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West Notes: Oilers, Ceci, Binnington

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The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to let Philip Broberg go and to trade Cody Ceci has opened up a hole in their top four that Josh Wegman of The Score believes should be filled via trade before the NHL trade deadline. This week, the Oilers have been checking in on multiple veteran defensemen who remain free agents, but Wegman believes they will seek a better solution before the playoffs.

Wegman lists Marcus Pettersson, Jakob Chychrun, and Ivan Provorov as potential targets as all three men are pending unrestricted free agents. He also believes that the Oilers could look for a longer-term solution and seek a player with some years left on their contract such as  Mike Matheson, Connor Murphy, or Radko Gudas. The Oilers have been linked to former Oilers Tyson Barrie and Justin Schultz this week, as well as former Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. While all of those defensemen have had solid NHL careers, they are not great options for a Stanley Cup-contending team looking to round out their second defensive pairing.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal doesn’t believe that defenseman Cody Ceci will remain in a San Jose Sharks uniform for very long. The recently traded defenseman has one year left on his current contract with a cap hit of $3.25MM and will likely be dealt to a contending team before next year’s NHL trade deadline. Ceci has never been an analytics darling and probably shouldn’t be a top-four defenseman on a contending team, but as a bottom-pairing defender, he could bring a lot of value to a team looking to add some experience to the backend of their lineup.
  • St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was reportedly very happy with the recent moves made by Blues general manager Doug Armstrong (as per Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com). Binnington told Zeisberger that the successful offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg showed current Blues players that Armstrong had faith in the group, which will motivate the club as they head into training camp. Binnington added that the additions to the Blues should help make the team more competitive next season as they will be a faster group that is harder for opponents to play against.

Summer Synopsis: Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t had much success in recent years but they do appear poised to turn the corner very soon. Whether that turn happens next season or not remains to be seen, but the Blackhawks certainly seem ready to move their rebuild into the next phase adding plenty of veterans to create a mix with their younger players. Chicago is unlikely to be a playoff team next season, but given the veterans they’ve added and young phenom Connor Bedard ready to take the next step, it isn’t impossible to imagine them in the playoff picture come spring 2025.

Draft

1-2: D Artyom Levshunov, Michigan State (NCAA)
1-18: F Sacha Boisvert,  Muskegon (USHL)
1-27: F Marek Vanacker, Brantford (OHL)
3-67: F John Mustard, Waterloo (USHL)
3-72: F AJ Spellacy, Windsor (OHL)
3-92: F Jack Pridham, West Kelowna (BCHL)
5-138: F Joel Svensson, Vaxjo HC (J20 Nationell)
6-163: D Ty Henry, Erie (OHL)

The Blackhawks once again had a top pick in 2024 and used it to select Michigan State defenseman Levshunov. The 18-year-old from Belarus is a mobile defenseman who can make offense happen in a number of different ways boasting an excellent shot as well as lethal passing and explosiveness to his game that allows him to create open ice for himself out of nothing. He’s not just an offensive defenseman as his size and maneuverability allow him to play a steady defensive game.

The Blackhawks’ second pick in the first round was a goal scorer in Boisvert. The Trois-Rivières, Quebec native is a threat to score from all over the ice with his big one-timer and a solid wrist shot that is difficult for goaltenders to pick up. He can also score in tight, boasting a very good net-front presence and the ability to finish under pressure. The knock on Boisvert is his skating, which is very much a work in progress.

With their third and final first-round pick the Blackhawks drafted Brantford forward Vanacker out of the OHL. The Delhi, Ontario native has been called a cerebral player because of his ability to time his drives into open space and his knack for identifying soft coverage. He is a solid back checker and can create odd-man opportunities in transition. Vanacker has a solid offensive game, a good shot and a strong powerful skating stride that can open up space and also allow him to drive to the net with speed.

Outside of the first round, Chicago added five additional prospects to the pipeline with the most notable being John Mustard who notched 29 goals and 27 assists in 60 USHL games last season. Mustard’s 29 goals led all USHL rookies and helped him earn USHL Rookie of the Year honors.

Trade Acquisitions

F Ilya Mikheyev (Vancouver)

Chicago scooped up Canucks cast off Mikheyev in a salary cap dump alongside a second-round pick and the signing rights to Sam Lafferty. Although Chicago never re-signed Lafferty, the real centerpiece of the deal was the second-round pick. But now Chicago has a player in Mikheyev who will be looking to re-capture his scoring touch after a difficult season in Vancouver that saw him post just 11 goals and 20 assists in 78 regular season games. The Canucks retained 15% of Mikheyev’s cap hit which means the Blackhawks are on the hook for just over $4MM annually for the next two seasons.

Mikheyev’s fall from grace took just two short years in Vancouver after he was billed as a marquee signing back in 2022. Vancouver hoped they were paying a player who was only scratching the surface, but in retrospect, Vancouver overpaid a player who hadn’t yet established himself as a scoring winger and gave him scoring winger money. Ultimately, the free agent signing backfired, and Vancouver was forced to staple an asset to  Mikheyev in order to move on from his contract.

For Chicago, they get a player who can provide them with some depth scoring if he stays healthy. The versatile 29-year-old can play a two-way game which should allow Chicago to play him up and down their lineup as they try to mix in all the new pieces they’ve acquired this summer. Mikheyev has enough skill to play in Chicago’s top six, but if he is not a fit his game would allow him to be a complimentary piece on one of the team’s bottom two lines.

