2023-24 Opening Night Roster Tracker
As final roster cuts across the league are made, PHR will keep track of projected opening-night rosters for all 32 teams as they get under the 23-player limit. Only teams with current rosters under the limit, not including players on waivers today for the purpose of assignment to the minors, will appear here. This page will be updated over the course of the next 24 hours or so under the roster deadline, which is Monday at 4 p.m. CT.
These rosters will be presented in projected line combination form. These projections are not representative of writers’ opinions and come courtesy of CapFriendly. These are also not representative of any paper transactions for the purpose of LTIR compliance that will likely be reversed after the deadline.
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
James van Riemsdyk – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Jake DeBrusk
Trent Frederic – Matthew Poitras – Morgan Geekie
Milan Lucic – John Beecher – Jakub Lauko
Extra F:Danton Heinen*
*still signed to a professional try-out contract
Matt Grzelcyk – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort – Kevin Shattenkirk
Extra D: Ian Mitchell
Buffalo Sabres
Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
John-Jason Peterka – Dylan Cozens – Victor Olofsson
Jordan Greenway – Casey Mittelstadt – Zach Benson
Zemgus Girgensons – Peyton Krebs – Kyle Okposo
Extra F: Tyson Jost
Injured reserve: Jack Quinn, Matthew Savoie
Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Henri Jokiharju
Erik Johnson – Connor Clifton
Extra D: Jacob Bryson
Devon Levi
Eric Comrie
Extra G: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Detroit Red Wings
Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Larkin – David Perron
Lucas Raymond – J.T. Compher – Robby Fabbri
Daniel Sprong – Andrew Copp – Michael Rasmussen
Klim Kostin – Joe Veleno – Christian Fischer
Injured reserve: Matt Luff, Carter Mazur
Jake Walman – Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry
Olli Määttä – Shayne Gostisbehere
Extra D: Justin Holl
Ville Husso
James Reimer
Extra G: Alex Lyon
Florida Panthers
Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Evan Rodrigues
Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – Matthew Tkachuk
Nick Cousins – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Ryan Lomberg – Steven Lorentz – Kevin Stenlund
Extra F: Sam Bennett (injured)
Gustav Forsling – Josh Mahura
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Dmitry Kulikov
Niko Mikkola – Mike Reilly
Extra D: Uvis Balinskis
Injured reserve: Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
Montreal Canadiens
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Josh Anderson
Juraj Slafkovský – Kirby Dach – Alex Newhook
Tanner Pearson– Sean Monahan – Brendan Gallagher
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard – Jake Evans – Jesse Ylönen
Extra F: Joel Armia, Michael Pezzetta
Injured reserve: Christian Dvorak
Mike Matheson – David Savard
Kaiden Guhle – Johnathan Kovacevic
Jordan Harris – Justin Barron
Injured reserve: Chris Wideman
Sam Montembeault
Jake Allen
Extra G: Cayden Primeau
Injured reserve: Carey Price
Ottawa Senators
Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux
Mathieu Joseph – Ridly Greig – Drake Batherson
Dominik Kubalík – Rourke Chartier – Vladimir Tarasenko
Parker Kelly – Mark Kastelic – Zack MacEwen
Injured reserve: Joshua Norris
Jakob Chychrun – Thomas Chabot
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Erik Brännström – Travis Hamonic
Joonas Korpisalo
Anton Forsberg
Tampa Bay Lightning
Steven Stamkos – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Tyler Motte
Michael Eyssimont – Nick Paul – Conor Sheary
Tanner Jeannot – Luke Glendening – Waltteri Merelä
Extra Fs: Alex Barré-Boulet, Austin Watson
Injured reserve: Logan Brown, Jack Finley
Victor Hedman – Nicklaus Perbix
Mikhail Sergachev – Darren Raddysh
Calvin de Haan – Erik Cernak
Extra D: Haydn Fleury
Injured reserve: Roman Schmidt, Brent Seabrook
Jonas Johansson
Matt Tomkins
Injured reserve: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Bertuzzi – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
Max Domi – John Tavares – William Nylander
Matthew Knies – Fraser Minten – Calle Järnkrok
Noah Gregor – David Kämpf – Ryan Reaves
Injured reserve: Bobby McMann
Morgan Rielly – T.J. Brodie
