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Pierre-Luc Dubois Accepts Qualifying Offer

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5:10 PM: The Jets have now officially announced the extension.

3:40 PM: With his name featuring heavily in trade rumors, Pierre-Luc Dubois has taken himself one step closer to an exit from Winnipeg. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Dubois has chosen to accept his one-year, $6MM qualifying offer in advance of the upcoming deadline.

This means that Dubois has, at least for this summer, elected to not sign a long-term deal with the Jets, as many have expected. Dubois will be an unrestricted free agent in two years’ time. Dubois’ representation has communicated a desire for their client to end up playing for the Montreal Canadiens and Dubois actually attended the draft in Montreal because he believed a trade would be completed on the draft floor. That did not happen, though, so Dubois has now accepted his qualifying offer as a means of simplifying his exit from Winnipeg.

The Jets surrendered two significant players to acquire Dubois: Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic and did so because they believed a one-two punch at the center position of Dubois and Mark Scheifele would be the key to the next era of contending Jets squads.

That pairing of Dubois and Scheifele doesn’t look like it’ll remain in place for much longer, as the Jets will have to decide if they want to deal Dubois this summer or continue with him on the roster in the hopes that he changes his mind about staying in Winnipeg.

Seattle Kraken Acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand

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After today’s signing of Patrik Laine, the Blue Jackets badly needed to create cap space. They’ve now done so, sending winger Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick.

This trade is another example of just how difficult it is for teams trading established players to get large compensation packages in return. Bjorkstrand is a 27-year-old forward who just set career highs in production in 2021-22. Bjorkstrand scored 28 goals and 57 points in 80 games last year, which ranked second on the Blue Jackets behind Jakub Voracek. Bjorkstrand’s contract is $5.4MM for the next four seasons, taking him to his age-31 campaign.

That’s a reasonable, affordable cost for a player like Bjorkstrand, which is perhaps why he’s the player Columbus had to trade. The trade of Bjorkstrand indicates that the team may have found there was not much appetite for their other highly-priced forwards like Voracek and Gustav Nyquist, despite Nyquist and Voracek each being productive and having less term on their contracts than Bjorkstrand.

For Columbus, this is a deal fans won’t be celebrating, but it’s also one they’ll understand as the cost of doing business at the top of the free agent market. The Blue Jackets landed perhaps the most talented player in their franchise’s history, Johnny Gaudreau, on a major contract earlier this month. It’s likely that seeing Gaudreau light the lamp repeatedly in Columbus will ease the pain of losing a reasonably-priced top-six winger for just two mid-round picks.

For the Kraken, adding Bjorkstrand at such an affordable asset cost is another solid addition for a team desperate to improve on last season’s lackluster scoring attack. With Bjorkstrand in the fold and free agent signing Andre Burakovsky arriving from Colorado, Dave Hakstol will have no shortage of options for who he wants to flank his two highly-drafted young centers in Matty Beniers and Shane Wright.

Calgary Flames Sign Ben Jones

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July 21: The Flames have officially announced the contract for Jones, confirming the previously reported details.

July 16: As reported on by CapFriendly, the Calgary Flames have signed unrestricted free agent forward Ben Jones. The deal has not yet been officially announced, but CapFriendly reports that the deal is a one-year, two-way contract with a $750K cap hit and $100K AHL salary. Jones became an unrestricted free agent after he was not issued a qualifying offer by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Jones, 23, was the final member of the Golden Knights’ first-ever draft class. Drafted 189th overall in 2017, Jones had a successful junior career with the Niagra IceDogs of the OHL. While Jones scored 41 goals and 102 points in his final OHL season, his adjustment to professional hockey was rocky. Jones had only seven points in 36 games for the Chicago Wolves as a rookie professional, although the caveat there is that the Wolves are notorious for, when it comes to issues of ice time, prioritizing AHL veterans who can help them win in the short term compared to their NHL affiliate’s prospects. As a result, Jones played a very limited role in the AHL in his first year in professional hockey and even saw time in the ECHL.

