Bruins Have Offered Jeremy Swayman $64MM Contract
The Bruins have offered RFA netminder Jeremy Swayman a contract totaling $64MM in value, team president Cam Neely told reporters Monday (via 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson). He didn’t confirm the length of the agreement, but it’s fair to assume he was referring to an eight-year deal with an $8MM cap hit.
“I’d have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Neely said in regard to Swayman’s continued absence. He added that Swayman had “flat out” told the club he wanted to remain in Boston, which aligns with a report from The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa earlier Monday.
For now, all signs point to Swayman remaining unsigned when the Bruins turn in their opening night roster next week. General manager Don Sweeney said it’s “unlikely” Swayman will be ready to go for their regular-season opener, with head coach Jim Montgomery confirming that Joonas Korpisalo is slated to be their starter against the Panthers on Oct. 8 after a strong camp showing (per The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan).
Swayman, 27, has been vocal this summer about his desire to set a bar for future goalie contracts after being handed a one-year, $3.475MM contract in arbitration in the summer of 2023. He’s had impeccable career numbers – a .919 regular-season SV% and a .922 playoff SV% – but has never started more than 45 games in a season.
He and Linus Ullmark, who the Bruins traded to the Senators at the beginning of the summer to give Swayman the undisputed starter’s crease, have been the backbone of Boston’s success over the past couple of seasons. Their importance was especially evident last year, posting a combined .915 SV% to keep the Bruins afloat in the Atlantic Division despite owning subpar 5-on-5 possession metrics across the board.
If he remains unsigned for a significant chunk of the season, it puts Boston in a tricky spot with Korpisalo. While the team is projecting confidence after a strong preseason showing, the 30-year-old is coming off a disastrous 2023-24 campaign with Ottawa that saw him post a .890 SV% and 3.27 GAA in 50 appearances. The difference in play over the first two months of the year could be enough to cost the Bruins a playoff spot in a competitive Atlantic field. Swayman has until Dec. 1 to sign a contract to be eligible to play this season.
Blues Sign Nikita Alexandrov To Two-Way Deal
The Blues have signed forward Nikita Alexandrov to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL, general manager Doug Armstrong announced Monday. He was one of the league’s last remaining unsigned restricted free agents, now leaving Bruins star Jeremy Swayman as the only one without a contract for this season.
Alexandrov and the Blues had likely agreed to terms on this deal for quite some time. St. Louis, however, was at the 50-contract maximum and couldn’t register the deal until making their initial training camp cuts and assigning a few players on entry-level contracts back to their junior teams, temporarily removing them from counting toward the limit. Alexandrov had been with the Blues in camp on a PTO while waiting for the contract to be official.
A second-round pick in 2019, Alexandrov is working his way toward being an NHL regular. The 24-year-old center has played 20-plus NHL games in each of the past two seasons, recording nine points and a -4 rating in 51 career appearances thus far.
He finds himself amid a tight roster battle for an extra forward spot with players like Nathan Walker and prospects like Zachary Bolduc and Zach Dean, but could very well find himself on the outside looking in. He’ll need waivers if the Blues attempt to assign him to AHL Springfield, where he posted seven points in seven games during a conditioning stint last year. He spent most of last season as a healthy scratch on the St. Louis roster after making the opening night roster for the first time.
Alexandrov will be a restricted free agent again next summer upon expiry. He won’t be eligible for UFA status until 2028 unless he satisfies the requirements to become a Group 6 UFA by playing fewer than 80 career NHL games by the end of the 2025-26 season.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs Injuries, Swayman, Pitlick, Mersch
Injured Maple Leafs Connor Dewar, Jani Hakanpää, Calle Järnkrok, and John Tavares all skated during practice Monday, albeit in non-contact jerseys on a separate sheet of ice away from the main group (via TSN’s Mark Masters).
