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Pacific Notes: Boeser, Demko, Kraken

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Harman Dayal of The Athletic tweeted that Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet downplayed Brock Boeser’s early exit from practice today. Boeser had left the ice after taking a shot up high on the wrist during a powerplay drill. Tocchet said that Boeser was fine as far as he knew and added that Boeser hadn’t said anything about a potential ailment.

The Canucks are already dealing with a significant injury with goaltender Thatcher Demko out of the lineup and can ill afford to lose more key pieces from their team. Boeser has just one assist through the first two games of round 1 but is coming off a career year having posted 40 goals and 33 assists in 81 regular season games.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Speaking of Demko, the netminder travelled with the Canucks to Nashville (according to SportsNet’s Dan Murphy). Although he made the trip, there doesn’t appear to be any change to his status as he remains week-to-week. Patrick Johnston of Postmedia writes that his sources tell him that Demko wouldn’t be able to return from injury until the Conference Finals, while Donnie & Dhali of CHEK TV believe he could return late in round 2 if the Canucks can survive until then.
  • The Seattle Kraken announced a new partnership today that will see their local broadcasts shift from ROOT Sports over to TEGNA-owned stations KONG as well as KING 5. KONG will broadcast all non-nationally televised Kraken games while KING 5 will simulcast 15 games as well. The deal effectively ends the Kraken’s relationship with ROOT Sports, who had broadcast Seattle games for their first three seasons. In addition to the new local television deal, the Kraken will also see all non-nationally televised games broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for people in Washington State, Oregon, and Alaska at no extra cost. Seattle becomes the first NHL team to strike a deal with Prime and could become a model for other franchises going forward.

Ducks Notes: Verbeek, McTavish, Jones

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Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune is reporting that Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has already started to build his offseason shopping list as he looks to help the team emerge from a long rebuild. The Ducks placed seventh in the Pacific Division and finished well out of the playoffs this season once again. Anaheim hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2017-18 season but did win four more games this year than last season.

Lee reports that Verbeek is looking to reshape Anaheim’s bottom six by adding some speed and grit to the third and fourth lines and he reportedly would also like to add a right-handed defenseman to play alongside the many left-handed defensemen on the team.

In other Ducks notes:

  • Derek Lee also reported that Ducks forward Mason McTavish is dealing with a sprained MCL in his knee but shouldn’t require offseason surgery. The 21-year-old didn’t play in the final six games of Anaheim’s season and was spotted wearing a knee brace two weeks ago as he dealt with the injury. McTavish finished his second full NHL season with 19 goals and 23 assists in 64 games this season and should compete for a role on the Ducks’ top two lines next season.
  • Lee also tweeted that Ducks winger Max Jones is dealing with an injury as the former first-round pick has a separated shoulder. The light-scoring 26-year-old missed the final 11 games of the regular season with the injury and finished the year with five goals and 10 assists in 52 games. Jones played the season under a $1.295MM cap hit and is a restricted free agent on July 1st. He will require a qualifying offer of $1.5MM and given his lack of offensive production, the Ducks may opt to not qualify Jones and let him become an unrestricted free agent.

Hurricanes Recall Three Players From AHL

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Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled three players from the AHL after their seasons came to an end. The Hurricanes have brought up defenseman Dylan Coghlan, forward Max Comtois, as well as goaltender Antti Raanta to serve as Black Aces during the Hurricanes playoff run. Without a salary cap or roster limit in the playoffs, the Hurricanes can bring in extra players to serve as depth during the postseason.

Coghlan played all but one game this season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 26-year-old posted 16 goals and 25 assists in 61 games with Springfield, while he managed to get into one NHL game with Carolina where he was held scoreless. Coghlan was an NHL regular with the Vegas Golden Knights just two years ago and was dealt to Carolina alongside Max Pacioretty for future considerations back in July 2022.

Comtois also dressed in just one NHL game this season with Carolina, posting a single assist in 13:04 of ice time back on April 16th. The 25-year-old spent most of his season with the Chicago Wolves where he posted 19 goals and 25 assists in 65 AHL games. Comtois looked like a breakthrough player during the shortened 2020-21 season after he tallied 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks, however, his point totals dropped to 16 and 19 over the next two seasons and the Ducks elected to not qualify him last summer leading to him becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Raanta was solid with Carolina in the two seasons before this year, dressing in 55 games and posting a 34-8-7 record with a save percentage over .910. However, this year the 34-year-old’s play has fallen off a cliff as Raanta has struggled at both the NHL and AHL levels. In 24 games this season, Raanta has a 12-7-2 record with a .872 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average, while his AHL numbers with Chicago are even worse as he’s 2-2-4 in eight AHL games, sporting a 3.54 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage.

Avalanche Place Chris Wagner On Waivers

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The Colorado Avalanche placed forward Chris Wagner on waivers today (as per CapFriendly) after he was called up from the AHL just three days ago. The 32-year-old played 13 NHL games with Colorado this season as he split time between the Avalanche and the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Wagner served as Colorado’s healthy scratch for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Jets. and will serve in the same capacity for Game 2 despite being on waivers.

