Flyers Sign Matvei Michkov To Entry-Level Contract
The Flyers have signed top right wing prospect Matvei Michkov to his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced. The seventh overall pick in last year’s draft had recently been released from his contract overseas with Russia’s SKA St. Petersburg ahead of schedule.
Michkov has faced a long string of rumors since his draft day, with many teams concerned that he may face challenges getting out of his contract with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg, which was set to run through the 2025-26 season. But SKA decided to terminate Michkov’s contract early, with SKA chariman Alexander Medvedev citing Michkov’s dream to play in the NHL and recent personal loss as primary reasons for the buyout. With his entry-level contract signed and an invite to Philadelphia’s development camp, it seems there are now no barriers to Michkov pursuing the NHL.
Michkov will move to North America as perhaps the top prospect in the NHL, after serving as the star power for the KHL’s HK Sochi over the last two seasons. Sochi is an affiliate of SKA and often used to loan out additional contracts, without pulling players out of the KHL. That gives them one of the league’s weaker teams year-over-year, but Michkov didn’t seem daunted by his company – totaling nine goals and 20 points in 27 games last year, and then 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games this year. That scoring comes out to 0.74 and 0.85 points per game respectively – ranked eigth and second among all U21 seasons in KHL history, despite Michkov not turning 20 until December. He’s a dynamic, highly aware player with the hands to stickhandle in a phone booth and the confidence to take on and beat any defenders head-on, regardless of whether they’re his own age or hardened KHL vets. His shot has also gained notoriety, with Michkov pulling off Connor Bedard-esque wrist shots – lightning quick and not needing much room – though Michkov doesn’t have nearly the same power or snap that will make Bedard’s shot legendary.
Regardless, Michkov is a star prospect, once considered the only player capable of beating out Bedard for 2023’s first overall spot. That hype changed as their draft seasons approached, with hotly debated rumors and a move to Sochi helping Philadelphia land Michkov at seventh-overall. He’ll quickly get to prove his doubters wrong, set up for what should be a smash year with the Flyers. The extent of Michkov’s talent won’t be clear until Philadelphia’s development and training camps, but all signs point towards him being capable of a top-line role, after averaging 17:12 in ice tie in the KHL this year. Should that be where Michkov lands, he’ll be in direct competition with Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, and Joel Farabee for minutes. Michkov is helped along by a natural ability to play either wing, though he’ll still have to proudly earn his ice time; juxtaposed by three 50-point scorers. If Michkov is the superstar he’s claimed to be – a thought that truly seems hard to doubt – he should have no challenge carving out a role, and should immediately join a Calder Trophy debate that’s also expected to feature Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Logan Stankoven, and Cutter Gauthier, among a long list of talented prospects getting their shot.
Red Wings Sign Jack Campbell, Re-Sign Fischer
Jack Campbell didn’t have to wait long for a new home after getting bought out by the Oilers. The netminder has agreed to a one-year deal with the Red Wings worth $775K, per a team announcement. In addition to adding to their goaltending depth, the team has re-signed forward Christian Fischer to a one-year, $1.125MM contract according to a team announcement.
Unless another move is made in the upcoming days, the Red Wings appear to have a bloated goaltending situation. The team was already positioned to start the season with Ville Husso and Alex Lyon as the goaltending combo but brought in two more goaltenders on NHL contracts as the organization’s most significant moves of the afternoon. The moves appear in stark contrast to the words used by General Manager Steve Yzerman only a few days ago when he said, “I don’t see us really doing three goaltenders throughout the course of the season. That wasn’t really the plan last year either, but injury kind of dictated that. Having said that, I don’t anticipate using prime assets to acquire an older goaltender that might not be here two, three, four years from now“.
If Yzerman plans to use that as a framework for his goaltending position at the AHL level; Campbell, Husso, and prospect Sebastian Cossa will likely start the 2024-25 season as the team’s trio of netminders in AHL Grand Rapids. Even on a league minimum salary, Campbell’s .886 SV% and 3.53 GA over his last 40 starts in the regular season have not earned a spot on an NHL roster.
