Vancouver Canucks Sign Christian Wolanin
Per CapFriendly, the Vancouver Canucks have signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Christian Wolanin to a one-year, two-way deal paying him $750K in the NHL and $350K in the AHL.
Wolanin, 27, has 70 games of NHL experience between Ottawa, Buffalo, and Los Angeles. While it looked like Wolanin had legitimate NHL upside a few seasons ago with a 12-point year in 2018-19 in just 30 games at 23 years old, those days are behind him. A good option for a seventh defenseman, Wolanin adds to the pool of defensive depth Vancouver has built.
He’ll be competing with players like Kyle Burroughs, young Jack Rathbone, Noah Juulsen, and Wyatt Kalynuk to make the Canucks come training camp in September. If he doesn’t make the squad, he’s a risk to get claimed on waivers if the injury bug strikes other teams on defense.
Toronto Maple Leafs Expected To Sign Victor Mete, Jordie Benn
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue on their crusade of swooping up unqualified RFAs, adding some defensive depth in the process. According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, the team is bringing in defenseman Victor Mete. They’ve also signed gritty veteran Jordie Benn on a one-year deal for $750K, which is the price of both deals.
Mete heads to his third Canadian team after spending five NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. A decent depth defenseman, most would say Mete was rushed into NHL minutes at age 19 despite being the 100th overall pick just one year prior to his debut in 2017-18. He’d posted really solid defensive play during his time in Montreal, but after the Senators claimed him on waivers in April of 2021, he didn’t have the same success. He played just 37 of 82 games in 2021-22, averaging only 14:37 per game and notching seven assists. It was a year to forget for Mete, but he’ll now head to Toronto to rediscover his defensive game.
Benn, 34, joins the Leafs after an eight-point, 39-game season with the Minnesota Wild last year. Jamie Benn‘s older brother hasn’t been terribly effective for years now aside from providing a gritty, physical presence at the bottom of the lineup, and he’ll provide the same thing for Toronto. He’ll likely get most of his action when the team opts to ice 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Washington Capitals Sign Dylan Strome
5:46 pm: The Washington Capitals have made the deal official, bringing Strome to the United States’ capital on a one-year, $3.5MM deal.
4:35 pm: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals are expected to sign top unqualified RFA Dylan Strome to a one-year contract worth $3.5MM.
For Washington, this is an important signing to give them a legitimate second-line center in the absence of Nicklas Backstrom. While the team is more optimistic Backstrom will be able to return during the season after a serious hip surgery that could threaten his career, Strome is a strong option with top-six experience to replace him.
Despite going unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks (and some puzzling early-season scratches by former head coach Jeremy Colliton), the 25-year-old had a strong year on a weak Chicago team with a career-high 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 69 games. With the chance to play with names like Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Anthony Mantha, T.J. Oshie, Connor Brown, and others, Strome could finally hit the offensive potential he had when he was drafted third overall in 2015.
It’s a strong signing for Washington, who’s had a quietly great offseason by adding defensive depth and signing veteran netminder Darcy Kuemper.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Alex Limoges, Kyle Capobianco
The Winnipeg Jets have signed free agent forward Alex Limoges to a one-year, entry-level contract, per a team tweet today. Financial terms are currently unavailable. Per CapFriendly, the team has also signed former Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kyle Capobianco to a two-year deal worth $762.5K per year. Per PuckPedia, the contract is a two-way deal in 2022-23 with a $750K NHL / $325K AHL split, and a one-way deal worth $775K in year two.
Limoges, a 24-year-old native of Virginia, actually already has a year and a half of professional experience under his belt with the San Diego Gulls. He turned pro in 2020-21 after his college career with Penn State concluded, spending the remainder of the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
Staying in San Diego for the past two years, he’s been one of the most under-the-radar producers in the AHL during that time. He’s scored 34 goals, 27 assists, and 61 points in 85 games with the Gulls, and he also led the entire NCAA in points in 2018-19.
Now on an NHL contract for the first time, Limoges will get the chance to improve on those numbers in the Jets organization. If injuries strike Winnipeg hard this year, don’t be surprised if Limoges gets a crack at making his NHL debut.
