Oilers Make Multiple Front Office Promotions
The Edmonton Oilers have gotten a head start on sorting out the food chain of their front office next season. According to a team announcement, the Oilers have promoted Michael Parkatti to Vice President of Analytics and Technology, Kirt Hill to assistant General Manager of Player Procurement, Kalle Larsson to assistant General Manager of Player Development and Innovation, Toby Salmelainen to assistant General Manager of European Operations, Andreas Karlsson to Director of Player Development, Justin Mahe to Director of Hockey Operations and Player Experience, Michael Chan to President, General Manager, and WHL Alternate Governor of the Edmonton Oil Kings, and Jamie Jackson to Director of Scouting for the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Edmonton is placing greater emphasis on the analytical aspect of the front office through these promotions. Parkatti has been in a similar role with the Oilers since 2023. Parkatti has been relied upon to give date-driven recommendations to the team’s decision-makers. Edmonton shared that Parkatti developed the xGoals metric, which has become a widely used tool for measuring a player’s effectiveness.
Meanwhile, Hill comes to the Oilers from WHL Edmonton. He had been serving as the Oil Kings’ General Manager for the last several years. He will now work closely with Edmonton’s professional and amateur scouts, as well as recruiting undrafted free agents. Before his work with the Oilers organization, Hill served as an amateur scout with the Chicago Blackhawks beginning in the 2017-18 campaign.
In the announcement, the team stated that Larsson will mainly focus on creating development plans for prospects and current players, while Salmelainen will lead the team responsible for scouting and recruiting talent from Europe. Furthermore, similar to Larsson, Karlsson will oversee the development plans for all Oilers’ prospects in the NCAA, AHL, and Europe. Mahe will be in charge of the hockey operations budget and Edmonton’s immigration and regulation compliance.
The final two promotions of Chan and Jackson directly affect the Oil Kings, also owned by OEG Inc. Chan and Jackson have both been with the Oil Kings for the past two years; Chan serving as the team’s Director of Scouting and Jackson as an area scout.
Sabres Sign Jake Richard To Entry-Level Contract
According to a team announcement, the Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Jake Richard to a two-year, entry-level contract. The Sabres did not specify the financial terms of the deal.
Buffalo drafted Richard back in 2022 with the 170th overall selection of that summer’s draft. The 21-year-old was coming off a decent season with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, scoring 18 goals and 48 points in 56 games with a +10 rating. Having already committed to the University of Connecticut by then, Richard spent one more year in the USHL, this time split between Muskegon and the Tri-City Storm, amassing 31 goals and 62 points in 57 games.
Despite a slow start to his college tenure throughout his rookie campaign, Richard became a key offensive contributor for the Huskies by his sophomore season. During that season, Richard set career-highs in nearly every category, finishing with 15 goals and 43 points in 34 games with a +26 rating. As a result, it was the best year in program history for the University of Connecticut, which reached the National Tournament for the first time; however, they were eliminated in the Regional Final by Penn State University.
Despite remaining a significant part of the team’s offense, Richard’s scoring decreased to 10 goals and 27 points in 38 games. The Huskies qualified for the National Tournament for the second consecutive year but were eliminated in the Regional Semifinal by Michigan State University. This match would be Richard’s final collegiate contest.
Given that he’s already spent three years in the NCAA, it would be reasonable for Richard to make the transition to the American Hockey League next year. Unless he tears it up in training camp, he’ll start the 2026-27 season with the Rochester Americans, who were bounced in the First Round of the Calder Cup playoffs by the Toronto Marlies.
Maple Leafs Notes: First Overall, Carle, Goaltending
As expected, General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Chayka, is open to all offers on the first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Maple Leafs aren’t actively looking to move the top selection of this year’s draft, but would agree to move it if the offer blew them away.
Specifically, LeBrun said, “Not that the Maple Leafs are intent on moving the No. 1 pick, but new general manager John Chayka also isn’t hanging up the phone if and when teams call. Why would he? If a team steps up in a meaningful way with the kind of package that helps the Leafs get back in contention, Chayka will at least listen, according to league sources.”
