Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/23
After a busy day yesterday, teams are expected to expand their lists of training camp cuts today. This will be one of the last instances of mostly junior-league players appearing on this list as teams continue to trim down their rosters to solely NHL and AHL hopefuls. Today’s list will be updated as cuts come in, as always.
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
G Nolan Lalonde (to Erie, OHL)
D Ben Roger (released from ATO to Saint Mary’s, USports)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
F Sam Alfano (released from ATO to Erie, OHL)
F Easton Armstrong (released from ATO to Wenatchee, WHL)
D Samuel Mayer (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
D Hunter Mayo (released from ATO to Red Deer, WHL)
G Jacob Oster (released from ATO to Oshawa, OHL)
D Chase Pauls (released from ATO to Lethbridge, WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via updated training camp roster)
F Brayden Yager (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
D Ty Nelson (to North Bay, OHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
D Michael Buchinger (to Guelph, OHL)
D Quinton Burns (to Kingston, OHL)
D Matthew Mayich (to Ottawa, OHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release)
F Ethan Gauthier (to Drumondville, QMJHL)
D Dyllan Gill (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Ethan Hay (to Flint, OHL)
D Scott Walford (released from ATO to McGill, USports)
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Vancouver Canucks Agree To Terms With Ty Young On ELC
Sep 26, 7:23 p.m.: CapFriendly has the breakdown of Young’s entry-level contract, which carries an $850K cap hit. Each season, the deal is paid out via a $775K base salary and a $75K signing bonus with an $82.5K minors salary in all three seasons.
Sep 25, 2:41 p.m.: The Vancouver Canucks announced Monday they’ve agreed to terms with goalie prospect Ty Young on a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were undisclosed.
Vancouver cut Young from their training camp roster and assigned him to juniors just minutes earlier on Monday afternoon. The 144th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft will return to the WHL’s Prince George Cougars to play out the 2023-24 season, sliding the beginning of his ELC to the 2024-25 campaign.
The 19-year-old netminder hasn’t yet excelled at the major junior level, but he earned a selection in 2022 in large part because of his stellar performance a level lower with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks. There, in 2021-22, he recorded a sparkling .921 save percentage on a bottom-feeder team with major defensive issues – evidenced by his 4-10-3 record and 3.44 goals-against average despite the strong save percentage.
His career stats with Prince George are quite middling. An .892 save percentage and one shutout through 60 games isn’t much to write home about, but the major junior ranks are notoriously fickle in providing clear evaluations for netminders, especially relying on solely counting stats. Vancouver is banking on Young’s 6-foot-3 frame and strong recovery ability to translate into success at the professional level, but they’ll have to wait another season to see how his game translates.
In a statement, GM Patrik Allvin echoed that sentiment:
Ty has made some improvements since we drafted him last year and we were pleased to see him play meaningful games in the WHL playoffs. He has good size and our goalie development team see a lot of potential in his game if he continues to put in the work and follow the plan we have put in place for him moving forward.
Young’s entry-level contract is likely to expire after the 2026-27 season, at which time he’ll be a restricted free agent.
Calgary Flames Begin Extension Talks With Mikael Backlund
The tides seem to be turning in the willingness of the Calgary Flames’ slate of pending UFAs to stay with the team. Just two weeks ago, the team didn’t have any extension talks scheduled with veteran center Mikael Backlund, per his agent, J.P. Barry. Now, TSN’s Chris Johnston reported on Insider Trading Tuesday that the two sides have now commenced extension talks and plan to continue them in the near future.
It’s been quite the saga over the past few months between the Flames and their veteran of over 900 NHL games. More recently, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said he believes a potential extension in Calgary for Backlund could be tied to the team’s vacant captaincy. Today’s news could hint at an announcement in turn in the near future. Backlund is entering the final season of a six-year, $32.1MM extension signed in 2018, by far the richest deal of his career. It’s well-documented that Backlund isn’t the only pending free agent center rookie GM Craig Conroy has to worry about – first-line pivot Elias Lindholm is also entering the final season of his bargain-bin deal earning him $4.85MM per season.
