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Islanders, Jets Explored Brock Nelson Trade At Deadline

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The New York Islanders landed a Trade Deadline steal when they sent aging veteran Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche for top prospect Calum Ritchie, defenseman Oliver Kylington, and draft picks in the 2026 first-round and 2028 third-round. But new reports have shared that New York could’ve found a jackpot return even if their offer with Colorado fell through. Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gaming reports that the Winnipeg Jets were also aggressive in their pursuit of acquiring Nelson – and were ready to offer a package very similar to Colorado’s. D’Amico specifies that Winnipeg would have offered up one of Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager, or Colby Barlow in the return, in addition to future draft capital.

New York can rest happy with how things ended up, but acquiring one of Winnipeg’s top names would have been just as lucrative. All three prospects offer their own upside, led by 2023 14th-overall pick Brayden Yager, who scored 82 points in just 54 WHL games this season. He also chipped in 14 points in 16 playoff games – but fell short of the championship run he went on with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season. Yager is likely headed for the pros next season, and could rapidly rise up Winnipeg’s depth chart with a hot start to his career.

Lambert is another top prospect, though expectations around him have cooled slightly after he scored 35 points in 61 AHL games this season – 20 fewer than he managed in 64 games last year. Lambert’s a dynamic and skilled forward, but is still a bit small for pro competition. He offers plenty of upside, but will need to first rediscover the scoring he posted last year.

Barlow is perhaps the most unheralded of the bunch after wrapping up his age-20 season in the OHL. He scored 32 goals and 61 points in 62 games this year. That mark continued his quiet slide down the OHL leaderboard – after he posted 40 goals and 58 points in 50 games last year, and 46 goals and 79 points in 59 games of his draft year in 2022-23. But Barlow intercut that with three points in three AHL games at the end of last season, and could translate as a hard-nosed scorer with pro-level physicality.

But while all three prospects carry reason for upside and reason for question, D’Amico specified that a deal with the Jets fell through because Nelson was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to head to Canada. He instead waived it to land in Colorado, earning the Islanders the rights to Ritchie just a few months after he made the NHL roster directly out of training camp. Ritchie played in seven games and scored his first NHL goal before returning to the OHL for a dominant season. He posted 70 points in 47 regular season games, and 25 points in 21 playoff games, while serving as the clear-cut top center on an Oshawa Generals lineup that made it all the way to the OHL Championship.

Blackhawks Officially Hire Michael Peca, Retain Anders Sorensen And Jimmy Waite

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New Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill had his introductory press conference early on Tuesday. During interviews, he shared with media that the Blackhawks will retain Anders Sorensen as an assistant coach and Jimmy Waite as a goalie coach, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. Blashill also shared that Chicago has hired former NHL forward Michael Peca as an assistant coach. The team later confirmed Sorensen and Peca’s roles in a press release.

This news most notably captures the next step in Peca’s growing coaching career. The 51-year-old spent nine of his 14 pro seasons in New York – captaining the Buffalo Sabres for four seasons and New York Islanders for two. He returned to the Empire State after retiring from the NHL, and took up the mantle as the general manager and head coach of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in 2011-12. Peca stayed in that role for eight years before deciding to return to the pros in the 2020-21 season. His first step was a Development Coach role with the Washington Capitals, but Peca moved to an assistant role with the AHL’s Rochester Americans in 2021-22. He spent two years with Rochester, then stepped up to an assistant role with the New York Rangers over the last two seasons. Now, Peca will take his coaching talents away from the East coast for the first time in his career by joining a budding coaching staff in Chicago.

Peca will join like company in Anders Sorensen, who spent the better part of a decade coaching dominant rosters around Chicago youth hockey. Sorensen intercut those AAA-coaching roles with four years as an assistant coach in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league, and joined the Blackhawks’ staff as a Development Coach in the 2014-15 season. He stuck in the role for four seasons before stepping up to an assistant role with the Rockford IceHogs in 2018-19. Sorensen was promoted to the head coach role two seasons later, then earned another promotion to the NHL head coaching role last year. He led the Blackhawks to a 17-30-9 record – but showed enough strength to earn an assistant coach role with Team Sweden at this year’s World Championship, and retain an assistant role in Chicago.

