Buffalo Sabres Extend Kyle Okposo
The Buffalo Sabres will have their captain back on the ice in 2023-24. Today, the team announced a one-year extension for Kyle Okposo worth $2.5MM.
2023-24 will mark Okposo’s 17th season in the NHL and his eighth in Buffalo. The 35-year-old right wing was coming off a seven-year, $42MM contract signed with the Sabres in 2016.
Named Buffalo’s captain ahead of the 2022-23 season, Okposo maintained his effectiveness in a bottom-six role, registering 11 goals and 28 points in 75 games. While injuries and inconsistencies have plagued Okposo’s tenure in Buffalo, he’s emerged as an invaluable leader among a young team on the rise. He’ll get to stay the course and aim to guide Buffalo to their first playoff appearance since 2011.
Save for a long-term absence, Okposo will play in his 1,000th NHL game next season. The Minnesota product is currently sitting at 984 NHL games, in which he’s recorded a total of 230 goals and 592 points.
Since Okposo is aged 35 or older, he’s eligible for a contract that includes performance bonuses. Per CapFriendly, Okposo will receive a $500,000 bonus if Buffalo wins the Stanley Cup in 2024.
Okposo still provides solid two-way metrics and is far from being a liability on the ice, so his leadership isn’t the only thing motivating the extension. He’ll likely play a more limited role on the team next season, however, given the emergence of their younger core and potential free-agent acquisitions.
After the extension, Buffalo still has roughly $17MM in projected cap space for 2023-24, as listed by CapFriendly.
Injury Updates: Barkov, Dadonov, Howden
Florida Panthers team captain Aleksander Barkov has been given the green light to hit the ice in tonight’s potentially series-clinching Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Paul Maurice said today. Barkov’s status update comes after he missed most of Florida’s 1-0 Game 3 win, sustaining a lower-body injury on a first-period hit from Hurricanes forward Jack Drury.
The 27-year-old Finnish center’s leadership and two-way acumen have proven invaluable to the team’s success, displayed most recently by a highlight-reel goal in Game 2. His four goals and eight assists for 12 points are third on the team in playoff scoring behind linemate Carter Verhaeghe and Hart Trophy finalist Matthew Tkachuk.
The 2021 Selke Trophy winner will log heavy minutes tonight as he looks to advance to the first Stanley Cup Final of his career.
- Dallas Stars forward Evgenii Dadonov is listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s must-win Game 4, according to head coach Peter DeBoer. Dadonov left the game after sustaining a lower-body injury in a collision with teammate Roope Hintz while Dallas was on a power play and did not return. If captain Jamie Benn is suspended for his cross-check on Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone today, Stars forward Fredrik Olofsson would draw into the lineup and make his playoff debut if Dadonov can’t go.
- On the other side of the Dallas/Vegas coin, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy also said today that forward Brett Howden‘s status for tomorrow is uncertain. Howden, who’s been elevated to a top-six role and has six points in 14 games, aggravated a lower-body injury yesterday and didn’t play in the third period. Either Michael Amadio or Phil Kessel could return to the lineup if he’s unable to go.
NHL Announces Jim Gregory Award Finalists
The NHL has announced this year’s finalists for the Jim Gregory Award, otherwise known as the General Manager of the Year award. Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins, and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers are the three candidates to take home the 2023 award.
Unlike most other awards, voting is not solely conducted among members of the media. All NHL GMs, as well as a spattering of league executives, are included in the process, and voting is conducted after the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Under Nill’s management, the Stars recorded their highest regular-season point total since 2015-16 and have advanced to the Western Conference Final for the second time in four years, although their stay there appears to be nearing an unceremonious end. Undoubtedly, Nill’s key move last offseason was bringing in head coach Peter DeBoer, who has now brought his NHL-record fourth franchise to the third round of the playoffs in his first year with the team.
Nill also made a number of impactful free-agent signings, including left wing Mason Marchment and defenseman Colin Miller. He also locked in short-term extensions for core pieces Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson and acquired Evgenii Dadonov, Max Domi, and Nils Lundkvist via trade.