Jake McCabe – John Klingberg
Mark Giordano – Timothy Liljegren
Injured reserve: Jake Muzzin, Conor Timmins
Ilya Samsonov
Joseph Woll
Injured reserve: Matt Murray
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Michael Bunting – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Teuvo Teräväinen – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Martin Necas
Jordan Martinook – Jordan Staal – Jesper Fast
Brendan Lemieux – Jack Drury – Stefan Noesen
Injured reserve: Vasili Ponomarev, Ryan Suzuki, Andrei Svechnikov
Jaccob Slavin – Brent Burns
Brady Skjei – Brett Pesce
Dmitry Orlov – Anthony DeAngelo
Extra D: Jalen Chatfield
Frederik Andersen
Antti Raanta
Columbus Blue Jackets
Johnny Gaudreau – Patrik Laine – Kirill Marchenko
Alexandre Texier – Boone Jenner – Jack Roslovic
Kent Johnson – Adam Fantilli – Cole Sillinger
Eric Robinson – Sean Kuraly – Emil Bemström
Extra Fs: Justin Danforth, Liam Foudy
Injured reserve: Yegor Chinakhov, Jordan Dumais, Mathieu Olivier
Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov – Adam Boqvist
Jake Bean – Erik Gudbranson
Extra D: Andrew Peeke
Elvis Merzlikins
Spencer Martin
Injured reserve: Daniil Tarasov
New Jersey Devils
Jesper Bratt – Jack Hughes – Tyler Toffoli
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Alexander Holtz
Ondrej Palat – Erik Haula – Dawson Mercer
Tomas Nosek – Michael McLeod – Curtis Lazar
Extra Fs: Chris Tierney, Nathan Bastian
Injured Reserve: Nolan Foote, Brian Halonen
Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton
Kevin Bahl – John Marino
Luke Hughes – Brendan Smith
Extra D: Colin Miller
Akira Schmid
Vitek Vanecek
Injured Reserve: Nico Daws, Keith Kinkaid
New York Islanders
Kyle Palmieri – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal
Pierre Engvall – Brock Nelson – Hudson Fasching
Anders Lee – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Oliver Wahlstrom
Matt Martin – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck
Extra Fs: Julien Gauthier, Ross Johnston
Adam Pelech – Noah Dobson
Alexander Romanov – Ryan Pulock
Sebastian Aho – Scott Mayfield
Extra D: Samuel Bolduc
New York Rangers
Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Kaapo Kakko
Artemi Panarin – Filip Chytil – Alexis Lafrenière
William Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Blake Wheeler
Jimmy Vesey – Nick Bonino – Barclay Goodrow
Extra F: Tyler Pitlick
Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox
K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson – Braden Schneider
Extra D: Zachary Jones
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Philadelphia Flyers
Joel Farabee – Sean Couturier – Tyson Foerster
Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Cam Atkinson
Scott Laughton – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny
Nicolas Deslauriers – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway
Extra F: Bobby Brink
Injured Reserve: Jon-Randall Avon
Marc Staal – Travis Sanheim
Cameron York – Yegor Zamula
Nick Seeler – Sean Walker
Extra D: Emil Andrae
Injured Reserve: Rasmus Ristolainen, Ryan Ellis
Carter Hart
Samuel Ersson
Extra G: Felix Sandstrom
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jake Guentzel – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Reilly Smith – Evgeni Malkin – Rickard Rakell
Drew O’Connor – Lars Eller – Jansen Harkins
Matthew Nieto – Noel Acciari – Jeff Carter
Injured reserve: Raivis Ansons
Marcus Pettersson – Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves – Kris Letang
Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Chad Ruhwedel
Extra Ds: Ryan Shea, John Ludvig
Injured reserve: Will Butcher
Tristan Jarry
Alex Nedeljkovic
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Bäckström – T.J. Oshie
Anthony Mantha – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson
Matthew Phillips – Dylan Strome – Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Riley Sutter
Extra F: Ivan Miroshnichenko
Injured reserve: Max Pacioretty
Rasmus Sandin – John Carlson
Lucas Johansen – Nick Jensen
Martin Fehérváry – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Extra D: Alexander Alexeyev
Injured reserve: Joel Edmundson
Winnipeg Jets Extend Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck
3:34 p.m.: Both contracts carry a full no-movement clause from 2024-25 through 2026-27 and a modified no-trade clause for the rest of the deal, per PuckPedia.
