Utah Re-Signs Milos Kelemen To Two-Way Deal
Utah has signed RFA winger Miloš Kelemen to a one-year, two-way deal, per a team release. After spending the last two seasons with the Coyotes, Utah retained Kelemen’s signing rights last week by issuing him a qualifying offer.
The 24-year-old Kelemen made 10 appearances for the Yotes this past season, posting an assist and a -2 rating while averaging 7:41 per game. He’s got a good set of wheels, reaching a top speed of 22.58 mph last season, and has historically demonstrated good scoring ability in the minors and European pro leagues, but that hasn’t translated to NHL action yet. He’s scored only once in 24 games over the past two years on 17 shots in his extremely limited usage.
Things have gone much better in the minors for Kelemen, where he’s served as a solid contributor for AHL Tucson since coming to North America as an undrafted free agent signing by the Yotes in 2022. There, he scored 30 goals and 62 points in 112 games, including 16 goals in 54 games last season.
Utah’s retained almost all of Arizona’s forward group from last season and brought in Kevin Stenlund in free agency, so the chances of Kelemen carving out an NHL role to start the season are slim. Instead, he’ll likely return to Tucson for his third season with the Roadrunners. Prior to coming to the NHL, Kelemen was named the Czech Extraliga Rookie of the Year in 2021-22 and led the league’s playoffs in goals that year with nine in 14 games.
Senators Sign Matthew Andonovski To Entry-Level Deal
Senators defense prospect Matthew Andonovski has signed his three-year, entry-level contract, per a team announcement. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
Andonovski, 19, was picked up by Ottawa in the fifth round of the 2023 draft (140th overall). The left-shot blue liner has spent the last three seasons of the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, where he’ll presumptively be loaned back to for 2024-25. His 20th birthday isn’t until March 2025, so he’s still too young to be assigned to the AHL. That would defer his ELC for one season, making it go into effect for 2025-26 and expiring after 2027-28.
The Markham, Ontario, native has good size at 6’2″ and 201 lbs and blocks shots with abandon. He’s no stranger to getting involved physically and often crosses the line, as evidenced by his 124 PIMs last season. After going without a goal in 67 games in his draft year, he flashed some offensive upside in 2023-24 with seven tallies, 25 assists and 32 points in 62 games for the Rangers. He also had an astounding +58 rating, which led the entire OHL and led the Rangers by 27.
His NHL debut, if it comes at all, is still a few years away. But last season was a promising step forward for the defender, who’s now secured himself a spot in the Ottawa organization when he presumably turns pro next year.
Flames, Justin Kirkland Agree To Two-Way Deal
The Flames have signed center/left winger Justin Kirkland to a two-way deal, per a team announcement. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
Kirkland, 27, has seen NHL spot duty the last two seasons after playing the previous six in the AHL without a call-up. After skating in his first seven NHL games with the Ducks in 2022-23, Kirkland landed a one-year, two-way deal with the Coyotes last summer after reaching UFA status early via a Group VI designation. In Arizona, he added two major league games to his career tally, laying five hits and averaging 7:14 per game in an early January call-up.
He remains a strong minor-league scoring forward, even if he’s still in search of his first NHL point. A third-round pick of the Predators back in 2014, he made 43 appearances for AHL Tucson last year, recording eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points.
Kirkland now returns for his second stint in the Flames organization, where he had a career-high 25 goals and 48 points with AHL Stockton in 2021-22. He spent three seasons in Stockton on consecutive one-year, two-way deals from the Flames beginning when the Preds didn’t qualify him upon completion of his entry-level contract in 2019.
He’s the second major veteran addition to Calgary’s group of projected minor-leaguers this fall, joining 30-year-old Czech sharp-shooter Martin Frk. They’ll help anchor an AHL Calgary offense that’s likely to include a pair of first-round picks in Matthew Coronato (2021) and Samuel Honzek (2023).
Hurricanes Sign William Carrier To Six-Year Deal
July 3: Carolina has now confirmed the terms of Carrier’s contract.
July 1: The Hurricanes have pried longtime Golden Knight William Carrier away from Vegas. The checking winger is joining Carolina on a six-year deal worth $2MM per season, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports.
