Summer Synopsis: Los Angeles Kings
Not that long ago, the Los Angeles Kings were locked in a battle almost every year with the Chicago Blackhawks as the top team in the Western Conference, sharing five Stanley Cups between the two teams in a six-year span. Los Angeles still has Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty from those dynastic teams in the early 2010s but has also engaged in a remarkable re-tool under General Manager, Rob Blake, once again becoming a contending team in the Western Conference.
After missing the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, the Kings have made the playoffs in back-to-back years, losing in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers each time. In a wide-open Western Conference playoff picture, Los Angeles is knocking on the door to get their aging veterans one more run. This offseason, the Kings made some prudent moves to put themselves over the top, but still have some questions surrounding their roster.
Draft
2-54: D Jakub Dvorak, Bílí Tygři (Czechia)
3-78: F Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George (WHL)
4-118: G Hampton Slukynsky, Warroad High (USHS-MN)
5-150: D Matthew Mania, Sudbury (OHL)
6-182: F Ryan Conmy, Sioux City (USHL)
With an eye on the long-term, it was all but certain that the Kings were going to use their first selection in the 2023 NHL Draft on a defenseman. They already have a decent amount of offensively talented defensemen in their system, so selecting a shut-down defenseman such as Dvorak makes a lot of sense. In 24 games for Bílí Tygři last season, Dvorak would only tally two assists, however; it is very clear from watching him play that he is extremely effective in using his body to knock opposing players off of the puck.
Although Dvorak was a solid choice for the long-term, Ziemmer could potentially be the Kings’ best player coming out of this draft. There are some serious concerns with his skating ability, and that could lead to the reason he fell so far in the draft, but Ziemmer has an undeniable ability to score. Playing on a solid Prince George team in the WHL last year, Ziemmer put up 41 goals and 48 assists in 68 games, also tallying three goals and four assists in 10 playoff games.
Trade Acquisitions
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (from Winnipeg)
Executing one of the biggest trades of the offseason, the Kings were able to bring in an excellent second-line center without surrendering a first-round pick in the deal. Shortly before the deal, in what would become a sign-and-trade acquisition, Dubois signed an eight-year, $68MM contract with the Winnipeg Jets, which should hopefully keep him in Los Angeles for quite some time.
There are clear concerns with Dubois, as both his exit from the Columbus Blue Jackets and again in Winnipeg were surrounded by drama. Historically, throughout his career, Dubois has never seemed content with where he is playing. However, with a long-term deal in place, the expectation should be that Dubois commits to that contract, and spends the next eight seasons with the Kings.
Regardless of the controversy that has surrounded his career up to this point, Dubois is coming off two solid seasons with the Jets. Over the last two years, Dubois has played in 154 games, scoring 55 goals and 68 assists, showing that he can be a very reliable second-line center. He also provides a physical presence given his large frame and has carried substantial possession numbers as well. Given his style of play, and the players he will be joining in Los Angeles, Dubois projects as an above-average pickup for the Kings.
Key UFA Signings
D Andreas Englund (two years, $2MM)
D Joe Hicketts (one year, $775K)*
F Trevor Lewis (one year, $775K)
F Mikhail Maltsev (one year, $775K)*
G David Rittich (one year, $875K)
D Steven Santini (one year, $800K)*
G Cam Talbot (one year, $1MM)
* denotes two-way contract
Seeing most of their cap space eaten up after the contract given to Dubois, the Kings primarily spent the offseason nibbling around the edges in the free-agent market. They were able to iron out their depth at all positions, bringing back Lewis as well as bringing in Englund to beef up the bottom pairing of their defensive core.
After seeing Joonas Korpisalo depart after a shaky performance in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the team brought in Talbot to shore up their goaltending depth, but the acquisition seemingly has brought up more questions than answers. In the team’s defense, their rival, the Vegas Golden Knights, just won the Stanley Cup from an unlikely performance out of goaltender Adin Hill, but a tandem of Pheonix Copley and Talbot doesn’t appear as a strength to the team.
Getting an honorable mention is the team’s ability to retain defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov with a two-year, $11.75MM contract. Technically not a UFA signing given that the contract was signed well before July 1st, it was a prudent move by Blake to strengthen the team’s blue line. After being acquired at last year’s trade deadline, Gavrikov was exactly what Los Angeles needed, providing valuable minutes of shut-down defense.