Backlund also indicated earlier in the offseason that he was inclined to let the season play out a bit to ensure the team was on the right track under new management before considering an extension. Lindholm had indicated something similar, although Backlund now evidently has what he needs from Conroy and new head coach Ryan Huska to work toward an extension before the regular season starts. That doesn’t necessarily mean either are in a rush to get a deal done, though, and extension talks with Backlund could easily last months.
Despite the fact he’s set to turn 35 before 2023-24 ends, Backlund’s set himself up well value-wise heading into a contract year. He finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting last season, and his 37 assists were a career-high. He also appeared in all 82 games for the second straight season and the fourth time in his career overall. Because of that, don’t expect much of a discount – in fact, Evolving Hockey projects Backlund’s extension to carry a significant four-year term and roughly $5.5MM cap hit. That would be a small raise on his current average annual value of $5.35MM, a raise Backlund will likely hold out for, given his higher leverage in negotiations as a UFA.
Whether a raise is something Calgary can accommodate with more significant raises due to Backlund and potentially defenseman Noah Hanifin is a different question. CapFriendly projects the Flames with $35.45MM in cap space for 2024-25, assuming the Upper Limit rises to $87.5MM, but that’s with a roster size of just 11 out of a maximum of 23 players.
Regardless, this does seem to indicate a more positive trend around the Flames organization in players’ willingness to stay with the team – hopefully a strong indicator of the culture Conroy and Huska have brought to the team in a few short months.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/23
Pretty much any team who hasn’t started their preseason yet will do so tonight, as there’s a solid seven-game slate on the schedule tonight, including a nationally televised battle of New York between the Islanders and Rangers. As most teams do have their legs under them almost one week into training camp, roster cuts continue on the daily, mainly involving players being returned to juniors or being released from PTOs and ATOs after getting a look in preseason action. As always, we’re laser-focused on teams posting their roster moves, and we’re conglomerating them all in one place.
Anaheim Ducks (via The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee)
D Rodwin Dionicio (to Windsor, OHL)
F Connor Hvidston (to Swift Current, WHL)
F Nico Myatovic (to Seattle, WHL)
F Coulson Pitre (to Flint, OHL)
D Vojtech Port (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Konnor Smith (to Peterborough, OHL)
F Yegor Sidorov (to Saskatoon, WHL)
F Carey Terrance (to Erie, OHL)
Arizona Coyotes (via team release) (additional X link)
F Ryan Dzingel (released from PTO)
F Elliot Ekefjärd (to Europe, team unknown)
D Terrell Goldsmith (to Prince Albert, WHL)
F Patrick Harper (released from PTO to South Carolina, ECHL)
D Olli Juolevi (released from PTO)
D Justin Kipkie (to Victoria, WHL)
F Julian Lutz (to Green Bay, USHL)
D Austin Strand (released from PTO to Chicago, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
D Charles Côté (released from ATO to Rimouski, QMJHL)
D Tyson Galloway (released from ATO to Calgary, WHL)
G Jari Kykkanen (released from ATO to Kelowna, WHL)
F Jaden Lipinski (to Vancouver, WHL)
D Quinn Mantei (released from ATO to Brandon, WHL)
D Donovan McCoy (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
F Oliver Peer (released from ATO to Windsor, OHL)
F Nathan Pilling (released from ATO to Edmonton, WHL)
F Oliver Tulk (released from ATO to Calgary, WHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via team release)
F Jiri Felcman (to SCL Tigers, NL)
Colorado Avalanche (via team release)
F D.J. Busdeker (to Colorado, AHL)
D Gianni Fairbrother (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kyle Mayhew (to Colorado, AHL)
F Cédric Paré (to Colorado, AHL)
F Ryan Sandelin (to Colorado, AHL)
F Dalton Smith (to Colorado, AHL)
G Ivan Zhigalov (to Tri-City, USHL)
Nashville Predators (via team release)
G Austin Elliott (to Saskatoon, WHL)
G Owen Flores (to Niagara, OHL)
F Kalan Lind (to Red Deer, WHL)
D Dylan MacKinnon (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Austin Roest (to Everett, WHL)
D Graham Sward (to Wenatchee, WHL)
F Joseph Willis (to Saginaw, OHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
F Cole Brown (to Brantford, OHL)
F Cam Squires (to Cape Breton, QMJHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
D Matthew Andonovski (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Connor Clattenburg (released from ATO to
D Jorian Donovan (to Brantford, OHL)
D Tomas Hamara (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Jackson Stewart (released from ATO to Owen Sound, OHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
F Denver Barkey (to London, OHL)
D Oliver Bonk (to London, OHL)
F Jonathan Fauchon (released from ATO to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