Obviously, the package to acquire said pick would be so substantial that the odds of Toronto eventually moving the selection are near-zero. As David Alter of The Hockey News put it, “unless a team blows Chayka away with an offer that genuinely transforms the Leafs’ competitiveness for next season and beyond, it’s difficult to envision this pick leaving Toronto.”
Additional updates from the Maple Leafs:
- In a new report from Emily Kaplan of ESPN, the Maple Leafs are interested in David Carle, the current head coach at the University of Denver, for their head coaching vacancy. Additionally, Kaplan added that Carle is entertaining the idea, but he will remain as selective as he has in the past. Kaplan believes that if the Colorado Avalanche move on from Jared Bednar in the relatively near future, Carle might wait for that, given his connections to the area.
- There’s no question that the Maple Leafs have a surplus of netminders heading into next season. In a recent article from Andre Leal of The Hockey News, he considers the pros and cons of Toronto moving one of its netminders this offseason. The hardest to move would be Anthony Stolarz, who is coming off an injury-riddled campaign, signed through the next four seasons at a $3.75MM cap hit with a 16-team no-trade clause. However, Toronto may be able to peddle him to a goalie-needy team such as the Edmonton Oilers.
Mammoth Sign Gregor Biber To Entry-Level Contract
According to a team announcement, the Utah Mammoth have signed defenseman Gregor Biber to an entry-level contract. Although they didn’t specify in their announcement, it will presumably be a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2026-27 season.
Biber, 19, was one of the first players to be drafted by the Mammoth since the franchise began ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Utah selected the Krems, Austria native with the 98th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft out of Rögle BK’s under-20 team.
Unfortunately for the Mammoth, there’s very little to get excited about in Biber’s offensive profile. Since being drafted, he has primarily played in the SHL for Rögle BK, where he has scored three goals and recorded five points in a total of 88 games. In the postseason, it hasn’t been any better, going scoreless across 17 games the past two years.
Additionally, he has been a mainstay for Team Austria, playing at varying levels of international competition, including the IIHF World Championships. His offensive struggles have continued, with only three points in 30 international games since the 2023-24 season.
Still, what he lacks in offensive prowess he makes up for on the defensive side of the puck. Standing at 6’3″, 196lbs, Biber is a highly physical defender and has never had a plus/minus below zero throughout his time in the SHL. Especially as a younger player, that’s quality production against veteran competition.
Unless Utah’s management believes he needs more seasoning overseas, Biber will likely suit up for the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners next season to test his mettle in North America. However, if he does stay with Rögle BK throughout the 2026-27 SHL regular season, Biber likely won’t make the jump to the North American circuit until the end of next season.
Latest On Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy
May 28th: Vegas does not plan to grant teams permission to talk with Cassidy until the end of their run in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Cassidy is believed to have mutual interest with the Oilers and has also fielded interest from the Kings. Kaplan adds that Edmonton could pivot to John Tortorella should Vegas be willing to part with the coach who has led them to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Golden Knights had originally planned to move on from Tortorella and promote Ryan Craig, head coach of the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights, but their recent postseason success has complicated that plan. Edmonton will follow that plan very closely as they look to bring in a veteran head coach to replace Kris Knoblauch.
May 19th: The NHL Coaches’ Association (NHLCA) is posturing to involve itself in the repeated instances of the Golden Knights blocking Cassidy from interviewing with the Kings and Oilers. According to a public announcement, the NHLCA said:
“The NHLCA has been closely monitoring the situation involving Bruce Cassidy. While we respect the League’s rules and processes, it is our position that coaches who remain under contract, but are no longer working for their Club, should not be prevented from pursuing other employment opportunities. It would be unprecedented at the head coaching level should multiple teams be denied permission to speak with Coach Cassidy. The situation is still unfolding, but our priority is to protect the interests of our members in this type of circumstance.“
Although their frustration is understandable, it’s unclear what the NHLCA would do to assist Cassidy. As was previously noted, coaches are often “relieved of duties” rather than “fired”, making them still subject to the obligations outlined in their contract.
