Snapshots: Bunting, Butler, 2024 Worlds
Carolina Hurricanes forward Michael Bunting was a guest on the JD Bunkis Podcast this week and revealed he didn’t have many extension discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs after their second-round playoff elimination. After recording back-to-back 23-goal seasons in Toronto, Bunting signed a three-year, $13.5MM contract with the Hurricanes when free agency opened July 1. “Once the offseason came along, I didn’t really hear much [from Toronto]… you kind of just figured it wasn’t going to work out,” Bunting said.
Bunting had been a more-than-serviceable top-six piece for Toronto, especially at his previous bargain $950K cap hit. The physical side of his game evidently took too much of a stage when this year’s postseason began, though, earning him a multi-game suspension for a hit on Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak in the First Round. Even when in the lineup, Bunting lost his spot in the top-six to rookie Matthew Knies at times during the postseason, and he recorded just two points in seven playoff games.
Elsewhere in the hockey news cycle today:
- Former Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Butler has announced his retirement from pro hockey, according to an announcement from the ECHL’s Worcester Railers. That’s where the 36-year-old Butler had spent the last two seasons of his career, serving as team captain and recording 54 points in 83 games. An undrafted free agent, Butler appeared in 130 NHL games across five seasons with the Senators, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers. He finished his NHL career with 20 goals and 49 points, including an impressive rookie campaign with Ottawa in 2010-11 when he recorded 21 points in 36 games. He won a Calder Cup with the AHL’s Binghamton Senators that same year.
- The IIHF has released the schedule for the 2024 Men’s World Championship, set to take place in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia. Next year’s edition of the tournament will include Great Britain and Poland after they earned promotion by winning the gold and silver medals in the Division 1A Worlds last year. Hungary and Slovenia finished last in their respective groups in 2023 and will need to work their way back up to the top level during the coming year. The Belarussian and Russian national teams remain suspended for the 2024 tournament.
Coyotes Prospect Jan Jeník Reportedly Seeking Trade Options
Arizona Coyotes 2018 draft pick Jan Jeník remains without a contract for next season and is reportedly seeking a trade to continue his career in North America, according to a report from PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan.
The Coyotes issued Jeník a qualifying offer before the June deadline and retained his exclusive signing rights as a restricted free agent, but Morgan says he doesn’t appear close to signing with Arizona. The 22-year-old winger was the Coyotes’ 65th overall pick in 2018 and has three years of pro experience under his belt, mainly with AHL Tucson.
He’s put up strong offensive totals on a weak Roadrunners team over the past two seasons, even finishing second on the team in scoring with 17 goals, 30 assists and 47 points in 51 games during the 2021-22 campaign. After more solid play with 23 points in 30 games for Tucson this season, though, he didn’t receive much of an NHL chance – only two games at the major-league level in 2022-23 and just 17 overall over the past three seasons.
Arizona drafted Jeník directly out of the 1. Liga, Czechia’s second-tier pro league behind the Extraliga and not at all a traditional stomping ground for draft-eligible prospects. It was after the 2018 draft that Jeník established some decent stock as a prospect, coming to North America and scoring 86 points in 54 games across two seasons with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. He looked well on his way to solidifying himself as a potential top-five prospect in the organization, but without much of any NHL experience to show for it and a crowded forward corps next season, it makes sense he’s looking for other opportunities.
He may not get the trade he desires anytime soon, though, as Morgan reports the Coyotes “seem content to let Jeník sit,” given he has very little leverage as an RFA. He’s got a few options moving forward if the Coyotes don’t move him – he can sit out and hope the team folds before December 1, the deadline by which he needs to sign to play in the NHL this season; he can sign in Europe; or he can hope another team signs him to an offer sheet which Arizona opts not to match. Teams do not need to send compensation for signing offer sheets worth less than $1.416MM per season.
It doesn’t seem likely a team would issue an offer sheet of any significance, though, as despite his wishes, few believe Jeník is ready for a full-time NHL role as things stand. Arizona will likely match any offer he realistically receives and send him back to Tucson to start next season.