Through the mix of two assistant coaching hires, fans shouldn’t forget about the continued impact of former Blackhawks goaltender Jimmy Waite – who will retain his role through a third coaching change. Waite just wrapped up his 10th season as Chicago’s goaltending coach. His tenure started off with star Corey Crawford, and will continue a decade later with budding star Spencer Knight. Waite was originally drafted eighth-overall in the 1987 NHL Draft. He played in 106 games and 11 seasons in the NHL, and recorded a career-long .871 save percentage and 28-41-12 record. He also spent 233 games and eight seasons in the IHL, where he set a .909 save percentage. Waite will be in welcome company serving under Blashill – a former NCAA Division-1 goaltender who started his career as a goalie coach.

Hurricanes Sign Nikita Quapp To Entry-Level Contract

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed German goaltender Nikita Quapp to a two-year, entry-level contract. Carolina originally drafted Quapp in the sixth-round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He was the 17th goaltender off the board that year, and becomes the 12th to sign his entry-level contract with this move.

Quapp was drafted just a few months after making his debut in the DEL – Germany’s top pro league. He recorded a .871 save percentage and 2-6-0 record in his first 11 professional games – but regained some ground with an .888 Sv% in two games at the 2021 World Junior Championship. He spent an entire season in the DEL following his draft selection, and was able to inch his stat-line up to a .875 Sv% and 3-6-0 record. Quapp also returned for the 2022 World Juniors, and managed an impressive .893 Sv% despite facing a daunting 75 shots in losses to Team USA and Team Sweden.

Quapp’s difficult pro role was lightened a bit when he was assigned to the DEL-2 in the 2022-23 season. He performed far better in the minor-pro league, recording a .917 Sv% and 6-6-0 record in 12 games played. Quapp also earned the starting role outright at the 2023 World Juniors, and managed an impressive .901 Sv% and 1-3-0 record while averaging 30 shots against per game. He continued to grow with a .920 Sv% and 11-14-0 record in 26 DEL-2 games last season – but returned to Earth with an .870 Sv% and no wins in nine DEL games this year.

The story of Quapp’s journey through Germany’s ranks takes its twists and turns – but his career-long .919 Sv% in 38 DEL-2 games is the third-highest from a goaltender before their 21st birthday. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound netminder plays with impressive athleticism and sharp awareness of loose pucks, but could struggle to adjust to the full speed of North American pros right away. He’ll enter the Hurricanes organization blazing down a long road to the AHL starter’s crease, and could find a boost of upside if and when he earns the role.

Kraken Sign Tyson Jugnauth To Entry-Level Contract

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The Seattle Kraken have signed 2022 fourth-round pick Tyson Jugnauth to a three-year, entry-level contract. Jugnauth recently concluded his second season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. He was expected to move to Michigan State University this summer, but will instead turn pro in the Kraken organization with this deal.

Jugnauth took home the BCHL’s ’Top Defender’ award in his draft year of 2021-22, after posting 41 assists and 50 points in 52 games with the West Kelowna Warriors. He showed plenty of talent as a 200-foot playmaker, and carried his talents to the University of Wisconsin following his #100th-overall selection in the draft. The Badgers awarded Jugnauth with third-pairing minutes as a freshman and the dwindle in role seemed to impact him. He recorded a measly 15 points and minus-20 through 32 games. Those underclass struggles continued through 13 games of his sophomore season, marked by just two points in his first 13 games. That decrease sparked Jugnauth to make a rare mid-season move from college to the WHL.

That decision paid off almost instantly – as Jugnauth quickly rediscovered his two-way impact and won out a premier lineup role in the return to juniors. He recorded 41 points and a plus-40 through 41 games of his first WHL season, while backing lineup stars like Nate Danielson and Luca Cagnoni. Jugnauth took on a heap of responsibility when both players opted to turn pro last summer – and he matched the bill well. He scored 13 goals and 89 points in 65 games this season, good for second on Portland in scoring and enough to earn Jugnauth the WHL’s ’Defenseman of the Year’ award.

Jugnauth will now try to use the momentum of an award-winning year to ramp his jump to the pro flight. He’s a nimble, speedy, and deceptive defender with the awareness to make smart plays on both sides of the puck. But a 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame could be a bit frail for the AHL – and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jugnauth take a bit before he’s fully adjusted to pros. Current NCAA bylaws would restrict his ability to continue on to college this summer – though his eligibility will be worth monitoring as the NHL continues to flesh out a budding relationship between the CHL and college hockey.

