Rodion Amirov Passes Away At 21
Tragically, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov has passed away at the age of 21 after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor two years ago. His agent, Dan Milstein, announced the news Monday afternoon.
“From the moment he received the news, he refused to speak in the negative, determined to enjoy every day, facing it with the same positive attitude he showed during his hockey career,” Milstein said. “We will always remember his courage, his desire, his will, his smile, all of the great things about him. We’d like to thank his doctors, who took great care of him. We’d like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs and his KHL – Salavat Yulayev Ufa team. Both did everything possible to help in any way, do whatever was necessary for Rodion and the Amirov family. And we’d like to thank hockey fans all over the world who sent notes of encouragement and best wishes over the past two years. They meant so much to the Amirov family.”
Born in Salavat, Russia, Amirov developed through the Yulayev Ufa system, culminating in a strong draft year in 2019-20. There, he registered two assists through 21 KHL games during his first pro experience and excelled in the Russian junior circuit, scoring 22 points in 17 games for Salavat’s MHL affiliate, Tolpar Ufa. It culminated in a first-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, and Toronto took him off the draft board with the 15th overall pick. He gained a more extensive KHL role the following season, scoring nine goals, four assists and 13 points in 39 games for Ufa in 2020-21. He also was named to Russia’s roster for the 2021 World Juniors, where he served as an alternate captain and led the team in scoring with six points in seven games. After the strong post-draft showing, Toronto signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract the following summer.
After playing ten games with Salavat to open the 2021-22 campaign, however, Amirov sustained an unrelated injury, and he developed further symptoms during the recovery period. The Maple Leafs then announced in February 2022 that Amirov had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, ending his season as he underwent treatment in Germany.
Amirov then recovered enough to travel to Toronto for last season’s Hockey Fights Cancer night in November, appearing during the pre-game ceremonies. Unfortunately, after the event, Amirov had to pause training and undergo additional treatments. He had been working out that summer with both Salavat and Toronto, aiming to return to play sometime during 2022-23 – a true testament to the positive outlook Milstein referenced in his statement.
We at PHR are incredibly saddened by this news and extend our deepest condolences to the Amirov family and anyone inside or outside the hockey community affected by cancer.
Snapshots: Senators, Southeast Rookie Showcase, Makar
The sale of the Ottawa Senators to Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer is in its final stages, with the $950MM deal set to be completed by next month, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The NHL aims to have the agreement signed by the end of this month or early September. Andlauer, 57, is expected to meet with the NHL’s executive committee, led by Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, for approval, followed by a conference call with the NHL’s board of governors which requires a two-thirds majority vote but is expected to be unanimous, says Garrioch. His partners in the deal include Anna and Olivia Melnyk, local businessman Jeff York, the Ottawa real estate-based Malhotra family, Toronto-based investment group Yorkville Asset Management, and others.
Once approved, Andlauer’s ownership of the Senators is expected to be a smooth transition – per Garrioch, he’s kept in continuous contact with Senators governor Sheldon Plener and has kept in touch with Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion throughout the sale process. Garrioch also expects former Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson to have a role in the team’s player development post-sale. There’s additional speculation about former Senators president Cyril Leeder returning to the role, as Anthony LeBlanc recently resigned as the club’s president of business operations.
Elsewhere from around the NHL this morning:
- Another rookie showcase-type tournament before training camps start has been confirmed. The Florida Panthers are hosting a four-team tournament including themselves, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Nashville Predators from September 15 to 18 at the Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida, home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. While not set in stone nor publicized, players with less than three seasons of pro experience and less than 50 NHL games under their belts are generally eligible to participate in rookie tournaments, although eligibility rules are set individually league-wide by tournament organizers.
- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is landing on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 24, set for release in October. It’s the first such nod for the 2022 Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe winner. The 24-year-old is the first defenseman on the game’s cover in five years – Nashville Predators defender P.K. Subban was the last one, appearing on the NHL 19 cover. He becomes the third Avalanche to get the nod, succeeding Peter Forsberg on NHL 98 and Joe Sakic on NHL 2004.
