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Nikita Gusev Seeking NHL Return

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Earlier this week, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now relayed (Twitter link) that veteran winger Nikita Gusev was on the ice at the Devils’ development camp.  That wasn’t necessarily just a random alumnus popping by, however, as Championat’s Dmitry Storozhev relays that Gusev is hoping to return to the NHL for next season.

The 31-year-old previously spent two years at the top level, one going much better than the other.  In his first year back in 2019-20 with New Jersey after being acquired from Vegas, Gusev did relatively well, putting up 13 goals and 31 assists in 66 games while logging a little under 15 minutes a night of ice time.  However, things went off the rails the following season as he picked up just two goals and three assists in 20 games before eventually having his contract terminated by the Devils late in the season.  From there, he signed with Florida, adding five more points in 11 games down the stretch.

But after not getting a strong market in free agency, Gusev eventually decided to return to the KHL for the 2021-22 campaign, signing with SKA St. Petersburg.  He produced a little over a point per game in his two seasons with them before moving to Dynamo Moscow for the 2023-24 campaign after having his contract with SKA terminated.

Gusev had a resurgent season with them, leading the league in assists (66) and points (89) while playing in all 68 games.  He then followed that up with ten points in nine postseason contests.  It’s the second time he has led the KHL in scoring, the first being 2018-19, the year before he first came to the NHL.

While he has received an offer to remain with Dynamo Moscow or to join other KHL franchises, it’s telling that Gusev remains unsigned; this report that he’s seeking another NHL opportunity would certainly explain why he hasn’t put pen to paper on a new deal yet.

Considering how his time in the NHL ended a few years ago and the fact that a lot of teams have done their heavy lifting roster-wise this summer, it stands to reason that Gusev won’t be able to command a $4.5MM AAV as he did last time.  However, if a team is looking to add some offensive creativity to their roster and Gusev’s asking price is more affordable, he could be a particularly intriguing pickup for someone in the coming days and weeks.

18 NHL Prospects Selected At CHL Import Draft

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In the days following the NHL draft, the CHL has its annual Import Draft where its 60 teams can select up to two international players, depending on how many returning international players they have.  This year’s draft was held on Wednesday, with a total of 18 players that were picked at last week’s NHL draft getting selected.  They are as follows, listed by the order of their selection with their NHL draft slot in parentheses:

Matvei Gridin (Val-d’Or, QMJHL), Calgary (Round 1/28th Overall)
Ilya Protas (Windsor, OHL), Washington (3/75)
Gabriel Eliasson (Niagara, OHL), Ottawa (2/39)
Miroslav Holinka (Edmonton, WHL), Toronto (5/151)
Emil Hemming (Barrie, OHL), Dallas (1/29)
Mikus Vecvanags (Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL), Montreal (5/134)
Markus Loponen (Victoria, WHL), Winnipeg (5/155)
Basile Sansonnens (Rimouski, QMJHL), Vancouver Canucks (7/221)
Loke Johansson (Moncton, QMJHL), Boston (6/186)
Kasper Pikkarainen (Red Deer, WHL), New Jersey (3/85)
Niilopekka Muhonen (Medicine Hat, WHL), Dallas (5/158)
Igor Chernyshov (Saginaw, OHL), San Jose (2/33)
Petr Sikora (Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL), Washington Capitals (6/178)
Sebastian Soini (Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL), Minnesota Wild (5/140)
Aron Kiviharju (Moncton, QMJHL), Minnesota Wild (4/122)
Ondrej Kos (Kitchener, OHL), St. Louis Blues (3/81)
Veeti Vaisanen (Medicine Hat, WHL), Utah (3/96)
Lucas Pettersson (Saginaw, OHL), Anaheim (2/35)

Not all of these players will go to their new teams right away; some won’t at all and others might come next season or later depending on their contractual situation at that time.  However, these players will now have another possible place to play and in several of those situations, the NHL team who drafted the player will likely try to steer them to play in the CHL where they can get into more games while making it easier for development coaches and scouts to check in on them.

