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Columbus Blue Jackets Had Interest In Colton Parayko

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In a somewhat stunning series of moves, the Columbus Blue Jackets went out and got two top-four caliber defenders on the trade market this week in Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson. Considering how early in the offseason they made these moves, it’s clear that upgrading on defense has been a priority of general manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s for quite some time.

Late Friday night, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported the Blue Jackets had also set their sights on Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues, likely as a backup plan in case one of the two transactions they pulled off fell through.

The imposing 6-foot-6 defender is one of the big trade bait pieces on the board this offseason – along with many other of his Blues teammates on defense. It could be a tough transaction to make for St. Louis, though, as the injury-prone 30-year-old is still locked in at a $6.5MM cap hit for seven (yes, seven) more seasons and carries full trade protection.

It hasn’t dissuaded teams from calling, though, as Pagnotta said Columbus isn’t the only team to have demonstrated interest in Parayko’s services so far this offseason. The right-shot D-man’s prospective spot in the Columbus lineup surely disappeared after acquiring Severson this morning, as the team still needs space in the lineup to ice youngsters Adam Boqvist and David Jiricek on the right side.

If a team is to make a successful trade for Parayko, it would surely involve a third-party team to retain some salary. That’s where concerns surrounding his term come in, though – how many assets would the team trading for Parayko need to pay a broker like the Chicago Blackhawks to be on the hook for seven more seasons of Parayko’s deal, even at a marginal cap hit? Few teams would anticipate not spending close to the cap for that stretch of time.

Los Angeles Kings Appoint Mike Buckley As Goalie Coach

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The Los Angeles Kings announced today that Mike Buckley has been named the team’s NHL goaltending coach. He joins the staff of head coach Todd McLellan, serving alongside assistants Trent Yawney, Jim Hiller, Derik Johnson, and video coach Samson Lee.

Buckley replaces Bill Ranford, who had held the role for nearly two decades since his hire in 2006. The Kings promoted Ranford to a director of goaltending position, giving him more oversight and responsibility for the organization’s usage and development in the position.

The 46-year-old Buckley brings a wealth of experience to the Kings but has spent the last two NHL seasons as a free agent. He did, however, spend eight seasons (2013 to 2021) with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Initially joining them as a goaltending development coach, he was later promoted to the position of head goaltending coach in 2017.

That means Buckley was a central figure in the development of Matt Murray, who helped guide the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017. Murray combined for a 22-10 record, 1.95 goals-against average, .928 save percentage, and four shutouts during the playoff runs.

As the Kings note, Buckley’s track record extends beyond the NHL. He’s been recognized at the minor-league level, where the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins won three Hap Holmes Memorial Awards for the lowest regular-season goals-against average during his time in the organization.

Before his time in Pittsburgh, Buckley gained experience as a collegiate goaltending coach, first spending five seasons (2007 to 2012) with his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts, and then three years (some while already working with Pittsburgh) with the University of New Hampshire.

Discussions Quiet Between Los Angeles Kings, Joonas Korpisalo

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The Los Angeles Kings made a major move to clear up some cap space on Tuesday, shipping out defenseman Sean Walker and netminder Calvin Petersen to Philadelphia. However, they immediately used nearly all their savings to sign defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a two-year extension.

That’s not to say they don’t have any cap space left to play with, and they need to address their biggest inconsistency from the 2022-23 campaign: goaltending. However, according to sources cited by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, there appears to be little ongoing dialogue between the Kings and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who is poised to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after coming over with Gavrikov near the trade deadline from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

As the Kings set their sights on returning to perennial deep playoff runs, goaltending stability remains the organization’s largest question mark. Including Korpisalo’s sparkling .921 save percentage after his acquisition, the team’s save percentage on the season was an abysmal .889, tied for the sixth worst in the league. 31-year-old journeyman Pheonix Copley had some capable moments, posting a .903 in over 30 games, but one can’t expect that to continue from the longtimer AHLer at this stage in his career.

Korpisalo, 29, spent his entire NHL career with Columbus up until the late-season trade. He had the strongest campaign of his eight-year career, managing to post a .911 save percentage in 26 starts on an extremely weak defensive team in Columbus. He’s shown flashes of brilliance, especially in brief postseason action, but long-term inconsistency has kept him from developing into a true starter. While a viable short-term solution for the Kings, it’s that inconsistency that would make some hesitant to hand the crease to Korpisalo.

