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Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Stefan Matteau To PTO

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CapFriendly is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed former 2012 first-round pick Stefan Matteau to a professional tryout agreement. The free-agent forward was selected 29th overall by the New Jersey Devils and bounced around between five different franchises over the course of a decade before he spent last season in Sweden and Germany.

Matteau is returning to a team that he was part of for two seasons from 2019-2021. During that time Matteau didn’t do much when he was with the big club posting just three goals and one assist in 27 NHL games.

Over the course of his seven seasons in the NHL Matteau didn’t contribute much offensively as he posted just six goals and five assists in 92 career NHL games. His AHL numbers are marginally better as his best offensive season came in 2019-20 with the Cleveland Monsters when he posted 12 goals and 16 assists in 50 games.

Matteau will get another chance to earn an NHL job for this upcoming season, something he has had a lot of opportunities to do in the past through various two-way contracts. Teams have always been tantalized with Matteau’s first-round pick pedigree as well as his speed and size, however, the 29-year-old was never able to put it all together and find any sustained success in the NHL.

In Columbus, he should have an opportunity to battle for a spot in the lineup, but would need to show a lot to bounce a young player from the bottom of the Blue Jackets lineup. The likeliest outcome for Matteau will be an AHL contract with the possibility of a recall should a Blue Jackets forward go down with an injury.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Tristan Luneau To ELC

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Eric Stephens of The Athletic is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have signed their 2022 second-round pick Tristan Luneau to a three-year entry-level contract. Luneau’s game took a dramatic step in the right direction this past season as the native of Victoriaville, Quebec took home the Emile Bouchard Trophy awarded to the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year.

The 19-year-old nearly doubled his offensive output from his draft year to this year, as he went from 12 goals and 31 assists in 63 games back in 2021-22, to an offensive explosion this past year posting 20 goals and 63 assists in 65 games.

Luneau will join the Ducks farm system that is arguably the best in the NHL, and although he is joining a first-class prospect pipeline, he will likely spend one more year in the QMJHL. Barring unforeseen injuries he should dominate once again, as many predicted he would when he was taken first overall by the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL Entry Draft.

With Luneau now under contract, he joins Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, Jamie Drysdale, Trevor Zegras, and a slew of other players under the age of 25 who should make up the Ducks core over the next decade in what should be an exciting time to be an Anaheim Ducks fan.

Examining A Pivotal Offseason For The Boston Bruins

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Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub wrote a piece today going over his thoughts on the offseason that was for the Boston Bruins. Anderson writes that while the offseason losses were a challenge for the team, he believes the club can still contend for a division title, and at the very least make the playoffs in the Atlantic Division.

While Anderson offers up many reasons for optimism, he does believe that if the Bruins were to falter, they should look to move on from the eight unrestricted free agents that the Bruins will be dressing on opening night and try to acquire assets for them rather than throwing assets after band-aid solutions. Boston does have an extensive list of unrestricted free agents at the end of this year including Jake DeBrusk, James van Riemsdyk, Milan Lucic, A.J. Greer, Matt Grzelcyk, Derek Forbort, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Jakub Zboril. Moving on from these players would help facilitate a re-tool should the Bruins opt to go down that path.

There is a belief with Anderson and others that the Bruins could be buyers in the summer of 2024 when the cap goes up and the bonuses come off Boston’s cap. An added bonus to selling at the deadline would be that any assets acquired at the deadline could help the team make moves next summer when they have cap space to play with. Now, while it seems silly to be looking at trade deadline moves when the season hasn’t even started, it is an interesting idea for the Bruins for the reasons mentioned above.

One final note, and this could be a big one, is that Boston’s first-round pick this season was dealt in the Tyler Bertuzzi trade. The pick is top-10 protected and if Boston were to fall down the standings, they could grab a top-10 pick this year in a re-tooling year and give Detroit their 2025 pick when they presumably have re-stocked the NHL roster. The risk there of course is that they falter again in 2025 and hand the Red Wings a top-10 pick, but that seems unlikely given that the team will still have some solid pieces in place and possibly some reinforcements to join them.

Which Coaches Could Be On The Hot Seat?

