East Notes: Reilly, Johnson, Atkinson
While the Bruins sent Mike Reilly back to AHL Providence earlier this week, he’s not in their lineup tonight and Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports (Twitter link) that the defenseman is hoping for a trade. Reilly cleared waivers back in training camp in large part due to his contract which carries a $3MM AAV through next season. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted to pick up that full deal but if Boston is open to retaining part of the salary, then a swap might become more palatable. The Bruins are currently carrying a $1.875MM cap charge with the 29-year-old being parked in the minors so being able to offload even some of that would help alleviate a tight cap situation. Divver notes that it’s unknown if there is something in the works at the moment.
More from the Eastern Conference:
- It was a tough day on the injury front for the Blue Jackets today with Zach Werenski being ruled out for the year while Nick Blankenburg will miss several weeks as well. However, there was one piece of good news as Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch relays (Twitter link) that forward Kent Johnson will return to the lineup on Saturday after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury. The 20-year-old is off to a nice start to his first full professional campaign with three goals and three assists through 11 games.
- Flyers winger Cam Atkinson skated with the team yesterday in Columbus as he continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury, notes Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The injury, one that originally had him listed as day-to-day in training camp, has now caused him to miss the first 13 games of the year and counting as there remains no timeline for his return. Atkinson was second on the team in scoring last season with 50 points and would be a welcome addition to a Philadelphia lineup that sits in the bottom five in goals scored in the early going.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins
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 2022-23 season and beyond. 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.
Boston Bruins
Current Cap Hit: $84,435,581 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
G Jeremy Swayman (one year, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Swayman: $150K
Swayman had a very nice rookie season that saw him serve as part of an effective platoon which was the role he was expected to play this year although an early injury has stalled that somewhat. Generally speaking, a fairly limited track record should limit him a bit on his next contract (almost certainly a bridge deal) although his camp will be using Spencer Knight’s three-year, $13.5MM extension as a comparable. Something a bit less than that could certainly be doable.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Patrice Bergeron ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Connor Clifton ($1MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($3.8MM, UFA)
F Trent Frederic ($1.05MM, RFA)
G Keith Kinkaid ($750K, UFA)
F David Krejci ($1MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($1.75MM, UFA)
F David Pastrnak ($6.67MM, UFA)
F Craig Smith ($3.1MM, UFA)
D Anton Stralman ($1MM, UFA)
F Chris Wagner ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Pavel Zacha ($3.5MM, UFA)
Potential Bonuses
Bergeron: $2.5MM (already reached)
Krejci: $2MM ($1MM already reached)
Bergeron and Krejci agreed to team-friendly one-year deals that gave this core one last chance to go for it but the downside is the bonus overage penalty that is on the way. You might have noticed above that $3.5MM in bonuses have already been hit while Krejci will hit another $500K within the next few weeks if he stays healthy and the other $500K is attainable if they make the playoffs which is looking likely. Both players could get considerably more on the open market if they wanted to but have made it clear they don’t want to go anywhere else. They could sign similar contracts next summer or the Bruins might have quite a vacancy to fill next summer. Right now, they’re benefitting quite nicely from these contracts with the big hit coming in 2023-24 when those bonuses will hit the cap. Zacha was brought in to potentially audition for one of Bergeron’s or Krejci’s spots a year from now but he continues to be hit or miss in the offensive zone, a trend he has had throughout his career. Still, as a young center with size, there will be lots of interest but it’s likely to come around the $3.5MM mark on a multi-year agreement.
Pastrnak is the most notable player of the many on this list. While there are some prominent wingers that are set to hit the open market this summer, Pastrnak is the best of them all (and also the youngest). Heading into the season, an extension around the $10MM mark looked possible but with the start that he’s having to his year, that feels like it could be on the low end now, especially with there being some speculation that the salary cap may jump a bit more than the expected $1MM next summer. Could Artemi Panarin’s $11.643MM (the record for a winger) be attainable? If he keeps up the current pace, he’ll have a very strong case to make to eclipse that mark on a max-term deal.