Key Departures
F Lias Andersson (Montreal, one-year, $775K)
F Alex Iafallo (traded to Winnipeg)
G Joonas Korpisalo (Ottawa, five years, $20MM)
F Rasmus Kupari (traded to Winnipeg)
F Zack MacEwen (Ottawa, three years, $2.33MM)
F Gabriel Vilardi (traded to Winnipeg)
Luckily, the Kings didn’t stand to lose much in free agency. Their major loss is Korpisalo in net, as besides the playoffs last year, gave the Kings a 7-3-1 record down the stretch, earning a .921 SV% and a 2.13 GAA in 11 starts. Given the contract that Korpisalo signed with the Senators, Los Angeles was simply priced out of his market, even if they did want to retain him. 
Their most significant departures come via the Dubois trade. Acquiring a player of Dubois’ ability, the team had to depart with a trio of solid forwards in Iafallo, Kupari, and Vilardi. Last season, in somewhat of a breakout season, Vilardi scored 23 goals and 18 assists in 63 games played, and should be able to improve on those numbers in Winnipeg with more access to playing time. As for Iafallo, after signing a four-year, $16MM extension with the Kings back in 2021, has not been able to live up to his cap hit since then. Lastly, although he was a first-round selection of the Kings back in 2018, Kupari still has much to prove in the NHL.
Salary Cap Outlook
If the roster enters the season completely healthy, Los Angeles will be very limited this season to make acquisitions to improve their team. According to CapFriendly, the team has a bit over $120K in salary cap space, meaning they will likely have to move salary out if they do make an in-season trade.
Next offseason, the Kings currently have approximately $61MM in committed contracts, and will also carry the $2.025MM of retained salary for the next two years in the deal they facilitated to land Ivan Provorov in Columbus. If the salary cap ceiling increases to the degree that it is currently projected next year, Los Angeles should have a bit more breathing room to continue to improve their roster.
Key Questions
Will The Goaltending Hold Up? As mentioned previously, far and away the biggest question surrounding the Kings is their goaltending. Copley did well last year holding down the fort until the team’s acquisition of Korpisalo at the deadline, but it is difficult to expect a repeat performance of that degree. For Talbot, he famously struggled down the stretch for the Senators last season, souring all chances of the team making the playoffs. Los Angeles does have a solid defensive core, which may mask any inefficiencies coming from between the pipes for the most part, but the Kings will more than likely have to procure another goaltender at the 2024 trade deadline.
How Long Is This Team’s Window? Still being the top two players on the team after so many years, Los Angeles is inching closer and closer to facing a hard truth in regards to both Doughty and Kopitar. Both players are extended until at least the 2025-26 NHL season, but at 33 and 36 years old respectively, the Kings cannot afford a situation similar to what the Boston Bruins have had this summer. With their play, neither player has given any indication they won’t be top performers for the next several years, but Los Angeles may want to start preparing now for the inevitable departure of Doughty and Kopitar to retirement in the near future.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Seattle Kraken Sign Mitch Reinke
Saturday: The Kraken have officially announced Reinke’s signing.
Friday: In a confirmed transaction according to CapFriendly, the Seattle Kraken have signed forward Mitch Reinke to a one-year, $775K two-way contract for the 2023-24 NHL season. Reinke had previously spent the last two seasons playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.
Carrying only one NHL game under his belt during the last five seasons, Reinke once looked to be one of the top players in the NHL’s highest minor league system. In his first full pro campaign during the 2018-19 AHL season, Reinke would impress with 12 goals and 33 assists in 76 games for the San Antonio Rampage, good for second on the team in scoring that year. Unfortunately, primarily due to injuries, Reinke has not reached close to that point total since.
Spending his first three years in the St. Louis Blues organization, Reinke would join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in 2021 after being non-tendered that summer. Still dealing with mild injury concerns over his two-year stint for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Reinke would dramatically increase his assist total compared to his final two seasons spent for the Blues’ AHL affiliates. Last year, only playing in 52 games, Reinke would score only one goal but still notched 26 assists on the year.
It would be an unlikely circumstance to see Reinke join the Kraken next year, but if healthy, should become a solid contributor to their AHL team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In their inaugural season last year, the Firebirds would finish second in the Pacific Division, marching all the way to the Calder Cup Finals, losing to the Hershey Bears in six games.