May 18th: Despite firing him with eight games remaining in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights are playing hardball with Bruce Cassidy‘s future. Earlier today, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Golden Knights haven’t given any team permission to interview Cassidy for head coaching vacancies.
Additionally, Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network went a step further, indicating that the Golden Knights blocked the Los Angeles Kings from interviewing the former Jack Adams Award winner. However, that hasn’t been confirmed elsewhere. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if they did, if they haven’t already, given that Vegas blocked the Edmonton Oilers from interviewing their former head coach just a few days ago.
Unless another head coach is fired in the next few weeks, that leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs as the only option left for Cassidy. However, on Friday’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said, “I do think they’ll reach out to talk to Cassidy, but I’d say it’s extremely unlikely he’s gonna end up being the guy in Toronto, and I do think they are prepared to go fresh. Someone new, someone different.”
As unfair as it seems to Cassidy, those are the rules of the coach’s contractual obligations. Although it’s essentially a firing, coaches are often “relieved of duties”, rather than outright fired. This means they are still bound by the contract they signed and continue to receive payment from the team that released them. So, until Cassidy’s contract with the Golden Knights formally ends, any team wishing to interview him will have to put in a formal request.
There remains plenty of speculation regarding the Kings and Maple Leafs, but it does seem the Oilers have moved on from their pursuit of Cassidy. Earlier today, it was confirmed that Edmonton received permission from Toronto to interview Craig Berube, and he appears to be the early favorite for the role.
Ultimately, if Vegas is going to continue to block their intradivisional rivals from hiring Cassidy, he’ll have to wait for another shoe to drop for his next landing spot. Although it’s hardly appropriate to speculate on someone losing their job, Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators and Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils may be looking for new roles this summer, given that each team will be under new management in the front office.
Egor Zamula Expected To Sign In KHL
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Egor Zamula‘s signing rights have been traded in the KHL, according to a report from Jonathan Bailey of The Hockey News. CSKA Moskva has acquired Zamula’s rights from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in exchange for the signing rights to Boston Bruins forward Georgii Merkulov and the equivalent of $420K in rubles. The trade is a strong indication that Zamula intends to take his professional career to the KHL.
It’s not an unexpected outcome for Zamula. The 26-year-old blueliner began the year with the Philadelphia Flyers, but requested a trade from the organization after he was reassigned to the AHL. After being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Zamula was suspended and later released for failing to report to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Eventually, Zamula landed with the Blue Jackets on a prorated one-year, $1MM contract.
All together, Zamula finished the season with three assists in 33 games with a +6 rating, averaging 13:04 of ice time. Given how his time with the Flyers worked out, and his subsequent lack of playing time in Columbus, it’s not a huge surprise that Zamula is leaving North America to pursue a bigger opportunity.
Additionally, if he were to turn his career around in Russia, Zamula is still young enough that he could return to the NHL in a few years without much pushback. Regardless, that’s putting the cart before the horse.
If he does sign with CSKA, it’ll be the first time Zamula has played in Russia since the 2016-17 campaign. That season, he played for the Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s U17 team, registering three goals and 26 points in 36 games.
Offseason Checklist: Detroit Red Wings
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those who have already been eliminated. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Detroit.
Patience has run out for the Detroit Red Wings. The team’s playoff drought has run into a decade, and there are still more questions than answers. Despite not only being in a playoff position for much of the season but leading the hotly contested Atlantic Division, a third consecutive collapse in March had the Red Wings on the outside looking in for this year’s postseason. The silver lining is that Detroit has oodles of money to spend and one of the deeper prospect pools in the league. Ultimately, it will require Steve Yzerman to bite the bullet, change his typically conservative approach, and make the changes necessary to get this Original Six franchise back into the playoffs.
