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New Jersey Devils Extend Miles Wood

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The New Jersey Devils and forward Miles Wood have avoided arbitration, settling on a one-year, $3.2MM deal for next season. Wood was set to have an arbitration hearing on Saturday. Now, he heads back to the Devils with a contract in hand for next season.

Wood, 26, has become an increasingly important member of this young Devils team. The former Boston College Eagle has been with the team since 2016-17, and has scored decently well. He had 17 goals and 25 points in 55 games in 2020-21 but missed most of 2021-22 due to a hip surgery. The hallmark of Wood’s game is his speed. He’s an incredibly fast straight-line skater and that allows him to be a goal-scoring threat.

Wood also has thrived in an “agitator role,” playing with the kind of physicality and tenacity New Jersey fans have long loved to see in their players. Wood has worn the “A” letter since the start of the 2020-21 season and has taken on an increased leadership role with the Devils.

If Wood can stay healthy for next season, the Devils will get a major boost to their lineup. Since this is a one-year deal that walks him to a chance at the open market, Wood’s long-term future in New Jersey is unclear. But if he can stay healthy and score 15-20 goals, as he’s shown he can, the Devils will likely have no problem locking him into a contract for the long haul.

Offseason Notes: Necas, Celebrini, Barberio

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Martin Necas is one of the biggest-name restricted free agents still out there on the market. The 2017 12th overall pick had a disappointing year in 2021-22, but in 2020-21 had the makings of a future star, scoring 41 points in 53 games, a 63-point pace. Necas didn’t have the game-by-game impact many expected him to have last year,  though, and he was supplanted in the Hurricanes’ forward pecking order by fast-rising rookie Seth Jarvis. He needs a new contract, and despite many speculating that he may need a change of scenery, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell remains focused on ironing out an extension.

Per Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, Waddell is nearing that goal. Waddell is quoted as saying that the team and Necas’ camp are negotiating on an “almost a daily basis” and that a deal is “getting close.” Waddell even takes it a step further, saying definitively that “it’s going to get done.” Despite a disappointing most recent season, it’s in the best interest for the Hurricanes to get Necas locked into an extension. While he’s mostly played as a winger in the NHL, Necas has prior experience as a center and could be in a position to seize a top-six center spot should Jesperi Kotkaniemi struggle in that role.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Canadian forward Macklin Celebrini, a player currently projected to be a top prospect for the 2024 NHL draft, has committed to an NCAA school. Per NBC Sports Chicago’s Colby Cohen, Celebrini has committed to the Boston University, and will play there after spending next season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Celebrini has spent the past two seasons at minor hockey powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary’s, a school in Minnesota that has an impressive list of NHL alumni including Sidney Crosby, Kyle Okposo, and many others. Celebrini is expected to be a top player in the USHL before he heads to the NCAA.
  • Yesterday, we covered how former NHL defenseman Mark Barberio had agreed to a mutual contract termination with his club, Lausanne HC. Now, we know where Barberio will be spending 2022-23. Per a team announcement, KHL club HC Dynamo Minsk has signed Barberio to a one-year deal. Barberio last appeared in the NHL in 2019-20, getting into 21 games with the Colorado Avalanche. 2022-23 will mark his return to the KHL after spending six games with HC Ak Bars Kazan last season, where he scored three points.

Free Agent Profile: Sonny Milano

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Before 2021-22, it looked like Sonny Milano’s career was headed in the direction many other former top prospects’ careers had gone. A talented run of scoring at lower levels, a solid first season in pro hockey, and then a stagnant development track that leads to an inability to hold down an NHL spot. That’s seemed to be where Milano was going.

The 16th overall pick at the 2014 draft, Milano’s puck skills and overall creativity made him an intriguing forward prospect. After a successful year in the OHL in his first season as a Blue Jacket, Milano made the transition to pro hockey, playing in 54 games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. He played decently well, scoring 31 points, and even earned a three-game cup of tea at the NHL level.

From that point, Milano progressed slowly, but steadily. He had another productive AHL year, a few more NHL games, and then finally got an extended look in Columbus in 2017-18, scoring 14 goals and 22 points in 55 games. The offensive talent was there, but Milano’s struggles away from the puck meant that his NHL role was limited and his overall usage inconsistent. Under a demanding coach like John Tortorella, Milano needed to become a more well-rounded player in order to thrive, and he wasn’t able to.