Foligno’s first season with Boston was nothing short of a disaster as he had just two goals in 64 games. To his credit, he has gotten off to a better start this season and already passed the two-tally mark but at this point of his career, he’s closer to being a fourth liner than an impact middle-six option and his market should correct accordingly next summer. Smith is usually good for double-digit goals and 30-plus points each year and is the type of player that can fit on a third line and move up in a pinch. The market for those players has really cratered in recent years so a dip in pay seems likely although he could still get a multi-year deal.
As for the other forwards, Nosek continues to be a faceoff specialist that can kill penalties and even with limited production, he’ll still have some suitors. That said, as fourth lines get cheaper, he might come up a bit short of this price next summer. Wagner is currently in the minors but as a physical energy player, he’ll have some interest in July but it’s likely to be on a deal that’s either at or a little under $1MM. Then there’s Frederic, the lone RFA in this group. He has settled in as a capable fourth liner and while that’s not a great return on a first-round pick, he should be able to get a small increase on his $1.15MM qualifying offer.
Clifton has been a role player for most of his career, working his way into a regular spot on the third pairing. Generally, that profile tends to stay around this price tag. However, he has picked a great time to take a step forward and has done well in a top-four role in the early going this season. If that holds up, he could market himself as a 28-year-old top-four right-handed defender. That could push him past the $3MM mark if the demand is high. Stralman took a PTO deal and eventually got converted to a full contract but has played sparingly this season. If that holds up, he’ll be hard-pressed to make this much on his next deal.
Kinkaid is currently on the roster because of Swayman’s injury so he gets a quick mention here. He has been a serviceable third-stringer in recent years which should allow him to get a good two-way agreement that guarantees more than half of what his NHL pay would be, similar to the deal he has now (which has a $400K AHL portion).
Signed Through 2023-24
F Jake DeBrusk ($4MM, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($3MM, UFA)
F A.J. Greer ($762.5K, UFA)
D Matt Grzelcyk ($3.6875MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($3MM, UFA)
D Jakub Zboril ($1.1375MM, UFA)
After some prolonged stretches and a lengthy trade request that was eventually rescinded, DeBrusk is starting to produce more consistently. If he can score 25 goals this year and next (matching his 2021-22 total), he’ll be in good shape to command a pricier contract with a longer-term agreement than he has been accustomed to at this point of his career. Greer is getting his first taste of regular NHL action and is doing rather well. If that continues, he could have a chance at doubling his price tag.
Grzelcyk never really has been able to take a big step forward offensively but he has settled in nicely as a second pairing player that will chip in with 20-25 points per season on average. He’s also a strong skater which helps in this era of teams coveting mobility from the back end although, at 5’9, he’s one of the smaller defenders in the league. That might hurt his market a bit in the end but he should be able to get a bit more than this in free agency. Forbort is more of the old-school type of defender, bigger and more physical but he has had a bit more of a limited role with Boston compared to his time with Winnipeg or even Los Angeles earlier in his career. It’s possible that in 2024, he’ll be viewed more like a fifth option which would make it difficult to get as much as he is now at that time.
Reilly has been a depth defender for most of his career but turned a strong 2020-21 year into this contract, one that is on the pricey side right now. Clearing waivers notwithstanding (cap troubles mean a lot of quality players would clear), he’s someone that should settle in closer to half this price tag on the open market. Zboril dealt with injuries last season, putting Boston in a spot where they could get him on the cheap. He has been a sixth or seventh defender in the early going, similar to his usage before this season. If that continues, this could wind up being close to his ceiling in terms of his next contract.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Taylor Hall ($6MM, UFA)
F Brad Marchand ($6.125MM, UFA)
G Linus Ullmark ($5MM, UFA)
Marchand is another veteran that has long been on a team-friendly contract. It’s fair to surmise that he might slow down by the end of this (he’ll be 37 when he next is UFA-eligible) but even if he does, they’ve gotten enough surplus value to make up for it. It wouldn’t be surprising to see history repeat itself with Marchand taking a cheaper team-friendly one-year deal in 2025. Hall never really was able to get back to the level of his Hart-winning year with New Jersey although he has settled in as a quality second liner. This price tag is reasonable for that role and with the cap expected to be much higher by 2025, a similarly-priced contract could be achievable if he’s still playing at a similar level by then.
