Central Notes: Hayton, Soderstrom, Kumpulainen, Stars
After an aggressive start to the offseason the Utah Hockey Club still has some work to do regarding a pair of restricted free agents. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports Utah is closing in on a deal with forward Barrett Hayton and there has been no progress towards a new contract for defenseman Victor Soderstrom.
Hayton looked to be moving into the second-line center position for the 2023-24 NHL season after posting strong numbers in 2022-23. The former fifth-overall pick scored 19 goals and 43 points for the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes in 82 games while achieving a 51.1% success rate in the faceoff dot. Unfortunately, the 2023-24 season was not as kind to Hayton as he wasn’t able to get much consistency while dealing with injuries. In a major step backward in his development, Hayton posted three goals and 10 points in 33 games even while starting his shifts in the offensive zone 56.6% of the time.
Soderstrom spent most of the year with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. In 62 games at the AHL level, Soderstrom scored nine goals and 32 points which tied him in fourth on the team in scoring and first amongst defensemen. The former 11th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft may be serviceable as an extra defenseman on a revamped Utah blue line for the 2024-25 NHL season but could become a trade candidate towards the end of the offseason. Soderstrom has proven to be a quality offensive defenseman in the minor leagues and may be looking for a legitimate opportunity at the NHL level which has not come yet.
Other Central notes:
- The Minnesota Wild have loaned prospect Rasmus Kumpulainen to the Lahden Pelicans of the Finnish Liiga where he is also signing a two-year contract according to the team. Minnesota drafted Kumpulainen with the 53rd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft out of the Pelicans’ farm system where he had spent all of his professional career. The young Finnish prospect spent last year with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League where he scored 28 goals and 56 points in 58 games and will now return to his hometown team to continue his development.
- In a ‘first-of-its-kind’ move from the Dallas Stars organization; the team announced it had severed its ties with Diamond Sports Group for broadcasting the team’s games on television and will enter a seven-year agreement with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC). In conjunction with the new broadcasting agreement, APMC and the Stars organization have set up a new streaming service named VICTORY+ which will allow in-market fans of the team to stream the games for free. In regards to the new methods of distributing game content, President of the Dallas Stars and CEO Brad Alberts said, “After years of researching the right solution and careful planning with our partners at APMC, we’re proud to announce this pioneering streaming platform that will literally change the game for sports distribution on VICTORY+“.
Avalanche Sign Calum Ritchie To Entry-Level Deal
The Colorado Avalanche may have found an answer to their lack of depth up front as they’ve announced a three-year, entry-level contract with forward Calum Ritchie. The deal carries a cap hit of $950K and an AAV of $1.19MM including bonuses, per PuckPedia. The organization selected Ritchie as the 27th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft with their highest selection since the 2020 NHL Draft.
During his draft year, the assistant captain for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL scored 24 goals and 59 points in 59 games while collecting another two goals and six points in five postseason contests. Ritchie also performed markedly well during the under-18 World Junior Championship on Team Canada as he scored three goals and nine points in seven tournament games en route to a gold medal.
While retaining the ‘A’ on his jersey for the 2023-24 OHL campaign, Ritchie took a big step forward offensively. After missing the first 17 games of the season due to a shoulder injury the young forward rebounded with 28 goals and 80 points in 50 games. He was also one of the best players in the postseason for Oshawa as he scored eight goals and 30 points in 21 games but ultimately failed to help his team get past the London Knights in the OHL Finals.
The biggest asset in Ritchie’s game, which may allow him to crack Colorado’s roster out of training camp, is his ability to play off the puck. The Avalanche have several players able to drive singularly drive the play on their roster and Ritchie could act as a solid complimentary piece to those players. He also carries a physical edge to his game which Colorado has been looking for from their forwards for the last several years.
Poll: Which Team Has Had The Best Offseason?
There have been several notable events of the current offseason with draft selections, trades, and marquee free agent signings. Several teams have aggressively gotten a leg up on the competition while others are putting the building blocks together for a successful future. For different reasons, the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals have all had successful offseasons up to this point.