UFA Signings

F Joey Anderson (two-year, $1.6MM)
F Tyler Bertuzzi (four-year, $22MM)
D T.J. Brodie (two-year, $7.5MM)
G Laurent Brossoit (two-year, $6.6MM)
F Pat Maroon (one-year, $1.3MM)
D Alec Martinez (one-year, $4MM)
F Craig Smith (one-year, $1MM)
F Teuvo Teravainen (three-year, $16.2MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Chicago was busy on July 1st, signing a plethora of players in an effort to insulate some of their up-and-coming prospects. The Blackhawks were aggressive up front, signing Bertuzzi and Teravainen to presumably play in their top six (possibly next to Bedard) and also signed veteran depth forwards Maroon and Smith.

Bertuzzi wasn’t great in Toronto last season, but he wasn’t bad either. The 29-year-old never really seemed to settle in with Toronto and appeared in search of a role until later in the season. Bertuzzi remained a play driver in Toronto but slumped at various times and was snake-bitten for small parts of the year. In Chicago, it is expected that he will take a top-six spot and will be relied on to continue going to the net to be a disrupter for the Blackhawks and hopefully find a way to gel more effectively with their skilled players than he did in Toronto.

Chicago’s other big forward signing was Teravainen who comes over from the Hurricanes. The 29-year-old had to settle for a three-year deal but could be a bargain for Chicago if he can return to the 50–60-point player that he has been in five of the past seven seasons. Teravainen is ideally suited for the middle six but might have to play top-line minutes in Chicago next season. He isn’t a particularly strong or tough player to play against, but he is an excellent passer who has good offensive instincts and should help drive Chicago’s possession numbers when he is on the ice.

On the back end, Chicago signed a couple of veteran defensemen in Brodie and Martinez. Brodie lost his way towards the end of his stay in Toronto as he went from being an excellent defender who could move the puck out of the defensive zone to a turnover machine in very short order. Brodie’s two-year deal is low risk for Chicago, particularly if he is used on the bottom pair, but if his play resembles that of last season and if his skating isn’t there, his signing might be one that Chicago regrets.

At 37, it’s hard to say how much longer Alec Martinez can continue to block shots the way he does. But his veteran presence and penalty killing will be welcomed in Chicago, particularly for a young defenseman like Kevin Korchinski who could learn a lot from a grizzled veteran like Martinez. The three-time Stanley Cup champion will likely be a third-paring defenseman for Chicago (alongside Brodie) and asking any more of him at this late stage of his career could be problematic.

RFA Re-Signings

D Louis Crevier (one-year, $775K)*
C Cole Guttman (one-year, $775K)*
D Isaak Phillips (one-year, $775K)*
F Lukas Reichel (two-year, $2.4MM)
F Zach Sanford (one-year, $775K)*
F Brett Seney (one-year, $775K)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Chicago had a relatively quiet summer on the RFA market thus far, signing mostly depth pieces to two-way contracts while only signing Lukas Reichel to a one-way contract. Reichel looked like a gamer during an extended NHL stay in 2022-23 potting seven goals and eight assists in 23 games while showing off his speed and playmaking ability. But last season his game came crashing down to earth as he struggled during his first full NHL season. The 22-year-old tallied just five goals and 11 assists in 65 games and was crushed in the possession department registering a CF% of just 40.9% at even strength. He will get another look next season but will need to show the Blackhawks a lot more than he did this past year.

Guttman could get a look next season in the NHL if injuries become a problem for Chicago, but he is unlikely to start the year with the team. The undersized forward has had a cup of coffee in the NHL the past two seasons, dressing in 41 games and posting eight goals and six assists, but hasn’t been able to establish himself as an everyday NHLer. At 25 years of age, Guttman could still carve out a role in Chicago, but at this stage, it would likely fall in the Blackhawks bottom six and could be as a 13th forward.

Departures

C Colin Blackwell (Dallas, one-year, $775K)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (Florida, one-year, $775K)*
F David Gust (unsigned UFA)
F Mike Hardman (New Jersey, two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Reese Johnson (Minnesota, one-year, $775K)*
C Tyler Johnson (unsigned UFA)
F Sam Lafferty (Buffalo, two-year, $4MM)
D Jaycob Megna (Florida, one-year, $775K)*
C Luke Philp (Washington, one-year, $775K)*
F Rem Pitlick (unsigned UFA)
F Taylor Raddysh (Washington, one year, $1MM)
D Filip Roos (Ottawa, one-year, $775K)*
G Jaxson Stauber (Utah, one-year, $775K)*
F Michal Teply (signed in Czech Extraliga)
D Jarred Tinordi (unsigned UFA)
D Nikita Zaitsev (signed in KHL)

* denotes a two-way contract

Chicago’s departures aren’t likely to keep management up at night as the team let a lot of depth players walk to open up roster slots for more effective players. Chicago was able to clear several bloated contracts with the departures of Zaitsev and Tyler Johnson and quickly used that money to add veteran pieces in free agency.

Johnson was probably the most effective of the departing players, posting 17 goals and 14 assists last season in 67 games. But at 34 years old Chicago opted to move on from the two-time Stanley Cup winner. Chicago doesn’t have great depth down the middle outside of Bedard, but despite this Chicago still opted to pass on re-signing Johnson.

On Chicago’s backend, Zaitsev’s departure won’t cause anyone in Chicago to lose sleep as he was largely a non-factor during his stay in the Windy City. Tinordi was another departure for the Blackhawks and despite his physicality, Chicago made an upgrade on the free-agent market by replacing him with the likes of Brodie and Martinez.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Blackhawks will enter training camp with just under $6.7MM in available cap space which should give them plenty of options depending on the direction their season takes. If the Blackhawks have a strong start to the season, they could look to add to their NHL roster and would have both the assets and salary cap space to do so. If their season falls off the rails and they become sellers, they could take on bad contracts from teams that are looking to make in-season moves. Long term, Chicago has a ton of cap space going forward, but that room will begin to shrink as their young prospects develop and come off their entry-level contracts looking for their first big payday in the NHL.