But with free agency options somewhat limited and no bona fide prospect in the system, he might be their best option. The team is projected at just north of $7.3MM in cap space remaining this offseason, per CapFriendly, but they still have a quartet of restricted free-agent forwards to re-sign in Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Rasmus Kupari, Zack MacEwen, and Gabriel Vilardi. The impending crunch to upgrade their goalie position without any real financial resources to do so makes their decision to retain just over $2MM on Ivan Provorov’s cap hit in Tuesday’s deal puzzling.

Latest On The Calgary Flames’ Coaching Search

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After locking in Craig Conroy as their general manager last month, the Calgary Flames’ focus for the past few weeks has been exclusively on their search for a new head coach. Current assistant Ryan Huska has emerged as the leading contender to assume the role, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said during the second intermission of last night’s Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Huska’s emergence as Calgary’s top candidate is in line with the organization’s seemingly new philosophy. Since his hire, Conroy has expressed a keen desire to use the organization’s depth more effectively, something most felt was a struggle under previous coach Darryl Sutter.

Having spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the Flames and four seasons before that as the team’s AHL head coach, Huska has extensive experience in developing younger players and helping them transition to the pro level. Before his appointment as head coach of the AHL Adirondack Flames in 2014-15, Huska had spent 12 seasons behind the bench of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets.

If appointed, Huska would succeed the aforementioned Sutter, who the Flames fired on May 1 ahead of his two-year extension kicking in this summer. Sutter’s firing came after one of the most disappointing Flames campaigns in recent memory, slipping out of the playoffs entirely thanks to a lack of chemistry among the team’s new complement of stars.

As noted by The Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson, Huska is recognized in the organization as a strong communicator, an area of expertise Sutter evidently lacked heavily, especially with younger players. In his years behind the Flames bench, he’s been charged with running the team’s penalty kill, one of the team’s strongest elements.

Gilbertson also notes that during Huska’s time in Adirondack/Stockton, he was the head coach who oversaw the primary professional development of current Flames contributors Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington, and Andrew Mangiapane. He also coached potential Flames captain Mikael Backlund during his time in Kelowna.

While not a done deal, things do look promising for the 47-year-old to assume the role he’s prepped for over two decades. He would face the challenge of revitalizing the Flames’ core, especially Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, and leading them back to the playoffs like many expected this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Hire Shane Doan

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June 9: Toronto has officially named Doan as a special advisor to Treliving.

June 8: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to name current Arizona Coyotes executive Shane Doan as an assistant to newly-hired general manager Brad Treliving, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports Thursday afternoon.

Doan replaces the outgoing Jason Spezza, who served as a special assistant to the GM under the previous Kyle Dubas regime. Spezza put in his resignation with the Leafs after they announced they were not re-signing Dubas to a new contract.

It is surprising to see Doan leave Arizona after spending his entire playing career with the Coyotes. However, given that the future of the club is up in the air it makes sense for Doan to move on to a high profile position in which someone he knows is at the helm. Doan becomes one of Treliving’s first hires as he begins to build out the Maple Leafs management hierarchy. The two men do have history together as Treliving served as assistant general manager during Doan’s playing days in Arizona.

Doan has always been a representation of stability through the turmoil within the Coyotes organization. He stuck around through a franchise relocation, threats of relocation, ownership changes, and financial peril. Now he finds himself in perhaps the most stable franchise in hockey with an excellent opportunity to build out his career in management.

Steve Apostolopoulos Pulls Out Of Ottawa Senators Sale Process

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Toronto-based businessman Steve Apostolopoulos, the presumptive owner of the sole $1 billion bid submitted for the Ottawa Senators, has pulled out over frustration surrounding the length of negotiations, per Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.

Apostolopoulos’ decision marks the second bidder to walk away. As Garrioch notes, this move comes after Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds and the Markham-based Remington Group also withdrew last month due to the estate over former owner Eugene Melnyk and New York-based banker Galatioto Sports Partners’ (GSP) refusal to grant an extended negotiating window with the National Capital Commission and the city of Ottawa for a new arena.

With Apostolopoulos and Reynolds out of the picture, the remaining two serious contenders are Toronto businessman Michael Andlauer and the Kimel brothers, Jeffrey and Michael, minority owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although neither group has submitted a bid surpassing $1 billion, those close to Andlauer suggest he’s determined to acquire the Senators and is exploring options to bring in additional investors to bolster his bid, which is currently estimated at around $900 million.

As a part-owner of the Montreal Canadiens and a member of the NHL’s board of governors, Andlauer’s involvement in the league is seen as a positive factor by the NHL’s head office, says Garrioch. The more publicized bid led by Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks, including backing from Snoop Dogg and the Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg First Nation group, still is not fully funded but remains in the running.