His recent drafting has also been crucial to the team’s success, namely 2021 first-round pick Wyatt Johnston, who became the youngest player in NHL history to score a series-clinching goal in a Game 7.
Sweeney oversaw an absolutely record-breaking season for his team. Already with the 2019 edition of the award in his pocket, Sweeney’s moves contributed heavily to Boston’s league-dominating 65-12-5 record, setting an NHL all-time high with 135 points.
Under the leadership of head coach Jim Montgomery, whom Sweeney hired in the offseason, Boston never once slipped out of the Atlantic Division lead, becoming only the fourth team in the post-expansion era to accomplish this feat. The Bruins set multiple records, including a remarkable 14-game home winning streak from the beginning of the campaign.
Sweeney bolstered his roster by re-signing center Patrice Bergeron, bringing back former center David Krejčí from overseas, and making strategic trades to acquire center Pavel Zacha, right wing Garnet Hathaway, and defenseman Dmitry Orlov. The signing of David Pastrnak to a long-term extension further solidified the team’s future.
Sweeney’s moves this season didn’t come without some justified controversy, however. Back in November, Sweeney opted to sign free agent defense prospect Mitchell Miller, whose draft rights were given up by the Arizona Coyotes after a 2016 assault conviction for bullying and abusing a Black, developmentally disabled classmate became public. Miller was sent away from the team within days of the signing.
Lastly, there’s Zito, who has the Panthers on the verge of their second Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history. Zito started a pivotal 2022 offseason by securing the services of head coach Paul Maurice, a move that’s panned out well despite some public hesitance at the time. Zito then orchestrated a blockbuster trade to acquire and extend left wing Matthew Tkachuk, who has consistently been the team’s best player and emerged as a Hart Trophy finalist this season.
Other significant offseason moves, including signings of Nick Cousins, Alex Lyon, Eric Staal, Marc Staal, and Colin White, have mostly all contributed at points during Florida’s storybook playoff run. Zito, a finalist for the second time in his three years as a general manager, is hoping to secure his first win after finishing third in voting during his inaugural season at the helm of the Panthers.
Max Domi Fined For Slashing Mark Stone
The fallout continues from last night’s heated Game 3 of the Western Conference Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced this morning that Stars forward Max Domi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.
Just hours earlier, DoPS said Stars captain Jamie Benn would have a hearing today for cross-checking Stone earlier in the game.
This is Domi’s third fine in his career, and his first stemming from a playoff incident. In 2016, while a member of the Arizona Coyotes, Domi lost $4,641 as part of an automatic one-game suspension handed out for instigating a fight within the final five minutes of regulation. While with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021, he was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Referees did not penalize Domi for the slash, although he was given a roughing, cross-checking, and misconduct penalty stemming from an altercation with Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague.
With Benn facing suspension and likely unavailable for Game 4, Domi is a candidate to receive more minutes in a do-or-die matchup Thursday at home. The 28-year-old trade deadline acquisition has 11 points in 16 playoff games with the Stars, tied with Benn for fourth on the team.
Afternoon Notes: Fedorov, Canucks, Greenberg
The Columbus Blue Jackets are one team looking to name a new head coach next offseason, with reported candidates ranging from current associate coach Pascal Vincent to controversial veteran coach Mike Babcock. Today, Larry Brooks of the New York Post added Hall of Famer and CSKA Moskva head coach Sergei Fedorov into the mix of Columbus coaching targets.
While Fedorov is best remembered for his playing days as a Detroit Red Wing, he did play the better part of three seasons as a Blue Jacket in the latter stages of his career between 2005 and 2008. Overseas, his two seasons as a head coach have been wildly successful, winning the KHL’s Coach of the Year award in 2021-22 while also taking home the league championship.
Fedorov’s hire would certainly come out of left field – it’s rare for NHL teams to opt for an external voice behind the bench with such little coaching experience. However, it’s a move that has been shown to be successful in the past few years, namely Martin St. Louis in Montreal.