Liiga Forward Jesse Kiiskinen Offers Red Wings Upside

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The Detroit Red Wings acquired Finnish forward Jesse Kiiskinen and a second-round pick from the Nashville Predators ahead of last year’s draft, in a deal that sent shutdown defender Andrew Gibson back the other way. The Wings followed the deal up by flipping the second-round pick to the San Jose Sharks, as a sweetener to get the team to acquire NHL defenseman Jake Walman. Detroit acquired nothing of value in their ditching of Walman – and even then, their pre-draft swap of Kiiskinen and Gibson already appears to be paying dividends.

Kiiskinen was originally drafted by Nashville in the third-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, following a year where he ranked sixth in point-per-game scoring in Finland’s U20 league. He was a clear bet on frame – standing at six-foot-1 and 185-pounds in his draft year and playing a game centered around using a mix of speed and strength to create space. Kiiskinen played through his rookie season in the Liiga following his draft selection, but his early struggles quickly cast doubt on his upside. He scored just 10 points in 38 pro games – fewer points than most of his younger peers in the 2024 draft class. But Kiiskinen stepped up to the plate in Finland’s continental friendlies, and shined through a glimmer of hope with 16 points in seven games with the country’s U19 squad.

It was on the heels of those international performances that Nashville chose to trade the Finnish winger – surely hoping that they could bank on a few strong performances masking an otherwise quiet year. But, on top of their many blunders this year, Nashville was also forced to pay for their impatience with Kiiskinen – as he emerged as one of Finland’s top underage talents. The skillful winger broke out in full with 30 assists and 44 points in 46 Liiga games. That scoring stands as the most a U20 Liiga player has scored since Aleksi Heponiemi (46 points in 2018-19), Sebastian Aho (45 points, 2015-16), and Aleksander Barkov (48 points in 2012-13). In fact, 14 of the 15 names at the top of the Liiga’s U20 scoring leaderboards have gone on to play in the NHL. With this scoring output, Kiiskinen also joins peers like Teuvo Teravainen, Jani Nyman, Juuso Parssinen, and Kaapo Kakko.

Kiiskinen is still multiple steps – and an entry-level contract – away from contributing to the NHL; and the array of talent from his NHL peers ranges from superstar to healthy scratch. But there’s plenty to life from Kiiskinen’s season. He looked strong and in-control throughout the year, with quick feet and little hesitation to throw the body. He dominated possession through the neutral zone and on the outskirts of the offensive end, and used quick hands and cheeky passes to take advantage of tight lanes that opened in the defense. Kiiskinen also maintained his strong offense into international play, recording a team-leading six goals and seven points in seven games of the 2025 World Junior Championship. No other Finn managed more than three goals.

The Red Wings may not have a shiny new winger just yet, but they must be ecstatic about the upside Kiiskinen offers. He was a final cut for Finland’s World Championship squad, and will now entertain the possibility of returning to a top-end Liiga role or moving on to the AHL next season. If he pursues the latter, he’ll undoubtedly be following in the footsteps of top Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen – who managed 56 points in 63 AHL games this year after scoring as many in 59 Liiga games last year. It’s a path that’s been trailed already, and one that could lead Kiiskinen to a quick NHL debut once he makes the decision to come over. While it’s certainly comparing apples to oranges, it’s hard not to be excited about that outcome – especially after acquiring it for a stout defender who scored just 24 points in 54 OHL games this season.

Photo courtesy of David Reginek-Imagn Images.

Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins

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Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Boston Bruins.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Mason Lohrei – Lohrei has been a revelation for the Boston Bruins. Only 24 years old, the Louisiana native managed to cement himself into the lineup this season on the back of 33 points in 77 games. His minus-43 plus-minus is the worst the team has seen in at least a decade – though he’s joined at the bottom of the leaderboard by three other players from this year’s squad. The statline paints what seems to be a fitting picture of Lohrei: flashy and successful at his best, and woefully out-of-place at his worst. But as time goes on, those bright spots are shining through more-and-more. Lohrei just managed three points and a plus-four in five games of Team USA’s Gold Medal run a the World Championship, and will enter the summer as the clear-cut top RFA for Boston. With 46 points and 118 games of NHL experience, Lohrei is likely to sign a sort of bridge deal that can carry him to a top line role within a few years.

