New Jersey Devils Re-Sign Kevin Bahl
The New Jersey Devils re-signed defenseman Kevin Bahl today to a two-year contract worth $2.1MM with an annual average value of $1.05MM, according to a team release. Bahl will earn $900K in actual salary in 2023-24 and $1.2MM in 2024-25 under the terms of the deal. After signing Bahl, the Devils have re-signed all their restricted free agents this offseason.
A 23-year-old left-shot defender out of New Westminster, British Columbia, Bahl played a career-high 42 games with the Devils last season and largely avoided AHL assignment, skating in only three games in the minors with the Utica Comets. Playing a physical, two-way game by trade, Bahl improved significantly on his previous short NHL stints in 2022-23, continually working his way up the team’s depth chart and playing in 11 of 12 postseason games for the Devils. He finished the regular season with two goals, six assists, eight points, a +4 rating, and 35 penalty minutes.
The hulking 6-foot-6 Bahl now looks to keep his pace and stay in the Devils’ lineup full-time, even with promising prospects like Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec ready (or close to ready) for full-time NHL duties. New Jersey will likely bet on Bahl to replace some of the grit and defensive acumen they lost when Ryan Graves departed for the Pittsburgh Penguins in free agency earlier this month, and they’ll likely increase his ice time from last year’s 14:01 per game in the process. Giving Bahl a seven-figure cap hit certainly demonstrates an organizational belief in the player.
After signing Bahl, CapFriendly projects the Devils to be comfortably cap-compliant with $1.92MM in projected space, assuming a full 23-player roster. This projection assumes youngsters like Hughes and Nolan Foote make the team but not 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz. The Devils have $2.575MM in dead cap this season thanks to $2MM wrapped up in the Cory Schneider buyout, a $325K penalty from the Janne Kuokkanen buyout, and the nearly-finished yearly $250K recapture penalty for terminating Ilya Kovalchuk‘s supermassive 15-year, $100MM contract in 2013.
When this contract concludes in 2025, Bahl will still be a restricted free agent. He’ll also be eligible for arbitration at that time.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Jesse Ylönen
The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with restricted free agent forward Jesse Ylönen, per a release issued Monday morning. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports Ylönen’s NHL salary is $775K, while he’ll earn $200K in the AHL with a $275K minimum salary guarantee.
An early second-round selection of the Canadiens in 2018, the 23-year-old Finn played a career-high 37 games in a Canadiens jersey last season and looks well on his way to becoming a full-timer in the NHL. 2022-23 was a major offensive breakthrough for Ylönen at the NHL and AHL levels. He recorded six goals and 16 points with the Habs and a career-best points pace of 32 in 39 games with the Laval Rocket.
He mostly played a bottom-six scoring role with the Habs last season, sometimes seeing under 10 minutes of ice time per game. However, he did elevate into the team’s top six at times later in the season when injuries struck, actually seeing a fair bit of playing time alongside number-one center Nick Suzuki in the absence of star sniper Cole Caufield, who missed the latter half of the season thanks to shoulder surgery.
Unfortunately for Ylönen, he’s a good prospect on a team with several other youngsters that arguably have higher ceilings. For that reason, he may find himself on the outside looking in on Montreal’s opening night roster, and he could begin the season in the minors with Laval again. He’ll have to battle for ice time with former first-round picks such as Alex Newhook and Juraj Slafkovsky, a race he won’t likely win. However, Ylönen could still unseat a veteran like Joel Armia in the team’s bottom six if he forces the team’s attention at training camp.
Ylönen will be a restricted free agent again in 2024. He will be eligible for arbitration after not being eligible this offseason.
Maple Leafs’ Rodion Amirov Reportedly Making Progress In Cancer Recovery
One of the scariest pieces of NHL news in recent memory came across the wire in February 2022, when then-Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas revealed that 2020 first-round pick Rodion Amirov had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The 21-year-old winger has not played hockey since and continues on a long road to what is hopefully a full recovery.
