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East Notes: Shesterkin, Rajanimei, Bednar

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The New York Rangers will reportedly begin contract extension talks with superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin when their window to do so opens on July 1st (as per David Pagnotta). The 28-year-old has one season remaining on the four-year $22,666,667 he signed in August 2021 and will likely top Carey Price’s $10.5MM AAV to become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history. Price’s contract remains active on Montreal’s books and is followed by Sergei Bobrovsky’s $10MM AAV and Andrei Vasilevskiy’s $9.5MM AAV.

The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner saw his regular season numbers fall off as he posted a 36-17-2 record with a .912 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. His biggest drop off was his goals saved above expected where he dropped by 16 goals saved down to 12.1. As pedestrian as his regular season numbers were (by his standards), Shesterkin found his game in the playoffs and was dominant in helping the Rangers to the Conference Finals. He currently sits in second place in goals saved above expected with 13.1 goals saved in just 16 games and posted a .926 save percentage.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Stefen Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that the New York Islanders have lost the NHL rights to 2020 sixth-round draft pick Matias Rajaniemi, however, the defenseman had previously signed an AHL deal to play with the Islanders affiliate in Bridgeport. Rajaniemi signed the AHL deal back in March and is free to sign with any NHL team, however, as Rosner points out that doesn’t happen very often. The 21-year-old has yet to suit up in North America but does have good size at 6’4” and 203 pounds.
  • Max Bultman of The Athletic tweeted that the Detroit Red Wings lost the NHL rights to goaltender Jan Bednar, however, the 21-year-old quickly signed an AHL deal with the Red Wings affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins. The one-year deal will keep the former fourth-round pick in the Red Wings organization after he spent last season in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye. Bednar is a good size at 6’4” and 200 pounds and is very gifted athletically. By signing Bednar to an AHL deal, Detroit and Grand Rapids have an opportunity to evaluate the netminder for another season before deciding their next course of action.

Atlantic Notes: Senators Coaching Staff, Canadiens, Forbort

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On his 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman confirmed earlier reports about the Ottawa Senators coaching staff. Friedman said that former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson is expected to remain as an assistant coach behind Ottawa’s bench, as will Ben Sexton. Friedman also went on to say that former head coach Mike Yeo and former NHLer Nolan Baumgartner are also expected to join the Senators staff.

Friedman’s confirmation follows several previous reports about the Senators and likely signals that Ottawa is close to finalizing new head coach Travis Green’s coaching staff. The group will have their work cut out for them as the Senators have struggled to play with much structure in recent seasons despite boasting some very talented young players. Ottawa hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017 and has been mired in a rebuild for the better part of the past decade.

In other Atlantic Division notes:

  • David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens could be buyers once again at this year’s NHL entry draft. Montreal has been a buyer at the two previous drafts and has reportedly made the draft a priority over making trades. Montreal is currently holding the fifth-overall pick as well as the 26th overall pick and Pagnotta wonders if the Canadiens may look to move the later pick as part of a package to acquire a young proven scorer. The Canadiens have several good young scorers in their lineup but would do well to add another scoring forward to their ranks to better balance their offensive attack.
  • Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort is reportedly headed to the free agent market on July 1st (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The former 15th overall pick spent a great deal of the season on long-term injured reserve and was limited to just 35 games. The 32-year-old has never offered much offense from the backend, topping out at 18 points with the Los Angeles Kings in 2017 and 2018, but he is a big body and can still skate. Forbort will have suitors in free agency, particularly from teams that are looking for a depth defenseman who isn’t afraid to engage the opponent physically.

Pacific Notes: Oilers GM, Perry, Myers, Blueger

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Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that the Edmonton Oilers may need to go through the NHL entry draft with an interim general manager if they don’t extend current GM Ken Holland. If Holland does move on, the Oilers wouldn’t have enough time to conduct a search before the draft later this month and might need to lean heavily on their scouting staff to get them through a busy time of year.