Nashville Predators Sign Kevin Lankinen, Three Others
The Nashville Predators supplemented their NHL/AHL fringe depth on defense yesterday, and they’re doing the same today on offense. The team announced a trio of signings separately on Thursday afternoon, signing Kiefer Sherwood to a one-year, one-way $750K contract, and Mark Jankowski and Cole Smith to one-year, two-way $750K contracts. They also signed former Chicago Blackhawks netminder Kevin Lankinen to a one-year, $1.5MM contract to back up starter Juuse Saros.
Despite Nashville receiving strong play from Connor Ingram in limited regular-season appearances and even turning to him as a starter in the playoffs over David Rittich, the team’s opted to bury him on the depth chart for another season. Lankinen had a rough season with the Blackhawks in 2021-22 after an up-and-down rookie campaign the year prior, finishing the year with an 8-15-6 record, 3.50 goals against average, and .891 save percentage. He’ll look to improve on those numbers (and stay healthy) on a more fortified Nashville team.
Sherwood, Jankowski, and Smith will be charged with playing top AHL roles once again, something they’re getting used to in their careers. Sherwood and Jankowski especially will be strong call-up options in case of injury with decent amounts of NHL experience.
Ottawa Senators Extend Josh Norris For Eight Years
The Ottawa Senators continue to form and lock up a formidable top-six forward group. Today, the team announced an eight-year, $63.6MM extension for center Josh Norris, carrying a $7.95MM cap hit. The deal keeps him a Senator until 2029-30 when he’ll be 31 years old and eligible for unrestricted free agency. The max-term extension, which is paid entirely in base salary, has the following breakdown:
2022-23: $5MM
2023-24: $6.5MM
2024-25: $9.5MM
2025-26: $9.5MM
2026-27: $9.5MM
2027-28: $8.75MM
2028-29: $7.85MM
2029-30: $7MM
General manager Pierre Dorion gave a statement on Norris’ signing:
We’re very pleased to come to a long-term agreement with Josh. He’s a versatile forward who continues to mature into an exceptional NHL player. His scoring prowess has already shown to be a considerable asset for us and one that will help us reach the next level. His dedication and the pride he takes in his physical conditioning will serve as a great example for our next wave of young players.
After finishing fourth in Calder Trophy voting during the 2020-21 season, Norris has blossomed into a true first-line center in Ottawa. Originally acquired from the San Jose Sharks as part of the blockbuster Erik Karlsson trade, Norris had 35 goals in 2021-22 to lead the team in just 66 games.
He’ll only build on those point totals as he’ll return as part of a fortified top-six that includes a healthy Drake Batherson, as well as offseason additions Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. If Ottawa is able to make the jump to the playoffs for the first time since losing in the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, his role on the team’s top line will be a big reason why.
The Senators have $10.8MM in cap space remaining with Alex Formenton, Mathieu Joseph, and Erik Brannstrom needing new contracts, per PuckPedia. While those contracts won’t push them right against the salary cap, this Norris extension continues to mark a trend towards big spending that’s been absent in Ottawa during recent years. Committing to their talent financially on reasonable contracts like Norris’ is a clear path to sustainable success, something that the Senators organization will welcome with open arms.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Brett Howden
July 13: As expected, the Golden Knights have found a deal for Howden, signing him to a one-year, $1.5MM contract according to PuckPedia.
July 11: Even though he went unqualified today, forward Brett Howden is still expected to stay a Vegas Golden Knight instead of hitting the open market. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that he expects the two sides to finalize an agreement to keep him in Nevada.
As with most similar situations, the rationale for not qualifying Howden likely has to do with the qualifying offer he was owed. Per CapFriendly’s Qualifying Offer Calculator, Howden was due a one-year deal with a $929,250 cap hit. It doesn’t seem like that much money, but for the cap-strapped Vegas, every cent counts to stay under the limit. The team and player should likely agree to a one-way deal closer to the league minimum ($750,000).
Howden was really productive in a depth role last season, notching 20 points in 47 games. While injuries limited his lineup appearances, the 2016 first-round pick took a demonstrable step forward for the first time in the NHL. After a decent 23-point rookie campaign with the New York Rangers, Howden’s point production and the all-around game dropped off dramatically over the next few seasons. He seems to have found a better home in Vegas.