There hasn’t been much news on Amirov’s health since the end of last year when Amirov came to Toronto to attend the team’s Hockey Fights Cancer night in November but returned to Russia to continue treatment shortly after and could not train. At the time, it was viewed as a setback in his recovery – Amirov had said in an interview earlier that summer he was hoping to return to the ice by that time.
However, there is some positive news regarding the young forward’s health today. Rinat Bashirov, the director of sport for Amirov’s KHL team, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, told Russian outlet Sport-Express that there’s a “positive trend” in Amirov’s recovery, but he’s continuing treatment. According to Bashirov (albeit a translated quote), Ufa believes Amirov will return to the ice at some point, although there’s no clear timeline.
Amirov reportedly signed a one-year contract extension with Ufa earlier this summer, allowing him to remain closely tied with the club and pursue treatment with their guidance. He also remains under contract with the Maple Leafs, although his three-year, entry-level contract expires next summer.
PHR extends its best wishes for Amirov’s long-term health and positive recovery.
Coyotes, Jack McBain Reach Pre-Arbitration Settlement
The Arizona Coyotes and young center Jack McBain have reached a two-year settlement ahead of their scheduled arbitration hearing today, according to a team release. The deal earns him $1.6MM per season, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This settlement is a win for the Coyotes, who get the two-year contract they desired and a cap hit below the midpoint of the team and player filings submitted Friday before today’s planned hearing. The Coyotes had filed for a two-year, $1.2MM AAV deal, while McBain filed for a one-year, $2.25MM contract, putting the salary midpoint at $1.725MM.
McBain, 23, brings an intriguing blend of size and two-way potential to the bottom of the Coyotes’ lineup. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Arizona acquired McBain’s signing rights from the Minnesota Wild in March 2022 after McBain informed the Wild he wouldn’t be signing with them after finishing his collegiate career at Boston College.
The Toronto-born center had a ten-game stint with the Coyotes to end the 2021-22 campaign in which he didn’t look entirely out of place, recording two goals and adding an assist on the heels of a point-per-game season in college and an Olympic appearance for Canada. That late-season experience in the NHL gave him a leg up heading into 2022-23, where he played in all 82 games as a rookie and finished 12th on the team in points with 26 and eighth in goals with 12.
Arizona now has a bit of a logjam at center, though, with youngsters Barrett Hayton and Logan Cooley and veterans Nick Bjugstad and Travis Boyd, meaning McBain is likely once again slated for a fourth-line role next season, potentially even on the wing. He did post a somewhat subpar faceoff win rate of 44% last season, although the whole team wasn’t adept in that department – only Hayton posted a win rate higher than 50% out of the team’s four everyday centers.
CapFriendly has not registered McBain’s deal at the time of writing, but once it is, Arizona will have roughly $7.15MM in cap space with a full roster of 23 players, per their projection.
As PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan points out, it’s also worth noting that the Coyotes are now in a rather tricky position regarding their total registered contracts within the organization. They’re now at 49 out of the 50-contract maximum and still have restricted free agent Jan Jeník to sign to a deal, which, if he’s signed, would leave them without the ability to make any player acquisitions without getting rid of a contract (e.g., waiver claims, free agent signings).
McBain will again be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when his new contract expires in 2025.
PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan was the first to report the two sides were close to a settlement.
Arbitration Breakdown: Trent Frederic
We’re entering the final few days of the salary arbitration calendar, meaning most of the remaining notable restricted free agents will have contracts in place for next season by the end of next week. There are a number of notable cases that remain unsettled, including a pair of high-end young goalies in the Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman and the Minnesota Wild’s Filip Gustavsson. Swayman’s hearing is today, meaning we’ll learn his contractual fate for next season on Tuesday. However, there’s a teammate of Swayman’s and an important depth piece for the Bruins facing an arbitration hearing of his own – forward Trent Frederic, who now has just 48 hours remaining until his arbitration hearing on Tuesday.
