Brian La Rose

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Detroit Red Wings

February 15, 2025 at 2:16 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. 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 often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 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 PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up is the Red Wings.

Detroit Red Wings

Current Cap Hit: $85,238,023 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Simon Edvinsson (two years, $894.1K)
F Marco Kasper (three years, $886.7K)

Potential Bonuses
Edvinsson: $850K
Kasper: $1MM
Total: $1.85MM

Kasper’s first full NHL season has been solid thus far with the Red Wings not throwing a lot at him, allowing him to ease his way in. That doesn’t necessarily bode well for him from a bonus perspective but development-wise, it’s not a bad strategy. At this point, it would seem like a bridge contract would make sense for his next contract but a breakout effort next year could change those plans.

Edvinsson has certainly been an impactful blueliner in his first full NHL campaign. The offensive numbers don’t jump off the chart but defensively, he’s quickly becoming a core piece. Speculatively, he’s someone Detroit might want to bypass a bridge deal with in 2026 and if his production stays around the level it is now, he won’t be able to command top dollar. He could seemingly use Kaiden Guhle’s contract as a barometer ($5.5MM AAV for six years) although in a higher cap environment, the comparable could push past the $6MM mark on a deal of that length. Bonus-wise, he’s well on his way to reaching two of his four ‘A’ bonuses (ATOI and plus/minus) while he’s within striking distance hitting the other two with blocks and assists.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Jonatan Berggren ($825K, RFA)
D Albert Johansson ($775K, RFA)
F Christian Fischer ($1.125MM, UFA)
G Ville Husso ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Patrick Kane ($4MM, UFA)
G Alex Lyon ($900K, UFA)
F Tyler Motte ($800K, UFA)
D Jeff Petry ($2.344MM, UFA)*

*-Montreal is retaining $2.344MM on Petry’s deal while Pittsburgh is retaining an additional $1.563MM.

Potential Bonuses
Kane: $2.5MM

Kane’s second season with the Red Wings hasn’t gone quite as well as his first. After hovering near the point-per-game mark in 2023-24, he isn’t producing close to that level this year while dealing with some injuries. Nonetheless, the bonus-laden structure shields Detroit a bit. Speaking of those bonuses, he has already reached $1.5MM of those and if he stays healthy the rest of the way, he’ll get at least another $250K. The other $750K ($500K for making the playoffs and $250K for making the playoffs and getting 60 points) are less likely although if Detroit was to move Kane to a contender at the trade deadline, he could still reach that. With how this year has gone, a similar one-year deal could still be doable, perhaps with a bit less guaranteed money in there.

Fischer is having a rough year and while he has a track record of being a good fourth liner, a small dip into the six figures still seems likely for him. Berggren has arbitration eligibility and with a 28-point rookie season under his belt and being on pace for a similar number this year, doubling his current price tag could be doable. If Detroit doesn’t want to take the risk of an award from a hearing, he could be a non-tender candidate as well. Motte has been just above the minimum salary the last couple of years and although he’s a serviceable penalty killer, it’s possible he might wind up dropping to the minimum salary of $775K for next season.

For many years, Petry was a solid top-four defender who could handle top-pairing minutes when needed. That’s not the case anymore. He’s more of a fourth or fifth option at this point and at 37, there’s a risk of the decline being fairly steep. Accordingly, he’s likely looking at going year-to-year now. Something around the price that Detroit is responsible for on his current contract might be reasonable with some incentives pushing the potential total past the $3MM mark as well. Johansson is in his first NHL season and has had a limited role thus far. He’s arbitration-eligible as well which should allow him to get more than his $813K qualifying offer. Something a little closer to the $1MM mark could be doable.