D Sam Sedley (released from ATO to Owen Sound, OHL)
D Carter Sotheran (to Portland, WHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team release)
G Mason Beaupit (to Wenatchee, WHL)
D Luca Cagnoni (to Portland, WHL)
D Ethan Frisch (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jake Furlong (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Félix Gagnon (released from ATO to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Roman Kinal (to San Jose, AHL)
F Connor MacEachern (to San Jose, AHL)
F Bradley Marek (to San Jose, AHL)
F Anthony Vincent (to San Jose, AHL)
G Beck Warm (to San Jose, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
F Maxim Andreev (released from PTO to Coachella Valley, AHL)
G Jaxon Castor (released from PTO to Coachella Valley, AHL)
D Lukas Dragicevic (to Tri-City, WHL)
F Jagger Firkus (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
F David Goyette (to Sudbury, OHL)
D Kaden Hammell (to Everett, WHL)
F Kyle Jackson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Andrei Loshko (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Carson Rehkopf (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Eduard Sale (to Barrie, OHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release)
D Noah Chadwick (to Lethbridge, WHL)
Vancouver Canucks (via team release)
F Marc Gatcomb (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Alex Kannok-Leipert (to Abbotsford, AHL)
G Jonathan Lemieux (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Jermaine Loewen (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Chad Nychuk (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Karel Plasek (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Cooper Walker (released from ATO to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Dmitry Zlodeyev (to Abbotsford, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via CapFriendly’s transactions log)
D Joe Fleming (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mason Primeau (to Henderson, AHL)
F Matyas Sapovaliv (to Sarnia, OHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release)
G Domenic DiVincentiis (to North Bay, OHL)
F Jacob Julien (to London, OHL)
D Simon Kubicek (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
F Connor Levis (to Kamloops, WHL)
D Jimmy Oligny (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
F C.J. Suess (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Columbus Blue Jackets Hire Mark Recchi As Assistant Coach
4:48 p.m.: It’s a two-year term for Recchi, notes The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, which means his deal as an assistant will expire after the 2024-25 season – the same as Vincent’s.
2:45 p.m.: The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Hall-of-Fame forward Mark Recchi as an assistant coach, the team announced Monday. Recchi fills the assistant coaching vacancy created by Pascal Vincent’s promotion to head coach last week in the wake of Mike Babcock’s forced resignation after an NHLPA investigation found he’d breached player privacy.
After retiring as a player in 2011, Recchi spent the next few seasons in advisory and development roles for the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins before earning a promotion to head coach Mike Sullivan‘s bench in Pittsburgh immediately after the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. He served as an assistant there for three seasons before joining the New Jersey Devils in a similar capacity in 2020, although he spent just two seasons there and did not return after the 2021-22 campaign. He did not coach anywhere in 2022-23, although he maintains his role as a minority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, which he’s done since 2007.
In Columbus, Recchi’s responsibility will chiefly be managing the team’s forward group and their power play. Therefore, it’s natural to assume this hire will play a significant role in the scoring development of Columbus’ young talent, namely 2023 second-overall pick Adam Fantilli, who projects to make the jump to the NHL in 2023-24 after just one season at the University of Michigan. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko are some other Blue Jackets forwards under the age of 24 expected to log significant time on the team’s power play units this season.
Vincent had a lengthy statement on the addition of Recchi to his staff for his first year as an NHL head coach:
Mark Recchi has been part of the National Hockey League for over three decades and brings an incredible amount of experience to our staff. He is a Hall of Fame player who won three Stanley Cup championships, which combined with his coaching experience, will make him a great resource for our players. We are excited to have him in Columbus. I’m thrilled that we have added a person of [his] talent and insight to our coaching staff. Mark adds a wealth of knowledge as a player and a coach, both in development and as an assistant, to our group that will be instrumental in helping our organization grow on and off the ice. His expertise in the offensive zone and on the power play, specifically, will be a huge benefit for our club.