Outside of the additions in the net, the Red Wings bring back an energizer bunny in Fischer on a modest one-year pact. The former second-round pick suited up in 79 games for Detroit last season while scoring five goals and 19 points. Fischer also led all Red Wings’ forwards in hits with 138 body checks on the year.
Rangers Acquire Reilly Smith From Penguins
The Rangers are expected to acquire winger Reilly Smith in a trade with the Penguins, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Pittsburgh is receiving a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick in return, The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman reports. The teams confirmed the second-rounder is in 2027 and the fifth-rounder is a conditional 2025 selection. The Penguins are retaining 25% of Smith’s salary, bringing his cap hit down from $5MM to $3.75MM for New York. The conditional 2025 fifth-rounder will be the worse of the two picks New York owns in that round – theirs and the Wild’s.
The Penguins are moving on from Smith after just one season, having acquired him in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick during the 2023 NHL Draft. Smith went on to total 13 goals and 40 points, failing to translate his strong scoring upside to a shakier role with the Penguins. He was much more robust in Vegas; one of many players to see a breakout year in Vegas’ inaugural season, scoring 22 goals and 60 points in 67 games and adding 22 points in 20 postseason games. He held onto the scoring through his next five years with the Golden Knights, consistently rivaling 50-point pace and even twice topping 25 goals.
Smith has developed into a capable middle-six scorer, whose offense held up even amidst an inconsistent role in Pittsburgh. What’s better, he’s an unrestricted free agent next summer, giving the Rangers a chance to test out his roster fit before committing to him long-term. The Rangers have rotated through veteran scorers over the last few seasons, cycling in players like Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Blake Wheeler. Smith will be the latest iteration, set for the same role in the lineup as his predecessors.
But unlike those before him, Smith offers the perk of playoff consistency, having totaled 26 goals and 79 points across 106 postseason appearances, including 14 points in 22 games during Vegas’ 2023 Stanley Cup run. The Rangers have boasted some of the best offenses in the league over the last few seasons, only to fall short in the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2022 and 2024. A lack of goal-scoring depth has proven the fault both times, forcing New York to lean on, and quickly tire out, their stars.
Smith could also provide a good shot to match Alexis Lafreniere‘s quick playmaking, with the pair likely bound for New York’s second line. Lafreniere was among the most polarizing Rangers late in the season, scoring eight goals and 14 points in 16 playoff games after netting a career-high 28 goals and 57 points in the regular season. Veteran additions like Smith could point towards New York’s investment in yet another young star, though that will ultimately sit with how Peter Laviolette chooses to deploy his top-six.
Red Wings To Sign Erik Gustafsson, Sheldon Dries
The Red Wings have inked defenseman Erik Gustafsson to a two-year contract worth $2MM per season, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. They’ve also signed minor league forward Sheldon Dries to a two-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$475K AHL with $525K guaranteed each year, per PuckPedia.
In the organization’s response to losing out on Shayne Gostisbehere, Gustafsson represents a similar style of play. For the first time since the start of the 2020-21 NHL season, Gustafsson will earn more than an $825K AAV. The puck-moving defenseman should find a home on the Red Wings’ powerplay after collecting 60 assists in his last 146 games split between the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers.
Gustafsson’s role in Detroit should be fairly flexible but he may find a home next to young Red Wings’ defenseman Moritz Seider. Seider has demonstrated a solid ability to shut down the opposing team’s top lines over the last three years and may represent a perfect option next to the offense-first defenseman. Gustafsson should also lift Detroit’s struggling possession numbers from last season as he’s averaged a 55.9% CorsiFor% over eight years in the NHL.
Dries, the Macomb, MI native returns home after spending multiple years in the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks organizations. Playing the entire 2023-24 season for AHL Abbotsford, Dries was one of the best forwards in the AHL as he scored 29 goals and 52 points in 55 games. He should be viewed as a big boost to a Grand Rapids Griffins team that is looking to contend after several years of mediocrity.
