Training Camp Cuts: 10/06/23
Less than a week away from the opening night of the 2023-24 NHL season, teams continue to make roster cuts in an effort to finalize their official roster heading into the year. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.
Anaheim Ducks (via team release)
D Robert Hägg (to San Diego, AHL)
D Noah Warren (to Victoriaville, QMJHL)
D Colton White (to San Diego, AHL)
Boston Bruins (via team release)
G Brandon Bussi (to Providence, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
F Zach Aston-Reese (released from PTO)
F Kieffer Bellows (released from PTO)
F Cory Conacher (released from PTO)
F Brendan Perlini (released from PTO)
F Nick Shore (released from PTO)
D Nathan Beaulieu (released from PTO)
F Noel Gunler (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Blake Murray (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Justin Robidas (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Anttoni Honka (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Griffin Mendel (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Ronan Seeley (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Springfield, AHL)
D Aleksi Heimosalmi (to Pori, Liiga)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
G Jet Greaves (to Cleveland, AHL)
F James Malatesta (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Hunter McKown (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Pearson (released from PTO)
F Stefan Matteau (released from PTO, expected to join AHL Cleveland via tryout)
Detroit Red Wings (via team release)
F Alexandre Doucet (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Marco Kasper (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Albert Johansson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Antti Tuomisto (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Eemil Viro (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D William Wallinder (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Sebastian Cossa (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (released from PTO)
F Riley Sawchuk (released from PTO)
F Dominik Shine (released from PTO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Josiah Didier (released from PTO)
G Michael Hutchinson (released from PTO)
Florida Panthers (via team release)
G Spencer Knight (to Charlotte, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
D Brandt Clarke (to Ontario, AHL)
D Alex Laferriere (to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)
New York Islanders (via team release)
F William Dufour (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Aidan Fulp (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ruslan Iskhakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Eetu Liukas (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Matt Maggio (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Travis Mitchell (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Reece Newkirk (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Calle Odelius (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
F Brennan Othmann (to Hartford, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster)
F Brendan Brisson (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team release)
F Ethen Frank (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Vincent Iorio (to Hershey, AHL)
D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release)
F Parker Ford (to Manitoba, AHL)
It’s relatively big news coming out of Florida today, as Knight’s reassignment to Charlotte means veteran Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Sunrise. Stolarz struggled last season to the tune of an .899 save percentage in 19 games, though he was playing in difficult circumstances as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Stolarz does have a track record of quality play from as recently as 2021-22, when he posted a strong .917 save percentage in 28 games, and it’s likely the Panthers believe Stolarz will perform closer to how he did in 2021-22 than 2022-23.
As for Knight, he’ll get to build himself back to the NHL by getting some lower-pressure game action under his belt in the AHL. Knight has been away from the ice for the better part of a year as he’s participated in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, so it’s understandable that the Panthers would want to ease him back into the rigors of being an NHL goalie rather than begin the season with him in the NHL and potentially risk losing Stolarz on waivers.
In New York, it’s no real surprise to see Othmann sent to Hartford. While there was an outside chance that the Rangers would take advantage of one of their top prospects’ affordable cap hit for their opening-night roster, Othmann has not yet made his professional debut and thrusting a rookie into a win-now environment with a demanding veteran head coach in Peter Laviolette may not have been the best place for Othmann to develop.
In Hartford, Othmann is likely to play a major all-situations role for head coach Kris Knoblauch and he’s likely to be near the front of the line for a call-up should the Rangers have forward injuries. Assuming he can hit the ground running for the Wolf Pack and put together a productive rookie AHL campaign, he’ll likely be a full-time NHL player a year from now.
A few notable prospects were sent down elsewhere, including on Long Island where a trio of talented wingers were sent to the AHL. Maggio is looking to have a strong first season as a professional hockey player while Iskhakov and Dufour each posted solid numbers in Bridgeport last season, but just missed the cut in terms of making the NHL roster.
In the American capital, Lapierre finished his debut AHL campaign well but his poor start did cause some concern. As a result, it seems as though Washington will look to see him put together a more consistently productive campaign at the pro level before testing him in the NHL. The Golden Knights likely sent down their own 2020 first-round pick, Brisson, for the same reasons after he scored a decent but not overwhelming 18 goals and 37 points in the AHL last season.