Acquire Top-Six Center
This has been an issue plaguing the Red Wings and most of the league for some time. They’ve taken shots at it, mostly by signing Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher in back-to-back offseasons. This season, the hope was that Marco Kasper could assume that role after a solid rookie campaign. Unfortunately, Kasper was flat out of the gates and finished with nine goals and 19 points in 81 contests. His poor play since the start of the campaign vaulted Copp back into the top six.
Despite being one of the best faceoff takers in the league, Copp doesn’t have the offensive punch to warrant a spot in the top six. Yes, he finished with the second-highest scoring output of his career, but it mostly came by the way of assists with the benefit of playing on a line with Alex DeBrincat, who finished with 41 goals.
Detroit was heavily linked to Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers and Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues leading up to the deadline, but ultimately didn’t have the appetite to pay the heavy price to address their need. That’s generally a respectable position, given that the General Manager is tasked with managing the team’s assets as well as putting the best team out on the ice. Still, it was a noticeable hole from the jump, and the lack of aggressiveness left many fans, and likely the team, disappointed.
Given the Rangers’ direction, it’s safe to say that Trocheck will again be available for the right price this summer. For Thomas, there’s no indication what direction new General Manager Alex Steen will want to take the team, so it’s no longer a guarantee that he’ll be shopped. As for other options, the Red Wings could take an expensive flyer on Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks, go on the cheaper side and target Morgan Frost of the Calgary Flames, or go bold and try to pry Nico Hischier away from the New Jersey Devils, especially if his extension talks stall.
Re-Work Defensive Corps
One of the most peculiar themes from Detroit over the past several years has been the organization’s infatuation with Ben Chiarot. Yes, he’s physical and blocks shots, but he doesn’t have the on-ice awareness to have a meaningful role in the top four of the defensive corps. He hasn’t had an on-ice goals percentage greater than 50.0% since his time with the Winnipeg Jets, and he’s continued to get worse since then. Despite his decline in play, the Red Wings signed Chiarot to an extension, keeping him in HockeyTown through the 2028-29 campaign.
Although they started strong, Albert Johansson and Jacob Bernard-Docker both declined significantly towards the end of the season. Detroit attempted to give its defensive corps a jolt by acquiring Justin Faulk at the deadline, but he wasn’t enough to get them over the finish line. By the end of the season, the Red Wings could really only rely on their top unit of Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson.
Youngster Axel Sandin Pellikka still has a high ceiling, but has some maturing to do, which isn’t atypical for younger defensemen. Throughout the season, it was evident that the Red Wings’ coaching staff lacked trust in him during challenging situations, leading to his demotion to AHL Grand Rapids before the campaign ended.
Detroit hopes that a full season with Faulk next to Sandin Pellikka will be beneficial, especially if it moves Chiarot to a bottom-pairing role. However, if injuries occur, Detroit lacks sufficient reserves. The Red Wings should target a defenseman who will primarily play in the bottom pairing, but wouldn’t look out of place in the top four if needed. They should be able to recruit this on the free agent market this summer, such as Mario Ferraro, Logan Stanley, or Ryan Shea.
Lock Up Edvinsson
One key factor in solidifying the defensive corps is locking down Edvinsson this summer. He’s set to become a restricted free agent on July 1st without arbitration rights, giving Detroit plenty of time to work something out long-term.
Although he hasn’t taken off as immediately as Seider, it’s clear that the two play well together. Now a full-time player, Edvinsson has scored 16 goals and 56 points in 150 games over the past two years, averaging 21:43 of ice time per game. Additionally, he plays into his frame, blocking 292 shots and delivering 180 hits in that time. The pairing of Edvinsson and Seider played the third-most totals of any defensive pairing this year, and they finished with a 54.8% xGoals% in all situations, according to MoneyPuck.
