Avalanche Sign Parker Kelly To Two-Year Contract
The Avalanche have signed depth forward Parker Kelly to a two-year contract, per a team announcement. The deal is worth $1.65MM ($825K AAV), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports.
Kelly, 25, became a UFA today after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Senators. Ottawa is where he’d spent the first seven years of his career after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2017, slowly developing into an NHL regular over that time. Last season, he played in a career-high 80 games, notching eight goals and 18 points while proving himself as serviceable bottom-six depth.
A winger by trade, Kelly averaged 11:42 per game this year and put up passable possession numbers for his fourth-line minutes. The 6’0″, 190-lb forward lays the body well, recording over 170 hits in each of his last two seasons.
He’ll fit right into Colorado as a cheaper replacement for Brandon Duhaime, who signed a seven-figure AAV deal with the Capitals earlier today. And, solely based on last season’s results, he’s an upgrade both offensively and defensively. Kelly has a strong shot to begin the season on the Avs’ fourth line and will compete for playing time with players like rookie Nikolai Kovalenko and veterans Joel Kiviranta and Chris Wagner, the former of whom was brought back on a one-year deal today.
For less than a $1MM cap hit, it’s a tad puzzling why the Sens opted not to qualify him and retain his rights, especially when they signed his likely replacement, Noah Gregor, for $25K more against the cap. Kelly will happily take his services to Denver, where he provides the Avs with some much-needed cost-effective depth and gets a bit of security in the process with a two-year term. He’ll be a UFA upon expiry in 2026.
Wild Extend Jacob Middleton
7/1: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Wild have signed Middleton to a four-year, $17.4MM extension at a $4.35MM AAV.
6/27: The Wild are likely to announce an extension for defenseman Jacob Middleton soon after he becomes eligible to sign one on Monday, The Athletic’s Michael Russo wrote earlier this week. It’s likely to come in at four years between $16MM and $18MM total, working out to a cap hit between $4MM and $4.5MM.
Middleton, 28, faced increased responsibility in 2023-24, his second full season in Minnesota. The shutdown blue-liner averaged a career-high 19:49 per game, with captain Jared Spurgeon missing most of the season due to multiple injuries and top matchup defender Jonas Brodin missing significant time as well.
With increased opportunity came increased production for Middleton, who posted a career-high 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 80 games. His -15 rating was a career-low, but he’s one of more than a few Wild skaters whose ratings were negatively impacted by poor seasons from goaltenders Marc-André Fleury and Filip Gustavsson.
He’s never had spectacular possession numbers on his own, but he did prove to be a good partner for Spurgeon in 2022-23 when the two were healthy at the same time. Skating in 76 games, they controlled 53.5% of expected goals when deployed together, per MoneyPuck. The same couldn’t be said for him and rookie Brock Faber this year, who controlled only 48% of expected goals and was Minnesota’s most commonly deployed pairing at over 800 minutes together.
Middleton has certainly proven he can hold his own as a complementary top-four piece, but with him set to turn 29 midway through next season, there’s little room left for further development. Considering a four-year, $4-$4.5MM AAV deal is likely similar to what the much more established Chris Tanev will land this summer, it seems a little steep. Evolving Hockey’s projections concur that it’s a tad above market value, pegging a four-year extension for Middleton in the $3.8MM AAV range.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin also has a recent history of handing out premature extensions that are not aging well. He inked depth center Frédérick Gaudreau to a five-year, $10.5MM extension with trade protection after last season ended, and he proceeded to have his worst year in the State of Hockey with just 15 points and a -23 rating in 67 games this year. A four-year, $16MM deal set to kick in next season for Marcus Foligno also looks a tad steep after the 32-year-old struggled with injuries last season and had only 10 goals and 22 points in 55 games.
That said, the Wild will have some cap flexibility opening up when Middleton’s extension would go into effect for the 2025-26 season. The combined penalties from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts will drop from $14.744MM to just $1.667MM, where they’ll remain annually through 2028-29. Middleton, whom Minnesota acquired from the Sharks at the 2022 trade deadline, is entering the final season of a three-year, $7.35MM deal with a $2.45MM cap hit.
NHL Reinstates Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac, Joel Quenneville
The NHL issued a press release today indicating that former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and head coach Joel Quenneville have been reinstated from their respective suspensions and may now seek employment in the league (via Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli). The league’s full statement on the matter is as follows:
For more than the last two and a half years, these individuals have been ineligible to work for any NHL team as a result of their inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks’ Player, Kyle Beach, had been assaulted by the Club’s video coach.