There’s a bit of a curious player development decision made in Carolina, where a slate of prospects have been sent to the ECHL. Certain names, such as Honka, who scored 34 points in the AHL last season, are clearly players capable of playing in the AHL and will have to instead play 2023-24 in the ECHL due to the Hurricanes’ lack of an AHL affiliate.
While the lower level of competition does set the stage for players such as Honka, Robidas, and Gunler to have highly productive seasons, one wonders if playing third-tier hockey rather than in the AHL, widely regarded as one of the world’s best leagues outside the NHL, is going to end up the best choice for those players’ development.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Rangers Notes: Kakko, Gustafsson, Quick
2019 second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko hasn’t burst out of the gates to start his NHL career as many expected he would, but those who have paid close attention to both the New York Rangers and the young Finnish forward could clearly tell the steady progress Kakko has made since his difficult rookie season. In an overview of New York Rangers training camp and preseason performances, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple writes that Kakko is now “the unquestioned RW1” on Broadway. (subscription link)
It’s a major opportunity for Kakko, who looks poised to move from a “kid line” next to fellow youngsters Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafrenière. As things stand, Kakko looks slated to begin the season playing right wing on the Rangers’ first-line, next to franchise first-line center Mika Zibanejad and former 50-goal scorer Chris Kreider. With this opportunity, it’s easy to envision a second consecutive season where Kakko sets career-highs in production, as last season he managed a career-best 18 goals and 40 points.
Some other notes from Manhattan:
- Another Ranger who has had an impressive preseason is summer signing Erik Gustafsson. According to Staple, Gustafsson has “seemingly won the sixth defense spot with ease.” 2019 68th overall pick Zac Jones has been Gustafsson’s primary competition for the role, but seeing as Gustafsson scored 42 points last season and has familiarity with new head coach Peter Laviolette, it’s no surprise that Gustafsson beat out Jones. Gustafsson’s assumed victory does cast some doubt over Jones’ long-term future in New York, though, as he is waiver-eligible for the first time. Cap constraints may cause the Rangers to keep veteran Ben Harpur on their opening-night roster over Jones, and since Jones remains a well-regarded prospect who scored 31 points in the AHL last season, he could be a popular name on the waiver wire.
- In net, the Rangers could be staring down a difficult situation behind superstar starter Igor Shesterkin. Veteran netminder Jonathan Quick is one of the defining goalies of the past generation of hockey, but now at 37 years old time has started to catch up to him. Quick struggled to the tune of an .882 save percentage last season, and the athleticism that he relied on to make him one of the NHL’s best goalies in his prime has begun to seriously deteriorate. While there was some hope that highly regarded Rangers goalie guru Benoit Allaire would help Quick rebound, Quick posted a grisly .807 save percentage in the preseason. Staple writes that Quick “should have some options for a couple of starts in the first two months.” But if he fails to improve, the Rangers could quickly be in need of a new backup goalie early in 2023-24.
Arthur Kaliyev Suspended Four Games
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on social media today that Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev has been suspended for two preseason games and two regular-season games.
This suspension comes after news broke yesterday that Kaliyev would have a disciplinary hearing for his hit on Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo. While an in-person hearing is not confirmation of any suspension to come, it is typically an indication that a player’s action warrants consideration for serious disciplinary action.
That’s exactly what’s come for Kaliyev, who will now have to sit out the Kings’ first two regular-season games assuming he makes their opening-night roster. Kaliyev’s kneeing on De Leo resulted in just a minor penalty at the time for Kaliyev, but knocked De Leo out of the game.
The play in question began when Kaliyev found himself on the wrong end of a hard check from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. Kaliyev popped up from the hit, accelerated, and attempted to lay a major check in response to De Leo, who was carrying the puck out of the Ducks’ zone. De Leo attempted to avoid Kaliyev’s check, and in response to De Leo’s evasive action Kaliyev extended his knee forward in order to ensure contact with De Leo would be made. The result was hard knee-on-knee contact.