Of the 64 non-NHL draftees selected, several of them should become viable prospects for the 2025 draft.  A total of ten players picked in last year’s Import Draft were picked by NHL teams last weekend.  Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, and Nikolaj Ehlers are among the notable NHL players who were picked in this draft and then came to play major junior in North America.

Nikita Zaitsev Signs With KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg

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July 4: Khayrullin’s report has come to fruition. It’s a four-year deal for Zaitsev with SKA, TSN’s Chris Johnston reports.

May 20: It has been a fairly steep fall from grace for defenseman Nikita Zaitsev.  A few years ago, he was logging over 20 minutes a night but he has since been included as salary cap ballast in a trade twice and had a very limited role this season with the Blackhawks.  Instead of seeing what might await him in free agency, it appears he has decided to head home as Sport-Express’ Arthur Khayrullin reports that Zaitsev is expected to sign a multi-year deal (a minimum of three years) with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

The 32-year-old came to North America back in 2016 and made an immediate impact with Toronto, recording 36 points, 136 blocks, and 176 hits in 72 games while averaging more than 22 minutes per game, an impressive first year.  That earned him a seven-year, $31.5MM extension one year later and the Maple Leafs thought they had a core piece locked up for the long haul.

Unfortunately for them, it didn’t work out that way.  Zaitsev didn’t reach the 20-point mark let alone getting back to 36 over those seven seasons.  While he still logged some big minutes after being traded to Ottawa, his role eventually dwindled and eventually, the team parted with a pair of draft picks (a 2023 second-rounder and a 2026 fourth-rounder) to get Chicago to take the remaining year and a bit off their hands.

This season, Zaitsev found himself a healthy scratch on quite a few occasions while also missing time due to illness, an upper-body injury, and a knee issue that kept him out for 19 games.  As a result, he made a career-low 38 appearances, notching just seven points, 70 hits, and 69 blocks in a little under 16 minutes per contest, all career-lows as well.

With Chicago having several young defensemen on the cusp of pushing for full-time NHL duty, they weren’t going to bring Zaitsev back.  While it’s possible he could have had some interest in a depth role on an NHL roster, it looks like he’ll opt for the security of a multi-year agreement back home.  Assuming a contract gets finalized, Zaitsev will depart the NHL with 118 points in 482 career appearances, a pretty good career overall for an undrafted player.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Predators, Juuse Saros Agree To Eight-Year Extension

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July 1: The Predators have indeed signed Saros to his eight-year deal as rumored, per the league.

June 27: The Predators and goaltender Juuse Saros can’t officially reach an agreement on a new deal until Monday.  It appears they’re getting close to having a deal in principle, however, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are believed to be closing in on an eight-year contract extension.  Financial terms are not known but Friedman adds that the AAV will apparently start with a seven if the deal is finalized; Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic suggests (Twitter link) that the cap charge should check in around $7.74MM.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that while some details are being worked out, the framework of the agreement is in place.

The 29-year-old has worked his way from being a little-used backup at the start of his career to one of the NHL’s true workhorse netminders in recent years.  Saros has led the league in appearances in each of the last three years, facing the most shots and making the most saves in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, making him a bargain player with a $5MM AAV which runs through the 2024-25 campaign.

This season, Saros played in 64 games, posting a 2.86 GAA with a .906 SV%, numbers that were the worst of his career.  However, given the workload and the fact that Nashville had several newcomers after shaking up their roster over the summer, it’s not surprising that he got off to somewhat of a quieter start.  However, following the All-Star break, Saros was more effective, putting up a .912 SV% which helped lead the team to a franchise-best 18-game point streak.  That stretch helped propel the Predators into a playoff spot where they were eliminated in the opening round by Vancouver.

