Brandon Davidson Signs In KHL
After seven NHL seasons and 180 games played, defenseman Brandon Davidson has signed a two-year contract with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL, per the league.
The writing was on the wall for Davidson who, at age 31, spent the entirety of the 2021-22 season in the AHL for the first time since 2013-14. A member of the Buffalo Sabres organization for the past two seasons, Davidson was an alternate captain for the AHL’s Rochester Americans last year and had six points in 23 games. Davidson last played in the NHL on March 16, 2021, in a game against the New Jersey Devils.
A 2010 sixth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Davidson had made a home for himself in the mid-2010s as a stable seventh defenseman for the Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Islanders. He remained entirely in the NHL from 2015-16 until the 2018-19 season, where he was sent to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs for a brief stint as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He’s yet to play a full NHL season since.
Davidson is still decent minor-league depth and could very well get two-way offers or AHL deals when his KHL contract expires in 2024.
Minnesota Wild Sign Sam Steel
The Minnesota Wild have signed center Sam Steel to a one-year, $825,000 contract, according to a team release. Steel became an unrestricted free agent after the Anaheim Ducks chose not to issue him a qualifying offer earlier this summer.
The 2021-22 campaign wasn’t too kind to Steel. He did finish with a respectable six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 68 games, but he’s yet to develop into anything more than a run-of-the-mill bottom-six forward. With his ice time taking a hit, too, dropping to 12:19 per game in 2021-22 from 14:32 per game in 2020-21, Steel’s clout within the Ducks organization was dropping fast.
Steel’s game has been serviceable defensively throughout his four-season NHL career, but he’s yet to make the impact offensively he was expected to after going 30th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. He’s scored exactly six goals in every NHL campaign and has never eclipsed more than 22 points in a season.
He’ll be 25 by the time next season ends, and the clock on his development is beginning to run out, but that doesn’t absolve him of being valuable to the Wild organization. The team needed another NHL forward in the lineup, plain and simple. While he may not have a breakout year in Minnesota, he’s still a very good insurance option to let players like Connor Dewar and Brandon Duhaime play more limited roles suited to their skill set. Steel could easily fit in on the team’s secondary scoring line alongside Frederick Gaudreau and Matthew Boldy, too, which could help spur some increased offense for him.
Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Mike Sullivan
Mike Sullivan is locked in long-term as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Today, the team announced a three-year extension for the esteemed coach, beginning after the 2023-24 season and lasting through 2026-27.
Sullivan gave a statement today on his extension:
My family and I are excited to continue the journey in Pittsburgh. Words can’t express the respect and gratitude I have for what we have accomplished during my tenure with the Penguins. It is a testament to the character of the people and players in this organization, and the standard of excellence that we have established collectively. I’m grateful to Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins management group for their trust and confidence in me.
Sullivan is quickly transforming into one of the most important figures in Penguins’ history. His tenure as head coach has been nothing short of elite from a management perspective, guiding the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017 while also consistently keeping a standard of excellence throughout regular season play. The significance and amount of injuries that the Penguins have faced, especially in recent years, have been overcome largely in part due to Sullivan’s coaching.
In 507 games behind the Penguins bench, Sullivan has a record of 297-156-54 or a points percentage of .639%. He has a playoff record of 44-38.
If he remains Pittsburgh’s coach for the duration of his new extension, it’ll be at least a 12-year tenure for Sullivan as the team’s head coach. With seven seasons under his belt already, he’s been the longest continuously-serving coach in Penguins history, and he’s tied with Eddie Johnston for total seasons served behind the bench as head coach for the organization.
In the coming years, Sullivan could be given the tall task of leading the Penguins out of the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era. Both of their contracts expire prior to 2027, and while they surely may re-sign, it’s unlikely that they’ll be at the same dominant level of play. Without a slam-dunk prospect in the system to solidify the future, the team will rely heavily on Sullivan’s coaching performance to keep them competitive.
But that’s all Sullivan’s done so far in Pittsburgh — keeping them competitive. The team has the longest active playoff streak in the NHL, dating back to 2007, and it was one he singlehandedly saved in 2016 after taking over for Mike Johnston midseason after just a 15-10-3 start. Going 33-16-5 the rest of the way, Sullivan and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in the first two seasons he served behind the bench, and while their playoff success has been limited since that point, Sullivan’s managed to keep the ship turned in the right direction.
