Winnipeg Jets Sign Nikita Chibrikov To Entry-Level Contract
The Winnipeg Jets signed forward Nikita Chibrikov to a three-year, entry-level contract Monday, per a team release. Chibrikov’s contract will begin in 2023-24 and carry a cap hit of $925,000. Chibrikov has also signed a professional tryout contract with the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, and he’ll join the team as they continue their play in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Winnipeg drafted Chibrikov, 20, with the 50th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. His development path since hasn’t been smooth, failing to secure extended playing time in any league in Russia. The constant shuttling between levels has stunted Chibrikov’s offensive development, with his point production today not dissimilar to his production during his draft year.
It makes the timing of the signing significant. With Chibrikov now under Winnipeg’s control, he’ll remain in North America next season and see extended time with the Moose, allowing him to play in an organization solely focused on his development.
He played most of this past season with Spartak Moskva in the KHL, recording just two points in 31 games with a very limited role. His game revolves around speed and skill, something he’ll have more opportunity to showcase with more minutes in the AHL.
Chibrikov will be a restricted free agent in 2026.
PHR Playoff Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers
With the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs now underway, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We begin our Second Round coverage with the Atlantic Division matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.
Two teams with very short histories of recent playoff success will face off against each other in the Second Round. What could go wrong?
Both teams overcame adversity to get to this point, although one team’s path is much more impressive than the other. The Florida Panthers are here against all odds, finishing the regular season as the 17th-place team in the league but vanquishing the record-setting Boston Bruins in seven games. It’s the first time in franchise history the Panthers have advanced in the postseason in back-to-back years.
The Maple Leafs, while favored to win their series, exorcised past failures in their own right, advancing in the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades. It’s a massive step toward ending the longest championship drought in the league, one in which they’ll have to vanquish both Florida teams to end.
Regular Season Performance
Toronto: 50-21-11, 111 points, +57 goal differential
Florida: 42-32-8, 92 points, +17 goal differential
Head-To-Head
January 17, 2023: Florida 4, Toronto 5 (OT)
March 23, 2023: Toronto 6, Florida 2
March 29, 2023: Florida 3, Toronto 2 (OT)
April 10, 2023: Toronto 2, Florida 1 (OT)
Toronto takes season series 3-0-1
Team Storylines
It was a tale of two seasons for the Florida Panthers, who went 12-5-2 after the trade deadline to rocket back into playoff position after a disappointing first half to the campaign. Fortunately for them, they were able to keep it rolling in the playoffs, and their early-series dominance and late-series heroics were enough to create one of the largest upsets in NHL history.
It should strike fear into the Toronto Maple Leafs, who deserve full credit for their series win, but were outplayed heavily at times by the Lightning and got some soft goals past a normally stout Andrei Vasilevskiy. One main reason for optimism for Leafs fans, however, is their play against Florida down the stretch. Three of their four season matchups game within the last few weeks of the campaign, with Florida scratching and clawing for playoff positioning. Toronto came out victorious in two of the three games, dropping the other in overtime.
Toronto was able to get to the slot with ease in their 6-2 win, forcing nine high-danger chances against Sergei Bobrovsky. Their more balanced attack, with the inclusion of Ryan O’Reilly to the third line, will be key in getting through a Florida defense that lacks depth behind Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad.
Goaltending may as well be a toss-up in this series. With Bobrovsky reclaiming the starter’s net in Florida, he and Ilya Samsonov have had very similar postseasons. Both have let in shaky goals at times but have turned it on in clutch moments, stealing their team’s games despite mediocre save percentages.
Defensively, Toronto will need to change their game plan when hemmed in their own zone. A common criticism against Toronto in the first round was their passiveness, allowing the Lightning to cycle freely in the zone and activate their defensemen at the points. With Montour’s current offensive dominance for Florida, he’ll be an unleashed weapon in this series if the Leafs aren’t more aggressive in covering the points. There’s also the matter of Matthew Tkachuk to stop, who’s taken Florida on his back this season.