Lyon has become quite a bargain for Detroit. Originally viewed as a third-string option, he took over as the starter last year and has improved on those numbers this season albeit in more of a backup role. With the way the market has gone for higher-end backups lately, a short-term deal around the $3MM mark is where his market could fall. Husso, on the other hand, was supposed to be the starter when acquired but has played his way down to third-string status. It’s hard to see him getting an offer to be a backup goalie this summer but because he has done well in the minors and has a bit of a track record in the AHL, he could land a deal similar to what Lyon’s getting now, a one-way pact worth more than the minimum to be an experienced third option.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Ben Chiarot ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($2MM, UFA)
D Justin Holl (3.4MM, UFA)
G Cam Talbot ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Tarasenko ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Joe Veleno ($2.275MM, RFA)

Tarasenko had to settle for a one-year deal in 2023 and, despite having a solid season, he didn’t seem to have a strong market last summer, yielding this two-year pact at a small pay cut instead. This season hasn’t gone well for the 33-year-old and it’s possible that Detroit looks to try to move him to get out of the second year of the contract. If this production carries over into next season, he could be dropping closer to the $3MM range on his next deal. Veleno has never been able to carry over his offensive success in junior to the pros although he has become a capable checker. His deal is a little front-loaded, meaning the qualifying offer only checks in at $1.75MM which is notable as if his usage continues as more of a fourth liner, that’s more of the price range he should be in. He’ll be arbitration-eligible and a likely non-tender candidate if a deal can’t be reached by the start of the 2026 free agent period.

Chiarot’s contract drew some ire when it was signed a couple of years ago as a high price for someone who’s probably best served in a fourth role. He plays enough to make the price tag somewhat reasonable although for someone who doesn’t contribute a lot offensively, it’s still on the high side and it’s one Detroit could try to get out of if they want to open up some flexibility this summer. He’ll be 35 for his next trip on the open market and it’s hard to imagine he’d get this type of money again. A deal with an AAV starting with a three might be more plausible.

Holl’s contract seemed like quite an overpayment given his limited usage late in his time with Toronto. Unfortunately for them, that has largely been the case. He cleared waivers in October but has spent most of the year with Detroit in a limited role. He’s a possible buyout candidate or could be moved with retention. Either way, his next deal might not be worth half of this one. Gustafsson had a strong year with the Rangers which allowed him to get a multi-year contract for the first time since 2018. He hasn’t produced at the same level with the Red Wings but the cost is low enough that it shouldn’t be much of a burden. He’ll need to pick up the pace in terms of his points though as otherwise, he’s probably back in the year-to-year territory with a cost closer to half of what he’s making now.

Talbot opted for the security of a two-year deal last summer over going year-to-year which, at 37, probably wasn’t a bad strategy for someone viewed as more of a platoon option at this point. He has been more than that for Detroit as he has been their primary netminder while putting up numbers above league average. That said, if there’s another contract coming, it’d be for his age-39 year so the cost will likely be low even if he keeps up this level of performance.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Andrew Copp ($5.625MM, UFA)
F Alex DeBrincat ($7.875MM, UFA)

DeBrincat and the Red Wings couldn’t work out a long-term deal after he was acquired so the sides settled on a medium-term pact instead. It’s working out reasonably well so far although the price tag is a little high for someone whose production is in the lower-end range for a top-line winger. That said, by the time DeBrincat reaches free agency (when the salary cap is much higher), he could still be in line for a raise if he stays in the 25-30-goal, 60-plus-point range. Copp received this contract coming off a career year, one he hasn’t been able to repeat since then. He’s more of a bottom-six pivot getting paid as a second-liner which isn’t great value but he is a valuable secondary piece nonetheless.

Signed Through 2027-28 Or Longer

F J.T. Compher ($5.1MM through 2027-28)
F Dylan Larkin ($8.7MM through 2030-31)
F Michael Rasmussen ($3.2MM through 2027-28)
F Lucas Raymond ($8.075MM through 2031-32)
D Moritz Seider ($8.55MM through 2030-31)

Larkin has never reached the point-per-game mark in his career though he came quite close in 2022-23 which is when this deal was signed. In the current cap landscape, it feels like this is a bit of an overpayment but with the big jump coming in the salary cap over the next few years, that shouldn’t be the case for too long. Raymond skipped the bridge contract last summer though it took until right before training camp to get it done. The early returns have been promising as he’s on pace for another career year while he’s still only 22. If he keeps this up, this will become a team-friendly deal pretty quickly.