Filings
Team: two years, $1.4MM AAV
Player: one year, $2.9MM AAV
Midpoint: $2.15MM AAV
(via Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)
The Numbers
2022-23 was a breakout year for Frederic, recording career highs in offensive categories across the board. While he may not be a long-term top-flight center solution as the Bruins envisioned when they selected him 29th overall in 2016, the 25-year-old has grown into an extremely effective bottom-six power forward. His scoring skyrocketed this season despite not seeing a major increase in ice time, and he didn’t sacrifice the solid defensive play he’d shown in his two prior full NHL seasons. His 17 goals were sixth on the powerhouse Bruins last year despite playing under 12 minutes per game.
If advanced analytics hold any bearing in arbitration hearings, Frederic’s side should use them to their advantage. Many of his possession-based metrics indicate his production this season isn’t a fluke, as his ability to drive play has steadily grown during his time in the NHL. However, it is fair to wonder if an increase in ice time (and, therefore, tougher matchups) may diminish his effectiveness slightly. It’s an important factor to take into consideration, as Frederic is expected to play a bigger role on the Bruins next season with wing depth like Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi no longer on the team.
His NHL career doesn’t carry a terribly long track record, though, something that may give the arbitrator some pause. Frederic hasn’t cracked the 200-game mark in his career, and he only transformed into an everyday NHLer this season, oftentimes being healthy scratched at points throughout the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns.
2022-23 Stats: 79 GP, 17-14-31, +28 rating, 57 PIMs, 120 shots, 11:55 ATOI
Career Stats: 198 GP, 29-25-54, +25 rating, 194 PIMs, 284 shots, 11:27 ATOI
Potential Comparables
Comparable contracts are restricted to those signed within restricted free agency which means UFA deals and entry-level pacts are ineligible to be used. The contracts below fit within those parameters. Player salaries also fall within the parameters of the submitted numbers by both sides of Frederic’s negotiation.
Philipp Kurashev (Blackhawks) – Kurashev is a few years younger than Frederic but has a similar amount of NHL experience. Like Frederic, he also posted career-highs in offensive categories last season but had less production and infinitely worse defensive results. However, Kurashev was relied upon to play heavy minutes (more than 17 minutes per game) for a lottery Blackhawks team – likely more responsibility than he was fit to handle. An arbitrator awarded Kurashev a $2.25MM AAV last week, coming in above the midpoint of Boston’s and Frederic’s filings. Given Frederic’s better scoring and two-way play but extremely sheltered minutes, this could fall close to the arbitrator’s final decision here.
Warren Foegele (Hurricanes) – This comparison may be a bit dated (Foegele had his arbitration award in November 2020), but played a much more similar role on the Hurricanes to Frederic’s on the Bruins than in the Kurashev comparison outlined above. After a season in which Foegele registered similar offensive production to Frederic (30 points in 68 games), an arbitrator awarded him a $2.15MM deal for the 2020-21 campaign. It presents a solid argument for the arbitrator to rule right down the middle of Boston’s and Frederic’s filings.
Artturi Lehkonen (Canadiens) – Lehkonen had filed for arbitration with the Canadiens in the summer of 2021, but the two sides came to a pre-hearing agreement on a one-year deal worth $2.3MM. Lehkonen was the same age as Frederic at the time of signing and produced similarly strong two-way results, although Lekhonen had significantly more NHL experience at the time of signing, with 338 games under his belt. However, he was coming off a down season – just seven goals and 13 points in 47 games, hurting his stock.
Projection
No matter what, it does seem Frederic will be signing a two-year contract unless the arbitrator awards significantly in his favor. As Frederic was the party that filed for arbitration, Boston is free to choose between a one-year or two-year pact based on the AAV awarded by the arbitrator. The contract would walk Frederic directly to unrestricted free agency, but it’s something Boston is evidently comfortable with based on their filing.
