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Max Comtois Signs With KHL’s Dynamo Moscow

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Former Anaheim Ducks forward Max Comtois has reportedly signed with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL (as per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet). The 2017 second-round pick looked at one point like he could be a valuable depth scorer, posting 16 goals and 17 assists in the abbreviated 2020-21 season with Anaheim, However, the next two seasons saw him struggle offensively.

The 25-year-old went unsigned last summer and had to settle for an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves in the fall before he eventually caught on with the Carolina Hurricanes signing a one-year, two-way deal this past March that was prorated for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Comtois appeared in one regular season game for Carolina, posting an assist in 13:04 of ice time. He also appeared in the playoffs but played just 6:19 of one game and was a -1.

Comtois never got his feet under him after that successful 2020-21 season and struggled with puck possession and giveaways in the following seasons. His inconstancy became an issue that was hard for teams to ignore as it became evident when he would take bad penalties or turn the puck over. The Longueuil, Quebec native is still relatively young and could return to the NHL if he can find his game overseas. He has always been a talented shooter and has no issues going to the net, both traits that NHL teams covet.

Comtois is one of many unrestricted free agents that have yet to sign in the NHL this offseason and it will be interesting to see who follows him across the globe in the next few months.

Evening Notes: DeBrusk, Gordon, Penguins

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Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk joined the Cam and Strick Podcast and spoke about his midseason trade request from the Boston Bruins, saying that he’d actually asked for a trade as far back as the summer of 2021 after he’d been a healthy scratch in the playoffs. DeBrusk said that he felt a fresh start would have been good last year but is happy to have one in Vancouver this summer after he signed a seven-year $38.5MM contract with the Canucks on July 1.

DeBrusk added that he had quite a few suitors when the market opened but ultimately signed with Vancouver for a number of reasons, highlighting Vancouver’s recent playoff run as a big influence on his decision. The Edmonton, Alberta native will have a chance to play closer to home with some very talented players and will be looking to bounce back from a down year last season in which he tallied just 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games with the Bruins.

In other evening notes:

  • The Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL announced that they’ve added former NHL head coach Scott Gordon to their coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Gordon has served as an NHL head coach for both the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders and was an assistant coach the last two seasons for the San Jose Sharks. The 61-year-old Gordon has been coaching for nearly 30 years and has held several AHL head coaching gigs and was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2011 to 2014. The Brockton, Massachusetts native won a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics as an assistant coach for the United States serving under Ron Wilson in Vancouver.
  • Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes that the Pittsburgh Penguins will add one or two more players before the start of the regular season and says that they are unlikely to be impact players. The Penguins were busy on the first few days of free agency adding a pile of players onto their depth chart on short-term deals and any other addition figures to be on a one- or two-year deal. The Penguins have a glaring hole in their top six at left wing but will likely use Drew O’Connor in the top spot to see if he can build off his solid finish last season. The Penguins unsuccessfully took a run at Vladimir Tarasenko in free agency which signals they aren’t satisfied with their top-line options at the moment.

Snapshots: Prospect Rankings, Harding, Golden Knights

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Scott Wheeler of The Athletic released the summer edition of his Top 100 drafted NHL prospects rankings. Not surprisingly, Macklin Celebrini tops the list and is one of 22 players from the 2024 NHL entry draft. Philadelphia Flyers 2023 first-round pick Matvei Michkov is the second-ranked prospect just ahead of Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov who rounded out the top 3.

Celebrini’s soon-to-be teammate Will Smith ranked eighth on the list and was the second of six San Jose Sharks prospects to make Wheeler’s top 100. The six prospects for San Jose was the most among any team alongside the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens who also had six ranked prospects. The Sharks, Blue Jackets, and Canadiens are all in the midst of a rebuild and isn’t surprising to see them have the most players on the list.