Dewar and Hakanpää are recovering from shoulder and knee injuries dating back to the end of last season, while Järnkrok and Tavares are dealing with lower-body injuries sustained during preseason. None of their availabilities for opening night have been confirmed, although especially in Dewar and Hakanpää’s case, the fact they’re skating means their absences shouldn’t stretch too far past the start of the regular season if they’re unable to go. Järnkrok and Tavares remain listed as day-to-day.
That could certainly throw a wrench into the Leafs’ opening night roster if neither Dewar nor Hakanpää will be out long enough to be eligible to land on long-term injured reserve. Toronto is $1.07MM over the salary cap with a full projected roster, per PuckPedia, but could easily become compliant by waiving defenseman Conor Timmins and assigning him to the minors. That doesn’t leave enough room to sign either Steven Lorentz or Max Pacioretty to league-minimum contracts off their PTOs, though.
Head coach Craig Berube said later Monday that he expects Järnkrok and Tavares to take part in the next practice, so their availability for the start of the season should be considered likely at worst (via The Hockey News’ David Alter).
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- There’s still no end in sight to the contract negotiation stalemate between the Bruins and restricted free agent netminder Jeremy Swayman. But when the end arrives, all signs still point to the goalie staying in Boston. Neither side has any interest in starting up preliminary trade talks for his signing rights, even amid an unusually difficult set of talks, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa relays. “Swayman wants to be a Bruin. The feeling is mutual,” he wrote.
- Still with Boston, veteran winger Tyler Pitlick will attend their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins’, training camp on a PTO, reports the New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver. It’s quite a steep fall down the hockey ladder for the 32-year-old who appeared in 34 games with the Rangers last season on a one-way deal before landing on waivers in February and spending the rest of the season with AHL Hartford. Pitlick, a bottom-six defensive presence for most of his 10-year, 420-game career, was limited to four points with the Rangers and seven points in 22 games with Hartford last year.
- Former Kings forward and longtime Sabres depth piece Michael Mersch announced his retirement Monday. The 31-year-old had spent the last four seasons with Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, serving as captain since 2021. A fourth-round pick of Los Angeles in 2011, Mersch posted 188 goals, 213 assists, and 401 points in 597 AHL games in parts of 11 seasons with the Kings’, Sabres’, and Stars’ affiliates. He played 17 NHL games, all with Los Angeles in the 2015-16 campaign, recording a goal and two assists.
Metropolitan Notes: Grzelcyk, Roslovic, Smith, Pesce
Matt Grzelcyk made a name for himself in the NHL while serving as Charlie McAvoy‘s usual defense partner with the Bruins. The 30-year-old had great success in that role until last season, when his offensive production dipped to 11 points in 63 games, and his possession numbers were below average since the 2018-19 campaign.
Now looking to rediscover himself with the Penguins after inking a one-year, $2.75MM deal as an unrestricted free agent, Grzelcyk may get a similar top-pairing opportunity to open the season alongside Kris Letang, writes the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh. The Massachusetts native has spent most of camp alongside the two-time Stanley Cup champ, who he called “such a great player.”
“I’m just trying to be a sponge around him,” Grzelcyk continued. “He has a ton of knowledge to give about the game and what he would expect from his partner. Just trying to learn here. And start to build chemistry.”
While cast as a stay-at-home partner for a more offensively well-rounded talent, Grzelcyk does have decent puck-moving skills in his own right. That was a common theme among the Penguins’ offseason additions, especially on defense, which also included former Islander Sebastian Aho.
There’s more from the Metropolitan Division:
- Another free-agent signing looking to get a crack in a top-line complementary role is Jack Roslovic, who’s settling in on the Hurricanes’ first line alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, relays The Athletic’s Cory Lavalette. If it sticks, it would be quite the step up in responsibility for Roslovic, who’s been a middle-six fixture around the league for the past few seasons but has never held down a consistent top-line role. The 27-year-old signed a one-year, $2.75MM pact in Carolina in early July, and he’ll likely be used in different situations throughout the season as the Canes look to replace the offense lost by the departures of Jake Guentzel, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Stefan Noesen, and Teuvo Teräväinen.