The comparisons outlined place Frederic’s likely award very near to but likely slightly above the midpoint of $2.15MM. It seems unlikely the arbitrator would go any higher than $2.5MM on an award, though, especially considering his limited ice time and consistent fourth-line role. Regardless, it’s likely he’ll more than double his $1.05MM salary from the last two seasons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
West Notes: Oilers, Wild, Blackhawks
The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the NHL’s more interesting teams to watch over the past decade, finally overcoming years of what could best be described as dysfunctionality to once again become yearly postseason contenders on the backs of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That’s not to say it hasn’t been a rough-and-tumble road for the team since making their first playoff appearance with this core in 2017 – there’s still the sense this core hasn’t lived up to expectations without a Stanley Cup Final appearance to show for their rather electrifying success at times. Today, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal argued that, for whatever reason you choose to believe, the Oilers’ rather stagnant offseason is a sign of better things to come.
It didn’t really matter this summer if the Oilers and general manager Ken Holland wanted to make a big splash – they simply couldn’t make anything work with an airtight salary cap situation and RFAs Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod to re-sign. Staples illustrates this example with past Oilers teams of the 1980s glory days, but championship-caliber teams are rarely built through major free agency additions. Keeping a similar core intact and nurturing it, giving it time to grow while continuing to develop chemistry, has led to positive results in the past.
Despite the mounting pressure to perform in Edmonton, the sky isn’t falling – they’ve lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion in back-to-back seasons and have put up good performances against great teams in both runs, especially during their Battle of Alberta win against the Calgary Flames in 2022. Consistency between the pipes remains an issue, though, perhaps the most impossible problem to solve for any team in the league.
More tidbits to end this Saturday night from around the Western Conference:
- While forward Oskar Sundqvist was visibly elated to return to the St. Louis Blues this offseason in free agency, the club with which he won a Stanley Cup championship in 2019, it wasn’t the only option for his future he had in mind. In an interview with The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford earlier this week, Sundqvist revealed he greatly enjoyed his post-trade deadline stint with the Minnesota Wild, and there was mutual interest in an extension to keep him in the State of Hockey. However, there wasn’t a feasible way to keep him around with a heavy salary cap crunch on Minnesota’s end, thanks to nearly $15MM in dead cap caused by the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts. Sundqvist did end up signing a league-minimum one-way contract with the Blues, however, who were also in a tight financial situation after acquiring center Kevin Hayes at a reduced price from the Philadelphia Flyers. Sundqvist did well in Minnesota, posting seven points in 15 games down the stretch before injuries kept him out of most of their First Round playoff loss against the Dallas Stars.
- The Chicago Blackhawks’ ownership is adding a junior hockey powerhouse to their portfolio in the USHL’s Chicago Steel, according to a report from The Athletic’s Scott Powers. The Steel are arguably the most recognizable franchise in American top-flight junior hockey, capturing the league’s regular-season title four seasons in a row and churning out high-end NHL prospects such as projected 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini and Columbus Blue Jackets star center prospect Adam Fantilli in the process. It’s a major move for the Blackhawks’ parent, the Wirtz Corporation, just days after principal owner and chairman Rocky Wirtz passed away unexpectedly at the age of 70.
List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase
Today, the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase got off to a raucous start. The four-team friendly summer tune-up tournament includes two contingents from the United States (a Blue team and a White team), as well as rosters from Sweden and Finland. All teams are made up of U20 players eligible for the 2024 World Junior Championships set to kick off in December, and the showcase tournament provides a chance for national organizations of three of the best hockey countries in the world to evaluate things like physical readiness and line chemistry that come into play when deciding on final rosters for the real deal in winter.
Unfortunately for the United States, both teams lost their opening games today at home in Plymouth, Michigan, rather decidedly – USA Blue dropped the tournament opener to Sweden by a score of 7-0, while USA White fared much better but still lost to Finland, 4-2.
There are a couple of notable draft-eligible players suiting up at this tournament for the US. Team White boasts presumptive 2024 top-two pick Cole Eiserman among their forward core, while Team Blue has 2025 top prospect James Hagens in the mix at center (he even dressed on their first line today). The Finns also boast a pair of high-level 2024-eligible prospects in defenseman Aron Kiviharju and forward Konsta Helenius.