Milano was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks in February 2020 for Devin Shore, and then missed most of 2020-21 due to an upper-body injury. He cleared waivers at the start of 2021-22 and then went on to have the most productive season of his career. In 66 games Milano scored 14 goals and 34 points, and featured in highlight-reel plays as a frequent running mate of superstar rookie Trevor Zegras.

It looked like Milano had finally found a home in the NHL, but earlier this summer the Ducks made a surprising move. They chose not to issue Milano a qualifying offer and let him hit unrestricted free agency, where he remains today. So, why might Milano still be on the market?

Well, it likely comes down to his flaws away from the puck, the holes in his game that have dogged him for his entire career. We know what Milano can do. He can stick with talented players and help finish their plays. He can dazzle with his creativity and help drive offense. But he can also hurt his team away from the puck and struggle to make any sort of impact when he’s not “on.”

His inability to polish his game is likely why he remains unsigned, but that doesn’t mean there’s no place for him in the NHL. Despite the issues in his two-way game, Milano is still an undoubtedly talented offensive player. He’s also still young at just 26 years old, and the combination of his offensive skill level and age isn’t easily found at this stage of the offseason market. Some teams might be weary of his overall profile, but the bottom line with him is that he can help a team score goals, so he’ll find a way to catch on somewhere.

Stats:

2021-22: 66 GP, 14G 20A 34pts, -9 rating, 10 PIMs, 94 shots, 15:17 ATOI

Career: 197 GP, 36G 45A 81pts, -26 rating, 46 PIMs, 255 shots, 13:15 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Based on Milano’s profile on the ice, he’ll likely fit best on two types of teams: cap-strapped contenders looking to add some more offensive juice to their attack, or rebuilders who want to take a flyer on a relatively young free agent to occupy a roster spot and protect their current young forwards from being rushed to the NHL. With those two types of teams in mind, there are a few franchises that could make sense for Milano.

One team that makes sense for Milano is the St. Louis Blues. The Blues had one of the deepest top-nines in hockey last year, but the loss of David Perron this offseason means there could be a hole in their top nine that needs to be filled. They don’t have a ton of cap space, but assuming they can find room for Milano he could be a solid add to their lineup. He would have quality linemates to feed off of in St. Louis and would give coach Craig Berube more options as to how to deploy his top three forward lines.

Perhaps most importantly, the Blues have an overabundance of talented forwards who are responsible in their own end, such as Ryan O’Reilly, Ivan Barbashev, and Pavel Buchnevich. Their presence could limit the negative impact of Milano’s poor defensive game and free him up to focus on the offensive side of the ice.

Another club that could make sense on a one-year deal is the New York Rangers. Like St. Louis, they have a wealth of talented forwards to stick Milano with. The Rangers also have a pretty wide-open right side of their forward group, and although Milano is a left winger he could possibly slot in and compete with Vitali Kravtsov, Kaapo Kakko, and Sammy Blais for minutes on one of the Rangers’ top-two lines.

One club that is rebuilding that Milano could fit with is the Chicago Blackhawks. He would be a similar signing to their prior deals with Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi, only at a lower cost. Milano would help the Blackhawks fill out their top two lines and keep them from needing to rush Lukas Reichel into a top-six role. The Blackhawks’ roster is among the weakest in the league, and adding a scorer like Milano would be wise in the case that he has a productive first half to his season, as he then could become a flippable asset at the deadline.

Projected Contract:

If a free agent is still available in August, they probably won’t be able to issue huge salary demands to interested teams, save for special cases like with still-unsigned center Nazem Kadri. As a result, Milano’s next deal is unlikely to pass the $1.7MM figure he played on last season. A one-year deal at around $1MM seems like the most likely outcome at this point, if he’s getting an NHL contract.

Adding a player in his mid-twenties who scored at a 42-point pace for just $1MM against the cap is a solid bit of business for many teams. But a team will have to be confident in their ability to properly utilize Milano so he doesn’t end up a net negative thanks to his defensive play.

Finding a proper fit in a lineup could be a challenge, but it’s far from impossible. At a cost at or below $1MM, Milano could quickly make it worth the hassle for any team that signs him.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Financial information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Kailer Yamamoto

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The Oilers have reportedly settled with one of their restricted free agents, avoiding an arbitration case. Per a team announcement, the Oilers and RFA forward Kailer Yamamoto have settled on a two-year contract with a $3.1MM average annual value.