Jets Notes: Hellebuyck, Scheifele, Stanley, Chisholm
Things have been quiet on the Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors front over the past few weeks. No teams have made serious offers for the pending UFA’s services since he reportedly informed interested teams he desired a $9.5MM AAV on a long-term extension. Without a trade in place, the Jets haven’t shut the door completely on trying to extend their franchise netminder. In a mailbag today, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe says he believes Winnipeg has made a short-term, two-to-three-year extension offer to Hellebuyck, although it’s not something he suspects Hellebuyck’s camp would ever agree to.
Hellebuyck reportedly told Winnipeg he was unwilling to sign an extension in June, giving the Jets plenty of time to work out a deal. The team has had some interesting roster turnover this summer, though, getting a nice return package for Pierre-Luc Dubois that arguably upgraded their team in the short term. With a Western Conference that’s routinely anyone’s game aside from the few top dogs, it’s not out of the question the Jets return to the postseason in 2024 – maybe even with a better-equipped squad. As each day passes, it seems increasingly likely Hellebuyck will at least start next season in a Jets uniform. His primary goal remains winning a championship, so if Winnipeg can get off to a strong start with new faces in the fold, expect them to make a bigger push to keep Hellebuyck around after all.
Some other notes on the Jets from Wiebe:
- Speculatively, Wiebe threw some cold water on the idea of trading first-line center Mark Scheifele to the Boston Bruins, citing Boston’s tight salary cap picture and the uncertainty surrounding Hellebuyck as reasons why. With Scheifele’s less exorbitant demands on an extension, he’s likely the easier of the two to trade if they do reach that point. Also a pending UFA, Scheifele currently carries a cap hit of $6.125MM and is coming off a career-high 42 goals in 2022-23. Considering all the moving parts involved in a potential trade with the Bruins, it makes sense the Jets would rather wait and see what a potential Hellebuyck return brings them before discussing a Scheifele deal.
- Wiebe also believes the Jets may indeed sign RFA defenseman Logan Stanley before potentially honoring his trade request. As he notes, it’ll be a tough fit for Stanley to get consistent NHL time with Winnipeg next season after Dylan Samberg surpassed him on the depth chart last year. The 2016 first-round pick isn’t in line for a large raise, either, meaning it’s likely inconsequential if he signs a contract for 2023-24 with the Jets or if he signs with a new team after they trade for his signing rights. Stanley was eligible for salary arbitration this summer but opted not to file. He played in just 19 games for Winnipeg last season, recording three points and a 45.9% Corsi for at even strength while averaging just 13:43 per game.
- Similarly, Wiebe thinks the Jets haven’t agreed to minor-league defender Declan Chisholm on a new deal yet, thanks to the latter’s desire for a one-way contract. Chisholm has just a pair of NHL games to his name but excelled in the minors with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last season, posting 43 points in 59 games and earning an AHL All-Star nod in the process. The 23-year-old defenseman may very well get claimed on waivers if the Jets sign him and attempt to send him back to Manitoba after a strong camp, though, so Chisholm is likely to earn an NHL salary next season regardless, although a two-way deal would remove that guarantee.
IIHF Upholds Ivan Fedotov’s Contract With Flyers
The IIHF has ruled netminder Ivan Fedotov has a valid NHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers for 2023-24, upholding the tolled deal originally signed for the 2022-23 campaign. Fedotov had signed an entry-level deal with the Flyers last summer but was prohibited from coming to North America to complete required military service in Russia. He then signed a two-year contract with KHL club CSKA Moskva in July, causing the Flyers to file a dispute with the IIHF.
In doing so, the IIHF determined both Fedotov and CSKA violated the organization’s International Transfer Regulations, resulting in sanctions and suspensions for both. The IIHF suspended Fedotov from appearing in any “official national and international games during playing periods” from September 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, keeping him out of a Russian uniform for that time. It’s unclear whether that suspension affects his eligibility to play for the Flyers, which his agent, JP Barry, said Fedotov would do if the IIHF ruled in their favor. The suspension was doled out as a result of Fedotov not obtaining a release from the Flyers within two weeks of signing with CSKA (or returning to Philadelphia and leaving CSKA) within two weeks of the KHL registering his contract.
