Jets Notes: Perfetti, Penalty Kill, Ehlers
TSN’s John Lu is reporting that recently re-signed forward Cole Perfetti will start the season playing wing on the Winnipeg Jets second line. Perfetti has played center in the past but will get an opportunity to try out the wing which could open him up to more opportunities to use his playmaking. Perfetti isn’t the quickest skater, which is something that could hold him back from being a top-six center in the NHL this season, along with his inconsistency thus far in the NHL.
A top-six opportunity on the wing could be exactly what the 22-year-old Perfetti needs as his versatility can be put on full display. Perfetti’s playmaking and hockey sense are both high end and if he can mesh with his second-line teammates, he will most certainly top the career-high 38 points he had last season.
In other Jets notes:
- Scott Billick of The Winnipeg Sun is reporting that Jets center Mark Scheifele and winger Kyle Connor will be seeing time this season on the Jets penalty kill. Scott Arniel told the media that the two players are excited about the additional work which could open them up to an opportunity to use their strong hockey sense when shorthanded. The Jets are hardly the first team to use this strategy as the Edmonton Oilers used Connor McDavid on the penalty kill during the 2022-23 season with strong results. Winnipeg has used Connor on the PK in the past during the 2021-22 season with good numbers and Scheifele was also a regular contributor up until 2019.
- Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is reportedly learning a new role on Winnipeg’s power play (as per Scott Billick of The Winnipeg Sun). Ehlers has been working in the high slot in practice and has been studying Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho as well as the now-retired Patrice Bergeron. This season is a big one for the 28-year-old as he is in the final year of his seven-year $42MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next July. His name has popped up in trade rumors for several years now, but it appears he is embracing the summer changes in Winnipeg as he gets set for his 10th season with the Jets.
Evening Notes: Dahlin, Kings, Expansion
Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is hoping that defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will be able to join the team at practice tomorrow in a non-contact capacity (as per Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald). The former first-overall pick left just a few minutes into the Sabres first practice last week and has not skated with the team since. Dahlin skated this morning before the team did and does appear ready to take the next step in his short recovery.
The Sabres will likely compete for a playoff spot this season and will need a healthy Dahlin in order to have a chance. The 24-year-old has been remarkably durable during his six-year NHL career, only missing seven games over the past four seasons and just 17 games during his entire NHL career.
In other evening notes:
- The Los Angeles Kings could be on the hunt for some help on their fourth line (as per Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period). The Kings don’t currently have a fourth-line center set in stone and have been rotating different options through that spot thus far in training camp. Bernstein wonders if Kings general manager Rob Blake will begin to search the market to see if there is a player that could be brought in. Bernstein doesn’t specify whether that could be the trade market or one of the current free agents on a PTO, but it looks as though the Kings aren’t comfortable with any of their internal options for the role.
- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media today and poured cold water on the rumors that the NHL is looking at expansion (as per Adam Laskaris of Daily Hive Toronto). Bettman called the rumors “categorically false,” and said that the NHL is not looking to expand at the moment. Bettman did concede that he would be updating the NHL’s Board of Governors on the cities that have expressed interest in getting an NHL team, but beyond that, there would be no further action at this time.
Jets Sign Cole Perfetti To Two-Year Deal
The Winnipeg Jets have reportedly signed restricted free agent forward Cole Perfetti to a two-year bridge deal (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). The deal comes with a $3.25MM AAV and will see the 22-year-old receive $3MM in the first year and $3.5MM in year two. The former 10th overall pick in 2020 will be a restricted free agent once again in 2026 and will require a qualifying offer of $3.5MM for Winnipeg to retain his rights.
The question entering this summer was whether Winnipeg and Perfetti could reach a long-term deal or whether both sides would opt to go short-term. The two-year deal makes sense given that the Jets likely want to see more from the Whitby, Ontario native, and Perfetti likely feels as though he has another gear to find.