F Morgan Geekie – Geekie holds a strong bid for surprise of the 2024-25 season. He broke out in a big way, recording a career-high 33 goals and 57 points – second to only David Pastrnak in team scoring. That was largely helped along by a 22-percent shooting percentage – nearly nine-percent more than the 13.1 percent that led Geekie to 17 goals and 39 points last season. Still, Boston has struggled to find scoring outside of perennial superstar Pastrnak. Geekie’s 30-goal season makes him just the third Bruin to hit the mark in the last four seasons – alongside Pastrnak and now-Florida Panther Brad Marchand. That’s upside worth locking in, even if signs point towards Geekie coming back down to Earth next season. Boston will need to walk a tightrope to land a value deal amid a rising salary cap and poor free agent market.

F Oliver Wahlstrom – The Bruins claimed Wahlstrom off of waivers from the Islanders in mid-December. He joined the squad for two months of action but could only muster two points and 28 penalty minutes in 16 games before Boston had seen enough. They waived Wahlstrom and assigned him to the minors in late-February. But then he thrived in the AHL, netting nine goals and 15 points in just 19 games – the highest scoring pace of his professional career at any level (save for a 10-game stint in Sweden in 2020-21). Wahlstrom is a hard bet after spending the last six seasons trying, and failing, to secure an NHL role. But a wave of strong play could be exactly what the doctor ordered. A cheap, two-way deal this summer could set Boston up to be the beneficiary of any resurgence next year.

F John Beecher – Beecher spent the full season on the NHL roster for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, the promotion didn’t spark any one part of his game. He ended the year with just 11 points in 78 games – just one more point than he was able to score in 52 games last season. Beecher carries first round precedent, having heard his name 30th-overall in the 2019 class. But now a few years removed, Boston should have a reasonable glimpse at what he brings to the lineup. If they’re looking for a big-body to continue holding down the fourth line, Beecher should come at little cost. But the open market may have more productive options to shore up Boston’s depth.

F Marat Khusnutdinov – Khusnutdinov joined the Bruins in the waning moments of the Trade Deadline. Boston seemed to have a carved-out role in the bottom-six for the Russian youngster, and he rewarded them with five points in 18 appearances. That may be moot, but it’s just two points shy of his totals in 57 games last year. The 22-year-old Khusnutdinov seemed to catch a spark in the Bruins’ system. He’ll offer the team a glimmer of upside on a new deal – but it could be tough to narrow down the price point of a former second-round pick with 91 games of experience but just 16 points.

F Jakub Lauko – Lauko joined Khusnutdinov in the late-Deadline move. He had spent the last two seasons in the Bruins organization, but traveled West for 38 games with the Minnesota Wild at the start of this season. Through the move, Lauko’s emposing physical presence continued to shine through – even as he ran into persistent injury issues with the Wild. Combined between Minnesota and Boston, Lauko finished the year with 11 points, 47 penalty minutes, and a minus-13 in 56 appearances. Those numbers don’t jump off the paper, but his continued bruiser role and Boston’s desire to re-acquire him this season both point towards a new deal coming soon.

Other RFAs: F John Farinacci, F Trevor Kuntar, F Georgii Merkulov, F Jaxon Nelson, D Ian Mitchell, D Daniil Misyul, D Drew Bavaro

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Henri Jokiharju – Jokiharju rounds out the trio of Trade Deadline acquisitions. He scored the lowest of the bunch – netting four assists in 18 games, one point fewer than either forward. But that number shouldn’t be the highlight of Jokiharju’s first stint in Boston. Despite low-scoring, the 25-year-old defender looked plenty comfortable on the Bruins’ blue-line – and played upwards of 24 minutes a night while filling in for Brandon Carlo’s second-pair vacancy. Boston needed help on the backend and Jokiharju supplied it en masse. He scored 20 points in 74 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season – a mark that could look mighty fine with a continued minutes in Boston. Jokiharju will be one of the Bruins’ pricier re-signings – albeit among a cheap bunch – but the shimmer potential he has as a top-six lock will make the deal worth it.