While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals (Messrs. Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville) has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership. Moreover, each has made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse. The League expects that they will continue this commitment in any future capacity with the NHL and/or one of our Clubs.
While Clubs are free to discuss potential employment opportunities with Messrs. Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville effective immediately, they will not be permitted to enter into new employment relationships with any of these individuals until on or after Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
Bowman likely won’t be out of work for long, as he’s viewed as a top contender for the Oilers’ GM vacancy, Seravalli reports. He was viewed as a candidate for the Oilers’ CEO of hockey operations position last summer but was still ineligible to work, said Seravalli. They hired Jeff Jackson, now their acting GM after Ken Holland’s contract wasn’t renewed, instead.
Jets To Sign Kaapo Kähkönen
The Jets are signing goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen to a one-year, $1MM deal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
Winnipeg could be replacing Laurent Brossoit, last season’s above-average backup, by committee. After he left for the Blackhawks in free agency today, the Jets signed a duo of tenders – Kähkönen and Eric Comrie, who projects to be the third-string netminder but could compete for NHL starts.
Kähkönen is the overwhelming favorite to serve as the full-time backup to Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck, though. The 27-year-old Finn was solid in a tough situation with the Sharks last year, putting up a respectable .895 SV% behind the league’s worst defense with a 3.81 GAA and 6-20-3 record. He continued a strong run of play after a deadline deal to the Devils, where he ended the campaign with a .923 SV% and 2.51 GAA in a brief sample of six starts.
There wasn’t any room for him in New Jersey after they traded for Jacob Markström, so he found a new market to take his services to. Now on his fourth team in the past four seasons, the 2014 fourth-round pick of the Wild likely won’t replicate Brossoit’s .927 SV%, but he’s a solid bet to yield some slightly above-average numbers at $1MM. If he truly flames out and regresses to his 2022-23 form, when he put up a .883 SV% for the Sharks and conceded 25 goals above average, the contract can be completely buried in the minors.
Hurricanes Agree To Three-Year Deal With Shayne Gostisbehere
The Hurricanes are close to a three-year deal worth around $10MM for UFA defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. It would be his second stint with the club. The deal isn’t finalized, Pierre LeBrun of TSN says, but they’ve agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $3.2MM per season. Carolina later officially announced the terms of the deal, confirming the $3.2MM AAV and $9.6MM total value.
Gostisbehere alone may singlehandedly replace the offense Carolina lost when Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei both found new homes on the open market today. The 31-year-old flourished in Detroit last season in sheltered even-strength minutes while seeing top power-play time, recording 10 goals and 56 points in 81 games – his most since his career-high 65 points set in 2017-18.
He last suited up in Carolina in 2022-23 after a deadline deal sent him from Phoenix to Raleigh. He fit right in to end the season, posting 10 points in 23 games in bottom-pairing minutes, but ended up finding a bigger role with the Wings.
With the increased stability that comes with a three-year deal, Gostisbehere is well-positioned to take on the third-pairing, first-unit power-play role that suited him so well in Detroit. While he can play both sides, he’s a natural lefty and will likely sit behind Jaccob Slavin and Dmitry Orlov on the depth chart.
Carolina’s defense is likely completely filled out for next season, with Gostisbehere and Sean Walker serving as much cheaper replacements for Pesce and Skjei. They still have upward of $10MM in projected cap space for next season to make adds on offense as the week goes on, although the market is quickly dwindling as most of the top-flight UFAs have already signed.
Sharks To Sign Alexander Wennberg
The Sharks are signing UFA center Alexander Wennberg to a two-year deal worth $5MM annually, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
It’s clearly above market value for Wennberg, likely signed with the intent to help San Jose stay above the $65MM cap floor. But that doesn’t mean the addition is devoid of value for the Sharks, who desperately need veteran talent to help avoid overworking rookies like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, both of whom project to slot into the opening night lineup.
Wennberg is what he is at this stage of his career, recording between 30 and 40 points for three years in a row. The 29-year-old has logged heavy minutes over the past few years, averaging around 18 minutes per game since 2020-21, certainly more than he’s suited for. But he does manage decent possession numbers in defense-oriented usage at even strength, and he’s been a fixture on the Kraken’s penalty kill since they signed him in free agency three years ago. He’ll remain a top PKer as he makes the move to San Jose via a brief stop in New York thanks to a deadline deal to the Rangers in March.
He struggled to produce in postseason action for the Blueshirts, limited to one goal and one assist in 16 games. He’ll look for a fresh start in San Jose, where he’ll get a solid paycheck and is joined by veteran additions Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Toffoli up front to help add some much-needed secondary scoring.