2:27 p.m.: The Winnipeg Jets have signed center Mark Scheifele and netminder Connor Hellebuyck to matching seven-year extensions carrying an $8.5MM cap hit, according to a team announcement Monday. PuckPedia has the full breakdown of both contracts:
2024-25: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2025-26: $10MM salary
2026-27: $7.5MM salary
2027-28: $10MM salary
2028-29: $9MM salary
2029-30: $7MM salary
2030-31: $6MM salary
This is absolutely massive news for the Jets franchise on the eve of the 2023-24 NHL season. Not only have they retained their number-one center and star netminder for the remainder of the decade, but they’ve taken two of the top pending free agents off the market next summer.
Scheifele, 30, was entering the final season of an eight-year deal carrying a $6.125MM cap hit. Hellebuyck, also 30, was nearing the end of a similar deal earning him $6.167MM per season. It’s a raise of around $2.4MM per season for both as they remain Jets throughout (and past) their primes. Both players will be 38 when their deals expire, meaning these are potentially the last contracts they’ll sign in the NHL. Per CapFriendly, Winnipeg now has around $18MM in cap space for the 2024-25 campaign assuming an Upper Limit of $87.5MM with five to eight roster spots to fill. With no other big negotiations to worry about (other than young forward Cole Perfetti), it’s a reasonable financial picture for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff as he enters his 12th year on the job.
Scheifele is as core as core gets for a franchise. He was the team’s first draft pick after relocating from Atlanta, selected 7th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, and he’s the team’s leader in goals since their relocation. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound pivot has notched 272 goals, 373 assists and 645 points in 723 career games as a Jet across 12 seasons – a number that will increase to a spectacular 21 should he finish out this contract in Manitoba. His value has never been higher, either – he just eclipsed the 40-goal mark for the first time in his career and logged over 20 minutes per game for the seventh straight season in 2022-23.
He is quite the opposite of a defensive specialist, however, and his liabilities without the puck will likely lead to debate over whether he’s worth the money on this extension. Still, he’s notched at least a point per game in six out of the last seven seasons and more than deserves a shot to help lead the Jets to their first championship in franchise history. By sinking significant resources into their core until their late 30s, Cheveldayoff is sending a clear message that Cup contention remains the goal entering 2023-24.
There will surely be concerns about the value of these massive contracts as they age. However, if the cap continues to increase in five percent intervals as initially laid out by the league, the Upper Limit could be as high as $117.25MM in 2030-31. In that case, Scheifele’s and Hellebuyck’s contracts would amount to roughly 14.5% of the cap, softening the blow of their potential declines in value.
Hellebucyk is also a career Jet, selected 130th overall a year after Scheifele during the 2012 NHL Draft. He made his big-league debut at age 22 during the 2015-16 season, and he claimed his role as the team’s undisputed starter a season later when he posted a 26-19-4 record and a .907 save percentage in 53 starts in 2016-17.
2017-18 saw Winnipeg win their first playoff series in franchise history, advancing all the way to the Western Conference Final. Hellebuyck’s breakout that season as a truly elite netminder was the driving force behind it, as he led all NHL netminders in starts (67) and wins (44) that season while recording a .924 save percentage. He’s now posted a save percentage north of .920 three times in his career (including last season), and his 357 starts over the past six seasons lead all NHL goalies – as do his 10,412 saves. Hellebuyck is nothing short of a workhorse and has been incredibly consistent over the past years, an incredibly rare quality in a goaltender. He projects to remain in the NHL’s upper echelon of netminders well into his 30s.
His contract comes in just a hair more expensive than New York Islanders superstar Ilya Sorokin, who signed an eight-year extension carrying an $8.25MM cap hit earlier this summer. He’s two years younger than Hellebuyck, but the added eighth year on the extension means that the contract will expire after Sorokin’s age-37 season. Reports earlier this summer suggested Hellebuyck was rather closed to the idea of re-signing in Winnipeg and wanted a $9MM AAV offer from teams interested in trading for him, but those offers never materialized.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Senators Re-Claim Lassi Thomson Off Waivers From Ducks
3:25 p.m.: No other team put in a claim for Thomson, and he has been reassigned to AHL Belleville, according to a team announcement.
1:09 p.m.: The Ottawa Senators have re-claimed defenseman Lassi Thomson off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks today after losing him on the waiver wire just days ago, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. If the Senators were the only team to put in a claim for Thomson over the past 24 hours, they can assign him directly to AHL Belleville without having to waive him again.