The financial structure of the deal is as follows:

22-23: $3MM
23-24: $3.2MM

Yamamoto, 23, is coming off of the most productive season of his young career, save for a 27-game run in 2019-20 where he had 26 points. Yamamoto, often playing next to former Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl, scored 20 goals and 41 points in 81 games. He also chipped in seven points in 14 games during the Oilers’ run to the Western Conference Final. It’s similar production to another one of the Oilers’ young wingers, Jesse Puljujarvi, who also settled before his own arbitration case, receiving a deal with a $3MM cap hit.

Perhaps the best development in Yamamoto’s play has been the recent refinement of his overall game. Some might look at the five-foot-eight winger and immediately peg him as an offense-first, perimeter player. But what might be surprising to those people is that Yamamoto actually spent more time killing penalties in 2021-22 than he did on the power play. Yamamoto averaged 1:09 short-handed ice time per game and 0:49 of average power play ice time per game. Yamamoto isn’t going to win Selke trophies, don’t get the wrong idea here, but his time spent short-handed is genuinely encouraging and an indication that he’s found a way to remain an impactful NHLer even if he’s in a scoring slump.

A $3.1MM cap hit is a fair number for what Yamamoto provides, and it allows the Oilers to re-engage with him on long-term extension talks as a restricted free agent in two years’ time.

The Oilers are now over the salary cap, but they will get relief in the form of Oscar Klefbom and Mike Smith being placed on long-term injured reserve. They still have Tyler Benson and Ryan McLeod as RFA’s to sign, so they’re not out of the woods just yet. A trade may be necessary to help their salary cap situation, although they could also opt to carry less than the maximum number of players on their roster and slowly accumulate cap space as the season goes on.

 

Free Agent Profile: Calvin De Haan

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When it became clear that the Chicago Blackhawks would be pursuing a no-holds-barred teardown under new GM Kyle Davidson, many presumed that, at the very least, any player on an expiring deal in Chicago would be dealt by the team at the trade deadline. Davidson traded Ryan Carpenter and Marc-Andre Fleury, two players on expiring deals, but one of the team’s top pending unrestricted free agents, Calvin de Haan, stayed put. It seemed curious that a veteran, experienced defenseman with a defense-first game like de Haan would not be dealt as a deadline rental, but that’s exactly what happened.

Now, de Haan’s offseason free agent market is looking a lot like his trade market: curiously slow. Expecting a vibrant, robust market for de Haan would have been a mistake. The veteran of over 500 NHL games has been on the decline, and his health has been a nagging problem since he began his professional career. De Haan has played in a full 82-game season just once, which is worrying due to the fact that he made his NHL debut in 2011-12. He’s had every opportunity but just hasn’t been able to remain available consistently.

Additionally, de Haan’s game has become a bit one-dimensional. In a league where the two-way, transitional defenseman is in vogue, de Haan’s game is a bit of a throwback. To say de Haan is “defense-first” would be an understatement. He’s “defense-only” at this point in his career, with little in the way of offensive utility. He had just eight points in 69 games, and his issues with shoulder injuries have taken a toll on his puck skills. But, even with all that in mind, it still is a bit of a surprise to see de Haan unsigned in August, especially given the leaguewide sentiment of “you can never have too many capable defensemen.”

Despite all the flaws in his overall profile, there still is a place for de Haan in the NHL. His usage has been remarkably consistent throughout his career. He got around 19-20 minutes of ice time per game earlier in his career and now gets around 18 minutes a night with second-unit penalty-killing duties. While some could see his defensive style to be one-dimensional and a negative to his game, others could see value in the steadiness and safety he provides. To use a popular hockey cliche, de Haan is a defenseman who is best when he’s not noticed, and de Haan has become adept at remaining anonymous on the ice as he’s aged. That style isn’t for everyone, but it’s hard to believe that there aren’t any teams in the NHL who want to add that to their roster, even if he does have to spend some time on injured reserve.