Boston Bruins Sign John Farinacci To Entry-Level Deal
The Boston Bruins have signed free agent forward John Farinacci to a two-year entry-level contract with a $910K cap hit, per a team release. Farinacci, a 2019 third-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, became a free agent yesterday when the Coyotes let his exclusive signing rights lapse by not signing him to an ELC. Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald first reported the Bruins were closing in on Farinacci.
Farinacci heads to Beantown after completing three productive collegiate seasons at Harvard. He lost his sophomore year when Harvard suspended play due to the COVID pandemic. Last season, the natural center was limited to 19 games due to injury but was one of four players on the team to produce above a point-per-game pace, recording five goals and 15 assists while serving as captain. He finishes his stint at Harvard with 25 goals, 36 assists and 61 points in 79 games.
Still just 22, Farinacci immediately becomes one of the best center prospects in the Bruins’ paper-thin pipeline. He’s shown smart two-way acumen throughout his time at Harvard and possesses an above-average shot. He may have some top-six upside, but his sample size over the past few seasons has been limited thanks to injuries and COVID – increasing the variability in his projection.
While Boston will give him a long look in camp, he’s nearly a lock to start 2023-24 with AHL Providence, so the organization can see how his 200-foot game adapts to the professional level. He will become a restricted free agent with possible arbitration rights in 2025.
It’s worth noting this is a family affair for Farinacci in Boston, as his uncle is former Bruins forward Ted Donato (and is cousin is former Bruin and current Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato).
Minor Transactions: 08/16/23
Notable NHL moves are few and far between this late in the summer. There was some significant news in the Atlantic Division yesterday, with the Detroit Red Wings acquiring defenseman Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens. However, there isn’t anything else major slated to happen anytime soon until training camps begin next month. The European schedule is a few weeks ahead of the NHL’s, though, and most leagues overseas have already begun their preseason and start the 2023-24 campaign in earnest in just a few weeks. That means there are a fair bit of last-minute moves trickling in. We’re keeping track of today’s notable minor moves here.
- Former Edmonton Oilers prospect Ostap Safin has converted on an overseas PTO and will suit up for the KHL’s Lada Togliatti in 2023-24, according to a team release. Edmonton selected the Czech winger in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft and signed him to an entry-level contract less than a year later. The deal ran until the 2021-22 campaign, and with Safin failing to establish a full-time AHL role for himself over the course of three pro seasons, Edmonton opted not to issue him a qualifying offer and let him become an unrestricted free agent. He returned home last season, finally solidifying a pro role in Czechia with eight goals, five assists and 13 points in 41 games for Extraliga club HC Sparta Praha. Now 24 years old, he heads to Togliatti, joining a roster that includes former Winnipeg Jets forward Scott Kosmachuk.
- In a confirmed transaction with the Ontario Reign, forward Jacob Doty will suit up for the team for the fifth straight season. Before his time with the Reign starting in the 2019-20 AHL season, Doty had been split fairly evenly between the AHL and ECHL. The Denver, CO native has suited up in 151 games over the last eight seasons in the AHL, scoring nine goals and 14 assists in total. At the ECHL level, Doty is a veteran of 159 games in only four years, scoring 13 goals and 23 assists.
- In a press release this afternoon, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have announced a one-year contract extension for center Samuel Houde. After an impressive stint with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL during the 2021-22 season, scoring 13 goals and 30 assists in only 31 games, Houde earned a full-time spot for the baby Penguins last year. His goal-scoring ability remained above average, but his playmaking abilities took a hit, scoring 12 goals and eight assists in 65 games last year. Although not appearing like much on paper, on a basement-dwelling Penguins team last year, those numbers were good for 10th on the team in total scoring, and fifth on the team in goals scored.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents
Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.
Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.
This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.
On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.