The Department of Player Safety specifically noted Kaliyev’s kneeing did not come as the result of a sudden, unavoidable movement by De Leo, but instead was something Kaliyev could have and should have refrained from attempting. The Department of Player Safety also noted that De Leo suffered an injury on the play and that Kaliyev has been fined once already in his NHL career.
A two-game suspension for the regular season won’t come at a major cost for the Kings, who have quite a few quality scoring forwards already on their roster. But seeing as Kaliyev did manage 13 goals and 28 points in just 56 games last season, respectable production, not having Kaliyev in the lineup will still likely make things a little more difficult for Los Angeles for those two contests.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Injury Updates: Honzek, Klingberg, Järnkrok
The longer 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek sticks with the Calgary Flames through their preseason, the more likely it becomes that he receives, at the very least, a nine-game trial in the NHL to begin the season. Especially after Calgary Flames winger Jakob Pelletier was lost to a long-term injury, there could be room for Honzek in new head coach Ryan Huska’s forward lineup. But now, the possibility of Honzek making Huska’s opening-night lineup could be in question. CapFriendly wrote on X that Honzek “left last night’s game with an undisclosed injury. He’s considered day-to-day.”
This injury could impact Honzek’s ability to earn an NHL job to start the season, and could hasten his return to the Vancouver Giants, Honzek’s WHL side. According to The Province’s Steve Ewen, Vancouver plans on utilizing Honzek as a center this season, so if Calgary does hope for a future in the NHL for Honzek down the middle, the best route, especially after this injury could be to give Honzek a full season in Vancouver.
Other injury updates:
- Toronto Maple Leafs free agent signing John Klingberg hasn’t practiced for Toronto since suffering an injury last week. That absence could end today, though, as The Hockey News’ David Alter reports that Klingberg was skating in Toronto this morning. A return to full health for Klingberg before Toronto’s season-opening game against the Montreal Canadiens next week could be in the cards, which would be good news for the Maple Leafs. Toronto GM Brad Treliving invested $4.15MM of valuable cap space to acquire Klingberg in the hopes that he’d be a capable offensive threat for the team, and that’s only something he’ll be able to do if he’s healthy.
- Another Swedish Maple Leaf is making his own return to the ice: forward Calle Järnkrok. A neck injury has held Järnkrok out of the team’s preseason thus far, but based on Toronto’s listing of him on the roster for their preseason matchup against the Detroit Red Wings today, it appears he’s back and ready to hit the ice for the team once again. Järnkrok is looking to follow up on a strong debut season in Toronto, having scored 20 goals and 39 points in his first season with the Maple Leafs.
Metro Notes: Foerster, Capitals Recalls, Garand
Although 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster had an extremely encouraging 2022-23 season, scoring seven points in eight NHL games and 48 points in 66 AHL contests, he still has had to battle for an NHL job to start 2023-24. His chief opponent for a role on a scoring line in Philadelphia has been widely regarded as 22-year-old former college hockey star Bobby Brink, a high second-round pick of Philadelphia in 2019. Both players have had impressive training camps, but today PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor reports that Foerster may be one step ahead in their competition.
O’Connor writes on X that Foerster is skating on a line at today’s practice alongside Flyers number-one center Sean Couturier and established top-six contributor Joel Farabee, while Brink “looks like an extra.” This could indicate that Foerster is ticketed for top-line NHL duty to start the season while Brink gets sent back to AHL Lehigh Valley, though it’s obviously not a sure thing. Anything can happen still at this stage of the preseason, though this development does suggest that Flyers fans should expect to see Foerster wearing the orange and black on opening night next week.
Some other notes from what is widely expected to be a hotly contested Metropolitan Division:
- The Washington Capitals have recalled three players who had been previously waived and sent to the AHL’s Hershey Bears: forward Riley Sutter and Ethen Frank as well as defenseman Chase Priskie. Each player has likely been returned to the Capitals’ roster in order to beef up its lineup for the preseason, and the trio are all unlikely to factor into Washington’s NHL plans for opening night.