Stats:

2021-22: 69 GP, 4G 4A 8pts, -21 rating, 33 PIMs, 107 shots, 18:57 ATOI

Career: 520 GP, 19G 100A 119pts, 0 rating, 195 PIMs, 736 shots, 19:29 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Based on de Haan’s overall profile, he fits best with a team in need of a steady, veteran defenseman to stabilize their blueline and help them integrate young defensemen into the fold. Given de Haan’s status as a still unsigned free agent, he may not be in a strong enough position to be able to pick and choose his destinations. While he undoubtedly would like to sign with a contender, a mentorship role on a younger team could be a better fit at this stage of his career. Additionally, with cap space at an absolute premium, he may only receive the sort of contract he desires from a team with lots of cap space, and most teams with cap space right now are ones not in a “win-now” phase.

One potential fit for de Haan is the Buffalo Sabres. They had an encouraging season last year, but their team is still remarkably young, especially on defense. Their oldest defender who projects to be in their nightly lineup is Ilya Lyubushkin, who is 28 but has just 211 NHL games under his belt, and just seven career playoff contests. The next-oldest defenseman likely to make their NHL roster is Jacob Bryson, who is just 24 and made his NHL debut in 2020-21. If we assume Mattias Samuelsson will partner with Rasmus Dahlin on the team’s first pairing, as he did at times last season, and Owen Power will slide into a second-pairing role next to Lyubushkin, the Sabres have a possible opening for de Haan on their third pairing next to Henri Jokiharju. Jokiharju, a defenseman with puck-moving ability, could be a solid partner for de Haan and someone whose game could be improved thanks to the stability de Haan would provide.

Additionally, the Sabres have a glut of tweener defensemen in their organization, names like Lawrence Pilut, Chase Priskie, and Kale Clague, who could insulate team from a de Haan injury. They also have nearly $20MM in available salary cap space and just one remaining free agent to tie up, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. While there hasn’t been a bidding war for de Haan’s services by any means, the Sabres could make any de Haan deal fit onto their books quite smoothly.

Another fit could be a return to his former team, the New York Islanders. The Islanders’ top-four on defense looks set. The Adam Pelech–Ryan Pulock pairing isn’t going to change anytime soon, and summer trade acquisition Alexander Romanov will likely get a long look next to breakout star Noah Dobson. Their bottom pairing, though, looks a bit more open. Scott Mayfield will play on the right side, but who will be his partner? The team could opt to go young and stick Robin Salo in the role, but if he’s not ready they could be forced to give Sebastian Aho regular minutes, which might not be ideal if the team is intent on returning to the playoffs. De Haan would fit into their current salary cap puzzle and give Salo veteran competition for that third-pairing role, as well as give the Islanders yet another defense-first option to fit into their style of play.

He has familiarity with the organization and a clear place to play in the lineup if the youngsters aren’t ready. Might the team prefer to stick a more up-tempo, pace-pushing option next to Mayfield? Sure, but giving de Haan a contract and a chance to win that job wouldn’t hurt, either.

Projected Contract:

De Haan ranked 49th on PHR’s 2022 Top 50 UFAs list, and was projected to earn a one-year, $1.5MM deal from the Ottawa Senators. A role on the Senators as either a seventh defenseman or competition to Erik Brannstrom for a third-pairing role could make sense, but maybe not at the $1.5MM cost we projected, especially if Senators GM Pierre Dorion is still seeking a big-name defensive addition.

It’s difficult to exactly project de Haan’s next deal, as on paper he’s more qualified than the veteran defensemen who have received one-year, two-way league minimum deals this summer.

But, on the other hand, he’s also had issues with availability and many teams place value on a defenseman who is able to stay in the lineup and remain healthy. It’s definitely possible that de Haan has to settle for a minimum contract with a sizeable minor-league guarantee, but that doesn’t seem likely. A one-year deal with one of the above clubs at a cap number similar to our $1.5MM projection seems like a reasonable outcome for his free agent journey, even if the ultimate number does come in a bit closer to $1MM.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Financial information courtesy of CapFriendly.

West Notes: Roy, Lowe, Canucks Coaching

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Vegas Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy was one of the team’s few bright spots in what was a difficult 2021-22 campaign, a season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The 25-year-old flew past his career highs in production, playing 78 games and scoring 15 goals and 39 points. Roy is a big center who still has room to grow, and the Golden Knights are understandably bullish on his future. He’s a restricted free agent who did not elect arbitration, and he is currently in the negotiation process with the Golden Knights for an extension.