Anaheim Ducks
*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)
Arizona Coyotes
F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)
Boston Bruins
*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)
Calgary Flames
*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)
Colorado Avalanche
*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)
Detroit Red Wings
F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)
Edmonton Oilers
F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)
Minnesota Wild
*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)
New Jersey Devils
*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)
New York Islanders
D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)
New York Rangers
*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)
Ottawa Senators
*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)
Philadelphia Flyers
F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)
San Jose Sharks
D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)
Winnipeg Jets
G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)
Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.
Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.
August Free Agency Update: Metropolitan Division
As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.
Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. Next up is the Metropolitan Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here.
Carolina Hurricanes
**F Sebastian Aho (eight years, $9.75MM cap hit)
D Dmitry Orlov (two years, $7.75MM cap hit)
F Michael Bunting (three years, $4.5MM cap hit)
G Frederik Andersen (two years, $3.4MM cap hit)
F Jesper Fast (two years, $2.4MM cap hit)
D Anthony DeAngelo (one year, $1.675MM cap hit)
G Antti Raanta (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*D Dylan Coghlan (one year, $850K cap hit)
F Brendan Lemieux (one year, $800K cap hit)
D Caleb Jones (one year, $775K cap hit)
Columbus Blue Jackets
none
New Jersey Devils
F Michael McLeod (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
F Nathan Bastian (two years, $1.35MM cap hit)
*D Kevin Bahl (two years, $1.05MM cap hit)
F Tomas Nosek (one year, $1MM cap hit)
New York Islanders
**G Ilya Sorokin (eight years, $8.25MM cap hit)
D Scott Mayfield (seven years, $3.5MM cap hit)
F Pierre Engvall (seven years, $3MM cap hit)
G Semyon Varlamov (four years, 35+ contract, $2.75MM cap hit)
*F Oliver Wahlstrom (one year, $874.1K cap hit)
F Julien Gauthier (two years, $787.5K cap hit)
New York Rangers
*D K’Andre Miller (two years, $3.872MM cap hit)
D Erik Gustafsson (one year, $825K cap hit)
G Jonathan Quick (one year, 35+ contract, $825K cap hit)
F Blake Wheeler (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Nick Bonino (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Tyler Pitlick (one year, $787.5K cap hit)
F Riley Nash (two years, $775K cap hit)
Philadelphia Flyers
*F Noah Cates (two years, $2.625MM cap hit)
F Garnet Hathaway (two years, $2.375MM cap hit)
*D Cameron York (two years, $1.6MM cap hit)
**G Samuel Ersson (two years, $1.45MM cap hit)
F Ryan Poehling (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
D Marc Staal (one year, 35+ contract, $1.1MM cap hit)
Pittsburgh Penguins
G Tristan Jarry (five years, $5.375MM cap hit)
D Ryan Graves (six years, $4.5MM cap hit)
F Lars Eller (two years, $2.45MM cap hit)
F Noel Acciari (three years, $2MM cap hit)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*F Drew O’Connor (two years, $925K cap hit)
F Matthew Nieto (two years, $900K cap hit)
F Andreas Johnsson (one year, $800K cap hit)
G Magnus Hellberg (one year, $785K cap hit)
D Ryan Shea (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (one year, $775K cap hit)
*D Ty Smith (one year, $775K cap hit)
Washington Capitals
**F Tom Wilson (seven years, $6.5MM cap hit)
*D Martin Fehervary (three years, $2.675MM cap hit)
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2MM cap hit)
F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K cap hit)
East Notes: Hurricanes, Sabres, DeSmith
The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going anywhere – they’ve signed a 20-year lease extension agreement with the Centennial Authority and Gale Force Sports and Entertainment, according to a team release, keeping them at PNC Arena through the 2043-44 season. As part of the agreement, PNC Arena is poised for a substantial facelift, with plans to create a sports and entertainment district encircling the arena, which is rather secluded from downtown Raleigh as things stand. “This development will transform PNC Arena into a year-round destination for residents while also improving the event day experience for Hurricanes fans, NC State fans, and concertgoers alike,” said Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon.
