Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Pierre-Cedric Labrie
6:00 PM: PuckPedia reports that Labrie’s AAV will be $770,800 and that the deal contains $500K in games played bonuses. That oddly-specific cap number will be for LTIR optimization purposes while the presence of the performance bonuses will stay in Tampa Bay’s pool when Labrie is inevitably sent to the minors. That will give them some extra flexibility when calling up players on entry-level deals with performance bonuses during the season.
12:50 PM: No, it’s not 2013. The Tampa Bay Lightning are bringing back veteran forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie on a one-year, two-way contract, according to a team release. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
Labrie last played in the NHL in the 2013-14 season, a 13-game stint with the Lightning. Undrafted, the 35-year-old forward has five points in 46 career NHL games, all of which came in a Lightning uniform between 2011 and 2014.
A power forward, Labrie stands at an imposing 6′ 3″ and 227 pounds. He split the 2021-22 season on an AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack and Syracuse Crunch, the latter of which is the AHL compatriot of the Lightning. Labrie tallied six goals, 10 assists, 16 points, and 54 penalty minutes in 56 games after spending the previous two campaigns with Eisbären Berlin in the DEL.
Labrie’s last NHL contract was in 2017-18, signed with the Nashville Predators. He spent the entirety of the season in the AHL and was dealt in a minor-league swap to the Arizona Coyotes in February 2018.
It would be rather shocking to see Labrie get NHL ice this season, but with the organization’s depth continually stripped away as a result of salary cap casualties, it’s not impossible. More than likely, though, he’ll be tasked again with playing a supporting AHL role to the next generation of Lightning players.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Zach Aston-Reese
The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced the signing of forward Zach Aston-Reese to a one-year contract. The Athletic’s James Mirtle adds that the deal is worth $840,630 exactly. Aston-Reese had been in camp with Toronto on a PTO, but after a strong preseason effort, the defensive-minded winger has not only earned himself a contract, but a one-way deal that is $90K above the league minimum. The signing was first reported by the Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Brining in the experienced Aston-Reese on a PTO earlier this summer seemed like a no-brainer for Toronto, who is up against the cap ceiling and searching for talented, veteran depth to round out their roster. With the signing, Toronto is just over $2.98MM above the salary cap ceiling, but are expected to add defenseman Carl Dahlstrom to season-opening LTIR, and have already placed forwards Kyle Clifford, Adam Gaudette and Wayne Simmonds as well as defenseman Victor Mete on waivers earlier today. While the signing only adds to their complex salary cap situation, the organization has made a habit under Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas of utilizing every last dollar to maximize their roster.
For Aston-Reese, the deal represents good value considering what his offseason looked like. The career-Pittsburgh Penguin was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks last March in the Rickard Rakell trade, but was allowed to walk as a UFA at the conclusion of last season. Many had forecasted Aston-Reese for a guaranteed NHL contract, presumably coming on day one of free agency. Instead, nearly two months had gone by without the winger generating much interested, at least that was known. Toronto, who was known to be looking for affordable, gritty two-way depth in the wake of Jason Spezza‘s departure, seemed like a perfect match, and the club invited him to camp on a PTO in early September.
Clearly, Aston-Reese’s experience and training camp performance impressed Toronto, who rewarded him with a one-way contract. Having only been signed to a PTO until now, Aston-Reese had been free to sign with any team, not just Toronto. But, the chance to join an exciting Maple Leafs roster and use his talent and playoff experience as the organization looks to take the next step should be an exciting opportunity beyond what the contract says.
Arizona Coyotes Claim Juuso Valimaki
According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Arizona Coyotes have claimed defenseman Juuso Valimaki off waivers from the Calgary Flames. He is the only player from yesterday’s waivers complement that failed to clear.
Valimaki is the second player from the 2017 NHL Draft’s first round to get moved today after the St. Louis Blues dealt Klim Kostin to the Edmonton Oilers. Valimaki was the 16th overall selection.
It’s hard to classify Valimaki’s career at this point. If you’d consider him a bust, it’s certainly not his fault – he’s missed considerable time to injuries over the course of his development, including the entire 2019-20 season. Valimaki played in just nine NHL games with the Flames in 2021-22 after being a full-time player in 2020-21, though, and he had 18 points in 35 games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. His role within the organization was slipping under the new Darryl Sutter regime.
Now, he gets his second shot at a regular lineup spot, this time with the Coyotes. With Jakob Chychrun injured to start the season, Valimaki could conceivably even earn a top-four spot, slotting in on the second pairing behind Shayne Gostisbehere at left defense. He was passable as a full-time player in that 2020-21 season, notching 11 points in 46 games and holding his own during what was a tough season for the Flames overall.
Edmonton Oilers Acquire Klim Kostin
The Edmonton Oilers have acquired forward Klim Kostin from the St. Louis Blues in a one-for-one swap for defenseman Dmitri Samorukov, according to a team tweet. Both Kostin and Samorukov cleared waivers earlier this week.