Meanwhile, Garrioch reports Toronto billionaire Jamie Salter has submitted a revised bid to GSP over the weekend, intensifying the competition. The franchise was officially put up for sale on November 7, and it has now been four weeks since the binding bids were submitted, which, with hindsight, seems a rather pointless exercise considering the team is barely any closer to a sale.

Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Damon Severson In Sign-And-Trade

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to acquire pending UFA defenseman Damon Severson from the New Jersey Devils in a sign-and-trade deal, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Severson’s extension will come in at eight years with a $6.25MM cap hit. Columbus would later make the deal official.

Columbus will send a third-round pick in this year’s draft, 80th overall (originally owned by Calgary), to New Jersey for facilitating the deal, says Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. PuckPedia has the details of Severson’s max-term contract:

2023-24: $6MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, full no-trade clause
2024-25: $6MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, full no-trade clause
2025-26: $5.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, full no-trade clause
2026-27: $4.1MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, full no-trade clause
2027-28: $3.3MM salary, $1.8MM signing bonus, 20-team trade list
2028-29: $4.1MM salary, $1MM signing bonus, 12-team trade list
2029-30: $5.1MM salary, 12-team trade list
2030-31: $5.1MM salary, 12-team trade list

This is the second true sign-and-trade in NHL history. The Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames became the first to do it with last year’s Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster.

It’s also the Columbus Blue Jackets’ second major move on defense in the span of three days. After an injury-riddled season that saw Columbus boast the weakest ’D’ corps in the league on some nights, the team has now added a pair of top-four caliber players in Severson and Ivan Provorov to compliment youngsters like Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg, David Jiricek, and Andrew Peeke.

Severson, 28, was the longest-tenured member of the Devils, drafted just weeks after their run to the Stanley Cup Final – and last playoff series win before this year – in 2012. The veteran of nearly 650 NHL games has always been a capable point producer, recording a pair of 11-goal seasons and multiple 30-point campaigns, but has also put up some strong defensive metrics, especially this season.

This season, his Corsi For percentage at even strength was 56.5%, although it came with a small reduction in his role from over 23 minutes per game in 2021-22 to just under 20 minutes in 2022-23. While he may not have the upside of his fellow new teammates, Provorov, he’s got a much more solidified track record of two-way success and can play anywhere incoming head coach Mike Babcock chooses.

To put it simply – Severson is a capable, well-rounded, minute-munching defender who plays the right side. While the last few years of the contract carry some significant risk, given he’ll be in his mid-30s, $6.25MM is a very fair price to pay for his services right now.

The move takes one of the top pending UFAs off the market, and along with Vladislav Gavrikov’s extension in Los Angeles this week, the market for defenders on July 1 is looking a lot thinner. Dmitry Orlov, Erik Gustafsson, Shayne Gostisbehere, John Klingberg, and Matt Dumba now make up the remainder of the top UFAs available at the position.

One thing is abundantly clear – Columbus isn’t willing to wait any longer for a return to postseason play. With the Severson extension in play, the team should have a little under $6MM in cap space remaining this offseason, per CapFriendly, assuming a $1MM increase is finalized. That will undoubtedly go to upgrading their group of forwards.

New Jersey Hockey Now’s James Nichols reported earlier in the week that Columbus had an interest in Severson.

Latest On Carter Hart, Kevin Hayes

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The Philadelphia Flyers (and rookie general manager Daniel Brière) made their first big splash of the offseason earlier this week. Naturally, though, after acquiring a fourth goalie with decent NHL experience in Calvin Petersen, questions began to resurface about the future of budding star netminder Carter Hart with the team.

Within minutes of Tuesday’s trade being reported, reports from various insiders surfaced the Flyers were at least engaged in discussions with teams about moving Hart, although it wasn’t something as imminent as the Ivan Provorov deal, which was officially announced hours later. Today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on The Jeff Marek Show that progress toward a Hart trade hasn’t advanced, saying a source told him to “dial back on the [rumors]” and that moving Hart wasn’t Philadelphia’s current top priority.

The Fourth Period today seemed a little more optimistic about the eventuality of a Hart deal, but again noted nothing was imminent on that front. However, they did specifically name the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens as teams believed to have interest in acquiring the 24-year-old.

Both teams got strong goaltending performances this season from Ilya Samsonov and Sam Montembeault, respectively, but neither of them is regarded as the sure-fire long-term starter Hart is. While a poor bubble season in 2020-21 drags Hart’s career numbers down considerably, he’s been admirable in a tough position for Philadelphia in other seasons and sat among the top of the league in multiple stats during the first few months of 2022-23.