Compher was GM Steve Yzerman’s other big swing to add an impactful middleman in recent years. He wasn’t too far off his career-bests in his first year with the Red Wings which was a decent first impression although things aren’t going as well this season. If he can get back to his 2023-24 performance, this deal should hold up okay. Rasmussen’s contract is almost like a longer second bridge deal. It gives both sides a bit of security but is one that should be movable if things don’t go well. The 2017 ninth-overall pick probably isn’t going to live up to his draft billing but all he needs to do to justify this contract is hold his own on the third line. So far, so good on that front. But he’ll need to show more offensively if he wants to beat this deal on the open market down the road.

Seider was an impactful player right from the get-go, taking home the Calder Trophy in his rookie season while recording 42 points in the next two. On top of that, he was an all-situations piece from the beginning. That made a bridge deal quite unlikely. Like Raymond, it took a long time for it to get done but eventually, the two sides settled on this, a price tag very close to the one Brock Faber signed for his extension with Minnesota. Generally speaking, when a player skips the bridge contract and goes to the long-term one, the first year or two of the new deal might be a bit of an overpayment with the hope he’ll outplay the price tag by the end. Seider is already playing up to the price tag of this contract and with the cap jumping considerably soon, this could become a team-friendly pact fairly quickly.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

F Justin Abdelkader ($1.056MM through 2025-26)
F Kailer Yamamoto ($533.3K in 2024-25)

Best Value: (non-entry-level) Lyon
Worst Value: Husso

Looking Ahead

Detroit will hit the trade deadline with around $2MM in cap room (equivalent to over $9MM in room on deadline day), at least on paper. Knowing that Kane has hit $1.5MM of his bonuses already with a shot at a bit more and Edvinsson being within striking distance of his $850K as well, that money is pretty much already accounted for unless they’re willing to take the overage penalty next season. How these next few weeks go will ultimately determine whether it’s worth adding and taking what’s likely to be a $2MM-plus penalty or if they should sell and finish the year with enough room to absorb those bonuses.

The Red Wings should have some flexibility moving forward though. They have around $25MM in room on next year’s cap with only seven or eight spots to fill and only one pricier player (Kane) to re-sign or replace. The following year, several of their pricier mid-tier contracts come off the books. Better days should be on the horizon from a cap perspective as a result.

Photos courtesy of Imagn Images.

Atlantic Notes: Tarasenko, Tomkins, Kozak

February 15, 2025 at 12:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While the Red Wings have played their way back into the playoff battle, one veteran who hasn’t had a big hand in their recent success is winger Vladimir Tarasenko. Accordingly, even if Detroit acts as a buyer over the next few weeks, MLive’s Ansar Khan argues that the team should be looking to move the 33-year-old anyway and if it doesn’t happen, then they should consider making him a buyout candidate this summer. Tarasenko has just seven goals and 15 assists through 53 games this season in a little under 15 minutes a night of playing time. As someone who has reached the 20-goal mark in eight of the last 11 years, it’s fair to say Detroit was expecting more than that for their $4.75MM commitment through next season. It would be tough to offload that contract in its entirety but a swap of underachievers might be the way to for the Red Wings, as long as Tarasenko, who has a full no-trade clause, approves the deal.

PHR Mailbag: 4 Nations, In-Season Tournament, Midseason Break, Suspensions, Schenn, Sabres, Capitals, Montembeault

February 15, 2025 at 11:07 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 10 Comments

With the 4 Nations Face-Off now underway, our latest mailbag focuses on that with a couple of other topics sprinkled in. If your question doesn’t appear here, check for it in one of our next two mailbags.

Black Ace57: It feels like the only people excited for the 4 Nations are media members promoting it. It doesn’t compare to the World Juniors or the Olympics. Instead of trying to copy other international tournaments has the NHL considered doing anything like the NBA in-season tournament?

This was something that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about before and while he didn’t come out with an outright no, it doesn’t seem to be something they’d seriously consider. It’s also a bit of a scheduling nightmare as the NBA has to do part of its schedule midseason as all of the teams eliminated from contention have to have a couple of games scheduled on short notice. If they can do it, the NHL can but that would undoubtedly be cited as a reason against trying it.

