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Snapshots: Stepan, Foley, Zegras

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Not every player who signs a PTO with a team for the preseason turns that PTO into a full contract offer, but it seems we can count Derek Stepan as one of this year’s players who managed to do just that. Don Waddell told the media today, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that he “thinks” Stepan will be signed to a full contract, and that the hold-up on a deal as of right now is just a matter of the team “figuring out the roster” and salary cap for the start of the regular season.

Stepan, 32, is a veteran of over 800 NHL games and spent last season with the Hurricanes. In 58 games for Carolina, he scored 19 points and is likely being signed to function as a depth center in case any member of their current center corps faces injury issues. While Stepan isn’t the reliable 55-point top-six center he once was, he’s a capable veteran who provides the Hurricanes with the sort of depth contending clubs need to survive the rigors of the NHL season.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley is generally regarded as one of the more hands-on team governors in the sport, and under his watch the Golden Knights have experienced a period of success that is unprecedented for an expansion franchise. As of today, Foley has reportedly expanded his sports ownership portfolio. As reported by Matt Slater and Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic, Foley has entered into a verbal agreement to purchase a majority stake in AFC Bournemouth, a club participating in the Premier League, the top level of the English soccer pyramid. While the implications of this move on the Golden Knights are not immediately clear, it is fair to wonder if acquiring Bournemouth will lead Foley to be less extensively involved in the Golden Knights’ day-to-day operations.
  • Anaheim Ducks superstar forward Trevor Zegras has been injured in recent days thanks to an upper-body injury. Today, Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins told NHL Network Radio on Sirius XM that Zegras is expected to join the team for a full practice tomorrow. Zegras, who scored 61 points in 75 games, is a crucial part of the Ducks’ offense and getting him back to full health will be important if the team wants to see success early in the 2022-23 campaign.

Injury Notes: Byron, Keller, Red Wings

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While injuries limited Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron to just 27 games played last season, many hoped that a summer of rest and recovery would allow the two-time 20-goal scorer to return to the ice for the Canadiens’ 2022-23 campaign. Now, though, it seems those hopes may have been a bit too optimistic. As reported by The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin, (subscription link) Byron is currently dealing with “ongoing problems” in his left hip, problems that not only have kept him from skating but have also “started to cloud” Byron’s playing future. Per Godin, Byron underwent surgery in order to fix chronic hip pain, and despite his rehab going well for much of this summer he reached an additional step of the process that he “didn’t respond well” to, resulting in a major setback in his road to recovery.

According to the report, Byron is still dealing with “lingering inflammation” in his hip, and it’s gotten to a point where it could affect the rest of his career. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes told The Athletic that if Byron’s health fails to improve, he will be placed on long-term injured reserve. In the immediate term, what this means for the Canadiens is they will gain additional breathing room under the cap, and Byron will join Carey Price on the team’s LTIR list. In the long term, what this means for Byron is that he may not be able to play again if this condition fails to improve. While this is definitely an unwelcome development for Byron, he can look back at his time in Montreal with great pride, as he became a useful scoring winger and one of the better waiver claims in recent NHL history.

Now, for some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller was in the midst of a breakout campaign in 2021-22 before his season abruptly ended when he underwent surgery to repair a broken leg. Now, though, Keller looks ready to pick up where he left off. Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong said (via Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports) that Keller is expected to play his first preseason game tomorrow and has been practicing with the team as well. The Coyotes aren’t expected to be a contender this season, but if they want to play meaningful hockey for as long as possible getting Keller back to full speed should be a top priority.
  • The Detroit Red Wings also issued an injury update today, theirs regarding forwards Andrew Copp and Oskar Sundqvist. As reported by Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said today that he expects Copp to be ready for the start of the regular season, and is “optimistic” that Sundqvist will be ready then as well. Copp has been practicing with the team, while Sundqvist has been injured since the beginning of camp.

Snapshots: Golden Knights Goalie Competition, Lambert, Bozak

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Ever since it was announced that incumbent starting goalie Robin Lehner would be out for the entirety of the 2022-23 season following hip surgeries, it was clear to many that the Vegas Golden Knights’ situation in their crease would be relatively wide-open. The team is intent on returning to the playoffs after their first playoff miss in franchise history, and they now have a trio of netminders competing for the chance to lead them back to the postseason. Among that trio, it appears we have a frontrunner.

