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Erik Johnson Announces Retirement

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The former first-overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft has hung up his skates after 17 seasons in the NHL. According to an announcement from the Colorado Avalanche, defenseman Erik Johnson has retired.

Although the Bloomington, MN native spent much of his career in Denver, that’s not where it began. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2006 and joined the team for the 2007-08 season after one year at the University of Minnesota.

Despite finishing 12th in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy, Johnson had a quality first year in St. Louis, scoring five goals and 33 points in 69 games, averaging 18:11 of ice time per game. It became clear that the Blues could confidently play Johnson in their top four, but his development and role with the team changed significantly the following season. Just three days into training camp, the following season, it was revealed that Johnson tore his ACL and MCL, costing him the entire 2008-09 season.

Still, the then-21-year-old returned for his junior season, scoring 10 goals and 39 points in 79 games, averaging 21:22 of ice time per game. Unfortunately, the Blues failed to make the postseason due to a lack of scoring from their top six, after qualifying the year before. Regardless, the team extended Johnson to a two-year, $5.2MM pact, as well as making him one of the team’s assistant captains for the 2010-11 campaign.

Another knee injury would cost him the rest of his tenure in St. Louis. The Blues traded Johnson to the Avalanche in mid-February, with Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk being the two main pieces going back to St. Louis. He would not wear another jersey for the next 13 years.

From the 2010-11 season to the 2022-23 campaign, Johnson was a mainstay on the Avalanche’s blue line. Even through some truly punishing seasons in Denver, Johnson stuck it out, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2022.

He didn’t add much on the offensive side of the puck with Colorado, scoring 65 goals and 236 points in 695 games from 2011 to 2023. Still, he was more than effective on the defensive side of the puck, averaging a 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per night.

As his usage decreased through the latter part of his career with the Avalanche, Johnson opted to leave as a free agent following the 2022-23 campaign, signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. He was subsequently traded to the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2023-24 deadline, sticking around until the 2024-25 deadline when he was moved back to Colorado.

Throughout his 17-year career, Johnson finished with 95 goals and 348 points in 1,023 games played, with an additional five goals and 13 points in 58 postseason contests. Outside of having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, Johnson also owns an Olympic Silver Medal from the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

In the announcement from the Avalanche, Johnson wrote, “To the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and most of all the Colorado Avalanche: thank you for the opportunities and memories, especially the 2022 Stanley Cup. To my teammates, coaches, and staff: your support, camaraderie, and dedication shaped my career. To the fans: your passion made every moment unforgettable. To my family and friends: your unconditional love and support carried me through. Hockey has been my life, and I’m grateful for every second. I’m excited for what’s next and will always cherish this journey.”

We at PHR congratulate Johnson on an incredible career and wish him the best in his next chapter.

Photo courtesy of Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images. 

Morning Notes: Demidov, Avalanche, Drouin, Benoit, Jets

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In one of the more violent preseason contests in recent memory, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens combined for 150 PIMs yesterday evening. Unfortunately, after multiple fights broke out between Hayden Hodgson, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and Jan Jenik, it was Montreal’s sensation, Ivan Demidov, who would leave the game with an injury after a malicious slash from Senator Nick Cousins.

Fortunately, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, there doesn’t appear to be any long-term injury concern for Demidov. The Canadiens may hold him out of the team’s next contest on Saturday, again against Ottawa, though he should be ready to start the season on time. The odds-on favorite to win the 2025-26 Calder Memorial Award has recorded three assists in three preseason contests with Montreal.

Understandably, the Canadiens’ admonishment of Cousins’ actions was clear. In an article from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, head coach Martin St. Louis was quoted as saying, “There’s no need for that. It’s an exhibition game; both teams are trying to get ready for a long season. I don’t think there’s any need for that in the game.”

Other notes from this morning:

  • After recalling five players for their preseason win against the Vegas Golden Knights last night, the Colorado Avalanche have sent nearly the entire group back to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. The Avalanche announced that Tye Felhaber, Jason Polin, Alex Gagne, and T.J. Tynan, who were all recalled yesterday, have been reassigned. Additionally, Jayson Megna and Tristen Nielsen will join them en route to the Eagles, while Ronnie Attard will remain on the roster for today’s contest.
  • One of the New York Islanders’ freshly signed forwards missed today’s practice. According to Andrew Gross of Newsday, Jonathan Drouin missed this morning’s practice due to illness. The veteran forward has gone scoreless in three preseason contests for the Islanders, averaging 19:02 of ice time per contest.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs got some positive news this morning regarding one of their injured defenseman. David Alter of The Hockey News reported that Simon Benoit has shed his non-contact jersey, indicating he’s nearly recovered from his upper-body injury. The heavy-hitting blue liner skated in 78 games for the Maple Leafs last season, scoring one goal and 10 points with 204 hits.
  • Moving to Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets announced they’ve extended their ECHL affiliation with the Norfolk Admirals through the 2025-26 season. The new campaign will be the Admirals’ third as the ECHL affiliate of the Jets. The team has qualified for the Kelly Cup playoffs in each of the last two seasons, losing in the Division Finals both times.