Maple Leafs To Sign Jani Hakanpää
The Maple Leafs are expected to land UFA defenseman Jani Hakanpää, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. It’s a two-year deal, Dreger adds. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports it’s a $1.5MM cap hit.
Hakanpää is the final item in a Toronto defense shopping list today that also includes Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Now 32, the defensively stout Finn heads to his fourth NHL team since arriving from Europe in 2019.
Last year was a tough ending for Hakanpää. His season ended around the trade deadline due to injury, and he wasn’t able to suit up in postseason action for the Stars as they advanced to the Western Conference Final. Much like he has the past few years in Dallas, he logged fringe top-four minutes in the regular season, also contributing 12 points and a +10 rating in 64 games. He was among the Stars’ most frequent hitters, using his 6’6″, 225-lb frame to lay the body 196 times.
Used almost exclusively in defensive situations, Hakanpää will be a steady and perhaps more competent replacement for depth players like Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin who signed elsewhere for much more money today. In that sense, it’s an extremely shrewd pickup by GM Brad Treliving for a player who could prove to be the right kind of third-pairing partner for the more offensively-inclined Ekman-Larsson.
With their signings today, the Leafs now have a chance to ice a reliable puck-mover on each pairing in Ekman-Larsson, Timothy Liljegren and Morgan Rielly, paired each with Hakanpää, Jake McCabe and Tanev on their flanks. That’s a much more balanced composition than the D-core that largely failed to hold its weight in their first-round loss to the Bruins, plagued by a lack of competent puck-moving defenders.
After today’s moves, the Leafs are fully capped out with a 23-man roster.
Oilers Re-Sign Corey Perry; Sign Brown, Delia, Carrick
2:25 p.m.: The Oilers have also re-signed right winger Corey Perry to a one-year, $1.4MM contract, per a team announcement. He returns to Edmonton for his 20th NHL season in 2024-25. It’ll carry a $1.15MM cap hit with up to $250K in performance bonuses, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports. His return fills out a lot of good work from acting GM Jeff Jackson today to fill out their depth scoring complement after he ended the season with eight goals and 13 points in 38 games in an Oilers uniform.
12:42 p.m.: The Oilers are bringing in depth defenseman Josh Brown on a three-year deal with a $1MM cap hit, per a team announcement. They’ve also signed depth netminder Collin Delia to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$400K AHL with $425K guaranteed, per PuckPedia. Lastly, the team announced a one-year, two-way contract for defenseman Connor Carrick which will pay him $775K at the NHL level.
Brown, 30, is a bit of a blemish on an otherwise solid day for the Oilers thus far. Strictly a shutdown and PK specialist, he’s posted some downright abysmal possession numbers over the past two seasons in a Coyotes uniform, only controlling 39.7% of expected goals when on the ice at even strength. He does carry some special teams value, but even with receiving considerable time shorthanded, his low average ice time (14:45 last season) evidences how sparingly he’s used at even strength.
What he does bring to the Edmonton blue line is six years and nearly 300 games of NHL experience coupled with his 6’5″, 220-lb frame. He’s laid over 100 hits in each of the past three seasons, a mark he could look to hit if he gets into about half of Edmonton’s games this season. For a seven-figure cap hit, that’s a likely possibility, although it can also be fully buried in the minors if the Oilers need to.
Brown is coming off a career-high 10 points in 51 games with Arizona last year. He’s also logged NHL time for the Bruins, Panthers and Senators.
Delia, 30, joins the organization as Jack Campbell‘s replacement and projects to serve as the starter for AHL Bakersfield next season. He struggled in 32 appearances for the Jets’ minor league affiliate in 2023-24, the Manitoba Moose, posting a .872 SV% and an 11-9-1 record. His last NHL action came with the Canucks in 2022-23, when he had a .882 SV% and 3.28 GAA in 20 appearances.
Carrick also likely enters the fray as AHL depth, especially with Brown’s signing. While he was once a fringe NHL regular with the Maple Leafs in the late 2010s, he’s been solely a minor-league option for the past few years. The 30-year-old spent last year with the Kraken’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley, putting up 34 points and a +12 rating in 70 games. He’s appeared in 242 NHL games over eight different seasons with the Leafs, Devils, Capitals, Stars and Bruins, recording 13 goals and 50 points with a -19 rating.
Lightning Sign Jesse Ylönen, Two Others To Two-Way Deals
The Lightning are picking up winger Jesse Ylönen on a two-way contract, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He was non-tendered by the Canadiens yesterday, making him a UFA. They also inked veteran depth defenders Derrick Pouliot and Steven Santini to one-year, two-way pacts with $775K cap hits, per CapFriendly.