Over the past three seasons, the Blue Jackets’ power play has sat near the bottom of the league. Their 17.8% conversion rate with the man advantage is tied for 24th in the league over that span with the Arizona Coyotes. If Columbus is to compete in a difficult Eastern Conference and make the significant points gain needed to secure a playoff berth this season, Recchi’s work with the power play (and scoring chance generation in general) will certainly play a large role.
Seattle Kraken Activate Andre Burakovsky Off Injured Reserve
The Seattle Kraken have activated forward Andre Burakovsky from injured reserve, confirming he’ll be ready to go ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, per CapFriendly.
Burakovsky had been on injured reserve for over six months after sustaining a lower-body injury in early February. Multiple setbacks during his recovery ended up sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, which was quite a tough break for the Swedish and Austrian forward. In his first year with the Kraken, Burakovky’s 0.80 points per game finished second on the team behind 40-goal-scorer Jared McCann.
After Seattle’s postseason elimination at the hands of the Dallas Stars in May, general manager Ron Francis confirmed that Burakovsky had sustained a torn groin during his first shift after coming back from the league-wide All-Star break. Burakovsky resumed skating last month in an effort to be healthy for training camp, which seems to have been a successful endeavor.
Since joining the Colorado Avalanche in 2019, Burakovsky has quietly become one of the more efficient point producers in the NHL – earning him a hefty five-year, $27.5MM commitment from Seattle in free agency last summer. Health has been a concern for him, however. While shortened seasons have also played a factor, Burakovsky has played more than 60 games in a season only once over the course of the past four years.
Still, his 0.79 points per game over the past four seasons are on par with other top-six stalwarts like Matt Duchene, Brock Nelson, and others, despite averaging significantly less ice time than his peer group. He is projected to resume a top-six role for the Kraken, skating on a veteran second line alongside Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Wennberg.
Injury Notes: Vasilevskiy, Luff, Hunt, van Riemsdyk
The Tampa Bay Lightning are without all-world netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy as the preseason schedule begins. Head coach Jon Cooper informed reporters today, including Diandra Loux of The Hockey News, that the 2021 Conn Smythe winner is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
“He’s wrestling with some things right now, physically,” Cooper said. “It’s early in training camp, so we don’t need to rush anything along with him. When he’s ready to go, he’ll be out there.” Vasilevskiy missing any time would certainly throw a wrench into Tampa Bay’s season, although it thankfully appears that won’t be the case. With salary cap constraints in full force, the team has quite thin goaltending depth and is opting to go with unproven Jonas Johansson as Vasilevskiy’s full-time backup, meaning his workload is in line to be as high as ever. Vasilevskiy didn’t miss any time last season due to injury, but he certainly didn’t look himself in the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the worst playoff performance of his career save for 2019’s upset loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, posting a .875 save percentage and conceding 5.4 goals above average over the course of six games.
Elsewhere in injury notes from around the league with preseason games underway this afternoon:
- Detroit Red Wings depth forward Matt Luff left today’s intrasquad scrimmage with a right arm injury after crashing into the boards, reports The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan. The 26-year-old right wing didn’t crack Detroit’s roster out of camp last season but was recalled after a few weeks, getting into a handful of games before sustaining a wrist injury that sidelined him for 32 games. The undrafted free agent has largely been a fringe player throughout the course of his career, often splitting time between the majors and the minors, and this season is expected to be no different. He was extremely productive in the AHL with Grand Rapids last season when healthy, recording eight goals, 17 assists and 25 points in 28 games. Set to be a restricted free agent this summer, Detroit did not issue him a qualifying offer but re-signed him before free agency opened on July 1 anyway to a league-minimum two-way deal carrying a $450K guarantee.
- Minnesota Wild defense prospect Daemon Hunt left today’s clash against the Colorado Avalanche and has not returned with a prospective upper-body injury. As The Athletic’s Peter Baugh notes, Hunt hit the ice after an accidental collision behind the net with Avalanche forward Tanner Kero. The 65th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Hunt is a promising two-way defense prospect entering his second pro season with AHL Iowa. The 21-year-old recorded two goals, nine assists, 11 points, and a +2 rating in 59 contests with Iowa last season after captaining the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors from 2020 to 2022.
