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Tyler Johnson Announces Retirement

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13-year veteran and two-time Stanley Cup champion Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement from the NHL via his Instagram. Johnson’s last professional game will be marked on December 12th, 2024, with the Boston Bruins against the Seattle Kraken.

It’s fitting that Johnson’s last game came against the Kraken. A native of Spokane, WA, Johnson’s professional career began with humble beginnings, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs.

Joining an organization who’s had overwhelming success with undersized and undrafted players in the past, Johnson excelled immediately in the Lightning organization. During his first season, he scored 31 goals and 68 points in 75 games for their AHL affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals.

He would only spend one more season primarily playing in the AHL. Finally earning his chance at full-time duties at the NHL level, Johnson impressed greatly during his rookie campaign, scoring 24 goals and 50 points in 82 contests during the 2013-14 season, finishing third in Calder Trophy voting.

Capitalizing on his breakout year, Johnson and the Bolts agreed to a three-year, $10MM contract the following offseason. Despite a few battles with injuries, Johnson sustained his quality two-way efforts throughout that deal, scoring 62 goals and 155 points in 212 games, with a few votes for the Selke Trophy along the way.

His playoff exploits earned him a spot as a fan-favorite in Tampa Bay, scoring 20 goals and 40 points in 43 games from 2015 to 2016, helping the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup Final in 10 years during the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he couldn’t help the Lightning over the hump against a dominant Chicago Blackhawks team, the Lightning were ready to invest in Johnson for the long haul.

Johnson eagerly signed a long-term extension with Tampa Bay, securing a seven-year, $35MM contract beginning in the 2017-18 season. For a deal that looked like a bargain when it was time, Johnson quickly wore out his welcome with the Lightning.

His offensive output cratered, finishing with 72 goals and 150 points in 281 games since signing the contract, with another 11 goals and 23 points in 69 games. Although Johnson helped the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup rings in 2020 and 2021, multiple players had passed him on the team’s depth chart.

Needing more salary cap space after the second half of their back-to-back, the Lightning traded Johnson and a 2023 second-round pick to the Blackhawks the following offseason for Brent Seabrook’s contract (which they would later place on LTIR).

Playing on a far worse team in Chicago, Johnson’s offensive output continued in the wrong direction, finishing the remaining three years on his contract with 32 goals and 70 points in 149 games. After his contract expired, Johnson needed to convert a professional tryout agreement with the Bruins to secure a spot on an NHL roster.

With his name on the Stanley Cup twice, Johnson likely won’t have many regrets about his NHL career. He finished with 193 goals and 433 points in 747 regular-season contests with a +19 rating, 49.4% faceoff percentage, 49.7% CorsiFor% at even strength, and 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength. In the postseason, and only with Tampa Bay, Johnson concluded his playing days with 32 goals and 65 points in 116 contests with a +7 rating.

We at PHR wish Johnson the best in the next phase of his life and career, and we congratulate him on a successful career that includes two Stanley Cup rings.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

East Notes: Rust, Rakell, Boeser, Tambellini

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According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, before inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a new six-year contract, the Carolina Hurricanes were interested in a pair of veteran wingers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hurricanes reportedly called on the availability of Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, and league sources believe one of the two will be dealt this summer.

Given his use of the past tense in his article, it doesn’t appear that Carolina has continued their interest in Rust or Rakell. Still, with more than $10MM in cap space after adding Ehlers, the Hurricanes could conceivably add another top-six winger to their forward group to put themselves over the top in the Eastern Conference.

Neither player has indicated a desire to leave the Penguins organization, but neither has the necessary protection to block a trade outright. If Carolina reconsiders in the offseason, they would likely target Rust for a middle-six role, adding more physicality and playoff experience to a high-skill lineup.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Although they only came away with Jonathan Drouin to improve their offensive woes, the New York Islanders had their eyes on a bigger prize once free agency began. According to a new article from Stefen Rosner in The Elmonters, the Islanders were the highest on the list for winger Brock Boeser, if he wanted to leave Vancouver. Ultimately, although he would have been a tremendous goal-scoring asset for New York, Boeser remained with the Canucks on a new seven-year, $50.75MM deal.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they’ve hired Jeff Tambellini as their new Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations. Tambellini is a former six-year veteran of the NHL, playing for the Islanders, Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings. He had previously worked for the Lightning as a collegiate scout from 2020 to 2022 and the Seattle Kraken’s Director of Player Development from 2022 to 2025.