Bruins Sign Max Jones, Jordan Oesterle, Three Others
The Bruins have signed winger Max Jones in free agency, the team announced. It’s a two-year deal, per Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub. He’ll earn $1MM per season, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports. Jones became a UFA after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Ducks yesterday. Additionally, Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub reports they’re signing veteran depth defender Jordan Oesterle to a two-year, two-way deal.
Boston later announced they’ve also signed forward Riley Tufte to a one-year contract.. They’ve also signed 28-year-old right-shot defenseman Billy Sweezey to a two-year, two-way deal with a $775K cap hit, per PuckPedia. Anderson also reports they’re signing former Lightning forward Cole Koepke to a two-way deal.
Jones showed some flashes of being an impactful power forward with Anaheim but struggled with injuries and consistency. The 26-year-old played in 52 games last season, picking up five goals and ten assists while picking up a career-high 127 hits which wasn’t enough to earn his qualifier. Jones will likely play a similar role with Boston as he did with the Ducks, playing an energy role in their bottom six.
Oesterle had been a full-timer on an NHL roster for six straight years before last season. He inked a one-year deal with Calgary last summer but split the season between the Flames and AHL Wranglers. The 32-year-old had two assists in 22 games with Calgary but was much more productive in the minors, picking up 19 points in 30 games. Oesterle should have a chance to battle for a spot at the end of Boston’s roster in training camp but is likely ticketed for AHL Providence to start next season.
Tufte comes over after spending a year in Colorado’s system. The 26-year-old got into five games with the Avs last season, picking up a goal and an assist. He was one of the top scorers for the AHL Eagles, tallying 23 goals and 22 assists in 67 contests. Standing 6’6, Tufte could get a look on Boston’s fourth line in training camp but otherwise should be in line for a big role with Providence as well.
Sweezey spent the last three seasons with Columbus, primarily playing with AHL Cleveland. The 28-year-old got into 57 games with the Monsters last season, picking up a goal and three assists along with 73 penalty minutes and will be counted on to play a similar role on the third pairing in Providence. Sweezey also has nine career NHL appearances under his belt, all in the 2022-23 campaign.
Koepke, meanwhile, got into nine games with the Lightning last season, picking up two assists along with 23 hits despite averaging less than seven minutes a night. He was a capable secondary scorer at the AHL level as well, recording 20 goals and 19 assists in 53 contests. The 26-year-old has 26 career NHL games to his credit where he has three points. It’s expected he’ll start with Providence as well unless he lands a spot on Boston’s fourth line in the fall.
Kraken Sign Chandler Stephenson To Seven-Year Deal
The Kraken are signing free agent center Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year contract, PuckPedia reports. The deal carries a cap hit of around $6.25MM, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This deal moves Stephenson on from the Vegas Golden Knights, where he stamped his mark as a true top-six center in the NHL. Stephenson joined Vegas via trade in 2019, with the Golden Knights sending a 2021 fifth-round pick back to the Washington Capitals. Stephenson quickly took off with Vegas, netting 22 points in 41 games following the trade, and adding five points in 20 playoff games that year, while serving as the team’s third-line center. The hot start earned Stephenson a jump to the second line in 2020-21 – a promotion he vindicated by setting a then-career-high 14 goals and 35 points in 51 games. He followed that year up with a breakout 21 goals and 64 points in 2021-22, and quickly topped it with 65 points in 2022-23.
But it was the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs that seemed to truly cement Stephenson’s prowess. He was a focal piece of Vegas’ push to their first Stanley Cup, netting 20 points, split evenly, through 22 postseason games. He held down the team’s second line, controlling the middle lane in both directions and offering a chance for his aggressive wingers to make plays.
Stephenson has responded modestly to lifting the cup, with just 16 goals and 51 points this year, amidst a decrease in minutes in the wake of Tomas Hertl‘s acquisition. Still, Stephenson has shown a propensity for making a strong two-way impact and driving the net hard. Now bumped out of his role with Vegas – thanks to Hertl and William Karlsson – Stephenson will take his talents to a Kraken team rife with opportunity.
