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West Notes: Kempe, Kuzmenko, Wild Prospects

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There are some players who make solid, reasonable improvements in platform years before they need new contracts. Then there are players like Adrian Kempe. In the final year of his $2MM AAV bridge contract, Kempe smashed his career highs in offensive production. Kempe led the Kings with 35 goals and added on 19 assists, finishing with 54 points which was good for second on the team behind linemate Anze Kopitar. Kempe showed that the improved offensive form he flashed in 2020-21, when he had 14 goals and 29 points in 56 games (20-goal, 42-point pace) was not a fluke. Before that point, Kempe had been typically seen as someone capable of scoring around 15 goals and 30 points a season, so his 35-goal outburst was extremely impressive.

It also has likely made him quite a bit of money. Kempe is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent and is close to unrestricted free agency. Kempe has communicated a desire to stay in Los Angeles, saying definitively in his post-season press conference that he would like to sign a long-term deal with the Kings. The conflict, then, comes in terms of finding exactly what that long-term deal will look like. The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman reports (subscription link) that the Kings and Kempe’s representation have had “early discussions” but “nothing substantial” in the way of negotiations on a new Kempe contract. As a newly-minted 35-goal-scorer, Kempe’s deal could now cost over $5MM per year, and Dillman pointed to St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich and his five-year, $5.8MM contract as a comparable for Kempe. There is always the risk that paying based off of Kempe’s one breakout year burns the Kings if Kempe reverts back to his prior production, but on the flip side there’s also the risk that another year of strong production drives Kempe’s price up even more. With the Kings eager to improve upon a season where they made the playoffs for the first time under coach Todd McLellan, getting Kempe locked into a long-term deal should be a priority for this summer.

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

  • KHL forward Andrei Kuzmenko’s decision on where to sign for next season has been a bit of a drawn-out process, with interviews and multiple weeks of engaging NHL suitors in negotiations. With that said, though, Kuzmenko’s decision is one that will have major consequences for his career, so he has every right to take as long as he needs to make the decision that’s best for him. Even so, we could be nearing the end of the process. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Kuzmenko is interviewing with both the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks this week, along with two “U.S.-based” teams. Dreger adds that Kuzmenko is “hoping” to make his decision in the next ten days. Kuzmenko was brilliant for SKA St. Petersburg this season, scoring 53 points in 45 games. Some believe that Kuzmenko will step into the NHL and become an instant top-six scoring forward, meaning Kuzmenko’s decision process has some real stakes attached.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced today that they will play two games against the Chicago Blackhawks in this year’s Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. The games will be on September 17th and 18th in Chicago, and the team says that rosters and additional information will be made available at a later date. The Wild have the third-ranked prospect pool in the NHL, per The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler (subscription link), so those two dates are definitely ones to circle on the calendar for fans of the Wild, Blackhawks, and prospects in general.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Filip Cederqvist

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Today’s newest move isn’t an extension, like the three that have already been announced, but a prospect signing. The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have signed prospect forward Filip Cederqvist to a two-year entry-level contract.

Cederqvist, who turns 22 in August, was the Sabres’ fifth-round pick in 2019. He was a bright spot in an otherwise dark season for Djurgardens in the SHL, scoring 14 goals and 32 points in 49 games, which was good for second on the team behind former NHL-er Marcus Sorensen. Cederqvist’s impressive 2021-2022 season comes off the back of a strong 2020-2021 campaign, where he scored nine goals and 36 points in 51 games for Tingsryds AIF in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan.

Cederqvist will join the Sabres this fall with the hope of winning a spot on their opening-night lineup. The newly-changed NHL-SHL agreement stipulates that prospects drafted outside of the first round have to be older than 24 to be sent to the AHL, so Djurgardens being relegated from the SHL might actually end up being a positive for Cederqvist. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that Cederqvist will be eligible to play for Rochester next season. So Cederqvist will in all likelihood join Rochester later this year with the hopes of continuing the development he’s shown for the past two seasons, with his eye on ultimately making the NHL roster in Buffalo.

Edmonton Oilers Extend Brad Malone

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Add another signing to the list of moves for today. The Edmonton Oilers have announced that they have re-signed forward Brad Malone to a two-year, two-way contract. Per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the deal carries a $762k cap hit.

Malone, 33, has been in the Oilers’ organization for the past five seasons and has been a reliable depth contributor there. He’s at his best at the AHL level, where he has hovered near the top of the Bakersfield Condors’ scoring leaders. Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft has seen Malone closely from his time coaching in Bakersfield, and Malone has been one of the coach’s most trusted players. When Kailer Yamamoto’s injury opened a hole in the Oilers’ lineup, the pressure of being in the Western Conference Final did not deter Woodcroft from putting Malone in the lineup. Malone played mostly on the penalty kill, and it’s the combination of reliability and leadership that he brings to the Oilers organization that’s earned him this extension.