That being said, the games for this tournament are available to watch for free online, and information on this can be found through USA Hockey’s social media channels. With that in mind, it’s of interest to NHL fans to see which of your team’s prospects is suiting up at this mid-summer exhibition tournament in advance of the biggest few days in junior hockey:
Anaheim Ducks – F Carey Terrance (USA White)
Arizona Coyotes – F Samu Bau (Finland), F Tanner Ludtke (USA White)
Buffalo Sabres – F Anton Wahlberg (Sweden)
Calgary Flames – F Topi Rönni (Finland)
Carolina Hurricanes – F Cruz Lucius (USA Blue), F Felix Unger Sörum (Sweden)
Chicago Blackhawks – F Gavin Hayes (USA Blue), F Oliver Moore (USA Blue), F Frank Nazar (USA White), D Sam Rinzel (USA White)
Columbus Blue Jackets – F Gavin Brindley (USA Blue), F William Whitelaw (USA White)
Detroit Red Wings – D Anton Johansson (Sweden), D Axel Sandin Pellikka (Sweden), G Trey Augustine (USA White)
Florida Panthers – G Tyler Muszelik (USA White)
Los Angeles Kings – D Otto Salin (Finland), G Hampton Slukynsky (USA White)
Minnesota Wild – F Charlie Stramel (USA White)
Montreal Canadiens – D Lane Hutson (USA White), G Jacob Fowler (USA Blue)
Nashville Predators – F Jesse Kiiskinen (Finland), F Felix Nilsson (Sweden), D Kasper Kulonummi (Finland)
New Jersey Devils – F Lenni Hämeenaho (Finland), D Seamus Casey (USA Blue), D Charlie Leddy (USA Blue)
New York Islanders – F Quinn Finley (USA Blue), F Danny Nelson (USA Blue), F Jessi Nurmi (Finland), D Calle Odelius (Sweden), D Zach Schulz (USA White)
New York Rangers – F Gabe Perreault (USA Blue), D Drew Fortescue (USA White)
Ottawa Senators – F Oskar Pettersson (Sweden), G Kevin Reidler (Sweden)
Philadelphia Flyers – F Cutter Gauthier (USA White), F Devin Kaplan (USA White), F Cole Knuble (USA Blue)
Pittsburgh Penguins – D Emil Pieniniemi (Finland)
San Jose Sharks – F Filip Bystedt (Sweden), F Kasper Halttunen (Finland), F Cam Lund (USA Blue), F Quentin Musty (USA Blue), F Will Smith (USA Blue), D Mattias Hävelid (Sweden), D Eric Pohlkamp (USA White)
Seattle Kraken – F Zeb Forsfjäll (Sweden), F Jani Nyman (Finland), G Niklas Kokko (Finland), G Visa Vedenpää (Finland)
St. Louis Blues – F Jimmy Snuggerud (USA White), F Otto Stenberg (Sweden), D Paul Fischer (USA Blue), D Theo Lindstein (Sweden)
Tampa Bay Lightning – F Isaac Howard (USA White)
Vancouver Canucks – D Hunter Brzustewicz (USA Blue), D Jackson Dorrington (USA White), D Elias Pettersson (Sweden)
Vegas Golden Knights – F David Edstrom (Sweden)
Washington Capitals – F Ryan Leonard (USA White), F Alexander Suzdalev (Sweden), D Ryan Chesley (USA White)
Winnipeg Jets – F Rutger McGroarty (USA White), F Fabian Wagner (Sweden), D Garrett Brown (USA Blue), D Elias Salomonsson (Sweden)
The Sharks lead the way with seven representatives at the tournament, led by 2023 fourth-overall pick Will Smith. Only five teams have no affiliated prospects at the showcase – the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Finland Announces Roster For 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
With just two days before the beginning of the tournament and exhibition games already underway, Finland has announced their roster for the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as reported by Elite Prospects’ Lassi Alanen. The yearly summer tournament is the first major event on the calendar for draft-eligible prospects, and this year’s eight-team tourney will showcase some of the best players available in next summer’s 2024 NHL Draft.