Summer Synopsis: Dallas Stars
Over the last four seasons, the Dallas Stars have had a tumultuous run in the Western Conference. Now four years ago, the team made a run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, only to miss the playoffs entirely in the shortened 2020-21 season. The year after, the Stars would barely reach the playoffs, clinching the second wild-card spot. Rebounding nicely, Dallas would return to the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, earning big series wins against the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion, the Vegas Golden Knights.
With limited cap space this summer, the team had little finances to work with to notably improve the club, but many would argue they did the absolute best with what they had available to them. Carrying young stars such as Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, and Roope Hintz on their roster, mixed with veterans such as Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Joe Pavelski, the Stars are poised to once again reach solid playoff positioning, and may even be an under-the-radar team to fully contend for the Stanley Cup.
Draft
2-61: D Tristan Bertucci, Flint (OHL)
3-79: F Brad Gardiner, Ottawa (OHL)
4-125: D Aram Minnetian, USNTDP (USHL)
5-157: G Arno Tiefensee, Adler Mannheim (DEL)
6-189: F Angus MacDonell, Mississauga (OHL)
7-221: F Sebastian Bradshaw, Elite Hockey Academy (AYHL)
Thanks to the trade that landed Nils Lundkvist in Texas, the Stars were without their first-round pick for the 2023 NHL Draft. Their first selection in Bertucci falls under the umbrella of ‘the rich getting richer’. Last season, although having standout goaltender Jake Oettinger between the pipes, Dallas employed one of the best defensive cores in the league. By almost every metric, the team excelled in keeping the puck out of the net, and with Bertucci being the strong shutdown defender he is, he should see his game translate very well to the Stars’ style of play.
The most under-the-radar selection by the team would be their sixth-round pick in MacDonell. At the OHL trade deadline, MacDonell was acquired by the Mississauga Steelheads from the Sarnia Sting, where he would score 17 goals and 7 assists in 31 games after the move. More importantly; however, is that MacDonell proved to be an exceptional player in clutch situations. In six OHL playoff games for the Steelheads, MacDonell would score three goals and two assists, as well as scoring one goal and four assists in seven games for the Canadian U18 National Team during the 2023 World Junior Championships.
Key UFA Signings
D Gavin Bayreuther (one year, $775K)
F Matt Duchene (one year, $3MM)
D Derrick Pouliot (one year, $775K)*
F Craig Smith (one year, $1MM)
F Sam Steel (one year, $850K)
*-denotes two-way contract
Far and away the biggest addition to the Stars roster comes in adding Duchene to a one-year deal this summer. Given that Dallas’ first line is largely set, Duchene should factor in nicely to the team’s second line. Only scoring 56 points as a top forward for the Nashville Predators during the 2022-23 season, Duchene is only one year removed from a 44-goal, 86-point performance. Given the team’s performance in Nashville last season, most of Duchene’s performance stats did drop, but only subtly. Given this, Duchene should rebound nicely, especially with more talent surrounding him in Dallas. 
Steel represents one of the more interesting free-agent additions this offseason. He had the best season of his career last year in Minnesota, scoring 10 goals and 18 assists in 65 games played, but it is difficult to see where exactly he fits in Dallas’ lineup. He did carry solid possession numbers last year for the Wild, but aside from that, does not impress much in the way of defensive metrics, meaning he may not be a solid option for a bottom-six role in the Stars’ roster. He could factor into the mix given an injury to the team’s middle-six, but Steel appears destined for an extra forward spot this upcoming season.
Key RFA Signings
F Nicholas Caamano (one-year, $775K)*
F Riley Damiani (one-year, $775K)*
F Ty Dellandrea (one-year, $900K)
F Scott Reedy (one-year, $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
After a couple of seasons spent primarily with Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, Dellandrea burst onto the scene during the 2022-23 NHL season. In 82 games played, the young forward would score nine goals and 19 assists, good for ninth on the team as a 23-year-old. As his time on ice inevitably increases from above 14 minutes a game, Dellandrea will also see his scoring output increase, even though his other talents are the key for the Stars.
His possession numbers have left a lot to be desired, but Dellandrea’s defensive metrics are inspiring in a middle-six role for an NHL player. Last season, his oiSV% reached a total of 90.6%, and he was also able to contribute heavily to the team’s physical outlook, throwing 125 hits over the year. Given their current roster, it is difficult to see Dellandrea earning a top-six role this season, but as he improves, the Stars become a deeper team overall.