Holland has not signed an extension in Edmonton despite having the team in the Stanley Cup Finals and would be highly sought after if he hits the open market given his resume with both the Oilers and the Detroit Red Wings. Holland has won three Stanley Cups as a general manager and a fourth as assistant general manager and goaltending coach. All four Stanley Cups victories came with the Red Wings.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry is set to collect an additional $50K in performance bonuses after the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Finals last night (as per Puck Pedia). Perry’s bonus brings Edmonton’s final penalty for overages this season to $3.55MM which will be added to their cap for next season. The 39-year-old reached another milestone last night becoming the first player in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Finals with five different teams, including four times in the last five seasons.
  • David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period writes that the talk of a Tyler Myers extension with the Vancouver Canucks might be a bit premature as the two sides have just started talking about extending their deal. Pagnotta notes that both the Canucks and Myers have an interest in getting an extension done, but the talk surrounding a new contract is “noise” at this point. Myers is coming off his most productive season in Vancouver and reportedly lives in nearby Kelowna during the summer which is certainly part of his desire to stay in British Columbia.
  • Pagnotta adds that the Canucks have interest in bringing back forward Teddy Blueger. The 29-year-old had one of the most productive seasons of his career with Vancouver, posting six goals and 22 assists in 68 games tying his career-high in points with 28. The Riga, Latvia native signed a one-year $1.9MM contract with Vancouver on July 1st, 2023, and provided good value to the Canucks that extended well beyond his offensive contributions. Pagnotta notes that the Canucks plan to circle back to Blueger later in the month, which makes sense given the quality and quantity of pending free agents the team will have to deal with over the next month.

Evening Notes: Myers, Graves, Alfredsson

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Ben Kuzma of The Vancouver Province writes that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is hoping to re-sign with the Canucks and remain in Vancouver. The 34-year-old had his best season in Vancouver, playing in a reduced role that saw him average less than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career. The reduced playing time benefitted Myers and he posted five goals and 24 assists in 77 games which were his best numbers since his last year in Winnipeg back in 2018-19.

Kuzma writes that Myers is projected for a $3MM AAV on a three-year deal which would be much more palatable than the $6MM that Myers made this past season. If the Canucks can lock Myers up around that number it will allow them to pivot to their remaining free-agent defenseman Ian Cole, Filip Hronek, and Nikita Zadorov.

In other evening notes:

  • After a poor first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Graves became a lightning rod for criticism from fans of the team. Dan Kingerski writes that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be best to avoid buying out the remaining five years of the contract which would lead to an annual cost of $750K for the next ten years. Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas has stated in the past that he prefers trades to buyouts and given the season that Graves just had it would be nearly impossible to find a trade partner unless the Penguins agree to take back a bad contract. The Penguins have a need for a top-6 forward as well as some depth scoring on their bottom two lines and have just under $13MM in available cap space. Moving Graves would go a long way to opening up the room to maneuver, but given the circumstances, it seems likely that he will be with the team next season.
  • Ottawa Senators great Daniel Alfredsson is leaning towards returning to his assistant coaching role next season under new head coach Travis Green (as per Bruce Garrioch). The franchise’s all-time leading scorer was brought back to the franchise in a player-development role, but that role was changed when the Senators relieved previous head coach D.J. Smith of his duties. The Senators will have to fill out their coaching staff and have been linked to former NHL head coach Mike Yeo as well as former NHLer and current Manitoba Moose assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner.