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There is an expression in sports that coaches are hired to be fired. It is certainly true in hockey, particularly in the summer. This past summer the NHL saw six coaching changes, in the summer of 2022 there were 10. While it is commonplace for teams to make a coaching change after a disappointing season, there is always the possibility of an in-season move to give a jolt to an underperforming hockey team. The Pittsburgh Penguins did it twice in 2009 and 2016 where they made an in-season coaching change and found themselves lifting the Stanley Cup at the end of the season. The same goes for the St. Louis Blues who went through a similar fate in 2019 with Craig Berube at the helm under an interim head coach tag.

Given that the in-season coaching change is possible. Let’s look at which NHL coaches could be on the hot seat this year should their team falter.

D.J. Smith – Ottawa Senators head coach Smith hasn’t had a lot of success in Canada’s capital city. As Steve Warne wrote in The Hockey News back in May, 11 other head coaches have been both hired and fired since Smith took over behind the Senators bench. Ottawa has been incredibly patient with Smith and their rebuilding club given that they have yet to experience any regular season success a half-decade into the rebuild. Many fans in Ottawa were calling for Smith’s job last season, but general manager Pierre Dorion elected to keep his bench boss for the time being. As Adam Proteau wrote in The Hockey News this past month, the new ownership group in Ottawa will be looking for quick results this upcoming season. One must believe that if Ottawa struggles out of the gate this season or appears destined to miss the playoffs by mid-season, Smith could be the first coach to be let go.

Craig Berube – As mentioned above Berube was brought in by St. Louis as a mid-season replacement and led the Blues to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Since that cup victory, the Blues have just one playoff series win and are coming off a year in which they missed the playoffs. While the blame doesn’t rest squarely on Berube, he did appear at times to be increasingly frustrated with starting netminder Jordan Binnington and he seemed to be unable to answer for some of the problems plaguing St. Louis last season. A fresh start should do Berube well this season, but if the team stumbles out of the gate once again all bets will be off. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic doesn’t believe Berube will be fired, but he also doesn’t rule it out depending on how the team fares this upcoming season.

Mike Sullivan – Sullivan is a two-time Stanley Cup champion as a head coach and has cemented his legacy in the city of Pittsburgh regardless of how his relationship one day ends with the Penguins. While there were many calls last season to relieve Sullivan of his duties, Penguins ownership had little desire to move on from the 55-year-old. Last year the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006, but in the eyes of ownership, it appears that failure rests squarely on the previous management group. The Fenway Sports Group has already shown a lot of faith in Sullivan by extending him prior to the expiration of his current contract and by heavily involving him in the search for the team’s next general manager. At this time, it seems unlikely that Sullivan would be removed unless the Penguins absolutely collapse during the regular season.

While this list is hardly exhaustive, it does give a snapshot of which coaches have had their names bandied about as possible in-season coaching changes. D.J. Smith certainly seems like the likeliest candidate given that he is the only name on the list without a Stanley Cup to his name. But Stanley Cup-winning head coaches have been fired before, and no coach is above being fired no matter how good their track record is.

Summer Synopsis: Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers were a surprise Cinderella story this past spring as they reached the Stanley Cup Finals for just the second time in franchise history. It wasn’t a shocker to see them in the finals, but what was shocking was the path the team took to become the Eastern Conference’s representative in the final series. Florida knocked off the best regular season team of all time in seven games and then quickly dispatched the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round after the Leafs had won their first playoff series since 2004. Most pundits expected the Carolina Hurricanes to bring the Panthers back to reality, but Florida dispatched the Canes in a dominant sweep to reach the finals. Unfortunately for the Panthers the clock struck midnight on the fairy tale, and they ran into the buzzsaw that was the Vegas Golden Knights.

This offseason a lot of the storylines revolving around the team were the injuries they were going to need to navigate to start the 2023-24 season. Matthew Tkachuk is likely to miss the start of the season and Aaron Ekblad could as well. Head coach Paul Maurice has cautioned the teams fans that the club will be in a dog fight to make the playoffs and he likely isn’t wrong. Florida made the playoffs by a single point, and a lot of the teams that fell behind them are much improved heading into next season.

This offseason the Panthers didn’t have the space to make any big splash and didn’t have any assets to make the big trade. But they tweaked around the edges and made some small moves that could pay off.