- The New York Rangers have sent goaltender Dylan Garand back to the AHL after recalling him just two days ago. While backup goaltender Jonathan Quick has struggled this preseason, the 21-year-old former WHL star is not yet believed to be under legitimate consideration for the backup role behind superstar netminder Igor Shesterkin. He’ll begin the year in Hartford, where he’ll look to continue the progress he made late last season into 2023-24, potentially becoming the Wolf Pack’s true number-one goalie over veteran Louis Domingue.
Minor Transactions: 10/05/23
With the start of the NHL regular season now under a week away, the opening-night rosters of many NHL teams are coming more and more into view. That has a trickle-down effect for the rest of pro hockey, as a player finding out he won’t have his PTO made into a full-time NHL deal could prompt that player to sign a contract with an overseas team, for example. This, alongside the ups and downs of early-season hockey in top pro leagues overseas, has prompted quite a bit of player movement and as always we’ll keep track of those transactions here.
- Seven years after he was selected fifth overall at the 2016 NHL draft, former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Olli Juolevi has made the decision to return to Europe to continue his professional career. The 25-year-old Helsinki native has signed a short-term contract with the SHL’s Timrå IK, a club off to a strong 4-2 start. The deal is set to last until Liiga’s November break. Juolevi had previously been playing for the Arizona Coyotes on a PTO but failed to earn a full-time contract in Arizona after a few preseason contests. Last season was Juolevi’s first since the year he made his NHL debut that he didn’t skate in a single game at the NHL level, and he ultimately played in 38 games for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 14 points.
- 2022 Arizona Coyotes second-round pick Julian Lutz has made an interesting move for his development, leaving defending DEL champions EHC Red Bull München in order to play USHL hockey for the Green Bay Gamblers. It’s a somewhat unusual move, as traditionally players move from developmental leagues into top professional leagues, not the other way around. But this move is somewhat understandable for Lutz, who has been buried in a depth role on a stacked Munich team. Going to Green Bay will allow the six-foot-two, 185-pound winger to play against his peers, and will give him the opportunity to have a monster season and put up the kind of box score numbers his resume currently sorely lacks.
- Former WHL and AHL star Brendan Ranford has signed a one-year contract with HC Slovan Bratislava, the club he previously represented for the 2020-21 season. Since leaving the AHL for Europe in late 2018, Ranford has become an impactful, top-line scorer in three different European leagues. He’s spent the last two seasons in the DEL, posting 95 points across 95 total games. Slovan are likely signing Ranford with the hope of adding an elite scorer, which is what Ranford was when he last played in Slovakia, as he scored 12 goals and 32 points in just 29 games. The historic club based in Slovakia’s capital have gotten off to a slow 2-3-1 start in this 2023-24 Tipos Extraliga season, so perhaps this move will give the club the spark it needs to resume its place among the country’s elite clubs.
- The ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads have signed two forwards just at the start of their pro careers: Nick Nardella and Daniel Hardie. Nardella, 24, signed an ATO with the Cincinnati Cyclones last season at the conclusion of his NCAA career with Michigan Tech. He ended up scoring one assist in four games in Cincinnati before he moved to the Iowa Heartlanders, where he impressed scoring three goals in three games. Now, he’ll head to Idaho alongside Hardie, who hasn’t yet made his pro debut but was once the leading scorer of a QMJHL team, the 2018-19 Charlottetown Islanders.
- Former College hockey star Trevor Mingoia, once an NCAA Champion with Providence College, has had his contract with Liiga’s Kärpät terminated by mutual agreement. This wasn’t the winger’s first go-around in the top division of Finnish hockey, although Mingoia’s time with KooKoo Kouvola from 2019-2021 was notably more successful. Mingoia spent two seasons with KooKoo and scored a total of 27 goals and 64 points in 73 games. Kärpät were likely optimistic they would get that kind of form out of Mingoia after he starred for two seasons in the DEL with the Wolfsburg Grizzlys, helping them to the DEL semifinals last season, but it wasn’t to be and now both parties will look elsewhere moving forward.
