Snapshots: Demko, Islanders, Sabres
The Vancouver Canucks are a big step closer to getting a notable piece back into their lineup. Patrick Johnston of The Province reported Tuesday that injured goalie Thatcher Demko returned to practice for the first time since he was injured making a save against the Florida Panthers on December 1, 2022.
While Demko’s long-term standing in the Canucks organization remains unknown, his return could provide benefits. If Vancouver does opt to keep their once-named “goalie of the future” after a horrid start to 2022-23, a return to the ice makes a return to form a possibility for Demko, which should come with added confidence. Even if a trade is in the cards, a hot streak between now and the deadline for Demko would likely boost his trade value, giving Vancouver more assets to work with as they retool for future seasons. Hopefully, for Demko and the Canucks, he can make his 3-10-2 start to the season a distant memory.
- The New York Islanders have a distinct pattern of trading away first-round picks, and they did so again by dealing their top-12-protected 2023 pick to Vancouver in the Bo Horvat trade. It’s such a distinct pattern that Islanders fans have been wondering if the team can still trade their 2024 first-round pick, despite its potential transfer to the Canucks if New York ends up with a top-12 pick this season. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports clarification from the NHL that says yes, they can. If their 2024 first-round pick is transferred to the Canucks after being traded in a second deal, though, the pick in the second trade would automatically slide to 2025. It’s something other general managers will keep in mind at this deadline if the Islanders deal their 2024 pick in an attempt to load up even more.
- Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams could look to reward his team’s strong performance this season with a trade deadline move, NHL Network’s Steve Konroyd and Mike Johnson said this morning. They called out the Columbus Blue Jackets as a potential trade partner, with names like Boone Jenner and Vladislav Gavrikov available. However, they stopped short of saying any discussions between the two parties actually occurred. With Gavrikov’s asking price rumored to be a first-round pick, however, it may be too early in Buffalo’s ascent to competitiveness for Adams to make such a major splash.
New York Islanders Recall Simon Holmstrom, Samuel Bolduc
02/05/23: The Islanders have brought Holmstrom and Bolduc back to their active roster today, per a team announcement. Raty, of course, is no longer eligible for the Islanders to recall because he was shipped to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the Bo Horvat trade.
Holmstrom played one game during his stint in Bridgeport during the break, registering two shots on goal in a 4-1 loss to the Hershey Bears. Bolduc also registered two shots in that contest, and now both find themselves back up on Long Island.
01/29/23: Expect a lot of teams to send their fringe roster players down to the minors today, with most having wrapped up their schedules before the All-Star break this weekend. The New York Islanders continue that trend, as the team announced Sunday they’ve loaned forwards Aatu Raty, Simon Holmstrom, and defenseman Samuel Bolduc to the Bridgeport Islanders.
The move is especially necessary for Bolduc, who is slated to participate in the AHL All-Star Classic, as Newsday’s Andrew Gross notes. After a rough 2021-22 season, the 2019 second-round pick has rebounded nicely with 26 points in 40 AHL games this year.
Called up last weekend as Noah Dobson went down with a lower-body injury, Bolduc played four consecutive games, his first in the NHL. He didn’t look entirely out of place, recording a +2 rating, four shots on goal, and an average ice time of 14:32 per night. If Dobson is ready to go by the time the break ends, though, expect Bolduc, who is waivers exempt, to stay in the minors.
Holmstrom and Raty, both just 21 and 20, respectively, haven’t produced much in their NHL stints this season, but that’s to be expected given their limited opportunities in the Islanders lineup.
The 20-year-old Raty fell to 52nd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft after once being viewed as a potential first-overall contender. Still, he’s done well in his first professional season in North America. He’s scored twice in 12 appearances with the Isles and has 15 points in 27 games down in Bridgeport.
Holmstrom also made his NHL debut this season, and he’s played 24 games in New York compared to just 15 in Bridgeport. The team’s 2019 first-round pick has three points (two of them goals) in those NHL appearances but has played less than 12 minutes a night in limited offensive roles.