Carrier, 29, provides solid checking depth for a Carolina squad that lost a lot of key pieces today on the open market. Seven of his eight NHL seasons have come in Vegas, where he accumulated 99 points, 183 PIMs and 1,116 hits in 372 games. He won the Cup with them one year ago, providing some crucial depth point production with six points in 18 games.
The deal is indicative of a recent trend for physical, two-way responsible checking wingers – long-term agreements are becoming closer to the norm. Miles Wood is a notable recent example – he received a six-year, $2.5MM AAV deal from the Avalanche last summer.
Carrier will fill a lot of the duties Jordan Martinook has for the Canes in the past few seasons. Martinook is sticking around, inking a three-year deal today, but the loss of forwards Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teräväinen without any real replacement means he’ll be relied upon for point production higher up in the lineup. Carrier routinely averages around 11 minutes per game and will be best suited to continue in a fourth-line role.
Panthers Sign Anton Lundell To Six-Year Deal
The Panthers announced the signing of RFA center Anton Lundell to a six-year deal. It’s reportedly a $5MM cap hit for the 2024 Stanley Cup champion, per PuckPedia, who also has the full breakdown of the deal.
Lundell, 22, has been a rock-steady third-line center for the Cats for the past three seasons. He’s yet to recapture the rookie form that placed him sixth in Calder Trophy voting and even earned him Selke Trophy consideration in 2021-22, though. He needed a new contract this summer after giving the Panthers three years of high-end performance on his entry-level contract, carrying a dirt-cheap $925K cap hit.
He wasn’t a major factor offensively in Florida’s 110-point campaign last year, recording 13 goals and 35 points in 78 games. But he’s been a possession monster during his time in the pros, consistently averaging over 15 minutes per game. With Lundell on the ice this season, the Panthers controlled 56.4% of shot attempts and 53.2% of expected goals, the latter being a quite respectable career-low.
Lundell’s playmaking exploded in the playoffs this season, though, tying for second on the team with 14 assists in 24 games. He added three goals for 17 points and had a +8 rating, the highest among Florida forwards, as he played a key depth role in helping the Panthers win their first championship in franchise history.
$5MM annually is a decent chunk of change, though, especially for a player who projects to serve as their third-line center for quite a while. Captain Aleksander Barkov remains signed through 2030, and while Sam Bennett‘s deal is up next summer, they’re already making significant progress on an extension. Lundell becomes their fourth highest-paid forward next season, only behind Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk.
That center logjam will likely keep his minutes about where they are, limiting his potential for offensive growth. But he’s still among the best third-line pivots in the league and likely still has a bit more room to grow, making him a high-value bet in the 2C spot down the line if Bennett’s deal ends up being a short-term one.
Lundell will be a UFA upon expiry in 2030, along with Barkov and Tkachuk. His $30MM total value makes it the largest RFA contract GM Bill Zito has handed out while at the helm in Florida.
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Atlantic Notes: Skinner, Henrique, Panthers, Burrows, Korpikoski
Adam Henrique and Jeff Skinner both ended up in Canada in free agency, joining the Oilers on cheap short-term deals. It was a not entirely unexpected reunion for the former, but the latter was a late addition to the UFA market after getting bought out by the Sabres.
But Edmonton wasn’t the only northern club looking to pounce on their services. The Maple Leafs had demonstrated significant interest in both, especially Skinner, TSN’s Chris Johnston said on SDPN’s “The Chris Johnston Show.” He didn’t say how competitive the offers were compared to the $3MM AAV the duo both landed in Edmonton on two-year and one-year deals, respectively.
In talks with the Leafs, Skinner was told he’d be given a chance at top-line minutes alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, per Johnston. That’s similar to the situation he’ll have in Edmonton, where he’s likely to suit up as their second-line left wing alongside Leon Draisaitl with another free-agent addition, Viktor Arvidsson, on his right flank. It projects to be the best group of secondary scorers the Oilers have iced in the Draisaitl/Connor McDavid era.
While Toronto was active on the back end, adding defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jani Hakanpää and Chris Tanev, they’ve made no notable changes to a forward group that averaged a horrid 1.57 goals per game against the Bruins in their first-round loss, other than losing Tyler Bertuzzi to the Blackhawks.
Other updates from the Atlantic:
- Add the Panthers to the list of teams departing the Bally Sports family of regional sports networks. Much like the Coyotes and Golden Knights last season, they’ll be partnering with Scripps Sports to facilitate the local broadcast of their games next season and beyond, per a team announcement yesterday.