Wagner signed a two-way contract with Colorado on July 1st of last year and proved to be a decent call-up option for the Avalanche, filling in during absences and injuries. In 21 AHL games this season, Wagner posted eight goals and six assists while he registered a goal and an assist in the NHL with the Avalanche. He averaged just 7:27 of ice time in his limited NHL action while posting a +3 rating.

The native of Walpole, Massachusetts, hasn’t been a full-time NHLer since the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season with the Bruins when he played in 41 games and tallied two goals and three assists. That season was the first year of an ill-advised three-year $4.05MM extension in Boston, as Wagner would spend the final two seasons of that contract playing in the AHL with the Providence Bruins.

In 373 career NHL games, Wagner has posted 38 goals and 27 assists, along with a -24 rating and a 204 PIM. His best NHL season came in 2018-19 with the Bruins when Wagner put up 12 goals and seven assists in 76 games.

Evening Notes: Karlsson, Granlund, Bratt

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Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins star defenseman Erik Karlsson will play for Sweden in the IIHF World Championship in Czechia. The tournament, which goes from May 10th – May 26th will extend the 33-year-old’s season after the Penguins were eliminated from playoff contention six days ago.

Karlsson had a disappointing first season in Pittsburgh but played very well down the stretch which coincided with Pittsburgh’s final push to try and make the playoffs. Although they ultimately fell short of securing a playoff spot, the Penguins’ late run gives reason for optimism as Karlsson finally seemed to find his offensive rhythm with the team posting three goals and seven assists in the final eight games of the regular season.

In other evening notes:

  • San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund will reportedly play for Team Finland at the World Championship (via Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now). The 32-year-old was a salary dump when he was traded as part of the Erik Karlsson move to Pittsburgh last summer but had a bounce-back season with the Sharks tallying 12 goals and 48 assists in 69 games. While his possession numbers continued to be poor, he demonstrated strong work on the Sharks’ powerplay posting a goal and 22 assists with the man advantage. Granlund looked like a buyout candidate last year, but with one year left on his contract at $5MM, he could potentially fetch the Sharks an asset at next year’s trade deadline if they don’t move him this summer.
  • James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now is reporting that New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt turned down Sweden’s invitation for him to play at the World Championships due to injury. The 25-year-old dressed in all 82 games for the Devils this season and had a career year posting 27 goals and 56 assists. Despite the ailment, it is not expected that Bratt will miss an extended period, which is good news for New Jersey as he enters the second year of his eight-year $63MM contract.

West Notes: Kraken, Barron, Girard

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Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis told reporters today (via Sound of Hockey) that he intends to start talking with restricted free agents Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen and fully expects that the sides will be able to come to agreements. Beniers is the reigning Calder Trophy winner but suffered a dramatic drop in his offensive production, posting just 15 goals and 22 assists in 77 games after posting 57 points in 81 games last season. While his play dropped off this season, he should still receive a sizeable raise on his $897,500 cap hit. Tolvanen was acquired off waivers by the Kraken back in December 2022 and developed into a solid depth scorer posting 16 goals and 25 assists in 81 games this season. He is also due a raise on his $1.45MM cap hit.

Francis added that the Kraken will have to decide whether or not to qualify forward Kailer Yamamoto, who suffered through another difficult offensive season posting just eight goals and eight assists in 59 games. While a $1.5MM qualifying offer seems steep for a player who tallied just 16 points this season, Yamamoto’s age and previous production could be enough to entice Francis to roll the dice one more time and qualify the 25-year-old.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • Winnipeg Jets color analyst Mitchell Clinton is reporting that forward Morgan Barron has yet to begin skating as he deals with a lower-body injury and will be out of the lineup for at least another week. The 25-year-old reportedly suffered the injury in the Jets second-last game of the regular season back on April 16th and it will likely keep him out of the first four games of their series against the Colorado Avalanche. The Halifax, Nova Scotia native just completed his fourth NHL season and set career highs in games played with 80 and goals with 11. He posted 122 hits while averaging 10:30 of ice time per game.
  • Meghan Angley of DNVR Avalanche tweeted that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard was a full participant in practice today, but Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar would not confirm his availability for Game 2 tomorrow. The 25-year-old hasn’t played in over a week and skated for just 3:26 in a 7-0 loss to the Jets on April 13th. In his last 28 games, the native of Roberval, Quebec has just three assists.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Philip Broberg

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The Edmonton Oilers have recalled defenseman Philip Broberg from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The recall was expected by many as the Oilers had a bit of a gap between the end of the regular season and their first game of the playoffs. Broberg has been on a rollercoaster the last few weeks as he has been back and forth from California to the Oilers several times. The 22-year-old was called up from the AHL early last week and dressed in the Oilers’ final two regular season games. He was then sent back to Bakersfield for the Condors’ final games over the weekend and will now make his way back up to the Oilers.