In other league notes:

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks could still sign 2021 third-round pick (91st overall) Taige Harding. The unsigned defenseman has had a steady but unspectacular NCAA career at Providence College and is going into his senior year with the Friars. Powers believes that the Blackhawks would be willing to give Harding an entry-level deal and a role in the AHL if Harding is interested. The 21-year-old won’t provide much offence, but at 6’7” tall and 235 pounds he will be a presence in the Blackhawks’ defensive zone when he makes the jump to professional hockey.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that their new ECHL affiliate will be the Tahoe Knight Monsters. The multi-year affiliation agreement will start this season and will see the Knight Monsters play in Stateline, Nevada out of the Tahoe Blue Event Center. The ECHL approved the expansion franchise a year ago and the team already had six players signed for next season before the affiliation. The Knight Monsters will begin their inaugural season on October 24th against the Jacksonville Icemen.

Evening Notes: Utica, Marchenko, Pavelski

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The Utica Comets have signed defenseman Will MacKinnon and goaltender Jeremy Brodeur to one-year, one-way AHL contracts. MacKinnon has spent the bulk of his three professional seasons in the ECHL but dressed in 40 AHL games last season with the Comets, posting three goals, three assists, and a +7 rating. The 24-year-old is the son of Comets general manager Dan MacKinnon, who is also the assistant general manager of the New Jersey Devils.

Brodeur has dressed in just five AHL games across his seven-year professional career and played in one AHL game last season. He has never won an AHL game, but the 27-year-old did have a career year last year in the ECHL going 18-9-3 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average. The son of NHL Hall-of-Famer Martin Brodeur might not see a lot of AHL time as the Comets have goaltenders Isaac Poulter and Nico Daws ahead of him on the depth chart.

In other evening notes:

  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets and forward Kirill Marchenko will go to arbitration on July 31st. It was reported earlier this week that the Jackets and the 23-year-old had discussed both a short-term and long-term contract, but at this point, it appears likely that Marchenko’s next deal could be decided by an intermediary. The 2018 second-round pick has 44 goals and 23 assists in 137 NHL games over two seasons and was reportedly looking for a long-term deal this summer.
  • Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that recently retired Joe Pavelski spoke with the San Jose Sharks about a potential return to the organization where he spent the first 13 years of his NHL career. The 40-year-old played 963 games for the Sharks before departing in free agency to join the Dallas Stars in July 2019. Pavelski played five seasons in Dallas and ultimately never won a Stanley Cup during his playing career, although he was a big-time playoff performer during runs to the Stanley Cup Final with San Jose and Dallas.

East Notes: Marchenko, Johnson, Mangiapane

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have reportedly talked with restricted free agent forward Kirill Marchenko about both a short-term and long-term contract (as per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic).  Marchenko is pushing for a longer-term deal, but with Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell only in his second month on the job, it appears he is doing his due diligence before considering a longer pact with the 23-year-old.

Marchenko just completed his second NHL season and topped 20 goals once again. The former second-round pick posted 21 goals and four assists in his rookie season in 59 games, placing him 10th in Calder Trophy voting. This past season the native of Barnaul, Russia found his passing game as he finished the season with 23 goals and 19 assists in 78 games.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes that the Columbus Blue Jackets have begun negotiations on an extension with youngster Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets have been busy searching for a new coach and had prioritized that over a Johnson extension as the 21-year-old didn’t have arbitration rights and figured to be a simple contract negotiation after a disappointing season saw him post just six goals and 10 assists in 42 games. Johnson is a former fifth overall pick and will likely be looking for a short-term deal to try and boost his stock before his next deal.
  • Sammi Silber of The Hockey News believes that the Washington Capitals will wait to see how newly acquired forward Andrew Mangiapane fits into the team’s lineup before they make any decisions about his future. The Capitals acquired the 28-year-old from the Calgary Flames on June 27th and is two years removed from a 35-goal season. The Toronto, Ontario native once looked like an emerging goal scorer, but has just 31 goals over the past two seasons.

Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Tavares, Parise

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Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets management will meet in person this week with two potential candidates for their head coaching vacancy. Portzline believes that the two candidates are former Minnesota Wild bench boss Dean Evason and Jay Woodcroft, who was fired last season after the Edmonton Oilers got off to a slow start.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has mentioned a third candidate in the mix, but the belief is that they are on hold for right now. Waddell has also said he doesn’t want the coaching search to drag into August, which means a decision is likely in the next couple of weeks. The sides will have to work on the specifics surrounding a contract, as well as potential coaching staff, but the process should be over soon.

In other NHL notes:

  • Frankie Corrado joined TSN SportsCenter to talk about Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares. Corrado was asked about Tavares’s next contract, and he believes the Maple Leafs should try and squeeze Tavares on an extension to get it under $6MM annually. Corrado adds that Tavares still puts up points, but he doesn’t drive the play and isn’t a player for whom Toronto can pay a premium. He also adds that Toronto hasn’t won anything with him and could try and use that fact, in combination with Toronto being Tavares’s hometown to keep him at a discount. Tavares is entering the final season of a seven-year $77MM contract and will count $11MM against the cap next season.
  • Zach Parise spoke with Kevin Karius earlier this month on The Kevin Karius Show and discussed his retirement from the NHL. The 39-year-old revealed that he hasn’t officially filed the paperwork to retire but added that he is done playing. Parise signed with the Colorado Avalanche in January and dressed in 30 games, posting five goals and five assists while playing just shy of 13 minutes a game. Parise was a key piece in the first round of the playoffs, posting two goals in five games and filling in for Jonathan Drouin on Colorado’s second line.

Morning Notes: Penguins, Casey, McGroarty

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Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now writes that he feels the Pittsburgh Penguins should consider an offer sheet to one of the many teams that are in tough regarding the salary cap. Kingerski feels the Penguins could target Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti, and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg or forward Dylan Holloway.

If Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas opted to submit an offer sheet it would mark a departure from his plan to acquire draft picks with an eye towards the future. The Penguins also have just $3.5MM in salary cap space available, making a push for Jarvis very unlikely. Perfetti could be an option as the Penguins have a hole in their top-six forward group and an offer sheet north of $3MM would fall in the range of what Perfetti will likely sign for next season. However, the obvious issue would be that the Jets would likely match the offer as they have the cap space to do so and Perfetti is coming off a 19-goal season. Offer sheets are rarely used in the NHL and given the state of the Penguins, it seems unlikely they will do so this summer.

In other morning notes:

  • James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now writes that New Jersey Devils defensive prospect Seamus Casey opted to hold off signing his entry-level contract with the Devils because he wanted to have a full three years on the deal and wasn’t in a rush to jump into an NHL game. Casey added that he wanted to take a different approach and was concerned about his development when he opted not to sign after his college season ended. Casey was the Devils’ second-round pick in 2022 (46th overall) and will be in tough to make the NHL lineup this year as the Devils have been busy adding defensemen this summer including Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon and Johnathan Kovacevic.
  • Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press joined Winnipeg Sports Talk and explained what he thinks the holdup to a potential Rutger McGroarty trade could be. The Winnipeg Jets have reportedly been shopping the 20-year-old since the NHL entry draft and according to McIntyre, they were close to a trade with another team at one point but the other team might have had reservations because of the same issues the Jets are having with the former first-round pick. Neither McGroarty’s camp, nor the Jets have spoken publicly about why there is a riff between the two sides, but as Scott Billick writes in the Winnipeg Sun, it is likely due to a disagreement about McGroarty’s development path.

Utah Signs Artem Duda To Entry-Level Contract

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July 10: Utah announced the signing Wednesday morning.

July 9: The Utah Hockey Club has signed defenseman Artem Duda to a three-year entry-level contract (as per PuckPedia). The 20-year-old was the Arizona Coyotes second-round pick in 2022 (36th overall) and spent last season at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he tallied two goals and five assists in 12 games.

The two-way defenseman’s contract comes in with an average annual value of $950K at the NHL level and a salary of $82,500 if he plays in the American Hockey League. It also includes a $95K signing bonus.