There was some risk cooked into Ullmark’s contract considering he had all of 117 career NHL appearances at the time and had never made 34 starts in a season. This is an expensive contract for a platoon goalie although with the way he’s playing this year, he looks like more of a true starter. Swayman will eventually cut into his playing time but Ullmark’s performance early on with the Bruins should be enough to convince a team he’s a legitimate starter which will either make him a good trade candidate in a couple of years or help him earn at least a small raise on the open market.
Capitals Activate John Carlson, Place Dmitry Orlov On IR
It has been a particularly tough start to the year on the injury front for the Capitals who have been without several key players for the full season while several other regulars were injured within the first few weeks. However, There’s at least some good news coming as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti relays (Twitter link) that defenseman John Carlson has been activated off injured reserve, paving the way for him to return tonight against Tampa Bay. To make room for him on the roster, Washington has transferred blueliner Dmitry Orlov to IR.
Carlson, who has been one of the most productive blueliners in the NHL in recent years, got off to a strong start to his campaign with six points in nine games but suffered a lower-body injury two weeks ago against Nashville. While Washington won that game, they only were victorious in one of the six contests that Carlson missed.
As for Orlov, he suffered a lower-body injury last Saturday against the Coyotes. Accordingly, Washington can back-date the placement which means he technically is eligible to return on Sunday at which point they’d need to make another roster move to free up a spot for him. Orlov has made an early impact with five assists in 13 games while logging over 21 minutes a night.
Even with Carlson’s return, the Capitals are still quite banged up at the moment as joining Orlov on the injured list are forwards Carl Hagelin, Tom Wilson, Nicklas Backstrom, Connor Brown, T.J. Oshie, and Beck Malenstyn; they’ll even be without head coach Peter Laviolette for at least the next two games after he entered COVID protocol earlier today. Despite the lengthy injury list, they’re hanging around at close to a .500 points percentage as they enter tonight’s game with a 6-7-2 record.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets
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 2022-23 season and beyond. 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.
Winnipeg Jets
Current Cap Hit: $79,878,398 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Morgan Barron (one year, $925K)
F Cole Perfetti (two years, $894K)
D Dylan Samberg (one year, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Barron: $850K
Perfetti: $850K
Samberg: $350K
Total: $2.05MM
Barron came over from the Rangers at the trade deadline last season and saw regular action down the stretch in a limited role. That spot in the lineup carried over to this year where he was doing well before suffering a wrist injury). Even so, he’s not likely going to produce enough to hit his ‘A’ bonuses while he’s a candidate to take a contract that’s cheaper than this one but is a one-way pact. Perfetti held his own in his first taste of NHL action last year and has impressed in the early going this season while seeing a lot of action in the top six which will give him a good chance to hit some of his bonuses (four ‘A’ ones). Notably, although he burned his first entry-level year last season, he did not accrue a season towards free agent eligibility so he’ll be five years away from UFA status. That could make him a candidate for a three-year bridge deal (or even four years) with an AAV in the $3MM-$4MM range if he’s able to stay in that role.