Malone has served as the captain of the Bakersfield Condors for the past two seasons, helping prized prospects such as Dylan Holloway and Raphael Lavoie make smooth transitions to the professional game. The Oilers want Malone to be among Condors’ most important forwards as well as provide safe, competent bottom-six play as an injury fill-in at the NHL level, and they’re signing this extension with the belief that Malone can continue to be exactly that.

 

Dallas Stars Extend Nicholas Caamano

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Now that all but two NHL clubs have begun their offseasons, more and more teams are getting their summer work done early. Earlier today the Predators extended their mid-season trade acquisition, Jeremy Lauzon, and now their central division rival, the Dallas Stars, have also announced an extension, theirs for depth winger Nicholas Caamano. The extension is a one-year, two-way contract.

The exact financial terms of the contract have not yet been revealed but Caamano, who was set to be a restricted free agent, was due for a qualifying offer of $787,500, so it’s likely that the number for this contract is around there.

Caamano, 23, was drafted in the fifth round in 2016 and has developed nicely since that point. He’s a big winger standing at six-foot-three, 200 pounds, and plays a bit faster than his size would indicate. While there’s not a ton of offense to his game, and he had only one point in 24 NHL games last season to go along with 14 points in 47 AHL games this year, his style is definitely one that plays better in a bottom-six role regardless of if he’s playing in Dallas or Cedar Park. That is why, despite the lack of production in his time as a professional, the Stars deemed him worth keeping around for next season.

Caamano did flash some offensive upside in his final two seasons of junior hockey, where he had 121 points in 131 games. Also, his 23 points in 36 games at the AHL level in 2019-20 indicates that he might have just a little bit more scoring ability than he’s shown so far. NHL teams are always looking for players who are Caamano’s size and can score, so signing this one-year extension offers Caamano an (admittedly long-shot) opportunity to prove he can become what so many teams desire and give more to his team than just his grit and physicality.

Latest On Duncan Keith, Mike Smith

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We previously covered how Mike Smith told the media that he was undecided on playing next season, and we also don’t have full confirmation on whether defenseman Duncan Keith will return next season. What we do now know, though, is that the Edmonton Oilers front office would prefer to have both players’ decisions on their respective futures confirmed by July 1st. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Oilers “have asked Mike Smith and Duncan Keith to let them know by around July 1st if they do plan on returning next year.”

It’s understandable that the Oilers would want confirmation on the two players’ futures before the offseason market begins in earnest. With Smith, if the team has uncertainty over whether he will be available next season, the Oilers’ entire goaltending situation becomes uncertain, and the team’s ability to pursue other starting goaltenders could be compromised. Additionally, as teams potentially scramble to make trades similar to the recent Ben Bishop deal in order to get out of LTIR, a potential Smith retirement via LTIR could complicate the Oilers’ search for additional cap room. With Keith, the team would prefer certainty about his overall future due to the immense cap implications of whatever decision he chooses to make. Per Puckpedia, if Keith retires this summer, not only is Keith’s full $5.5MM cap hit taken off their books but the Oilers are also actually given a $3.4MM cap recapture credit to facilitate even more moves. That sort of major cap space clearance could be exactly what the Oilers need to re-sign Evander Kane, for example. So the potential ramifications of his choice are huge.

Any way you look at it, without certainty on the futures of those two players, the Oilers would be entering a crucial offseason with one hand tied behind their back. With Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse, and other core pieces locked up and in the primes of their careers, using this offseason to build off of the momentum of this year’s playoff run is essential if the Oilers want to go even further next year. So while being pushed for a decision on a particular time frame might not be ideal for Smith and Keith as they weigh important, life-altering decisions, the Oilers will need certainty on those two players’ futures in order to conduct their offseason at maximum efficiency.

New York Rangers Extend Vitali Kravtsov

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With the New York Rangers’ season now over, the team has gotten to work quickly on its business for the offseason. This morning, their first move was revealed. Dan Milstein’s Gold Star Hockey announced today that winger Vitali Kravtsov signed a one-year, one-way contract extension with the New York Rangers. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the one-year deal carries an $875k cap hit, which is a decrease from the $925k cap hit he carried on his entry-level deal as a top-ten pick. CapFriendly notes that Kravtsov’s qualifying offer would have been $874,125, meaning this contract is an ever-so-slight raise on that figure.