- The Athletic’s Arthur Staple is optimistic about Reilly Smith‘s chances of clicking with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad as the Rangers’ top-line right wing. That’s been a revolving door for the past few years, with the aforementioned Roslovic getting a post-deadline crack at it last season. But Smith, 33, has a long history of success in complementary top-six roles – long enough to quell concerns about his underwhelming 13-goal, 40-point season with the Penguins last year, Staple opines.
- The Devils will kick off their regular season without top offseason addition Brett Pesce. The defender didn’t make the trip to Prague for New Jersey’s Global Series games against the Sabres, the team’s Amanda Stein confirms. Pesce, 29, skated Friday for the first time in camp but is still listed as week-to-week while recovering from a fibula fracture he sustained in April while with the Hurricanes. He had 13 points and a +10 rating in 70 games with Carolina last year and signed a six-year, $33MM deal to serve as the Devils’ No. 2 right-shot option on defense behind Dougie Hamilton in free agency.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/30/24
Training camp cuts continue Monday with just eight days until opening night of the regular season (aside from this week’s Devils/Sabres Global Series games in Prague). As always, we’ll keep track of all of today’s moves in this piece.
Last updated 4:41 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks (per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope)
F Zach Sanford (to AHL Rockford)
F Brett Seney (to AHL Rockford)
G Mitchell Weeks (to AHL Rockford)
Dallas Stars (per team announcement)
F Francesco Arcuri (to AHL Texas)
F Jack Becker (released from PTO)
F Justin Ertel (to AHL Texas)
F Justin Hryckowian (to AHL Texas)
D Michael Karow (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
G Ben Kraws (to AHL Texas)
D Luke Krys (to AHL Texas)
D Christian Kyrou (to AHL Texas)
D Kyle Looft (released from ATO to AHL Texas)
F Kyle McDonald (to AHL Texas)
F Curtis McKenzie (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
G Rémi Poirier (to AHL Texas)
D Connor Punnett (to AHL Texas)
F Anthony Romano (released from ATO to AHL Texas)
F Matthew Seminoff (to AHL Texas)
F Antonio Stranges (to AHL Texas)
G Bryan Thomson (to AHL Texas)
F Chase Wheatcroft (to AHL Texas)
D Gavin White (to AHL Texas)
Florida Panthers (per team release)
D Marek Alscher (to AHL Charlotte)
D Michael Benning (to AHL Charlotte)
F John Leonard (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Aidan McDonough (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Evan Nause (to AHL Charlotte)
F Gracyn Sawchyn (to WHL Edmonton)
F Hunter St. Martin (to WHL Medicine Hat)
F Ben Steeves (to AHL Charlotte)
D Zachary Uens (to AHL Charlotte)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F Caedan Bankier (to AHL Iowa)
F Travis Boyd (to AHL Iowa) pending waivers
F Brendan Gaunce (to AHL Iowa) pending waivers
F Riley Heidt (to WHL Prince George)
G Samuel Hlavaj (to AHL Iowa)
D Carson Lambos (to AHL Iowa)
D Ryan O’Rourke (to AHL Iowa)
F Devin Shore (to AHL Iowa) pending waivers
D David Spacek (to AHL Iowa)
Nashville Predators (per team announcement)
F Kieffer Bellows (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (to AHL Milwaukee)
G Matt Murray (to AHL Milwaukee)
Ottawa Senators (per team announcement)
F Nikolai Kulemin (released from PTO)
G Leevi Merilainen (to AHL Belleville)
D Filip Roos (to AHL Belleville)
D Donovan Sebrango (to AHL Belleville)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)
G Sergei Murashov (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Justin Bailey (to AHL San Jose) pending waivers
F Filip Bystedt (to AHL San Jose)
G Gabriel Carriere (released from PTO to AHL San Jose)
F Brandon Coe (to AHL San Jose)
D Sam Dickinson (to OHL London) – separate announcement from the organization
D Ethan Frisch (released from PTO to AHL San Jose)
D Jake Furlong (to AHL San Jose)
F Kasper Halttunen (to AHL San Jose)
F Quentin Musty (to OHL Sudbury)
F Tristen Robins (to AHL San Jose)
G Georgi Romanov (to AHL San Jose)
D Jimmy Schuldt (to AHL San Jose) pending waivers
St. Louis Blues (per team release)
F Mathias Laferrière (to AHL Springfield)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (to AHL Springfield)
F Hugh McGing (to AHL Springfield)
D Hunter Skinner (to AHL Springfield)
Toronto Maple Leafs (per team announcement)
D Ben Danford (to OHL Oshawa)
Utah Hockey Club (per team announcement)
F Travis Barron (to AHL Tucson) pending waivers
D Kevin Connauton (to AHL Tucson) pending waivers
F Cam Hebig (released from PTO to AHL Tucson)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to AHL Tucson)
G Dylan Wells (released from PTO to AHL Tucson)
Training Camp Cuts: 9/29/24
