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East Notes: Luukkonen, Senators, Kuznetsov

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Buffalo News reporter Lance Lysowski writes that the Buffalo Sabres and the agent for goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have opened up talks on a contract extension for the young netminder. The 25-year-old hadn’t been able to find consistency in the NHL prior to last season but was able to assert himself and provide the Sabres with excellent goaltending as he went 27-22-4, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.57 GAA.

Luukkonen is due for a big pay increase from the $925K he made last season, and it will be interesting to see whether he and the Sabres opt for a bridge deal or a long-term commitment. If the two sides opt for arbitration or a bridge deal, Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Ilya Samsonov would be a good comparison after he signed a one-year contract for $3.55 million last summer.  The alternative to a short-term pact would be a longer-term deal and according to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, that type of contract could run the Sabres between $4-5 million per season.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • With the NHL draft lottery complete, the Ottawa Senators will have 24 hours to decide whether to forfeit this year’s first-round pick or push the decision to 2025 or 2026 because of the invalid Evgenii Dadonov trade. Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun tweets that he doesn’t think the Senators will forfeit this year’s pick as Ottawa’s new management group headed by Steve Staios has ramped up their scouting efforts in preparation for this draft. The Senators hold the seventh overall pick after another disappointing season and will likely use the top-10 pick to add to their young core.
  • Luke DeCock of The News & Observer tweeted that the Carolina Hurricanes made Evgeny Kuznetsov a healthy scratch for game 2 of their second-round series against the New York Rangers. Max Comtois will make his NHL playoff debut, skating in Kuznetsov’s place. Carolina dropped the first game of the series on Sunday and have been receiving offensive contributions from Kuznetsov, despite him playing predominantly in a fourth-line role with limited power play time. The 31-year-old struggled in the regular season but has been good offensively in the playoffs, posting two goals and two assists in six games.

Pacific Notes: Demko, Karlsson, Kraken

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Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff is reporting that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will be out of the lineup through at least game 4 of the Canucks second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers. The netminder is making progress and is back on the ice skating, but his earliest return would be for game 5.

The 28-year-old hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in game 1 of the Canucks first-round series against the Nashville Predators. His work in practice thus far has consisted of skating sprints, working side-to-side, and some work on his butterfly. The Vezina Trophy finalist hasn’t taken part in any live drills as of yet, but if he continues to progress it could happen sooner than later.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson told reporters today that his hamstring bothered him through the first round of the playoffs and caused issues with his skating. The lower-body issue didn’t keep Karlsson out of the lineup, but it certainly limited the 31-year-old’s effectiveness as he posted just two assists in seven playoff games after registering 30 goals and 30 assists in 70 regular season games. Karlsson has three years remaining on his eight-year $47.2MM contract and will likely continue to be a middle-six option for Vegas next season.
  • Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times writes that the Seattle Kraken ownership group continues to discuss a new umbrella company that would encompass the Kraken, major projects, as well as a potential NBA team in Seattle. The NBA is eyeing expansion in the near future and the city of Seattle as well as Las Vegas are reportedly among the frontrunners to land an expansion team. Seattle has been without an NBA team since the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City back in 2008, but with the Kraken making moves to form an umbrella company it would put them in a good position to enter into NBA expansion.

Evening Notes: Blackhawks, Utah, Reichel

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Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks will return to Milwaukee for another pre-season game at the Fiserv Forum. The Blackhawks will take on the St. Louis Blues on October 5th, 2024, two years after Chicago first played at the home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Two years ago, the preseason game in Milwaukee sold out in just minutes and brought in over 15000 fans to watch the Blackhawks take on the Minnesota Wild. This time around the Blackhawks are hoping for more of the same from the passionate fanbase. The city of Milwaukee is currently home to the Milwaukee Admirals, who are the AHL affiliate for the NHL’s Nashville Predators and averaged over 6K fans a game this season.