The Moscow native was supposed to play at the University of Maine this past season but was deemed ineligible by the NCAA due to his time spent in the KHL. He made several unsuccessful appeals and eventually pivoted to playing in USports Hockey for the second half of the season.

Duda will likely find his way onto the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL as Utah has acquired defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino this offseason which has pushed him down the team’s depth chart. He is an excellent skater and has good size, but won’t wow people with his offensive skills or his shot. However, he is a good passer and is poised with the puck on his stick. Given his skill set, Duda should find his way into the NHL before the end of his ELC.

Ottawa Senators Third Pairing Options

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The Ottawa Senators have been busy this offseason addressing their goaltending situation with the addition of Linus Ullmark and trying to improve their forward depth by signing free agents David Perron, Michael Amadio, and Noah Gregor. The team also shipped out defenseman Jakob Chychrun to the Washington Capitals for fellow defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round draft pick. The trade for Jensen was widely panned but will likely improve Ottawa’s overall team defense.

Ottawa has a decent top-four that consists of Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub and the aforementioned Jensen, but the team could run into serious issues as the depth beyond those four is very weak. Frankie Corrado spoke with TSN 1200 this morning and wondered if the Senators need to shop the market for an additional defenseman to address the depth issue behind their top four. Currently, the Senators’ bottom pairing options consist of veteran Travis Hamonic, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and youngster Tyler Kleven, but Corrado wonders if the Senators should explore some potential improvements.

If the Senators want to fill out their bottom pairing internally, it appears that Kleven has the inside track for a role on the left side. The Fargo, North Dakota native was the Senators second-round pick in 2020 and played in nine games last season. While he didn’t put up much offense, he didn’t appear out of place in the NHL. On the right side, Hamonic struggled last season and appeared to be a buyout candidate this summer. It appears Ottawa is content with bringing him back, but at this stage of his career, he is best suited as a seventh defenseman. Bernard-Docker was decent for Ottawa last season but plays a simple game and isn’t particularly strong with the puck on his stick.

If the Senators explore free agency, there isn’t much available that would be a major improvement. Justin Schultz would bring an offensive element to the third pair and could improve the team’s power play but would add to the team’s defensive woes. Kevin Shattenkirk might be the best option for Ottawa on the free agent market as the 35-year-old is still a strong skater and could slot in on a second pair in a pinch. He is stronger defensively than most of the remaining free-agent options and could represent a small upgrade for the Senators.

If Ottawa is to explore the trade market for a defenseman it is unlikely they will want to give up many assets as the team has moved a pile of first-round picks in recent years and have one of the worst farm systems in the NHL. As Corrado suggests on TSN, the Senators might be best to explore a trade to take on an undesirable contract for a defenseman and add an asset in the process. The Senators currently have $3.6MM in cap space and could conceivably add a sizeable cap hit to fill out their third pairing. If this is the route Ottawa takes, there is no shortage of bad contracts that could be had.

Penguins Options To Play On Sidney Crosby’s Line

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The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly took a swing at acquiring veteran free agent winger Vladimir Tarasenko to play in their top-six forward group alongside Sidney Crosby but lost out on his services to the Detroit Red Wings. Tarasenko signed a two-year $9.5MM deal with the Red Wings and the Penguins’ interest indicates that they aren’t satisfied with their top two lines as they head into what is likely to be a transitional season for the franchise. The Penguins have Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Michael Bunting returning next season and finished last season with youngster Drew O’Connor replacing Jake Guentzel on the top line as Crosby’s left winger.

O’Connor played well for the Penguins, but he would be better served as a third liner in an ideal world. But given the Penguins’ lack of cap space, and apparent eye towards the future, none of their options will be ideal, but they do have some options when it comes to Crosby’s left winger next season.