As arguably the most aggressive team once free agency opened up on July 1st, the Predators added $20.5MM to their 2024-25 salary cap total by signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. The team also committed to their goaltender by signing Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92MM extension that will kick in for the 2025-26 season. Nashville made the playoffs without this trio of players last year and is well-positioned to get into the top three of the NHL’s Central Division. The Predators finished the 2023-24 season averaging 3.24 GF/G (10th) and a 21.56% powerplay rate (16th) and could come close to leading the league in both categories next season.
The Sharks benefitted from being the team with the first overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft this summer and used it to select Macklin Celebrini out of Boston University. Celebrini has already committed to San Jose next year after signing his entry-level contract while the team will also see the fourth-overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Will Smith, join the team. These two alone will make the Sharks far more exciting to watch after finishing the 2023-24 season with 19 wins, and the team also added Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg, and Ty Dellandrea up front.
Unexpectedly one of the most active teams this offseason, the general manager of the Lightning, Julien BriseBois, showed off his skills as a salary cap manipulator. After picking up defenseman Ryan McDonagh from the Predators before the draft, the team moved out Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot in separate trades that brought back J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, Utah’s second-round pick in 2025, Los Angeles’ second-round pick in 2025, Los Angeles’ fourth-round pick in 2024, and Utah’s seventh-round pick in 2024. They also added the market’s biggest fish, Jake Guentzel on a respectable seven-year, $63MM contract. Unfortunately, all the moves couldn’t stop the team from losing their captain, as Stamkos left the organization via the free agent market.
The Capitals were certainly not happy about being swept in Round One of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs and want to prove they are not solely focused on Alex Ovechkin breaking the all-time goal-scoring record. The front office took major steps in building up their defensive core as the team brought in Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy which should certainly help the team improve upon their 3.07 GA/G average from the 2023-24 season. Washington also brought in goaltender Logan Thompson and his $766K salary from the Vegas Golden Knights for a pair of third-round selections as insurance for Charlie Lindgren. Lastly, to fill the team’s second-line center vacancy, the Capitals brought in the controversial Pierre-Luc Dubois in a trade with the Kings in one of the riskier moves of the offseason.
It’s been an exciting offseason up to this point, with plenty of action from all around the league. Which team has stood out the most in having the best summer up to this point? Vote below!
Which Team Has Had The Best Offseason?
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Nashville Predators 51% (1,050)
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Other (Comment Below) 23% (461)
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Washington Capitals 11% (230)
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San Jose Sharks 9% (178)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 6% (121)
Total votes: 2,040
Which Teams Make Sense For A Jeremy Swayman Offer Sheet?
The deadline for teams to elect for arbitration came and went yesterday afternoon. Notably, the Boston Bruins decided not to elect for salary arbitration with goaltender Jeremy Swayman leaving them vulnerable to a potential offer sheet since Swayman himself did not elect either. The Bruins have $8.6MM in cap space to deal with their lone restricted free agent but several teams could put Boston in trouble.
A hypothetical offer sheet for Swayman would likely come in at the ‘Tier Five’ range which would need a salary of $6.87MM-$9.16MM and would require the signing team to send their upcoming first, second, and third-round picks (the picks may not be the original property of another team) to the Bruins if they are unwilling to match. Boston would likely match a max offer for Swayman even if it approaches the $9.16MM range but they would become uncomfortably close to the salary cap ceiling for the upcoming season.
According to CapFriendly, the only teams able to sign Swayman to a deal in that range would be the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Seattle Kraken. The Sabres and Red Wings seem unlikely as they will have limited cap space to make moves once they sign the rest of their restricted free agents while the Predators and Islanders already have established goaltenders at the NHL level. Additionally, the Flyers and Kraken don’t hold enough cap space to cause Boston problems.
So why not theorize about reigniting one of the best rivalries in the game?