With just five days to go until the NHL’s first regular-season games for 2024-25, the rate of training camp cuts is speeding up. More players are beginning to land on waivers, while waiver-exempt fringe players are heading to teams’ AHL affiliates en masse. As always, we’ll keep track of Sunday’s cuts in this article.
Last updated 1:52 p.m. Monday
Anaheim Ducks (per team release)
F Judd Caulfield (to AHL San Diego)
F Ruslan Gazizov (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
D Dillon Heatherington (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
D Tyson Hinds (to AHL San Diego)
F Travis Howe (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
F Josh Lopina (to AHL San Diego)
F Nico Myatovic (to AHL San Diego)
D Roland McKeown (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
F Sasha Pastujov (to AHL San Diego)
F Coulson Pitre (to AHL San Diego)
D Konnor Smith (to AHL San Diego)
F Jaxsen Wiebe (to AHL San Diego)
Boston Bruins (per team release)
F Joey Abate (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Drew Bavaro (assigned to AHL Providence)
G Ryan Bischel (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Frederic Brunet (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Michael Callahan (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Riley Duran (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Trevor Kuntar (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Fabian Lysell (assigned to AHL Providence)
G Nolan Maier (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Ryan Mast (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Adam Mechura (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Georgii Merkulov (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Mason Millman (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Jaxon Nelson (assigned to AHL Providence)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Clark Bishop (assigned to AHL Calgary)
D Jonathan Aspirot (assigned to AHL Calgary)
Chicago Blackhawks (per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope)
F Colton Dach (to AHL Rockford)
D Ethan Del Mastro (to AHL Rockford)
F Cole Guttman (to AHL Rockford)
F Ryder Rolston (to AHL Rockford)
F Samuel Savoie (to AHL Rockford)
F Landon Slaggert (to AHL Rockford)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Chase Bradley (to AHL Colorado)
F Tye Felhaber (released from PTO to AHL Colorado)
D Jacob MacDonald (to AHL Colorado) pending waivers
F Oskar Olausson (to AHL Colorado)
F Nikita Prishchepov (to AHL Colorado)
Edmonton Oilers (per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector)
F Sam O’Reilly (assigned to OHL London)
F Matthew Savoie (assigned to AHL Bakersfield)
F Seth Griffith (released from PTO to AHL Bakersfield)
Los Angeles Kings (per team releases)
F Martin Chromiak (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Aatu Jamsen (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Kaleb Lawrence (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Francesco Pinelli (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Koehn Ziemmer (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Angus Booth (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Jakub Dvorak (assigned to AHL Ontario)
G Erik Portillo (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Bryce Brodzinski (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Jacob Doty (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Shawn Element (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Charles Hudon (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Patrick Moynihan (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Quinn Olson (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Jake Wise (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Parker Berge (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Dru Krebs (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Jack Millar (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Luke Rowe (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
Nashville Predators (per team release)
F Anthony Angello (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Easton Armstrong (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Alexander Campbell (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
G Magnus Chrona (to AHL Milwaukee)
G Drew DeRidder (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Jordan Frasca (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Kevin Gravel (to AHL Milwaukee)
G Ethan Haider (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jeremy Hanzel (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kale Howarth (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Lucas Johansen (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Joakim Kemell (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jake Livingstone (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Jake Lucchini (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kyle Marino (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jack Matier (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Navrin Mutter (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Chad Nychuk (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Cal O’Reilly (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Luke Prokop (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Reid Schaefer (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Ryan Ufko (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kevin Wall (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