Key Questions

How Much Will Bedard Elevate His Game? Bedard had a solid rookie season, posting 22 goals and 39 assists on a very bad team. While he didn’t have a lot of help last season, he did manage to almost score a point a game and should be a lock to do so next season when he has a much better-supporting cast. But just how much better will Bedard be on his own? Bedard has been labelled a phenom and compared to both Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, two players who elevated their games after their rookie season.  Crosby had 102 points as a rookie before registering 120 points in his Hart Trophy-winning second season, while McDavid had 48 points in 45 games as a rookie but dialled it up considerably in his second year tallying 100 points in 82 games. If Bedard’s career follows the same trajectory as the men he has been compared to, it’s not inconceivable to think he could hit 100 points next season.

When Should The Team Name Bedard The Captain? We all know that it’s just a matter of time before the Blackhawks name Bedard as team captain. Crosby was named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins after his second NHL season, and both he and McDavid were just 19 years old when they were given the C by their respective teams. Time will tell when Chicago chooses to anoint Bedard as their next captain, but if it happens this season, he will have plenty of veteran support to help him lead the team.

Just How Much Better Will Chicago Be Next Season?  Chicago struggled badly with injuries last season to the point where they were calling the staff of PHR to suit up for the team. Okay, maybe things weren’t quite that bad, but the Blackhawks had to dig deep into the ranks of Rockford to ice an NHL team as they lost a league-high 351-man games to injury. A healthy lineup alone should guarantee Chicago a few extra points in the standings, but their roster has also improved significantly. Last season Chicago had the worst offense in the league, Bertuzzi and Teravainen should help in that regard. Chicago also finished 29th in goals against and should be aided by the defensive additions of Martinez and Brodie, as well as Brossoit in the net who should help to stabilize things between the pipes.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Evening Notes: International Games, Canucks, Landeskog

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The NHL is hoping to continue entering into new markets overseas as it grows its international footprint  (as per Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com). Bill Daly spoke on the European Player Media Tour today and said that the NHL has a pretty comfortable rotation of international games in Finland, Sweden and Czechia, but added that the league will likely change things up in the immediate future.

The NHL has played 20 regular season games in Europe since 2017 and 13 preseason games in Europe, Asia, and Australia and as Daly highlighted, the league would like to go back to London to play games as well as Germany and Switzerland. Daly was asked if the league would consider a return to Australia and Daly was non-committal saying that the league had a good experience down there but they haven’t begun to explore a return trip.

In other evening notes:

  • The Vancouver Canucks are expected to announce a new AHL goaltender coach to replace the recently promoted Marko Torenius who has joined the team at the NHL level (as per Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet). Torenius was appointed to replace current head goalie coach and director of goaltending Ian Clark after Clark asked for a new position with the team to begin his transition to an off-ice role.  No word yet on who might be up for the role, but they will join a new-look AHL coaching staff after Vancouver hired Manny Malhotra as head coach of Abbotsford back in May to replace Jeremy Colliton.
  • Corey Masisak of The Denver Post is reporting that Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return to the lineup is now a matter of time and no longer an uncertainty. Landeskog reportedly told a fan that he’ll play this year, but he wasn’t sure in what game. The 31-year-old hasn’t played a game since he hoisted the Stanley Cup with his teammates in June 2022 and would be a welcome return for a team that doesn’t boast the depth it used to. Landeskog had 30 goals and 29 assists during the 2021-22 season in just 51 games and was a key catalyst in their run to the championship registering 11 goals and 11 assists in 20 playoff games.

Evening Notes: Bowman, Armstrong, Stone

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Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman didn’t close the door on adding to his roster between now and the start of the regular season. The Oilers have been busy this week making multiple trades and dealing with the fallout of the offer sheet saga with the St. Louis Blues. Bowman didn’t get into any specifics as far as adding to the Oilers lineup but did comment that they have the capability to do so if there is a player out there that makes sense.

Edmonton is pretty set at forward, but their defense leaves a lot to be desired outside of their top pairing. There are a lot of question marks on the bottom two pairings and one could argue they don’t have another top-four defenseman beyond Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers won’t find a second-pairing defenseman in free agency but could look at Kevin Shattenkirk as an option to fill the void. Shattenkirk was just fine last season for the Bruins in a depth role and averaged nearly 20 minutes a game just two seasons ago. He isn’t an ideal second-pairing defenseman, but he is probably a better option than what the Oilers are currently looking to deploy on the right side of their second unit.

In other evening notes:

  • St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong spoke today about offer sheets and said he isn’t aware of any GM code regarding the little-used tactic. Armstrong used two offer sheets last week to pry Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg away from the Edmonton Oilers and poured water on the notion that he wouldn’t have done so if former Oilers general manager Ken Holland was still on the job. Armstrong added that he would have tendered the offer sheets to Edmonton even if his own mother was in charge of the team. Offer sheets remain rare in the NHL, and a team using two of them in the same summer is unheard of.
  • Vegas Golden Knights writer Gary Lawless spoke with captain Mark Stone recently to discuss the upcoming season. Stone told Lawless that he expects to play 82 games next season after a spleen injury limited him to just 56 games last season. Those 56 games marked a high mark in games played for the 32-year-old since the 2019-20 season when he dressed in 65 games. Stone also added that he’s hoping to make Team Canada for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-off as well as the next Olympics which is certainly a possibility if the Winnipeg, Manitoba native can stay healthy. Stone was terrific in limited time last season, posting 16 goals and 37 assists in the aforementioned 56 games.