Samberg is looking to establish himself as a regular but has been in and out of the lineup early on. Assuming that continues, he’s also a candidate to sign a short-term bridge deal that’s cheaper than this one in exchange for a one-way pact or a two-way contract with an above-average AHL salary.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Pierre-Luc Dubois ($6MM, RFA)
F Axel Jonsson Fjallby ($750K, RFA)
F Sam Gagner ($750K, UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen ($750K, UFA)
G David Rittich ($900K, UFA)
D Logan Stanley ($900K, RFA)
F Dominic Toninato ($750K, UFA)
Dubois’ future in Winnipeg has been in question for some time and the fact he accepted his qualifying offer without even attempting to go through arbitration was telling. He has told the team that he won’t sign a long-term deal with them at this time so if nothing changes, he’s probably heading for a one-year agreement in the $7MM range. If he goes elsewhere or changes his mind, a long-term deal closer to $8MM per year is doable. As for the other four forwards, Gagner’s market was weak this summer which likely won’t change barring an offensive breakout while the other three are just hoping to establish themselves as regulars. The Jets are in a spot where they don’t necessarily have to keep this many roster spots at the minimum but if they’re able to do so, that does give them some flexibility to add elsewhere.
Stanley is still trying to establish himself as an every-game regular and while he played in 58 games last year, his ice time was still somewhat limited. He should be in a position to get more than his $1MM qualifying offer but it’s unlikely that they’ll find common ground on a long-term deal; a one-year contract that buys both sides more time to evaluate makes a lot of sense as a result.
Rittich is looking to turn things around after a tough year with Calgary last season. A rebound performance could push him closer to $2MM a year from now but if he puts up a similar performance, he may be in tough to find a guaranteed one-way contract. His stock has dropped quite a bit over the last couple of years.
Signed Through 2023-24
D Kyle Capobianco ($762.5K, UFA)
D Dylan DeMelo ($3MM, UFA)
D Brenden Dillon ($3.9MM, UFA)
F David Gustafsson ($775K, RFA)
F Jansen Harkins ($850K, UFA)
G Connor Hellebuyck ($6.167MM, UFA)
F Mark Scheifele ($6.125MM, UFA)
F Blake Wheeler ($8.25MM, UFA)
Wheeler got off to a tough start last season but to his credit, he rebounded nicely to have a productive year. However, that level of production isn’t worthy of his current cap hit but that’s also something GM Kevin Cheveldayoff likely expected at this point of the contract. He’ll be 38 when he next is eligible for free agency and while there should be some interest, it’s likely to be at half of this rate or less. The same can’t be said for Scheifele. His deal has been a team-friendly one throughout and he’ll be 31 on the open market where he could land close to a max-term agreement. He has been at or above a point per game for the last six years and while some regression will be likely in the final few seasons, it’s possible that he could push for close to $9MM in free agency, especially as the salary cap will be starting to go a bit higher by then.
Harkins’ season didn’t get off to a great start as he cleared waivers but he’s back up for the time being at least. He’s another player that is still trying to get established as an NHL regular. If that happens between now and the end of this deal, he could surpass the $1MM mark on the open market but if not, he’s someone that might have to drop down to a two-way contract. Gustavsson is a recent example of taking less than his qualifying offer to get more guaranteed money as he’s also trying to become a full-timer. So far this season, he’s holding his own on the fourth line but will need to do more than just log light minutes if he wants any sort of meaningful increase.
Dillon has been somewhat of a higher-priced stabilizer the last few years. He’s serviceable as a fourth option but in an ideal scenario, he’s anchoring a third pairing. That said, he also has a strong track record so there’s a good chance he can land a contract similar to this one both in cost and term (four years) on the open market. DeMelo is another stabilizer type although he’s one that Winnipeg hoped could play in the top four but it hasn’t played out like that. He has been a pricey number five but he’s a right-shot defender who won’t hurt a team most nights. There’s a lot of demand for that type of blueliner so he also should be able to land a multi-year agreement around this price tag in 2024. Capobianco is yet another player that’s looking to get established as a full-time NHL player (there’s a pattern with how the Jets have filled those depth spots this season) after being non-tendered by Arizona. He only made his debut with the team yesterday which isn’t a good sign. Unless something changes, he’ll be at or near the minimum once again.