New York Islanders (per Newsday’s Andrew Gross)
F William Dufour (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Aidan Fulp (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Marc Gatcomb (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Isaiah George (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Alex Jefferies (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Eetu Liukas (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Matthew Maggio (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Travis Mitchell (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Calle Odelius (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Cam Thiesing (to AHL Bridgeport)
G Henrik Tikkanen (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Marshall Warren (to AHL Bridgeport)
Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement)
G Eetu Mäkiniemi (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Mitchell Russell (to AHL San Jose)
F Lucas Vanroboys (to AHL San Jose)
F Anthony Vincent (to AHL San Jose)
D Artem Guryev (to AHL San Jose)
D Braden Hache (to AHL San Jose)
D Valtteri Pulli (to AHL San Jose)
D Joey Keane (to AHL San Jose)
St. Louis Blues (per team release)
D Jérémie Biakabutuka (to AHL Springfield)
D Michael Buchinger (to AHL Springfield)
G Will Cranley (to AHL Springfield)
F Tanner Dickinson (to AHL Springfield)
F Antoine Dorion (to QMJHL Québec)
F Dalibor Dvorský (to AHL Springfield)
G Colten Ellis (to AHL Springfield)
D Marc-Andre Gaudet (to AHL Springfield)
D Samuel Johannesson (to AHL Springfield)
F Aleksanteri Kaskimäki (to AHL Springfield)
D Leo Lööf (to AHL Springfield)
D Anton Malmström (to AHL Springfield)
F Dylan Peterson (to AHL Springfield)
F Marcus Sylvegård (to AHL Springfield)
Tampa Bay Lightning (per Bally Sports Florida’s Gabby Shirley)
F Dylan Duke (to AHL Syracuse)
F Gabriel Dumont (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Jaydon Dureau (to AHL Syracuse)
F Lucas Edmonds (to AHL Syracuse)
G Ryan Fanti (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Tyson Feist (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Dyllan Gill (to AHL Syracuse)
G Brandon Halverson (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Niko Huuhtanen (to AHL Syracuse)
F Kale Kessy (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Jujhar Khaira (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Milo Roelens (to AHL Syracuse)
D Roman Schmidt (to AHL Syracuse)
F Lukas Svejkovsky (to AHL Syracuse)
F Gabriel Szturc (to AHL Syracuse)
F Joel Teasdale (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Daniel Walcott (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Scott Walford (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)
F Tristen Nielsen (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
F Danila Klimovich (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
G Ty Young (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
F Chase Wouters (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
F Vilmer Alriksson (assigned to OHL Guelph)
Washington Capitals (per team announcement)
D Logan Day (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
F Pierrick Dube (to AHL Hershey)
F Zac Funk (to AHL Hershey)
G Mitchell Gibson (to AHL Hershey)
D Vincent Iorio (to AHL Hershey)
D Nicky Leivermann (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
D Jake Massie (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
D Jon McDonald (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
F Luke Philp (to AHL Hershey) injured, pending waivers
F Ilya Protas (to OHL Windsor)
F Henrik Rybinski (to AHL Hershey)
F Spencer Smallman (to AHL Hershey) injured, pending waivers
G Clay Stevenson (to AHL Hershey)
F Alexander Suzdalev (to AHL Hershey)
F Bogdan Trineyev (to AHL Hershey)
Winnipeg Jets (per the team’s Mitchell Clinton)
F Colby Barlow (to OHL Owen Sound)
G Domenic DiVincentiis (to AHL Manitoba)
F Parker Ford (to AHL Manitoba)
F Daniel Torgersson (to AHL Manitoba)
F Brayden Yager (to WHL Moose Jaw)
Metropolitan Notes: Milano, Tsyplakov, Vesey
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery isn’t enthused with winger Sonny Milano‘s performance thus far this preseason, calling his showing “just okay” (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti). Carbery added Milano has “the benefit of the doubt” as a veteran, but the 28-year-old’s standing in the lineup certainly seems to be on thinner ice.