Latest On Ryan Johansen

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Ryan Johansen was placed on unconditional waivers this morning by the Philadelphia Flyers for the purposes of terminating his contract. Since the initial reporting more news has come out regarding the 32-year-old’s contract situation with the Flyers. Anthony DiMarco of Daily Faceoff tweeted that he’s hearing that Philadelphia feels that they have grounds to terminate the deal based on the alleged hip injury that Johansen reported after he cleared waivers in March and was sent to the AHL.

Johansen initially flew in to join Lehigh Valley shortly after the trade to the Flyers from the Colorado Avalanche in March and met with Phantoms doctors (as per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic). Not much is known about what was discussed at that time, but Johansen never dressed after that initial meeting. The injury caught Philadelphia off guard because Johansen had played in all of Colorado’s games leading up to the trade and was part of the Avalanche’s morning skate the day of the trade to Philadelphia.

Johansen’s agent Kurt Overhardt added to the intrigue by tweeting that Johansen has a severe hockey injury that will require surgery and the procedure is already scheduled for a future date. He also added that he was disappointed in Philadelphia’s decision and would work with the NHLPA to defend Johansen.

The Flyers reportedly intend to use the cap space if Johansen’s money comes off the books (as per DiMarco) but would need to keep that money available should Johansen’s grievance prove successful.

Summer Synopsis: Buffalo Sabres

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The Buffalo Sabres haven’t played in a playoff game in more than a decade even though they have drafted in the top 10 on almost an annual basis. Despite the Sabres being a mess for much of this time, there have been a few instances where it seems like the team is ready to turn the corner and get back into the postseason. Last year it felt like the team would remain in contention for a wild card spot but once again they exited the playoff picture early. This year it is hard to gauge whether or not Buffalo will be in the mix as an uneven summer has left some fans scratching their heads and wondering when this team will once again be a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Draft

1-14: C Konsta Helenius, Jukurit (Liiga)
2-42: D Adam Kleber,  Lincoln (USHL)
3-71: F Brodie Ziemer, USNTDP
4-108: D Luke Osburn, Youngstown (USHL)
4-123: D Simon-Pier Brunet, Drummondville (QMJHL)
6-172: D Patrick Geary, Michigan State University (NCAA)
7-204: F Vasili Zelenov, RB Hockey Juniors
7-219: G Ryerson Leenders, Mississauga (OHL)

The Sabres don’t have a ton of recent experience drafting outside of the top 10 but this year they picked Helenius with the 14th overall pick. The youngster from Ylojarvi, Finland played at home last season in the top league and registered a respectable 14 goals and 22 assists in 51 regular season games which isn’t far off of the 48 points Aleksander Barkov’s scored in the league as an under-18-year-old. Helenius plays a high-energy game and plays much bigger than his size, he is a good forechecker and is responsible defensively. Helenius does everything pretty well and should be a good two-way player in the NHL.

Buffalo selected Kleber in the second round after he helped Team USA earn bronze at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer. The massive 6’6” defenseman is committed to playing next season at the University of Minnesota Duluth and should continue to develop into a strong defensive defenseman. Kleber isn’t the prettiest skater, but he gets around the ice well for a big man which allows him to cover a lot of ground in the defensive zone. His offensive instincts aren’t strong, nor is his ability with the puck but he does offer a solid breakout pass which should aid him in his defensive work.

The Sabres used their third-round pick to draft another undersized forward in Ziemer who had a solid season with the U.S. National Team Development Program tallying 27 goals and 43 assists in 61 games which was good enough for fourth on the team in points. Ziemer has a good shot and is good in tight spaces around the net, his offensive instincts allow him to find soft areas on the ice to capitalize on breakdowns in coverage.

Trade Acquisitions

F Ryan McLeod (Edmonton)
F Tyler Tullio (Edmonton)

Buffalo traded Matthew Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers for McLeod and Tullio in what many analysts felt was a sell-low move by the Sabres. Savoie was drafted ninth overall by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL entry draft and many believed he would be a huge part of their core moving forward. But with the trade to Edmonton, all of Savoie’s upside goes out the door and Buffalo makes the move for the player who is a safer bet but has a much lower upside.

McLeod is a proven NHL player, and at just 24 years old he has improved in every NHL season. Last year he tallied 12 goals and 18 assists in 81 regular season games but had just four goals in 24 playoff games. McLeod has some upside of his own and is a bit of an analytics darling, but if his finishing abilities remain the same, Buffalo could end up coming out on the bad end of the trade.

UFA Signings

F Nicolas Aube-Kubel (one-year, $1.5MM)
F Josh Dunne (two-year, $1.55MM)*
D Dennis Gilbert (one-year, $825K)
F Mason Jobst (one-year, $775K)*
F Sam Lafferty (two-year, $4MM)
F Brett Murray (one-year, $775K)*
D Jack Rathbone (one-year, $775K)*
G James Reimer (one-year, $1MM)
D Colton Poolman (one-year, $775K)*
G Felix Sandstrom (one-year, $775K)*
F Jason Zucker (one-year, $5MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

The Sabres bought out Jeff Skinner this summer and opened up a significant amount of cap space which excited Sabres fans that the team would make some big moves to try and get back into the playoff picture. Ultimately the team whiffed in free agency and settled into a series of underwhelming signings that appeared more like panic moves than pieces of a plan falling into place.