- The Canadiens won’t have Alexandre Burrows back behind the bench as an assistant coach next season, but he’s not departing the organization. He’s instead been assigned to a player development role at his request, VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton said yesterday. They’ve also added longtime NHLer Lauri Korpikoski as their player development coach in a Europe-based role. Korpikoski last suited up in the NHL for the Blue Jackets in 2017 but was active overseas up until 2022-23.
Capitals Re-Sign Hardy Häman Aktell, Riley Sutter To Two-Way Deals
The Capitals have re-signed left-shot defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell and right winger Riley Sutter to two-way deals, according to a team release. Both contracts carry $775K cap hits with a $350K AHL salary for Häman Aktell and a $150K AHL salary for Sutter.
Häman Aktell, who turns 26 tomorrow, returns for his second season in North America after signing a one-year entry-level contract with the Caps last offseason. Nashville’s 2016 fourth-round pick never signed with the Preds, staying in his native Sweden up until last season and letting his exclusive signing window lapse.
It took a while for Häman Aktell to land an everyday role in the top-level Swedish Hockey League, but upon doing so in 2020, he immediately became a part of a strong Växjö Lakers club that won two SHL titles in the span of three seasons. Between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 campaigns, Häman Aktell recorded 63 points (17 goals, 46 assists) in 151 games along with a +40 rating.
His first season with the Caps was unimpressive, though. He spent most of it on assignment to AHL Hershey, where he didn’t make as much of an impact offensively as expected, with only 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 55 regular-season games. A rash of injuries on the Washington blue line early in the season did give Häman Aktell the chance at his NHL debut, recording an assist and a -2 rating in six appearances while averaging an extremely limited 10:38 per game.
He ended his season on a high note, though, breaking out for five goals and four assists in 17 postseason games as he helped guide Hershey to its second straight Calder Cup. His signing rights stuck with the Caps as an RFA this summer after they issued him a qualifying offer prior to the June 30 deadline.
Sutter, 24, will return for his sixth campaign in Hershey next season. A third-round pick of the Caps in 2018, he’s yet to make his NHL debut but has garnered over $700K in estimated career earnings (CapFriendly) and has played a depth role in Hershey’s back-to-back championships. The son of NHL veteran Ron Sutter had a career-high nine goals and 23 points in 66 games for the Bears last season and is one of their biggest bodies at 6’4″ and 207 lbs. Like Häman Aktell, Washington had issued him a qualifying offer to keep him as an RFA.
Hurricanes Sign Riley Stillman To Two-Way Deal
The Hurricanes have signed left-shot defenseman Riley Stillman to a two-way deal, per a team release. The blue liner will earn $775K at the NHL level and $150K at the AHL level next season with a $350K guarantee.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for the 26-year-old, whose father, Cory Stillman, suited up in parts of four seasons for Carolina and was a part of their Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2006. The defender is coming off a highly disappointing 2023-24 season. After participating in his first training camp with the Sabres, who acquired him from the Canucks in February 2023 trade, he didn’t crack the NHL roster and was unclaimed on waivers. He struggled on assignment to AHL Rochester, limited to six points and a -4 rating in 47 games before lower-body surgery ended his season in early April. Stillman is a penalty-kill specialist first and foremost, though, so his lack of offense wasn’t overly shocking.
Prior to 2023-24, Stillman made 158 NHL appearances from 2018-19 to 2022-23, skating for the Blackhawks and Panthers in addition to his time in Buffalo and Vancouver. He’s accumulated four goals, 22 assists and 26 points in his career, laying the body well with 318 hits but failing to control possession at even strength. He’s controlled 46.3% of shot attempts and 46.0% of expected goals.
The Hurricanes have been focused on replenishing their defensive depth since free agency opened Monday, dishing out multi-year deals to Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker. Stillman should provide them with an NHL-experienced call-up option if needed but will likely hit waivers again in the fall and start the season on assignment to AHL Chicago. Carolina lost Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei to the open market this week and also lost some minor league defensive depth when they non-tendered Griffin Mendel.