Perfetti was good last season for the Jets posting 19 goals and 19 assists in 71 games but struggled in the second half of the season after a solid start. His offensive numbers represented a career-high in his brief three-year NHL career, but he could just be scratching the surface. Perfetti only averaged 13:35 of ice time per game last season and could see a big offensive bump if he gets consistent top-six minutes this year.
Perfetti will look to find consistency next season after an unbalanced 2023-24 in which he was healthy scratched 11 times and played just 10:56 total in the playoffs. He remains a gifted playmaker with incredible hockey sense, but his skating has been an issue through much of his professional career. Perfetti isn’t the fastest player on the ice, which can limit his ability to create open space for himself, particularly when the puck is on his stick.
Penguins Notes: Jarry, Karlsson, Power Play
Rob Rossi of The Athletic tweeted that Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry missed practice today due to a medical appointment. Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also tweeted about Jarry’s appointment saying that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan wouldn’t go into detail about the nature of Jarry’s appointment but did tell the media that Jarry should be back on the ice tomorrow.
Jarry hopes to have a bounce-back season as he enters the second year of his five-year contract. He reportedly showed up in terrific shape for training camp according to Sullivan and is likely hoping to have a better second half of the season after fading down the stretch in each of the previous two years. Jarry lost the net late last season and didn’t start in the Penguins’ final 13 games to conclude the regular season.
In other Penguins notes:
- Penguins’ defenseman Erik Karlsson remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury (as per Rossi of The Athletic). Karlsson skated before practice today, and the team didn’t provide an update on the status of the 34-year-old. Karlsson has been skating on his own for the past few days as he tries to recover and neither he nor the team appear worried about his health status going forward. Karlsson had an uneven first season with Pittsburgh last year, posting 11 goals and 45 assists in 82 games, and will be counted on heavily to try and get the Penguins back to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
- Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now writes that the Penguins have begun work on overhauling the power play that cost them a playoff spot last season. Pittsburgh finished with an abysmal 15.3% success rate with the man advantage last season, placing them 30th in the NHL. The team brought in assistant coach David Quinn during the offseason to make changes to the unit, and it appears that work has started. The Penguins have eliminated the firm bumper position and are instead using that forward in the slot to create traffic in front of the net, as well as puck support. The team will be hoping to create more chaos around the crease this season, something they weren’t able to do much of last season.
Summer Synopsis: New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils looked like a team that was poised to break through during the 2023-24 NHL season, but they struggled to maintain consistency, especially in the defensive zone. Despite their potent offense, defensive lapses and inconsistencies in the net prevented them from reaching the playoffs. The tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid struggled, leaving the Devils vulnerable throughout most of last season. Their talented defense also had issues and lacked the depth and structure to handle their assignments, leading to a string of costly goals in key games. This summer, New Jersey made it a priority to address those weaknesses. They filled out the depth on their blue line and found stability in the crease by bringing in a veteran goaltender to provide a stronger foundation behind the improved defense.
Draft
1-10: D Anton Silayev, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
2-49: G Mikhail Yegorov, Omaha (USHL)
3-85: F Kasper Pikkarainen, TPS (Liiga)
3-91: F Herman Traff, HV71 (SHL)
5-139: F Max Graham, Kelowna (WHL)
5-146: G Veeti Louhivaara, JYP (Liiga)
6-171: F Matyas Melovsky, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
With the 10th overall pick, the Devils selected 6’7″ defenseman Silayev. The Russian rearguard is known for his work in the defensive zone as well as his physical presence. As a 17-year-old, Silayev made a significant impact in the KHL playing in 63 games last season. Silayev is extremely mobile and agile for his size and will likely improve in that department making it easy to see why he has drawn comparisons to Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.
The Devils also strengthened their goaltending depth by drafting Yegorov, the top-ranked North American goaltender, in the second round. The USHL product has terrific size but struggles with a lot of traffic in front of him. He has drawn comparisons to another Lightning player in goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy but will need to refine aspects of his game to meet those lofty expectations. His USHL numbers leave a lot to be desired, but given his makeup, Yegorov is a very promising goalie with a ton of potential.