Holmstrom and Raty could be recalled back to New York after the break concludes if injuries to Hudson Fasching, Cal Clutterbuck, and Oliver Wahlstrom persist.
League Notes: 2024 All-Star Game, Senators Sale, Revenue Projections
With the on-ice festivities today in South Florida also came some important NHL business notes, courtesy of commissioner Gary Bettman at his pre-game press conference. As part of his media availability today, Bettman confirmed the rumor that Toronto will play host to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
It’s the first time Toronto has hosted the event since 2000 and the first time a Canadian market has hosted the event in 12 years. Ottawa was the last, hosting the 2012 All-Star Game. It also marks the return to where the All-Star Game began, first as a charity event in 1934 for Toronto forward Ace Bailey after he sustained a career-ending injury, and also where it was officially established in 1947. Whether the NHL will adjust the format or skills events, which have received their fair share of criticism in recent years, is unknown.
- Interest in the purchase of the Ottawa Senators is heating up. Bettman told reporters today that “15 or more” groups have expressed interest in buying the franchise, also reiterating the league’s position against the prospective relocation of the team. Rumors in the past have also connected any potential purchasing party and the involvement of celebrity Ryan Reynolds, who had also expressed interest in purchasing the franchise himself.
- Bettman also told reporters that the league is, “give or take,” approaching $6B in revenue this season. It’s unclear whether or not the figure is an end-of-season projection or how the league currently stands, but either way, it’s an increase from last season’s total revenue of roughly $5.4B. Despite declining viewership numbers in the United States, advertising opportunities for the league and its sponsors have never been more plentiful with the incorporation of ad patches on jerseys and the usage of digitally projected ads on the boards during gameplay.
Washington Capitals Extend Sonny Milano
UPDATE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the contract breakdown is $2.35MM in 2023-24, $1.9MM in 2024-25, and $1.45MM in 2025-26. The low actual salary in the final year of the contract makes it a more appealing sell at the trade deadline or pre-season if Washington opts to move on from Milano at the end of his contract.
The Washington Capitals have extended an offseason acquisition for the second day in a row. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports the team re-signed forward Sonny Milano to a three-year contract extension today, with an average annual value of $1.9MM.
Milano had a long and winding road to joining the Capitals for 2022-23, but it’s a shrewd move for general manager Brian MacLellan that’s paid off so far. The 26-year-old American has been a productive depth piece, scoring eight goals and 22 points in 40 games.
The news comes after Washington signed fellow newcomer Dylan Strome to a five-year, $25MM extension yesterday.
It’s a good bit of financial security for Milano, who cycled through a first-line role with the Anaheim Ducks, a failed professional tryout with the Calgary Flames, and now an almost $6MM commitment from the Capitals in less than a calendar year. He signed a one-year, league-minimum one-way contract with Washington on October 15, 2022, after he was cut from Flames camp and subsequently cleared waivers.
Milano was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Boston Bruins Place Vinni Lettieri On Injured Reserve
The Boston Bruins placed forward Vinni Lettieri on injured reserve Wednesday, per a tweet from CapFriendly.
Lettieri lands on injured reserve just a day after Boston recalled him from the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Originally expected to join the team for their ongoing game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he sustained a lower-body injury in Providence’s last matchup and did not travel with the team, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters yesterday morning.
Boston can activate Lettieri as soon as Wednesday, February 8. With the timing of the All-Star break, the team doesn’t have another game during that timeframe. As Jake DeBrusk is an option to return by the time the Bruins play again on February 11, Boston will likely re-assign Lettieri to Providence when his stint on injured reserve is over.
It’s disappointing for Lettieri, who still stands out as a strong AHL presence. He leads Providence with 37 points in 41 games this season and got his first taste of international experience last year at the World Championships with Team USA.