Ylönen, 24, has the greatest chance to crack the Tampa roster out of camp. The 2018 second-round pick struggled to produce with Montreal last season, limited to four goals and eight points in 57 games. But his minor-league numbers (32 points in 39 AHL GP in 2022-23) suggest greater offensive upside, something he may get the chance to showcase with many depth spots up for grabs in Tampa. He’ll compete for time with recent adds like Zemgus Girgensons and internal options like Mitchell Chaffee and Gage Goncalves.
Pouliot and Santini, meanwhile, are solely depth signings for AHL Syracuse, with the Lightning’s top seven defensemen already locked in. Pouliot, 30, remains a quality power-play option in the minors, suiting up in the Stars organization with AHL Texas last year. There, he recorded nine goals and 46 points in 64 games and earned a brief cup of coffee in the NHL with Dallas, where he went without a point in five games. Once a top-ten pick by the Penguins in 2012, he hasn’t stuck around as an NHL full-timer since 2018-19 with the Canucks.
Santini, 29, is a 6’2″ right-shot defender who’s changing NHL organizations for the second summer in a row. After a few years in the Blues’ pipeline, he spent last season on a one-year deal with the Kings, where he had 10 points and a +9 rating in 64 games for AHL Ontario. A second-round pick of the Devils in 2013, he has 123 games of NHL experience, mostly with New Jersey. He last suited up in the NHL for St. Louis in 2022-23, recording an assist in a four-game call-up.
Penguins Sign Anthony Beauvillier, Blake Lizotte; Three Others
The Penguins have signed winger Anthony Beauvillier to a one-year contract in a deal that will pay him $1.25MM next season per a team announcement. Additionally, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the team has also come to a contract agreement with Blake Lizotte on a two-year, $3.7MM contract.
Pittsburgh also announced they’ve signed forward Jimmy Huntington to a one-year deal. His pact carries the league minimum $775K cap hit. They’re also bringing in 26-year-old right-shot defenseman Nathan Clurman on a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$125K AHL, per PuckPedia. They also re-signed 25-year-old forward Emil Bemstrom to a one-year, one-way deal worth $775K after not issuing him a qualifying offer yesterday, PuckPedia reports.
Beauvillier finds a new home after a tough 2023-24 season that saw him bounce between three different clubs. In 60 games with the Canucks, Blackhawks and Predators, the 27-year-old had only five goals and 17 points with a -8 rating. That’s a far cry from the 15-goal form he consistently flashed with the Islanders from 2017 to 2023 until his involvement in the Bo Horvat trade sent him to Vancouver.
Pittsburgh will bank on a bit of a rebound from Beauvillier on a deal that’s almost fully buriable in the minors. After moving out Reilly Smith to the Rangers today, there could be an opening for him in the top nine and on the second power play to help him rediscover some offense. He’ll challenge players like Drew O’Connor and Rickard Rakell for a potential top-six spot but should be relatively guaranteed a third-line wing spot at worst unless more additions are coming.
Lizotte slots in nicely to the fourth-line center position, taking away some responsibility from Noel Acciari, who struggled in his first campaign with Pittsburgh last year. The former King has had good possession metrics throughout his six-year, 320-game career and is coming off a solid 15 points and +11 rating in 62 games last year. Interestingly, he’s only one year removed from a breakout campaign that saw him post 34 points in 81 games – if he can recapture that kind of offensive production, that would be a major jolt of energy into a Pittsburgh bottom six that was abysmal offensively in 2023-24.
Bemström should likely stick around on the NHL roster after inking a one-way deal, but whether he opens the season in the lineup or as an extra forward is a different question. The 25-year-old Swede has been a prolific offensive producer in the minors but hasn’t carried it over to the NHL on a consistent basis, finishing the year with a mediocre three goals and five points in 24 games with Pittsburgh after they acquired him from the Blue Jackets. There are certainly worse options to insert into the lineup in a pinch, though, and there’s always hope he can rediscover his rookie season form (10 goals, 20 points in 56 games with Columbus in 2019-20).
Huntington and Clurman will head to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and are highly unlikely to see NHL action next season. Neither has any major league experience to their name thus far in their professional careers. Huntington, 25, spent last season on a minor-league deal with the Hershey Bears, where he finished the season with 14 points in 20 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup win. Clurman, a stocky 6’2″, 205-lb defender, is 26 years old and played only 37 games for the Colorado Eagles last season, recording a goal and four assists with a +5 rating.