Pikkarainen has great size and plays with a lot of intensity. He isn’t afraid to engage his opponents physically and can close gaps in open ice. He is also a terrific passer and is clever with the puck, making strong plays in the offensive zone as well as in transition.
Traff plays the game with a ton of pace and is an excellent forechecker, he is another player who isn’t afraid to get involved in contact and will take the puck to the opponent’s net every chance that he can. He could develop into an NHLer who is very difficult to play against.
Trade Acquisitions
F Adam Beckman (Minnesota)
F Paul Cotter (Vegas)
D Johnathan Kovacevic (Montreal)
G Jacob Markstrom (Calgary)
The New Jersey Devils made a significant move by trading for veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom. His arrival should finally allow the Devils to solidify their goaltending position as they finally have a proven NHL starter who can bring stability, experience, and consistency to the Devils’ crease. Markstrom’s puck-tracking skills and solid reflexes have made him a reliable presence in Calgary during a tough time, as the veteran still managed to post several seasons with a save percentage above .900 despite the team struggles. His acquisition fills a crucial need for New Jersey, who struggled with inconsistent goaltending last season.
The Devils’ acquisition of Cotter was met with a lukewarm response from Devils fans even though Cotter does fill a need and has some upside. Cotter should bring a physical element to the Devils and could be a solid piece in the bottom half of their lineup. The issue that many Devils fans had with the move was giving up on Holtz who was drafted seventh overall just four years ago and finally played a full season in the NHL last year.
UFA Signings
D Brenden Dillon (three-year, $12MM)
F Mike Hardman (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Stefan Noesen (three-year, $8.25MM)
D Brett Pesce (six-year, $33MM)
F Tomas Tatar (one-year, $1.8MM)
D Colton White (two-year, $1.55MM)*
* denotes a two-way contract
Brett Pesce signing in New Jersey was probably the worst-kept secret heading into free agency and it’s easy to see why given that the Devils had a massive need on defense and Pesce brings a wealth of experience and defensive prowess. In Carolina, Pesce developed into a consistent shutdown defenseman and was a huge part of the Hurricanes defensive core. With the Devils, Pesce will likely find himself on the second defensive pairing and should be a big part of New Jersey’s penalty kill as his shot blocking and defensive acumen will improve the team when shorthanded.
Dillon will also help the Devils defensively as well as on the penalty kill. Like Pesce, Dillon doesn’t post a ton of offense, but he does have a decent first pass and is the perfect complement to an offensive partner. He should help New Jersey tighten up their defensive game but a concern with him is that he is known to take a sizable number of penalties which creates additional strain on the penalty kill units.
Noesen is an interesting signing, as he was a first-round pick way back in 2011 but didn’t develop into an everyday NHLer until he was 29. Noesen was a solid fit in Carolina, topping 36 points in each of the last two seasons and he could be a bargain if he can continue that sort of production. However, fit is always a concern with a late bloomer, as Noesen has never flourished outside of Carolina and was a tweener for the first decade of his professional career.
RFA Re-Signings
F Shane Bowers (two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Nico Daws (two-year, $1.63MM)*
D Nick DeSimone (one-year, $775K)
F Nolan Foote (one-year, $825K)*
D Santeri Hatakka (one-year, $775K)*
F Nathan Legare (one-year, $775K)*
F Dawson Mercer (three-year, $12MM)
* denotes a two-way contract
Mercer only signed his extension a few days ago but it puts him and the team in a good position going forward. Mercer has a chance to get paid handsomely in three years if he turns into the player many believe he will become, but it also allows the Devils to see some savings if he develops sooner than later. Mercer remains a terrific skater and has good hockey sense on both sides of the game. He struggled offensively last year, but at 22 years of age, he already has two 20-goal seasons under his belt and is just a year removed from posting 56 points in 82 games.