In other evening notes:

  • TSN Insider Chris Johnston is reporting that Utah has plans to build a brand-new practice arena that will house two or more NHL-standard ice rinks. The team hopes that the new building will be completed prior to the 2025-26 season, and it will also be the team’s official office. The building will also be used for recreation activities as well as youth and amateur hockey. The team is currently in the process of finding a temporary training and practice facility for next season.
  • Former Winnipeg Jets forward Kristian Reichel has signed a three-year contract in Germany to play with Adler Mannheim (according to Derek O’Brien of The Hockey News). The move means that the 25-year-old will be leaving the Jets organization after spending the past six seasons with the team, primarily as a member of the Manitoba Moose. Reichel just completed his best professional season in the AHL, having registered 23 goals and 19 assists in 70 games. The son of Robert Reichel was undrafted but worked his way through the minors and eventually signed an ELC with the Jets in 2020 and made his NHL debut in 2021-22. He played in 15 NHL games over parts of two seasons, tallying a goal and two assists.

Eastern Notes: Forbort, Devils, Maple Leafs

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort returned tonight for Boston taking Kevin Shattenkirk’s spot in the lineup. The 32-year-old Forbort was recalled two weeks ago from an LTI conditioning loan in which he played two AHL games and hasn’t played an NHL game since March 2nd due to an undisclosed injury.

The Duluth, Minnesota native posted four assists in 35 games with the Bruins this season, his third year with the team since signing a three-year deal as an unrestricted free agent in July 2021. The former first-round pick won’t put up much offense from the backend but will add a physical element for the Bruins, something that they are sure to need when they take on the Florida Panthers in the second round.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Jonathan Bailey of New Jersey Hockey Now is reporting that the New Jersey Devils had detailed talks with former Stanley Cup champion head coach Craig Berube regarding the Devil’s head coaching vacancy. The 58-year-old Berube won the Stanley Cup with the Blues during his first season behind the bench in 2019 and was fired this past December after a 13-14-1 to start the season. He previously coached the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons before an extended run in the AHL. The Devils also reportedly engaged in conversations with former Kings bench boss Todd McLellan.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that the Maple Leafs Sports And Entertainment President Keith Pelley, Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, and general manager Brad Treliving will now speak with the media on Friday instead of Thursday. While the scheduling change is a minor time and date change, it is sure to create additional speculation about what the Maple Leafs will do this summer. The Maple Leafs have won just a single playoff series since Shanahan took over the team back in April 2014, and have had three different general managers and two head coaches during that time. There is no indication as to what will be said during Friday’s press conference, but speculation is sure to heat up over the next 72 hours.

Hurricanes Sign Charles-Alexis Legault To ELC

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault to a three-year entry-level contract (via CapFriendly). The Hurricanes selected Legault with their 2023 fifth-round pick and he went on to lead the NCAA in plus/minus with a +36 while tallying nine goals and 15 assists in 39 games. Legault’s numbers were a massive improvement from his freshman season when he posted just two goals and seven assists in 40 games and were a big reason his Quinnipiac team won the NCAA Championship this season.

The 20-year-old will receive $775K in 2024-25, $832,500 in 2025-26 and $855K, in 2026-27 if he plays in the NHL, and his AHL salary would be $82,500 (per season) for all three years. He will also receive a $285,000 signing bonus spread out in three increments of $95K to be distributed each year of the contract.

The Hurricanes have done tremendous work over the last decade finding defensemen in the later rounds of the NHL entry draft and developing them into stars. Brett Pesce was a third-round pick (66th overall) while Jaccob Slavin was selected in the fourth round (120th overall). More recently Scott Morrow was selected in the second round and looks to be on his way to becoming the next great blueliner for the Hurricanes. If Carolina’s defensive development continues, Legault could pair up with Morrow soon as the Hurricanes might find themselves losing several defensemen to free agency over the next two summers.

Kings Notes: Blake, Dubois, Hiller

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Rob Blake will reportedly remain as the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings (according to Mayors Manor). Blake has been the Kings general manager since April 2017 and has steered the club through a lengthy rebuild that has resulted in three straight playoff appearances.