Key Departures
F Max Domi (Toronto, one-year, $3MM)
F Rhett Gardner (Philadelphia, two-year, $1.55MM)
D Benjamin Gleason (Edmonton, one-year, $775K)
F Luke Glendening (Tampa Bay, two-year, $1.6MM)
F Joel Kiviranta (Colorado, PTO)
D Ryan Shea (Pittsburgh, one-year, $775K)
F Marian Studenic (Seattle, one-year, $775K)
F Riley Tufte (Colorado, one-year, $775K)
G Dylan Wells (Nashville, PTO)
Unfortunately, the Stars did lose one of their top playoff performers last year in Domi. Although not performing incredibly well after the team acquired him at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, Domi did score three goals and 10 assists in 19 playoff games for Dallas, which would land him at fourth best on the team. Thankfully, and especially with the addition of Duchene to the top of their forward group, Domi should be easily replaceable moving forward.
Glendening will be a bit harder to replace, but not for the same reasons. Not known much for his offensive performance, Glendening excels tremendously in the faceoff circle. During his two-year stint in Dallas, Glendening would finish with an absurd 58.9% faceoff win percentage, one of the best in the league. Both Benn and Radek Faksa do well in the dot, but Dallas did not do much to replace Glendening in the dot this summer.
Salary Cap Outlook
Dallas is one of the highest-paying teams in the league, clocking in at 11th overall in spending heading into the 2023-24 NHL season. The team still has four years and $39.4MM left on Seguin’s contract but does not have much to worry about for next year. Most of the team’s young talent is signed into 2025-26 or beyond, meaning as much as they are spending, they won’t need to spend more in the near future.
There are some fringe players, such as Faksa and Ryan Suter who could be considered ‘overpaid’, but they will conclude before the Stars need to dole out any long-term contracts to some of their younger stars. For the best interest of the team, it would likely benefit Dallas to shed a bit of space before the trade deadline, therefore easily fitting in whatever needs they deem needed for a 2024 playoff push.
Key Questions
What To Do With Seguin? : Still averaging around 50 points a season, Seguin no longer is worth the massive contract extension the Stars gave him shortly before the 2018-19 season. He has stayed relatively healthy and is more than capable of scoring 20 goals a season, but Dallas could certainly do better. It will be hard to move Seguin given his $9.85MM AAV, so the team will have to employ him in a way that is most advantageous to their success. Nevertheless, the Stars are moving in a direction, especially given their salary cap situation, where a harder stance on Seguin’s future may need to be taken. 
What Is This Team’s Ceiling?: Managing to make an appearance in two Western Conference Finals and one Stanley Cup Final in the last four years, the Stars have earned a spot as one of the top Stanley Cup contenders heading into the upcoming season. However, are they truly a solid bet to win the Stanley Cup given their current roster makeup? The Colorado Avalanche and Golden Knights are surefire favorites to win the Western Conference next year, and the Eastern Conference posits a world of trouble if the team does indeed make it to the Stanley Cup Final next season. Dallas still appears a player or two away from being a legitimate threat to Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Offseason Notes: Peters, Pacioretty, Voronkov
In a surprising turn of events, controversial head coach, Bill Peters, has landed a new coaching role in North America. Making his way back to the Western Hockey League, Peters will find himself manning the bench of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for the 2023-24 WHL season. Peters had spent the last several years coaching the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL after an unceremonious end to his time with the Calgary Flames in 2019.
As a reminder, back during the 2019-20 season, former player Akim Aliu, accused Peters of anti-Black racism when the two had been together in 2010 with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. More specifically, Aliu lambasted Peters’ usage of the ‘N’-word, as well as writing letters to Chicago Blackhawks management tarnishing Aliu’s future career. The NHL did execute an investigation into the matter, but those results have not been released to the public up to this point.
Salim Valji of TSN reported that a current coach, who remained nameless, had attempted to broker a conversation between himself and Peters, but Aliu declined. With the negative stories now associated with his coaching career, it is more than unlikely that Peters will ever coach in the NHL again, even in spite of the shocking development that he was been hired for a role in the WHL.
Other notes:
- Far be it from a confirmation, but the going notion is that new forward for the Washington Capitals, Max Pacioretty, will not be ready for opening night according to Jason Chen of The Hockey News. Even after suffering another Achilles tendon tear in January, Pacioretty was still able to land a one-year, $2MM contract from Washington this summer. If he is able to rebound in any meaningful way, he would certainly become a solid secondary scoring option for the Capitals down the stretch.
