is a natural center. That makes his continued presence on the open market at least a little surprising.
Stats
2022-23: 79 GP, 14-10-24, -13 rating, 6 PIMS, 106 shots, 46.8% faceoffs, 45.5% CF, 14:04 ATOI
Career: 216 GP, 43-44-87, -19 rating, 42 PIMS, 384 shots, 46.7% faceoffs, 52.5% CF, 15:44 ATOI
Potential Suitors
In theory, Suter is the type of player who could fit in with most organizations. For deeper win-now teams, he’s at a minimum capable injury insurance with the type of versatility to move up and down the lineup where needed. For rebuilding squads, he’s the type of player who could suit up a little higher in the lineup to start and is young enough to possibly be around for more than just a year if things went well.
In the East, the Senators stand out as a possible fit, depending on how things go with their pursuit of Vladimir Tarasenko. If that falls through, they have enough cap room to re-sign Shane Pinto and still have enough for Suter who would give them some offensive upside in their bottom six. If Suter winds up settling for a minimum-salary contract, Boston stands out as a fit as a team that could certainly benefit from some more depth down the middle. If Carolina isn’t sold on Jack Drury as a full-timer, the Hurricanes could be a landing spot for Suter as well although it’s likely that some of their other possible dominoes need to fall first to see what space they may or may not have.
Out West, the Kraken have had some success in their first two seasons with players like this and they certainly have the cap and roster space to add Suter in. If Minnesota is hesitant about Marco Rossi’s readiness, Suter could represent an insurance policy, basically filling the role that Sam Steel did last season. Winnipeg has made an effort to bolster its bottom six this summer but there is still room to improve on that front and Suter’s positional versatility would be beneficial for them.
Projected Contract
Suter narrowly missed the cut in our Top 50 UFA rankings last month, slotting in as part of the group of five that landed just outside in our voting. At this point, the hopes of landing a contract like the one he had in Detroit (with a $2.5MM AAV) should basically be dashed. But there are some teams that could afford a low seven-figure deal for him if he wants to go for top dollar. Alternatively, if Suter is open to taking less for a more desirable fit, there should be interest from several playoff-caliber teams. The price tag should be low and there might be a modicum of upside still. As far as combos go at this time in free agency, that’s certainly not a bad one.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Devils, Laine, Lomberg
The Devils haven’t ruled out the possibility of adding another goaltender this summer, reports Ryan Novozinsky of the Newark Star-Ledger. At the moment, youngster Akira Schmid appears set to be the playing partner for Vitek Vanecek but as Schmid is just 23 and is waiver-exempt, the organization could opt to send him back to the AHL where he’d get more game action. Such a move wouldn’t necessarily be made following the acquisition of a new starter either; there are some veterans still out there that could hold down a number two role at least for a little while next season, a list headlined by Martin Jones and Jaroslav Halak. Adding one of those netminders may not be the most appealing on paper but would allow Schmid to see more regular action with Utica which might be the better long-term play from a development perspective.
Elsewhere in the East:
- Late last season, the Blue Jackets experimented with lining up Patrik Laine at center, a move that was short-lived as he suffered a season-ending triceps strain later that week. However, he told NHL.com’s Craig Merz that he’s open to moving down the middle once again next season. Columbus has added Adam Fantilli and Dmitry Voronkov this summer while youngsters Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson are also young centers. But if they want to ease those players in on the wing, moving Laine to center for at least a little while next season could be a reasonable approach to take.
- Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg missed nearly a month of the playoffs due to a broken thumb, eventually returning to the lineup before the injury had healed. The 28-year-old told David Wilson of the Miami Herald that the thumb has now fully recovered, meaning he’ll be ready to go for training camp. Lomberg had career highs in goals (12), points (20), and hits (145) last season and is poised to be an important part of Florida’s bottom six next season.
Hurricanes Making Progress On Sebastian Aho Extension
The Hurricanes have several key players entering the final year of their respective contracts, making them eligible for a contract extension. One of those is forward Sebastian Aho as he is now in the final year of the offer sheet agreement that was signed with Montreal and quickly matched. Speaking with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, GM Don Waddell indicated that they are making good progress on a new deal for the 25-year-old:
We’re working on it, getting close. Not there yet, but we are talking on a regular basis, almost daily, so I’m hoping that we can get this to the finish line here in the next week or so.
Aho has been a focal point of Carolina’s attack throughout his seven-year career, scoring at least 24 times in each campaign. Last season, he picked up 36 tallies, leading the Hurricanes in that department for the sixth straight time. A couple of years into his career, he made the transition from playing on the wing to playing down the middle, increasing his value to the team even more.
To that end, as a number one center, Aho is well-positioned to land a raise on his current deal that carries a $8.46MM AAV. With the expectation that there will be a bigger increase to the Upper Limit of the salary than the $1MM it has been recently and Aho’s production, he could add another million or so to that number while securing a max-term eight-year agreement and in doing so, Carolina would lock in a franchise cornerstone for the long haul.
Defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei along with winger Teuvo Teravainen are also UFA-eligible after the season and are extension-eligible as well. However, Waddell noted that talks on those aren’t going quite as well:
We’ve had talks, but nothing close. We’ve reached out to all of the different agents just to tell them our interest. You try to go a year early, which is always tough. But I look at it two ways: it’s protection for us but also for them not having to worry about playing out a year. Injuries and all those things come into factor. So, we’re trying to find medium ground that works both for the player and the team.
Pesce, in particular, has also been featured in trade speculation, especially surrounding reports that they continue to show interest in Sharks blueliner Erik Karlsson along with UFA blueliner Anthony DeAngelo. While, for now, Aho seems to be the focus from an extension standpoint, Pesce could be the next one to get a greater level of focus to see if he’ll be able to stick around or if he could be on the move before next season gets underway.