The same goes for Florida, who have to contend with a red-hot Morgan Rielly for Toronto. The Maple Leafs were much more confident moving the puck in their series-clinching Game 6 win, largely in part due to swapping in Timothy Liljegren in the lineup for Justin Holl. That change is expected to stick for Game 1.
Prediction
Both teams won their series in similar ways: clutch saves and mastering a “bend but don’t break” mentality. With the monkey off the Maple Leafs’ backs, however, the advantage goes to the team with better depth at every position.
Toronto’s ability to roll three lines and advance the puck out of the zone with a more confident defense, as well as a dialed-in Ilya Samsonov, should keep the upstart Panthers at bay and guide the Maple Leafs to the conference finals for the first time since 2002.
Prediction: Maple Leafs win in six games.
Joel Eriksson Ek Underwent Surgery, Will Be Ready For Camp
Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek played just one shift in his team’s first-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, sidelined by a lower-body injury sustained during the tail end of the regular season. Speaking during the team’s season-ending media availability today, Eriksson Ek told reporters, including The Athletic’s Joe Smith, that he sustained a broken fibula that “didn’t hold up” during his attempted return in Game 3.
The Wild center had surgery to repair the break and plans to be ready for training camp next season.
Eriksson Ek, the team’s strongest all-around center, was a critical absence in the Wild lineup as they failed to get much offense generated against the Dallas Stars. He notched a career-high 38 assists and 61 points in 2022-23.
Perennially in the Selke conversation, Eriksson Ek’s presence down the middle is a must-have for Minnesota to continue success with a cap-strapped roster next season. The Wild are expecting a breakout campaign from young Marco Rossi next year but need the leadership of Eriksson Ek to maintain playoff positioning.
Eriksson Ek joins pending restricted free agent Mason Shaw as Wild centers sidelined with long-term injuries over the offseason.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Maxim Groshev
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward prospect Maxim Groshev to a three-year entry-level contract, his agent Dan Milstein announced on Twitter Monday. Tampa Bay selected Groshev in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft with the 85th overall pick. Financial details of the contract have not been reported.
Groshev, 21, has bounced different levels of Russian league play since Tampa drafted him, logging time in the pro (KHL), minor pro (VHL), and junior (MHL) ranks since his draft year. Before Russia was barred from international competition, Groshev represented Russia once at the U18 World Juniors at twice at the U20 tournament, collecting two silver medals.
2022-23 saw Groshev gain his most extensive experience yet in Russia’s top league, scoring six points in 34 games with SKA St. Petersburg. He earned a top-six role in the Russian minors, scoring 18 points in 22 games with the VHL’s SKA-Neva St. Petersburg.
Groshev will likely report to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch next year to take the next steps in his development. While he remains a strong skater with good size and boasts a middle-six ceiling in the NHL, he needs time in the minors to adjust to the Lightning organization and nail down the fundamentals of his game.
Latest On Ottawa Senators Sale
As the process of selling the Ottawa Senators nears completion, an unexpected name has reportedly entered the heated bidding war for the team. Ian Mendes of The Athletic reported Monday morning that iconic artist Snoop Dogg has aligned with a Los Angeles-based bid to purchase the team, competing with another celebrity-backed bid with Ryan Reynolds.
The process of selling the Senators franchise began after longtime owner Eugene Melnyk passed away in March of last year. Reynolds has been connected to the team’s sale all throughout the process, but Snoop Dogg’s name is a late and unexpected addition to ownership rumors.
Joining a group led by American entrepreneur Neko Sparks, Mendes reports Snoop’s potential involvement with the team focuses on “using his celebrity power and status to amplify and grow the Ottawa Senators brand,” potentially drawing multiple other celebrities into the fray. Mendes also reports the 51-year-old is “intrigued by the possibility of growing and marketing hockey to families from diverse backgrounds in the Ottawa area — and beyond — who haven’t necessarily been targeted by the sport in the past.”