Keltie Jeri-Leon Signs PTO With Boston Bruins
Per CapFriendly, forward Keltie Jeri-Leon has signed a professional tryout contract with the Boston Bruins.
In 2021-22, the 22-year-old forward played his first professional season, notching 19 goals and 35 points in 57 games with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, Boston’s ECHL affiliate. He also appeared in two games on loan to AHL Providence, scoring his first AHL goal in the process.
The undrafted forward has little to no NHL upside, but a strong rookie ECHL season could parlay into a more significant AHL role next year. Unsigned for 2022-23, Jeri-Leon has an opportunity to receive an AHL contract from Providence and continue his development within the Bruins organization.
The product of Kelowna, BC spent five seasons in the WHL with four different teams before turning pro, last serving as an alternate captain for the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2020-21.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Liam Hawel To PTO
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Liam Hawel to a professional tryout contract, per CapFriendly.
23 years old now, Hawel was originally a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2017. After not receiving an entry-level deal from Dallas, Hawel signed an AHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens for 2020-21 after wrapping up his junior career with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
The COVID-related chaos of the 2020-21 campaign limited Hawel to just seven games in AHL Laval, though, where he tallied just two assists in seven games. Hawel then took the extremely rare step of going to university after starting his professional career, tallying 37 points in 24 games last season for St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
Not signed to any sort of contract for 2022-23, Hawel needs a strong training camp performance just to earn an AHL contract in Cleveland. He could earn an NHL contract too if he really impresses, especially given the organization’s weak minor-league depth at forward, at least in terms of those signed to NHL deals.
Minor Transactions: 08/28/22
While the IIHF Women’s World Championship continues in Denmark, with Team Canada again dominating the pack, things on this side of the Atlantic Ocean are much slower this weekend. Despite multiple NHL-quality free agents remaining on the market, movement has stalled in recent days. But the season is starting much sooner for European and junior leagues than it does for the NHL and AHL, so those teams continue to make transactions to get ready for opening night. We’ll keep a list of those right here.
- Amidst many QMJHL trades today, Carolina Hurricanes prospect Robert Orr was dealt from the Halifax Mooseheads to the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a second-round and fifth-round draft pick. Taken 136th overall in 2021 after the familiarly named forward notched 32 points in 41 games, his production stalled this year with 44 points in 63 games. Hopefully, a move to Gatineau helps get the still-18-year-old’s development back on track.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Poll: Who Will Win The Pacific Division?
Last season, there was a significant disparity in the quality of teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences, especially among playoff teams. But there was an even more exaggerated difference between the Pacific Division and the rest of the league, with three Pacific teams (Anaheim, San Jose, Seattle) finishing under the 80-point mark.
However, nearly every Pacific Division team made significant roster changes this offseason, leading to what will likely be a shuffling of the deck in the Pacific’s hierarchy and overall strength.
With any major moves among Pacific teams likely settled at this stage, it’s now a safe exercise to cautiously issue some predictions about how the division will evolve in 2022-23. How will the Calgary Flames fare after their Jonathan Huberdeau/Matthew Tkachuk swap and adding Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar? Do the Vegas Golden Knights rebound from horrific injury luck last season that isn’t showing signs of stopping? Is Jack Campbell the goalie solution the Edmonton Oilers have been looking for?
Those aren’t the only major storylines, although they are arguably the top three teams in the division based on past years.
The Los Angeles Kings are looking to continue upward after a surprise playoff appearance last year, bringing in Kevin Fiala to help bolster their offense and push the team further toward another contending period. But Jonathan Quick‘s consistency as he ages remains a question, and Calvin Petersen is coming off a rough season in which he lost the starting job back to Quick.
The Vancouver Canucks still need to shore up some things on defense, but they should still be in the playoff conversation with the additions of Ilya Mikheyev and Andrei Kuzmenko to add speed and skill to their middle-six forward group.
The Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken both made notable additions this offseason too, and they’ll be bolstered by young centers bound to have breakout seasons next year in Trevor Zegras and Matthew Beniers, respectively. The San Jose Sharks may be the only team at this point squarely out of the playoff conversation, a marked change from last season at this time.
Now we ask you, PHR readers, to make your pick for who will emerge from the pack and win next year’s Pacific Division title. Make sure to vote in the poll below and explain in the comments!
Mobile users, click here to vote!