The NBA’s in-season tournament has only been around a couple of years but I feel like this season lost a lot of its intrigue from the first. From the pieces of games I saw, it’s not as if teams were playing any harder with the potential of moving on in the tournament. It all felt a little too random so I’m not sure copying that format is the right way to go, not unless its popularity really rises in the future.

What the NHL could do if they wanted to do something to dress up some regular season games could be some regional challenges. The seven Canadian teams have six games designated as Canadian Challenge Cup games and the team with the most points out of those wins a trophy and the players get a small bonus. The three California-based teams have two head-to-heads against each rival designated as a mini tournament, stuff like that where it’s not just a random grouping. It certainly doesn’t work to put all 32 teams into a logical region though so it’s far from a perfect idea.

They could also group by division (instead of random groups like the NBA does) and just designate a certain number of games as ‘tournament’ matchups. There are options if they want to do something, I’m just not sure it’s actually worth them doing anything with this.

Pyramid Headcrab: What’s the real reason for the winter break every season? Obviously, players need a break from travel, and fair dinkum… But is that something they negotiated in the collective agreement? Or does the break exist for a different, but equally practical, reason?

Cuz I think we all know nobody cares about the All-Star Game or the Four Nations Whatever.

This isn’t a direct CBA element but is actually related to the All-Star Game. When the change was made to go to a three-on-three format, the NHL had to agree to this as a concession to get the NHLPA to agree to the format switch as, in theory, there’s a lot more skating involved at three-on-three. (In reality, the All-Star Games aren’t played at remotely close to full speed but I digress.)

In general, the idea is that without the bye week, the NHL’s top stars don’t exactly get a lot of rest. They play to the break, fly in for the All-Star event, then are back in action a couple of days later and some feel that’s not fair to them. By doing the bye weeks, they ensure that the stars at least get some time off while it’s around the time of year when all teams could benefit from some extra days off to heal up some of the nagging aches and pains.

As for no one caring about the All-Star Game, I disagree. It has an audience it caters to, it’s just not so much the established fans. They try to promote things for the younger demographic that they’re trying to hook as fans while there’s a major corporate element to it as well with a lot of the league’s top sponsors being involved. As long as those two things are in play, the All-Star Game will continue…even next season when the in-season break will be even longer for the Olympics.

FearTheWilson: If a player happens to receive a suspension during the Snore Nation’s tournament, does the suspension carry over to the NHL season or does it count towards international play?

The 4 Nations Face-Off is not an IIHF-sanctioned event. That’s why there’s no break in those leagues for players (or coaches) to possibly take part which is what made this an NHL-only tournament. Accordingly, any suspension would be applied against NHL games, not international.

While we’re on the subject of not being IIHF-sanctioned, it doesn’t seem as if the 2028 World Cup event will be either. That will likely complicate things for some of the countries that don’t quite have enough NHL players to form a full roster. In a press conference earlier this week, Bettman alluded to needing to “work with each country’s federation to find a balance” when it comes to player participation so there are going to be some hurdles to clear for three years from now.

Gmm8811: Is there a roster freeze during the 4 Nations? Can trades still be made? Where would be the best fit for Brayden Schenn if he waives his NMC? Realistic return for him?

Since this question was posted, we have seen a very minor trade which kind of answered this one for me already. But there is no roster freeze and teams are free to make any moves as long as they remain compliant with the salary cap and roster rules (teams have to have two goalies, six defensemen, and 12 forwards on their active roster). I’ll be honest, I thought we’d see another trade or two by now so that when teams come back to practice next week, the potential acquisition would get lots of practice time. Of course, I also suspect that teams were quietly discouraged against doing anything that would take attention and focus away from the tournament so maybe that’s playing a role as well.

Now, onto a couple of non-tournament questions for now before getting back to them later on. Staying in the Central Division is probably the best fit for him. Colorado has been looking for center help since they lost Nazem Kadri and Schenn doesn’t quite have the offense Kadri did now but he’d still be quite impactful. Winnipeg has been looking for a longer-term second middleman for years now with minimal success. And Minnesota has a genuine need for more center depth at a minimum and with continued whispers about Marco Rossi that don’t seem to be going away (despite GM Bill Guerin trying to tone that down a while back), adding Schenn would at least give them some more flexibility if they wanted to do something with Rossi. I could even make a case for Utah here. I know trading a core player within the division doesn’t happen a lot but there are enough strong fits that could net St. Louis a strong return.