As relayed by SinBin.vegas, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy told the media that Logan Thompson, an undrafted netminder whose heroics nearly saved the team’s playoff hopes last spring, is “ahead” of both offseason additions Michael Hutchinson and Adin Hill in the team’s goaltending competition. While both Hutchinson and Hill are vastly more experienced than Thompson, Thompson, 25, presumably provides the team with the most upside at that position. As mentioned, Thompson excelled last spring and finished his debut NHL campaign with a .914 save percentage in 19 games. While relying on a goalie with just 20 games of NHL experience is a major risk for a team desperate to resume Stanley Cup contention, it seems that the Golden Knights have faith that Thompson can be the person to lead them back to success.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • While forward Brad Lambert was one of the most divisive players of the 2022 entry draft cycle, it seems that such debates over his merit are over in Winnipeg. Per Murat Ates of The Athletic, Lambert’s agent, Rick Curran, and the Winnipeg Jets have had “positive” contract talks regarding an entry-level deal, and Curran is confident that a deal will be reached before the start of the season. While Lambert might have a hard time breaking into one of the Jets’ scoring lines to start this season, his impressive play this preseason could force the Jets into a more aggressive timeline regarding his transition to North American professional hockey.
  • With over 800 NHL games and a Stanley Cup ring on his resume, former St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bozak has had an accomplished NHL career, and an especially accomplished career given his status as an undrafted player. Per The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Bozak is in no rush to add to that resume. In a recent mailbag article, (subscription link) Rutherford writes that Bozak is only interested in playing in a “few select situations,” and is “content” hanging up his skates if such an opportunity fails to materialize. Bozak skated in 50 regular-season games for the Blues last season to go along with 12 of their playoff contests, and he scored a combined 14 points in that time frame.

Injury Updates: Bruins, Ducks, Flames

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The Boston Bruins issued two injury updates, one of which could have a major impact on the team’s calculations for their opening-night roster. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told the media today that top prospect Fabian Lysell was out day-to-day, with a target returning to play Wednesday against the New York Rangers. He also revealed that star winger Taylor Hall was injured and would be out with a week-to-week designation.

It’s the Hall injury that’s most significant here, especially since the team is already without winger Brad Marchand due to injury. This leaves the Bruins without their top two left wingers to start the season, absences that could significantly alter the complexion of the team’s top-six early in the year. With Hall and Marchand out, it’s possible that players such as Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha are leaned on more heavily to create offense, and this injury could also increase the odds of Lysell making the team for at least a nine-game trial.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • The Anaheim Ducks issued injury updates on two of their players: Trevor Zegras and Urho Vaakanainen. For Vaakanainen, the team said that he was released from the hospital on Friday and “continues to improve.” For Zegras, the team revealed that he is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury but will be on the ice for today’s activities. This is good news for Vaakanainen, who hopefully is on the path to a safe recovery after he suffered a scary injury Friday when he was stretchered off the ice.
  • The Calgary Flames issued three injury updates today, regarding forwards Emilio Pettersen and Martin Pospisil, as well as defenseman Dennis Gilbert. Per the team, all three players are considered day-to-day as they continue to battle for roles in training camp.

Waivers: 10/2/22

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It’s expected to be another busy day on the waiver wire today as teams continue to trim down their rosters.  We’ll keep track of the players being placed on waivers here.

Buffalo Sabres (via NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, awaiting team announcement)

G Malcolm Subban


Calgary Flames (via team release)

F Clark Bishop
F Ben Jones
F Matthew Phillips
D Colton Poolman
D Nick DeSimone
G Oscar Dansk

Carolina Hurricanes (via NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, awaiting team announcement)

D William Lagesson

Dallas Stars (via PuckPedia)

F Riley Tufte
F Marian Studenic
D Alexander Petrovic

Edmonton Oilers (via team release)

F Greg McKegg

Florida Panthers (via Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, awaiting team announcement)

F Zac Dalpe
D Anthony Bitetto

Los Angeles Kings (via PuckPedia)

D Frederic Allard

Ottawa Senators (via team release)

F Rourke Chartier
F Jake Luccini
D Dillon Heatherington

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

F Alexander Nylander
F Radim Zohorna
F Drake Caggiula
D Xavier Ouellet
G Dustin Tokarski

Seattle Kraken (via team release)

F Jesper Froden
F Cameron Hughes
F Kole Lind
F Max McCormick
F Austin Poganski
F Andrew Poturalski
F Brogan Rafferty
F Carsen Twarynski
D Gustav Olofsson
G Magnus Hellberg

St. Louis Blues (via team release, PuckPedia)

F Nathan Todd
F Will Bitten
D Luke Witkowski
D Steven Santini

Washington Capitals (via team release)

F Beck Malenstyn
F Garrett Pilon
D Gabriel Carlsson
D Dylan McIlrath
D Bobby Nardella
G Zachary Fucale

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Nolan Lalonde To Entry-Level Deal

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have made an addition to their prospect pool, signing goaltender Nolan Lalonde to a three-year entry-level deal, per a team announcement. Lalonde went undrafted in the 2022 draft and was a training camp invitee for the Blue Jackets.