Sharks Reportedly Looking To Trade Timothy Liljegren, Henry Thrun

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After adding three veteran defensemen since the start of free agency, the San Jose Sharks have a glut of blue-liners on their roster. With a need to trim the ranks, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that the Sharks have made defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Henry Thrun available via trade.

The report is unsurprising given that San Jose is looking to open a role for youngerster Sam Dickinson on the opening night roster. The Sharks drafted Dickinson with the 11th overall selection of the 2024 NHL Draft, and he recently had a career year with the OHL’s London Knights, scoring 29 goals and 91 points in 55 games with a +64 rating.

Assuming that Dickinson will be given every opportunity to earn a spot on the opening night roster, the Sharks will want to remove at least one beforehand. If Dickinson makes the team out of training camp, there’s no reason for San Jose to have nine defensemen on the roster, even with an abundance of salary cap space.

It’s curious that Pagnotta only mentioned Liljegren and Thrun in his initial reporting. The pair of blue liners should have value on the trade market, but only for teams looking to add to their bottom-pairing. If the Sharks are looking to make a trade of substance, Mario Ferraro may be the best candidate.

Last season, Liljegren scored six goals and 17 points in 67 games, while Thrun scored two goals and 12 points in 60. Meanwhile, Ferraro scored five goals and 17 points but averaged more than two minutes higher than his closest counterpart, Liljegren.

Furthermore, given that the Sharks are in a position to balance the handedness of their defensive core for the first time in a while, it would make more sense to trade Ferraro than the other two. That way, Dickinson could be given a spot in the second pairing to begin the 2025-26 campaign, and the team could readily pivot to veteran Nick Leddy should he falter. In the case they keep Ferraro and trade one of Liljegren or Thrun, that means they’d have to play a veteran on his off-hand, put Dickinson on his off-hand, or move a playable option to a depth role.

Flames Not Expected To Trade Nazem Kadri This Offseason

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Given that many teams have struck out in their attempt to secure a top-six center this summer due to a limited market, some have turned their eyes toward Calgary Flames’ Nazem Kadri as a potential option on the trade market. Unfortunately, speaking on TSN’s First Up on Toronto 1050, Darren Dreger indicated that the Flames aren’t looking to trade Kadri just yet.

Although multiple teams are looking to add a top-six center, Kadri may be the hardest to acquire at the time being. He’s signed through the 2028-29 season at $7MM per, and has a full no-movement clause until next summer. Calgary is far likelier to explore a trade when they have some say in the matter, particularly when Kadri’s no-movement clause becomes a 13-team no-trade list in one year.

Still, it’s not hard to see why teams with their eye on contention would be interested in Kadri. After being an integral part of the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup in 2022, Kadri departed for the Flames the following summer, scoring 88 goals and 198 points in 246 games since.

Kadri has not only maintained his ability to produce points, but he has also kept up his physicality and strong possession play on a struggling team. Despite Calgary’s intentions of returning to the postseason sooner rather than later, one must consider how Kadri is interpreting the rebuild with only a few more years to add another Stanley Cup ring to his collection.

As Dreger pointed out, the Flames are much more likely to trade Kadri closer to the trade deadline. As much as his contract would have been a hindrance to competitive teams in the past, a $7MM cap hit could be manageable for most teams as the upper floor of the salary cap continues to head north.

During the early summer months, the Flames have engaged in several negotiations concerning defenseman Rasmus Andersson. If they’re out of contention by next March, Calgary could be setting itself up nicely to get quite the haul for two of the deadline’s most sought-after trade candidates.

Flyers’ Tyson Foerster May Miss Start Of Regular Season

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The Philadelphia Flyers could be missing a valuable top-six winger once the 2025-26 season begins in October. According to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, winger Tyson Foerster may be sidelined at the season’s start due to elbow surgery.

Rather than an orthopedic repair, Foerster’s elbow surgery was intended to remove an infection that had developed after an injury sustained during the 2025 IIHF World Championships. Despite the injury, Foerster had a solid showing throughout the international tournament, scoring two goals and three points in seven games, finishing with a +7 rating.

When asked about the surgery’s recovery timeline, General Manager Daniel Brière said, “He came and saw our doctors and they decided they had to go in and remove the infection. What I’m finding out is it takes a long time for all the samples to come back negative and that’s what we’re still waiting on, we don’t know. At that point, we’ll reevaluate and see if more needs to be done. Or if we’re lucky enough, that’s the end of it and he can move on and be ready for the start of the season. But there’s no guarantee of that, so we’re sitting and waiting right now to see how serious it is or not.”