Mark Stone Undergoes Back Surgery, Out Indefinitely
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone underwent back surgery on Tuesday and is out indefinitely, according to a release from the team. The team expects Stone to make a full recovery.
This is Stone’s second major back injury concern in as many seasons. He was limited to just 37 games last season with back issues, which Stone noted caused severe nerve pain. Stone underwent an offseason back surgery and came back ready to go for the 2022-23 campaign.
The Winnipeg-born winger is in the fourth season of an eight-year, $76MM contract extension he signed with Vegas in March 2019. Considering Stone’s impact on the team and franchise, Vegas’ acquisition price of Oscar Lindberg, Erik Brannstrom, and a 2020 second-round pick to get Stone from the Ottawa Senators seems tame in hindsight.
With just over two months left in the regular season, it’s a fair bet to say Stone won’t play again in the regular season. It opens the possibility for Vegas to place Stone’s $9.5MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve, which would total north of $23MM of cap relief when including the contracts of Shea Weber, Robin Lehner, and Nolan Patrick.
Vegas’ organizational depth is dwindling due to some monster trades in the past few seasons. Does general manager Kelly McCrimmon have something left in the tank to acquire a bona fide top-six piece in Stone’s absence?
With 38 points in 43 games, Stone remains Vegas’ second-leading scorer at the time of writing. His offensive production is hard enough to replace, but the added loss of his leadership creates a gargantuan hole in the Golden Knights lineup.
Since Stone exited the lineup on January 12, the team is just 1-5-2 and averages just two goals per game. They’ve lost their grip on the Pacific Division to the Seattle Kraken and risk falling even further down the standings if their scoring doesn’t heat up. If Vegas can’t manage to string some wins together in the week after the All-Star break, it could add pressure on McCrimmon to make a trade sooner rather than later.
Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Korchinski, Walsh
After a slow start, things haven’t gotten any better for Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi this season. As his ice time continues to dwindle, currently being utilized in a fourth-line role, so does his trade value. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has just 10 points in 49 games this season after a 35-point campaign last year.
With Edmonton expected to go all-in at this year’s trade deadline, Puljujarvi will likely see his Oilers tenure end by March 3 to make room on the roster. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli outlined some potential destinations for the Finnish winger, also reporting that general manager Ken Holland sent a note to all 31 other NHL teams two weeks ago that Puljujarvi was available for trade.
That trade could come sooner rather than later, as the Oilers need to clear salary to activate Kailer Yamamoto from long-term injured reserve. They have at least another few days, as he’s not eligible to return until February 12. Seravalli lists the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning as potential fits for Puljujarvi in a hockey trade but also says to keep the possibility of a pure cap-dump move to a salary cap floor-hugging team in mind.
- In a mailbag piece released Wednesday, Scott Powers of The Athletic noted that 2022 first-round selection Kevin Korchinski could crack the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL lineup out of training camp to start the 2023-24 season. Powers said the Blackhawks organization was impressed with his training camp before this season opened, and that “all signs” point to Korchinski being NHL-ready. Still 18, the left-shot defenseman has 40 points in 30 games with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds this season.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that current United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the current front-runner to replace Donald Fehr as the NHLPA’s Executive Director. Dreger says an NHLPA board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, which could yield a vote on whether to instate Walsh as the league’s top player representative. The former mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, has a strong labor union background and is certainly an interesting selection.
Minor Transactions: 02/01/23
Today is the last day of NHL games before the 2023 All-Star break, signaling an upcoming four-day streak without regular-season action. While roster movement will slow down on the NHL front over this time, there are still a few notable tidbits to keep track of. As always, we’ll report a comprehensive list of today’s pertinent minor hockey transactions right here.