Seattle struggled to shape their lineup this season, with high-end talents like Jared McCann and Yanni Gourde pushed to fill a long list of responsibilities. Utilityman Stephenson will help carry some of that load, and could even support McCann’s move back to the wing. It was from that spot that McCann managed a career-high 40 goals and 70 points last season. He held on to the strong scoring even in more of a center role this year, suggesting plenty of offensive upside should McCann find an ideal role. Stephenson will also be great company for youngster Matthew Beniers, who’s still building out his dynamic two-way game after scoring 20 fewer points this year than he did last year.
Seattle has had a busy start to free agency, also signing top defender Brandon Montour to a seven-year deal. He and Stephenson are certainly notable additions, though they also bring the Kraken down to just $10MM in remaining cap space. Seattle will need to use that to negotiate with their remaining restricted free agents – Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen. The pair will likely eat up most of Seattle’s remaining budget, though there could be enough room left for one more addition.
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Wild Sign Eight Players To Two-Way Deals
The Wild have signed forwards Travis Boyd and Devin Shore, supplementing their depth on offense after bringing in Yakov Trenin on a four-year deal earlier today. Both are two-way deals. Boyd’s pays him $775K in the NHL with a $550K guarantee, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, while Shore’s pays him $775K NHL/$400K AHL with a $450K guarantee, per PuckPedia.
Boyd found a comfortable spot among the Arizona Coyotes’ bottom six over the last three seasons, kicked off by his career-high 17 goals and 35 points in 2021-22. Boyd followed that up with 15 goals and 35 points last year, though he was held to just 16 games this year after a torn pectoral ended his season in December. Boyd still scored eight points in the outings – sticking with his recent propensity for scoring – though he remains hard to gauge. Now 30, Boyd is a bit hard to project coming off injury; likely the reason for his two-way deal. But he’ll be in a prime position to bounce back next season, among a Wild bottom six in need of an impact center.
If Boyd can’t hold onto a role, Minnesota has hedged their bets with Shore – who got demoted to the AHL after 21 games in the NHL this year. He responded well to the send-down, though, recording 25 points across 39 regular season games and 13 points in 18 playoff performances. Shore has totaled 443 NHL games across the last nine seasons, though he’s managed just 139 points – and hasn’t surpassed 15 points in a year since 2018-19. Boyd’s scoring over the last two years will give him an advantage on the depth chart, though both players will compete for a consistent role at the bottom of Minnesota’s lineup.
Minnesota also inked 27-year-old right-shot defenseman Joseph Cecconi to a two-way deal ($775K NHL/$325K AHL), per PuckPedia. He had 13 points in 58 AHL games played last season with the Rochester Americans, the Sabres’ top minor-league affiliate.
The organization also announced two-way deals with forwards Brendan Gaunce, Reese Johnson, Ben Jones, defenseman Cameron Crotty, and goaltender Troy Grosenick. All eight players should open the season with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, and serve as valuable depth for Minnesota if the team succumbs to injury at any point during the 2024-25 NHL season.
Canadiens Sign Alex Barré-Boulet
The Canadiens have signed depth forward Alex Barré-Boulet to a one-year, league minimum contract, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports. It will be Barré-Boulet’s second departure from the Lightning organization since being claimed on waivers from the Seattle Kraken during the 2021-22 regular season.
It was only two years ago that Barré-Boulet appeared to be one of the emerging prospects in the Lightning organization. In 127 games for Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, between 2021 and 2023, Barré-Boulet scored 40 goals and 147 points without ever getting much of an opportunity at the NHL level. He finally managed to crack the Lightning’s roster this past season but the team was unwilling to use him as any more than a depth option.
In 36 games for Tampa Bay this past season, Barré-Boulet scored six goals and nine points in total while averaging 11:11 of ice time per game. Barré-Boulet played fairly well in the possession game as evidenced by his 14 takeaways compared to nine giveaways and his 52.7% CorsiFor%.
As he returns to his native Quebec, the Canadiens should be able to give Barré-Boulet an increased opportunity in their forward core. Barré-Boulet’s eventual role could be dictated by the situations of Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia. If Montreal is forced to keep both players, Barré-Boulet will likely be subjected to a bottom-six role. However, if the Canadiens can move on from Dvorak and Armia this offseason, Barré-Boulet may see his role elevated into a middle-six option.