According to Jesse Granger of The Athletic, “contract talks are further along with Roy” than with the other two restricted free agents, Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Hague. (subscription link) Kolesar has an arbitration date later this month. It’s easy to see why the Golden Knights would want to retain Roy, possibly even on a long-term deal, as Granger speculates they could prefer. Roy is currently slotted in as Vegas’ third-line center behind Jack Eichel and William Karlsson, although he could even move up in the lineup along either of the wings if new coach Bruce Cassidy prefers to use Chandler Stephanson in that slot. Granger writes that a long-term pact for Roy could come at around a $3MM cap hit, which would be a strong deal for Vegas, especially in the coming years if Roy continues his trajectory and the salary cap eventually rises.

Now, for some other notes regarding the league’s Western Conference teams:

  • Recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Lowe has operated in many roles for the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a coach, a GM, a Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, and most recently an important executive. Now, his role is set to change. Per a team announcement, Lowe is retiring from his role as Vice Chair and Alternate Governor of the Oilers. The Oilers state that moving forward, Lowe will “stay connected” to the organization and community as an ambassador, but not in the more senior role he has occupied for many years.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced today that they have named a new development and goalie coach for their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Marko Torenius has been named to that role. The Sakyla, Finland native has worked as the goalie coach for SKA St. Petersburg since the 2014-15 season. Torenius has experience working with many talented goaltenders, including Igor Shesterkin, Mikko Koskinen, Magnus Hellberg, Yaroslav Askarov, and Pyotr Kochetkov.

Philadelphia Flyers Re-Sign Zack MacEwen

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6:47 pm: The Flyers have made the deal official (link).

4:59 pm: Another player has settled with his team before their upcoming arbitration date. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Philadelphia Flyers and restricted free agent winger Zack MacEwen have settled on a one-year, $925K deal for next season.

MacEwen, an undrafted player, broke into the NHL in 2018-19 as a fast-rising member of the Vancouver Canucks organization. MacEwen made a successful transition from being a prolific junior scorer in the QMJHL to being a strong AHL performer. In his rookie AHL year, MacEwen had a healthy 33 points in 66 games. In his second AHL season, MacEwen reached another level, scoring 22 goals and 52 points in 69 games, a performance that earned him a four-game look at the NHL level, where he recorded his first NHL fight.

He got a longer look in 2019-20, scoring five goals in 17 games, before sticking in the NHL full-time in 2020-21, albeit with games missed due to COVID-related absence, healthy scratches, and a suspension. His performance in his first year on an NHL roster full-time – one goal and one assist in 34 games – was not the sort of impactful campaign many had hoped for based on MacEwen’s AHL success. As a result, MacEwen was waived by the Canucks at the start of 2021-22.

The Flyers put in a claim for MacEwen, and he ended up in 75 of their games. Philadelphia endured a brutal season last year, and MacEwen’s lack of productivity didn’t help. He had just nine points in 75 games, production that only lowers the odds of MacEwen ever translating his AHL numbers into secondary scoring at the NHL level.

But, with that being said, there are still things MacEwen brings to the table that the Flyers clearly value, perhaps even more so now that they’re under the stewardship of John Tortorella. In his limited ice time per game (under ten minutes last season) MacEwen can bring the sort of energy, physicality, and overall relentlessness most coaches want to see from their fourth liners. MacEwen finished the season with 159 hits, second on the Flyers after perennial hits leader Ramus Ristolainen, and had 110 penalty minutes, racking up quite a few fights.

If the Flyers genuinely want to re-shape today’s Flyers into authentic “Broad Street Bullies,” MacEwen is the sort of player who can help with that.

This one-year, $925K contract gives MacEwen the chance to stick on the Flyers’ roster for another year. The one major threat to his place in Philadelphia’s plans is the signing of Nicolas Deslauriers to a four-year deal. Deslauriers operates in a similar role to MacEwen, albeit with more experience and a bit more flair. It’s possible that the addition of Deslauriers spells doom for MacEwen in Philadelphia, but it’s equally possible that Tortorella falls in love with MacEwen’s style and finds a way to keep him in a depth role. Whichever route the Flyers go in could be entirely up to MacEwen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Calgary Flames Re-Sign Oliver Kylington

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5:00 PM: The Flames have officially announced the contract.

4:39 PM: The Calgary Flames and restricted free agent defenseman Oliver Kylington have avoided arbitration. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the team has agreed on a two-year, $2.5MM AAV contract with Kylington.

Notably, this deal will allow Kylington to reach unrestricted free agency once it expires. The deal covers the 25-year-old’s final two RFA years, and will give him the opportunity to hit the open market as a 27-year-old free agent. Kylington was scheduled to appear with the Flames before an arbitrator on August 10th.