- Although he spent his last four professional seasons in the KHL, a prospect for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dmitry Voronkov, will report to the team for training camp in September (X Link). Originally the 114th selection in the 2019 NHL Draft for Columbus, Voronkov became quite the goal scorer in the KHL last year. In 54 games played, the young forward would have 18 goals and 13 assists, showing that he is ready to continue his professional career in North America next season.
Poll: Which Team Had The Worst Offseason?
During this time of year, some organizations have plenty of excitement surrounding their clubs, as fans are eager to see new players wear the jerseys of their favorite teams headed into training camp. Whether picking up exciting players through the draft, free agency, or trades, there are plenty of teams that significantly improved their rosters heading into next season. However, there are some teams that have been unable to improve or have even seen the talent on their roster take a substantial decrease this summer.
One of the most important teams that factors into this conversation, is the defending President Trophy champions, Boston Bruins. This summer, the Bruins have had to deal with the untimely retirements of franchise legends Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, while also watching Dmitry Orlov, Tyler Bertuzzi, Nick Foligno, Taylor Hall, as well as several others join separate organizations for the 2023-24 season. Seeing their name pop up in plenty of trade conversations lately, their cap situation has halted Boston from replacing any of these players on their team. The team still features top-end talent such as David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, but in arguably the strongest division in the NHL, their competitive window may take a brief hiatus.
Unlike the Bruins, one team who had been projected to be competitive last season, but ultimately failed short of the playoffs at season’s end, was the Calgary Flames. The organization is only a season away from seeing quite a few players hit unrestricted free agency, but with an open wild-card situation in the Western Conference, the team did not do much to improve their chances next year. The organization may be banking on a serious change in direction from new head coach, Ryan Huska, but after trading away Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils early in the summer, the team only brought in Yegor Sharangovich, Dryden Hunt, and Jordan Oesterle. Time will tell if Huska truly has the ability to move the needle for the Flames behind the bench, but the acquired players this summer do not generate much confidence in that happening.
Lastly, for another straight summer, the New York Islanders did very little to address their lack of goal-scoring. The team did hand long-term deals to both Pierre Engvall and Scott Mayfield but failed to bring in any players such as Jason Zucker or Vladimir Tarasenko, who could have provided an extra boost to their offense. They may benefit from a full season from center Bo Horvat, but even after deploying him for over 35% of the season last year, still finished 22nd in the league in Goals For. The team is limited by the way of salary cap space and does typically put much more emphasis on keeping the puck out of their net, but the lack of additional goal-scoring is severely limiting this team in their quest for success.
There are other teams that may be in contention for the worst offseason, and now it’s time for a vote.
Which Team Had The Worst Offseason?
-
Boston Bruins 55% (790)
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Calgary Flames 18% (262)
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New York Islanders 16% (226)
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Anaheim Ducks 6% (84)
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Other (Comment Below) 6% (84)
Total votes: 1,446
Snapshots: Kuznetsov, Tocchet, Bochek
In his ongoing series throughout the summer, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News touched on Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov and explained that he is on the hottest seat for the Capitals entering into the upcoming season. Although Washington and Kuznetsov seem intent on starting the 2023-24 season together, the Russian forward has not officially rescinded his trade request from last summer.
Following up on one of the most disappointing seasons of his career, Kuznetsov has a lot to prove this year. Last season, playing in 81 games, Kuznetsov scored 12 goals and 43 assists with a -26 rating, not quite living up to his $7.8MM salary. If the Capitals hope to move Kuznetsov for something substantive, or even hope to make the playoffs in a loaded Metropolitan division, they will need Kuznetsov to find his old form in the top six.
Washington might be best served in transferring Kuznetsov to the wing and allowing Nicklas Backstrom and Dylan Strome to take the top two center positions on the roster. Both Backstrom and Strome play significantly better defensively, and Kuznetsov would likely fit in nicely on the second-line left-wing role. Nevertheless, new head coach Spencer Carbery and the entire organization will have to do much better in getting the maximum potential out of Kuznetsov next year.