- During an appearance on CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali show, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said he doesn’t expect the Vancouver Canucks to go the buyout route to free up cap space this summer. Per Friedman, general manager Patrik Allvin would rather pursue trades to get some undesirable contracts off Vancouver’s books, although that would likely involve the Canucks losing some draft capital. Some likely candidates to be offloaded are winger Conor Garland (three years left, $4.95MM cap hit) and defender Tyler Myers (one year left, $6MM cap hit).
- The Chicago Blackhawks denied a request from the Pittsburgh Penguins to interview Blackhawks associate general manager Jeff Greenberg for the team’s general manager vacancy, per The Athletic’s Scott Powers. Greenberg completed his first year as an NHL executive in 2022-23 after spending ten years in the baseball operations department for the MLB’s Chicago Cubs. He’s quickly gaining esteem around the league, and Chicago isn’t willing to part with him.
Injury Notes: Stephenson, Hakanpää, Hamilton
The Vegas Golden Knights may face a slight hiccup tonight when they try and take a 3-0 stranglehold in the Western Conference Final. Center Chandler Stephenson missed this morning’s practice with an illness, although head coach Bruce Cassidy still expects him to be available tonight.
Stephenson sits third on the team in scoring with 13 points in 13 games so far in the postseason, and he’s been an invaluable secondary scorer for Vegas over the past number of seasons. His seven goals are tied for the team lead with William Karlsson, and he’s averaging over 18 minutes per game. If Stephenson isn’t well enough to play tonight, expect the 27-year-old Michael Amadio to draw back into the lineup. He’s been scratched from the team’s last four games to make way for Teddy Blueger to enter the lineup.
- Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää took pregame skate this morning and is expected to play in tonight’s Game 3 against Vegas, per Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine. The 31-year-old defensive stalwart missed the last three games with an upper-body injury. The 6-foot-7 Finn contributed a career-high 16 points and +18 rating during the regular season.
- New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton wasn’t 100% when his team bowed out to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Second Round, and today, The Fourth Period’s James Nichols reports Hamilton had surgery to repair his right wrist. Per Nichols, Hamilton is expected to be ready for the start of the 2023-24 season, although he doesn’t offer clarity on whether this affects his availability for training camp. The 29-year-old is entering the third season of a seven-year, $63MM contract signed with the Devils in 2021.
Calgary Flames Name Craig Conroy General Manager
May 23: Calgary has made the hire official, also adding Dave Nonis as the team’s senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager. The team has also retitled the roles of Chris Snow and Brad Pascall, who were previously assistant general managers. Per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, the team has given extensions to both Snow and Pascall while expanding their roles.
May 21: TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting the Calgary Flames are expected to name Craig Conroy their next general manager, promoting him from the assistant role he’s held since 2014.
Conroy succeeds Brad Treliving, who the Flames mutually parted ways with last month after a disappointing season. Dreger notes that the team’s management overhaul, also accented by firing head coach Darryl Sutter, likely isn’t over. More hires are expected to be announced in Calgary’s front office later next week.
While Conroy may not have been the most experienced hire available for Calgary (he has no previous general managing experience), there are few who’ve been around the Flames organization longer than him. Not only has he spent the past 13 seasons in the Flames’ front office in some capacity, but he also played nine seasons in Calgary dating back to a 2001 trade deadline move.
It’s a straightforward choice for Calgary, who are looking to live up to the expectations they set for themselves after completely rehauling their roster last summer. Swapping Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar while also adding Nazem Kadri flamed out, with most of their additions having extremely disappointing seasons under Sutter.
The hope remains that some new blood in the front office and behind the bench, along with an organizational shift more willing to give opportunities to the team’s younger players, should pay short-term dividends and return the Flames to a consistent playoff status in the Pacific Division.
Conroy won’t have that busy of an offseason with just five free agents on the NHL roster (all unrestricted depth players), but many core pieces like Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, and Chris Tanev are expiring in 2024 and become eligible for extensions on July 1.
Earlier this week, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Dave Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin were also being considered for the job alongside Conroy.
Minor Transactions: 05/23/23
Moves continue outside of the NHL sphere as the European transfer season progresses, although things should be winding down as teams continue to finalize their rosters for the 2023-24 campaign. As always, we’re keeping track of all today’s notable moves from outside the NHL right here.