The Canadiens only have two pending restricted free agents left to sign with just over $10MM in space in Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron. Neither player projects to cut too much into that cap and wouldn’t necessarily prohibit Montreal from making a move of this magnitude. The Canadiens are not far removed from making a statement via offer sheet as they infamously signed Sebastian Aho to a five-year, $42.27MM offer later matched by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Montreal could open up additional cap space this summer by trading Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia for nothing in return. By trading away both players, the Canadiens could open up nearly $8MM in cap space and could easily give their roster spots to younger players. This is still without factoring in their trump card.
As of right now, former goaltender Carey Price‘s $10.5MM salary for the upcoming season has not been officially factored into the Canadiens’ LTIR space. Montreal would not need to put Price’s contract on LTIR space at all this season but if they choose to, their cap space would buoy up to $20.68MM — giving the Canadiens all the room in the world to safely add Swayman’s contract.
The draft picks that would need to go back to Boston would be a manageable cost for the Canadiens. Through several different trades, Montreal holds a conditional first-round pick from the Calgary Flames in 2025, Pittsburgh’s second-round selection in 2025, a conditional third-round pick from New Jersey in 2025, and Vancouver’s third-round pick in 2025. Even if the Canadiens had to part with their first, second, and third-round picks for the 2025 NHL Draft, they would still make four selections in the first three rounds.
The major drawback of signing Swayman to an offer sheet would be the negative consequences to the Canadiens’ current starting netminder, Sam Montembeault. Montembeault did not have an earth-shattering performance last season but still produced a 16-15-9 record in 40 starts with a .903 save percentage and 3.14 GAA. Montreal’s brass committed to Montembeault based on his performance by signing him to a three-year, $9.45MM extension on December 1st, 2023.
Montembeault’s consistency doesn’t come close to Swayman’s performance in Boston; however, as the netminder has produced a 79-33-15 record in 125 starts while collecting an impressive .919 SV% and 2.34 GAA throughout his career. The Canadiens can procure one of the best goaltenders in the game while subsequently punching up at their bitter rivals.
Blue Jackets Not Interested In Joel Quenneville
The Columbus Blue Jackets remain the only team without a head coach for the 2024-25 NHL season as Don Waddell fired previous bench boss Pascal Vincent on June 17th. Since being reinstated by the league on July 1st, multiple reports have linked Joel Quenneville with the head coaching vacancy in Columbus. However, it appears Quenneville will have to wait for a new NHL home as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports the Blue Jackets have no interest in Quenneville.
Quenneville unceremoniously resigned from his previous position as head coach of the Florida Panthers during the 2021-22 season after league investigations unearthed his involvement in the Kyle Beach sexual assault allegations against then-video coach Brad Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. According to reporting, Quenneville diminished the matter at hand due to eliminating ‘distractions’ during the Chicago Blackhawks’ quest for the Stanley Cup.
Upon his resignation, Quenneville said, “I want to express my sorrow for the pain this young man, Kyle Beach, has suffered. My former team – the Blackhawks — failed Kyle and I own my share of that. I want to reflect on how all this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone“. After nearly three years away from the game, league commissioner Gary Bettman decided that Quenneville and others were eligible for reinstatement due to, “each of these three individuals has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership“.
Outside of the obvious controversy from the 2010 playoffs, Quenneville sits just behind legendary coach Scotty Bowman for the most wins in NHL history behind the bench. The veteran head coach has spent 25 years in the NHL between the St. Louis Blues (eight years), Colorado Avalanche (three years), Chicago Blackhawks (11 years), and Florida Panthers (three years). Over that stretch, Quenneville has compiled a record of 969-572-77-150 over 1,768 games and has made the playoffs 20 times with three Stanley Cup rings.
This takes one name off the list for Columbus as the team looks to rebound from a disastrous season in 2023-24. The Blue Jackets have not made the postseason since the 2019-20 season and have finished last place in the Metropolitan Division three out of the past four years. The next head coach for the franchise will be important as Columbus has legitimate talent on the roster such as Johnny Gaudreau and a wealth of prospects on the way.