It’s a significant investment coming from the local government, with a combined $300MM million from the City of Raleigh and Wake County. There’s also a fair amount of private money funneled into developing the land around the arena, which will include office space, living space, a hotel, and a concert venue – a minimum of $200MM investment within five years, $400MM within ten years, and $800MM within 20 years.
Elsewhere from the Eastern Conference today:
- Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News tabs Jacob Bryson as the likeliest odd man out when it comes to their crowded defense during camp. Noting that his $1.85MM cap hit isn’t fully buriable in the minors, a trade is more likely for the 25-year-old than placing him on waivers and assigning him to AHL Rochester. Bryson signed a two-year, $3.7MM extension with Buffalo before last season after he played in a career-high 73 games, posting some solid two-way numbers in a bottom-pairing role. His momentum evaporated this season, however, and he was a defensive liability when given any increase in minutes, posting a career-low relative Corsi for at even strength of -2.3%.
- After flipping one asset acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade earlier today, the Montreal Canadiens are still faced with a goalie crunch caused by taking on netminder Casey DeSmith from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Speaking with reporters today, GM Kent Hughes said he’s talked to DeSmith and asked him “to be patient.” Hughes is undecided on whether to keep DeSmith or trade someone else (Jake Allen or Samuel Montembeault) off the roster to make room for the 32-year-old, who started a career-high 33 games for the Penguins last season.
Buffalo Sabres Loan Anton Wahlberg To SHL
After signing him to an entry-level contract earlier this summer, the Buffalo Sabres are loaning 2023 draft selection Anton Wahlberg back to Sweden for the 2023-24 campaign, per a team announcement.
Despite the announcement’s wording making it seem like this is an optional choice for the Sabres, it isn’t. Since a recent update to the transfer agreement between the NHL and SHL, players drafted outside of the first round and are under the age of 24 must be loaned back to their Swedish team if they don’t crack the NHL roster – if their team wants them, that is. This is the same case we saw with netminder Dennis Hildeby of the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, who the team was forced to loan back to Färjestad instead of assigning him to the AHL. With Hildeby’s SHL contract expiring this offseason, he can now play in the AHL.
This means Wahlberg’s entry-level contract will not begin this season and will slide to the 2024-25 campaign. Wahlberg is only under contract with his SHL club, the Malmö Redhawks, for this season. If he doesn’t sign an extension with them, Buffalo could, in theory, assign him to play with the AHL’s Rochester Americans in 2024-25.
Wahlberg was a late riser on draft boards thanks to a strong performance with Sweden at the U18 World Juniors, where he recorded three goals and six points in seven games en route to a silver medal. His offensive production doesn’t jump off the page – he didn’t crack the point-per-game mark in the Swedish junior circuit, recording 27 points in 32 games last year with Malmö’s U20 team. However, he’s got pro-ready size at 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds and possesses a strong two-way acumen, both of which earned him a call-up for 17 SHL games with Malmö last year, where he scored twice and added two assists.
Buffalo was reportedly eyeing Wahlberg in the late first round and attempted to trade up to select him there, but they ended up not making a deal and selected him with the 39th overall pick in the early second round. Wahlberg also attended Sabres development camp earlier in the summer.
Paul Byron Expected To Retire
August 15: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes spoke to the media today in the wake of dealing defenseman Jeff Petry to Detroit, confirming that he expects Byron to retire and will speak to him in September.
April 14: Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron is facing a difficult decision regarding his future in the NHL. Byron missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a lower-body injury after playing just 27 games the year before, and according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, doctors have still not cleared him to return to play.
Byron will be making a decision on his future within the next month, says Lavoie, signaling what could be a tough end for the 34-year-old known for his effort on the ice. Since Montreal claimed him on waivers in 2015, Byron’s suited up in 383 regular-season games for the Habs, becoming a fan favorite thanks to his speed, tenacity, and versatility.