If Ottawa cannot immediately assign Thomson to Belleville, that will put them in quite the pickle. They need clarity within the next two hours, as claiming Thomson puts them over the salary cap Upper Limit by approximately $800K. They don’t have room for any healthy extras with center Joshua Norris on injured reserve to start the season. Thomson requiring waivers to go to the AHL again would require Ottawa to paper down one of two waiver-exempt players on their opening night roster – center Ridly Greig or defenseman Jake Sanderson – to submit a cap-compliant roster.
Ottawa selected Thomson, 23, with the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He spent most of the 2022-23 season in the minors but did receive a two-game call-up with Ottawa, scoring a combined seven goals and 33 points in 58 contests across the two levels. The right-shot defenseman failed to overtake veteran Travis Hamonic for a regular roster spot during Senators training camp this year and, if he ends up back in AHL Bellville, will play leading minutes there once again.
Islanders Place Ross Johnston On Waivers
The New York Islanders placed veteran enforcer Ross Johnston on waivers today, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This will not allow the Islanders to assign him to AHL Bridgeport before tonight’s 4 p.m. CT opening-night roster deadline. However, as Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports, the Islanders will designate Johnston as a non-roster player while on waivers, eliminating his $1.1MM cap hit from the books within the next few hours to help the Islanders get under the salary cap’s $83.5MM Upper Limit.
Johnston’s waiver assignment comes as a bit of a surprise, as New York has carried him as an extra forward since 2018-19. He’s played 109 NHL games in that span, scoring 18 points. Johnston is currently in the second year of a four-year, $4.4MM contract. This deal was signed at the start of the 2021-22 season. Johnston would go on to score seven points and record 44 penalty minutes in 32 games that year.
The Islanders signed Johnston as an undrafted free agent out of the QMJHL in 2015. His appeal was largely as an enforcer, leading his QMJHL team in the final two years of his four-year juniors career. He brought this precedent to pro hockey as well, leading the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL in penalty minutes as soon as his sophomore year in the league. He even led the New York Islanders in penalty minutes, recording 62 in only 24 games, during the 2017-18 season; Johnston’s rookie year. This was nine minutes more than Cal Clutterbuck, whose 53 penalty minutes through 76 games ranked second on the team.
While Johnston’s return to the AHL is surprising given his duration with the NHL club, it’s not likely that this is the last fans have seen of him at the top level. The Islanders clearly have an affinity for his reckless style. He’ll certainly remain one of the team’s top options to fill in gaps in the NHL lineup.
PHR’s Gabriel Foley added to this report.
Penguins Claim John Ludvig Off Waivers From Panthers
The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed defense prospect John Ludvig off waivers from the Florida Panthers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Monday.
Ludvig, 23, was a third-round pick of the Panthers in the 2019 NHL Draft. He turned pro in 2020 but dealt with significant injuries over the following two seasons, only gaining an extended look in the pros for the first time last season. With AHL Charlotte, Ludvig skated in 54 games, recording 17 points and a +18 rating – finishing second on the team in that regard. There’s obviously some defensive upside here with Ludvig, who broke out for 62 points in 60 games while serving as captain of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks during his final season in juniors.
Ludvig signed his first deal with the Panthers in 2020, following his 62-point season in Portland. He immediately moved to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, playing in 13 games and recording eight points during an early taste of professional hockey – shortened by the AHL only playing during part of the 2020-21 season.
This move brings competition in for Ryan Shea, who was already slated to be Pittsburgh’s seventh-man. It also brings Pittsburgh within $170K of the cap ceiling – adding to the tension caused by the claim. Luckily, Dubas has a proven ability to find little bits of cap space throughout the season, although that doesn’t settle the competition for the seventh-man role. Like Ludvig, Shea has yet to see his NHL debut, playing his last three seasons in the AHL. This includes 70 games last year, where Shea recorded 28 points. Pittsburgh will need to decide which of the two young defenders is fit to back up a defense room filled with proven NHL veterans.
PHR’s Gabriel Foley added to this report.
Flames Claim A.J. Greer Off Waivers From Bruins
The Calgary Flames claimed winger A.J. Greer off waivers from the Boston Bruins on Monday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
Boston had initially acquired Greer, 26, by signing him to a two-year, $1.525MM contract in free agency during the summer of 2022. Eyebrows raised when it was announced Greer received a one-way deal after spending most of his pro career in the minors, but he managed to crack the record-breaking Bruins out of camp and never looked back. The gritty winger avoided AHL assignment for the first time in his career and notched five goals, seven assists, and 12 points in 61 contests with Boston – as well as 114 penalty minutes. After the team’s trade deadline moves, however, he was mostly a healthy scratch and did not play during their first-round playoff loss to the Florida Panthers.