The Fourth Period also mentioned in today’s report that the lines of communication aren’t quite closed between the Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets, especially regarding a long-time rumored deal involving Kevin Hayes. They noted the Provorov trade was of higher priority to both clubs, but the two parties are now “set to reengage” after completing the three-team deal.

The main negotiating factor in a Hayes trade is reportedly salary retention, suggesting a return package from Columbus might already be ironed out. Hayes, 31, finished second in scoring among Flyers players with 54 points in 81 games this season and provides a much-needed upgrade at center for Columbus, although his roughly $7.1MM cap hit is a tad rich for his skillset and career arc.

Central Notes: Nill, Blackhawks Draft, Blackhawks Cap Floor

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The Dallas Stars are one of the most well-positioned teams in the NHL, made up of nearly the perfect mix of veteran talent, developing stars, and promising prospects. Behind all that is general manager Jim Nill, who is one of this year’s nominees for the Jim Gregory Award for GM of the year.

Next season is the last one on Nill’s current contract, though, and there is currently no timeline for extension discussions to begin, Dallas Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine said today. While speaking to reporters this morning, Nill did say he’d “like to be [in Dallas] for a few more years.” Nill has been Dallas’ GM since 2013, his first NHL GM job after nearly two decades of service in the Detroit Red Wings front office. In that time, Nill’s assembled one of the best prospect pools in the league while keeping the team in a position to contend, reaching the Conference Final twice in the last four seasons.

It seems inconceivable that Dallas would opt not to extend him unless the 2023-24 campaign takes an unexpected term, but at 65 years old, it’s hard to imagine Nill sticking around past his next extension.

More from the Central Division today:

  • Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said today he’s open to all options with the team’s second pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, currently slated for 19th overall. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in last year’s Brandon Hagel trade, it’s one of six picks Chicago holds in the first two rounds of the draft. Already locked into the first overall selection, Chicago could trade up or down from the 19th spot if the right opportunity presents itself.
  • Davidson also told reporters he anticipates “no problem” in hitting the salary cap floor next season. Eyebrows raised yesterday after the team signed forward Andreas Athanasiou to a two-year extension well above market value, with some viewing it as a thinly veiled attempt to get Chicago cap compliant. As of today, the team has a projected cap hit of just under $46MM for 2023-24, per CapFriendly, a number that will need to hit $61.7MM by the start of next season. Davidson alluded to taking on bad contracts in exchange for assets as part of his offseason strategy but said the market for those transactions hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet.

Jani Hakanpää To Undergo Knee Surgery

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Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää is slated for offseason knee surgery, general manager Jim Nill said Thursday morning. The 31-year-old defensive stalwart missed four playoff games, including Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Final, with a lower-body injury.

Nill also mentioned Hakanpää was dealing with a separate back injury during the postseason, which will not require further action. While the team hasn’t confirmed his recovery timeline, don’t expect the 6-foot-7, 220-pound Finn to be ready for training camp in September.

Dallas’ shutdown pairing of Hakanpää and his fellow countryman, Esa Lindell, was among the most-used pairings in the league this season. They spent nearly 1,000 minutes paired together during the regular season and were the only pairing to see the ice together in all 82 games, per MoneyPuck.

The physical defensive specialist developed into a legitimate top-four defender in 2022-23, recording career-highs in nearly every category. While averaging over 19 minutes per game, Hakanpää recorded 16 points and a +18 rating in all 82 games.

It’s been a very long path to the NHL for Hakanpää, and hopefully, he can return to form for the Stars after fully recovering. Originally part of the St. Louis Blues’ 2010 draft class, Hakanpää didn’t make his NHL debut until nearly a decade later, playing five games at the tail end of the 2019-20 season with the Anaheim Ducks.

He’s made strong defensive impacts since, playing over 200 games during the past few seasons with the Ducks, Stars, and Carolina Hurricanes. He’s locked in at a $1.5MM cap hit for next season and is slated for unrestricted free agency in 2024.

If Hakanpää is not available to start the regular season, expect more opportunities for youngster Nils Lundkvist to begin 2023-24. The 22-year-old stayed in the NHL full-time this year, recording 16 points in 60 games, but was a healthy scratch for the entirety of Dallas’ run to the Western Conference Final.

Nill also told reporters that pending UFA forward Evgenii Dadonov, who left in the first period of Dallas’ Game 3 loss to Vegas, sustained a Grade 2 MCL strain in his knee and likely would not have played in the Stanley Cup Final, had Dallas advanced. The 34-year-old found new life in Dallas after coming over near the trade deadline from the Montreal Canadiens, recording seven goals and 25 points in 39 combined regular season and playoff games.

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