As for that return, I think it’s fair to say that it would start with a first-round pick. Yes, a $6.5MM price tag through 2027-28 for a 33-year-old is a little high but with the big jump coming in the salary cap, it becomes a lot easier to absorb. Not to the point where it’s an asset by any stretch but it shouldn’t be a deterrent now. It wouldn’t shock me if they were to land another first-round-caliber asset either though not necessarily a draft pick but rather a prospect or young player who’s either in the NHL or close to being ready. I doubt the Blues are going to flip the switch to do a long-term rebuild so an all-futures return doesn’t seem likely. It also wouldn’t shock me to see them take a veteran player back to help offset some of the money as I doubt they’re going to retain salary to make a move happen. It’s a big price but with the dearth of quality centers available, I think they could get it if they move him.

sabres3277: Do you believe the Sabres will make the inevitable GM change during the break to allow an interim GM to handle the trade deadline? I think this could happen because Adams is clearly out of his league when trying to make deals etc. The fanbase has had it with the incompetence that he has shown in trying to end this disgraceful playoff drought.

It hasn’t happened yet so it’s safe to say that it’s not going to happen. Frankly, if a team had concerns about their general manager, they wouldn’t let that person stay in place this close to the trade deadline. By all accounts, Kevyn Adams has been working the phones in recent weeks on the trade and contract front so this is his team to lead through the deadline.

While the Flyers are a recent notable exception, general managers generally don’t get let go right around the deadline. Instead, changes like that often come after the regular season ends. If Buffalo does decide to make a change at the GM position, I think it will be made in April as the playoffs are about to start. Doing something now would surprise me.

letsgonats: Did teams use 4 Nations roster selection like the recent expansion drafts? Trade away draft picks so teams would not pick players. What did the Caps pay to not have Tom Wilson, Logan Thompson, Jakob Chychrun, and John Carlson from being selected so they could rest for the end of the year?

Alright, back to the 4 Nations questions. You may recall that the rosters were picked more than two months ago. Yes, Washington was tied for the conference lead in the standings at that time but it’s fair to say there was still a healthy amount of skepticism about whether this was a team on the rise or just off to a hot start. I think that perception didn’t help things.

But let’s look at the individual players. Thompson had only played 13 games at that point with Washington in full platoon mode between the pipes at that time which I think hurt his candidacy. His numbers were decent then but not what they were now either. He’s the biggest omission of the four you listed though as merit-wise, he should be there. Wilson is having a solid season, yes, but on Canada’s roster, the best he would have been is on the fourth line. Clearly, they went with safer options there given his penchant for penalty trouble so the fact he wasn’t named doesn’t surprise me too much.

For the blueliners, Chychrun is having himself a career year but he was also coming off a tougher campaign with Ottawa and clearly, 2023-24 performance played a role in some of their roster picks. You could make a case that he should be there ahead of Travis Sanheim but we’re quibbling about a player who was supposed to be the seventh defenseman. That’s not an egregious oversight and I imagine Chychrun received some consideration. Carlson’s omission was surprising to me at first glance but who out of Zach Werenski, Brock Faber, Adam Fox, or Charlie McAvoy was he going to beat for one of the spots allocated for a right-shot defender? Maybe McAvoy but again, we’re haggling over a depth spot that would have had several players, including Carlson, considered for it.

I don’t think there was any side agreement for the Capitals not to have any players taken. Instead, it was a combination of perception about Washington being a so-so team off to a great start more than anything else plus the various federations feeling there were better fits for the depth positions some of those players would have filled. I’d have had Thompson on Canada’s roster if it was up to me but that’s the only major omission out of these four.

usaKesler: How on earth did Sam Montembeault get selected for the 4 Nations All-Star circus? It’s very suspicious.