Line rushes still indicate Milano has the inside track at a third-line left wing role alongside Hendrix Lapierre and Aliaksei Protas, though. Now entering his third season with the Caps, the former Blue Jackets first-rounder had a career-high 15 goals in 49 games last year but added only eight assists for 23 points. It also came on the back of an unsustainably high 30% shooting rate – he averaged just over one shot on goal per game, the lowest of his career.
Milano doesn’t offer a ton of upside outside of scoring chance generation, so if that continues to dip, he could find himself on the outside looking in sooner rather than later. He has two years left on his contract at a $1.9MM cap hit and is facing competition for top-nine duties from PTO invite Jakub Vrána and 2022 first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko, among others.
Elsewhere in the Metro:
- Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov is back at practice Sunday after sustaining a lower-body injury Friday, NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner relays. Recent line rushes indicate the 26-year-old free agent signing out of Russia’s Spartak Moscow is nearly a lock to make the opening night roster, potentially on a new-look fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean. Viewed as the top international free agent on the market, Tsyplakov had a career-best 31 goals and 47 points in 65 games for Spartak last season.
- Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday’s practice, head coach Peter Laviolette relayed (via the New York Post’s Mollie Walker). He’s being evaluated but doesn’t appear set to miss any significant time, he added. Vesey, 31, is entering the back half of a two-year, $1.6MM deal and had 13 goals and 26 points in 80 games for the Blueshirts last year.
Canucks Sign Vilmer Alriksson To Entry-Level Contract
The Canucks have agreed to terms with forward prospect Vilmer Alriksson on a three-year, entry-level contract, general manager Patrik Allvin announced Sunday.
Alriksson will be on his way back to the OHL’s Guelph Storm this season. The 19-year-old played there last year after Vancouver drafted him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, finishing seventh on the team in scoring with 33 points (17 G, 16 A) in 67 games.
That isn’t particularly promising offensive production for a player in their post-draft year. But if he cracks the NHL roster someday, it won’t be as a goal-scorer – although he does have a decent shot for the minor-league level. The gargantuan Swede checks in at 6’6″ and 214 lbs, projecting out as a fourth-line piece with good defensive instincts in the majors.
Assigning Alriksson to juniors slides his entry-level contract for this season, meaning it won’t kick in until the 2025-26 campaign. As such, he’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry in the summer of 2028. He’ll still earn an $85K signing bonus for this season as part of the deal’s $2.58MM total value, per PuckPedia.
Pacific Notes: Pickard, Honzek, Räty
Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard left Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Kraken midway through the first period with an apparent upper-body injury, writes The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman. The 32-year-old did not return to the bench after the play, and he saw his head hit the post as he fell backward after colliding with Kraken forward Yanni Gourde and teammate Philip Kemp.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch said postgame that Pickard is undergoing further evaluation and should receive an update on his status Sunday afternoon. For now, though, Edmonton’s No. 2 goalie option behind Stuart Skinner is questionable for the start of the regular season next week.
Pickard found his way back into full-time NHL action last season for the first time since 2018-19 after Jack Campbell faltered early, leading the Oilers to waive him and promote Pickard from AHL Bakersfield. The nine-year veteran was above-average the rest of the way, posting a .909 SV% and 2.45 GAA in 20 starts and three relief appearances en route to a 12-7-1 record. He signed a two-year, $2MM extension on June 28 to avoid hitting unrestricted free agency and stay in Edmonton.