F Cole Koepke – Boston led with a quiet bottom-six all season long – and Koepke’s role on the fourth-line highlighted the group. He scored just 17 points in 73 games on the season, but never looked too terribly out of place with the big club. Koepke entered the year with just 26 games of NHL experience under his belt, all coming with the Tampa Bay Lightning over the last two seasons. He had otherwise been a productive minor-leaguer, with flashes of goal-scoring upside and two-way play. Those attributes could still shine through as he becomes more adjusted to the top flight. Boston will be left with the question of whether that upside is worth buying into, or if they’ll be able to find a better depth-winger on the open market… or in their prospect pool.

D Parker Wotherspoon – Wotherspoon operated as Boston’s true bottom defenseman this season, with his 18 minutes of average ice time the lowest of any blue-liner to spend the bulk of their year with the NHL club. He recorded seven points, 10 penalty minutes, and a minus-10 in 55 games to show for the role, falling one point shy of his career-high eight points from 41 games last season. Wotherspoon will be 28 years old by the time the 2025-26 season begins, and could be better suited for a return to the minors after platooning between leagues over the last two seasons. If not a demotion, Wotherspoon will likely continue on in a low-depth role for the Bruins – offering a low-cost, but low-upside option.

G Michael DiPietro – The Bruins will lose both of their minor-league goaltender to free agency this season. Both carry fantastic cases to be re-signed after effectively splitting starts this season. DiPietro performed best in the spotlight, though – ending the year with a .927 save percentage and 26-8-5 record through 40 games. He was once a top goalie prospect for the Vancouver Canucks, before injuries and lack of opportunity sent him on a spiral through the minors. DiPietro finally seems to be on the other side of those struggles, and could find a push back to the NHL on whatever new deal Boston can construct. That will make him worth a long look this summer, even if backup Brandon Bussi offers a plenty suitable replacement.

Other UFAs: F Tyler Pitlick, F Riley Tufte, F Vinni Lettieri, D Michael Callahan (Group-6), G Brandon Bussi

Projected Cap Space

The Bruins will enter the summer with a projected $26.27MM in cap space. That should be plenty of space to not only re-sign their top options entering free agency, but also take runs at aggressive free agent singings or summer trades. The Bruins missed the postseason for the first time in eight years – and just the third time since 2007-08 – this year. That’s an unacceptable result for the fixture of summer hockey. Ample signing room, strong candidates for re-signing, and open lineup spots should all give freshly re-signed general manager Don Sweeney a chance to show he can still build a playoff contender.

 Photo courtesy of Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.

NHL Won’t Open Expansion Process, Open To Right Bids

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Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addressed a range of topics in an interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, including ongoing expansion talks, updates on a potential collective bargaining agreement extension, and his thoughts on the current playoff format.

LeBrun’s first question focused on the CBA, which the league and NHLPA began discussing in April. While the current CBA doesn’t expire until September 2026, Daly was asked if progress was being made on a possible extension. Daly acknowledged that discussions are ongoing and progressing well, with both sides actively exchanging proposals and continuing the dialogue.

“I don’t have any timetable for you, but I would like to think that we’ll have a successful conclusion at some point in the not-too-distant future,” said Daly.

Daly added that as part of the CBA talks, both sides are discussing solutions to the current LTIR regulations and the lack of a salary cap during the playoffs. As Daly said, “Nothing’s done until it’s done, but I would tell you that I think we’ve made progress toward getting to a good resolution on that issue.”

With rumors swirling about potential expansion teams in Atlanta (for a third time) or Houston, LeBrun asked Daly whether it would be fair to say the league is actively engaged in the expansion process. While Daly said the answer depends on how one defines “expansion process,” he emphasized that the league is always open to the idea if the right opportunity presents itself.

As Daly noted, “I think what Gary (Bettman) is clear about is, there is no current intention to open up a formal expansion process and invite bids. It’s much more of a one-on-one conversation and relationship we have with various potential owners.”

Daly added that he doesn’t believe additional expansion teams would ’water down’ the league, noting that the global pool of elite talent is strong enough to support more NHL clubs. Daly said he shared in those concerns when four expansion teams were added in the late 1990s but added that the hockey world has changed dramatically over the last 25 years, with more elite players are coming from the United States and overseas than ever before.

Daly also touched on the current playoff format, which as LeBrun notes, allows for key matchups like Colorado against Dallas in the first round. Daly acknowledged that, like any topic, the NHL is open to discussing playoff format alternatives with the NHLPA as part of the CBA process but noted that no such discussions have taken place yet.

Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis Healthy, Sean Walker Questionable For Game 3

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The Carolina Hurricanes received a hint of good news of Friday. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour shared that forward Seth Jarvis is expected to play in Game 3 despite leaving Game 2 early with an apparent injury, per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Brind’Amour added that defenseman Sean Walker, who also left Game 2 early, will be “iffy” for Saturday’s matchup.

Walker exited Game 2 after his first shift in the second period following a big hit from Florida’s A.J. Greer. He was in the dressing room for 11 minutes of gametime but managed to return for a few more shifts in the period, before ultimately being pulled for good during the second intermission. Top forward Jarvis then left the game halfway through the third period after a hit from Niko Mikkola seemed to knock his head into the ice. Jarvis played one more shift after the big hit, but seemed to be off-balance and stumbling.

Hurricanes can breath a sigh of relief knowing that Jarvis will stick in the lineup. The 23-year-old currently leads the Hurricanes in playoff scoring with 12 points in 12 games. He’s also recorded the highest plus-minus, and second-most ice time average ice time, of any of Carolina’s forwards. Somehow Jarvis has found a way to earn an even bigger role in the postseason, after establishing himself as a summer-hockey star last year with nine points and 20:35 in average ice time through 11 playoff games. Jarvis should continue in his top-line role with a bill of good – or, good enough – health.

Walker’s injury could pose problems for Carolina, though. The Hurricanes are already without third-pair defenseman Jalen Chatfield, who’s been day-to-day with an undisclosed injury through the team’s last three games.  Carolina has turned to Scott Morrow in Chatfield’s absence, but the rookie defender has seem clearly outmatched by the pace of late-playoff hockey. Walker could open another hole in the lineup – though Carolina can find a thin silver lining in having star prospect Alexander Nikishin as their top healthy scratch. Nikishin made his NHL debut this postseason and managed two hits and two shots on net despite just 10:33 in ice time. He’s lauded as one of the world’s best U23 players after posting 46 points in 61 KHL games this season. Carolina may need to lean on that Russian expertise – and someone playing on their off-hand – should Walker be forced out of the Game 3 lineup.

Snapshots: Ylönen, Lipinski, Concussion Protocol

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Former Montreal Canadiens winger Jesse Ylönen is reportedly considering signing a deal in the SHL this summer, per Johan Svensson of Swedish news site Expressen (subscription required). Svensson didn’t specify what club the Finnish wing could be headed to. Nonetheless, the potential for a move seems high after Ylönen spent a full season in the AHL for the first time in his four-year career in North America. His minor-league stint was split between the Syracuse Crunch and Milwaukee Admirals, sparked by a late-February trade that swapped Ylönen and fellow minor-leaguer Anthony Angello.

Ylönen was slightly less productive in the Midwest – netting 14 points in 26 games for Milwaukee, including playoffs, after totaling 25 points in 47 games with Syracuse. The full-year total of 39 points in 73 games is far below the scoring pace Ylönen managed through his first two seasons in the AHL in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He spent both seasons with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, and scored 36 points in 52 games and 32 points in 39 games respectively. That latter hot streak earned Ylönen his NHL rookie year during the 2022-23 season – and he managed a modest 16 points in 37 games to show for it. Montreal responded to positive numbers by keeping Ylönen all the lineup for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign – but the upside bet didn’t pan out. Ylönen managed just eight points in 59 NHL games last season, and landed in the Lightning organization after Montreal declined a qualifying offer at the start of last summer.