There were a lot of mediocre goalies to choose from and he happened to get one of the spots. If you were picking the team now, how many of the three Canadian netminders would be there? Would any of them still be on it? I’m not so sure. That was part of the problem with having the rosters picked two-plus months before the tournament even started.

There are a couple of reasons why I think Montembeault got the last spot. He had shown marginal improvement over the last couple of years and had stolen quite a few games for Montreal. Considering that last year’s performance clearly was a factor in the decision-making, that’s probably a factor. So too was the fact he was Canada’s starter at the 2023 Worlds (Jordan Binnington was last year and he’s also on the team) and played quite well at that event. If you think there’s something suspicious, perhaps he got the advantage because he said yes to the Worlds, an event Canada has a hard time getting people to play at?

Earlier this week in a piece for Sportsnet, Adam Vingan took a deeper look at the numbers for Canada’s three netminders and the general conclusion was that Montembeault had the strongest statistical case to be the starter even though that was the least likely outcome. Again, I’d have had Thompson on the team (in Montembeault’s spot) but with who they have, I don’t think his presence on the roster is that crazy or suspicious.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

February 15, 2025 at 9:59 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

With the 4 Nations Face-Off break here, the trade deadline looms large and is less than three weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Nashville Predators.

Things were not supposed to be like this in Nashville. After a stellar second half to last season, the Predators were one of the most active teams in free agency, signing a trio of core players to long-term contracts, making them a trendy preseason pick to be a safe playoff team, if not a viable contender in the Western Conference. Instead, they currently sit 18 points out of a Wild Card spot, meaning they’re likely to be on the outside looking in, barring a fantastic run like they had a year ago.

Record

19-28-7, 7th in the Central

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$32.381MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: NSH 1st, TB 1st, VGK 1st, NSH 2nd, TB 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, COL 6th, NSH 6th
2026: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 7th

Trade Chips

This season hasn’t been a great one for Gustav Nyquist. The 35-year-old has just nine goals and 11 assists in 52 games despite logging over 17 minutes a night. However, he’s only one season removed from a career year, one that saw him put up 23 goals and 52 assists in his first season with the Preds. With that in mind, it’s quite reasonable to think that the veteran is more than capable of rebounding and bouncing back in the right situation although he’d likely be playing a little lower in the lineup. Nyquist has a $3.185MM AAV and Nashville could pay that down by up to 50% which would make him easier for a lot of teams to afford. He’d probably land them a mid-round pick in return.

The other veteran of some note up front isn’t a rental. That would be center Ryan O’Reilly. This is only the second year of a four-year contract and considering he’s Nashville’s top middleman, he’s not necessarily a logical trade candidate. But the belief is that GM Barry Trotz is allowing teams to make pitches for the 34-year-old who is being treated as if he has full trade protection even though he doesn’t have any in his contract. However, his $4.5MM cap charge is team-friendly for someone who would be a second or third-line option on most playoff teams and with it being difficult for teams to add impact centers, it stands to reason that the Preds could command a significant return for O’Reilly’s services which might be enough for Trotz to approach him about a move.

Veteran forward Michael McCarron hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft billing back in 2013 but has become a quality fourth liner. As someone who can play both center and the wing, kill penalties, and play with an edge, he’s likely to generate some interest. Considering he’s signed through next season at $900K, his market could be stronger than it might seem. With Colton Sissons only having one year left after this on what was once a seven-year contract worth $2.857MM per season, he’s likely to attract some attention from teams looking to add some grit and versatility to their bottom six. Center Thomas Novak has struggled this season after two straight years of more than 40 points. With two years left at $3.5MM, he isn’t someone Nashville might be ready to give up on but if they are looking to shake things up, there should be teams interested in him as well.

The options aren’t as plentiful on the back end but veteran Luke Schenn is someone to keep an eye on. He’s no stranger to being moved at the trade deadline and would be of interest to teams looking to add some grit to their third pairing while the fact he’s a right-hand shot will make him a bit more appealing. A $2.75MM price tag through next season for someone who’s best served as a sixth defender tempers that appeal a bit, however. Even so, Nashville might be able to unload the full contract for a light return while if they retain some money, he could bring back a mid-round selection.