Latest On Timo Meier
There are few players as important to the San Jose Sharks as Timo Meier. The Swiss forward led the Sharks in scoring last year, setting career highs in goals (35), assists (41), and points (76). He’s a spectacular scoring winger without many weak spots in his game, and he would be expected to lead the Sharks into their next period of contention alongside Tomas Hertl.
But speaking today at the NHL’s European Player Media Tour, Meier said he’s had no discussions yet on a contract extension with the Sharks, aside from an introductory phone call with new general manager Mike Grier on July 5. Meier is entering the final season of a four-year, $24MM contract signed in 2019.
He will again be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer, meaning he’s due a qualifying offer. Meier’s actual salary in 2022-23 is $10MM, which should raise some eyebrows about the value of that qualifying offer, and rightfully so. But a change to the qualifying offer rules in the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement extension means that Meier can’t receive a qualifying offer greater than 120% of his previous deal’s cap hit, meaning he’s only owned a one-year, $7.2MM deal as compared to a one-year, $10MM deal from the Sharks.
Financially, for Meier, this is the most important season of his NHL career. At 26 years old next summer, he’ll undoubtedly sign a long-term deal that should take him well into his 30s, whether it’s with the Sharks or someone else. If his production takes a step back next season, though, the Sharks may very well want to settle for a one-year contract awarded through arbitration.
The Sharks, in any event, will likely need to make a cap-clearing move next summer as they turn the corner back toward competitiveness. The anchor contracts of Logan Couture ($8MM), Erik Karlsson ($11.5MM), and Marc-Edouard Vlasic ($7MM) don’t expire until 2026 and 2027, so relief from those deals won’t come for quite a while.
Snapshots: Brewer, Salary Cap, PHF
After promoting Sergei Brylin to an assistant role at the NHL level, the New Jersey Devils hired Andrew Brewer as an assistant coach for the AHL’s Utica Comets, per a team release. Brewer has spent the past eight seasons in an NHL video coaching role, and now the 36-year-old will get a crack at some more responsibility in the AHL.
Brewer most recently served as the video coach for the Florida Panthers for the past two seasons. Prior to that, he served in the same role for the Detroit Red Wings in the 2014-15 season and for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015 through 2020. He’s also gained experience as the video coach for Team Canada at various international tournaments. Brewer will join Ryan Parent (assistant coach) and Brian Eklund (goaltending coach) behind Utica head coach Kevin Dineen.
- Speaking today during his media tour in Europe, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he believed the NHL salary cap could rise significantly after the 2023-24 season. That marks a change in course from previous league forecasts post-pandemic, which pegged a significant cap jump after the 2024-25 season. The cap will likely raise another $1MM after this year to $83.5MM for 2023-24, but could now increase by much more than that for 2024-25. Some big names, including Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel, and Sebastian Aho are slated to hit the free agent market then, potentially making it easier for their current teams to re-sign them.
- The PHF will continue to stay more accessible to American fans. ESPN announced today that they’ve reached a two-year extension on their broadcast agreement, keeping the PHF on ESPN platforms through 2024. The league’s championship game, the Isobel Cup final, aired on ESPN2 last season, which was ESPN’s first cable broadcast of professional women’s hockey. PHF regular-season games will continue to air on the ESPN+ subscription service.
Alex Texier Won’t Join Columbus Blue Jackets For 2022-23 Season
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that forward Alexandre Texier will not join the team for the 2022-23 season, per the advice and recommendation of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program.
Texier gave the following statement on his absence from the team:
During the past year, I have experienced some personal issues and challenges and I feel I need to be close to my family at this time. I have love and respect for the city of Columbus, the Blue Jackets, and the fans as everyone has always treated me first-class. I truly appreciate the support, help and empathy I have received from team management, the coaching staff, doctors, trainers and my teammates. This was a hard decision, but it is the best one for me right now.
After sustaining a finger injury in January 2022, Texier was granted a leave of absence in March that lasted for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. He finished the year with a strong 20 points in 36 games.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen reiterated that Texier’s mental health and well-being remain the team’s top priority, and pledge to continue supporting the player in any way they can.
Texier will not be paid by Columbus this season, nor will his contract count against the salary cap. Per an agreement between the player, team, NHL, and NHLPA, Texier will be permitted to sign a one-year contract in Europe for the 2022-23 season to be closer to his family.
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that the final year of Texier’s contract will slide, meaning he’ll still be under contract with Columbus if he decides to return in 2023-24.
PHR continues to wish Texier well as he takes the time he needs.