Kostin, 23, has played just 46 NHL games since the Blues selected him with the final pick of the first round in 2017. 40 of those 46 games in 2021-22, where Kostin had four goals and five assists for nine points playing on a semi-full-time basis for the first time. Kostin also had just six points in 17 AHL games with the Springfield Thunderbirds last season. He’s never had much sustained offensive success, even in the AHL, and five years after being drafted, an NHL future for Kostin is fading quickly.
It’s the opposite for Samorukov, however, who now may get an NHL opportunity right out of the gate with the Blues. With injuries to Marco Scandella and Scott Perunovich dismantling the team’s left-shot defense depth, Samorukov comes in as a young player who can battle to capture a bottom-pairing role. It was rather surprising when Samorukov cleared waivers yesterday, considering how close he is to being NHL-ready. Selected 84th overall in the same 2017 draft, Samorukov made his NHL debut last season and emerged as a strong top-four defender with AHL Bakersfield.
Samorukov should immediately enter a battle with Niko Mikkola for NHL minutes right out of the gate. Given the team’s thin depth, it seems unlikely they’d opt to send Samorukov to Springfield for added conditioning. Add in the consideration that Samorukov wasn’t able to participate in training camp with the Blues and become adjusted to the team’s staff, and it makes sense that they would keep him around on the NHL roster for the time being.
For Kostin, the AHL does seem like the most likely option given the emergence of Dylan Holloway and Edmonton’s tight salary cap situation.
Injury Notes: Couturier, Oshie/Orlov, Blueger
Good news for Philadelphia Flyers fans will be shining beacons of bright light this season, given the team’s expected poor performance on the ice. Good news is exactly what they got today, though, at least on the health front. Sean Couturier, when it was originally speculated he could miss the entire season with a back injury, returned to the ice today, albeit skating on his own.
Couturier’s status remains week-to-week. However, he said today that he’s “feeling a lot better,” and he could be on track for the six-to-eight-week timeline Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported last month when the news broke. If that’s the case, Couturier could make his season debut sometime in November and hopefully stay healthy for the rest of the year. Nothing is confirmed, though, especially with an injury of a delicate nature such as a back ailment. Goaltender Felix Sandstrom, who is projected to serve as Carter Hart‘s backup this season, also skated today after a week-long absence due to injury.
- Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie is feeling “ready to go” after suffering an upper-body injury during the preseason, but he’s yet to be cleared by the team’s medical staff to return to play. His status for the team’s season opener on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is in a similar situation with a lower-body injury, meaning Washington could be without a top-nine forward and top-four defenseman, at least for opening night. Those injuries are in addition to the absences of Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, who the team confirmed are headed for long-term injured reserve this morning.
- According to Pittsburgh Penguins beat reporter Shelly Anderson, forward Teddy Blueger stayed in a no-contact jersey in today’s practice, lowering the likelihood of his availability for the team’s first game on Thursday. Blueger has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury since September 28. The capable Latvian bottom-six center had 28 points in 65 games last year.
Toronto Maple Leafs Shopping Wayne Simmonds
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Toronto Maple Leafs sent a league-wide email informing teams that veteran forward Wayne Simmonds is available for trade ahead of tomorrow’s opening-day roster deadline.
Per the aforementioned email, the Maple Leafs and general manager Kyle Dubas are less concerned with the return rather than “doing right by the player,” a theme the organization has committed to multiple times in recent years. While it usually has to do with giving European import players a chance for more minutes elsewhere, whether it be Mikko Lehtonen‘s trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020-21 or Kirill Semyonov‘s contract termination last year, it’s become a philosophy that helps them attract free agent talent.
The 34-year-old Simmonds is a veteran of 1,019 NHL games, which on its own makes him a valuable asset to teams around the league. Simmonds had five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 72 games last year, while his ice time was limited to a minuscule 9:20 per game. With players like Nicholas Robertson, Denis Malgin, and Zach Aston-Reese standing out in Leafs training camp, Simmonds no longer fits into the picture as one of the team’s 12 best forwards. Considering Toronto needs to clear salary and roster space fast, it was a foregone conclusion that they’d need to move someone out to make room.
Simmonds is still looking for his first Stanley Cup, surely a driving factor in his desire to keep playing. He has one season remaining on a two-year contract with a $900,000 cap hit, and he currently carries a 10-team no-trade list.
Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, Carl Hagelin To Start Season On LTIR
According to NHL.com regional writer Tom Gulitti, Washington Capitals regular forwards Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, and Carl Hagelin, alongside defenseman Alexander Alexeyev, will start the season on either long-term injured reserve or the injured non-roster list.
The news comes as little surprise for all four of the players. Most notably, Backstrom, who remains one of the most successful and important players in franchise history, had hip resurfacing surgery in June that could very well cost him the entire season. Importantly, though, reporting since the surgery indicates that Backstrom is pain-free for the first time in a long time and is recovering well from the procedure, which has significantly improved his quality of life. Backstrom still has an unclear timeline and has yet to resume skating, but he feels optimistic and the slim possibility remains that Backstrom suits up in 2022-23, whether it be for the end of the regular season or just the playoffs.