Snapshots: Snuggerud, Keenan, Carrick
The St. Louis Blues will have to wait for the end of another collegiate season to see former first-round pick Jimmy Snuggerud make the full-time jump to the NHL. However, that may be the maximum length of time the team will have to wait as general manager Doug Armstrong believes Snuggerud can join the team towards the end of next season (Subscription Article).
The Blues organization drafted Snuggerud with the 23rd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft and he has spent the last two seasons at the University of Minnesota. During that time, Snuggerud has been an impactful player at the NCAA level as he’s scored 42 goals and 84 points in 79 games with the Gophers. The St. Louis prospect will hope that the third time is a charm for his National Championship dreams as the Gophers finished as runner-ups in 2022-23 and lost in the Regional Final this season to Boston University.
Despite his reputation as a promising prospect in the Blues organization, it may be difficult for Snuggerud to find a comfortable position in the lineup as the team has considerably improved its forward depth over the summer. If St. Louis finds themselves out of the playoff race by the time Snuggerud makes the jump to the NHL, they may have to part with Radek Faksa or Kasperi Kapanen in some manner to make room in their everyday lineup.
Other snapshots:
- Legendary head coach Mike Keenan will not return as Team Italy’s head coach as he transitions to a consulting role while recovering from open heart surgery (X Link). Keenan had been serving as head coach of Italy’s national team since his ouster as head coach of the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2022. It appears Keenan’s career as a head coach may be coming to an official close. Infamously, Keenan spent 25 years as a head coach in the NHL while combining for a 672-531-147-36 record while being the first coach to win a Stanley Cup and Gagarin Cup.
- Veteran defenseman of the American Hockey League, Trevor Carrick, will return to his original home as the Charlotte Checkers announced he has signed a two-year AHL deal with the franchise. Carrick spent the first five years of his professional career within the Carolina Hurricanes organization where he compiled 40 goals and 181 points for the Checkers in 347 games. Carrick has spent the last four years bouncing between the San Diego Gulls and Syracuse Crunch where he has continued to be one of the top offensive defensemen in the league.
Flyers Sign Jett Luchanko To Entry-Level Contract
The Philadelphia Flyers have put pen to paper with their first-round pick of the 2024 NHL Draft as the team announced it had signed forward Jett Luchanko to a three-year, entry-level contract. Luchanko was the 13th overall pick of last week’s draft and the Flyers organization did not seem comfortable letting him walk away from the team’s development camp without a deal in place.
Luchanko’s immediate attribute whenever he hits the ice is his energy. During his time in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm Luchanko is consistently seen tailing opposition players with the puck and transitioning the play into offense. Throughout his second year in the Storm program, Luchanko scored 20 goals and 74 points in 68 games while leading his team in all major offensive categories.
Even though he consistently steals pucks from his opponents, Luchanko appears to be in their good graces as he won the OHL’s William Hanley Trophy as the league’s most sportsmanlike player. Outside of the regular season, Luchanko has been unable to generate much playoff production as he’s tallied four assists over 10 postseason contests throughout his major junior career. The young forward is bound to return to Guelph for the 2024-25 OHL season as he could still use some seasoning before turning professional.
Luchanko also has some experience at the international level as he suited up for Team Canada in the 2024 Under-18 World Junior Championships. The London, Ontario native quickly became one of the top players in the tournament as he scored two goals and seven points in seven games en route to Team Canada winning their first gold medal since the tournament in 2021.
Carolina Hurricanes Pursuing Nikolaj Ehlers
One of the storylines heading into the 2024 offseason was the number of players on the trading block. Although a few players have already been moved to new clubs, Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets has still not found a new home. Hoping to change that, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported yesterday that the Carolina Hurricanes are pushing heavily for Ehlers’ services.
Carolina’s interest comes as no surprise with the team losing Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, and Stefan Noesen on the free-agent market in only a week. Acquiring a player of Ehlers caliber could help soften the blow for the Hurricanes as they look to continue their dominance in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division during the regular season. Carolina would also present a natural trade partner for Winnipeg as they have a change-of-scenery candidate, as well.