Broberg reportedly sought a trade in December, but nothing ever materialized, and he remained in the Oilers organization. His play on the ice likely was a factor in the lack of movement as Broberg has tallied just two goals and 11 assists in 81 career NHL games, including two assists in 12 NHL games this season. While he tallied just two points this year, both assists came in his last two games during his most recent recall. The native of Orebro, Sweden does have previous NHL playoff experience, dressing in 10 career games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, nine of which were last spring.

While the former eighth-overall pick hasn’t established himself as a full-time NHL blueliner, he’s shown he can fill in for the team in a third-pairing role. He hasn’t found his offensive game in his short NHL sample size but did have a terrific season in the AHL posting five goals and 33 assists in 49 AHL games.

Canucks Sign Vasily Podkolzin To Extension

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Vasily Podkolzin to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1MM. The 22-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level contract and currently carries a cap hit of $925K. The timing of the extension is interesting as Podkolzin hasn’t shown much offensively at the NHL level over the past two seasons after a solid rookie year back in 2021-22.

As a rookie, Podkolzin dressed in 79 games for the Canucks and posted 14 goals and 12 assists while he averaged nearly 13 minutes of ice time per game and showed flashes of the skill that made him the tenth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. However, the following season, Podkolzin’s offensive numbers fell off a cliff as he registered just four goals and three assists in 39 NHL games and was demoted to the AHL where he played 28 games and tallied seven goals and 11 assists.

This season has been more of the same offensively as Podkolzin has just two assists in 18 NHL games, however, he has been much more assertive physically and has shown more responsibility with the puck on his stick, leading to fewer turnovers.

The extension seems like a low-risk gamble by the Canucks to try and sign a player with a ton of potential to a low-cost deal that could pay huge dividends in the not-too-distant future. While Podkolzin hasn’t scored much in the NHL outside of his rookie season, he has solid underlying numbers and has other elements to his game to which he can contribute.

Morning Notes: Cozens, NHL Awards, Gauthier

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Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens will play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championships. The 23-year-old last played for Team Canada two years ago at the World Championship and was second in team scoring with seven goals and six assists in 10 games.

Cozens had a disappointing run during his fourth NHL season as he and the Sabres missed the playoffs once again, extending the second-longest playoff drought in North American pro sports. The Whitehorse, Yukon native saw his point total decrease by 21 as he dropped to just 18 goals and 29 assists in 79 games this year after posting career highs during the 2022-23 season with 31 goals and 37 assists in 81 games. Despite his disappointing campaign, Cozens is still hoping to end the 2023-24 season on a high note with Canada. He cited the chase for a gold medal as his main reason for electing to extend his season and play in the tournament.

In other morning notes:

  • TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the NHL does plan to hold an NHL Awards ceremony in the coming months and is currently looking to secure a venue for the show. The league hasn’t finalized any of the details at this time and remains in talks with several locations. Currently, the NHL hopes to hold the show on June 27th in Las Vegas which would be the eve of the NHL Entry Draft.
  • Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier will make his NHL debut tonight in the Ducks season finale against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hobey Baker finalist signed his three-year entry-level contract earlier in the week and will make his debut in Las Vegas. Gauthier was acquired by the Ducks earlier this season in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick and figures to be a massive part of Anaheim’s forward group going forward.  No word yet on where he will play in the Ducks lineup.

Atlantic Notes: Luukkonen, Imama, Tkachuk

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Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News is reporting that Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen won’t play for Team Finland at the upcoming IIHF World Championship. The 25-year-old is a restricted free agent on July 1st and without an extension in place has elected to not play in the event. The news is not surprising given that Luukkonen would be risking injury without the security of a long-term deal in place. It will be a blow to Finland’s roster for the tournament.

Luukkonen’s future looked murky at the start of the season, but the native of Espoo, Finland put up terrific numbers on a weak Sabres team registering a record of 27-22-4, along with five shutouts, a 2.57 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. His underlying numbers were also strong as he posted 9.4 goals saved above expected in 54 games. His contract negotiations will be interesting to watch as the Sabres will have to make a bet on whether or not Luukkonen can carry his strong play into the next few seasons.

In other Atlantic Division notes:

The Ottawa Senators have re-assigned forward Bokondji Imama to their AHL affiliate in Belleville. The 27-year-old was recalled two weeks ago by Ottawa and registered zero points and 7 PIM in six games while averaging 5:35 of ice time. He suffered an upper-body injury in Monday’s game against the Rangers and missed the Senators season finale against Boston on Tuesday. The Montreal, Quebec native is a former sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning and has registered a single goal in 15 career NHL games. Imama has spent the bulk of his seven-year professional career in the AHL where he has 29 goals and 43 assists in 310 career AHL games.

Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun reports that Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk will represent Team USA at the upcoming IIHF World Championships. A day after being nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the 24-year-old spoke with the Ottawa media and talked about the disappointment with his team’s season but expressed excitement about representing his country on the world stage. The former fourth overall pick had another strong season for the Senators, posting 37 goals and 37 assists in 81 games to lead the team in scoring for the second time in three years.

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