Draft

2-63: C Gracyn Sawchyn, Seattle (WHL)
4-127: D Albert Wikman, Farjestad Jr. (Sweden-JR.)
5-159: G Olof Glifford, HV 71 U18 (Sweden-JR. U18)
6–191: D Luke Coughlin, Rimouski (QMJHL)
7–198: LW Stepan Zvyagin, Dinamo-Shinnik Jr. (Russia-JR)

Florida didn’t have many draft picks left after making a litany of moves over the past two seasons. While it isn’t surprising to see teams empty the tank when they are in contention, the Panthers were criticized for mortgaging too much of their future at the 2022 trade deadline in moves they made for Claude Giroux and Ben Chiarot.

The club was still able to make some picks to add to their prospect cupboard. Second-round pick Sawchyn was a big-time player for the top team in the WHL this year as the speedster was a point-a-game player helping the Thunderbirds to a WHL championship. While Sawchyn can get around the ice, he has an awkward way of doing it as his powerful stride isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing. Sawchyn has a good set of hands but isn’t likely to be a top-end offensive player in the NHL, he has a very good chance to be an NHL regular as he does possess a wide-ranging skillset.

With their fourth-round pick the Panthers selected Wikman, a smooth skating player who can already get around the ice like a pro. Outside of his ability to move around, there isn’t much more to his game. He isn’t a great puck mover as he lacks a lot of the offensive instincts to get the puck up the ice with any pace. He could be an NHL player as he does have some of the tools needed, but at this point his future is unclear.

Trade Acquisitions

F Steven Lorentz (San Jose)

As mentioned earlier, Florida didn’t have many assets to move this summer in a trade and they made just one move. The Panthers somewhat surprisingly elected to sell low on former 30-goal scorer Anthony Duclair just a year after he posted 31 goals for Florida. In the salary dump, the Panthers acquired a fifth-round pick as well as forward Steven Lorentz from the San Jose Sharks. The 27-year-old Kitchener, Ontario native posted a career-high 10 goals and nine assists last season for the Sharks while averaging almost 12 minutes a night of ice time on a very bad Sharks team. Lorentz won’t fill the scoresheet, but he is a physical player who will make life difficult for opponents and in Florida, he should be able to play in a role that is much more suitable to his skillset.

UFA Signings

C Rasmus Asplund (One year, $775K)

D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (One year, $2.25MM)

D Dmitry Kulikov (One year, $1MM)

RW William Lockwood (Two years, $1.55MM)

D Niko Mikkola (Three years, $7.5MM)

D Mike Reilly (One year, $1MM)

F Evan Rodrigues (Four years, $12MM)

C Kevin Stenlund (One year, $1MM)

G Anthony Stolarz (One year, $1.1MM)

C Alex True (One year, $775K)

The Panthers targeted several defensemen from the buyout market when they bought low on Ekman-Larsson and Reilly. Ekman-Larsson had a forgettable two years in Vancouver and was bought out by the Canucks in a move that will saddle them with a $2.126MM cap hit until 2031. The 32-year-old rearguard is about four years removed from being a top-end defenseman and was in over his head with Vancouver. Now that he isn’t being paid like a number one defenseman, he should be able to slot into a role that is more suitable to his current skillset. Ekman-Larsson should still have some gas in the tank and be able to offer the Panthers decent two-way play at a reasonable cap hit. If he is forced into big minutes, Ekman-Larsson could find himself in a situation not unlike the one he faced with the Canucks.

Reilly was initially a good fit with the Bruins when he was dealt to Boston mid-season in April 2021. So much so, that he signed a three-year $9MM deal with the team that turned sour almost immediately after the ink dried on the paperwork. Last season, Reilly dressed in just ten games for Boston and had just a single assist as he found himself on the outside looking in. A healthy scratch for much of the season, Reilly also found himself playing in the AHL for a stretch as the Bruins tried to find creative ways to keep the 30-year-old in game shape. Reilly should be able to provide the Panthers with some depth minutes while not eating much in the way of cap space. With their depth on the left side, it is unlikely that Florida will need the Chicago, Illinois native to play anything close to the 17 minutes a night that Reilly has averaged during his NHL career, but injuries could complicate matters as they did at times last year for Florida.