Last season, Lalonde was the starting netminder for the Erie Otters, a squad who struggled and ultimately missed the OHL playoffs. Lalonde went 24-25-3 with a .877 save percentage and 3.62 goals-against average, but that’s not what earns him this professional contract. Instead, it looks to be Lalonde’s impressive performance this preseason with the Blue Jackets, a performance highlighted by him saving 28 of 30 shots through two preseason games, that earned him this deal.

The Blue Jackets currently boast 23-year-old Daniil Tarasov as their top goalie prospect, but beyond him, the team’s prospect pool in net is quite thin. Adding Lalonde gives the team another goalie prospect to develop, and Lalonde will head back to the OHL looking to improve his performance for in his sophomore season.

East Notes: Chychrun, Nyquist, Larsson

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A few days ago, we covered an update on the ongoing Jakob Chychrun trade rumors. In that update, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that trade talks on Chychrun were more active than they’d been in recent months, and he specifically named the Columbus Blue Jackets as a potential suitor for Chychrun’s services. Today, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline has added some more details to Columbus’ side of the equation. (subscription link)

Portzline reports that earlier this summer, Chychrun was not interested in being traded to Columbus because he did not view the Blue Jackets as a legitimate playoff contender. Now, though, after they added the offseason market’s top free agent, he seems to have changed his tune. Portzline cites sources who say that Chychrun has “informed those close to him” that he is now willing to join Columbus in a trade. Chychrun would certainly make the Blue Jackets a better team for next season, but one wonders how they would fit his not-insignificant $4.6MM cap hit into their currently tight cap sheet, especially since the term left on Chychrun’s deal would seemingly rule out any significant retention.

Now, for some other notes from the league’s Eastern Conference:

  • In another piece of Blue Jackets news, we have an update on forward Gustav Nyquist’s injury situation after he left last night’s preseason contest early. As reported by Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch, Nyquist has suffered a lower-body injury and is injured on a day-to-day designation. This injury is hopefully not one that will nag Nyquist this season, as the forward is in a platform year, meaning he is set to hit free agency this summer, so he’ll want to stay healthy and have as strong of a season as possible to set him up for his next contract.
  • The Ottawa Senators’ defensive situation hasn’t garnered nearly as much attention as their new-look offense has, but that doesn’t mean their blueline is without notable additions. Per the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, 25-year-old defenseman Jacob Larsson could be playing his way into “notable addition” territory. Larsson, a 2015 first-round pick, was not qualified by the Anaheim Ducks earlier this summer and arrived in Ottawa on a one-year deal. Garrioch says that although Larsson may not make the Senators’ opening-night roster, there’s “no doubt” that he’ll play in games for the team this season and has “made an impression” on the team’s management.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/22

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As we get closer to the start of the regular season, training camp battles will wind down and opening night rosters will start to take shape. We’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts from today here.

Arizona Coyotes (via team release)

G Ivan Prosvetov (to Tuscon, AHL)

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)
D Drew Helleson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Axel Andersson (to San Diego, AHL)
G Olle Eriksson-Ek (to San Diego, AHL)

Calgary Flames (via team release)

F Walker Duehr (to Calgary, AHL)
F Adam Klapka (to Calgary, AHL)
F Mitch McLain (to Calgary, AHL)
F Jakob Pelletier (to Calgary, AHL)
F Brett Sutter (to Calgary, AHL)
F Connor Zary (to Calgary, AHL)
F Cole Schwindt (to Calgary, AHL)
D Yan Kuznetsov (to Calgary, AHL)
D Ilya Solovyov (to Calgary, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release)

D Nolan Allan (to Prince Albert, WHL)
D Adam Clendening (released from PTO)
D Ethan Del Mastro (to Mississauga, OHL)
G Jaxson Stauber (to Rockford, AHL)
G Dylan Wells (released from PTO)

Dallas Stars (via team release)

G Remi Poirier (to Texas, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (via team release)

F Xavier Bourgault (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Seth Griffith (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Noah Philp (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Michael Kesselring (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Phil Kemp (to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Olivier Rodrigue (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

F Connor Bunnaman (cleared waivers, to Charlotte, AHL)
F Grigori Denisenko (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Patrick Giles (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Ethan Keppen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Anton Levtchi (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Riley Nash (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Dennis Cesana (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Santtu Kinnunen (to Charlotte, AHL)
D John Ludvig (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Mack Guzda (to Charlotte, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
F Valtteri Puustinen (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
F Filip Hallander (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
F Jamie Devane (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
F Kyle Olson (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
F Nathan Legare (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
F Raivis Ansons (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
F Corey Andonovski (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
F Drew O’Connor (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
D Colin Swoyer (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
D Jack St. Ivany (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)
D Owen Pickering (to Swift Current, WHL)
D Nolan Collins (to Sudbury, OHL)
G Filip Lindberg (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)