With younger players like Jakub Lauko and Matthew Poitras taking strides in their development, Greer lost his roster spot and was waived yesterday. He heads to a team in need of forward depth in Calgary, who is down two initially projected regulars for this season after Jakob Pelletier and Kevin Rooney sustained long-term injuries during training camp. Greer will challenge other depth forwards like Walker Duehr and Dryden Hunt for ice time on the Flames’ fourth line to begin the season.
Avalanche Claim Ivan Prosvetov Off Waivers From Coyotes
The Colorado Avalanche have shored up their backup situation, claiming netminder Ivan Prosvetov off waivers from the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the news.
Prosvetov, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the Coyotes in 2018. He made a career-high seven NHL starts in the desert last season, posting a 4-3-0 record but a poor .880 save percentage and 3.98 goals-against average. Still, he was regarded as a potential long-term fit in Arizona after a strong showing behind a subpar AHL Tucson squad last season, posting a .900 save percentage, 3.06 goals-against average, 16-13-4 record, and a shutout in 40 contests.
He’s signed to a two-way contract paying him $775K in the NHL and $225K in the AHL and will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. Many expected Prosvetov to end up on waivers, with the Coyotes’ goaltending tandem of Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram looking solid heading into 2023-24.
With the Avalanche, he could immediately step in as the backup to starter Alexandar Georgiev. Backup Pavel Francouz is on injured reserve to start the season as he continues to recover from offseason adductor surgery, and there’s no clear timeline for his return. The Avalanche’s third-string netminder, 23-year-old Justus Annunen, does not need waivers to head to AHL Colorado, and the Avalanche could very well assign him to the minors within the next two hours.
Columbus Blue Jackets Assign David Jiricek To AHL, Make Other Roster Moves
The Columbus Blue Jackets have their final 23-man roster in place to start the season, making a flurry of camp cuts today to do so. Those cuts are headlined by defenseman David Jiricek, who’s been assigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for the second straight season after the club selected him sixth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Defenseman Nick Blankenburg and forward Dmitri Voronkov were also assigned to the AHL, while their other top pick in 2022, defenseman Denton Mateychuk, has been returned to the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Lastly, Columbus placed forwards Yegor Chinakhov and Jordan Dumais, as well as goaltender Daniil Tarasov on the season-opening injured/non-roster list. Forward Mathieu Olivier was also placed on injured reserve.
Many believed Jiricek, 19, would make Columbus out of camp thanks to a strong showing in his rookie season with the Monsters. However, after Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen added a pair of veteran bodies to his blueline this summer in Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, the path to a roster spot muddied significantly for the Blue Jackets’ many young defense prospects. Jiricek is still looking for his first NHL point after skating in four NHL contests with Columbus last season. With Cleveland, he recorded six goals, 32 assists, 38 points, and a -11 rating in 55 games.
Blankenburg and Voronkov were also both strong candidates to make Columbus’ opening-night roster. Blankenburg, a 5-foot-9, 174-pound right-shot defenseman, joined the Blue Jackets in 2022 via free agency after captaining a star-studded University of Michigan squad. The 25-year-old immediately stuck in the NHL, thanks partially in part to the Blue Jackets’ rash of injuries on the blue line last season, but he didn’t look out of place at all. While injuries affected Blankenburg too, limiting him to 36 contests, the diminutive defender recorded four goals and ten assists for 14 points – an impressive 32-point pace over 82 games. He’s destined for a major role in Cleveland to start the season and will be one of Columbus’ first call-up options aside from Jiricek.
Voronkov, 23, will get his first taste of North American hockey in the minors. The 2019 fourth-round pick was expected to make a push for a roster spot after breaking out for 18 goals and 31 points in 54 contests with the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan last season. Like the two others mentioned before him, expect a recall for Voronkov at some point during the 2023-24 campaign.
Mateychuk, however, will likely have to wait until 2024-25 (or at least the very end of 2023-24) to get his first taste of NHL hockey. The 12th-overall selection in 2022 returns to Moose Jaw, where he will reclaim his role as the team’s captain after registering 129 points in 128 games over the past two campaigns.