Other snapshots:
- In an interview with Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, Rick Tocchet, touched on several topics, including the pending restricted free agency of Elias Pettersson, and the ceiling of the Canucks headed into next season. Tocchet notes that if Vancouver can’t make the playoffs next year, the organization will need to “check most of the boxes” to entice him to stay, such as improvements from the coaching & development staff, as well as team cohesion throughout the season. Tocchet also said that the team is “capable of success”, but would not elaborate entirely on his use of the word ‘success’.
- General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, Bill Armstrong, announced a multi-year contract extension with Development Skills Coach, Kyle Bochek. It is unclear how long the contract will be for, but Bochek will be entering his third season in the Coyotes organization, having worked with both NHL and AHL talent. Arizona must have some trust in Bochek, as the team has graduated players such as Matias Maccelli and Dylan Guenther under his watch.
Summer Synopsis: Buffalo Sabres
For the 12th season in a row, the Buffalo Sabres failed to make the playoffs at the end of the regular season. However, for the first time in several years, the end of the regular season did matter quite a lot to the Sabres. Being one of the best scoring teams throughout the year, Buffalo finished one point back of the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, raising expectations for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season. There are still some weak spots in the lineup, but the Sabres made some moves this summer to address other areas of need.
Draft
1-13: F Zach Benson, Winnipeg (WHL)
2-39: F Anton Wahlberg, IF Malmo (SHL)
2-45: D Maxim Strbak, Sioux Falls (USHL)
3-86: D Gavin McCarthy, Muskegon (USHL)
4-109: F Ethan Miedema, Kingston (OHL)
5-141: G Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle (WHL)
6-173: D Sean Keohane, Dexter School (USHS)
7-205: D Norwin Panocha, Eisbaren Berlin (DNL U20)
Benson becomes the prize of the draft for the Sabres, falling to Buffalo at 13th overall after being projected to go in the top 10 throughout much of the year. Now joining former Sabres’ first-round selection, Matthew Savoie, with the Wenatchee Wild of the WHL for the 2023-24 season, Benson capped off his three-year career with the Winnipeg Ice scoring 36 goals and 62 assists in 60 games.
Strbak and McCarthy represent solid young defenders that the team has been craving over the last several years. Both players will join the NCAA for the 2023-24 season, Strbak to Michigan State University, and McCarthy to Boston University. They both carry solid skating ability, with an even better ability to get the puck out of their zone and into transition. Overall, factoring in the team’s need to keep the puck out of their net, McCarthy likely projects as the best long-term solution to that problem.
Key UFA Signings
D Kale Clague (one year, $775K)*
D Connor Clifton (three years, $10MM)
G Devin Cooley (one year, $775K)*
D Erik Johnson (one year, $3.25MM)
F Tyson Jost (one year, $2MM)
F Justin Richards (one year, $775K)*
G Dustin Tokarski (one year, $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
Even with an abundance of cap space heading into the offseason, the Sabres stayed relatively quiet on the free-agent market. They were quick to address their lack of defensive prowess on the back end by inking Clifton and Johnson to contracts on day one and even brought back Jost on a one-year deal to fill the gap left by the injury to Jack Quinn.
Although finished the 2022-23 regular season as the third-highest-scoring team in the league, the Sabres finished 26th in goals against, largely due to inefficient defensemen and goaltending. By bringing in Clifton and Johnson, who both play on the right side, Buffalo should dramatically improve the quality of their blue line. Both players finished with a solid oiSV% last season at 93.2% and 91.7%, respectively.
Already carrying solid defensemen such as Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson with the ability to play on the left side of the blue line, the additions of Clifton and Johnson immediately make the team more well-rounded. If their offense can at the very least repeat the goal-scoring from a year ago, the Sabres should be in line to dramatically increase their year-on-year goal differential mark.
Key RFA Re-Signings
F Brett Murray (one year, $775K)*
F Lukas Rousek (two years, $1.55MM)*
F Linus Weissbach (one year, $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
All three of these players will likely spend the majority of next season rostered with the organization’s AHL team, the Rochester Americans. Of the trio, Rousek was the only one to suit up for the Sabres, scoring one goal and one assist in two games played. At the AHL level, Rousek led the Americans in most scoring categories, scoring 56 points in 70 games.
Murray and Weissbach had solid seasons in Rochester last year in their own right, finishing third and fourth on the team in scoring, respectively. Both players bring a nice scoring touch to the AHL level and do carry the potential of being rostered on the Sabres next year in case of injury or suspension to a regular forward.