Seattle Kraken (via team release)

F Luke Henman (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Tye Kartye (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Ville Petman (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
D Peetro Seppala (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
D Matt Tennyson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
D Jimmy Schuldt (to Coachella Valley, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release)

F Zachary Bolduc (to Quebec Ramparts, QMJHL)
G Vadim Zherenko (to Springfield, AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release)

F Gabriel Dumont (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Shawn Element (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Maxim Cajkovic (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Cameron MacDonald (to Saint John, QMJHL)
D Dyllan Gill (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
D Tyson Feist (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Ryan Jones (to Syracuse, AHL)
G Jack LaFontaine (to Syracuse, AHL)
G Brad Barone (released from ATO)

Washington Capitals (via team release)

F Hendrix Lapierre (to Hershey, AHL)
D Vincent Iorio (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team release)

G Arvid Holm (to Manitoba, AHL)

This post will be updated throughout the day

Snapshots: O’Connor, Carrick, Lightning Preseason Games

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Undrafted Pittsburgh Penguins winger Drew O’Connor has done just about everything that could be expected of him at the AHL level, as the 24-year-old has 51 points in 53 career AHL games. O’Connor was also a college hockey star, scoring 59 points in 65 career NCAA games at Dartmouth. What’s eluded him so far in his young career, though, is consistent NHL game action, and consistent minutes with the Penguins may remain elusive early this season thanks to the pressures of the salary cap.

As Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, O’Connor might find himself sent to AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton to start the season not because he did not play well enough to earn a roster spot, but instead because of his $750K cap hit and due to the fact that he is exempt from waivers. The Penguins are currently tight up against the salary cap, and in order to remain cap compliant, the team may need to carry less than the maximum 23 players allowed on their active roster. As a result, that could leave O’Connor on the outside looking in even if he plays well enough to earn a depth role, because the team may prefer to send him down rather than place another player such as Ryan Poehling or Josh Archibald on waivers.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The Boston Bruins signed defenseman Connor Carrick to provide a different look to the competition for a depth spot on their blueline as well as to shore up their defense in AHL Providence. Today, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told reporters (including Conor Ryan of Boston Sports Journal) that Carrick suffered an upper-body injury and will be out with a day-to-day designation. While this injury is unlikely to have a long-lasting impact on Carrick’s season, it could hurt him in his effort to beat Jakub Zboril and Mike Reilly out for a depth role on the Bruins’ opening-night roster.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning postponed two of their preseason games due to Hurricane Ian, which has caused significant damage to the state of Florida. Today, the team announced that those two preseason games will not be made up, and are now to be considered canceled. While this is unlikely to have any major impact on the team’s roster-building decisions, it does mean that players on the bubble of the team’s opening night roster or battling for their desired roles will have possibly two fewer chances to show what they can do in a preseason setting.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Joe Fleming

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The Vegas Golden Knights have made an addition to their prospect pool, signing defenseman Joe Fleming to a three-year entry-level deal, per a team announcement.

Fleming attended the Golden Knights’ development camp in July and had been at the team’s training camp until Tuesday when he was cut from the training camp roster.

Fleming’s performance in both development camp and training camp has seemingly impressed Golden Knights management enough for Fleming to earn this entry-level deal. Fleming will play the 2022-23 season in the QMJHL with the Sherbrooke Phoenix and spent last season playing at the USHL level for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. There, the 19-year-old blueliner scored 16 points in 60 games and spent a whopping 202 minutes in the penalty box.

Those penalty minutes are a bit of a tell as to Fleming’s play style, as well as why he is an appealing prospect to the Golden Knights management. Fleming stands six feet tall and weighs over 200 pounds, and uses that size to play a bruising physical game. He’s a handful for opposing players to deal with whenever they’re on the ice against him, and he’ll bring that imposing style to Sherbrooke.

One element to this signing that is notable is the similarities between Fleming and Montreal Canadiens prospect Arber Xhekaj. Fleming, like Xhekaj, is an undrafted blueliner who plays a physical, bruising style. As Xhekaj continues to get attention (and notoriety) this preseason for his “throwback” style of play, it’s possible that other teams could look to try to find their own versions of Xhekaj, which could be a factor at play with this signing.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported yesterday on Sportsnet’s broadcast of the Canadiens’ loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that “a number” of NHL clubs share the attitude that they wish they had found and signed Xhekaj before the Canadiens did. So, with that in mind, it could be that this signing of Fleming signals a coming trend of teams looking to acquire the sort of physical, “throwback” defenseman that had gone out of style in recent years.

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