- Just days ahead of the event, four roster spots have been swapped for the AHL’s All-Star Classic in Laval, Québec. Forwards Vinni Lettieri (Boston/Providence), Will Cuylle (NY Rangers/Hartford), Andrew Poturalski (Seattle/Coachella Valley), and defenseman Justin Barron (Montreal/Laval) are all unable to participate because of injuries, or NHL recalls. Defenseman Jack Ahcan (Boston/Providence) and forward Ruslan Iskhakov (NY Islanders/Bridgeport) were named to replace Lettieri and Cuylle, forward Max McCormick (Seattle/Coachella Valley) will replace Poturalski, and forward Alex Belzile (Montreal/Laval) replaces Barron, according to an AHL press release.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Evening Notes: Boeser, IIHF/Russia, NHLPA Leadership
After the Bo Horvat trade yesterday, the floodgates appear to be opening on the trade front. That’s especially true for the Vancouver Canucks, who have some desirable trade assets other than Horvat that could find their way out of town by the trade deadline.
One of those is Brock Boeser, who TSN’s Darren Dreger said today continues to receive interest from around the league. However, he reported that any Boeser trade, and the corresponding interest, hinges on how much salary Vancouver is willing to retain in a potential trade. Boeser is signed to a steep cap hit of $6.65MM for the next three seasons. With so many teams already dipping into LTIR pools to stay cap-compliant, Vancouver is unlikely to find a trade partner willing to take the full brunt of the deal. The 25-year-old has nine goals and 30 points in 41 games this season. That’s a 60-point pace over 82 games.
- TSN’s Chris Johnston also reported on today’s edition of Insider Trading that the IIHF has a council meeting set up for March to discuss the status of Russian and Belarusian players in future international hockey events. Johnston notes that any changes to the current ban on those athletes participating won’t be lifted by the World Championship events in Spring 2023. Still, there could be a change in policy heading into the 2024 calendar of events. The conversation was reignited by the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, they likely would have to compete under a neutral flag.
- As the NHLPA continues its search to name a new executive director, NHL analyst John Shannon today reported the list of players comprising the organization’s search committee. Ian Cole (TBL), Jacob Trouba (NYR), James van Riemsdyk (PHI), Justin Faulk (STL), Kevin Shattenkirk (ANA), Kyle Okposo (BUF), Mattias Ekholm (NSH), Nate Schmidt (WPG), Sam Gagner (WPG), and Zach Hyman (EDM) are the members who will determine the replacement for outgoing director Donald Fehr.
Bo Horvat Reportedly “Open” To Extension With Islanders
The New York Islanders made perhaps the biggest and most confusing splash of trade season yesterday, acquiring star sniper Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks.
Critics of the trade question the Islanders’ gamble on a pending unrestricted free agent, notably with the team out of the playoff picture at the All-Star break. A contract extension between the two parties would ensure that New York’s concessions in the trade weren’t for naught.
The day after the trade, though, Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading that Horvat is “open” to contract extension talks with the Islanders. While not a certainty, it seems like the door is open for a long-term union between the two parties, even if New York can’t claw back into the playoff picture this season.
“[The contract talks] will commence in short order, is what I’m being told,” LeBrun said. He also noted that the Islanders would’ve been on Horvat’s list of teams to speak to had he gone to market on July 1, which is something to keep in mind as talks progress.
Only Oliver Wahlstrom is on the Islanders’ list of notable restricted free agents to lock up next offseason. His value is limited, considering his offensive inconsistency and the likelihood that he’s out of the lineup for the remainder of 2022-23 with an injury. He played just 35 games.
With that being said, the Islanders have slightly north of $16MM in cap space to play with for 2023-24, per CapFriendly. Semyon Varlamov and Scott Mayfield are also pending UFAs whose roles on the roster need to be replaced, but could likely be done for cheaper than their current combined cap hits of $6.45MM.
If the two sides can agree on an extension, the Islanders have the space to give Horvat a deal with a cap hit north of $8MM, the likely benchmark for his caliber of talent. The merits of such a contract, considering his sky-high 21.7 shooting percentage this season signals some regression ahead, can be debated.