Kravtsov returns to North America after a reasonably successful, albeit limited stint in the KHL. Between the regular season and the playoffs, Kravtsov got into 34 games for Traktor Chelyabinsk, netting 13 goals and 23 points. Kravtsov originally left for the KHL at the start of this season after failing to make the Rangers’ team out of training camp, and his reportedly strained relationship with Rangers GM Chris Drury was thought to be a factor in creating his steadfast resistance towards continuing his development with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. While that resistance to taking the developmental path the organization likely preferred for him has made him a bit of a controversial prospect, Kravtsov’s potential is undeniable. The six-foot-two, 187-pound winger boasts a rare combination of size and skill and is coming off of a productive season in the KHL. Kravtsov was originally drafted ninth overall at the 2018 draft, and he is likely hoping that it’s on this one-year contract that he establishes himself as an NHL regular similar to how fellow 2018 first-rounder K’Andre Miller has established himself over the past two seasons in New York.

Given the relatively uncertain state of the Rangers’ right wingers going into next season, Kravtsov could have a strong opportunity to earn an NHL job and hold onto it. The Rangers are not overflowing with cap space and both of the players who play right wing on the team’s top two lines (Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp) are pending unrestricted free agents. Since it’s unlikely that the Rangers will be able to hold onto all of their pending free agents, Kravtsov’s $875k cap hit could end up working to his advantage in the fall as he fights for a role on the team.

It remains to be seen what Kravtsov ultimately becomes at the NHL level, but today’s extension confirms that he is going to enter next season with the firm intention of finally cementing himself as an NHL regular.

Atlantic Notes: Anderson, Sykora, Senators Hockey Operations

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The Montreal Canadiens had a season to forget in 2021-22, falling to last in the NHL standings. Part of the disappointment in Montreal this past season was not just due to the performance of the team as a whole, but also of the individual players. Winger Josh Anderson is one of those Canadiens whose 2021-22 production was a reason for disappointment. While he showed flashes of goal-scoring touch and ended up fifth on the team in points, Anderson’s 19-goal, 32-point marks are definitely on the low end of what former GM Marc Bergevin had in mind when he signed Anderson to a $5.5MM AAV contract. With all that being said, though, this season’s disappointing production apparently hasn’t stopped Anderson from being a hot name on the trade market.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported as part of his Trade Targets Board that GM Kent Hughes’ “phone rang consistently with teams inquiring about Anderson.” Seravalli adds that the Canadiens have “resisted” the urge to trade Anderson, but that interest did exist on the part of the inquiring teams. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic shed some light on the situation as well, reporting that Montreal “turned down some serious offers” for Anderson and that GM’s around the league “keep asking about him,” but that the Canadiens “aren’t planning on trading” their power forward. Evidently, Anderson’s rare combination of size and speed is tantalizing enough for other teams to make “serious offers” for Anderson, despite his somewhat underwhelming production. While these reports do indicate that Montreal is hesitant to trade Anderson, it’s clear that his situation will be one to monitor once the offseason trade market begins in full.

Now, for some other news regarding teams in the Atlantic Division:

  • Much of the attention surrounding the Canadiens’ draft strategy revolves around who they might pick with the number-one selection. What is discussed less is the possibilities the team can pursue thanks to the second first-rounder Montreal owns as part of the Tyler Toffoli trade from earlier this year. One player Montreal could be targeting with that selection or even one of their second-round picks is Slovakian winger Adam Sykora. Per Robert Durkac of Slovakian outlet tvnoviny.sk, both the Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes have interest in Sykora and sought out additional information from the player while he was in Buffalo attending the NHL Combine. Sykora is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft and has impressed scouts with his defensively-oriented, relentless style, a style that has allowed him to be a regular at the highest level of Slovakian professional hockey, despite his youth. Sykora is ranked 42nd among European Skaters by NHL Central Scouting, although his performance for Slovakia at the IIHF World Championships has seen his stock rise in the eyes of some outlets.
  • The Ottawa Senators lost a high-ranked executive in their hockey operations department earlier this year, as Pierre McGuire was fired from his role with the team after less than a year on the job. Now, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Senators would like to add to their hockey operations department. Friedman reports that there “could be some hires” coming to Ottawa “soon,” and that the hires would be made with the intention of the Senators bolstering their hockey operations. The Senators have had a difficult few years since their miraculous run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017, so their reported intention to add more help to their hockey operations department could be seen as a positive sign that the team is looking to get a bit more assistance on the road back to contention.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Nils Aman

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The Vancouver Canucks have announced today that they have signed prospect center Nils Aman to an entry-level contract. Aman was one of the prospects whose exclusive rights expired last week. As part of the announcement, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin gave the following statement on Aman:

Nils is a smart hockey player who plays with speed and has a strong work ethic. He possesses a good two-way game, and we look forward to seeing his continued development on both sides of the ice with the Canucks organization.