While making the postseason out of rebuild is a good first step for a team, the Kings have lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers in all three playoff showings and have yet to take the next step to get into the upper echelon of Western Conference contenders. While Blake has built a talented core around older veterans Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar, the team has seen their point total drop from 104 points a year ago to just 99 points this season.

Blake has several big decisions to make this summer, including what to do with failed trade acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois who had a disastrous first season in Los Angeles. Blake told the media today that the team will not buyout Dubois, putting to rest a rumor that has been talked about widely in the media.

In other Los Angeles Kings notes:

  • Speaking of Dubois, the 25-year-old will reportedly suit up for Team Canada at the World Championships (according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman). The Ste-Agathe-Des-Monts, Quebec native flopped in his first season with the Kings after being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last summer and promptly signed an 8-year, $68-million contract. Dubois posted just 16 goals and 24 assists in 82 regular season games and then tallied a single goal in five playoff games as he struggled with discipline and posted 20 PIMs. Dubois blamed himself for his poor play this season and said he will do whatever it takes to have a better season in 2024-25. The World’s will give Dubois a chance to end his season on a strong note as he looks to improve over the summer and get back to the 60-point pace he displayed in the two seasons before the trade to Los Angeles.
  • The Kings are also reportedly discussing what they will do with the head coaching position for next season and a decision is expected in the next few weeks (via Mayors Manor). Jim Hiller took over as interim head coach on February 2nd and led the Kings to playoffs once again, however, his 1-3-1 system was scrutinized heavily by people surrounding the team and moving away from that type of system is being discussed by the management group. Hiller served as a Kings assistant coach for two seasons before taking over behind the bench and finished the year with a 21-12-1 record.

Atlantic Notes: Giles, Marner, Bertuzzi

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The Florida Panthers have added forward Patrick Giles to their playoff roster after recalling seven other players earlier today. Giles will effectively serve as one of the Panthers’ black aces and will practice with the team throughout their current playoff run. Giles recently completed his third season in the AHL with Florida’s AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers and will join many of his teammates in Florida.

Giles was an undrafted free agent signing out of college after spending four seasons with Boston College. The 24-year-old hasn’t produced much offensively at any level dating back to his junior days. This season with the Checkers, Giles posted 13 goals and 10 assists in 66 games in what was his best offensive season at any level in the past decade.

In other Atlantic Division notes:

  • NHL Insider Chris Johnston tweeted today that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner remains insistent that his desire is to remain a member of the Maple Leafs long-term. Much has been made of Marner’s play in the recent playoff losses, but the 27-year-old remains one of the top point producers in the league. The chatter around Marner is likely to heat up as Toronto is coming off another disappointing playoff exit, and his situation is further complicated by his contract status. Marner has one year left on his current deal at a cap hit of $10.9MM and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1st. The Markham, Ontario native had a bit of a down year this season, failing to hit 90 points for the first time in three seasons.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News tweeted today that Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi told reporters that he would be open to extending his contract with Toronto beyond this season. Bertuzzi is an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a one-year $5.5MM deal with the Maple Leafs last July. Bertuzzi hit the 20-goal mark for the fourth time in his career but likely didn’t have the season he was hoping for despite playing a career-high 80 games. The 29-year-old tallied 21 goals and 22 assists with Toronto and should receive a multi-year contract this summer after settling for a one-year deal in his first trip through free agency.

NHL Announces 2024 Bill Masterton Trophy Finalists

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The NHL has announced the three finalists for the 2023-24 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The award is given to “the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” The nominees are goaltenders Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes, Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes, and defenseman Oliver Kylington of the Calgary Flames.

Andersen started the season well with a 4-1 record in his first five games. However, he was diagnosed with a blood clotting issue early in the year and missed four months of action that ended up totaling 49 games. He returned to the Hurricanes crease late in the season and finished the year off on an elite level, posting a 1.30 GAA and a .951 SV% as he went 9-1-0 down the stretch. He’s continued his solid play in the postseason, going 4-1 with a .912 SV% and a 2.25 GAA as Carolina dispatched the Islanders in five games in the first round.