Fortunately, the Flyers already have a readily available in-house candidate to replace Foerster on the wing if he misses time. Although they’d ultimately like to see him move back to center, recent acquisition Trevor Zegras would be an adequate replacement to place on the second line.

Still, for better or for worse, Philadelphia has its eyes on contention this season, and having Foerster in the lineup helps them do that. Despite the team having a disappointing campaign, Foerster is coming off a career year with the Flyers, scoring 25 goals and 43 points in 81 games, good for second on the team in goal-scoring and fourth in point production.

Alex Delvecchio Passes Away At Age 93

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In sorrowful news, the Detroit Red Wings announced that longtime captain and Hall of Famer, Alex Delvecchio, has passed away at the age of 93.

As one of the most legendary players of his era, Delvecchio began his career from a modest upbringing. He originally joined the Red Wings organization in the 1950-51 NHL season after an impressive run with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He would never don another team’s uniform.

Becoming a focal point of the “Production Line” with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, Delvecchio helped the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup championships in 1952, 1954, and 1955. The 1955 campaign was the last time the Stanley Cup would be in Detroit until the 1996-97 NHL season.

Despite more than five decades having passed since his last game in the NHL, Delvecchio still shows up on many of the Red Wings’ all-time boards. He remains third in games played (1,550), third in goals (456), fourth in assists (825), and third in points (1,281). Before longtime captain Nicklas Lidstrom played his 1,551st game with Detroit during the 2011-12 campaign, Delvecchio had played the most games in NHL history for one team.

Retiring after the 1973-74 season, Delvecchio was quickly named to the NHL’s Hall of Fame in the 1977 class alongside Tim Horton. After concluding his playing career, he served for several years as the head coach and General Manager of Detroit before leaving hockey entirely in 1977. He was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in 2017.

It is with deep sorrow that we share of Delvecchio’s passing, and his invaluable contribution to one of the sport’s most iconic franchises. We at PHR offer our condolences to Delvecchio’s family and loved ones.

Wild Sign Nico Sturm To Two-Year Deal

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3:10 p.m.: It’s a two-year deal for Sturm at $2MM per season, the team announced.

11:45 a.m.: According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Minnesota Wild are closing in on a reunion with free agent center Nico Sturm. The seven-year veteran recently won the second Stanley Cup championship of his career with the Florida Panthers.

The last time Sturm played for the Wild was back in 2021-22. Minnesota traded him to the Colorado Avalanche during that year’s trade deadline, allowing him to win the first Stanley Cup championship of his career. Shortly thereafter, Sturm signed a three-year contract with the San Jose Sharks, only to take a similar path with the Panthers at last year’s deadline.

Throughout his previous four tenures in Minnesota, of which only two he spent most of his time in the NHL, Sturm scored 20 goals and 36 points in 111 contests with a +7 rating. Additionally, he was a net positive in the faceoff dot, securing a 51.3% success rate in over 500 draws.

He’ll likely return to a fourth-line role with the Wild, especially after the team jettisoned Frédérick Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken a few days ago. Sturm won’t bring as much offense to Minnesota’s bottom-six as Gaudreau, but he’s as defensively sound. Unlike several of his peers in Minnesota, Sturm has Stanley Cup experience, which is significant for an organization that has never reached the finals.

Image courtesy of  Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Devils Sign Connor Brown

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After citing Sportsnet’s Gene Principe, Elliotte Friedman reports that the New Jersey Devils are finalizing a four-year, $12MM contract with free agent forward Connor Brown. The Devils later announced the deal, which PuckPedia reports carries a no-move clause through 2026-27 and a 10-team no-trade list in 2027-28 and 2028-29.

Brown will join the Devils after spending the last two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. He joined the club on a one-year, league-minimum contract ahead of the 2023-24 season — seemingly intent on filling the role of bruiser rotated into Edmonton’s top-six. But his first year was marred by slow play, ending in Brown netting just 12 points, four penalty minutes, and a minus-eight through 71 games. He averaged under 13 minutes of ice time a game in that span. But despite the quiet year, Edmonton saw enough to re-sign Brown to a one-year, $1MM contract last summer, folding him back into a team that added multiple other supporting pieces. In a more assured role, Brown climbed back to the productivity that headlined his earlier career, ultimately finishing the season with 13 goals and 30 points in 82 games. He added an additional nine points in 20 playoff games.