Trade Options

Nikolaj Ehlers: Ehlers hasn’t been given an opportunity to be a top-line player with the Winnipeg Jets despite being one of their most effective players. He is the type of player that has thrived with Crosby historically, as he has high-end skill, is a high-level thinker, and is very deceptive and skilled at finding open space. The issue with Ehlers is that he is a year from free agency and the price tag to acquire him will be far too high for the Penguins’ taste given their apparent pivot to acquiring draft picks and younger players.  Murat Ates of The Athletic reported a few weeks ago that Ehlers isn’t likely to extend in Winnipeg but given his age and recent injury history, it’s hard to imagine the Penguins acquiring and extending him long-term.

Patrik Laine: The 26-year-old has fallen on hard times in recent years with the Columbus Blue Jackets but remains an intriguing option on the trade market. Laine is a former second-overall pick who has dealt with injuries in recent seasons but can still score when he is healthy. The Tampere, Finland native was a point-a-game player from 2021-23 but had just nine points in 18 games last season. While the drop in offensive production is alarming, Laine averaged almost four minutes less per game in ice time and wasn’t playing with a skilled center. That being said, his injury issues are a concern and could reduce the cost of acquiring him from Columbus. Laine is a liability defensively and doesn’t necessarily compete on every shift, however, if he were to play on the Penguins’ top line, he would be the best pure goal scorer that Crosby has ever played with.

Unrestricted Free Agent Options

Max Pacioretty: The 35-year-old Pacioretty is well removed from his days as a perennial 30-goal scorer as injuries and the aging curve have slowed down his production. Last year he dressed in 47 games tallying four goals and 19 assists while registering a -14. Pacioretty’s offensive numbers don’t look terrible at first glance, however, nearly half his points came on the power play as he tallied just two goals and 10 assists at even strength. Pacioretty won’t be expensive to sign on a one-year deal, but he hasn’t played more than 47 games in three seasons and his body likely wouldn’t be able to withstand the stress of playing almost 20 minutes a night next to Crosby.

James van Riemsdyk: van Riemsdyk is another former 30-goal scorer on the wrong side of 35 but is coming off a decent offensive season with the Boston Bruins. The Middletown, New Jersey native posted 11 goals and 27 assists last season in 71 games and wasn’t a burden on his teammates. The former second overall pick doesn’t have the pace to play in the top six anymore and would likely be a non-factor in transition which would be a big problem playing with Crosby. JVR could work on the Penguins’ power play and would give the team a net-front presence that they’ve lacked since trading Patric Hornqvist in 2020, however, he might not be physical enough at this point to be effective in the role. At this stage of his career, van Riemsdyk is best served as a fourth-line winger, something the Penguins have more than enough of.

Internal Options

Drew O’Connor: is coming off a career year in which he posted 16 goals and 17 assists in 79 games (all career highs). While those numbers aren’t earth-shattering, they are a remarkable improvement on his previous career year in 2022-23 when he posted just five goals and six assists in 46 games. O’Connor is not a pure offensive player and doesn’t possess strong passing skills or a great, however, he is fast and physical and plays a smart game. All traits they were possessed by one of Crosby’s former long-time wingers Chris Kunitz. O’Connor might be the easiest option for Pittsburgh to slide in alongside Crosby and might be the one they have to use if they don’t facilitate another transaction.

Brayden Yager: Pittsburgh’s 2023 first-round pick (14th overall) is coming off an incredible season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors in which he posted 35 goals and 60 assists in 57 games. He is likely a season or two away from being ready for the NHL, but the Penguins might opt to give him a nine-game audition to see what they have in the youngster. Yager is a sneaky good shooter and is excellent at taking passes in his shooting pocket, allowing him to fire off shots quickly and accurately. If he can show in training camp that he deserves a longer look he could play his way onto Crosby’s wing for at least a few games if not longer.

Crosby’s Next Winger

The Penguins had issues finding Crosby a linemate early in his career but eventually found a perfect match with Jake Guentzel. Now with Guentzel signed long-term in Tampa Bay, the Penguins are tasked with finding new linemates for Crosby in what will be the final stretch of his NHL career. While all of the options above present some downside, the Penguins are unlikely to find another Guentzel-like player and will need to make some type of concession heading into next season while keeping an eye on the future.

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