Looking at this signing from an on-ice perspective, Kylington had a breakout season last year which definitely earned him this nice raise. Kylington was once a top prospect whose shine had dulled a bit in recent years. He was always seen as the type of pace-pushing, offensively-oriented defenseman who could excel at lower levels but might struggle to put all his tools together to become an effective NHL defenseman. This year, he found the right amount of balance in his game and managed to stay in the lineup and play in 73 games.

Kylington played most of the year next to Chris Tanev, one of the better defensive defensemen in hockey. Tanev’s shutdown game and overall reliability provided Kylington the freedom to operate and to act on his offensive instincts. Kylington helped the Flames reach new heights in the regular season, and he finished 2021-22 with nine goals and 31 points in 73 games. Kylington saw secondary power play time and, generally speaking, proved he could stick in the most difficult league in the world.

While he’s no longer a prospect, there could still be room to grow in Kylington’s game. He’ll head back to Calgary and join a stacked defense corps, hoping to help the Flames build off of last season’s success despite the departures of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk.

Calgary Flames Re-Sign Martin Pospisil

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The Calgary Flames have taken care of another restricted free agent, inking forward Martin Pospisil to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750k, per a club announcement. Pospisil is one of the Flames’ final few RFA’s that still need contracts, part of a group headlined by Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington.

Pospisil, 22, was a fourth-round pick of the Flames at the 2018 draft, a selection out of the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. The six-foot-one, 195-pound forward doesn’t have the sort of box score numbers that jump out, save for in one area: penalty minutes. In his first season on North American ice in 2017-18, Pospisil had a whopping 253 penalty minutes in 49 games. While he’s toned his game down a bit from that level, his aggressiveness and rambunctious style are things he’s carried into his professional career.

Pospisil has played the past three seasons with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, save for a brief 21-game stretch with HC Kosice in his native Slovakia in 2020-21. In the AHL, Pospisil has had so-so production, with 25 points in 47 games last season and 11 points in his 14 AHL games in 2020-21.

The one-year extension for Pospisil could be seen as an indication that he will need to show more on the ice in order to secure his spot in the organization’s long-term plans. Pospisil saw some time on the Heat’s power play last season, but did not factor into the team’s penalty kill. For him to have a true path to the NHL, he may need to shore up his defensive game, get some experience on the penalty kill, and prove he can adapt to and thrive in a bottom-six role, where he would likely end up if he made the NHL.

Pospisil has the sort of physical game in front of the net that suggests he can get there, but he’ll need to show some more versatility at the AHL level before getting an extended look in Calgary.

New Jersey Devils Sign Tyce Thompson

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The Devils and restricted free agent forward Tyce Thompson have struck a deal to avoid arbitration. The team announced today that they’ve signed Thompson to a two-year deal. The financial structure of the deal is as follows:

2022-23: $750K NHL salary, $175K AHL salary (two-way)
2023-24: $775,000 NHL salary (one-way)

Thompson, 23, is the brother of Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson and the son of former NHLer Brent Thompson. A 2019 fourth-round pick, Thompson made his professional debut in 2020-21 after a three-year stint at Providence College in the NCAA.

Thompson was a highly productive college forward, scoring 94 points in 101 career games, with time served as team captain in his senior season. Thompson’s time as a pro has been less successful than his collegiate career, although that’s largely for reasons out of his control. Thompson spent most of last season recovering from shoulder surgery, and as a result, only got into 18 games. (two with the Devils, 16 with the AHL’s Utica Comets)

In Utica, Thompson began to show why he was such a strong NCAA scorer. He had six goals and 15 points in 16 games, proving that his collegiate production could translate to the professional game. The Calgary, Alberta native will likely spend the first year of his new deal in the AHL, hoping to repeat his performance from last season in a larger sample size and continue to show Devils management that he’s worthy of NHL opportunities.

If all goes according to plan, 2023-2024 will be the year he becomes a regular NHL-er, as evidenced by the structure of the deal. Thompson was given a one-way contract for that year, meaning he cannot be sent to the minors without clearing waivers, and will not be subject to a significantly reduced minors salary. The Devils clearly believe in Thompson, and should he find his way to the NHL he will join a promising team in New Jersey that could be overflowing with talented youngsters in just a few years.

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