Zucker is a solid NHL veteran who has been a 20-goal scorer in the NHL on multiple occasions. However, the fact that he was the Sabres big splash certainly alarmed some fans. Zucker can still play but is overpaid at this stage of his career and isn’t much of a playdriver. Zucker has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career but could provide the Sabres with solid veteran minutes if he can remain in the lineup.

Lafferty is another former Pittsburgh Penguin who is a solid depth forward. He finally had a breakthrough in recent seasons and was terrific last year for the Vancouver Canucks posting a career-high 13 goals and 11 assists in 79 games. While Lafferty has firmly established himself as a regular NHLer, he isn’t going to move the needle offensively or offer a significant improvement on some of the Sabres departures from last season.

Aube-Kubel is another fourth liner that the Sabres brought in to try and improve their bottom six. The 28-year-old has been a solid pro for several years but is a few seasons removed from being a good fourth-line scoring option and a $1.5MM AAV feels like an overpay given the players that remain on the free agent market who are still looking for work and are likely to sign for league minimum.

RFA Re-Signings

D Jacob Bryson (one-year, $900K)
D Kale Clague (one-year $775K)*
D Henri Jokiharju (one-year, $3.1MM)
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (five-year, $23.75MM)
F Beck Malenstyn (two-year, $2.7MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Buffalo’s big RFA signing was locking up netminder Luukkonen to a five-year deal. UKL could be poised for a breakout season and the Sabres opted to lock him up and avoid having to dish out a more significant extension in the near future. The 25-year-old’s new deal does come with a significant amount of risk though as last year was his first season as a starter and his sample size beyond that isn’t overly big.

Buffalo also acquired Malenstyn in a trade with the Washington Capitals that was received with lukewarm reviews at best. Malenstyn then signed a two-year extension with the Sabres and will most likely be counted on to play fourth-line minutes. He plays an honest game, gets around the ice well and should open up room for his teammates but given what the Sabres gave up getting him, they better hope that the 26-year-old has more to his game than what he showed in Washington.

Departures

F Brandon Biro (Seattle, one-year, $775K)*
D Joseph Cecconi (Minnesota, one-year, $775K)*
G Eric Comrie (Winnipeg, one-year, $825K)
D Jeremy Davies (Ottawa, one-year, $775K)*
F Zemgus Girgensons (Tampa Bay, three-year, $2.55MM)
C Tyson Jost (Carolina, one-year, $775K)
F Victor Olofsson (Vegas, one-year, $1.075MM)
F Justin Richards (signed with Düsseldorfer EG of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga)
F Eric Robinson (Carolina, one-year, $950K)
F Matthew Savoie (traded to Edmonton)
D Calle Sjalin (signed with Rögle BK of the SHL)
F Jeff Skinner (Edmonton, one-year, $3MM)
D Riley Stillman (Carolina, one-year, $775K)*
G Dustin Tokarski (unsigned UFA)
F Linus Weissbach (signed in SHL)

* denotes a two-way contract

Buffalo’s biggest departure was Skinner who left the team after a volatile six seasons. Skinner was a 40-goal scorer in Buffalo in his first season but never lived up to expectations after signing his eight-year $72MM extension in June 2019. He did score 30 goals in three of his six seasons in Buffalo, but his shortcomings defensively became too much to ignore, particularly when he went into scoring droughts.

The remaining Sabres departures were of the depth variety, with most of them being players who were playing in the team’s bottom six. Girgensons moved onto Tampa Bay after ten years in Buffalo, and while it is always difficult to see a tenured player leave town, his on-ice production should be easy to replace.

Olofsson is a three-time 20-goal scorer and scored 28 goals just last year but given how little he provides when the puck isn’t going in, Buffalo opted to move on from the player. Olofsson can skate and can create offense with his playmaking as well, but his defensive shortcomings became a problem in Buffalo, and his size created more issues, particularly when contests became physical.

Salary Cap Outlook

Buffalo enters August with just under $8.5MM in projected cap space which is more than enough room to sign their remaining RFA Peyton Krebs. The Sabres are positioned well for the future as most of their core is locked up long-term to reasonable contracts and the cap will be increasing in future seasons. The Skinner buyout will be a burden between 2025-2027, which makes the decision to buy him out this summer all the more puzzling given that they still haven’t utilized that additional cap space to get better.

Key Questions

Can The Scorers Rebound? Almost all of Buffalo’s offensive stars struggled last season, with some of them taking massive dips in production. The hope is that a new coaching staff can spark the offense to get back to their offensive numbers from the 2022-23 season. Buffalo doesn’t have a lot of offensive pieces in their bottom six, which creates additional pressure on the top two lines. Tage Thompson will be counted on to stay healthy and get back to the 40-goal mark as will Dylan Cozens and Alex Tuch who both had 20-point drops last season.

Will Jack Quinn Stay Healthy? Quinn has dealt with a series of injuries in his first two seasons as an NHLer, and while the former eighth-overall pick has been productive when healthy, he still needs to prove he can play for an entire season. The Cobden, Ontario native is likely to be a fixture in the Sabres top-6 for years to come, but first, he must prove he can be a fixture for an entire season. Quinn had nine goals and 10 assists in 27 games last season which averages out to a 58-point pace over an entire season and demonstrates just how effective Quinn can be offensively when he is healthy. Much of the Sabres playoff hopes will rise and fall on the performance of their top-6 and if Quinn can be a regular contributor, it will be huge for Buffalo.