Aman was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche at the 2020 draft, getting selected in the sixth round, 167th overall. The Avalanche opted to let their exclusive rights to sign him expire, though, and that’s what has allowed the Canucks to swoop in and nab him on an entry-level deal. Aman has spent the last two seasons as a full-timer for Leksands IF of the SHL. Aman ranked ninth among Leksands forwards in average time on ice, getting just under 14 minutes a game, and his role meant he had consistently infrequent production over the course of his two SHL seasons. He posted 10 points in his first campaign and 14 in his second, although he did flash some offensive upside with 41 points in 45 games in 2018-19 for Leksands at the junior level.

While the Canucks aren’t signing Aman with the expectation that he will suddenly become an offensive force, Allvin’s comments provide a look at the more reasonable expectation for what the Canucks hope Aman will develop into in North America. It’s the speed, work ethic, and “good two-way game” that Allvin mentions that will likely carry him as he makes the transition to North American professional hockey, and if he develops well he could be able to play a similar role in Vancouver as he did in the SHL. At the very least, though, this signing gives the Canucks another prospect to add to their developmental system at no asset cost beyond the contract slot he’ll occupy.

Dallas Stars Sign Alexander Petrovic

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5:30 PM: The Dallas Stars have now officially announced the signing.

4:00 PM: While the Dallas Stars are currently searching for the franchise’s next head coach, that hasn’t stopped their front office from conducting some offseason business as well. With big negotiations for Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger set to come, the team has decided to take care of some smaller business first. Earlier today, the team signed pending restricted free agent Denis Gurianov, and now CapFriendly reports that the team is re-signing an important AHL defenseman: Alexander Petrovic.

Per CapFriendly, the team has signed Petrovic to a one-year, two-way deal carrying a $750k salary at the NHL level and a $350k AHL salary, which represents a $25k raise from what the Stars paid Petrovic at the AHL level last year. Petrovic, 30, is a veteran of 263 NHL games, and while he has never quite lived up to some of the potential he flashed as a Florida Panther, he has become a reliable AHL defenseman. Petrovic got into 71 games for the Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, and notched 19 points. His defensive game was his calling card and the Stars found his leadership and experience value as well, represented by the fact that he served as one of the team’s alternate captains.

While we don’t know if we’ll see Petrovic skate in another NHL game, we do know that the stability his prominent role in Texas provides will likely give him the best chance to return to the NHL in the future. There’s always room for solid defensemen on NHL rosters, so this signing provides Petrovic with an opportunity for next year to prove that he belongs back in the league he’s spent much of his career playing in.

Chris Driedger Undergoes Knee Surgery

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The Seattle Kraken announced today that goaltender Chris Driedger tore his right ACL while playing for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships and underwent knee surgery yesterday as a result. As part of the team’s release, the Kraken stated that the surgery was successful and that Driedger’s recovery and rehab program is expected to last seven to nine months, meaning Driedger will be out until at least early 2023.

This update comes as a significant blow for Driedger, as he was likely eyeing 2022-23 as a chance to bounce back from his difficult debut campaign in Seattle. Driedger, 28, was one of the Kraken’s expansion draft selections and signed a $3.5MM AAV deal in Seattle with the idea that he could possibly end up being their starting goaltender. That didn’t end up happening, though, as Seattle jumped at the opportunity to sign Philipp Grubauer, and thanks to Grubauer’s presence along with some injury issues Driedger only managed to get into 27 games this season. Driedger posted an .899 save percentage, a sharp decline from the .927 mark he posted in 2020-21 and the .938 he had in 2019-20. With this injury, Driedger now cannot devote his full focus to improving his performance and now must focus first and foremost on his recovery.

For Seattle, the loss of Driedger means the team will in all likelihood need to add a goalie to back up Grubauer until Driedger is back at full strength. The team does have 25-year-old Joey Daccord ready as their third goalie, and he did have a solid AHL campaign with a .925 save percentage, but his .850 save percentage at the NHL level left much to be desired and it’s possible that Seattle would want a more proven option behind Grubauer. The backup goalie market is set to feature names such as Casey DeSmith, Dustin Tokarski, David Rittich, and Scott Wedgewood, to name just a few. Given how much the team is currently spending on Grubauer and Driedger, and knowing Driedger will recover from his injury and be eventually ready later in the 2022-23 season, it’s fair to wonder what sort of price range the Kraken will be operating within as they try to fill the hole left by Driedger’s absence.

While Driedger’s injury is undoubtedly unfortunate for all parties involved, the addition of a new goaltender from outside the organization to back up and potentially even push Grubauer for starts could be what the Kraken’s number-one netminder needs to bounce back from his nightmarish 2021-22 season.

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