The Knights hope he can stay healthy and keep up that rate of production. With the team losing depth in order to fit under the cap, they’ll need production out of affordable players like Howden.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Matt Luff, Austin Czarnik
The Detroit Red Wings have added a pair of depth signings, inking Matt Luff to a one-year, two-way contract and Austin Czarnik to a two-year, two-way contract. Every team needs minor league depth, and that’s exactly what Luff and Czarnik represent, even if they do have some NHL experience under their belts.
Luff, 25, played in 23 games this season for the Nashville Predators and scored six goals but ended up unqualified by the team at the end of the year. Originally signed by the Los Angeles Kings as an undrafted OHL forward, he now has 87 games in the NHL. In that time he does have a rather impressive 13 goals, though eight of those came in the 2018-19 season.
Czarnik meanwhile has a little bit more, with 142 games to his name but hasn’t seen the NHL much in the last several years. What he has done, is light up the minor leagues by scoring at a point-per-game pace over his entire career. In 2021-22 he had 37 points in 38 games for the Bridgeport Islanders, while also suiting up 17 times combined for the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken.
Neither one should be playing regular minutes for Detroit this season, especially after they added several forwards today. Still, they’ll provide some good options for short stretches in case of injury, and load up the talent for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Ondrej Kase
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Ondrej Kase to bolster their forward depth, giving him a one-year contract worth $1.5MM. Kase was recently left unqualified by the Toronto Maple Leafs, though the team did try to re-sign him before he decided to head south. Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell released a short statement on his newest forward:
Ondrej is an exciting young player and we’re happy to add another goal-scoring winger to our forward group. He can play in all situations and we expect him to contribute offensively.
After losing several key forwards to free agency or trade (though Nino Niederreiter has yet to actually sign anywhere), and missing out on Mason Marchment, who went to the Dallas Stars, the Hurricanes have still managed to add some impressive talent up front with the additions of Kase and Max Pacioretty.
The 26-year-old Kase isn’t someone you want to rely on, as one of the most injury-prone players in the league but when he’s healthy, he’s quite an effective middle-six winger who can play in a lot of different roles. For the Maple Leafs this season, he contributed 14 goals and 27 points in 50 games, while averaging fewer than 14 minutes a night.
For a Carolina team that could have lots of different alignments, he will likely plug into the third line next to Jordan Staal or even perhaps the fourth line, something that is more than reasonable with a $1.5MM cap hit. If they can keep him healthy all season there is a ton of room for excess value–the only problem is no team has been able to do that before.
Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Max Pacioretty
Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Carolina Hurricanes are acquiring Max Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan from the Vegas Golden Knights in a blockbuster trade. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the return to Vegas is nothing but future considerations.
Pacioretty, 33, has just one year left on his contract and carries a cap hit of $7MM. The Golden Knights are not retaining any of that, meaning they’ve cleared a huge chunk of space for their other moves. Still, this move appears to be a stunning example of poor asset management for the Golden Knights.
In 2018, the team traded a first, second, and third-round pick for Tomas Tatar at the trade deadline. After playing just 28 total games for the team, they then included Tatar in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens to acquire Pacioretty. Along with Tatar went recently drafted Nick Suzuki and another second-round pick, while the Canadiens retained just ten percent of Pacioretty’s contract. The Golden Knights then signed the former Montreal captain to a four-year, $28MM extension before he had even played a game for them, a contract that they are now sending along with 24-year-old defenseman Dylan Coghlan for no return.
They did receive parts of four seasons from Pacioretty in the interim, though his time in Vegas has been marred by injuries. He played just 39 games this season, a big part of why the Golden Knights eventually missed the playoffs.
Still, the Hurricanes are getting an impact goal-scoring talent, if the veteran forward can stay healthy enough next season. In his career, Pacioretty has 323 goals in 850 games, an 82-game pace of over 31. For nothing but cap space, it is a worthwhile move for general manager Don Waddell, who also landed veteran Brent Burns earlier today.
Carolina is obviously pushing some of their chips to the middle, though it’s important to note that this isn’t a long-term gamble. Pacioretty will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and off the books for the Hurricanes if it doesn’t work out.
For Vegas, this opens enough space to sign Reilly Smith, while the team also has the Shea Weber LTIR flexibility to work with.
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