Team Needs

1) Young, NHL-Ready Pieces: While Nashville has traded some of its younger players away this season, they’ve also added one in Justin Barron in exchange for veteran Alexandre Carrier. With an older roster in general and a couple of months of likely just playing out the stretch, this feels like a good time for Trotz to take a flyer on two or three younger players that could potentially benefit from a change of scenery. Not all will pan out, obviously but if they could even pick up one player who could be part of the plans beyond this season, that would be a good step in the right direction while hedging against some concerns they seem to have about rushing their top prospects with AHL Milwaukee to the big club.

2) Impact Center: With three first-rounders, they could possibly take a bigger swing on the trade front as well and look to bring in someone more established. Someone like Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens, for example, is young enough to be a key player for a while so even though buying might not make a lot of sense right now, if the right opportunity presents itself, they could strike. If Trotz goes that route, getting a center should be the priority. With O’Reilly in possible trade discussions and Novak struggling, targeting a longer-term player down the middle would be a reasonable target. That feels like more of an offseason move but if the opportunity presents itself now, the Predators could plausibly try to land that player even while selling some of their veterans.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Sabres And Jason Zucker Have Started Extension Talks

February 14, 2025 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 23 Comments

Veteran winger Jason Zucker has been a nice addition for the Sabres this season and he is on pace for one of his best offensive years. As a pending unrestricted free agent, Buffalo will soon have a decision to make in terms of flipping him by the March 7th trade deadline or trying to sign him to a contract extension. Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported earlier this week that their preference is the latter as the two sides recently held preliminary discussions about a new deal.

The 33-year-old played on a one-year contract last season, splitting time between Arizona and Nashville. However, he was only able to collect 14 goals and 18 assists in 69 regular season games between the two sides which didn’t help his market value heading into free agency last summer. As a result, Zucker ultimately settled for another one-year pact in July, signing for $5MM.

That deal has worked out well for both sides. Zucker has already surpassed his numbers from last season, putting up 18 goals and 23 assists in 52 games. His 41 points put him fourth on the team in scoring but only two points behind Rasmus Dahlin for a share of second place. Barring injury, Zucker appears to be well on his way toward recording his seventh career season of at least 20 goals.

Last month, Zucker acknowledged that he’d be interested in extending his stay with Buffalo. Speculatively, he’d want a multi-year agreement this time around and according to Lysowski, that appears to be something that’s on the table. With a $7.5MM jump in the Upper Limit of the salary cap coming next season, Zucker now should be able to land a small raise on his current price tag as well.

Lysowski adds that GM Kevyn Adams’ preference is to not sell over the next three weeks despite their placement at the bottom of the Eastern Conference so clearly, his preference is to get a new agreement in place. However, it appears that if Zucker prefers to move on and land with a contender, they will grant that request and then attempt to bring him back in the summer. In the meantime, they have three more weeks to see if contract discussions can yield a new deal.

Snapshots: Greenway, Crosby, Eriksson Ek, Demko

February 8, 2025 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

Discussions about a possible contract extension have not started between the Sabres and pending UFA winger Jordan Greenway, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. The trade deadline is now less than a month away but it doesn’t appear discussions about a possible new deal will begin until much closer to that time though there is believed to be mutual interest in getting an agreement in place. Greenway is expected to return from his mid-body injury after the break, an injury that will have kept him out for more than two months. The 27-year-old has three goals and four assists in 20 games this season and will likely be heading for a small raise on his current $3MM price tag on his next contract.

Hurricanes Assign Juha Jaaska And Scott Morrow To AHL

February 8, 2025 at 7:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

After playing their final game before the break earlier today (a 7-3 win over Utah), the Hurricanes made a pair of roster moves. The team announced that winger Juha Jaaska and defenseman Scott Morrow have been assigned to AHL Chicago.

Jaaska has been recalled and demoted several times already with Carolina making close to daily roster moves to maximize their cap space. (That trend should stop now for a couple of weeks until play resumes after the break.) The 26-year-old is in his first season in North America after signing as an undrafted free agent last spring and has split time between the Hurricanes and Wolves. With the former, he has four assists in 17 games while averaging a little under nine minutes a night of playing time. He has been much more productive in the minors though, tallying seven goals and nine assists in 26 outings on the farm.