Free Agent Focus: Seattle Kraken

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Free agency is now just 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 have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free-agent situation for the Kraken.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Matthew Beniers – Beniers took a step back this past season after being asked to carry the offensive load for a team that lacks a high-end offensive threat. Beniers dropped from 24 goals and 33 assists in 80 games during the 2022-23 season to just 15 goals and 22 assists in 77 games this past season. While it was a disappointing campaign for the 21-year-old, Beniers remains on track to become an elite scorer in the NHL. The former second overall pick seemed like a lock to get a long-term deal this summer, but given his struggles last year, and his iffy work in the defensive zone, it might hurt his earning potential in the short term. Seattle may still elect to lock Beniers up long-term while he’s coming off a down season, but a bridge deal could be likely as well. Beniers figures to earn $4-5MM on his next deal if he goes for a short-term deal and would likely have a higher AAV if he goes for max term.

F Eeli Tolvanen – Tolvanen has been a very different player since arriving in Seattle from the Nashville Predators during the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old had shown glimpses in Nashville but was never able to put it all together and struggled in his last two seasons with the Predators. With the Kraken, the former first-round pick has played a physical game, keeping plays alive with his physicality and being a force in board battles. On the offensive side, Tolvanen had 16 goals and 25 assists last season in 81 games and continued to trend upwards. He made $1.45MM last season in the final year of a three-year deal and figures to double that number on his next deal which should come with a similar term.

F Kailer Yamamoto – Yamamoto’s offensive game dropped another level this season as he fell to just eight goals and eight assists in 59 games. The former first-round pick signed with Seattle last season after being traded and bought out of the final season of his contract. With his qualifying offer set at $1.5MM, Seattle may elect to run it back one more time with the talented 25-year-old to see if he can post similar results to the ones he saw in Edmonton two seasons ago. Yamamoto is undersized and is average defensively if you are being generous, but he is very effective on the power play and plays with good pace, something that Seattle could use more of.

Other RFAs: C Luke Henman, F Ville Petman, D Peetro Seppala

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Pierre-Édouard Bellemare – Bellemare signed with the Kraken last July for the league minimum on a one-year contract and playing sparingly, producing four goals and three assists in 40 games. At 39 years old, Bellemare might be ready to hang up his skates; however, given that he was 29 years old when he made his NHL debut, he might choose to extend his career if he can find an NHL contract. The native of Le Blanc-Mesnil, France, played just under 10 minutes per game last season, but his underlying numbers at even strength were quite good, as his CF% was 54.9%. Bellemare doesn’t provide much offense and never really has, he also isn’t particularly physical, but he could be a good 13th forward for a team that is looking for a veteran presence.

D Justin Schultz – Schultz is well removed from his days in Pittsburgh when he quarterbacked the Penguins power play to a Stanley Cup. However, he remains a talented offensive defenseman who doesn’t offer much defensively. Schultz is still very good at skating pucks out of the defensive zone and offering a solid first pass, but he struggles when pinned in the defensive zone and doesn’t play with much physicality. Schultz should find work on a multi-year deal due to his right shot status as well as his ability to man a power play.

F Tomas Tatar – Tatar had to wait until September 12th last summer to find an NHL contract, signing a one-year $1.5MM contract with the Colorado Avalanche. He then proceeded to have a forgettable season that saw him score just nine goals and 15 assists in 70 games. The 33-year-old is unlikely to do better this summer, given that his game is built largely on offense, and he wasn’t able to provide much of it last year. A knock-on Tatar has been his consistency year to year, but he is still a good buy-low candidate for a team that needs to add secondary scoring but doesn’t have much in the way of cap space.

Other UFAs: D Connor Carrick, G Chris Driedger, F John Hayden, F Cameron Hughes, F Kole Lind, LW Max McCormick, C Andrew Poturalski, D Mitch Reinke, D Jimmy Schuldt, F Devin Shore, G Ales Stezka, F Marian Studenic

Projected Cap Space

The Kraken enter the offseason with a tad over $23MM in available cap space and several pending needs to address. A chunk of that space will go to re-signing restricted free agents, but after their internal business is complete, Seattle will have some cap space to make improvements. The Kraken have good depth up front, but lack high-end talent which could lead them to make a pitch to a player such as Sam Reinhart even though it would eat most of their available room under the cap. Seattle will also need to address their defensive core and will be in the market for an offensive defenseman with the likely departure of Justin Schultz. Seattle will feel pressure to have a strong summer after taking a step back and missing the playoffs this past season.