Evan Rodrigues was supposed to cash in with a lucrative long-term contract last summer but misjudged the free agent market and had to settle for a one-year $2MM deal with the Colorado Avalanche. Rodrigues had another good year last year posting 16 goals and 23 assists in 69 games while playing in different roles for the Avalanche. Rodrigues has a terrific track record of being like a Swiss army knife for teams to utilize in many different roles. Rodrigues’ former team the Pittsburgh Penguins really missed his reliability and his ability to play almost anywhere in the lineup and it is something Florida should find useful when navigating injuries and other holes that get created in the lineup. Rodrigues might have signed the most lucrative contract of his career, but he is still a bargain at just $3MM per year.

Speaking of former Penguins players, Dmitry Kulikov had a cup of coffee with the Penguins last season after he was acquired in a trade deadline move from Anaheim. The 32-year-old had a largely forgettable campaign as he like everyone else, struggled with the Ducks and found himself getting caved in on most nights. After the trade to Pittsburgh, Kulikov fared much better, but an injury limited him to just six games and the Penguins faded down the stretch as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. On the Panthers, he will likely take bottom pairing minutes on a regular basis and should be able to provide the Panthers with a good depth option, albeit one who won’t provide much offensively.

RFA Re-Signings

D Lucas Carlsson (One year, $775K)*

F Grigori Denisenko (Two years, $1.55MM)

D Casey Fitzgerald (One year, $775K)*

D John Ludvig (Two years $1.55MM)*

C Gerald Mayhew (One year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

The Panthers didn’t have much to worry about in the restricted free agent market as the team took care of most of their business on July 1st. Their highest profile RFA was forward Grigori Denisenko who signed with a slew of other Panthers on July 1st. The 23-year-old forward has dressed in 26 games over parts of three seasons and has yet to score an NHL goal but does have seven assists to his name. Last season the native of Novosibirsk, Russian Federation dressed in a career high 18 games and posted just three assists. At the AHL level, Denisenko posted 12 goals and 24 assists in 56 games with the Charlotte Checkers, however he was -18. At this point in his career, it doesn’t appear as though the former 15th overall pick will live up to his draft position, but the door isn’t shut on him becoming a productive NHL player.

Departures

D Anthony Bitetto (Unsigned)

C Connor Bunnaman (Kärpät, Finnish Liiga)

F Anthony Duclair (Traded to San Jose)

D Radko Gudas (Anaheim, Three Years, $12MM)

F Aleksi Heponiemi (EHC Biel-Switzerland)

F Patric Hornqvist (Retired)

G Alex Lyon (Detroit, Two Years, $1.8MM)

RW Givani Smith (San Jose, Two Years, $1.6MM)

D Marc Staal (Philadelphia, One Year, $1.1MM)

F Colin White (Unsigned)

Its commonplace for teams that go deep in the playoffs to lose an integral part of that team to free agency, and that happened to the Panthers, albeit not as heavy as some team’s experience. Radko Gudas was a force for the Panthers in the playoffs and was a big part of some key moments in their run to the finals. None bigger than his drive to the net on the series-clinching goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gudas cashed in on his moment and moved to the West Coast to be a leader in the Anaheim Ducks rebuild. Gudas will be well compensated for what he brings to the table but should be able to help teach some of Anaheim’s younger players in much the same way he did with Florida. His loss will sting for Panthers fans as he was a noticeable part of the Panthers team identity, even if it didn’t show up on the scoresheet.

Speaking of leadership, the Panthers lost a few other key leaders in Hornqvist and Staal. Staal was effectively replaced on day with the dept signings of Kulikov and Reilly, while Hornqvist was largely a non-factor for the Panthers last year having dressed in just 22 games and was only able to muster up a goal and two assists. Hornqvist was forced to retire and while they will miss what he brings off the ice, he wasn’t able to offer the Panthers much last season on the ice.

The other key loss for Florida will be Anthony Duclair. He only dressed in 20 games last season but is just a year removed for posting 31 goals in the 2021-22 season. Duclair was a salary cap casualty and could flourish in San Jose if he is able to get healthy once again.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Panthers will have an interesting summer in 2024 as they have a few key free agents and not a ton of cap space to make moves. Now they are slated to have just over $26MM available, but they have just two defensemen signed past this year and will have to re-sign Brandon Montour and Sam Reinhart to new deals.

The Sergei Bobrovsky contract has loomed large for a few years now, but the Panthers have always been able to navigate it up until this point. Next summer could be the one in which it becomes prohibitive and problematic should his quality of play decrease.

Florida will be okay if the cap goes up, but if it remains relatively flat, they could see a lot of turnover next year.