Hellebuyck has led the league in saves in four straight seasons which is an impressive feat; in an age where teams have been trending towards platoons, he’s still a workhorse between the pipes. He has been quite impressive early on this year with numbers close to his Vezina-winning campaign. While signing a 31-year-old (his age in 2024) goalie to a long-term deal will carry some risks at the back end, he should have considerable interest around the league. He has made a bit above the median for a starter throughout this contract and as the Upper Limit starts to rise, there’s a very good chance that trend will continue which could put his next deal closer to the $7MM mark if not a bit higher.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Mason Appleton ($2.167MM, UFA)
F Nikolaj Ehlers ($6MM, UFA)
D Neal Pionk ($5.875MM, UFA)
D Nate Schmidt ($5.95MM, UFA)
Ehlers has settled in nicely as a winger that’s going to hover around 25 goals and 60 points in a season. His price tag for that role is certainly a reasonable one. He should be someone that really benefits from the higher cap at that time; the winger market has been weaker lately but three years from now, that shouldn’t be the case which will have him well-positioned to add a million or more on his next deal which should be close to a max-term agreement. Appleton struggled last year with Seattle which resulted in a reunion with Winnipeg while this contract reflects an expectation that he can get back to performing at the level he did in 2020-21. If he does that, this contract will be just fine; otherwise, it’ll be a small overpayment.
Schmidt’s stock has dropped in recent years. After being a solid two-way threat with Vegas, he struggled in Vancouver and was a cap dump to Winnipeg a year later where he at least had a decent first year with the Jets. He needs to be around the 30-point mark to have a chance at living up to his contract and three years from now, it seems likely that he’ll be heading for at least a small dip in pay. That’s not the case for Pionk. Being four years younger than Schmidt certainly helps on that front while his peak production has been higher than Schmidt’s and he’s a right-shot defender. Barring a return to the level of production in his first year with Winnipeg (45 points), he shouldn’t be in line for a significant increase but a long-term deal in the $6.5MM to $7MM range is achievable even if he stays around the 35-point mark.
West Notes: Oilers, Beaupit, Bowers
While Evander Kane will be on LTIR for the next several months, don’t expect the Oilers to be active when it comes to trying to replace the power forward. As Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relays in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment (video link), Edmonton isn’t expected to make a move of significance to add a replacement. Since Kane is expected to be able to return down the stretch, they’re unlikely to want to take on a sizable contract knowing they’ll have to get back to cap compliance in order to bring Kane back to the active roster. Short of AHL recalls (of which they’ve already made two), Ken Holland probably won’t be much more active than that when it comes to bringing up a replacement. They do have one open roster spot still and ample LTIR space so one other recall could come at some point.
More from the West:
- Sharks goalie prospect Mason Beaupit is on the move at the junior level as WHL Winnipeg announced that they’ve acquired the 19-year-old from Spokane. Beaupit was a fourth-round pick of San Jose (108th overall) this past summer after posing a save percentage of .893 last season in 49 games. Things haven’t gone as well this year, however, as that dropped to .833 in nine contests with the Chiefs. The Sharks have until June 1, 2024 to decide whether or not to sign him.
- The Avalanche officially registered the recall of forward Shane Bowers today, per the AHL’s transactions log, paving the way for him to make his NHL debut tonight. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick (28th overall) back in 2017 and is the final first rounder from that draft class to make an NHL appearance. Bowers is off to a good start with AHL Colorado with six points in his first ten games this season.
Kraken Place Jamie Oleksiak On IR, Send Joey Daccord To AHL
It turns out that bringing goaltender Magnus Hellberg back today wasn’t Seattle’s only roster activity of the day. Root Sports’ Scott Malone relays (Twitter link) that the Kraken have placed defenseman Jamie Oleksiak on injured reserve while also sending goaltender Joey Daccord back to AHL Coachella Valley as he is no longer listed on the team’s active roster.