- Veteran Swedish forward Robin Alvarez has decided to test himself playing in Finland for the first time in his career, signing a one-year contract with Ilves Tampere of Liiga. The 36-year-old veteran has exclusively played in his native Sweden so far in his career and has logged over 700 career games combined between the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan levels. Alvarez brings extensive Champions Hockey League experience to Ilves, having played a total of 31 games in the prestigious European tournament. Ilves currently sit fourth in the Liiga table and are looking to gain ground on their neighbors Tappara Tampere, the defending Liiga and Champions Hockey League winners.
- Defenseman Teemu Suhonen, once a star blueliner for Jukurit Mikkeli in both its Liiga and Mestis days, has signed a one-month contract with a rival Liiga club: Vaasan Sport. The undersized 34-year-old defenseman spent last season with Liiga’s JYP, scoring 15 points in 46 games. Sport said in its announcement of the deal that the club needed to act quickly to respond to an injury to defenseman Carl-Johan Lerby, and their signing of Suhonen should help the team survive Lerby’s absence.
- Slovakia’s HK Nitra have agreed on an early contract termination with forward Patrick Bajkov, a key summer signing of the club. Nitra were likely hoping that Bajkov’s prolific scoring at the ECHL level (he managed 69 points in 71 games for the Reading Royals in 2021-22) would translate to the top level of Slovak pro hockey. That hasn’t happened, though, and Bajkov will now conclude his tenure with Nitra at six games, a run where he failed to register a point and found himself tagged with a minus-seven plus-minus rating. Bajkov last played for Nitra in their October 1st contest, but skated under 2:30 of total ice time as the club fell by a 9-3 score. As Nitra seek a reboot after a catastrophic start to the season, it’s been agreed upon by both parties that ending Bajkov’s contract is the best path forward for each side, especially seeing as a replacement for Bajkov, Stephen Harper, was brought in a few days ago.
- The so far undefeated Cardiff Devils have made an addition to their forward corps, signing power forward Brandon Alderson to an EIHL contract. The six-foot-three, 194-pound veteran has been a point-per-game scorer in the OHL, ECHL, DEL2, and Slovak league, and is coming off of an exceptional campaign playing third-division pro hockey in Germany. Alderson scored a whopping 37 goals and 79 points for the Hannover Scorpions, and Cardiff are likely hoping that his track record of high-scoring numbers can translate to the top division of pro hockey in the United Kingdom.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Morning Notes: Pitlick, Hämeenaho, Jack
New York Rangers forward Tyler Pitlick is out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, according to the New York Post’s Mollie Walker. Walker also relays word from Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette saying that Pitlick would be re-evaluated today. Pitlick, 31, was an offseason signing of the Rangers and had been in contention for a fourth-line role while playing on a $787.5k cap hit.
One how this injury might impact the ongoing battle for the Rangers’ fourth-line right winger spot, if at all. Fellow offseason signing Alex Belzile was waived and sent to the AHL despite holding the versatility to play both center and wing and having outscored Pitlick on a point-per-game basis last season, so if Pitlick remains out Belzile could get another chance. But what’s more likely is that Belzile remains in the minors as he’s already cleared waivers, with Pitlick’s job instead for the time being going to prospect Will Cuylle, whose situation we covered in the recent Big Hype Prospects piece.
Now for some other notes from across the hockey world:
- New Jersey Devils prospect Lenni Hämeenaho is off to a blistering hot start in the Finnish Liiga, and EliteProspects’ Lassi Alanen writes on X that Hämeenaho is off to “one of the hottest starts to the season from any 18-year-old in Liiga history.” Playing for Ässät Pori, a quality middle-of-the-pack Liiga team, Hämeenaho has scored eight goals and nine points in just nine games, putting him at a 53-goal pace should he manage to play a full 60-game season. It’s extremely unlikely Hämeenaho will maintain this pace, of course, but what is likely is that Hämeenaho will finish with a far more productive year than the one he had in 2022-23, and it could be the type of season that vaults the 2023 53rd overall pick into top prospect status.