Can Lindy Ruff Change This Group?  Ruff was hired to bring change into the organization by teaching this group structure and how to be accountable to each other. But the biggest thing the Sabres need Ruff to bring is stability given that Ruff was fired by Buffalo during the 2012-13 season and since then the Sabres have had six head coaches and no playoff appearances. The Sabres need Ruff to find a balance between letting the stars play and also having everyone buy into a system that allows the team to win games and get back to the playoffs. Ruff may or may not be the coach to do that and he likely wasn’t at the top of many wish lists in Buffalo, but he will have the team working hard and playing for each other, which might be just the thing to get the team back into the playoff picture.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Evening Notes: Flames, Getzlaf, Glass

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Calgary Flames players have reportedly been told that the team is unlikely to add any other pieces between now and the beginning of the regular season (as per Elliotte Friedman of the 32 Thoughts podcast). Friedman added that the Flames’ management wants to get a look at their group and see how they start the season, which makes sense given the turnover that has occurred in Calgary.

The Flames barely resemble the team that started the 2023-24 season, as most of the veteran players have been dealt to other teams in the past 12 months, including Jacob Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane, who were both traded to Eastern Conference teams this summer. Calgary has largely tried to avoid calling their roster construction a rebuild, and in their defense, they did add a few veterans this summer on short-term deals. However, the team is certainly in sell mode, and they will likely look to move out more names during the regular season as they get closer to the NHL trade deadline.

In other evening notes:

  • Former Anaheim Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf has left the organization to join the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (as per NHL announcement). The two-time Olympic gold medalist will be reunited with his former Ducks teammate George Parros and will work in some capacity for the NHL. It is unclear what exactly Getzlaf will do, but as Parros noted today in a press release, Getzlaf’s experience on the ice should have a lot of value for the department. The former Stanley Cup champion retired after the 2021-22 season and re-joined Anaheim just over a year later in June 2023, serving as the player development coordinator for the team.
  • Newly acquired Pittsburgh Penguins forward Cody Glass entered this summer to work on his speed during his offseason training (as per Nick Kieser of the Nashville Predators radio network).  Glass knew that he wasn’t good enough last season for Nashville and was feeling the pressure heading into the summer as he will be a restricted free agent on July 1st, 2025. If Glass can improve his speed next season, it could be a good fit with the Penguins, as Pittsburgh hasn’t had much speed in their bottom six since they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan loves to use speed and deploy an aggressive forecheck, and if Glass can work on that part of his game, he could find himself in the top nine next year.

Summer Synopsis: Boston Bruins

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The Boston Bruins have had a lot of regular-season success over the past few years, but it hasn’t translated into a lengthy playoff run. They’ve managed to stay in contention despite a bevy of on-ice personnel losses and re-tooled this summer, signing some lucrative long-term contracts with top-tier free agents. With an aging core that knows how to win, Boston has elected to run it back again over the next few seasons and should be formidable when the puck drops on the regular season this fall.

Draft

1-25: C Dean Letourneau, St. Andrews College (High-ON)
4-110: D Elliott Groenewold,  Cedar Rapids (USHL)
5-154: C Jonathan Morello, St. Michaels (OJHL)
6-186: D Loke Johansson, AIK Jr. (Sweden-Jr.)

The Bruins didn’t have much of an opportunity to re-stock the prospect cupboards at this year’s NHL entry draft, however, they did manage to snag a first-round pick in the Linus Ullmark trade which they promptly used to draft the towering Letourneau. The Ottawa Valley native played prep school hockey in Ontario this past season and led St. Andrew’s with 61 goals and 66 assists in 56 games. Scouts sometimes have difficulty assessing prep school hockey players relative to their peers. Still, given Letourneau’s size and length, it was hard for the Bruins to pass on a player who looks like a prototypical Boston player.

Boston selected the 18-year-old Groenewold in the fourth round of the draft after he appeared in 57 games for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL last season. The 200-pound, 6-foot-2 defenseman is committed to Quinnipiac University for next season and will look to continue developing his game as a defensive defenseman. Groenewold is a player who could give Boston a real defensive presence on their back end, as he is effective at clearing the area around his crease and is known to win puck battles in the defensive zone.

A fifth-round pick. Morello was a point-a-game player in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (57 points in 50 games). However, his playoffs were different, as he tallied 12 goals and nine assists in 11 games. Some scouts believe he could be just scratching the surface, while others wonder if he has an NHL role. Boston likely views Morello as a project, but given his solid skating and size, he was worth a roll of the dice in the fifth round.

Trade Acquisitions

F Mark Kastelic (Ottawa)
G Joonas Korpisalo (Ottawa)
C Vinni Lettieri (Minnesota)

Boston had to move on from Ullmark this summer but was likely hoping to avoid taking back a lousy goalie contract, precisely what they did. Boston acquired Korpisalo for Ullmark but did get him at a reduced rate for the next four seasons ($3MM AAV), which could be an okay contract if the 30-year-old can return to the form he showed during the 2022-23 season. Korpisalo has always been a talented netminder and a great athlete, however, he’s never been able to maintain consistency through a long stretch which is why he’s out of Ottawa one year into a five-year deal.

Boston also received Kastelic in the Ullmark trade. The 6’4” forward could be a solid fourth-line contributor for Boston going forward but shouldn’t be someone they count on for offense. Kastelic has been effective in the faceoff circle during his short NHL career (56.3%) and has no issue finishing his checks. He’s also very sound defensively, using his frame and reach to disrupt the opponents’ offensive sequences. With all that being said, Kastelic has primarily been a non-factor offensively throughout his NHL career and even last season, he ranked 323rd among NHL forwards who played more than 200 minutes at 5v5.