Daws signed a two-year deal this summer after a disappointing 2023-24 season. The former third-round pick bounced between the AHL and NHL and wasn’t particularly great in either league. At 23 years old Daws still has some time to develop into an NHL goaltender but will likely see AHL time this season given the Devils depth in net and the structure of his two-way contract. Daws might be able to slide into a backup role in the second year of his deal, but given his development thus far, he should be an AHL regular this season.
Departures
D Kevin Bahl (traded to Calgary)
F Graeme Clarke (traded to Minnesota)
C Kyle Criscuolo (signed in AHL)
D Cal Foote (signed in Slovak Extraliga)
F Alexander Holtz (traded to Vegas)
G Kaapo Kahkonen (Winnipeg, one-year, $1MM)
G Erik Kallgren (signed in SHL)
G Keith Kinkaid (signed PTO with Islanders)
D John Marino (traded to Utah)
F Michael McLeod (signed in KHL)
F Tomas Nosek (Florida, one-year, $775K)
G Akira Schmid (traded to Vegas)
D Brendan Smith (Dallas, one-year, $1MM)
C Chris Tierney (unsigned free agent)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (signed in AHL)
* denotes a two-way contract
The Devils struggled with defense and goaltending last season which makes it unsurprising to see many of their departures come from those two areas. The Devils moved Schmid as part of the Cotter trade, and he will look for a fresh start in Vegas while the Devils will try and different mix of goaltenders and should have more success this season.
On the backend, New Jersey moved young defenseman Bahl to Calgary as part of the Markstrom trade and moved Marino to Utah for draft picks. Marino struggled last season after having a fantastic first season in New Jersey. He looked like he would be a big minute eater for the Devils but fell off a cliff last year. He will likely bounce back in Utah, but the Devils felt that moving out his cap hit and acquiring draft capital were the move that made sense for the franchise this summer.
Upfront the Devils moved on from Holtz after just three NHL seasons. The 22-year-old started to come into his own last season posting 16 goals and 12 assists in 82 games, but the team felt that they wanted to go in a different direction. He remains an intriguing player because of his skill set and age and could develop into a strong offensive contributor in Vegas.
Salary Cap Outlook
The Devils are just shy of a million dollars in cap space as they approach the regular season which should give them room to sign another player on a PTO if they choose to do so. Long term they don’t have any major players to sign to expensive deals and could have some cap room next summer to make further additions. The Devils core is largely locked into reasonable long-term deals which could open up the opportunity for the team to make a few solid runs at the Stanley Cup before their group becomes much more expensive.
Key Questions
Can The Powerplay Be Better? Much like their division counterparts the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Devils boast a ton of firepower to use on the man advantage, but the results just weren’t there last season. The Devils converted on 22.45% of their opportunities which is respectable, but those numbers placed them 13th in power-play conversions last season. Granted, it’s not 15% like the Penguins, but the results simply didn’t match with the names on the lineup card, and it will be interesting to see if the Devils can crawl into the top 10 this season, and also if the team can generate more opportunities than last year where they ranked 18th in power play chances.
What Will The Goaltending Look Like? The Devils have overhauled their goaltending in 2024 and will be expecting dramatically different results this season. Almost everyone knew that New Jersey needed a goaltender, so they went out and got a stud in Markstrom, and didn’t have to dramatically overpay either. The Devils will also have a full season of backup Jake Allen, who should be able to take on a huge chunk of the workload to keep Markstrom fresh throughout the season.
Is The Defence Better? The Devils committed a lot of resources to improving their backend and on paper, it certainly appears like an improvement. But while they brought in some help, the team will need internal improvement as well from the likes of Luke Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Blueger, Gridin, Blackhawks
Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger made an appearance at training camp today (as per Noah Strang of the Daily Hive). The 30-year-old wore a no-contact jersey today after undergoing minor surgery recently to repair a lower-body injury. Blueger wasn’t listed on the team’s camp roster but appears to be ramping up to become a full participant.