- The DEL’s Nürnberg Ice Tigers have signed AHL forward Cole Maier to a one-year contract, per the team. Maier has played the last four seasons with the Manitoba Moose, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, but never received an NHL contract. He’s coming off back-to-back 15-goal seasons, even serving as an alternate captain for Manitoba in 2021-22. The 27-year-old will now try to work himself into a starring role in Germany with an NHL opportunity likely behind him.
- The AHL’s Utica Comets today signed forward Samuel Laberge to a one-year extension for 2023-24. The 26-year-old Québec product posted 16 points in 43 games with the Comets last year as he continues to try and earn an NHL deal with his parent club, the New Jersey Devils. Laberge, once the captain of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic, now has nearly 200 games of AHL experience under his belt.
- 23-year-old center Sam Bitten has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, joining his brother, William Bitten, who’s on an NHL contract with the St. Louis Blues. Sam has played the last three seasons in Europe after wrapping up his junior career, but recorded just one goal in 48 games with Czechia’s HC Plzen this season. He’s likely destined for an ECHL demotion come October.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Snapshots: Söderberg, Mock Draft, Stadium Series
The most transformative offseason in PHF history continued this morning, with the Connecticut Whale making a big splash in the goalie market. Goalie Emma Söderberg, a finalist for the 2022-23 IIHF Female Player of the Year award, has signed a two-year contract with the team, per an announcement Tuesday.
The 25-year-old Swede was among NCAA leaders this past season, recording a .938 save percentage and 12 shutouts in 33 appearances with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She also shined for Sweden at the Women’s World Championship, posting a .924 save percentage and a 2-3-0 record in five appearances. It’s a shrewd acquisition for Connecticut, which has finished in the league’s top three in the past three seasons. Söderberg’s services will help them remain in contention as they still seek to earn their first Isobel Cup.
Söderberg also represented Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
- Two of the top public scouts around, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman, have released a second two-round mock ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. While the first two selections are apparent, Wheeler has the Columbus Blue Jackets using their third overall pick on American center Will Smith, letting the consensus no. 1 European forward, Leo Carlsson, slip to the San Jose Sharks at fourth overall. The best overseas forward based on talent alone is Russian winger Matvei Michkov, but the geopolitical climate and his well-reported contract situation (he’s obligated to his Russian team through 2026) lower his draft position. Pronman has Michkov falling to the Washington Capitals at eighth overall.
- Next season’s Stadium Series game could actually be two, says The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. Per his report, the 2024 edition will entail back-to-back days in February at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, first between the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, followed by a New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers matchup. If confirmed, it will be the second outdoor appearance for the Devils and Islanders, the fifth for the Rangers, and the sixth for the Flyers.
Vitali Kravtsov Signs In Russia
11:30 am: Kravtsov has officially signed in the KHL, per his now-former agent Dan Milstein. Kravtsov has switched representation as part of the deal.
9:55 am: Reports out of Russia this morning indicate Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov could sign a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL this offseason.
If the report comes to fruition, it’s very likely the end of the road in the NHL for the 6-foot-3 winger. Selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers, a tumultuous tenure there ended when the Rangers dealt him to Vancouver for William Lockwood and a seventh-round pick on February 25.
Things didn’t go well in a brief stint with Vancouver for Kravtsov either, recording just a goal and an assist in 16 games, and he wasn’t able to earn an uptick in ice time. Now 23, Kravtsov has managed to get into just 64 NHL games in parts of three seasons, notching six goals and 12 points almost exclusively in a bottom-six role.
It’s a return to a familiar place for Kravtsov, as Chelyabinsk has been his home for his entire development track in Russia. Prior to 2022-23, he’d spent at least a portion of every season in the organization dating back to 2014-15, either pre-draft or on loan after signing his entry-level contract with New York.
Chelyabinsk hopes they’re getting the version of Kravtsov that posted 13 points in 19 KHL games on loan in 2021-22, and he’s able to at least pan out as a top-six fixture in the KHL.