While his surge back to the scoresheet is encouraging, Brown still fell well below his previous career-highs this year. He was once a hot depth scorer through four years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and three years with the Ottawa Senators. Brown scored 20 goals and 36 points in his rookie season with Toronto in 2016-17. He continued to rival the 30-point mark through two additional full seasons in Toronto, before moving to Ottawa and discovering another layer to his scoring. His first season with the Senators featured 16 goals and 43 points in 71 games — a mark Brown emphasized with 21 goals and 35 points in 56 games of the shortened 2020-21 season. He capped off his time in Ottawa with 39 points in 64 games, seemingly setting up a strong ramp to his time in Edmonton.

Brown may not have discovered the same scoring with the Oilers, but he brings to New Jersey a veteran presence and hefty style that should slot into the team’s bottom-six. He’ll be an imposing role player who could offer 15 or 20-goal upside with the right swing. His role should come alongside Dawson Mercer at the team’s third-line center role, though Brown will have to earn that spot over Nolan Foote, Nathan Legare, and Juho Lammikko.

Rangers To Sign Vladislav Gavrikov To Seven-Year Contract

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As expected, the New York Rangers are finalizing a contract for unrestricted free agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to announce the news. Shortly thereafter, LeBrun shared that it’ll be a seven-year, $49MM agreement for Gavrikov in the Big Apple.

PuckPedia was quick to report the financial breakdown of Gavrikov’s new deal with the Rangers:

  • Year 1: $1MM salary, $8MM signing bonus
  • Year 2: $1MM salary, $8MM signing bonus
  • Year 3: $1MM salary, $6.65MM signing bonus
  • Year 4: $1MM salary, $5.55MM signing bonus
  • Year 5: $1MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
  • Year 6: $3.4MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
  • Year 7: $5.4MM salary

Additionally, PuckPedia shared that Gavrikov will have a full no-movement clause in the first five years of the deal, before transitioning to a 20-team modified no-trade clause in the sixth year, and a 15-team modified no-trade clause in the seventh season.

Due to the contract being paid out mostly in signing bonuses, it explains why Gavrikov signed for nearly $11MM less than comparable defenseman Ivan Provorov. He’ll now move to the third organization of his career and become the top-four shutdown defenseman that the Rangers have coveted for some time. And he’s one of the better shutdown blue liners, at that.

Over the past three years, Gavrikov has scored at a moderate pace, managing 22 goals and 105 points in 311 games between the Blue Jackets and Kings. Averaging over 22 minutes a night over that stretch, Gavrikov also totalled 507 blocked shots and 303 hits.

Although he maintained quality defensive metrics throughout his tenure in Columbus, Gavrikov improved dramatically upon his move to Los Angeles. During his two-and-a-half-year run with the Kings, Gavrikov managed a 53.5% CorsiFor% at even strength and an on-ice save percentage of 91.4% at even strength.

Gavrikov’s signing looks even better for the Rangers, considering they already employ one of the league’s top netminders. Last season, the Rangers produced the sixth-worst shots against total, but were able to finish around the mid-way point of the league in GA/G. Similarly, New York finished with the 11th-best penalty kill, meaning Gavrikov will help the team dramatically at even strength with a man disadvantage.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Lightning Re-Sign Gage Goncalves To Two-Year Contract

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According to a team announcement, the Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed restricted free agent forward Gage Goncalves to a two-year, $2.4MM contract, with an AAV of $1.2MM.

Goncalves did well in his first real opportunity with the Lightning last season. Typically in a bottom-six role, Goncalves scored eight goals and 20 points in 60 contests, averaging 12:48 of ice time per game. Even in limited action and ice time, Goncalves’ physicality came through, finishing eighth on the team in hits with 71 checks.

A natural winger, he’s expected to remain in a similar role with the Lightning next season, making this a fair contract for both sides. Goncalves could theoretically move up the lineup in case of injury. Still, he doesn’t represent a better option than any of Tampa Bay’s other available wingers when the team is healthy.

Fortunately for the Lightning, the deal will keep Goncalves in Florida until his age-26 season, and they’ll still have another year of team control when Goncalves becomes a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season. He’ll become eligible for arbitration when that time comes.

Given their lack of available cap space this offseason, the best path forward for the Lightning was retaining Goncalves, rather than finding someone to replace him in the team’s bottom six. He had fairly quality possession metrics with a 50.4% CorsiFor%, and held his own in the defensive zone with a 92.2% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

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