Canucks Sign Jake DeBrusk, Four Others
The Canucks have signed forward Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year deal with a $5.5MM cap hit, the team announced. They’re also bringing in depth winger Kiefer Sherwood on a two-year deal worth $1.5MM annually. Continuing to add to their forward core, the team also announced a two-year, $4.5MM contract for Danton Heinen. Switching over the blue line, the team has announced a one-year, $1.5MM contract with defenseman Derek Forbort. They later brought in center Nathan Smith on a one-year deal, per CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal.
DeBrusk has a no-move clause for the first three years of his contract, per TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. It converts to a 15-team no-trade clause for the remainder of the deal. The full breakdown of the deal can be found via PuckPedia.
DeBrusk is finally moving on from the Boston Bruins, after spending much of the last three seasons surrounded by trade rumors. He’s found his scoring groove in that stretch, kicked off by a strong 25 goals and 42 points in 2021-22. DeBrusk followed that up with a career-high 50 points, while tying his high of 27 goals, and then posted 40 points this year. The performances have left a strong hint of upside left untouched in DeBrusk, who should be poised for a prime position in Vancouver’s top-nine after Elias Lindholm‘s signing in Boston. It will be DeBrusk’s first NHL experience outside of Boston, having recorded all 266 points and 465 games of his career with the Bruins.
He’ll be flanked by a trio of depth forwards in Heinen, Sherwood, and Smith. Of the bunch, it’s Heinen who’s earned the most recent acclaim, having posted 17 goals and 36 points with the Bruins this season. It was a standout year after Heinen managed just 22 points last season – painting him as an inconsistent but serviceable third-line winger. That’s exactly the role he’ll be asked to fill, in place of Ilya Mikheyev, who was moved to the Chicago Blackhawks. Sherwood should also earn a role in the wake of that trade, with a breakout 10 goals and 27 points this year putting him in a good position to fill Sam Lafferty‘s role on Vancouver’s bottom line. He’ll face competition from a long list of Canucks prospects, as well as from Smith – who spent last year posting 31 points in 60 games with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners.
Finally, Forbort will provide the stout veteran presence on the blue-line left by Ian Cole. Forbort, also moving over from Boston, has signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Canucks – following a meager four assists in 35 games this season. He faced injuries for much of the year, though, and still found a way to make serviceable defensive impacts when he stepped into the lineup. He’ll be exactly what the doctor ordered for a Canucks team in need of firm defensive depth.
Blue Jackets, Sean Monahan Agree To Terms On Five-Year Deal
The Blue Jackets are signing center Sean Monahan to a five-year deal worth $5.5MM per season, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports. The team later made the deal official.
Monahan, 29, gets a solid chunk of stability after persevering through a multitude of injury-plagued campaigns and re-solidifying himself as a top-six center this season. After recording just 40 points in 90 games across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Monahan rebounded for 26 goals and 59 points in 83 games last year split between the Canadiens and Jets.
He was a great fit in Winnipeg after they picked him up from Montreal via trade, anchoring their second line behind Mark Scheifele and providing important secondary scoring with 13 goals in 34 games. Most believed there was a good chance of him sticking around with the Jets, but after he was limited to one assist in five playoff games in their first-round loss to the Avalanche, he’s moving east to the Blue Jackets.
In Columbus, Monahan has the chance to reunite with longtime Flames teammate Johnny Gaudreau on his wing in a top-six role. Monahan’s career-defining season came with Gaudreau on his wing in Calgary in 2018-19, helping him to a career-high 34 goals and 82 points.
Expecting Monahan to rediscover that kind of scoring is unlikely, especially with Gaudreau undergoing a difficult run since signing with the Jackets (just 12 goals and 60 points in 81 games last year). But giving him potential first-line minutes should give GM Don Waddell a solid return on his investment, even if five years of term is a tad steep for a player with a significant recent injury history.
Monahan should give some insulation and flexibility to Columbus’ developing core of young forwards, namely allowing Adam Fantilli to occupy a more comfortable secondary role in 2024-25 after missing a solid chunk of his rookie year due to a calf laceration.
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