Key Questions

Can They Get Back to The Playoffs: Paul Maurice said that Florida will be in tough to make the playoffs and given the improvement of the teams below them in the East (Pittsburgh, Detroit) it is easy to see why. The Penguins were uncharacteristically bad last season, but with Kyle Dubas at the helm they have made monumental changes and should be a playoff team. Detroit shuffled a lot of the furniture around as well and should be better. Can Florida get enough milage out of the remaining core to get back to the playoffs once again? Time will tell.

How Will Injuries Impact The Season? Matthew Tkachuk could barely put on his equipment in the Stanley Cup Finals and will miss the start of the year. Aaron Ekblad suffered multiple injuries in the playoffs and will miss training camp. How will these injuries impact the start of Florida’s season and will they create an overreaction?

Can Bobrovsky Match Last Year’s Success? Bobrovsky found his game in last year’s postseason for the first time in a long time. And while he showed that he can carry a team to the Stanley Cup final, he hasn’t been able to put together much in the way of regular season success having posted a save percentage above .910 only once since joining the Panthers. Will he continue to post elite numbers or will Bobrovsky revert to his previous regular season numbers?

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign A Pair Of Defensemen To PTOs

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CapFriendly has announced that the Pittsburgh Penguins have signed a pair of defensemen to PTOs for their upcoming training camp in September. Mark Pysyk and Libor Hajek have both inked tryout agreements with the Penguins that will give both defenders an opportunity to earn a contract with the team.

Pysyk last played in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22 in a season that saw the Sherwood Park, Alberta native put up three goals and nine assists in 68 games. That season earned him a contract with the Detroit Red Wings for the 2022-23 season, however, the 31-year-old tore his Achilles tendon and missed the entire season.

The 25-year-old Hajek has spent the past five seasons shuttling back and forth between the New York Rangers and their AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack. In 118 AHL games Hajek has three goals and 13 assists, while he has posted four goals and eight assists in 110 NHL games. The former second-round pick has good size at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds but hasn’t found a way to utilize it at the NHL level. He has really struggled with the puck on his stick and is frequently guilty of turning the puck over.

Given where the Penguins are at with the bottom pairing in their defence core, it seems very likely that Hajek will struggle to gain an NHL contract with the team. Pittsburgh already has Ty Smith and Pierre-Olivier Joseph competing for the left-side spot on the third defensive pairing and both men can offer more offensively than Hajek. However, Hajek does have more sandpaper and size, which is something the Penguins are lacking in their lineup. It could make for an interesting battle right up until the season starts.

Pysyk on the other hand offers a lot of intrigue to the team’s training camp. Pittsburgh currently has Chad Ruhwedel pencilled in on the third pairing with Mark Friedman as another player looking to compete for a spot. Should Pysyk be able to regain his form from previous seasons it is very possible that he could bump both of those men down the depth chart and capture that final spot on the Penguins third defensive pairing.

Dallas Stars Sign Jordie Benn To PTO

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The Dallas Stars have signed defenseman Jordie Benn to a PTO that will see the 36-year-old join the team at training camp next month. CapFriendly has reported that Benn will be given a chance to earn a contract with the team that he started his NHL career with in 2011-12. The Victoria, British Columbia native is the older brother of Stars captain Jamie Benn who is coming off a bounce back season and has spent his entire 14-year-career with the team.

Jordie is coming off a season in which he struggled to remain in the NHL. Benn signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in July of 2022 and seemed poised to be their seventh defenseman. However, he struggled with his footspeed and found himself turning the puck over with an alarming frequency. Benn dressed in 12 games for the Leafs and posted just a single goal and one assist. Toronto demoted Benn and he found himself in the AHL for the first time since the 2012-13 season. He fared better with the Toronto Marlies posting two goals and four assists in 23 games but still struggled with his puck handling.

Benn has never been the quickest of skaters, but he isn’t a bad one. However, like most players pushing 40, he has lost a step or two along the way. He doesn’t offer much offensively but he still reads the game well and can contain opponents when the play slows down.

Dallas likely doesn’t have room for Benn to play in the team’s top 6, however, he could crack the Stars lineup as a seventh defenceman. Injuries happen, and as teams have shown over the last few years, it’s never a bad idea to have 8-10 NHL caliber defenceman to rely on in case injuries begin to stack up.