At the very least, the Red Wings should target a five-year contract if not longer. Should they agree to a five-year deal, that would line Edvinsson up with Seider for their contract expirations. As of now, AFP Analytics projects Edvinsson to sign a seven-year, $61.4MM ($8.77MM AAV) on a long-term deal. It’s unlikely that Detroit would be willing to go above Seider’s $8.55MM salary on any new deal, so they would likely play hardball in getting Edvinsson down to an $8MM to $8.5MM range.
Add Depth Scoring
Connected to their need for a second-line center, the Red Wings must add additional scoring, particularly to their bottom-six. In what has become another theme for this team over the last few years, Detroit struggles to produce at even strength, costing them several games. This season, the team finished in 30th place in even-strength goals.
Of those that finished the season in Detroit, the combination of James van Riemsdyk, Michael Rasmussen, Mason Appleton, Compher, and Kasper finished with 47 goals on the season. As mentioned previously, DeBrincat finished with 41 himself.
Fortunately, the Red Wings don’t need to go big-game hunting in this regard. In fact, most of it could come from within. If Detroit can move Rasmussen and Appleton this summer, as well as let van Riemsdyk walk in free agency, the Red Wings could begin adding in some of their prospects to the NHL roster and let their youthful energy take over.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire of Imagn Images.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Aku Raty
The Edmonton Oilers have already gotten involved in the overseas market. According to a team announcement, the Oilers have signed Aku Raty to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season worth $850K.
Raty, 24, began his professional career in 2019 when he was selected with the 151st overall pick of that summer’s draft by the Arizona Coyotes. He spent his post-draft season playing for the Finnish Liiga’s Kärpät, scoring two goals and seven points in 32 games with a +2 rating.
After posting a nearly identical scoring line for the 2020-21 campaign, Raty’s offensive presence began to grow in Finland’s professional circuit. Combining the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Raty registered 29 goals and 64 points in 109 games for Kärpät with a +30 rating. That output rightfully gave the Coyotes the confidence to bring him to North America to test his mettle in the AHL.
At first, he didn’t look out of place. Playing for the Tucson Roadrunners, Raty finished his first season with 15 goals and 44 points in 55 games with a +9 rating. It wasn’t enough to win any awards, but he didn’t finish second on the team in scoring behind Josh Doan.
Unfortunately, Raty took a significant step back during the 2024-25 campaign. He got off to a tough start with the Roadrunners, scoring four goals and 19 points in 50 games, leading to a mid-season trade to the Chicago Blackhawks organization, causing him to finish the year with the Rockford IceHogs.
After that difficult season, Raty took the opportunity to rejoin Kärpät last year, and it turned out to be a worthwhile endeavor. He enjoyed the best season of his professional career, scoring 20 goals and 57 points in 51 games with a +8 rating. Again, his strong offensive output wasn’t enough to lead the league in scoring, but he finished first on the team and seventh overall.
The Oilers frequently adjust their bottom six due to injuries or poor performance, which should create opportunities for Raty at the NHL level, assuming that trend continues. Should Raty get off to a hot start with AHL Bakersfield, if he doesn’t start the season on the NHL roster, the signing could give Edmonton more offensive firepower and energy at the bottom of their forward corps.
Byron Froese Expected To Retire
According to a report from Dmitry Storozhev of Championat, forward Byron Froese is expected to retire following Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s second consecutive Gagarin Cup championship. Froese has spent the past two years in the KHL after a successful 12-year career in North America.
Speaking to the outlet after Game 6, Froese said, “I don’t know, I need time. I’ll probably finish, but you can never say never. I just need some rest. I’ve only been home for about two months in the last two years. So I need time to think and discuss it with my family.”
Froese, 35, began his professional career in 2009 when he was selected with the 119th overall pick of that summer’s draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. After spending a few more years in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and Red Deer Rebels, Froese made the jump to professional play for the 2011-12 season. For the first several years of his career, Froese split his time between the AHL and ECHL.