Blueger had a good first year in Vancouver last year, dressing in 68 games and matching a career-high with 28 points. The former Stanley Cup champion has never offered a ton offensively but is more than serviceable in a bottom-six role and will be a welcome addition for the Canucks when he gets back to full health.
In other Western Conference notes:
- Calgary Flames prospect Matvei Gridin was involved in a QMJHL trade today as he was dealt by the Val-d’Or Foreurs to the Shawinigan Cataractes (as per team release). The move has been rumored for quite some time since the CHL annual Import Draft in July. Gridin had yet to come to an agreement with Val-d’Or on his QMJHL Scholarship and Development Agreement and was not part of the team’s training camp. Calgary selected Gridin with the 28th overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft and has unusual eligibility this season because he was drafted out of the USHL and never played a CHL game. Gridin can start the season in the NHL, AHL or CHL.
- The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t expected to make the playoffs this season but there is pressure on the team this season to look like a structured NHL team once again (as per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic). The Blackhawks haven’t won a playoff series since 2015 and won’t likely win one this season, but the expectations are that the team will be competitive and superstar Connor Bedard will take the next step towards being a megastar. On top of that, there will be pressure on third-year head coach Luke Richardson who finally has an NHL lineup to coach and will be expected to implement a system and structure that utilizes the talent that the team has brought in over the last two summers.
Blackhawks Notes: Levshunov, Brossoit, Reichel
Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times tweeted that Chicago Blackhawks defensive prospect Artyom Levshunov is about four weeks away from returning to action. This year’s second overall pick hurt his right foot blocking a shot on September 11th but could start skating again in a week or so if all goes well between now and then.
The 18-year-old missed the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase last week and will miss the start of the season given the most recent timeline. He was already a long shot to make the Blackhawks NHL roster and will almost certainly start the season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, given the injury.
In other Blackhawks notes:
- Blackhawks netminder Laurent Brossoit is reportedly on a similar timeline to Levshunov and isn’t expected to get back into the lineup for another four weeks (as per Ben Pop of the Chicago Sun-Times). Broissoit underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee in late August and was expected to recover in 5-7 weeks. The 31-year-old was rock solid as the Winnipeg Jets backup last season, posting a 15-5-2 record with a .927 save percentage. Given the timeline, Broissoit will likely miss the first week or two of the regular season.
- Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson expects that forward Lukas Reichel will compete for a top-six spot this season (as per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago). Davidson told reporters that the team doesn’t want the 22-year-old playing fourth-line minutes this season and would like to see him figure out a way to cement himself on the top two lines. Reichel has had an uneven start to his NHL career notching 15 points in 23 games during an abbreviated run in 2022-23 but watched his offensive numbers fall off a cliff during his first full NHL season last year. The Nurnberg, Germany native posted just five goals and 11 assists in 65 games last season but still demonstrated the solid skating and strong hockey sense that made him the 17th overall pick in 2020.
Evander Kane Scheduled For Sports Hernia Surgery
Sep. 18: Kane will indeed undergo sports hernia surgery, general manager Stan Bowman told reporters today (via the Oilers’ Tony Brar).
Sep. 13: Mark Spector of Sportsnet is reporting that Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane will have sports hernia surgery in the next 10 days or so. Kane has been dealing with the issue since last season and played through the pain as much as he could but eventually missed significant time in the Stanley Cup Final when he dressed in just two of the Oilers’ final seven games.
Kane played reasonably well last season, given that he played through pain for most of it. However, his 24 goals and 20 assists in 77 games represented his lowest point-per-game pace in seven years. The 31-year-old added four goals and four assists in 20 playoff games, which was also a drop from his normal production.
While Kane’s offensive numbers were below his career norms, he did play a career-low 16:47 per game during the regular season which marked his lowest total since he averaged 14:00 per game during his rookie season in 2009-10 while he was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers.
