Alex Lyon, Anthony Bitetto Sign With Florida Panthers
Florida has landed a third-string netminder to serve behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports the team has signed depth goalie Alex Lyon. They’ve also added some depth on the back end, adding Anthony Bitetto to a one-year, two-way contract.
Lyon, 29, is fresh off winning the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves, where he posted a .923 save percentage in 12 playoff appearances. An undrafted free agent signing out of Yale in 2016, he has been strong in the minor leagues but only appeared 24 times in the NHL.
He may not get any more chances this year but is at least a strong option should one of Bobrovsky or Knight face an injury.
Bitetto meanwhile is in a similar situation, save for the recent Calder Cup win. The 31-year-old defenseman has 197 games under his belt at the NHL level but none of those came in 2021-22. Instead, he split the year between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the San Jose Barracuda, scoring 17 points in 53 games.
If he’s playing regular minutes with the Panthers it is because they are dealing with serious injuries but should represent a stable veteran presence in the AHL.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Davies, Clague, Priskie
The Buffalo Sabres have added a trio of minor league defensemen, signing Jeremy Davies, Kale Clague, and Chase Priskie to one-year contracts. Clague and Davies will have NHL salaries of $750K, while Priskie will earn $800K at that level.
There was a time a few years ago when Clague was considered a top prospect, selected in the second round and playing well at the minor league level. It never did all click for him though, and he has been limited to just 58 games to this point, 36 of which came this past season. The Montreal Canadiens decided not to issue him a qualifying offer this week, making him an unrestricted free agent free to chase better opportunities.
He may find one in Buffalo, though the fact that they signed Ilya Lyubushkin to a two-year contract likely hurts the case of any of these three.
Davies, 25, has just 22 games of NHL experience, even less than Clague, since signing with the Nashville Predators in 2019. He had 31 points in 54 games at the minor league level and appears to be a signing for the Rochester Americans more than anything.
The same could be said about Priskie, who at 26 has played just four games in the NHL. A star at Quinnipiac University, he has been good in the minor leagues but not consistent enough in his own end to warrant NHL play. There may be a handful of games with Buffalo in his future but it’s hard to see him really making an impact at this point in his career.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Dominik Kubalik
Another year, another Chicago unqualified RFA heading to Detroit. The Red Wings have signed forward Dominik Kubalik to a two-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $2.5MM.
It’s been a rollercoaster NHL career so far for the 26-year-old Kubalik. After scoring 30 goals in 68 games during his rookie season in 2019-20, it appeared as though the Chicago Blackhawks had pulled a star out of the Swiss leagues. The lanky winger clicked immediately with Chicago’s top talent and signed a two-year, $7.4MM deal that fall that set him up nicely as a key part of their future.
Two years later and Kubalik scored just 15 goals in 78 games and is left unqualified by the team, scared of an arbitration award that would have been hefty. The Red Wings are apparently happy to snap him up, sign him to a reasonable deal for just two years and plug him into a forward group that suddenly looks formidable.
With Andrew Copp and David Perron also joining the Red Wings today, Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde should have plenty of options to mix and match as he sees fit, trying to find the best chemistry combinations up front. If Kubalik can click with a top forward like he did that rookie season, perhaps he can get back to the 30-goal man that he debuted as. If not, Detroit hasn’t put itself in a dangerous situation, since a $2.5MM contract won’t affect their overall financial structure much and they can walk away in two years if necessary.
Seattle Kraken Sign Andre Burakovsky
The Seattle Kraken are getting a big free agent name yet again, signing winger Andre Burakovsky to a five-year deal worth a total of $27.5MM.
It’s an interesting move for the Kraken, who seem to be set on surrounding some of their elite young players with enough talent to be competitive. Burakovsky can potentially join a player like Matthew Beniers in his first full season, giving him a skilled winger that can contribute at both ends of the rink. The 27-year-old had 22 goals and 61 points this season, career-highs in both categories.
Still, even with that strong performance, there has still been criticism of inconsistency levied at the Austrian forward. Burakovsky can go through stretches where he seems extremely ineffective, only to then take over a game completely the next night. Standing 6’3″ with good speed and hands, there has always seemed to be no limit on what he could become at the NHL level.
Perhaps his time in Colorado has truly unlocked that potential and the Kraken are getting a player who has scored at an impeccable rate over the last three seasons. Since joining the Avalanche in 2019, Burakovsky has 150 points in 191 games, numbers that Seattle would obviously welcome with open arms.
A five-year deal carries plenty of risk though, especially if he reverts to the player that had just 25 points in 76 games for the Washington Capitals in 2018-19. Burakovsky is now tied for the highest-paid forward on the Kraken, and signed as long as anyone else on the roster.
Boston Bruins Expected To Sign Dan Renouf
The Boston Bruins are getting some AHL depth on defense, according to Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland. They’re bringing in Dan Renouf on a two-year, two-way deal.
While Renouf’s a name most NHL fans aren’t going to be familiar with, fans of the Grand Rapids Griffins are certainly going to know his name. The 28-year-old undrafted player returns to New England for the first time since he manned the blueline for the University of Maine from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
Since turning pro, Renouf has been a steady, reliable defensive specialist at the AHL level. Last season, Renouf played 63 games for the Griffins, scoring 14 points. More importantly, Renouf played over 20 minutes per night and anchored the Griffins’ penalty kill. The Griffins’ shorthanded unit ranked 29th out of 31 AHL teams, but one has to consider the inconsistent goaltending the team received before pinning that all on Renouf.