Despite his performance in recent years, there was some speculation that Saros could be in play on the trade front this summer.  The team has Yaroslav Askarov in the system, one of the NHL’s best goalie prospects and he’s not too far away from being NHL-ready.  This potential agreement will now call into question Askarov’s long-term future with the franchise although the two netminders could work together for a few years at least, allowing the 22-year-old to ease into the NHL somewhat gradually.  In the meantime, the team is expected to pursue a backup netminder in free agency, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (Twitter link).

While the Predators generally are hesitant to hand out trade protection in their contracts, GM Barry Trotz indicated earlier this week that if a new deal gets reached, it would have some no-trade provisions in there although it would be limited.

Assuming the price tag comes in around the $7.5MM mark as reported, that will be around $750K lower per season than what Connor Hellebuyck received from Winnipeg back in the fall, a contract that many felt would serve as a direct comparable for negotiations.  Instead, it appears Saros is content to come in a little below that amount to ensure he’ll be sticking around for the long haul, giving the Predators long-term stability at that position in the process.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Canadiens Sign Juraj Slafkovsky To Eight-Year Extension

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The Canadiens have signed 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year extension, the team announced. The deal, which begins with the 2025-26 season, carries a $7.6MM cap hit.

This is an outcome that wouldn’t have seemed possible just a few months ago.  The 2022 first-overall pick struggled considerably in his rookie season, recording just ten points in 39 games before missing the rest of the season due to injury.  Then, he struggled even more out of the gate last season, picking up only one goal and one assist in his first 15 outings.

While many felt that a trip to AHL Laval would be the best course of action, Montreal basically took the exact opposite route.  Instead of sending him down to play a bigger role with the Rocket, they moved him up to the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.  It didn’t take long for Slafkovsky to find his footing and he wound up finishing the year with 20 goals and 30 assists in 82 games.

Clearly, his performance in the second half of the season was enough to convince management to commit to a max-term agreement, one that buys out Slafkovsky’s four remaining RFA years while adding four more seasons of club control.  The deal is likely to carry some form of trade protection in those final four seasons; he’s ineligible for trade protection in any of his RFA years.

Notably, this price tag comes in below Suzuki’s $7.875MM cost, keeping their internal cap in place for skaters as no one yet is set to make more than the captain (aside from Carey Price’s LTIR contract).  It also keeps Montreal’s top line under contract through at least the 2028-29 season with all three players making below $8MM.

As is often the case with these types of early extensions off an entry-level deal, the price is likely to be on the high side early on in the deal.  However, if Slafkovsky is able to progress and live up to his first-overall billing, the hope for the Canadiens is that this agreement will become a team-friendly one in the end.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Avalanche Sign Joel Kiviranta, Calvin De Haan, Jacob MacDonald, Chase Bradley

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The Avalanche are re-signing Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal, per a team announcement. They’ve also agreed to terms with UFA defenseman Calvin de Haan on an undisclosed deal, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. Per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, de Haan’s deal is worth $800K. Additionally, they’ve brought defenseman/winger Jacob MacDonald back into the organization on a two-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$525K AHL each season, per PuckPedia.

They’ve also signed forward Chase Bradley to a two-year, entry-level deal with an $872.5K cap hit, per PuckPedia. Bradley, 22, was a 2020 seventh-round pick of the Red Wings but became a free agent earlier today after leaving his school with one year remaining of eligibility, something he was eligible to do since it has been four years since he was drafted.

Kiviranta joined Colorado last season, inking a one-year deal in mid-November after playing with the Eagles before that.  The 28-year-old played in 56 games, primarily on their fourth line where he picked up three goals, six assists, and 78 hits in a little under nine minutes per game.  He suited up in eight playoff contests, recording a goal and an assist in just under 12 minutes per contest.  He’ll have a shot to battle for a fourth-line spot again with the Avs next season.

As for de Haan, he’s joining his fourth team in as many years.  The 33-year-old had a depth role with Tampa Bay last season, playing in 59 games with the Lightning.  He picked up 10 points along with 82 blocks and 96 hits along the way while averaging 16:38 per game, up by more than three minutes a night compared to his average the year before with Carolina.  At the moment, de Haan projects to have more of a regular role with Colorado but that could change depending on what other depth options are brought in.