There’s nothing new regarding the injuries to the four players destined for IR. All injuries were previously reported and were expected to keep them out through at least opening night. These are paper moves to get the team’s roster compliant before tonight’s deadline.
West Notes: Coyotes, Blueger, Beauvillier
After sending them down to AHL Tucson earlier in the week, the Arizona Coyotes announced Sunday they’ve recalled defensemen Michael Kesselring and Vladislav Kolyachonok. The 23-year-old and 22-year-old defensemen, respectively, combined for 11 games played in the NHL last season.
Arizona makes the recalls as they battle injury uncertainty with some of their defensemen. Head coach André Tourigny told PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan earlier Sunday that multiple defenders were “dinged” up in Saturday’s 7-1 preseason drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Carrying Kesselring and Kolyachonok on the active roster for now gives the Coyotes some flexibility as they make their final roster choices ahead of Monday’s opening night roster deadline. Arizona must submit a cap-compliant roster of no more than 23 players before 4 p.m. CT tomorrow. That roster limit may have precipitated today’s choice to send forward Dylan Guenther, who does not require waivers, to AHL Tucson. While the team has not issued a comment, it may be that the Coyotes plan on carrying 12 forwards and nine defensemen when they submit their roster tomorrow to account for the uncertainty surrounding some of their defenders’ availability for Friday’s season opener against the New Jersey Devils. With Kesselring and Kolyachonok in the ranks, the Coyotes are now carrying ten defenders, so it’s likely one of them will return to Tucson within the next 24 hours.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference this weekend:
- Vancouver Canucks forward Teddy Blueger is sidelined on a day-to-day basis with an undisclosed bruise, which left him off the ice today for practice. That wasn’t Blueger’s idea, however, as head coach Rick Tocchet told Sportsnet’s Randip Janda that he didn’t want to risk exacerbating the Latvian pivot’s injury. The Canucks’ regular season opener is in three days against the Edmonton Oilers, and the offseason free-agent addition is expected to make his Vancouver debut centering the fourth line. Blueger, 29, recorded 16 points in 63 contests last year split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights, for whom Blueger was the 13th forward en route to their first Stanley Cup championship.
- Sticking with Vancouver, winger Anthony Beauvillier is also currently absent from the team’s practice ranks thanks to a bout with the flu. He is day-to-day and, as it stands, could miss the season opener Wednesday. The Canucks, who are currently roster juggling to maximize the potential LTIR relief from defenseman Tucker Poolman‘s contract, will need clarity on Beauvillier’s status after tomorrow’s roster deadline to make any corresponding recalls from AHL Abbotsford.
Snapshots: Houston, Lafrenière, Cooke
Despite NHL commissioner Gary Bettman saying recently that league expansion wasn’t imminent, many didn’t believe him. In fact, his comments re-ignited an expansion discussion that was already hot, bringing it to a fervor not quite seen in a while. One city that’s remained a constant in expansion discussions over the past few cycles is Houston. TSN’s Chris Johnston boosted a report from the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen today, pointing out that the Toyota Center in downtown Houston is undergoing significant renovations: one of them being the addition of ice-making equipment in a big first step to bring the arena to NHL readiness.
The addition is part of an ongoing $30MM renovation to the arena, currently the home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. The Rockets owner, Tilman Fertitta, will likely be the name to put in a bid for an NHL franchise should the league take applications for team 33 (and potentially 34) soon. Houston, the fifth-largest TV market in the United States, hasn’t had a notable pro hockey team since the AHL’s Houston Aeros were relocated to become the Iowa Wild in 2013.
Elsewhere around the league tonight:
- After a much-publicized disappointing preseason, there’s more bad news for New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafrenière. The team announced Saturday night he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not practice today. While he is likely to start the season on his off-wing alongside Filip Chytil and Artemi Panarin, it certainly hasn’t been the start under new head coach Peter Laviolette that Lafrenière has been looking for. The 21-year-old first-overall pick in 2020 had 39 points in 81 games last season.
- Many NHL fans from the 2000s and early 2010s will remember enforcer Matt Cooke, who earned himself many lengthy suspensions over the course of his 16-season, 1,046-game NHL career. After only coaching for a few seasons at the high school level in Minnesota since retiring in 2015, he’s now being entrusted with the head coaching job of an NHL affiliate. The ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, the second-tier affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced today Cooke will be their next head coach. Cooke succeeds Eric Wellwood, who was promoted to an assistant role with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last summer.