Ingram was close to retiring in 2021 but received assistance through the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program to deal with lingering mental health issues, which he said earlier this year was undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder. Blossoming into a true starter this season with the Coyotes, he registered a .907 SV%, a 2.91 GAA and a 23-21-3 record. He also tied for the league lead with six shutouts and played in a career-high 50 games.

Kylington spent a year and a half out of the NHL and made his return at the midway point of the 2023-24 season. He was also away from the game for mental health reasons, staying on personal leave for the entire 2022-23 season and working with support staff during his time away from the Flames. The 26-year-old re-established himself as a regular upon his return, averaging 17:15 in ice time per game with three goals and five assists.

The NHL has yet to announce an official date and place for the NHL awards show.

Morning Notes: Johnson, Zavragin, Matthews

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The Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly expressed an interest in bringing back veteran defenseman Erik Johnson for next season. The news comes from Kevin Kurz of The Athletic who writes that, “The Flyers have not closed the door on the veteran defenseman’s return.”

Johnson was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL trade deadline for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft. He dressed in 17 games for Philadelphia down the stretch, chipping in two goals and an assist. The native of Bloomington, Minnesota played last season on a one-year $3.25MM contract that he’d signed with the Sabres on July 1st, 2023 and it’s hard to envision him doing much better on his next contract given his lack of offense and poor possession numbers.

In other morning notes:

  • Flyers goaltending prospect Yegor Zavragin has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg. The 18-year-old netminder was drafted by the Flyers in the third round of the 2023 NHL entry draft (87th overall) and has yet to sign an NHL contract or play in the KHL. Zavragin has spent the past three seasons splitting time between the MHL and VHL in Russia and has posted stellar numbers in both leagues. He posted a save percentage above .940 in both leagues this year and has been above .920 in the previous two seasons.
  • TSN insider Chris Johnston is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews did skate earlier this morning with Bobby McMann at Scotiabank Arena but is not taking part in the Maple Leafs’ formal team skate. Matthews did not play in Toronto’s game 5 victory over the Boston Bruins and early indications today suggest he will not be able to dress tonight when the Maple Leafs once again face elimination. Matthews has just a goal and two assists in four playoff games and has been dealing with an ailment or illness for the better part of a week now. He was pulled from a game 4 loss and did not return, however, he has skated on several occasions this week but hasn’t been able to ramp up his workouts.

Evening Notes: Bjorkqvist, DeSmith, Bardakov

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Former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Kasper Bjorkqvist has signed with Ilves in Finland’s Liiga (according to Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports). The 26-year-old has spent the past two seasons in Finland after spending parts of three years in the Penguins organization where he largely played in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Bjorkqvist was the Penguins’ second-round pick in 2016 (61st overall) but was never able to find his offensive game as a professional in North America tallying just 10 goals and four assists in 65 career AHL games. He was able to get into six NHL games during the 2021-22 season, posting a single goal. Since returning to Finland two years ago to play with Kärpät, Bjorkqvist has dressed in 82 games tallying nine goals and 14 assists.

While he will remain in Finland in the near future, Bjorkqvist’s NHL rights will remain with the Penguins.

In other evening notes:

  • Vancouver Canucks play-by-play voice Brendan Batchelor tweeted that Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith has a lower-body injury but should be good to backup for the Canucks tonight when they try to end their first-round series against the Nashville Predators. DeSmith practiced with the Canucks this morning, but it appeared in the game day skate that Artūrs Šilovs would be the starting goalie for Game 5. There is a possibility that DeSmith could start tonight, but Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet stopped short of announcing his starting goalie.
  • Colorado Avalanche prospect Zakhar Bardakov has reportedly signed a one-year extension with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. The 23-year-old was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL entry draft (203rd overall) and has yet to sign an ELC with the Avalanche after he was traded on March 1st of this year along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for Kurtis MacDermid. While Bardakov has signed in the KHL for another season, he could come to North America in 2025. Bardakov posted six goals and six assists in 51 regular season games last season with SKA.

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