Finland is always one of the favorites to make some noise in international events, but as Alanen notes, they’ll be without a few crucial pieces at this year’s event, which significantly handicaps their chances of medalling at the event. Defenseman Aron Kiviharju and center Konsta Helenius are both potential top-ten choices come next June, but they’re currently at another summer event for the higher-level U20 team at the World Junior Summer Showcase. They’ll also be missing 2006-born defenseman Veeti Väisänen, who participated with last year’s Hlinka Gretzky squad but dropped out of this year’s edition at the last minute, per Alanen.
That being said, there are some other names worth watching. Center Julius Miettinen is 2024-eligible and is the only member of Finland’s roster slated to play in North America next season. After the WHL’s Everett Silvertips selected him 30th overall in this year’s CHL Import Draft, he’s slated to head to the Washington-based team after recording 10 goals, 12 assists and 22 points in 38 games with HIFK Helsinki’s U20 squad last season in the U20 SM-sarja. 6-foot-2 forward Emil Hemming of Liiga club TPS is also regarded as a potential first-round talent next summer and currently stands as the country’s fourth-best offering among the 2024 class behind Kiviharju, Helenius, and Väisänen.
With that being said, here’s Finland’s full roster for the tournament, set to run from Monday, July 31, through Saturday, August 5:
G Petteri Rimpinen
G Kim Saarinen
D Onni Amhamdi
D Daniel Nieminen
D Mitja Jokinen
D Bruno Jalasti
D Niilopekka Muhonen
D Eelis Marila
D Atte Vikla
D Arttu Välilä *not NHL draft-eligible until 2025
F Emil Hemming
F Joonas Paqvalin
F Markus Loponen
F Akseli Pulkkanen
F Tuomas Suoniemi
F Julius Miettinen
F Heikki Ruohonen
F Juho Keinänen
F Natan Teshome
F Roope Vesterinen
F Ville Väärälä
F Joona Saarelainen
F Aatu Heinänen
F Lauri Sinivuori
Minor Transactions: 07/29/23
Player moves in the NHL are slowing to a grinding halt, although a few notable free agents remain unsigned. Those talents include the NHL’s all-time ironman, Phil Kessel (link), and top-four defender Matt Dumba (link), whose free agencies we’ve examined in detail.
However, moves are still coming in from the CHL, AHL, and major European leagues, all of which we’re keeping track of on a daily basis as the offseason rolls along. Here’s a list of today’s minor transactions for July 29, 2023:
- The WHL’s Vancouver Giants made a significant add on the back end today, parting with valuable assets to acquire 2024 NHL Draft-eligible defenseman Marek Howell from the Moose Jaw Warriors, according to a team release. In total, the Giants gave up a solid middle-six scorer in forward Ethan Semeniuk, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick. Howell, a shutdown defender, joins the Giants after going to Moose Jaw at 16th overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, and he registered four points in 44 games during his rookie season with the Warriors last year. The Giants have finished below the .500 mark in back-to-back seasons, and they’ll look to Howell to help them get back to relevancy in the WHL’s B.C. Division. He joins a squad likely to be led by Calgary Flames 2023 first-round selection Samuel Honzek, who signed his entry-level deal with the team earlier this week. Semeniuk, who was passed over in the 2023 NHL Draft, could be a nice add for Moose Jaw in this deal – he tied for fifth on the Giants in goals last year with 12 tallies in 64 games.