CSKA also received a significant sanction from the international governing body, prohibiting them from making any international transfers for one year until August 10, 2024. It’s a powerful blow to one of the best professional teams outside the NHL, whose pool of potential talent has shrunk in a big way for the short term.
What’s for certain is Fedotov’s entry-level deal carrying a $925K cap hit is now officially on the Flyers’ books for next season. After three incredibly strong seasons in the KHL, culminating in a goalie of the year award in 2022 after he posted a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 26 games for CSKA, he’ll now compete for playing time in a crowded Flyers crease that includes Carter Hart, Calvin Petersen, Felix Sandström, and Samuel Ersson. Fedotov does not require waivers to be assigned to the AHL, something Philadelphia has full power to do.
Based on pure ability, Fedotov is likely the second-best netminder under contract with Philadelphia right now and deserves a look at the backup role behind Hart if eligible. However, it’s important to note he hasn’t played pro hockey in a year, thanks to his military service. The Flyers will need to scout him closely at camp before determining what their goalie depth chart looks like to begin 2023-24.
David Krejci Officially Announces Retirement
Following up on reports from earlier in the month, Boston Bruins center David Krejci officially announced his retirement this morning via a statement issued on the team’s Twitter/X account. With Krejci confirming the news, 2023-24 marks the first time neither Krejci nor Patrice Bergeron will be in the Bruins’ lineup since 2005-06.
He didn’t specifically say he was retiring from hockey in general, just the NHL. It means a return to play in the Czech Extraliga as he did in 2021-22 is still possible but not a given. What’s clear is that as the 37-year-old steps away from the Bruins for a second time, a return is no longer in the cards. He’ll retire with the fourth-most points from the 2004 NHL Draft class after being selected 63rd overall by the Bruins, trailing only Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Blake Wheeler, who were all selected in the top five.
After coming to North America and playing two seasons of junior hockey with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques post-draft, Krejci got his first taste of NHL action with a six-game stint in 2006-07 after lighting up the AHL for 74 points in 69 games during his first pro season. He made the team out of camp the following season but was demoted back to AHL Providence in early November after recording three assists through his first 12 games. Krejci again dominated in the minors, posting 28 points in his next 25 games, leading to another call-up to the Bruins at the end of December 2007. He never looked back.
While it wasn’t technically his rookie season, as he played 56 games in 2007-08, 2008-09 was Krejci’s first campaign without an AHL assignment. He immediately burst onto the scene along with the rest of the team. At 22 years old, Krejci finished second on the team behind Marc Savard in assists (51) and points (73) while leading the team with a +37 rating, a campaign good enough to place him sixth in Selke Trophy voting. It was a statement season for the Bruins, who posted 116 points en route to their best regular season since the mid-1970s and entered a long, fruitful era of relatively consistent Stanley Cup contention with Krejci and Bergeron locked in down the middle. The breakout lined up with the end of his entry-level contract, and then-GM Peter Chiarelli rewarded him with a three-year, $3.75MM AAV bridge deal (equivalent to a $5.52MM AAV with today’s salary cap).
Krejci never won any individual accolades over the following 13 seasons, but he did become one of the most consistent players in the league. Save for lockouts and injury-shortened campaigns, Krejci produced at a clip of at least 50 points per year over an 82-game season for the remainder of his career. His crowning achievement, however, is undoubtedly his performance in the Bruins’ runs to the 2011 and 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. Winning in 2011, he led the league in playoff scoring with 12 goals and 23 points in 25 games but fell short of winning the Conn Smythe Trophy thanks to goalie Tim Thomas‘ heroics (.940 SV%, 1.98 GAA, 4 SO). He followed that up again by leading the league with 17 assists and 26 points in 22 playoff games in 2013, but the Bruins fell short to the Chicago Blackhawks in dramatic fashion in Game 6, conceding two goals in the final 1:16 of the game at home.