Key Departures
G Craig Anderson (retirement)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (Pittsburgh, one year, $775K)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (trade with Anaheim)
G Malcolm Subban (St.Louis, one year, $775K)
For the most part, Buffalo didn’t stand to lose too much entering into this offseason. Their top two unrestricted free agents, Kyle Okposo, and Zemgus Girgensons, both re-upped with the Sabres on separate one-year, $2.5MM contracts, leaving the team with a fairly clean outlook for the remainder of the summer.
The trade that sent Lyubushkin, which was made just under 10 days ago now, was strictly due to a looming roster crunch on the back end for Buffalo. Because the team had brought in Clifton and Johnson and did not lose any defensemen via free agency, the team simply had too many viable options on the blue line, and Lyubushkin became a consequence.
To pick out one, the departure that may hurt the team the most is the retirement of Anderson. Being 41 years old last season, Anderson provided Buffalo with stability between the pipes at the very least, carrying an 11-11-2 record in 24 starts, posting a .908 SV% and a 3.06 GAA. These are not great numbers by any stretch of the imagination but would end up being some of the better goaltending numbers posted for the Sabres last season. However, if Anderson becomes the biggest loss of the offseason for Buffalo, it would be hard to consider this summer anything other than a complete success for the organization.
Salary Cap Outlook
Even with large extensions kicking in this season for Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens, as well as carrying the relatively high-cap hit of $9MM for forward Jeff Skinner, the Sabres have one of the cleanest cap futures of any team in the NHL. They will still need to dole out extensions for Dahlin and potentially Power by the end of next summer, but with just over $8.7MM in cap space to start this season, should be able to fit those in rather easily.
There will come a time when Buffalo will likely be forced to move some names from the roster, as having so much top-end talent either on the team or still coming through the pipeline becomes expensive, but that can has been kicked far down the road for this organization. If the team reaches their potential this season, or even next, they will have plenty of cap space to become one of the juggernauts in the Eastern Conference and even the league as a whole.
Key Questions
What’s Their Answer Between The Pipes? Having already been addressed in this piece, it is no secret that Buffalo has had a serious problem with goaltending over the last several years. For the most part, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen does not appear as the long-term answer in the net, and the Sabres appear to be putting all their eggs in the basket of Devon Levi. Levi does have serious long-term potential, but there is always a potential he does not live up to the hype. Luckily for Buffalo, with ample amount of cap space, prospect, and draft capital, they could look to poach already established goaltenders such as Ilya Samsonov, Connor Hellebuyck, Carter Hart, or Jeremy Swayman off the market sometime in the near future. 
What Will Dahlin’s Extension Look Like? With one year and $6MM remaining on his current contract, Dahlin has set himself up nicely for a max extension with the Sabres by this time next year. Last season, in 78 games played, Dahlin would score 15 goals and 58 assists, finishing eighth place in Norris voting. Dahlin played much more physically last season than in years past and improved drastically on his defensive numbers as well. There is no question that he has earned a massive extension from the Sabres, but what that will look like is another question in its own right. Buffalo has done incredibly solid work in getting their star players signed to below-market deals and could do the same with Dahlin. If the Sabres are able to sign Dahlin for anything less than $10MM a season at this point, it will be a tremendous success for the team’s front office.
How Will The Team Replace Quinn? The most unfortunate news for the offseason is that the team will be without Quinn to start the regular season. Suffering an Achilles tear while training at the end of June, even by conservative estimates he will not start the season until the end of December. In 75 games last season, Quinn would score 14 goals and 23 assists, showing that he is ready for NHL minutes. To start the year, it likely makes the most sense to start John-Jason Peterka in Quinn’s absence, who had a very similar year last season to Quinn. However, although unlikely, if the top six does not reach expectations in Quinn’s absence, the team could look to bring in hometown star, Patrick Kane, to replace the minutes lost.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
New York Rangers Add To Hockey Operations Department
This morning, the General Manager of the New York Rangers, Chris Drury, announced several promotions and hires to the team’s hockey operations department. The totality of the announcement is as follows:
- Ryane Clowe has been promoted to Co-Senior Advisor to President and General Manager
- Angela Ruggiero has been hired as a Hockey Operations Advisor
- Christian Hmura has been hired as a Skills and Performance Development Coach
- Mark Ciacco has been named Prospect Development Skills Coach
- Paul Mara has been hired as a Player Development Assistant
- Andy Hosler has been named Head Athletic Trainer
- Brandon Rodgers has been named Senior Sports Therapist
- Kayla McAvoy has been hired as an Assistant Sports Scientist
- Kathryn Yates has been hired as a Manager of Performance Data Insights
Jumping off the page, the most notable promotion and hire are represented by the top two announcements. Clowe is now in his third season with the Rangers organization, who had previously been serving as a Hockey Operations Advisor since 2022. Aside from spending 10 seasons in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils, and Rangers, Clowe spent two seasons as an Assistant Coach for the Devils, before spending just under one season as the Head Coach of the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL.