Morrow is in his first full professional season after wrapping up his college career last year. The 22-year-old played in his second NHL contest of the season this afternoon, logging 12:11 of ice time while he’s still looking for his first point. With the Wolves, Morrow has been an impressive contributor, notching 10 goals and 19 assists in 41 appearances. After notching at least 30 points in his three college years, Morrow has done well keeping up that level of production in his first taste of the minors.

Predators Place Mark Jankowski On IR, Recall Ozzy Wiesblatt

February 8, 2025 at 7:29 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Predators have made a pair of roster moves heading into their final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game relays (Twitter link) that Nashville has placed center Mark Jankowski on injured reserve. With the open roster spot, they’ve recalled winger Ozzy Wiesblatt from AHL Milwaukee.

It’s a bit surprising that the Preds wound up waiting this long to put Jankowski on IR. The 30-year-old has been out for the last three weeks with an upper-body injury that carries a week-to-week designation. Jankowski has played in 37 games this season, notching three goals and five assists while logging a little under 13 minutes a night. Having been out this long, he’ll be eligible to be activated at any point when he’s cleared to return.

As for Wiesblatt, this is his second recall of the season. He got into two games on his first one back in January where he had four hits in a little over ten minutes a night of action. This one will be shorter-lived, however, as he’ll almost certainly be sent back following the game to keep playing with the Admirals. On the farm, the 22-year-old has 11 goals and 12 assists in 41 games, already making it the most productive of his three professional seasons.

Kings Recall Pheonix Copley On Emergency Basis, Place Mikey Anderson On IR

February 8, 2025 at 6:29 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

With Darcy Kuemper away from the team for personal reasons, the Kings needed to add a goalie to their roster for their game tonight versus Anaheim. The team announced that veteran netminder Pheonix Copley has been recalled from AHL Ontario. To make room on the roster, defenseman Mikey Anderson has been placed on injured reserve.

It’s the fourth recall of the season for Copley whose previous stints with the big club have been short-lived. That trend will almost certainly continue as he’s a strong candidate to be sent back to the Reign following the game. The North Pole native has only made one appearance with Los Angeles this season, that coming in relief back in mid-October but extended his streak of seasons with an NHL game to four. Copley has also played 20 times for Ontario, putting up a 2.45 GAA along with a .906 SV%.

Anderson, meanwhile, has missed a little more than a week with a finger injury sustained late last month. He has logged heavy minutes for Los Angeles this season, ranking second on the team in ATOI at 22:50 (excluding Drew Doughty who is five games into his return). Through 49 games, Anderson has five goals and nine assists along with 83 blocks and 68 hits. He’ll be eligible to be activated at any time as he has already missed more than the required seven days.

Canucks Recall Linus Karlsson, Assign Victor Mancini To AHL

February 8, 2025 at 5:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Canucks have tweaked their roster for their final game before the break. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Linus Karlsson from AHL Abbotsford and have assigned defenceman Victor Mancini to Abbotsford.

Karlsson has been recalled now four times this season. In his first three stints, the 25-year-old played in a total of nine games with Vancouver, picking up a goal in just under 10 minutes a night of playing time. While offense has been hard to come by at the NHL level – he has just six points (all goals) in 82 career NHL appearances – that hasn’t been the case in the minors. With Abbotsford, Karlsson has a dozen goals and six assists in 17 outings after recording 60 points in as many games last season with them. Despite the promotion, he did not suit up against Toronto.

As for Mancini, he was one of the pieces of the recent J.T. Miller trade and was brought up earlier this week although he didn’t see any game action with Vancouver. The 22-year-old played in 15 games with the Rangers earlier this season, recording five points while logging a little more than 15 minutes a night, solid numbers for his first taste of NHL action. Mancini also has 23 AHL appearances on the campaign, all with New York’s affiliate in Hartford where he has 10 points. Mancini should get a chance to make his debut with Abbotsford on Tuesday against San Diego. He’ll likely be joined by Karlsson for that one with the forward likely to be sent back down following tonight’s game.

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