MacDonald, meanwhile, spent parts of five seasons between the Avalanche and Eagles before being moved to San Jose in January 2023.  The 31-year-old spent last season with the Sharks but battled multiple injuries which helped limit him to just 34 games where he had seven goals and two assists in just over 12 minutes a game.  He also cleared waivers back in February, resulting in six AHL appearances with the Barracuda before being recalled at the trade deadline for the rest of the season.  He could be in the mix for a depth spot on the back end as things stand.

As for Bradley, he spent the last three years at the University of Connecticut, setting new personal bests with 11 goals and 11 assists in 31 games.  A report from April suggested he didn’t want to sign with Detroit and instead wanted to test free agency; he didn’t waste much time finding a new home as Colorado adds to their prospect pool with his signing.

Canucks Sign Vincent Desharnais, Jiří Patera

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Adding to their defensive core for the 2024-25 NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Vincent Desharnais away from the Edmonton Oilers on a two-year, $4MM agreement. Additionally, the Canucks have agreed to terms with depth netminder Jiří Patera on a two-year, two-way contract, per a team announcement.

Desharnais has been a late bloomer as the 28-year-old didn’t make his NHL debut until 2022-23 and only became a full-time regular last season.  He played in 78 games in 2023-24, picking up a goal and 10 assists to go along with 122 blocks and 135 hits while averaging a little under 16 minutes per game.  He took a regular turn for the Oilers on the penalty kill, making him more than just a big (he’s 6’7) third-pairing player.  He also got into 16 playoff contests where he averaged more than two hits and blocks per game in just over 17 minutes a night.

Desharnais will be counted on to help anchor Vancouver’s third pairing behind recently-re-signed blueliners Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers.  With Nikita Zadorov (Boston) and Ian Cole (Utah) both departing via free agency, he will be asked to help replace some of the physicality that those two brought to the table.  After being a full-time minor leaguer just two years ago, this contract represents a nice reward for Desharnais’ decision to stick it out in the minors.

As for Patera, he was one of the more intriguing Group Six free agents from this year’s class.  He has eight games of NHL experience under his belt with Vegas but spent most of the year with AHL Henderson where he posted a 2.99 GAA with a .903 SV% in 25 games.  It was believed that Vancouver was open to signing a veteran netminder to play behind Thatcher Demko but instead, it looks as if Patera will try to unseat Arturs Silovs for that role with the one not getting the job heading to play at AHL Abbotsford.

Sabres Sign Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Jacob Bryson, Dennis Gilbert, Jack Rathbone

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The Sabres have added to their flurry of depth signings today, confirming deals for UFA winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (one year, $1.5MM), defenseman Jacob Bryson (one year, $900K) and defenseman Dennis Gilbert (one year, $825K). The team also confirmed the previously reported signings of Jason Zucker and Sam Lafferty.

PuckPedia later reported that the Sabres also inked depth defenseman Jack Rathbone to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$500K AHL.

Aubé-Kubel’s stock has improved after being an early-season waiver claim two years ago.  Since then, he became a regular role player for the Capitals.  Last season, the 28-year-old played in 60 games for Washington, recording six goals and ten assists along with a career-high 159 hits while logging a little over 12 minutes a night.  With the Sabres looking to add some grit to their bottom six group, they’ve elected to reunite Aubé-Kubel with Beck Malenstyn, who was acquired back at the draft.

As for Bryson, his stint in unrestricted free agent was short-lived after being non-tendered by the team yesterday.  The 26-year-old had a limited role with Buffalo last season, getting into just 36 games where he had eight points while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.  His $1.85MM contract helped get him through waivers unclaimed, resulting in him seeing action in ten games with AHL Rochester as well.  Bryson is likely to still have a depth role with the Sabres next season but it will be at a much more manageable price point this time around.