The likelihood of Carolina moving on from forward Martin Necas has certainly dissipated over the last several days as the Hurricanes may be better served by signing the restricted free agent to contract with the amount of depth they lost up front. However, if Carolina is still looking to trade Necas, a one-for-one swap with the Jets might make the most sense. Assuming that both players are willing to discuss an extension as a part of the deal — a trade involving Ehlers for Necas might be the easiest path forward for both sides.
Ehlers style of play would fit seamlessly in Carolina as he has one of the better possession games in the league. Throughout his tenure in Winnipeg dating back to the 2015-16 NHL season, Ehlers has scored 201 goals and 457 points in 605 games while averaging a CorsiFor% of 57.6% over that stretch. The biggest criticism of Ehlers’ game, and simultaneously for the Hurricanes, is his lack of performance during the postseason as he’s only scored four goals and 14 points in 37 playoff contests.
Blackhawks Sign Artyom Levshunov To Entry-Level Contract
The last of the top-three selections of the 2024 NHL Draft has signed his entry-level contract as the Chicago Blackhawks announced they have signed the second overall pick, Artyom Levshunov. Levshunov foregoes his sophomore season at Michigan State University to compete for a spot on the Blackhawks’ opening night roster out of training camp.
Immediately becoming the best defensive prospect in the organization under contract with this move, the Blackhawks will take care of Levshunov’s development for the rest of the way. Chicago’s general manager, Kyle Davidson, praised Levshunov after the signing, “Signing Artyom gives us the opportunity to continue his development in house and take the next step into professional hockey. He’s a strong two-way defenseman that has all the tools to be a high-end player in the NHL and we’re excited to continue his growth at the pro level“.
Levshunov joined the Spartans after spending one season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL where he recorded 13 goals and 42 points in 62 games. The young Belarusian defenseman grew his game extensively upon reaching the NCAA ranks by scoring nine goals and 35 points in 38 games while earning a +27 rating. At the end of the 2023-24 NCAA season, Levshunov made the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team in addition to being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
The Spartans also recorded one of their best seasons in recent history on the backs of Levshunov. Michigan State finished first in the Conference for the first time since the 2000-01 season and beat their rival University of Michigan in the Conference Championship. Unfortunately for Levshunov and the Spartans, the team would have their season ended in the Regional Final of the 2024 Frozen Four in an act of retribution from the Wolverines.
The Blackhawks organization may do well to start Levshunov in the American Hockey League with their affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Levshunov should get plenty of ice time down in the AHL and can build up confidence in his game at the professional level before joining the team in Chicago when they are ready to take the next step in their rebuild.
Capitals Sign Cam Allen To Entry-Level Contract
The Washington Capitals got some work done today regarding one of the draft selections from the 2023 NHL Draft. The organization announced they have signed defenseman Cam Allen to a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $866.7K at the NHL level.
The Capitals drafted Allen with the 136th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft out of the Guelph Storm program of the Ontario Hockey League. During his draft season, Allen scored five goals and 25 points for the Storm in 62 games which was good for third on the team in scoring amongst defensemen. There may be concerns about Allen’s discipline as he finished second on the team in penalty minutes with 72.
This past season, Allen only managed to suit up in 25 games for Guelph as he recovered from an injury towards the beginning of the season. The young defenseman scored two goals and nine points for the Storm down the stretch while collecting 23 penalty minutes and posting a -7 rating. Allen was largely ineffective in Guelph’s appearance in the OHL playoffs this year as he registered zero points in four games and the team was quickly swept in the first round by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Before the 2023 NHL Draft, Allen was ranked 12th among North American defensemen by NHL Central Scouting due to his play for Team Canada at the international level. During his draft year, Allen scored one goal and seven points over five games in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and four assists in seven games during the under-18 World Junior Championship. Allen served as team captain on both renditions of Team Canada’s roster.