Jake Debrusk Wants To Stay With Boston Bruins

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Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk reportedly wants to stay with the team beyond this season as he is set to become a free agent on July 1st of next year. NHL.com Staff Writer Derek Van Diest writes that the 26-year-old told reporters at the Perry Pearn 3 vs. 3 Hockey Camp that he is hoping to stay with the team that he grew up with.

It’s a departure from how the former first-round pick felt about his future just a short time ago. DeBrusk requested a trade from the Bruins in November of 2021 after he was benched by former Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. He eventually had a change of heart and rescinded his request in 2022. Through all the ups and downs Bruins management supported DeBrusk, as did his teammates.

Last year DeBrusk rewarded the team’s support with the best season of his NHL career. He set career highs with 27 goals and 23 assists in 64 games while posting a +26. It was night and day with his 2020-21 season where he posted career lows with just five goals and nine assists in 41 games.

The Bruins have seen a lot of players depart from the team that won an NHL record 65 games last season. Gone are Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov, and while most teams would struggle to overcome those kinds of losses, the Bruins should be able to remain competitive.

Part of remaining competitive will be to extend their upcoming free agents starting with DeBrusk. The Edmonton, Alberta native has made it clear he wants to stay, but what will his extension look like? A lot of comparisons to Brandon Hagel have been thrown around since he signed his new deal last week. However, Hagel is almost two years younger and put up 30 goals and 34 assists this past season in 81 games. On the flip side, DeBrusk has a longer track record of success and is set to hit unrestricted free agency.

While the players aren’t a mirror image of one another, Hagel’s contract is a pretty good comparison for the Bruins and DeBrusk to utilize as a framework for an extension that both sides appear eager to sign.

Summer Synopsis: Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks hit the lottery this past spring when they won the opportunity to draft junior phenom Connor Bedard. Chicago has been mired in a rebuild for several years without ever calling it a rebuild. That all changed in the summer of 2022 when the Blackhawks made the difficult decision to rip off the band-aid and move out some good players that didn’t fit their rebuild timeline. Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach were two young players that could have helped Chicago in the future, however, they would have been much older than many of Chicago’s good prospects. With their moves this summer, the Blackhawks appear poised to bottom out once again this season, albeit with a much more competitive roster than last year. The Blackhawks brought in a few veterans, presumably to insulate the younger players and teach them how to be good pros, while simultaneously helping the club reach the cap floor. Chicago didn’t seek out top-end veterans, or stars that are in the prime of their career, they overpaid veterans who were at the tail end of their careers.

Draft

1-1: F Connor Bedard, Regina (WHL)
1-19: F Oliver Moore, U.S. U18 National (US National Team)
2-35: G Adam Gajan, Chippewa (NAHL)
2-44: F Roman Kantserov,  Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)
2-55: F Martin Misiak, Youngstown (USHL)
3-67: F Nick Lardis, Hamilton (OHL)
3-93: F Jiri Felcman, Langnau (Swiss-Jr)
3-99: F Alex Pharand, Sudbury (OHL)
4-131: F Marcel Marcel, Gatineau (QMJHL)
5-167: F Milton Oscarson, Orebro (SHL)
6-195: D Janne Peltonen, Kärpät U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

As mentioned earlier, Chicago won the Bedard sweepstakes and was able to draft a generational player to kick off their rebuild. While Chicago was gifted the centerpiece of their franchise moving forward, they will still need to insulate him and provide depth around him in order to win, but they have the hardest thing to acquire already in place.

Chicago opted to go forward-heavy in the 2023 NHL entry draft as they selected nine forwards, a defenseman, and a goaltender. Like most teams, the Blackhawks were surprised to see Moore available at the 19 spot and they were fortunate enough to draft the speedy center. He could potentially become Chicago’s number two centerman behind Bedard if his development goes to plan.

With their first second-round pick the Blackhawks selected goaltender Gajan who at 6-foot-3, has the height to be an NHL goaltender, but he will need to put mass on his 181-pound frame. Goaltending is a very difficult position to project long-term but given his pedigree and his body of work thus far, Gajan could be Chicago’s goalie of the future. He posted a 19-12-1 record in the NAHL with the Chippewa Steel and was terrific at the U20 World Juniors for Slovakia. He is very flexible and has a strong, quick push from one side of the net to the other.