- Defenseman Anthony Constantini, formerly of the OHL’s Ottawa 67s, has found a home to begin his pro career. After four years in the nation’s capital, Constantini is heading to the lower ranks of the Swedish hockey system to join Tranås AIF of HockeyEttan, Sweden’s third-tier league below the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan. A smooth-skating right-shot defender, Constantini logged top-four minutes for the 67’s last year and finished second among their defensemen in scoring with seven goals, 29 assists and 36 points in 67 games. He’ll try and help Tranås earn a promotion to the Allsvenskan, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2003. Constantini is the twin brother of netminder Marco Constantini, who won the OHL championship with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2021-22 and led the league in multiple stats that season, including GAA, SV%, and shutouts.
- Former Montreal Canadiens prospect Nichlas Torp‘s latest stint in the SHL will be a short one, as he’s dropped back down a level in Swedish hockey by signing a two-year contract with Allsvenskan club Nybro Vikings IF. Selected in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, the 34-year-old never did come over to North America and has spent his entire pro career in Sweden and Germany. He’d spent the last two seasons playing with HV71, with whom he helped gain promotion from the Allsvenskan to the SHL in 2022. A strong, hard-hitting defender, Torp’s effectiveness waned in his play with HV71 last season, signaling that a move to second-tier pro hockey may be more his pace as he enters his mid-30s. Nybro will look to his veteran leadership to help them stay afloat after gaining promotion from the HockeyEttan for the first time since 2009.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Bruins Looking To “Bolster” Center Position
Often, periods of sustained success lead to a quick and rough-and-tumble downfall in today’s NHL. That chain of events appears to be set in motion with the Boston Bruins, who are now facing some significant forward depth issues after a tight salary cap crunch and the retirement of captain Patrice Bergeron earlier this week. With Bergeron and longtime teammate David Krejci not expected to return as their two top pivots down the middle, team president Cam Neely told reporters, including Joe Haggerty, today that the team is doing “whatever we can to bolster that position.”
If Neely isn’t bluffing, expect that to lead to pretty immediate trade speculation regarding the Bruins and some of the top centers potentially available on the trade market. They still have some runway this offseason to make a move before the 2023-24 campaign starts, although a move could always come closer to next year’s trade deadline if the team feels they can be competitive enough to at least stay in the playoff race until that point.
Haggerty mentioned two candidates who, by public consensus, should make the most sense – Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames and Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets. Both have loads of experience shouldering first-line minutes and are pending UFAs next summer, with the status of contract extensions up in the air. If you’re a Bruins fan, don’t hold your breath, though – any trade will be incredibly tough to pull off with limited financial maneuverability and a lack of top-flight assets in the cupboard.
That being said, when a team official says all avenues are being exhausted, it’s fair to speculate about a deal. The Bruins do have a couple of pieces capable of top-six minutes in Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle, but more is needed for a team no longer stacked with depth scoring on the wings and still having playoff aspirations. Lindholm immediately jumps out as a better fit with Boston than Scheifele, if for no other reason than his lower cap hit. Locked in at just $4.85MM next year, a move centered around someone like defenseman Matt Grzelcyk could be palatable for the B’s if Calgary obliges – the Flames may be looking for someone to replace pending UFA defenseman Noah Hanifin if they trade him as well.
Not only that, he’s a much better direct stylistic replacement for Bergeron than Scheifele. No one will come close to Bergeron’s two-way dominance (and calling him dominating may be an understatement), but Lindholm has garnered significant Selke consideration in the past two seasons and has posted better point production than Bergeron in the past few seasons.
Scheifele may have a slightly higher offensive ceiling with a longer history of point-per-game seasons, but he’d be harder to fit in at a $6.125MM cap hit. Boston doesn’t exactly have the assets to spare to convince a team (or third party) to retain salary in a deal. While incredibly skilled, Scheifele also consistently ranks near the bottom of the league in defensive impacts. He’d be a fine stopgap and a significant upgrade on their current options, but if the Bruins have a choice between the two candidates mentioned, Scheifele will likely be their second pick.
Other than those two, the list of centers available on the trade market that would be significant upgrades over their current options is quite slim, at least among pending 2024 UFAs. There’s also another Flame who could be available on the market in Mikael Backlund, but he’s not quite viewed as a bonafide number-one center despite his elite defensive capabilities.