Lettieri struggled through injuries and inconsistency last season in Minnesota and could be a bounce-back candidate in Boston. He can skate and has a good set of hands, but his confidence appeared shattered with the Wild, and he spent a good chunk of last year in the AHL. If Boston can insulate him, they might be able to get more of him next year. However, they might also see an opportunity to have him start the season in Providence to try and get him on the right track.

UFA Signings

F Max Jones (two-year, $2MM)
F Cole Koepke (one-year, $775K)*
F Elias Lindholm (seven-year, $54.25MM)
D Jordan Oesterle (two-year, $1.55MM)*
D Billy Sweezey (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Riley Tufte (one-year, $775K)*
F Jeffrey Viel (two year, $1.55MM)*
D Nikita Zadorov (six-year, $30MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Boston’s two big moves in the free agent market were Lindholm and Zadorov, but they also added some depth with the Jones signing. Boston recognized they had a hole down the middle, which Lindholm should be able to fill going forward. Lindholm’s two-way play should give the Bruins a big boost and allow them to move Pavel Zacha back to the wing and provide better balance to their top 6. He should be able to find a way to make Boston’s forward group better both offensively and defensively and elevate his talented linemates in the process.

Zadorov has been around the NHL for a long time and struggled to find stability for most of it. However, once he found a consistent role, he became a physical presence that could clear the crease and take care of business in the defensive zone. Zadorov has problems when he overplays the puck or gets lost in the defensive zone. Boston will likely have the 29-year-old paired with Charlie McAvoy, which means Zadorov can defer most of the puck-carrying to his partner. However, he will be defensively in many precarious positions when McAvoy takes chances.

RFA Re-Signings

G Brandon Bussi (one-year, $775K)*
D Michael Callahan (one-year, $775K)*
C Marc McLaughlin (one-year, $775K)*
D Ian Mitchell ((one-year, $775K)*)*
D Alec Regula (one-year, $775K)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Boston’s biggest RFA signing has yet to happen but should occur in the not-too-distant future, as Jeremy Swayman is clearly Boston’s goalie of the future. Most of Boston’s work in the RFA market was locking down depth pieces, which may or may not factor into the NHL roster this season.

Bussi figures to at least challenge for the Bruins’ backup goaltender position, which is unlikely to be handed to Korpisalo given his struggles last season. Bussi is a solid young netminder who might require more seasoning in the AHL but does forecast as an NHL backup. He is of good size and aggressive in the net, but he can be guilty of overcommitting to shooters and likely needs to figure out how to rein that in before he finds full-time NHL duties.

Mitchell remains an intriguing option for the Bruins on the back end. He is an excellent skater and gets around the ice quickly. He also controls the puck well and has a great pass. The downside for Mitchell is that he is undersized and does get beat in a lot of puck battles. He also loses battles in front of the net, which can lead to some nightmares in the defensive zone.

Departures

F Joey Abate (unsigned UFA)
F Jesper Boqvist (Florida, one-year, $775K)
F Jake DeBrusk (Vancouver, seven-year, $38.5MM)
D Derek Forbort (Vancouver, one-year, $1.5MM)
D Matt Grzelcyk (Pittsburgh, one-year, $2.75MM)
F Danton Heinen (Vancouver, two-year, $4.5MM)
G Kyle Keyser (signed in KHL)
F Jakub Lauko (traded to Minnesota)
F Milan Lucic (unsigned UFA)
F Pat Maroon (Chicago, one-year, $1.3MM)
C Jayson Megna (signed in AHL Colorado)
D Dan Renouf (signed in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Anthony Richard (Philadelphia, two-year, $1.55MM)*
D Kevin Shattenkirk (unsigned UFA)
C Oskar Steen (signed in Sweden)
G Linus Ullmark (traded to Ottawa)
F James van Riemsdyk (unsigned UFA)
D Reilly Walsh (Los Angeles, one-year, $775K)*
F Daniel Winnik (retired)

* denotes a two-way contract

Boston’s departures were essentially depth players who had either signed short-term deals recently or had been drafted or signed out of college and didn’t factor into the Bruins’ future. That being said, the departures of DeBrusk and Ullmark are sure to be felt this season, especially if Lindholm starts slow or Swayman struggles in the full-time starter role.

On the backend, Forbort and Grzelcyk struggled last season and needed a blank slate in another uniform, which should open the door for new faces to take up roles on the blue line. Zadorov will fill Grzelcyk’s old role, and depending on Mitchell’s development, he could also take up a spot on Boston’s defense. Boston’s defense core remains strong, and given the poor play of both Forbort and Grzelcyk last season, their departures shouldn’t be much of a loss.

Where Boston could feel the pinch is the loss of some of their depth scoring, mainly Heinen, DeBrusk and van Riemsdyk, who all contributed offensively last season and outperformed their cap hits. Heinen notched 17 goals and 19 assists last season in 74 games while playing for the league minimum of $775K, while JVR made $1MM for putting up 38 points in 71 games. DeBrusk played on a $4MM cap hit last year and had a disappointing regular season with just 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games. However, he elevated his game in the playoffs, tallying 11 points in 13 games to lead the Bruins in postseason scoring. That kind of cheap depth scoring is hard to come by, and it could come back to bite Boston this season if their top two lines go on any cold streak.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Bruins are entering August with just over $8.6MM in projected cap space which looks like a luxury at this late stage of the summer, however, Boston’s most pressing issue remains as they’ve yet to lock up starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Boston spent liberally this summer on the free agent market, but it shouldn’t prohibit them from retaining their core in the future. Boston has most of its critical pieces locked up aside from Brad Marchand (and Swayman), who will be a UFA next summer. The Bruins likely looked at their aging roster and long-term contract structure and saw their position as an opportunity to load up without worrying too much about future cap issues.