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

Jets Notes: Monahan, Coaching Staff, Schmidt

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Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press write that the Winnipeg Jets are increasing their efforts to retain the services of center Sean Monahan whom they acquired ahead of the trade deadline. Monahan didn’t have a great playoff with Winnipeg tallying just a single assist in five playoff games but was solid in the regular season occupying their second-line center role and posting 13 goals and 11 assists in 34 games.

Monahan made just under $2MM last season on a one-year contract and could be in line to double that figure on a multi-year deal given that he is one of the best centers available in unrestricted free agency. The 29-year-old Monahan dressed in 83 games last season split between Winnipeg and Montreal and finished the year with 26 goals and 33 assists.

If Monahan reaches free agency the Jets may not have the cap space to replace him as they stand to have just over $13MM available at this time.

In other Winnipeg Jets notes:

  • Wiebe and McIntyre write that the Jets have two remaining slots available on their coaching staff and are likely to hire a veteran associate coach to occupy one of those roles next to new head coach Scott Arniel. They speculate that former Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol could be a possibility as well as Western Hockey League head coach James Patrick who has ties to Arniel. It is expected that the Jets will decide on rounding out their coaching staff in the next few weeks.
  • It’s possible that Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt may receive a buyout this summer as Winnipeg looks to clear cap space to address some of the holes in their lineup (as per Wiebe and McIntyre). Schmidt has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.95MM and has struggled the last two seasons. Last year, the 32-year-old tallied just two goals and 12 assists in 63 games and saw his ice time dwindle to just 16:49 per game down from over 20 minutes a night in the 2021-22 season. A buyout would save Winnipeg $3.2MM in cap space next season but would create a $1.616MM cap hit for the 2025-26 season (as per CapFriendly).

Free Agent Focus: Toronto Maple Leafs

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Free agency is now just 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 have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Maple Leafs.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Timothy Liljegren – Liljegren would best be served to play on a team’s third pairing but given the lack of right-handed defenseman for the Maple Leafs this season he was thrust into second-pairing duty quite often and averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game. That number dwindled to just 17 minutes per game in the playoffs as Liljegren appeared to lose the trust of former Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe. Liljegren draws a lot of criticism for his lack of detail with the puck on his stick as evidenced by his giveaway numbers (40 giveaways in 55 games), but he plays in all situations and is a good offensive producer on the powerplay. The 25-year-old will be looking for a sizeable raise on his previous $1.4MM AAV and should easily double that figure on a multi-year agreement.

F Nicholas Robertson – Robertson was a victim of Toronto’s cap crunch last season on more than one occasion and found himself playing in the AHL despite being one of the Maple Leafs’ better offensive producers in the bottom six. The 22-year-old registered 14 goals and 13 assists in 56 games despite playing just 11:23 a game and could be in line to see time in the top six next season if the Maple Leafs are unable to slide another high-priced forward into the lineup. Robertson is a good forechecker despite being on the small side at just 5’9” and 178 pounds, and he is also a strong play driver who can create scoring opportunities off the rush. Robertson will be looking at a bridge deal this summer and could come in at a figure around $1.5MM per season.

Other RFAs: F Connor Dewar, F Max Ellis, F Noah Gregor, D Maxime Lajoie, G Keith Petruzzelli, F Alex Steeves

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Tyler Bertuzzi – Bertuzzi had some struggles adjusting to life with the Maple Leafs and was much better in the second half of the season. The Sudbury, Ontario native finished with 21 goals and 22 assists in 80 games while providing solid work in the dirty areas of the ice-extending shifts along the boards and going to the net for rebounds. The 29-year-old settled for a one-year $5.5MM contract last summer and will be looking for term this time around. While he has shown that he can provide better than secondary scoring and is a decent skater with a physical element to his game, it’s hard to imagine him receiving a raise on a multi-year deal, but he could receive a similar AAV on his next deal. It’s also difficult to see him re-signing in Toronto given their laundry list of needs and pending salary cap crunch.