- The ECHL announced yesterday that its Board of Governors had “approved the Transfer of Controlling Interest in the Allen Americans” to “ALA Hockey, LLC, an entity controlled by Myles and LaSonjia Jack.” For fans of the NFL, that name might be familiar as its of former NFL linebacker Myles Jack, once a key cog in a ferocious Jacksonville Jaguars defense. As our friends at Pro Football Rumors covered, Jack retired in August and now appears to be entering sports ownership alongside his mother. According to the ECHL, this purchase is particularly historic as “Jack, and his mother LaSonjia Jack, are the first African-American majority owners in professional hockey history.” Jack is purchasing a quality team in the Americans, as they’re a two-time Kelly Cup winner, they haven’t missed the playoffs in four seasons, and are Texas’ only ECHL franchise.
Minor Transactions: 10/02/23
It’s another busy day around the world of hockey, with activity both on the schedule and on the transaction wire. The highlight of today’s slate of games overseas was a contest between SKA St. Petersburg and HK Sochi in the KHL. Top NHL prospect Matvei Michkov‘s three-point performance lifted Sochi over St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is the club that owns Michkov’s KHL rights, and Michkov may have had extra motivation to put together a strong performance as St. Petersburg opened the season with Michkov as a healthy scratch before loaning him back to Sochi.
Beyond just games, today featured quite a few moves in top European leagues as well. As always, we’ll keep track of them here.
- 2010 13th overall pick Brandon Gormley has found a team for 2023-24. According to an official announcement, he’s signed a one-year contract with the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL. Gormley heads to Germany to reinforce the blueline of a Roosters team that has struggled early on in this DEL campaign. They have currently surrendered the most goals in the DEL through six games of league play, so the hope will be that Gormley can translate his extensive experience in top European leagues into defensive stops for the Roosters.
- The SHL’s IK Oskarshamn have struggled mightily at the start of this SHL campaign, so the club has responded to its injuries and underperformance by agreeing to a short-term contract with veteran forward Olli Palola. Palola, 35, is a highly experienced name in European hockey, having represented his country at two IIHF Men’s World Championships. He’s led the Finnish Liiga in goals before and is a former Liiga All-Star, so perhaps his addition will serve as a spark that will help improve the club’s form. Palola split last season between the SHL’s Timra IK and HIFK Helsinki, scoring a total of 13 points in 35 games.
- After spending a season playing in Italy, Shawn McBride has made the decision to return to the North American pro circuit. He’s signed a one-year ECHL contract with the Idaho Steelheads, the club he spent 2021-22 with. McBride floundered in pro hockey until arriving in Idaho, where he would score 12 goals and 35 points in 69 games. That solid showing earned him a contract in the AlpsHL with the Broncos in Italy, and scored 16 goals and 36 points in 36 games there, and now he’s back in the ECHL for another go-around with the Steelheads.
- Veteran defenseman Anton Mylläri has signed a contract containing a three-month trial period with the Lahti Pelicans, the club he played for last season. 2022-23 was Mylläri’s first full season in Liiga, and he acquitted himself well, helping the Pelicans reach the league finals where they would ultimately fall to Tappara Tampere. Mylläri was a top-four defenseman for the Pelicans last season, averaging 18:00 time on ice per game, and now will get a chance to resume that role for a Pelicans team that has got off to a slow start in 2023-24.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Brandon Sutter Announces Retirement
The Edmonton Oilers have announced that veteran forward Brandon Sutter has been released from the PTO he signed with the club, and has decided to retire from professional hockey. He provided a statement, which reads:
I’m grateful for the opportunity that Ken, Jay and the Oilers organization have provided to me the past few weeks. You need to be 100 percent healthy to compete in the NHL, and although my health continues to improve, in consideration of my health and family, I am officially retiring from hockey.
Thank you to the Oilers, Canucks, Penguins and Hurricanes, as well as all my past coaches, trainers and teammates for the incredible experiences throughout my 13 seasons in the NHL.
Sutter, 34, had not played since 2020-21, but was hopeful that he could earn a depth role in Edmonton. But the time away from the game appears to have been to big a barrier to overcome, so as a result, he has elected retirement.