Key Questions

Can Swayman Be A Full-Time Starter? Swayman has proven over the last few seasons that he is a very talented netminder. However, he has done so while being complimented by another goaltender who is among the best in the league at the position. Now, with Ullmark in Ottawa, the net is Swayman’s, and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his incredible numbers in the future, especially now that he’s the bonafide number-one goalie. The 25-year-old played in a career-high 44 games last season for Boston, and while his numbers did dip a little bit, he was still rock solid for the Bruins. With Ullmark gone, it is conceivable that the Anchorage, Alaska native will play somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-60 games, which will undoubtedly test his endurance and durability.

Will The New Pieces Fit? Boston shelled out a lot of money for Lindholm and Zadorov, and there is no guarantee that they will fit despite their extensive body of work in the NHL. Lindholm wasn’t a perfect fit in Vancouver and struggled at times after the trade from Calgary. Zadorov has bounced around the NHL during his career before finding stability in Calgary. Both players are certainly upgrades for the Bruins, but they come with some risk. Boston gambled that they are the right fit, and it will undoubtedly make for a compelling storyline if either player has a slow start after signing lucrative free-agent deals.

Can Charlie Coyle Replicate Last Season’s Success?  Coyle had a career-high 60 points last season, but he isn’t that far removed from a 16-point campaign with the Boston Bruins during the shortened 2020-21 season. Two years before that, Coyle had just two goals and four assists in 21 games during a shortened 2018-19 season. Coyle has had wild different seasons throughout his career, but last year, he stepped up after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, which allowed Boston to continue to be a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. While there is little reason to believe his play will fall off a cliff at 32 years old, there is reason to believe that he could take a step back from the best year of his professional career. As mentioned earlier, Coyle’s numbers have been wildly different from year to year, and if he can’t get back to last year’s numbers, it could be a very different outcome for him next season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Kuznetsov, Oilers, Rosen, Aman

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Calgary Flames defenseman Yan Kuznetsov believes that he will take a big step in his development this upcoming season and is hoping a change to his training will allow him to do so (as per Flames writer Chris Wahl). The 22-year-old was re-signed to a one-year, two-way deal by the Flames yesterday after making his NHL debut last season, dressing in one game for Calgary. The former second-round pick believes that he is entering next season in the best shape of his career and is hoping that by being in tune with his body it will better allow him to use his size to his advantage as he pushes for an NHL roster spot with the Flames.

In other news from around the NHL:

  • Edmonton Oilers announcer Bob Stauffer tweeted about the Oilers’ current offer sheet conundrum with defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway. The Oilers are currently on the clock after the St. Louis Blues issued a pair of offer sheets and have one week to match the offers or lose the players for draft pick compensation. Stauffer outlines in his tweet that if the Oilers elect to match the lucrative offer sheets, they will have to keep Broberg and Holloway for at least a year, which could be challenging given that they will need to issue lucrative extensions to Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard next summer.
  • The MSG Network has announced that New York Rangers television play-by-play broadcaster Sam Rosen will retire after the upcoming NHL season. The 77-year-old is entering his 40th year calling Rangers games full-time after he began calling New York games on the radio for MSG, filling in for Marv Albert. He then pivoted to becoming MSG’s studio host before moving into his current role as the Rangers’ primary television broadcaster in 1984.
  • Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrick Allvin spoke with Swedish network hockeysverige.se about Nils Åman and the contract extension he gave the center this past season. The 24-year-old signed a two-year deal worth $825K per season and proceeded to post three goals and four assists in 43 NHL games this past year. Allvin mentioned that he was impressed by Åman’s finish to the season and felt that he had become more assertive on the ice and played with more of an edge. Allvin added that he was hopeful that Åman would continue to develop this summer and build off the success he had in the second half.

Morning Notes: Laine, Red Wings, Swoyer

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Scott Billeck of The Winnipeg Sun writes that he doesn’t believe the Winnipeg Jets will pursue a reunion with former Jet Patrik Laine. Billeck cites the Jets’ lack of cap space and poor fit as the reasons Winnipeg would pass on the former 2016 second-overall pick. The Jets would need to move out money to acquire the Columbus Blue Jackets forward, even if Columbus retained half of Laine’s cap hit (something they are hesitant to do).

Winnipeg currently has Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, Nikolaj Ehlers, Brad Lambert and possibly Vladislav Namestnikov slated to play in their top six, and new head coach Scott Arniel reportedly would like to add Cole Perfetti into the mix as well, further crowding the top two lines. The Jets could move Ehlers out via trade given his contract situation and hesitancy to sign long-term, but he could provide a lot more value to Winnipeg if the new coaching staff can deploy him properly.

In other morning notes:

  • Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde plans to increase the leadership roles of youngsters Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond next season (as per Helene St. James of Detroit Free Press). Lalonde adds that he isn’t worried about the ongoing contract negotiations between the team and the two franchise cornerstones saying that whenever they have spoken this summer, they have not discussed the contract situation. Detroit has used a rotating leadership group the past couple of seasons, relying solely on veterans to fill the assistant captain roles. But with the Red Wings ready to take the next step, it appears they are also ready to allow their younger stars to have a bigger role in the leadership of the team.
  • The Toledo Walleye of the ECHL announced that they’ve signed former Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Colin Swoyer for the 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old joined the Penguins organization on an amateur tryout in March 2022 and eventually signed an ELC. He played 45 AHL games over parts of three seasons and spent the majority of last season with the South Carolina Stingrays, registering two goals and five assists in 40 games. During his AHL career, Swoyer has split time between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey, tallying a goal and 13 assists.

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