Ruggiero, on the other hand, will begin her first position for a team in the National Hockey League. She is best known for her time spent with the United States Women’s Ice Hockey Olympic team, helping the team win their first gold medal in the 1998 Winter Olympics. She would go on to win two silver medals in 2002 and 2010, while acquiring a bronze medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics. A member of both the Hockey Fall of Fame, and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Ruggiero will replace Clowe in her new role with New York.
Jay O’Brien Signs AHL Contract With Toronto
9:36 AM: The Marlies have made the signing official, per a team announcement.
9:32 AM: Without an official announcement coming from the team up to this point, Adam Kimelman of the NHL is reporting that former top prospect of the Philadelphia Flyers, Jay O’Brien, has signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Less than a week ago, the Marlies also added another intriguing prospect, Robert Mastrosimone, to a similar contract.
Much like Mastrosimone, given his skill set, O’Brien has a legitimate chance to earn his way to an NHL contract off of this deal. Originally drafted 19th overall by the Flyers in the 2018 NHL Draft, O’Brien went off for 43 goals and 37 assists in 30 high school games in his draft year.
Unfortunately for O’Brien and Philadelphia, the beginning of his college career did not bode well for his future with the club. Originally committing to Providence College out of high school, O’Brien would only score two goals and three assists in 25 games during his freshman year.
Taking a bridge year during the 2019-20 season in the BCHL, O’Brien would re-enter the NCAA a year later, transferring to Boston University to finish off his college career. In 79 total games for the Terriers, O’Brien scored 26 goals and 44 assists, showing some serious improvement compared to his freshman year.
Still being a bit undersized at 5’11” at the center position, O’Brien will join a Marlies team coming off a very strong season in 2022-23. Last year, the Marlies finished with a 42-24-4-2 record, clinching the league’s North Division. In all likelihood, O’Brien will transition to the wing at some point this season, but should get his AHL career off to a winning start.
New York Rangers Sign Alexis Lafrenière
August 24: The Rangers confirmed today they’ve agreed to terms with Lafrenière on a two-year contract extension but did not disclose the AAV or cap hit.
August 23: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the New York Rangers are closing on a contract extension with forward Alexis Lafreniere. Furthermore, Larry Brooks of the New York Post indicates that it will be a two-year, $4.65MM ($2.325MM AAV) contract between the two sides.
Before this contract becomes finalized between the Rangers and Lafreniere, the team had approximately $2.28MM in cap space, meaning New York will now have to make a move to become salary cap compliant prior to the season beginning in October. With eight defensemen penciled into the starting lineup per CapFriendly, one of those players will likely be sent to the minors to make room for Lafreniere’s contract.
It’s a relatively low-risk move by the Rangers, given that Lafreniere has yet to play up to his first overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. However, under new head coach Peter Laviolette, perhaps Lafreniere could get sufficient ice time next season to adequately show off his skill level. In 216 games played through his entry-level contract, Lafreniere has only mustered 47 goals and 44 assists, averaging about 14 and a half minutes of ice time per night.
Besides a bit of a slow start, Lafreniere actually procured a solid season last year. He scored a career-high in points, putting up 16 goals and 23 assists in 81 games, also continuing to improve his CF%, as well as his oiSH%. Even after signing Blake Wheeler to a league-minimum deal at the beginning of free agency, there is definitely some room for Lafreniere to move up in the lineup to fill the spot on right wing.
At still only 21 years old, it’s not quite make-or-break time for Lafreniere quite yet, but the clock does appear to be ticking on his time with the Rangers. Earlier this offseason, although not much came of it, Lafreniere had his name rumored in some trade speculation.
If he earns himself the opportunity for more ice time under Laviolette, Lafreniere could break out into a premier winger in the NHL. Given this two-year deal, Lafreniere and the Rangers will have a bit more time for him to live up to his draft selection.