After another bridge deal from Chiarelli in 2011 to keep him in Boston through 2014-15, Chiarelli signed Krejci to a contract extension for the third time in 2014. This time, he gave him a six-year, $7.25MM AAV deal that gave the Czech center his biggest payday and kept him from hitting unrestricted free agency the following summer. It was after that deal expired in 2021 that Krejci somewhat unexpectedly took time away from the league, returning home at age 35 on a one-year deal with HC Olomouc and recording 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points in 51 games. He didn’t achieve his goal of winning a league championship with Olomouc, but he did record 12 points in ten games for Czechia at the World Championship en route to a bronze medal.
He returned to Boston last season on a one-year, bonus-laden deal worth $3MM with a cap hit of just $1MM. In doing so, he spent the final season of his career playing a pivotal role on the best regular-season team in NHL history. Holding down the second-line center spot behind Bergeron as he had for so many years, his line with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak was key to Boston’s success. They played the most minutes together of any three-man unit for the Bruins (444 minutes, per MoneyPuck), and Krejci notched 16 goals and 40 assists for 56 points in 70 games in his final season wearing a black and gold sweater. Reunited with a pair of Czechs, the Bruins finally gave Krejci the support on the wings he’d deserved – a move that paid off as Pastrnak exploded for his first 60-goal campaign.
Krejci completes his NHL career with 231 goals, 555 assists and 786 points in 1,032 games. He added a career +166 rating, 43 game-winning goals, 53.1% Corsi for at even strength, and averaged 17:50 per game. He sits fifth in Bruins history in games played, trailing only Bergeron, Don Sweeney, Johnny Bucyk, and Ray Bourque. He also ends his career as fifth in assists as a Bruin and ninth in points.
PHR congratulates Krejci on a legendary and successful stint as a core player for an Original Six franchise – something that may very well earn him Hall of Fame consideration in the coming years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PHR Live Chat: 08/13/23
Click here to get your questions in for today’s live chat with PHR’s Josh Erickson, which begins at 5 p.m. CT.
Where Does Alexis Lafreniere Fit In The Rangers’ Lineup?
The New York Rangers selected Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere with back-to-back top-two picks in the 2019 and 2020 NHL Drafts, offering the team some key pieces to a short rebuild and a quick turnaround after the Ryan McDonagh and Henrik Lundqvist era of contending teams drew to a close. Things haven’t gone quite as planned for Kakko and Lafreniere individually since then, however.
Lafreniere now sits as the only remaining Ranger RFA left unsigned this offseason, and he needs a new deal in the next few weeks if he’s to be with the team on the first day of training camp. The team has the cap space to get it done with $2.278MM given a 22-player roster, per CapFriendly, but it’ll be a tight fit. Surely one thing Lafreniere is trying to flesh out is the role he’ll have on the team given a new coach behind the bench – Peter Laviolette. Some would say the outgoing head coach, Gerard Gallant, didn’t utilize Lafreniere as much as he should. Others would say Lafreniere hasn’t done enough to earn a bump in ice time.
He hasn’t hit the potential he showed in his 112-point draft-year season with the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic, but he’s been a capable depth scorer who’s put up double-digit goal totals in each of his three NHL seasons so far. In 2020-21, his rookie campaign, he notched 12 goals, nine assists and 21 points while playing in all 56 games in a third-line role during the COVID-shortened season. He didn’t receive any ice time increase in his sophomore campaign, though, likely the biggest offense that those not fond of Gallant’s handling of the young prospect will point to. His production didn’t see a jump as a result, and he posted just 31 points in 79 games. He saw a small uptick last season, finishing with 16 goals, 23 points and 39 points in 81 games.
It’s easy to worry about time running out for Lafreniere thanks to three years of relative stagnation. However, he jumped into the league straight from juniors at 18 years old, meaning he’s still just 21 – there’s still another three or four seasons before he truly enters his prime. While it’s rare to see a non-linear path toward stardom, especially for highly-touted prospects, it’s not unheard of. While New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier put up solid two-way results since Day 1, it took a solid three or four years for his offensive production to jump to the near point-per-game we expect from him today.