Ylönen could be a proper match in Sweden. He grew up in Finland’s youth hockey program and played pro games in each of the country’s top two leagues. That includes totaling a combined 56 points in 127 games across three seasons in the Liiga, before he came over to North America. The SHL has certainly risen above its peers this season, but Ylönen could be well equipped for the challenge after finding, and then losing, his scoring touch in the NHL and AHL.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • Calgary Flames prospect Jaden Lipinski is headed to the University of Maine next season, per the club’s Instagram. Lipinski will be one of the very few NCAA players with pro hockey experience – after playing one game at the end of the 2023-24 season, and two games this season, in the AHL. He recorded no notable stat changes. Lipinski is still eligible to attend college because all three games were played on an amateur try-out with the Calgary Wranglers, which kept him from earning any compensation for the matchups. NCAA revokes collegiate eligibility once players accept payment, or promise of payment, from a pro sports league. Since he didn’t, Lipinski will enter the league as a junior player who played up one year, akin to Vancouver Canucks prospect Tom Willander, who played two SHL games before joining Boston University last season. The Maine Black Bears will get a hardy addition with this news. Lipinski scored 58 points in 59 WHL games this season, and seemed to improve his ability to play physical and productive hockey. Those are the hallmarks of Maine’s style, and should create a golden stage for the Flames prospect to continue growing.
  • NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly shared that the league is satisfied with how the concussion protocol has performed this season in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Daly shared that the league has embedded due diligence into the process, even when players don’t formally enter the protocol. He shared that, with an additional layer of consideration, he feels the league has been able to properly answer any open questions about the process. Rates of concussions have risen and fallen in the NHL over time, but concerns around long-term effects of head injuries continues to ring louder. News site NPR published an op-ed on the link between lengthy hockey careers and CTE in December, sparking newfound debate over the effectiveness of the NHL’s concussion spotting.

Jets Notes: Lowry, Ehlers, Vilardi

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The Winnipeg Jets are holding their final interviews of the 2024-25 season on Wednesday, offering a chance for many players to share insight on their futures with the club. The first up was team captain Adam Lowry, who will be eligible for an extension on July 1st and set to hit free agency next summer. Lowry emphasized to reporters that he’ll be ready to sign a deal as soon as the Jets are, and that he wants to stick with the club through the end of his career, per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Lowry was named Winnipeg’s captain at the start of the 2023-24 season, after wearing an ’A’ in the year prior. The title rewarded Lowry’s career-long commitment to supporting Winnipeg’s bottom-six. He was originally drafted in the third-round of the 2011 NHL Draft, and made his NHL debut three seasons later in 2014-15. Lowry carved out a gritty role in the depth of Winnipeg’s lineup right away, recording 24 points and 46 penalty minutes in 80 games as an NHL rookie. He was full time in the league within two seasons, and quickly found a knack for tenacious plays, full-ice impacts, and routine 20-point seasons.

But he’s started to blossom in his later years, recording a career-high 36 points in the 2022-23 season – followed up by 35 points last year and 34 this year. He also scored a career-high 16 goals this season – all while continuing to operate from a strong role on Winnipeg’s second and third lines. Lowry will flirt with free agency throughout the 2025-26 season, but it’s hard to envision Winnipeg letting such a carved-out piece of their lineup walk away.

The same can be said for winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who will face the pressures of free agency this summer rather than next. Ehlers is another lifetime Jet, having spent the last decade with the club and totaling 520 points in 674 career games. that includes a dazzling 24 goals and 63 points in 69 games this season. That’s the highest scoring pace of Ehlers’ career, though it falls one point shy of his career-high total set in the 2016-17 season. Like Lowry, Ehlers has dedicated significant time to finding the lineup role that works for him.

With his deal set to expire this summer, Ehlers’ teammates have made sure to know how much they like having him around. Cole Perfetti called Ehlers a “joy to life” to reporters, and shared that he both hopes and knows that Ehlers feels how much the Jets franchise appreciates him – shares Murat Ates of The Athletic. Perfetti and Ehlers rotated as wing partners throughout the season, and outscored opponents 25-to-18 at even-strength in their minutes together. It was a career year for both players, and with his public words of encouragement – Perfetti could give Ehlers yet another reason to find a deal that works this summer.

Forward Gabriel Vilardi has also expressed interest in re-signing with the Jets when he hits restricted-free agency this summer, per Ates. Vilardi added that he hasn’t yet thought about if he wants a short-term or long-term deal, though. Either option could be a sensible bet, after Vilardi broke out with 27 goals and 61 points in 71 games this season. Both marks were new career-highs, confidently lapping the 23 goals and 41 points he scored in 63 games of the 2022-23 season. Vilardi’s rise in scoring coincided with a rise in ice time and lineup trust. He performed well with added responsibility, though only managed four points in nine postseason games.

71 games of this season is the most Vilardi has ever played in a single year. Those signs of newfound health could go a long way in solidifying Vilardi’s projection as a staple of the second-line. Winnipeg will have a chance to put a price to that faith in exclusive negotiations this summer.

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