Jets Sign Jaret Anderson-Dolan To Two-Year Deal
7:26 PM: The Jets have officially signed Anderson-Dolan to a two-year deal for $775K at the NHL level (as per Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun). The first year of the deal is a two-way contract, with the second year as a one-way deal.
12:49 PM: The Jets are expected to pick up versatile depth forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan on a two-year deal, Mayor’s Manor reports.
Once a second-round pick of the Kings in 2017, Anderson-Dolan has now moved to his third squad in the past few months. He began last season in a 13th-forward role for Los Angeles, his usual spot on the depth chart for the past couple of years. But after providing serviceable depth scoring in 2022-23 (12 points in 46 games), the offense dried up. Shuffling in and out of the lineup when injuries dictated his presence, Anderson-Dolan managed only one goal and three assists through his first 30 games of the year.
That led the Kings to place him on waivers ahead of the trade deadline to open up some roster flexibility, upon which he was claimed by the Predators. The move to Nashville didn’t yield any more opportunity for the 5’11”, 200-lb forward, though. He played just once in the Preds’ final 18 games of the season, posting a -1 rating and two shots in 13:39 of ice time in his lone appearance against the Blue Jackets on April 13. He was then scratched for all six games in Nashville’s first-round loss to the Canucks.
Anderson-Dolan should land a bit more opportunity in Winnipeg, which will look for its depth forwards to step up after losing Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli to free agency yesterday. His usability at center helps his case for minutes, but he’s been somewhat rocky in the faceoff dot with a 45.2% career win percentage. He’ll likely compete for roster spots and ice time with the likes of David Gustafsson, Axel Jonsson-Fjällby and Rasmus Kupari in training camp.
In 127 career NHL games, Anderson-Dolan has 15 goals and 28 points with a -31 rating. He’s still young enough to be an RFA upon expiry of his new deal, at which point he’ll be 26.
Avalanche Sign Erik Brännström, Wyatt Aamodt
3:00 p.m.: The Avs have also brought back defenseman Wyatt Aamodt on a one-year deal with an undisclosed cap hit. Aamodt, an RFA, had 14 points in 60 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles last year. The 26-year-old returns for his third full season in the Colorado organization.
1:00 p.m.: Colorado has made the deal official.
11:54 a.m.: The Avalanche have come to terms on a one-year, $900K deal with UFA defenseman Erik Brännström, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. Canucks freelance reporter Irfaan Gafaar said earlier Tuesday that there was traction between the Avs and Brännström on a deal.
Brännström, 24, became a UFA yesterday after being non-tendered by the Senators. It wasn’t unexpected. Ottawa has never fully placed their trust in the 2017 first-round pick, who they acquired from the Golden Knights as the centerpiece of the trade return for Mark Stone in 2019.
The Swede has spent parts of the last six seasons in Ottawa but didn’t truly catch on as a full-time piece until 2022-23. Since doing so, he’s been an exemplary bottom-pair defender, posting 38 points and a +10 rating in 150 games over the last two years. He’s also posted decent possession numbers, controlling 50% of shot attempts and 52.1% of expected goals at even strength last year.
The Sens didn’t use that strong play as evidence to try him higher up in the lineup, though, and his ice time stayed low at around 16 minutes per game. The one time Ottawa did insert Brännström into somewhat consistent top-four minutes in the 2021-22 campaign, he struggled with 14 assists and a -17 rating in 53 contests while averaging 19:46 per game.
Brännström won’t be tasked with a ton of responsibility in Colorado, though. Their top four is already set with Samuel Girard, Cale Makar, Josh Manson and Devon Toews. Instead, he’ll likely start the season in a consistent bottom-pairing role with either journeyman Calvin de Haan, who the Avs signed yesterday, or third-year pro Sam Malinski on his flank.
He’ll provide solid puck-moving depth and is a much cheaper replacement for deadline pickup Sean Walker, who signed a five-year, $18MM deal with the Hurricanes yesterday. At $900K, Brännström’s deal can be fully buried in the minors if he flames out, but he would need to pass through waivers to head to the AHL.
It’s a good pickup for an Avalanche team that is already projected to be over the salary cap upon the return of Gabriel Landeskog from injury and Valeri Nichushkin from suspension next season. They’ll need players on sub-$1MM cap hits to contribute as much as possible, and there were arguably no higher-upside bets available for that price after yesterday’s moves than Brännström.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.