When the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate switched from Chicago to the new Henderson Silver Knights, Jones grew into a middle-six role and scored 16 points in 38 games. He even got time on the Silver Knights’ powerplay and some sporadic short-handed ice time as well. This past season, Jones finally became an impactful professional player. Jones earned a top-six role in Henderson and saw significant special teams ice time. Jones’ production came along as well, and he scored 25 goals and 41 points in 66 games. Jones’ strong play even earned him a call-up to the Golden Knights when they were ravaged by injuries, and he got two games in at the NHL level.

At 23 years old, Jones is a rare unrestricted free agent who still theoretically has room to grow. Jones’ breakout season with the Silver Knights gives confidence that he can be a difference-maker on the Flames’ new Calgary-based AHL affiliate, and perhaps he can get even more NHL games next season with strong performance. At a $750K cap hit, rolling the dice on Jones is not a bad way for GM Brad Treliving to add depth to his organization.

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Geekie, Kravtsov, Mikheyev

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In what has so far shaped up to be a nightmarish offseason for the Calgary Flames, there could be another high-profile departure yet to come. Matthew Tkachuk, the team’s remaining superstar winger, is headed for an arbitration battle with the Flames, as we found out yesterday. They may not even reach that point, though. Eric Francis of Sportsnet believes that the Flames and Tkachuk are “parting ways,” and that the club elected to pursue arbitration in order to “buy more time” to find an appropriate exit plan. Francis added on that he thinks the situation “will be wrapped up within the week,” and if he’s right the deal would cement this July as one of the most transformative months in Flames history.

The decision to potentially trade Tkachuk comes thanks to the reality of his contract situation. Tkachuk is in a position to hit unrestricted free agency next summer and looks poised to do so. The Flames have had every opportunity to extend Tkachuk on a long-term extension, and yet have failed to secure his signature on a deal to this point, indicating that Tkachuk’s heart may not be in Calgary long-term, just like Gaudreau. As a result, the Flames might be motivated to move Tkachuk now in order to avoid a situation where the team allows 100-point wingers to leave in free agency in two consecutive offseasons. The Flames asking price, should they be open to a Tkachuk trade, is likely to be sky-high, although the lack of cap space league-wide could limit them in their chase to get the largest return package possible.

Now, for some other notes from across the league:

  • Conor Geekie scared quite a few Arizona Coyotes fans early in the team’s development camp when he went down with what looked to be a pretty grisly lower-body injury. Thankfully, though, the injury was not serious, and Geekie confirmed as much today to PHNX’s Craig Morgan. Per Morgan, Geekie “did not elaborate” on the nature of his injury or any timeline for a return to the ice, but he did note that he was still doing cardio and working out his upper body. With his entry-level deal already signed, Geekie has the chance to make the Coyotes’ opening-night roster, so he’ll want to ensure that this upper-body injury is fully recovered by this fall so he can hit the ground running at training camp.
  • There has been some nervousness from people across the NHL regarding Russian players and whether they’ll be able to easily return to North America from offseasons spent in Russia for training camps this fall. For the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, they won’t need to worry much longer about two of their players. CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal has learned from agent Dan Milstein that the Canucks’ big offseason signing, Ilya Mikheyev, has arrived in North America in order to begin his preparations for the upcoming season. The New York Post’s Mollie Walker has also learned from Milstein that winger Vitali Kravtsov has arrived in New York City in advance of training camp.

Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Cal Burke

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The Colorado Avalanche have rewarded a hard-working minor-leaguer with a one-year, two-way NHL contract. Per a team announcement, the Avalanche have signed forward Cal Burke to a one-year deal carrying a $750K cap hit and a $100K AHL salary.

Burke, 25, is an undrafted player who made his professional debut in 2020-21 after a successful collegiate career at Notre Dame. In his senior season, Burke captained Notre Dame and scored 21 points in 37 games, all while being relied upon as one of their most important defensive forwards.

As a professional, Burke had a difficult first season in Colorado. He only scored nine points in 33 games and had to handle a difficult, limited role without much in the way of offensive opportunities. This season, the ice opened up for Burke and he scored 12 goals and 26 points in 57 games.