Gilbert, meanwhile, spent all of last season at the NHL level with the Flames but playing time was hard to come by.  While he missed a handful of games with a concussion, he was also a frequent healthy scratch.  In the end, the 27-year-old played in 34 games, picking up a goal and six assists along with 49 blocks and 59 hits while logging a little more than 12 minutes a night.  He could battle for an end-of-roster spot with Buffalo in training camp but could also be earmarked for a key role with AHL Rochester.

In 2021-22, Rathbone picked up 40 points in 39 games with AHL Abbotsford and it looked like a full-time promotion to the NHL could soon be forthcoming.  However, that didn’t come to fruition.  The 25-year-old was moved to Pittsburgh last year in an early-season trade but played exclusively with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, recording 24 points in 67 games.  He’ll be ticketed for a regular role with the Americans where he’ll hope to play his way into his first NHL action since 2021-22.

Islanders Sign Anthony Duclair, Mike Reilly

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The Islanders have signed winger Anthony Duclair to a four-year deal and re-signed defenseman Mike Reilly to a one-year deal, the team said in separate announcements. Duclair’s deal carries a $3.5MM cap hit, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Duclair is reunited with head coach Patrick Roy who he played for back in junior; Roy called to recruit him to the Islanders.  The 28-year-old speedster has bounced around over the years as this will be the ninth NHL organization he has played for as he enters his 11th season.

Last summer, Florida moved Duclair to San Jose in a cost-clearing move.  While he rebounded a bit after a tough showing in 2022-23, he was on a Sharks team who struggled considerably from a scoring perspective although he still managed 16 goals and 11 assists in 56 games.  Tampa Bay picked him up at the trade deadline and the fit was seamless as he added eight goals and seven assists in 17 contests down the stretch before adding a pair of assists in five playoff contests.  He should give the Isles some more secondary scoring on the wings moving forward.

As for Reilly, he started last season with Florida after being bought out by Boston, who is still paying him $1.333MM in cash for the upcoming season.  However, he was waived less than two months into the season after playing in just two games and was claimed by the Islanders who were dealing with injury issues at the time.

The change of scenery was certainly beneficial for both Reilly and the Isles.  He immediately stepped into a regular role and held it for the rest of the season, picking up six goals and 18 assists along the way while logging more than 17 minutes a night.  That was enough to convince GM Lou Lamoriello to keep him around at a $250K raise from the $1MM he made last season.  Reilly should reprise his role on the third pairing with some secondary power play time next season.

Flames Sign Ryan Lomberg, Martin Frk

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Free agent enforcer Ryan Lomberg is heading back to where his NHL career began, signing a two-year deal with the Flames. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, it carries a $2MM cap hit. They’ve also inked winger Martin Frk, who boasts one of the hardest shots in the world, to a one-year, two-way deal, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. It has a $775K cap hit, the team announced.

Lomberg had a very limited role in Calgary in his first stint with the team when he was primarily a minor leaguer.  However, he eventually worked his way into a full-time spot with Florida.  The 29-year-old had 12 goals and eight assists in 2022-23, becoming one of the more valuable fourth liners that year.  However, he wasn’t able to produce at a similar level last season, being held to five goals and two assists in 75 games although he did record a career-best 179 hits.  Lomberg also got into eight playoff games along the way to Florida’s first Stanley Cup title.

Florida had hoped to re-sign Lomberg but pulled out of talks when it became clear he was going to cost more than what they could afford.  Considering this is a 150% increase on his previous contract, this was clearly out of the Panthers’ price range.  Lomberg should have a regular role on Calgary’s fourth line and will give them some grit and energy as they kick off what looks to be a multi-year rebuilding process.

As for Frk, he returns to North America after spending last season in the Swiss NL where he had seven goals and nine assists in 33 games with Bern and Rapperswil.  The 30-year-old has 124 career NHL appearances, the last of which came back in 2021-22 with Los Angeles.  Frk has been relatively productive in that limited action, collecting 2o goals and 21 assists, which could give him a chance to break camp with the Flames in a depth role.  If that doesn’t happen, he should be a key scorer with the Wranglers next season.

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