Although injuries dulled his effectiveness in the later years of his career, Sutter had long been valued as a two-way center who brought defensive ability, sneaky goal-scoring touch, and the kind of leadership qualities that make a lasting impact on a locker room.
During his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Carolina Hurricanes, Sutter made a few deep playoff runs and scored 15 or more goals three times.
Part of the famed Sutter family, he ends his career with a few honors, including wearing a letter as part of the leadership group for three different franchises and a IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal.
While it certainly will end up a disappointment to Sutter and Oilers fans that he won’t be able to suit up for more NHL games, one can certainly respect the health considerations that went into Sutter’s decision. He leaves behind a playing career to be proud of, and we at PHR would like to extend our best wishes to Sutter for whatever he chooses to do now that his days on an NHL roster have ended.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Big Hype Prospects: Edstrom, Cuylle, Silayev, Konyushkov, Dvorský
Welcome to PHR’s Big Hype Prospects series. Like the MLB Trade Rumors series of the same name, we’re taking a look at the performances of top prospects from across the hockey world. We’ll look at drafted prospects who are rising, others who are struggling, and prospects for the upcoming draft who are notable.
Five Big Hype Prospects
David Edstrom, C, Vegas Golden Knights (Frölunda HC, SHL)
7GP 2G 4A 6pts 13:13 ATOI
Drafted with the final pick of the 2023 first round, Edstrom was chosen on the back of a strong season at the J20 Nationell level in Sweden that included 11 games in the SHL with Frölunda’s senior team. A professional two-way center with a well-rounded game, there was a general belief that both Edstrom’s tools and overall style would translate seamlessly to the pro game, which is far more physically and mentally demanding than playing junior hockey against peers.
This season, Edstrom has so far passed all tests with flying colors. The rangy six-foot-two pivot has flown out the gates for Frölunda, tied for the team lead in scoring with six points in seven games. He’s flashed some serious skill along the way, and if he can keep up this kind of offensive production the public scouting sphere, which widely ranked Edstrom within the first-round/second-round bubble, may need to re-think what his true offensive upside looks like at the highest level.
That being said, it’s far from a guarantee that Edstrom will be able to maintain his spot atop his team’s scoring leaderboard. He’s still playing in a somewhat limited role with just over 13 minutes of ice time per game. That could very well be because Frölunda doesn’t want to overwhelm him and give him too much responsibility too soon, or it could also be an indication of how they plan to use him for the rest of the season. Either way, both management at Frölunda and in Vegas could not have envisioned a better start to the season for the 32nd overall pick.
Will Cuylle, LW, New York Rangers (Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL)
69GP 25G 20A 45pts (2022-23)
Unlike most prospects featured in this series, Cuylle has actually already made his NHL debut. The 21-year-old former captain of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires received two NHL call-ups in early 2023, skating in four total games for the Rangers. He didn’t play much (the most ice time he received in any game was 7:46) but made his mark with a total of 10 penalty minutes.
Entering training camp, Cuylle was believed to be most likely heading back for a second season with the Wolf Pack, a team he led in goals last season with 25.
But as the New York Post’s Mollie Walker reports, Cuylle is under serious consideration for a role on Peter Laviolette’s opening-night roster on Broadway. Cuylle beat out veteran signing Alex Belzile to remain on the Rangers’ roster, and could very well end up factoring into the Rangers’ bottom-six mix sooner than expected
A six-foot-three power forward, Cuylle’s game has drawn stylistic comparisons to a player Laviolette coached for the last two seasons: Washington Capital Tom Wilson.
If Cuylle can even remotely resemble Wilson, who is making $6.5MM against the cap through the end of the decade, he could provide the Rangers with some serious value in their bottom-six.
Anton Silayev, RHD, 2024 draft prospect (Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo, KHL)
12GP 1G 5A 6pts 17:33 ATOI
Most North American hockey fans aren’t familiar with Silayev, which makes sense. He’s still just 17 years old, plays all the way in Russia, and has virtually no footprint on this side of the Atlantic. But soon enough, hockey fans this side of the Atlantic will come to know the name of Torpedo’s star rookie.