Kantersov was a good choice at 44 as he offers a good blend of speed and skill that could mesh well with Bedard or Moore. The Russian winger is undersized; however, his skating and stickhandling is very fluid, and he could give teams fits if his game does develop so that he can play alongside Chicago’s elite center.

Trade Acquisitions

F Nick Foligno (Boston)
F Taylor Hall (Boston)
F Corey Perry (Tampa Bay)

Chicago weaponized their cap space this summer to acquire former first-overall pick Taylor Hall from the Boston Bruins. The former Hart Trophy winner is coming off a down season in which he still posted 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games with the Bruins and will likely see time alongside Bedard. Hall is due for a bounce back in Chicago as he should see more minutes on the powerplay and will be more than capable of flanking the rookie Bedard.

Coming over in the trade alongside Hall were the signing rights of Nick Foligno. The 35-year-old quickly signed a one-year extension with Chicago for $4MM in a move that largely left people scratching their heads. Foligno did provide Boston with some offense last year as he posted 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games, however, the Bruins had poor possession numbers with Foligno on the ice and it became fairly apparent last season that he is well past his best before date. Foligno’s impacts will probably be greater off the ice than on it as the Buffalo, New York native will offer the young players some guidance and leadership throughout what is sure to be a tough season in the Windy City.

Another veteran who was acquired by the Blackhawks is former Lightning forward Corey Perry. The former Hart Trophy winner isn’t the player he once was, but he has remained an effective bottom-six player at the late stages of his career. Perry put up 31 goals and 34 assists in 163 games in two seasons with the Lightning and should be able to offer some depth scoring and toughness to Chicago’s lineup. His presence is sure to be a positive for the younger players in the Blackhawks lineup, but it comes at a massive cost as Chicago will pay the former Rocket Richard winner $4MM this season.

UFA Signings

F Ryan Donato (Two years, $4MM)

Donato was an under-the-radar signing for the Blackhawks on the first day of unrestricted free agency. His game isn’t splashy, and he won’t tear up the score sheet, but he is a versatile player who can offer a lot to the Blackhawks forward group. Last year in Seattle, Donato posted 14 goals and 13 assists in 71 games as he was part of Seattle’s four-line offensive attack. For the cost of the player Chicago is almost certain to get their money’s worth from the 27-year-old, Donato has been a consistent 25–30-point scorer and is a decent defensive forward.

RFA Re-Signings

F Joey Anderson (one year, $800K) *
F Philipp Kurashev (two years, $4.5MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Kurashev’s arbitration award surprised some people as the 23-year-old was coming off a season in which he posted nine goals and 16 assists in 70 games. While those offensive numbers aren’t anything to write home about, Kurashev does offer responsible play away from the puck that doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet. He also offers youth and is likely only scratching the surface as far as his potential goes and he could one day find himself as Chicago’s number three center when the club is ready to contend.

Anderson came over to Chicago as part of the Jake McCabe trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 25-year-old dressed in 38 games split between Chicago and Toronto and posted six goals and three assists. The native of Roseville, Minnesota has an element of sandpaper in his game that should serve him well in Chicago’s bottom six this season should he make the big club. He also has the ability to separate player from puck evidenced by his 20 takeaways last season. There are certainly warts to Anderson’s game as he is limited offensively, but he is able to play a physical brand of hockey while remaining disciplined.

Departures

F Anders Bjork (AHL Rockford)
D Hunter Drew (AHL Tucson)
D Andreas Englund (Los Angeles, two years, $2MM)
D Jakub Galvas (SHL Malmö Redhawks)
F Maxim Golod (Nybro Vikings IF)
F Cameron Hillis (Detroit, PTO)
D Caleb Jones (Carolina, one year, $775K)
F Jujhar Khaira (Unsigned)
G Anton Khudobin (Unsigned)
F Buddy Robinson (Unsigned)
G Alex Stalock (Anaheim, one year, $800K)
F Michal Teply (AHL Rockford)
F Jonathan Toews (Unsigned)
F Austin Wagner (Unsigned)
D Andy Welinski (Unsigned)

Up front, Toews is the biggest loss for the Blackhawks. He is a Chicago icon and was the face of an era in which the team captured three Stanley Cups. However, Toews future is murky as he has health issues that he’s battled the past few seasons and it is unclear if he will play again.