The Oilers are projected to open the season with $946K in cap space and an open roster spot, per PuckPedia. That gives them plenty of flexibility to roster a third goalie on their opening night roster if Pickard’s absence is short-term and he isn’t eligible for long-term injured reserve.
That third goalie could be 24-year-old Olivier Rodrigue. The 2018 second-round pick is coming off a strong season in Bakersfield, where he posted a .916 SV% in 37 games. 52-game NHL veteran Collin Delia is also an option, but the 30-year-old struggled mightily with a .872 SV% in 32 games for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last year while in the Jets organization.
More from the Pacific Division:
- Flames 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek is getting a long leash in the preseason, playing in four exhibition contests thus far. After he posted a +1 rating in 16:20 of ice time Saturday against the Canucks, Calgary head coach Ryan Huska said Honzek is “going to make it really hard on us” to leave him off the opening night roster. The 19-year-old Slovak sniper will be turning pro this season regardless. After posting 31 points in 33 games with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants last year, his November birthday means he’s old enough for a full-time AHL assignment in 2024-25.
- In Vancouver, center prospect Aatu Räty is making a similarly strong impression. Acquired from the Islanders in the Bo Horvat swap in 2023, the 21-year-old pivot has looked promising in the preseason in a potential third-line role between Conor Garland and Nils Höglander, opines The Province’s Patrick Johnston. The 2021 second-round pick did have 52 points in 72 games for AHL Abbotsford last season, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. One factor working in his favor, as Johnston points out – he’s a right-shot center on a team without any others.
East Notes: Laine, Lindholm, Brink, Othmann
Canadiens fans are still waiting with bated breath for news about top offseason acquisition Patrik Laine. The winger left last night’s preseason loss to the Maple Leafs in the first period after he was on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee collision with Toronto AHL depth piece Cédric Paré, preventing him from skating off under his own power (via The Athletic’s Arpon Basu).
It certainly didn’t look good for Laine, whose left knee bent awkwardly during the hit and laid on the ice for several minutes before being helped off. Paré, who inked his first NHL deal with the Maple Leafs in July, isn’t yet facing supplemental discipline. He also wasn’t penalized on the play.
Laine was visibly angry while heading back to the Montreal room, an understandable reaction for a player who desperately needed a healthy season. The 26-year-old was limited to 18 games with the Blue Jackets last season with a collarbone fracture and a lengthy stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, recording six goals and three assists for nine points with a -10 rating. Montreal acquired the 2016 second-overall pick from Columbus last month, sending depth defenseman Jordan Harris the other way.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Bruins center Elias Lindholm is back practicing in a non-contact jersey today, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa reports. He’s been day-to-day with an undisclosed injury since Tuesday and hasn’t played in any preseason action thus far. It’s a good sign the 29-year-old will be ready for opening night. He’s still on track to begin the season as Boston’s No. 1 center, anchoring a line between David Pastrňák and Pavel Zacha. He inked a seven-year, $54.25MM deal with the Bruins this summer after posting 44 points in 75 games for the Flames and Canucks last season.
- Bobby Brink is trending toward cracking the Flyers’ opening night roster for the second year in a row, writes The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. Brink, 23, was solid in a middle-six role last year, posting 11 goals and 23 points in 57 games. But he spent some time in the minors as well, and his path to ice time in Philly this year became a bit murkier after 2023 seventh overall pick Matvei Michkov came over from Russia and signed his entry-level contract. He’ll still need to “earn his ice time,” Kurz writes, but Brink has drawn praise from head coach John Tortorella with his strong camp performance and will challenge for a third-line role at right wing after signing a two-year, $3MM deal this summer.
- Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann‘s chances of cracking the roster appear slim after he skated with a group of players mostly ticketed for the AHL on Sunday, relays The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. Othmann, 21, went pointless in three NHL games last season – his first in the majors. The 2021 first-round pick was great in his first pro showing with AHL Hartford last season, though, posting 49 points in 67 games and earning a spot in the league’s All-Star Game. He’ll get a few more NHL looks in 2024-25 even if he’s not up with the Rangers to start.