Burke was a second-unit penalty killer for the Eagles and he even saw a bit of power-play time. Burke’s tenacity, two-way play, and commitment to his work ethic are what’s earned him this NHL contract, and his fast start to this past AHL year (14 points in 19 games) is an indication that there may yet be some more offensive upside to be unlocked in his game. Burke will likely head to training camp in the fall, hoping to earn a spot on the defending champ’s fourth line.

Philadelphia Flyers Extend Isaac Ratcliffe

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The Philadelphia Flyers have gotten some business done today, finalizing an extension with one of their restricted free agents: Isaac Ratcliffe. Per a team announcement, Ratcliffe has signed a one-year, two-way contract carrying a $813K cap hit.

Ratcliffe, 23, spent most of last season with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and got ten games in with the main Flyers squad. Ratcliffe had his most productive professional season yet, scoring 11 goals and 28 points in 59 AHL games, a total that ranked fourth among Phantoms forwards. The six-foot-six, 200-pound winger is a former top prospect who was drafted 35th overall at the 2017 draft.

Ratcliffe was drafted so high thanks in part to his prolific scoring numbers in junior hockey. In his draft year, Ratcliffe scored 28 goals and 54 points, and followed that season up with a successful final year in the OHL, scoring 50 goals and 82 points. Ratcliffe has struggled to translate his goal-scoring prowess from juniors to the pro ranks, and his issues as a skater have largely been to blame.

Per The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor, Ratcliffe will be in a position to contend for a fourth-line role on the Flyers in training camp, and this one-year extension indicates that 2022-23 will be a do-or-die year for Ratcliffe and his future as a developmental project in the Flyers organization.

In his media availability following free agency, Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher alluded to 2022-23 being an “important” year for many of the team’s young players to prove they still had NHL potential, and it’s likely that Ratcliffe is one of those young players who needs a strong season to remain in the organization’s long-term plans.

Los Angeles Kings Add Jim Hiller To Coaching Staff

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The Los Angeles Kings have a new member of their coaching staff: Jim Hiller. The Kings announced that Hiller would be joining coach Todd McLellan’s staff and added that he would “primarily work with forwards” as well as “focus on the powerplay.” Hiller replaces former assistant Marco Sturm, who is now the coach of the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

Hiller, 53, was let go by the New York Islanders earlier in the offseason, as part of the team’s transition to a largely new coaching staff led by Lane Lambert. Hiller’s strong body of work for the Islanders landed him “on the radar” of multiple teams with head coaching vacancies, including the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings, according to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

Prior to Hiller’s three-year tenure with the Islanders, he was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent 2014-15 as an assistant on Mike Babcock’s Detroit Red Wings staff. Hiller also has head coaching experience, as the head coach of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and Chilliwack Bruins, who were later relocated to Victoria.

This is a bit of a return for Hiller, as he was drafted by the Kings as a player in 1989 and made his NHL debut with the team, playing 40 games for them in 1992-93 before being traded to Detroit.

Hiller will have his work cut out for him, as the Kings’ power play converted just 16.1% of its opportunities last season, a rate that ranked 27th in the NHL and worst among all playoff teams. The Kings have worked hard this summer to solve the issues on their power play, as seen by their trade for Kevin Fiala last month, and it appears that the addition of Hiller is part of that solution as well.

Florida Panthers Sign Chris Tierney

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July 19: The Panthers have now officially announced the signing.

July 16: The Panthers have signed center Chris Tierney, per CapFriendly, who is the second former Ottawa Senator they’ve taken a chance on this offseason, after their earlier signing of Colin White. While we are waiting on the official announcement of the deal, CapFriendly has details on the finances. Tierney is getting a one-year, $750K two-way deal with a hefty $400K AHL salary.

Tierney comes from the Senators organization, and it was there that he was once viewed as a foundational part of their rebuild, a potential middle-six staple for many years. Tierney arrived in Ottawa through the Erik Karlsson trade and was coming off of an impressive year in San Jose where he had 17 goals and 40 points. Tierney’s first year in Ottawa was impressive, and although he only had nine goals he finished with 48 points. From that point, Tierney steadily declined in offensive production, battling injuries along the way, and got to the point where he could only muster 18 points in 70 games, as he did in 2021-22.