Speaking this morning, Byron expressed his desire to reporters to remain with the team in a different capacity, particularly player development. Byron says Montreal management’s answer on a front office role will influence his decision on whether to continue his career.
Regardless of what Byron’s future holds, it’s clear he’s made a significant impact on the Canadiens organization during his time with the team. He’s been public about his experiences with chronic pain, hoping to raise the importance of players’ quality of life in hockey circles.
If it’s the end of the road for Byron, he wraps up a 12-year, 521-game career that was unexpected given his status as a sixth-round draft pick in 2007. He hit the 20-goal mark twice with Montreal, proving himself as a versatile bottom-six forward at his peak.
Detroit Red Wings Acquire Jeff Petry
The Detroit Red Wings have acquired defenseman Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens just days after Montreal re-acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the three-team Erik Karlsson blockbuster, according to a team release. Montreal receives defenseman Gustav Lindström and a 2025 conditional fourth-round pick in return.
Montreal is retaining an additional 50% of Petry’s salary in the trade, bringing his cap hit with Detroit down to $2.34MM. CapFriendly reports Montreal will receive the later of Detroit’s or the Boston Bruins’ 2025 fourth-round picks, both of which Detroit currently owns.
This is an expected move, although most reporting indicated Canadiens GM Kent Hughes would wait a little longer to hit send on a deal. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported immediately after the Karlsson trade went through that Montreal was going to flip Petry again with salary retained but didn’t think the move would happen until closer to training camps and the start of the regular season. It also marks a return home for Petry, who was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and played college hockey at Michigan State.
Petry, 35, had a decent lone season in Pittsburgh last year but wasn’t quite worth the $6.25MM he was costing them against the cap. He finished the year with five goals, 26 assists, 31 points, and a +2 rating in 61 games, a slight rebound from the 2021-22 campaign in Montreal. He once again logged heavy minutes, averaging 22:21 per game.
However, at his age, the chances of Petry producing the 40-plus point campaigns with solid defensive metrics he was known for in Montreal are slim. $2.34MM is quite a manageable number for his services, though, and he still has the potential to challenge Justin Holl for the second-pair right defenseman slot behind undisputed number-one Moritz Seider. Detroit hopes he can at least keep up NHL-caliber play for the next two seasons until his contract expires in 2025, avoiding too sharp of an age-related decline.
Aside from their top pairing of Seider and Jake Walman, Detroit’s depth defense was quite weak last season when it came to controlling possession. While he isn’t a shutdown defender by any stretch, Petry isn’t a liability either, and he should help improve possession numbers for Detroit’s second or third pairing marginally. Adding Petry into the fold also gives Detroit the option to bench Ben Chiarot, who had a disastrous first campaign with Detroit after signing a four-year, $19MM contract with trade protection in free agency last summer – a deal that’s quickly looking like an albatross.
Some are likely questioning this move, given Detroit’s now added a trio of NHL defensemen this offseason and have blocked a potential lineup spot for 2021 sixth-overall pick Simon Edvinsson. However, the 20-year-old defender likely won’t be ready to start the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in May, and without participating in training camp, starting the season with AHL Grand Rapids again isn’t the worst idea. With Detroit evidently looking to challenge for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division in 2023-24, Petry is a significant upgrade over Chiarot if that’s the lineup swap head coach Derek Lalonde chooses to make.
In Lindström, the Canadiens receive a young depth defenseman still trying to demonstrate he can give an NHL team reliable minutes. Detroit selected the 24-year-old 38th overall in 2017, and he’s gotten into 128 NHL games since then over the course of the past four seasons. Last season, he recorded a goal and eight points in 36 games, along with a -16 rating. The Red Wings signed him to a one-year, one-way deal worth $950K earlier this offseason, and he’s slated to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in the summer of 2024.
As CapFriendly notes, this was a significant step for Montreal to become cap-compliant next season without sticking netminder Carey Price‘s $10.5MM cap hit on LTIR.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.