Oleksiak suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday’s game against Nashville and it’s evidently one that will keep him out for at least a week due to the IR placement. The 29-year-old was off to a nice start to his season with three goals and two assists in his first 14 games while logging 18:33 per night, good for third among Seattle’s blueliners. Cale Fleury has been up with the team all season as the reserve defender but has been scratched for every game but now will get a chance to see some game action; he played in nine contests with the Kraken last season. Seattle doesn’t have enough cap space to recall a seventh defender for now although Chris Driedger could easily be moved to LTIR to free up some short-term flexibility on that front.
As for Daccord, he has been up with the big club for the last few weeks with Philipp Grubauer on injured reserve although he only made one appearance during that time. His demotion could mean that another team placed a claim on Hellberg which means that Seattle wouldn’t be able to loan him to the Firebirds. Alternatively, management might feel that the 26-year-old is simply better served getting into some game action having been on the bench for the bulk of his time with the Kraken.
Five Key Stories: 10/31/22 – 11/6/22
As the calendar flips to November, teams are starting to get a sense of their needs which should provide some hope for the trade market to slowly pick up over the next little while. In the meantime, the bulk of the top stories over the past seven days have been on the injury front.
Drysdale Out Long Term: As this was the final season of Jamie Drysdale’s entry-level contract, this was his opportunity to have a big year that set him up for a long-term, big-money agreement. Unfortunately for both him and the Ducks, that won’t be happening as he suffered a torn labrum that requires surgery which will keep him out for four to six months. The 20-year-old could return before the end of the year if his recovery is on the shorter end of that timeline but it will still wind up being two entry-level seasons with limited action. That will make a long-term deal considerably tougher to work out this summer and increases the chances that at least one of the two sides will prefer a bridge agreement.
On The Market: Forget about players possibly being on the market for a moment but there is about to be a team on the market as the Senators have started the process of selling the franchise. Long-time owner Eugene Melnyk passed away back in March with control of the team shifting to his daughters who are still in their early twenties. The most recent Sportico valuation of the team was $650MM but with the team on the rise and the prospect of a downtown arena looking quite strong, it’s possible that they’ll be able to land more than that, especially since that was the price tag for Seattle to join the league in expansion and franchise values have only gone up since then.
Done For The Year: Connor Brown had been a key two-way winger for Ottawa for years before he was moved to Washington where the hope was that he could become a bit more productive in a more offensive role as he heads toward unrestricted free agency next summer. Unfortunately, that won’t be happening now as the 28-year-old will miss the next six to eight months after undergoing ACL surgery that almost certainly will end his season. Brown will now hit the open market next summer having played just four games in 2022-23 with questions almost certain to follow about his skating after a significant knee injury. That’s about as disastrous a contract year as it could have been while the Capitals have lost someone that was supposed to be a key part of their forward group.
More Injuries: Despite the fact that they’re first in the East, the Bruins have been hit hard by injuries in the early going this season and that continued this past week. On top of losing Derek Forbort, they’ll also be without goaltender Jeremy Swayman who is listed as being out week to week. The 23-year-old is part of an effective tandem with Linus Ullmark but the veteran will be getting the bulk of the workload for a little while now. Meanwhile, the Red Wings will be without winger Filip Zadina for the foreseeable future as the 22-year-old broke a bone while blocking a shot against the Islanders on Saturday. Head coach Derek Lalonde indicated it’s a matter of months, not weeks before he’s able to return. Detroit is already without three other regular wingers so their depth is getting tested early on.
Miller Signs, Then Gets Released: In a surprising move, the Bruins elected to sign former Coyotes draft pick Mitchell Miller to a three-year, entry-level deal. The 20-year-old’s rights were renounced shortly after he was drafted following the details being released about a 2016 assault conviction for bullying and abusing a Black, developmentally disabled classmate; North Dakota later dropped Miller from their program as well. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman indicated that Miller isn’t currently eligible to play in the NHL (and may never be) which called into question his AHL eligibility as well. However, that question isn’t relevant to Boston now as they elected to part ways with Miller on Sunday, barely 48 hours after signing him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bruins Part Ways With Mitchell Miller
Mitchell Miller‘s time with the Bruins has come to a quick end as the team has announced that they are parting ways with the defenseman who had signed with Boston back on Friday. Team president Cam Neely released the following statement:
The decision to sign this young man was made after careful consideration of the facts as we were aware of them: that at 14-years-old he made a poor decision that led to a juvenile conviction. We understood this to be an isolated incident and that he had taken meaningful action to reform and was committed to ongoing personal development. Based on that understanding we offered him a contract.