Kane’s prognosis won’t be fully known until surgery has been completed. When his recovery period is clear the Oilers should be able to figure out a plan for their salary cap situation going forward. PuckPedia estimates that Edmonton has $946K in cap space for the 2024-25 season (including Kane’s $5.125MM cap hit), however, if Kane is out longer than 24 days and 10 games then Edmonton can place him on LTIR. If that is the approach they take, the Oilers would need to keep his space available for when he is ready to suit up once again which would presumably be at some point during the regular season.
Flames Notes: Andersson, Kuzmenko, Center
Thomas Drance of The Athletic spoke with Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy about defenseman Rasmus Andersson saying that he believes the 27-year-old could be a Flame for a long time. Andersson is coming off a good season in which he posted nine goals and 30 assists in 78 games, but as Conroy puts it, Calgary is going to need him to have an even better year this season.
Andersson is just two years away from unrestricted free agency and Conroy is confident that at some point in the future, the Flames and Andersson will have conversations about a contract extension. Andersson is one of the few remaining veterans in the Flames lineup as Conroy has spent the past year moving on from many experienced players. It will be interesting to see where the franchise is at over the next 18 months and whether or not Andersson will be interested in staying with a team that might not be ready to win when he is close to free agency.
In other Calgary Flames notes:
- Conroy also spoke about forward Andrei Kuzmenko and his pending free-agent status (as per Drance of The Athletic). Conroy remained non-committal with regards to Kuzmenko’s future, saying that he wanted to see how he fits in with the team and what he looks like on the powerplay this season. Kuzmenko was terrific for Calgary after coming over in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks posting 14 goals and 11 assists in 28 games with the Flames. If he can put up similar numbers this season, he could be looking at a sizable payday wherever he ends up. However, if he struggles like he did in Vancouver last season it does appear that Calgary could be prepared to move on from him.
- Flames general manager Craig Conroy mentioned to Thomas Drance of The Athletic that he will likely target a young center in the future as much of the team’s focus over the past year has been on defense and goaltending. The Flames don’t really have anyone in their farm system that projects as a top center, so it makes sense for Conroy to address the need. The closest prospect that the Flames have to be a top center would likely be Matthew Coronato, however, given his skating and lateral movement, he may project as a winger instead of a center.
Evening Notes: O’Connor, Schaefer, Stamkos
Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor will be ready for training camp this Thursday. The 28-year-old has been skating regularly for about a month and has ramped up his preparations in the last few weeks. O’Connor had season-ending hip surgery and missed the playoffs last season after setting a career-high in goals with 13 of them in 57 games.
The Missouri City, Texas native continued to be one of the fastest wingers in the NHL last year and put up strong penalty-kill numbers while finding chemistry with linemates Ross Colton and Miles Wood. Despite his strong results last season, O’Connor is likely due for some regression as he shot over 15% last year which was an increase of almost seven percent from his previous season.
In other evening notes:
- Corey Pronman of The Athletic reports that 2025 NHL Draft prospect Matthew Schaefer has contracted mono and will miss some time to start the season. Schaefer was taken first overall in the 2023 OHL draft and spent last season with the Erie Otters where he posted three goals and 14 assists in 56 games. The 17-year-old is projected to be the first defenseman taken in next year’s draft and will likely be taken in the top 10. Schaefer’s offensive numbers didn’t jump off the page in his rookie OHL season, however, he only turned 17 earlier this month and will see increased minutes and responsibility this season, when he returns to health.
- Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette is most excited to see Steven Stamkos’ leadership at work when the veteran begins his first training camp with his new team (as per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean). Stamkos joined Nashville via free agency and brings a large skillset to the team, but it is his reputation and leadership that has Brunette excited. Brunette told reporters that he will have Stamkos play with a pile of players early on to see how things go and to try and find the right mix. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him paired up with youngsters Thomas Novak or Luke Evangelista, given that Brunette sees leadership as Stamkos’s biggest asset.