D T.J. Brodie – It’s hard to project what T.J. Brodie’s next contract will look like given that last season was a tale of two wildly different trajectories. Brodie was very good in the first half of the season, but appeared to lose a step down the stretch and only found his way into one playoff game for the Maple Leafs. During the regular season, the 33-year-old tallied a goal and 25 assists in 80 games while playing almost 22 minutes a night, but his finish to the year mirrored the previous season where his play also dipped, largely due to injury. Given the fact that the Chatham, Ontario native has lost some foot speed and has shown signs of wearing down the last couple of years, it’s hard to envision him being back with Toronto or topping his previous $5MM AAV. Brodie is still a capable third-pairing NHL defenseman and will likely get a multi-year deal this summer.

F Max Domi – Domi was another new addition to the Maple Leafs who struggled to fit in this past season. He started the year on Toronto’s third line but worked his way into the top six as the season inched on and injuries began to pile up. The 29-year-old fit in well with the Maple Leafs’ elite scorers as his quick pace and ability to distribute the puck allowed him to give Toronto’s scorers some good looks. Domi seems like the likeliest to return to Toronto as he has expressed an interest in doing so and figures to fit in the Maple Leafs’ salary cap structure. Domi posted nine goals and 38 assists last season in 80 games while playing up and down the lineup and should be in line for a multi-year deal above $4MM per season.

G Ilya Samsonov – Samsonov did not provide the Maple Leafs with consistent NHL goaltending this season and was barely able to hold onto an NHL spot. However, he was a much different goaltender in the second half of the year and finished the season sporting a 23-7-8 record with a 3.13 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage. Despite his better results in the backend of the season, Samsonov was still prone to giving up bad goals and had a hard time tracking pucks in traffic. He is simply not a goaltender the Maple Leafs can count on as a number-one netminder and will find an NHL job elsewhere this summer on a short-term deal.

Other UFAs: F Kyle Clifford, D Joel Edmundson, C Dylan Gambrell, D Mark Giordano, G Martin Jones, D John Klingberg, D Ilya Lyubushkin, G Matt Murray

Projected Cap Space

The Maple Leafs project to enter the offseason with roughly $18.5MM in available cap space which looks like a sizeable amount on paper given that the team’s top stars are already locked into contracts for next season. However, Toronto has a big hole to fill in their top-6 forward group as well as two holes in the top-4 of their defensive unit (one of which could be filled by Liljegren). The Maple Leafs also need to address their goaltending situation which has been a letdown in many of their early playoff exits. All of that will take up most of the remaining cap space available and could make it difficult to add depth to the bottom of Toronto’s lineup, which has been another area of concern for a top-heavy lineup. The team will also have to factor in several pending extensions to forwards John Tavares and Mitch Marner as they are both a year away from unrestricted free agency and have to consider Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll who will be restricted free agents next summer as well.

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

Latest On Linus Ullmark

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Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff writes about four potential trade destinations for Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark. Larkin believes that the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators would be the frontrunners for the services of the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner should he be moved. Ullmark reportedly blocked a move at the trade deadline in March and has a 15-team no-trade list that could impede a potential trade this summer. Larkin’s list is largely based on speculation, but on the surface, it makes sense, given that the four teams on it were all undone by inconsistent goaltending this season.

In Colorado, Alexandar Georgiev didn’t have a very good regular season for the Avalanche and fell apart in the playoffs with an .894 save percentage. The story was similar in Los Angeles where Cam Talbot and David Rittich both had good regular seasons but couldn’t give the team enough to get out of the first round. The Kings pursued Ullmark prior to the deadline but were unable to complete a deal due to the netminders no trade list.