While it isn’t time to give up hope on Lafreniere entirely, we still are approaching make-or-break territory over the next two seasons. Potentially in an unfortunate turn of events for Lafreniere’s development, the Rangers are now fully in contending mode. Will they be willing to spend the resources and make the adjustments necessary for Lafreniere’s individual growth? Given the age of some of their core players, it seems prudent to make all efforts to help Lafreniere approach bonafide top-six territory in hopes of him helping extend their contention window.
That starts now under the Laviolette regime. Is the veteran coach prepared to give Lafreniere a top-six role by moving him to his off-wing? Blake Wheeler was brought in this offseason and has a long history of playing a top-six role for the Winnipeg Jets, but at his age, he’s shown he’s primarily a playmaking specialist over the past few seasons and is entering defensive liability territory if he wasn’t there already. You could argue there isn’t room for a player with as many holes in his game as Wheeler in the top six of a team looking to lift the Stanley Cup.
Lafreniere may not have the point totals, but today, he’s a better finisher than Wheeler, with less to worry about defensively. It could warrant a bump in ice time alongside Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck or Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, assuming Laviolette keeps those combinations together from last season.
Kakko looks to have a more solid grip on a top-six role after spending a decent chunk of last season on the right wing with Kreider and Zibanejad. That line dominated possession for the Rangers, posting the highest expected goals share of any three-man line with more than 100 minutes together for New York last season, according to MoneyPuck. It would be prudent for Laviolette not to mess with a good thing.
Another thing to consider – could the Rangers shuffle Trocheck in their middle-six and pair Lafreniere and Panarin with Filip Chytil down the middle? The latter broke out for 22 goals in 74 games last season and is entering the first year of a four-year, $17.75MM extension he signed in March. If the team is looking for their young talent to gain experience in tougher roles when the guard eventually changes to them, it could be a move worth thinking about.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Johnny Gaudreau “More Comfortable” In Columbus Ahead Of 2023-24
The first season for star winger Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus didn’t go quite as planned after he signed a seven-year, $68.25MM deal with the club in 2022. While he still managed some strong offensive production with 21 goals, 53 assists and 74 points in 80 games, injuries completely derailed what looked like a promising rebound season for Columbus, and they once again finished near the bottom of the league. After yet another busy offseason for Columbus with the intention of inching toward playoff contention, Gaudreau told NHL.com’s Adam Kimmelman he’s “more comfortable” with his new environment in Columbus ahead of 2023-24 and is looking forward to getting the Blue Jackets back on track.
Of note, Gaudreau mentioned he’s already met with incoming head coach Mike Babcock and said they “got off to the right footstep there” in regard to their view for the team, believing Columbus “[needs] that hard-nosed coach that’s going to push us in practices and in games.” Some questions were raised about their potential relationship in the public discourse after the Babcock hiring was reported, given the latter’s affinity for a more physical, checking game that doesn’t quite align with Gaudreau’s individual skillset. Gaudreau addressed those concerns directly with Kimmelman, however:
I played for Bob Hartley, another guy who is very demanding and Sutter the same way. So I’ve had success under those coaches. They want their teams to win.
Success is a conservative word for Gaudreau’s final season with the Calgary Flames, spent under Sutter. While the now ex-Flames coach certainly butted heads with Gaudreau publically at times, the diminutive winger exploded for 40 goals and 115 points in Calgary in 2021-22.
That monster scoring year certainly didn’t come alone – he had a pair of stellar linemates in Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk to help him out. But if Gaudreau feels he’s better suited to recapture that form under Babcock, it could certainly cause a domino effect for a pair of potential linemates in 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli and winger (maybe turned center) Patrik Laine. Babcock will be looking for a healthy Laine to provide an elite goal-scoring complement to Gaudreau, something that’s certainly a possibility after he’s produced near a point-per-game pace in Columbus over the past two years despite battling injuries.
Extension Candidate: William Nylander
The Toronto Maple Leafs currently stand with the most to lose entering the 2024 UFA market. A pair of star forwards, Auston Matthews and William Nylander, remain without contracts past next season, although the level of optimism surrounding extensions for each seems to be increasingly farther apart.