Failing to carve out a path in the Blackhawks organization, Froese signed as an AHL free agent with the Toronto Marlies and was signed to a standard NHL contract by the Toronto Maple Leafs a year later. Having his contract upgraded wasn’t a surprise, given Froese scored 18 goals and 42 points in 46 games with the Marlies with a +22 rating.
In Toronto, Froese enjoyed his longest stay in the NHL over a single season. During the 2014-15 campaign, Froese appeared in 56 games for the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals and five points with a -11 rating, averaging 12:38 of ice time per game. Next season, toward the trade deadline, Froese was included in the trade package to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the deal that sent Brian Boyle to Toronto.
That trade was the starting point of a nomadic portion of Froese’s career. From the 2017-18 campaign to the 2022-23 season, Froese played in the Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, and Vegas Golden Knights organizations. His last appearance in the NHL came during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Knights, when Froese registered one assist in 16 contests.
If this is the end, Froese will finish with seven goals and 20 points in 141 games with a -15 rating. Additionally, he’s credited with 142 goals and 312 points in 513 AHL contests, somehow finishing with a net-zero rating. Sadly, Froese never achieved champion status at any level in North America, but he can at least retire with two Gagarin Cup rings.
We at PHR congratulate Froese on carving out a career that spanned two continents over 15 seasons, and wish him the best on his next chapter if he does hang up his skates this summer.
Latest On New Jersey Devils, Simon Nemec
May 22nd: Following up on his update from yesterday, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now can confirm that Nemec has not requested a trade from the Devils and has been in contact with Mehta as recently as this week. Presumably, someone from the organization or Nemec’s representation contacted Nichols regarding the conflicting reports from Slovakia.
May 21st: Earlier this morning, a report from Simon Chop and Stefan Bufan of Denník, a Slovakian outlet, indicated that defenseman Simon Nemec has requested a trade from the New Jersey Devils. Nemec has been involved in trade rumors for the past year or so, and the article indicated that the new General Manager, Sunny Mehta, hadn’t yet contacted Nemec or his representation about a new contract.
However, in a subsequent article, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now shared that sources indicate Mehta has already contacted Nemec about a new contract, indicating that part of the original report is unfounded. Additionally, a similar situation occurred with Nemec last offseason. The former second-overall pick clarified that it stemmed from a bad translation, and he had no intention of leaving the Devils.
Furthermore, a trade request would be a stark contrast from the tone Nemec set at his end-of-season availability only a few weeks ago. Prompted about his upcoming restricted free agency, Nemec responded with, “I’d love to sign here.” Unless there was a dramatic turn, which technically could have happened since New Jersey hired Mehta, Nemec appears committed to the Devils moving forward.
Nonetheless, this does not mean Nemec will not be traded this summer, nor does Mehta contacting him indicate that the new regime won’t explore the possibility. It’s no secret that New Jersey is seeking a top-six forward, particularly on the right wing, and Nemec is the best trade chip they have in their arsenal.
Afforded more ice time due to the long-term injury to Luke Hughes, Nemec had a solid season, scoring 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games, averaging 19:40 of ice time per game. His possession metrics improved considerably, but that could be attributed to playing on one of the strongest possession teams in the league. New Jersey finished with a team CorsiFor of 52.0% this past season, the 10th-best in the league.
Although it’s unlikely that Nemec will ever challenge for the scoring lead among defensemen, right-handed top-four defensemen are always in high demand throughout the league. If they do make him widely available, the Devils should have no shortage of suitors.
Still, they are in a solid bargaining position, and New Jersey would do well to remember that. Even though he’ll be more difficult to move, the Devils could trade Dougie Hamilton and his $9MM salary, and pivot to targeting Alex Tuch or Anthony Mantha to alleviate their need in the top-six. Unless they can acquire a top-tier talent like Matthew Knies from the Toronto Maple Leafs or Drake Batherson from the Ottawa Senators, it might be wiser for New Jersey to keep Nemec and explore other options to enhance their top six.
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland of Imagn Images.