Ottawa and New Jersey aren’t surprising possibilities for Ullmark as they were two teams that came into the season with playoff expectations but were let down by some of the worst goaltending in the NHL. Ottawa signed netminder Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year $20MM contract last July in the hopes that he would steady their goaltending situation, however, the first year of the deal was a flop and Korpisalo finished second to last in the league in goals saved above expected with a -16.1 (according to Money Puck). Mads Sogaard and Anton Forsberg also appeared for the Senators this season and struggled as well.

New Jersey didn’t fare much better as Vitek Vanecek lost his game and finished near the bottom of the league in goals saved above expected with -11.2. Akira Schmid also saw his play fall off and found himself in the AHL for a big chunk of the season. The team brought in Jake Allen at the trade deadline from Montreal, but with one year left on his contract, the 33-year-old is more of a stopgap for the Devils and would be a terrific backup should they acquire Ullmark.

With his limited no-trade clause, Ullmark will have some say in where he ends up this summer, but won’t have full control. He is just a year out from becoming an unrestricted free agent once again and can choose his preferred destination in the summer of 2025.

Jaccob Slavin Wins Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

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The NHL has announced that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin is the 2024 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner as the “Player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.” The other two finalists for the award were Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews.

Slavin became only the fourth NHL defenseman in history to win the award back in 2021 and is just the second NHL defenseman to win the honor more than once. Red Kelly is the only defenseman other than Slavin to win the award more than once and was a four-time award Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner.

The 30-year-old Slavin had another solid regular season averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time while dressing in 81 games for Carolina. Offensively, he was strong once again, tallying six goals and 31 assists while seeing minimal power play time. Slavin spent less than 25 minutes on Carolina’s man advantage this season and recorded 34 of his 37 points at even strength. The Denver, Colorado native remained a key cog in the Hurricanes’ penalty kill that was tops in the NHL with an 86.4% success rate. Slavin averaged 2:38 on the penalty kill per game and finished in the top 10 in takeaways.

Slavin is one of just two Hurricanes players ever to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy and the only one to be nominated for the award on more than one occasion. He is one year away from unrestricted free agency and will be eligible for a contract extension on July 1st.

Sharks Sign Will Smith To Entry-Level Deal

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May 28: Smith is finalizing his entry-level agreement with the Sharks and an official announcement regarding his signing could come as soon as today, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. Smith later confirmed through the team that he’s signed his three-year pact. His deal carries the maximum $950K entry-level cap hit, awarded via an $855K base salary and $95K signing bonus each season, per PuckPedia. He can earn up to $1MM in Schedule ’A’ performance bonuses and up to $2.2MM in Schedule ’B’ performance bonuses annually.

May 27: Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now is reporting that San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith is expected to sign with the team this summer, a move that would make him eligible to make the jump to the NHL next year.

Smith was the Sharks’ first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft and would forgo his remaining college eligibility after just one season with Boston College. The 19-year-old was dominant in his first year in the NCAA, posting 25 goals and 46 assists in just 41 games.

Smith was a huge part of Team USA’s gold medal-winning team at the 2024 World Junior Championships registering four goals and five assists in seven games. He also just appeared for Team USA at the World Championships and dressed in five games, going scoreless.

Smith has been dominant the past few seasons, in 2022-23 he was a member of the U.S. National U18 Team and was an absolute force alongside Gabe Perreault tallying 51 goals and 76 assists in 60 games. That same year he represented Team USA U18 and the U18 World Championship and had an excellent tournament, scoring nine goals and adding 11 helpers in just seven games.

A month ago, during exit interviews, Sharks general manager Mike Grier told the media that he felt Smith was ready to make the jump to the NHL and that he was having positive conversations with Smith’s agent (per Max Miller of The Hockey News). Now, it appears that his signing will happen in the not-too-distant future. 

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