Tierney’s two-way game had always been his calling card, but his reliability on that front suffered as well. Tierney’s once-reliable win rate at the face-off dot dipped below 50% and Tierney’s time on the Senators’ penalty kill, where he was once a fixture, all but evaporated. Tierney is only 28 years old, so there is still room for him to bounce back, and he heads to Florida with a chance to re-emerge as an impactful NHL player.

The Panthers have had success in reviving the careers of former Ottawa Senators, just one look at Anthony Duclair’s numbers in Florida confirm that. Tierney’s signing gives him a chance to follow in Duclair’s footsteps and re-establish himself as an NHL option on the Panthers.

Boston Bruins Extend Jack Ahcan

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As reported by PuckPedia, the Boston Bruins have re-signed defenseman Jack Ahcan to a one-year, $750K deal. The contract carries a $115K AHL salary and a $125K total guarantee.

Ahcan, 25, is an undrafted defenseman who turned pro with the Bruins organization in 2020-21 after a successful college career at St. Cloud State. An undersized blueliner, Ahcan’s calling card has always been his offense. In college, Ahcan was a productive offensive player. Ahcan finished his college career with 103 points in 144 games and even captained St. Cloud State during his senior season.

Ahcan’s transition to professional hockey has been an up-and-down affair. He’s shown some promise at the AHL level, scoring 33 points in 65 games across two seasons as well as handling a top-of-the-lineup role in Providence this season that required him to weather time on the penalty kill as well as anchor the team’s power play.

But Ahcan’s size is an issue, as he stands just five-foot-nine and weighs 180 pounds, meaning he’s a risk to be too frequently outmuscled for pucks and position by stronger players. As a result, his NHL impact has been limited, and he found himself a Bruins healthy scratch this season. The coaching staff in Providence clearly trusts him, though, meaning there’s more to his game than there might seem to be if one looks just at his size and production.

Ahcan will head to training camp in the fall and have an opportunity to battle other defenders for an NHL job. Ahcan’s one-year deal is an indication that 2022-23 is a make-or-break year for the 25-year-old to show that still has the potential to be a full-time NHLer.

Minor Transactions: 07/17/22

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With NHL free agency now underway, dozens of lower-level players are also trying to find work. Many of them will end up overseas or signing minor league deals. This is where we will keep track of notable signings around the world.

  • The Laval Rocket of the AHL announced today that they have agreed to a one-year, one-way AHL contract with forward Gabriel Bourque. Bourque, 31, has 413 games of NHL experience and spent last season with the Rocket. In 67 games in Laval, Bourque had 11 goals and 28 points. Bourque was the team’s most important penalty-killing forward and should help the Rocket have another strong season.
  • The Rocket also announced two more contracts today: one-year, two-way (AHL/ECHL) deals with goaltenders Philippe Desrosiers and Joe Vrbetic. Desrosiers, 26, was the number-one goalie for the Montreal Canadiens’ new ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivieres Lions. Desrosiers went 19-13-1 with a .902 save percentage and 3.09 goals-against-average, helping lead the Lions to a playoff berth in their first-ever season. Desrosiers, a second-round pick of the Dallas Stars at the 2013 draft, will likely receive a similar role in the ECHL next season. Vrbetic, who turns 20 in October, was a seventh-rounder of the Canadiens at the 2021 draft. He was the starting goalie for one of the OHL’s best teams, the North Bay Battalion, and went 29-10-6 with a .906 save percentage.
  • After dramatically avoiding relegation to Swedish third-tier league HockeyEttan, Sodertalje SK is looking to solidify their place in HockeyAllsvenskan. They took a step towards doing so today, signing former Erie Otters star Anthony Luciani. Luciani spent 2021-22 as a top scorer for Orli Znojmo in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League, where he had 51 points in 48 games.
  • Former NHLer Taylor Beck, who last played in the NHL with the New York Rangers in 2016-17, signed a one-year contract with HC Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL. Sibir was a playoff-caliber team in 2021-22 and should be boosted by the addition of Beck, who had 38 points in 42 games last season for Dynamo Minsk.

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