Alexeyev is recovering from a shoulder procedure that was announced at the same time as Backstrom’s surgery. The expected recovery time was four to five months, putting him on track to return sometime around November 1. Placement on either LTIR or injured non-roster suggests he may be a bit behind schedule in his recovery, but there doesn’t appear to have been a significant setback. Alexeyev could very well find a way to stay on the NHL roster once healthy if Matt Irwin struggles in his depth/seventh defenseman role.
Wilson underwent a procedure to repair a torn ACL in late May, carrying a six-to-eight-month recovery time that would have seen him return to the lineup in late November at the earliest. Over the offseason, however, reports have indicated that Wilson is ahead of schedule in his recovery, meaning it could just be roughly the first month of the season he misses. After scoring a career-high 24 goals and 52 points last year, he’s expected to slot back into the top-line right-wing spot once healthy.
Hagelin’s career-threatening eye injury last season appears to not be as bad as originally feared, as he skated with a non-contact designation prior to camp. Yet Hagelin’s bad injury luck hasn’t subsided, and he’s been dealing with unrelated issues that have kept him out of participating in much of camp. There’s no timeline for his return.
John Tavares “Not Ruled Out” For Season Opener
Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares isn’t ruled out of next Wednesday’s season opener, said head coach Sheldon Keefe today, but as NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger notes, the chances of him playing are waning.
Tavares suffered an oblique injury in his preseason debut on September 24. At the time, Tavares was slated to miss three weeks – likely missing the team’s first three games and returning on October 17 against the Arizona Coyotes.
But Tavares began skating again two days ago on Monday, a welcome sign for the team and its fans. Today, Keefe commented on his status:
It’s all going to be (based) on his recovery. I think it was a really positive day for him today, but the way that it would track out in terms of the plan that was set was that he wouldn’t be available. What his body is telling him is going to dictate that.
In the meantime, the Maple Leafs could make some interesting decisions. William Nylander took line rushes at center today during practice, centering a prospective second line between preseason stars Nicholas Robertson and Denis Malgin. It would be the first time Nylander had meaningfully played center at any point since the 2019-20 season.
Regardless, the Leafs are hoping their team’s leader can get back in the room and on the ice in game action as soon as it’s feasible.
Preseason Notes: Carcone, Oilers Injuries, Canadiens Injuries
The NHL Department of Player Safety is getting their preseason’s worth of action in, too. They announced today that Arizona Coyotes forward Michael Carcone was fined the maximum allowable under the CBA ($2,027.03) for roughing Vegas Golden Knights forward Gage Quinney during last night’s game.
Quinney did not return to last night’s game after taking a high hit from Carcone. He immediately left the ice after the hit and went to the team’s dressing room near the end of the second period. Carcone received a penalty on the play. A 26-year-old minor-league veteran, Carcone played his first 21 NHL games last year with the Coyotes, registering six points.
- There’s some good news and bad news on the injury front for the Edmonton Oilers. TSN’s Jason Gregor reports that winger Kailer Yamamoto is banged up, but that his injury is nothing serious and he could be ready for the team’s final preseason game on Friday. However, winger Tyler Benson isn’t so lucky, as Gregor reports he’ll be out “longer” and the team will know more in the coming days. Benson was a candidate to find a spot in the team’s bottom-six out of camp.
- The Montreal Canadiens provided a medical update today, saying captain Nick Suzuki is remaining in Montreal for treatment along with forwards Joel Armia and Emil Heineman. All three have upper-body injuries and, Suzuki is listed as day-to-day. The Canadiens say the trio will be reevaluated on Monday, two days ahead of the season opener.
Carolina Hurricanes Part Ways With Grigori Dronov
October 5: The rollercoaster summer for Dronov continues, as this time the Hurricanes have announced the young defenseman will not be joining the organization after all. Both sides have “agreed to mutually part ways,” suggesting his contract was not (and will not be) filed.
October 3: Another player has converted his PTO into an NHL contract today. The Carolina Hurricanes announced via a team release that the team has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way deal with defenseman Grigori Dronov. He has subsequently been assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
According to the team, Dronov’s two-way deal carries a $770,000 cap hit and pays him $70,000 at the AHL level.
Team president and general manager Don Waddell spoke on the deal:
Grigori possesses a nice blend of skill and physicality, which stood out to us in camp. He is a young but experienced player coming off an impressive postseason in the KHL, and we’re excited to see how he performs in North America.
That impressive postseason is what earned Dronov a professional tryout in the first place, as injuries limited him to just one assist in six KHL games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk last season. He did come alive in the postseason, though, scoring five goals, nine assists, and 14 points in 24 games for Magnitogorsk.
Dronov, 24, was never drafted. He originally came to North America this offseason on a PTO with the Arizona Coyotes, which ended even prior to rookie camp. There, he joined the Hurricanes and had an impressive performance.
Dronov is expected to report to Chicago and serve a top-four role there to begin the season.