In actuality, rumors regarding extensions for both have been quiet over the last few weeks. But where we left off on Nylander wasn’t exactly on a positive note. Most recently, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in mid-July that negotiations were at a standstill. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and SDPN also believed the gap between the two parties was between $1MM and $2MM, with Nylander desiring around a $10MM AAV and the Leafs countering with an AAV between $8MM and $9MM. Nylander also had a rather strong relationship with former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, whose contract was not renewed earlier this offseason and Brad Treliving is now in his place.
There is still quite a lot of time between now and July 1, 2024, though – ten and a half months, to be exact. If the Leafs and Nylander can reconcile and work out a new deal, what could the final product be?
2022-23
The 2014 eighth-overall pick silenced most doubters last season with a career-best regular season and equally impressive playoff performance. He surpassed the 40-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career and tied for second on the team in playoff scoring with four goals. Despite a subpar reputation defensively in one-on-one situations, he’s consistently maintained strong face value and relative possession numbers, a trend that held true in 2022-23. It’s fair to say what we’re seeing now is peak Nylander, as the winger is now 27 years old and has eight seasons and over 500 games of experience under his belt. After back-to-back 80-plus point years, he’s cemented his status as a first-line caliber winger stuck at second on his team’s depth chart behind Mitch Marner.
Statistics
2022-23: 82 GP, 40 G, 47 A, 87 pts, +10 rating, 28 PIMs, 293 shots, 18:33 ATOI, 52.5% CF
Career: 521 GP, 177 G, 253 A, 430 pts, +23 rating, 134 PIMs, 1,441 shots, 17:10 ATOI, 53.8% CF
The Market
With Matthews and Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos surely set to extend with their current teams, Nylander has a legitimate claim to the title of best pending UFA with a real potential of hitting the market. That’s something he’s sure to use to his advantage in extension talks with Toronto, and with this being his big opportunity to cash in, he has no intentions of accepting a discount on a long-term deal. What Toronto won’t give him, he’ll try to find somewhere else.
It sets him up well to earn the eight-figure deal he desires, whether in Canada’s largest city or with another team. He’s likely to be money in the bank for at least 30 goals and 80 points for at least the next five to six years, assuming he stays healthy, and a rich deal like this has the rare potential to be a bargain halfway through with the pace the salary cap’s Upper Limit is expected to rise. The latter factor is one that may influence Treliving to become comfortable with the idea of committing $10MM to a fourth player in 2024-25, although it’ll still be an incredibly difficult fit under the cap expected to rise to $87.5MM. That being said, John Tavares‘ $11MM AAV deal expires in 2025, which will make it a one-season crunch if they do opt for an extension.
Comparable Contracts
Filip Forsberg (Nashville) – signed an eight-year deal worth $68MM ($8.5MM AAV) just a few days before the free agent market opened last season. It worked out to 10.3% of the salary cap at that time, which would translate to a $9MM cap hit for Nylander assuming an Upper Limit of $87.5MM when the extension kicks in. This will be Toronto’s biggest sticking point in negotiations – Forsberg was coming off an even better season than Nylander at the time (42 goals, 84 points in 69 games), had more games played than Nylander, and had scored with more consistency throughout his career. Like Nylander, Forsberg could have likely gotten more on the open market at the time.
David Pastrnak (Boston) – signed an eight-year, $90MM contract extension ($11.25MM AAV) with the Bruins amidst a 2022-23 season that saw him finish with a career-high 61 goals and 113 points, becoming the first 60-goal scorer not to win the league’s goal-scoring title since Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96. They’re totals he won’t likely replicate, but he’d still shown flashes of a higher offensive ceiling than Nylander, as evidenced during his 48-goal, 95-point 2019-20 campaign, which was curtailed thanks to COVID in March. There is a sizable gap between his and Nylander’s market value, and given the recency of the extension, Pastrnak’s deal likely sets Nylander’s market cap around the $10MM he’s pushing for.