It would certainly be a new and unique look for NHL ownership, one that some would argue is desperately needed. Mendes said that the group led by Sparks isn’t intimidated by rumors of a potential sale price of $1 billion and could become a serious player in sale negotiations.
Also of note to Senators fans, Mendes reports that longtime NHL Swedish defenseman Mattias Norström is consulting with the Sparks group on the transaction, paving the way for former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson to take a significant role in the team’s hockey operations department.
Calgary Flames Fire Darryl Sutter
As reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Calgary Flames are expected to fire head coach Darryl Sutter. Sutter was set to enter a two-year extension with the team on July 1. The team made the news official later Monday morning.
Calgary will owe Sutter the $4MM per season committed on his extension, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic confirms.
While the news comes with some surprise after the team retained Sutter while parting ways with general manager Brad Treliving weeks ago, it’s not entirely unexpected based on Calgary’s incredibly disappointing season. After making multiple high-octane changes during the offseason, the Flames were expected to compete for the Pacific Division title entering 2022-23. Instead, burnout struck the team, which missed the playoffs for the third time in six seasons.
Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation president and CEO John Bean gave the following statement on Sutter’s dismissal:
On behalf of ownership and all Calgary Flames fans, we want to thank Darryl for his cumulative years of service to the Calgary Flames and to the community at large.
The news concludes Sutter’s second tenure as head coach of the Flames. After serving behind the bench for three seasons between 2002 and 2006, the Flames brought Sutter back into the fold during the 2020-21 season. In total, he ends his Flames career as head coach with 404 games, a 210-136-15-43 record, and a Western Conference championship in 2004.
Sutter’s reputation for strong defensive teams came through strong in 2021-22, with Calgary enjoying their best regular-season record behind their Stanley Cup-winning 1988-89 campaign. Finishing first in the Pacific Division with 111 points, Calgary’s strong play dried up in the Second Round, losing to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
That same mentality didn’t carry over to a 2022-23 team with significant offensive turnover, and prized acquisitions Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri struggled heavily to fit into Calgary’s system. With the team committed to both players for many years to come, interim general manager Don Maloney decided a new direction behind the bench was necessary for future success.
Whoever Calgary’s next head coach may be, they’ll inherit a team that still has the key components necessary to compete in the Western Conference. With a system more suited to the capabilities of Huberdeau and Kadri, as well as more opportunities for younger players such as Dillon Dubé, Jakob Pelletier, and Adam Ruzicka, the Flames aren’t in a position where they need to tear down and start over.
Toronto Maple Leafs Loan Erik Källgren To AHL
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a roster move ahead of their second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers, as they have loaned goaltender Erik Källgren to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. The move comes as the Maple Leafs are nearing full health among their goaltending depth for what seems like the first time in months.
Källgren was the emergency backup on Toronto’s roster behind Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll during the team’s first-round win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s played 24 games with the Leafs over the past two seasons, recording a .892 save percentage and an 11-6-5 record, but has now been surpassed by the younger Woll in the hierarchy of Toronto goalies.
The loaning of Källgren to the Marlies is likely a sign that two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray is healthy enough to return to game action. Murray hasn’t played since April 2, sustaining a concussion in a game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Even if Murray is ready to return to play, it’s unlikely he’ll see any game action, and it’s unclear whether he’d even dress as the backup. Woll has had an impressive season at both the NHL and minor-league levels and played strong hockey down the stretch.
Källgren now returns to aid the Marlies in their playoff run, currently tied 1-1 with the Utica Comets in a best-of-five semifinal series. He posted a 10-9-2 record and a .883 save percentage in 24 games with the Marlies this season.
New Jersey Devils Assign Topias Vilén To AHL
The New Jersey Devils made an exciting announcement regarding one of their defensive prospects today. The team has reassigned 2021 fifth-round draft pick Topias Vilén to the AHL’s Utica Comets, per the team’s affiliate.