- Washington Capitals head coach told reporters, including Monumental Sports Network’s Matt Weyrich, that he’s “concerned” about the status of defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk. The veteran right-shot defender left today’s preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres and did not return after a shot from Sabres forward Jordan Greenway struck him in the right wrist area. Van Riemsdyk will undergo further testing tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury and a potential recovery timeline. The 32-year-old is entering the first season of a three-year, $9MM extension he signed last March and is expected to start the season on the team’s third pairing alongside offseason trade acquisition Joel Edmundson.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/24/23
The preseason kicks off in earnest today for most teams not named the Arizona Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues, who got their slate of exhibition games started over the past two days. A Battle of Ontario matchup between Toronto and Ottawa that’s also the Sens’ first official home game with Michael Andlauer as their majority owner highlights today’s schedule. Expect the list of training camp cuts to grow exponentially tomorrow, with teams making initial cuts after their first preseason games, but a handful of teams are still getting some work done on the transaction wire today. We’re keeping all of those cuts organized by team here.
Detroit Red Wings (via team release)
F Orrin Centazzo (released from PTO to Toledo, ECHL)
D Andrew Gibson (to Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)
D Finn Harding (released from ATO to Mississauga, OHL)
F Cameron Hillis (released from PTO, UFA)
G Lukas Matecha (released from ATO to Tri-City, WHL)
D Tnias Mathurin (to North Bay, OHL)
F Matyas Melovsky (released from ATO to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
F Israel Mianscum (released from ATO to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
D Connor Punnett (released from ATO to Barrie, OHL)
F Jake Uberti (released from ATO to St. Mary’s, USports)
Montreal Canadiens (via team release)
F Cedrick Guindon (to Owen Sound, OHL)
G Quentin Miller (to Quebec, QMJHL)
G Jan Spunar (to Portland, WHL)
F Florian Xhekaj (to Brantford, OHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
D Joseph Arntsen (to Lethbridge, WHL)
G Brad Arvanitis (released from PTO to Maine, ECHL)
F Maxim Barbashev (to Hartford, AHL)
D Seth Barton (to Hartford, AHL)
D Zach Berzolla (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ryan McCleary (to Hartford, AHL)
F Bryce McConnell-Barker (to Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)
F Max McCue (to London, OHL)
F Sahil Panwar (to Hartford, AHL)
D James Petrovski (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Dylan Roobroeck (to Oshawa, OHL)
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
Training camps are drawing ever closer, but that doesn’t mean the news cycle is slowing down. An unexpected head coaching change late in the summer dominated storylines over the weekend, while the Colorado Avalanche moved to pick up one of the few impact free agents left on the market a few days before.
With those moves in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another edition of our mailbag. Our last one ran in two parts. Edition one looked at how teams view the goaltending position in the wake of Vegas’ tandem approach that led to a championship, candidates for a breakout season in 2023-24 and the value of Pierre-Luc Dubois‘ long-term extension in Los Angeles. Edition two covered some recent high-value trades, puzzling summer moves and the rebound potential for the Stars’ former elite duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
New York Rangers Sign Adam Clendening To PTO
The New York Rangers have added defensive depth to their training camp roster by signing ten-year AHL veteran Adam Clendening to a professional tryout contract, as announced by the team on Friday.
Hailing from Niagara Falls, New York, Clendening last played in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018-19. The 30-year-old defenseman spent the 2022-23 season entirely in the AHL (not signed to an NHL contract), splitting time between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Rockford IceHogs. Without the potential of an NHL call-up, Clendening still put up solid offensive totals, notching a total of 33 points, including four goals and 29 assists, in 68 games.
Clendening was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and has since played for multiple organizations, including the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and the Blue Jackets. He’s played for the Rangers before, too, and that’s actually where his best pro season came. As a 24-year-old in 2016-17, Clendening played in a career-high 31 NHL games for the Rangers, recording two goals, nine assists and 11 points while averaging 15:49 per game.
With a PTO now in hand, Clendening has a chance to prove himself to the Rangers’ coaching staff and earn a return to Hartford for 2023-24. Doing so on an NHL contract might be tough, however. The Rangers have 46 out of the maximum 50 contracts signed, and they already have a wealth of strong call-up options from Hartford on NHL deals, such as Ben Harpur, Mac Hollowell and Connor Mackey. Clendening does not have an AHL agreement signed with Hartford for this season.