Silayev has been a revelation this season. In a league that is notoriously difficult for young players to succeed in, Silayev has managed six points in 12 games, averaging a healthy 17:33 time on ice per game. That’s earned him the KHL’s Rookie of the Month honors, and shot him up public NHL draft projections. TSN’s Bob McKenzie ranked Silayev ninth overall in his pre-season 2024 NHL Draft rankings, while The Hockey News had him all the way at the number-five slot.
So why is Silayev getting top-five buzz when just a month or two ago he wasn’t even in the conversation? First and foremost, it’s due to his tools. Silayev is a right-shot blueliner, something that is already coveted in the NHL, and he’s also six-foot-seven, 207 pounds. Right-shot blueliners at that size are exceedingly rare, so from a measurable perspective alone Silayev has enough to draw interest.
But that’s not the only aspect of Silayev that’s rare. Not only is a freakish athletic talent, he’s also the rare draft-year KHL defenseman playing regular minutes in Russia’s top league, and putting up points while doing so.
It doesn’t even end there. Silayev is also regarded as a strong skater overall, which is an exceptionally rare trait for someone that big and that heavy. His size and mobility combo makes him something of a “unicorn” prospect, and makes him arguably the most intriguing player to track in advance of the 2024 draft.
Bogdan Konyushkov, RHD, Montreal Canadiens (Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo, KHL)
12GP 1G 6A 7pts 24:18 ATOI
Even with all the buzz surrounding Silayev and his potential for the 2024 draft, one could make the argument that it’s Silayev’s teammate, Konyushkov, 20, who has actually had the most impressive start to the KHL season for Torpedo.
Konyushkov went undrafted in consecutive NHL drafts before he was selected 110th overall by the Canadiens in 2023. The Canadiens took a bit of a risk selecting a twice-undrafted player in the fourth round, but Konyushkov’s 2022-23 campaign where he scored 25 points in a regular role on a KHL playoff team likely gave them confidence. Konyushkov has more than validated that faith this season.
So far, the right-shot defenseman has scored seven points in 12 games and is currently leading all KHL defensemen in time-on-ice per game. He’s breaking out as a legitimate minutes-eating, all-situations number-one defenseman in the KHL, an extremely impressive feat for such a young player. While he doesn’t possess the measurables Silayev can boast, his KHL performance so far is extremely encouraging.
Konyushkov is under contract through 2025-26, so the Canadiens have a bit of a wait in store before they can bring Konyushkov to North America. But if he’s already leading KHLers in average ice time, there’s a legitimate possibility that Konyushkov will be able to step right into the NHL once he’s signed to an entry-level deal.
In any case, his success early this season gives the Canadiens an intriguing trio of right-shot defensive prospects who have excelled in top European leagues. (Konyushov, Adam Engström, David Reinbacher)
Dalibor Dvorský, C, St. Louis Blues (IK Oskarshamn, SHL)
6GP 0G 0A 0pts 12:15 ATOI
The St. Louis Blues don’t make top-ten picks very often, so when they spent their rare top selection on Dvorsky, it was something of a home run swing. Dvorský had performed exceptionally against his peers, scoring 13 points in just seven games at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships and a whopping 21 points in just 10 games in the J20 Nationell.
But against men in a professional setting, Dvorský couldn’t dominate in the same way. Pro players proved more resistant to Dvorský’s impressive physical tools, and the increased pace of the pro game made his lackluster skating more of an issue. He ended up scoring just 14 points in 38 games in the HockeyAllsvenskan with AIK.
This season, there was hope that more experience and physical maturity would allow Dvorský to succeed in the SHL, a full division higher than the league he played in with AIK last season. So far, that hasn’t happened. Dvorský is currently scoreless through six games with IK Oskarshamn, receiving just over 12 minutes of ice time per night on a team that currently ranks as the worst in the SHL.
There’s still more than enough time for Dvorský to push forward his production, but this early sample size of games does raise questions as to whether Dvorský is truly ready to be a top player in one of the world’s best pro leagues, especially seeing as he wasn’t a difference-maker in Sweden’s second division. He’s still just 18 years old and has all the upside in the world, but these first few games have led some to wonder if Dvorský’s development is best served in the SHL.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images