Renouf has 23 career NHL games to his name and heads to Providence after a year where he played in four NHL games. He’ll likely be down on the list of defensemen GM Don Sweeney will call up when he needs to fill in for an injured Bruins defenseman, though that won’t stop him from likely playing a valuable role as a top-four defenseman and penalty killer on the Providence Bruins.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Juraj Slafkovsky
The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terms with first-overall selection Juraj Slafkovsky on his three-year, entry-level contract through 2024-25.
If you were watching any of the coverage of the Montreal Canadiens development camp this week, you can see there is a bit of excitement (and pressure) among the fanbase for Slafkovsky’s future. Crowds of people have been in the practice facility to see his first few puck touches in a Canadiens sweater, and new life has been breathed into the franchise since the draft.
The big Slovakian winger is expected to step right into an NHL role, potentially on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and is an early candidate for rookie of the year just due to opportunity.
Still, there is quite a few quality forwards in the mix right now for the Canadiens, meaning a number of different options for head coach Martin St. Louis.
San Jose Sharks Expected To Sign Andrew Agozzino
The San Jose Sharks are getting depth forward Andrew Agozzino in free agency, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston.
Agozzino is a 31-year-old undrafted forward who has been a top-six scoring forward at the AHL level for the past decade. Agozzino had 43 points in 66 games for the Belleville Senators last season and has multiple point-per-game AHL seasons on his resume.
At the NHL level, Agozzino’s resume is far thinner. He has just nine points in 47 career NHL games and got into only one game this season in Ottawa. This move is likely a move for the San Jose Barracuda, as GM Mike Grier attempts to improve his club’s AHL affiliate. Agozzino will definitely help the Barracuda next year, and Sharks fans can count on him to be among the team’s scoring leaders.
Jaroslav Halak, Louis Domingue Sign With New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have found their backup. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports the team has signed veteran Jaroslav Halak to serve as the backup to Igor Shesterkin. According to CapFriendly, the deal is worth $1.55MM, which includes a $1.25MM base, a $250K signing bonus, and $50K in performance bonuses for wins and save-percentage (link). The deal also carries a full no-movement clause.
The team also announced the acquisition of Louis Domingue to be their third-string netminder on a two-year contract. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports it’s a $775,000 cap hit for Domingue, with him earning $750,000 in 2022-23 and $800,000 in 2023-24.
The two deals reinforce the importance of goaltending depth and its place in this year’s offseason market. Halak would represent one of the league’s best true backup goaltenders and Domingue one of the league’s best third-string goaltenders, which is great for the Rangers, but more interesting considering the starter is current Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin. Despite having one of the best goaltenders in the world, the Rangers have committed $2.32MM to their goaltending today, while fighting the salary cap, and one might still consider these to be under-the-radar compared to other goaltender deals this offseason.
Halak will be returning to New York, where he spent four seasons as a member of the New York Islanders, this time playing for the bitter crosstown rivals. The 37-year-old spent this past season as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, suiting up for 17 games where he posted a .903 save-percentage and 2.94 goals-against average.
Domingue is an interesting addition for the Rangers, the goaltender nearly eliminating the team himself back in the first round of this year’s playoffs. Having played just two regular seasons games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Domingue suited up for six playoffs games following injuries to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, winning three of them, with the team ultimately losing in seven games to New York after Jarry returned for game seven. Now, the Rangers will have a chance to experience having Domingue on their side of the ice.
Colorado Avalanche Extend Artturi Lehkonen
The Colorado Avalanche have extended restricted free agent Artturi Lehkonen, signing the winger to a five-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $4.5MM. Since he was just one year away from unrestricted free agency, the lucrative extension buys out four UFA years and keeps Lehkonen in Colorado through the 2026-27 season.
New Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland released the following statement:
Artturi was a great fit to our team last season and obviously played an essential role in our championship run. He is incredibly versatile, can play anywhere up and down the lineup. He has a non-stop motor and never takes a shift off. He’s really smart, highly competitive, knows his role no matter what is asked of him. Getting length and term for a player of his quality was a top offseason priority and we’re thrilled to have him for the next five years.
When MacFarland says Lehkonen played an essential role in the Stanley Cup run, he isn’t kidding. The 27-year-old scored eight goals in 20 games, four of them game-winners, including the Cup-deciding tally in game six of the Final. The Finnish winger is probably not going to reach elite offensive totals over the next five years but he’ll be one of the most important pieces if the Avalanche are to challenge for another championship. His penalty-killing ability, physicality, and hockey sense allow the team to put him in basically any situation without worrying about the defensive end of the ice, freeing up the team’s more offensive players to drive the play.
With Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson, Darren Helm, and Andrew Cogliano all brought back, the Avalanche will once again have a very impressive group to push for the Central Division crown and potentially another Stanley Cup.
Florida Panthers Sign Nick Cousins
According to TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, the Florida Panthers are closing in on a contract with depth forward Nick Cousins. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports it’s a two-year deal worth $1.1MM per season.
Cousins, 28, has been a bottom-six center for most of his NHL and has provided a similar set of skills to the variety of NHL teams he’s served. Cousins is a bottom-six forward who provides shift-to-shift energy and depth scoring. In 68 games with the Predators Cousins scored nine goals and 22 points, getting those numbers on only 12 minutes of ice time per night. Cousins sometimes was used on the Predators’ power play, but was not a featured option there.
Cousins doesn’t have the skill or separation ability to be an offensive difference-maker at the NHL level. But he has shown the ability to score once in a while taking on a limited role. That’s likely what he’ll be asked to do in Florida, though there’s always the possibility that he gets swept away in the tide that is the Florida Panthers’ offensive machine and has a career year.