Vilén, a 20-year-old defender from Finland, just finished his season in the Finnish Liiga with Pelicans. Vilén played a vital role in a lengthy playoff run, logging top-four minutes as his team lost in the league final.
Considered a promising two-way defenseman with strong skating ability and excellent hockey IQ, Vilén took a step forward offensively in his third full season playing with Pelicans. His 17 points in 41 games were second among the team’s defenders, and he added on four goals and five assists in 18 postseason games. He also earned a spot on Finland’s roster at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship, part of an impressive developmental season for the late-round pick.
Vilén signed his entry-level contract with the Devils last offseason, spending the year back in his home country on loan from the NHL club. Due to his age, Vilén burned the first year of his contract and has two years remaining before becoming a restricted free agent.
Expect Vilén to spend next season on North American ice, acclimating to the Devils organization and playing a role with the Comets. An NHL recall likely isn’t in the cards for another season or two, but Vilén is still well above the trajectory of an average fifth-round selection.
Ryan Lomberg Out Week-To-Week
After a miracle win in overtime last night, the Florida Panthers have been hit with some unfortunate news ahead of their Second Round playoff matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to David Dwork of Local 10 Miami, forward Ryan Lomberg is labeled as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Head coach Paul Maurice disclosed to reporters Monday that Lomberg was injured in Game 1 against the Boston Bruins and tried to play through it. Today’s news means Lomberg will likely miss significant time after also missing Games 5, 6, and 7 against the Boston Bruins, a blow for a Florida team looking to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1996.
Lomberg had a solid season in a depth role for the Panthers this season, playing in all 82 games and registering 12 goals, a career-high, and eight assists. Best known for his physicality and energy on the ice, Lomberg was certainly visible in the first half of the Boston series and his ability to stir the pot will be missed.
33-year-old Zac Dalpe has largely replaced Lomberg in Florida’s bottom six, recording his first Stanley Cup Playoffs goal in the process at a pivotal moment in Game 6 against Boston. Rough-and-tumble winger Givani Smith also remains on Florida’s active roster and could be an option.
Injury Notes: Manson, McCann, Černák
The Colorado Avalanche will be without defenseman Josh Manson tonight in a must-win Game 6 against the Seattle Kraken, head coach Jared Bednar told reporters. Manson played just 8:27 in Wednesday’s Game 5 before exiting with an undisclosed injury.
Manson is no stranger to injury troubles. Multiple absences during the regular season kept his games played total under 30 for the second time in three years. While he was an effective piece during last year’s Stanley Cup run for Colorado after a deadline day trade from the Anaheim Ducks, significant injury troubles in the first season of a four-year deal don’t bode well for either party down the road.
Luckily for Colorado, Manson’s lineup spot will be filled by Cale Makar, who’s returning from a one-game suspension for a hit on Kraken forward Jared McCann in Game 4. The Avs are hoping for a big performance from the superstar defenseman tonight to keep their season alive.
More injury notes as the first round of the playoffs reach its elimination stage:
- Staying in the Avalanche/Kraken series, McCann did not join Seattle for practice this morning, per head coach Dave Hakstol, suggesting the 40-goal scorer will miss his second straight game. It means undrafted rookie Tye Kartye will likely remain in McCann’s spot for Game 6 after scoring his first NHL goal in his first NHL game in Game 5. McCann had just one assist in four playoff games prior to exiting the series.
- As the Tampa Bay Lightning attempt to climb out of a 3-1 hole and force a Game 7, they’ll still be without shutdown defenseman Erik Černák. Černák hasn’t played since leaving Game 1 due to a hit to the head from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting, and head coach Jon Cooper confirmed today he won’t play in tomorrow’s Game 6. Tampa Bay has allowed over four goals a game in Černák’s absence, including blown leads in both Games 3 and 4.