Projected Contract
Given the above comparables, there’s a fair argument to be made that Nylander won’t quite net $10MM on a seven-year deal if he becomes a free agent next summer. That’s not to say the Leafs will get what they desire on an extension, though.
In all likelihood, Nylander’s number on a max-term deal will start with a nine, which is above Toronto’s currently reported range of $8MM-$9MM. Unfortunately, meeting in the middle is not always commonplace for UFA negotiations, especially with a player on the age precipice of Nylander, who likely won’t have the opportunity for another high-paying, long-term deal after this one. He won’t have permission to speak to other teams about a deal, though. If Toronto does up their offer to something in the $9MM range, and Nylander rejects it in hopes of getting eight figures per year on the open market, it could be a decision he regrets, especially considering he’s forfeiting a year of term by signing with another team.
Treliving does have to balance this with Matthews’ pending extension and an extension for Marner before the 2024-25 season draws to a close, although Tavares’ deal expiring alongside Marner’s will give Toronto some flexibility they haven’t had for a few summers now. Nylander will also likely be eyeing Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel‘s extension situation as a more current/direct comparison for his own deal.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Latest On Jeff Petry
The Montreal Canadiens re-acquired defenseman Jeff Petry last weekend at 75% of his $6.25MM cap hit as part of the blockbuster Erik Karlsson trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks. However, this homecoming of sorts for Petry is likely to be short-lived, as Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported immediately after the trade was announced that the Canadiens could be looking to move him once again. With the ability to retain an additional 50% of his cap hit, Montreal is positioning itself to facilitate a potential trade during training camp or early in the regular season.
While few teams would have interest in a 35-year-old defender making more than $6MM against the cap, Petry is certain to have plenty of market interest at a reduced price of $2.34MM until 2025, the lowest Montreal can bring him down to through retaining salary. As Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and SDPN noted on an episode of his podcast earlier this week, it makes sense Montreal would be willing to facilitate a deal. There’s a strong history between the player and team here – Petry played just over 500 games in a Canadiens uniform over parts of eight seasons, tallying 70 goals, 178 assists, 248 points, and averaging 22:42 per game. Montreal honored his trade request last summer, too, shipping him to a team thought to be playoff-caliber at the time.
Obviously, it didn’t quite pan out. Petry himself had an acceptable season for his role, scoring five goals, 26 assists and 31 points in 61 games and posting respectable possession metrics with a 51.5% Corsi for at even strength. Still, he was part of a quickly-aging core in Pittsburgh that sputtered last season, especially when it came to depth scoring. The Penguins missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2006 because of it, and only the second time while Sidney Crosby‘s been a member of the team.
That being said, Petry is still a good second-pairing defender and an excellent third-pairing option if his next team shelters his minutes further. The right-shot can routinely produce upwards of 40 points in a full season and, while he’s far from a shutdown defender, isn’t a liability in his own zone.
Per Johnston, the Dallas Stars are likely to emerge as a fit for his services. They’ve had rumored interest in Petry at multiple points over the past couple of seasons, and they’d been reportedly looking to add on defense earlier in the offseason to no avail. Like most other teams looking to contend for the Stanley Cup next season, though, it would require a fair amount of cap gymnastics to get a deal done, even with Petry’s bargain bin price.
The Stars are currently projected at $317.8K over the $83.5MM Upper Limit for next season with a full 23-player roster, according to CapFriendly. Simply exposing veteran depth defenders Gavin Bayreuther and Joel Hanley to waivers and assigning them to the AHL would not clear the room to add Petry – they’d still need to clear about $1MM to be cap-compliant. The only waiver-exempt player on the roster who could feasibly start the season in the minors is defenseman Thomas Harley, although Dallas would love to see him take on a larger NHL role this season. Wyatt Johnston also does not require waivers, but he’ll be sticking with the team in a top-nine role in 2023-24 after scoring 24 goals and 41 points during his rookie campaign last year. With that in mind, the Stars would likely need to ship a roster player back to Montreal in any prospective Petry trade to make a deal work or make a corresponding trade with another team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.