Based on new information, we believe it is the best decision at this time to rescind the opportunity for Mitchell Miller to represent the Boston Bruins. We hope that he continues to work with professionals and programs to further his education and personal growth.
We owe it to our fans, players, staff, partners and community to make sure that our practices and protocols are in keeping with the ethos that we demand from ourselves and as an organization. As such, we will be reevaluating our internal processes for vetting individuals who wish to earn the privilege of playing in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins.
We are sorry that this decision has overshadowed the incredible work the members of our organization do to support diversity and inclusion efforts. We will continue to stand against bullying and racism in all of its forms.
To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard. We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused.
Miller’s signing was a controversial one following the revelations of a 2016 assault conviction for bullying and abusing a Black, developmentally disabled classmate. The Coyotes, who had drafted him 111th overall back in 2020, renounced his rights later that year, making him an unrestricted free agent.
On Saturday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman indicated that Miller was not currently eligible to play in the NHL and suggested that he might not ever be. That called into question whether or not he’d be able to play in the AHL with that league saying they’d need to meet with Miller and review the situation in further detail. That will no longer be necessary with his time with Boston now having ended.
Jake Virtanen Signs In Switzerland
After being a late cut in training camp with Edmonton, Jake Virtanen was hoping to catch on elsewhere in the NHL. That didn’t materialize and he has now found his new home as EHC Visp of the Swiss second division announced that they’ve signed the winger to a two-year contract.
The 26-year-old was a first-round pick of Vancouver (sixth overall) back in 2014 with the hopes that he’d become an impactful power forward. However, he struggled to produce with consistency over his six NHL seasons (spanning 317 games) and ultimately was bought out of the final year of his contract with the Canucks in 2021 after a particularly tough year (five goals in 38 contests) at the same time that allegations of sexual assault came to light, charges he was later found not guilty of.
Last season, Virtanen went to the KHL in the hopes that a big role overseas could help propel him back into getting another NHL opportunity but he wasn’t overly productive, notching just nine goals and seven assists in 36 games, not the type of production that generated much NHL interest as evidenced by him only getting a handful of PTO offers heading into training camp.
It’s a bit surprising that someone with the NHL experience that Virtanen has ultimately settled for a two-year agreement in a second-tier league overseas. However, the move will give him a bit of stability and a chance to play an impact role as he looks to rediscover his offensive touch in the hopes of getting another opportunity at the NHL level down the road.
Filip Zadina Will Be Out Long Term
While the exact injury isn’t yet known, things don’t sound good for Red Wings winger Filip Zadina. Speaking with reporters including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) postgame following their overtime victory over the Rangers today, head coach Derek Lalonde indicated the youngster has something broken and that he’ll be out a matter of months, not weeks. The injury occurred back on Saturday after he blocked a shot from Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock.
That’s hardly good news for the 22-year-old who has been trying to establish his role under their new coaching staff. Zadina has struggled out of the gate this season and has been held off the scoresheet through his first nine games while averaging just under 14 minutes a night. He’s in the first season of a three-year, $5.475MM bridge contract.
Detroit has been hit hard when it comes to their wingers this season. Zadina joins Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri as wingers that are currently injured while Jakub Vrana is out indefinitely while he’s in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The Red Wings currently have an open roster spot after placing Zadina on injured reserve late yesterday. Austin Czarnik and Matt Luff have been recent recalls and someone else from AHL Grand Rapids will be getting the call in the near future.