Outside of Toews, Chicago didn’t have a lot to lose. Caleb Jones seemed like a strange choice for a non-tender candidate, however, given the lack of interest he had in free agency it might have been the right choice for the Blackhawks to not overpay for a depth defenseman, even if he does have some upside.

Englund found a role with the Kings in Los Angeles which was a surprise given how little he has shown at the NHL level. The 27-year-old defenseman has dressed in 80 NHL games split over five seasons and has yet to score and has just seven assists during that time. He was acquired in the Jack Johnson trade with Colorado and really didn’t show much during his time in Chicago. The Blackhawks opted to let the Swede walk and he surprisingly was able to find a multi-year deal with Los Angeles who were looking to add some physicality to their back end.

Salary Cap Outlook

Few teams have less money committed long term than the Blackhawks. Chicago has just two players signed to NHL money beyond next season in Seth Jones and Connor Murphy. That flexibility will be necessary when Connor Bedard comes out of his ELC in three seasons and if some of the Blackhawks’ top prospects begin to flourish.

The Seth Jones contract is an albatross on their books given where his game is at, however by the time his deal becomes a major problem the Salary Cap will have likely increased by a significant amount. Teams always seem to find ways to rid themselves of bad contracts, particularly when the cap is going up so Chicago should have no issue in dealing with Jones deal should it become problematic.

Key Questions

Can Chicago Win Games: The Blackhawks will win some games, it’s inevitable when they play 82 times a year. But how many games they will win is an interesting question. This is a bad hockey team on paper, but hockey is a funny game and even bad teams can fluke their way into a few wins a year. Chicago doesn’t have much offensively beyond Bedard and Hall, but they will have decent depth on their fourth line and might make it difficult for teams on some nights.  They will likely finish near the bottom of the league when the season is over, but I don’t believe it will be as bad as some people think.

How Many Points Will Bedard Score? Not since Connor McDavid has there been this much hype over a first-overall pick. Auston Matthews was close, but Bedard is in a different stratosphere. Will he put up 100 points in his rookie season like Sidney Crosby? Or will the NHL season grind away at his offensive prowess? Bedard is going to have to drag a bad team on his back through the season and it’s going to be interesting to see how far he can take them.

Who Will Play With Connor? Chicago acquired Hall to presumably play with Bedard on the top line. While he is certainly one of their most gifted players with the puck, there are no guarantees that Hall and Bedard will find chemistry together. Corey Perry was another player Chicago targeted early in the summer and despite his limitations at this stage in his career, he knows how to play with offensively elite players. Chicago will have the benefit of not having any expectations this season, which opens the door for the club to experiment with different players throughout their lineup. Perhaps a young prospect will emerge to become Bedard’s running mate. Only time will tell.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Carolina Hurricanes Ink Nick Shore To A PTO

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes have added another PTO to their upcoming training camp as the club has announced that they’ve inked forward Nick Shore to a PTO. Shore last dressed in an NHL game back in 2019-20 when he split the season between the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs. Shore scored three goals and three assists that season in 63 games and hasn’t found an NHL job since.

Shore was on a point-a-game pace in the AHL when he was promoted to the NHL and began his career with the Los Angeles Kings. Unfortunately for the Denver, Colorado native, his offensive success in the AHL didn’t translate to the big leagues and Shore was in a constant struggle to crack 15 points a season.

In 2017-18 Shore posted a career-high 19 points in 64 games split between the Kings, the Ottawa Senators, and the Calgary Flames. During that year Shore was packaged with Marián Gáborík and shipped to Ottawa in return for Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson. Then 12 days later was flipped to the Flames for a seventh-round pick. He went unsigned through that summer and eventually signed in the KHL.

Shore would then take one more shot in the NHL signing with the Maple Leafs in 2019, but in that final NHL season, he struggled to find a role and find the scoresheet. His play overseas saw better offensive numbers as last year Shore spent 25 games with HV71 of the SHL and had five goals and 13 assists while going +7.

The 30-year-old will be in tough to crack the Hurricanes lineup as he will be battling against Carolina’s depth and their prospects who will be hungry to prove their worth at training camp. The Canes don’t have the best prospect pipeline, but it certainly isn’t without solid forward prospects and Shore will have to prove he can provide enough to the club in order to block a younger player from playing in the NHL.

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