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Connor Ingram

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After clearing waivers last week, netminder Connor Ingram is headed north. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Utah Mammoth are trading Ingram to the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers subsequently announced the trade, confirming they are acquiring Ingram for future considerations and that the Mammoth will retain $800K of his $1.95MM salary.

Given that Ingram was exposed on the waiver wire a few days ago, it was surprising that the Oilers waited until now to make a trade. However, with Utah lowering Edmonton’s financial burden to $1.15MM for the 2025-26 season, the trade becomes more understandable. The Oilers can now send Ingram to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, while being able to bury his full salary until they may need him during the regular season.

Still, there are some question marks on exactly what version of Ingram the Oilers are getting. From the 2022-23 season to 2023-24, Ingram was excellent for the Arizona Coyotes as a backup and the starter, managing a 29-34-11 record in 77 games with a .907 SV% and 3.08 GAA, with a respectable 8.1 Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA).

Unfortunately, after the Coyotes closed their doors and Ingram joined the new Utah Hockey Club, his production cratered. Last season, he earned a 9-8-4 record in 22 games with a .882 SV% and 3.27 GAA, including a dismal -10.1 GSAA. He decided to leave the team in early March to enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and he was not cleared until late August.

Shortly before training camp, the Mammoth shared their intentions of placing Ingram on waivers, allowing him a fresh start to his career. He’ll now get that opportunity in AHL Bakersfield, and potentially the Oilers at some point during the regular season.

For better or for worse, Edmonton appears adamant on leaving Stuart Skinner in the starter’s crease for the 2025-26 campaign, with Calvin Pickard as his backup. Still, should Ingram regain his form with the Condors, the Oilers shouldn’t have any hesitation giving him a look at the NHL level. Last year, Skinner and Pickard combined for a .897 SV% throughout the regular season, and a .888 SV% in the postseason, despite the Oilers reaching the Stanley Cup Final for a second consecutive year.

Devils Sign Luke Hughes To Seven-Year Contract

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According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the New Jersey Devils are closing in on a seven-year, $63MM contract with their lone remaining restricted free agent, Luke Hughes. The Devils quickly confirmed the contract, also sharing that Hughes will join the team for practice tomorrow.

Shortly after New Jersey’s confirmation, PuckPedia announced Hughes’ contract details:

  • Year 1: $8MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
  • Year 2: $8MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
  • Year 3: $9MM salary
  • Year 4: $9MM salary
  • Year 5: $9MM salary
  • Year 6: $9MM salary, 10-team no-trade clause
  • Year 7: $9MM salary, 10-team no-trade clause

After forward Mason McTavish agreed to a six-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, the contract dispute between Hughes and New Jersey became the longest one from the offseason. Recently, there was concern that the standoff might prevent Hughes from starting the year on time. After this morning’s announcement, we know that won’t be the case.

The $9MM AAV will tie Hughes with Dougie Hamilton as the highest-paid player on the Devils. Additionally, the seven-year deal makes Hughes the only player on the team signed beyond the 2030-31 NHL season.

Most importantly, it’ll take Hughes through most of the prime years of his career. He’ll have the opportunity for another payday upon the deal’s expiration after turning 29 years old, though the Devils will reap all the benefits from his age-22 to age-28 seasons.

Over the past two years, similarly to his brothers Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes, Luke has shown a keen ability to move the puck and generate offense. Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, the former fourth-overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft has scored 16 goals and 91 points in 153 games, with four goals and 41 of those points coming on New Jersey’s power play. A gradual introduction to the NHL was unnecessary for the offensive-minded defenseman, as Hughes is already averaging more than 21 minutes of action a night.

Still, the Devils will hope for some maturity on the defensive side of the puck as he progresses through his career. Despite averaging a 54.3% CorsiFor% at even strength, Hughes’ 88.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength leaves much to be desired. Still, New Jersey has offset most of Hughes’ defensive shortcomings by placing him next to Brett Pesce, who’s been one of the most defensively acute blue liners for the past decade. The pair combined for a 53.1% xGoals% last season, according to MoneyPuck.

The Devils still have some work to do with their available salary cap space. The team is expected to place defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic ($4MM AAV) on long-term injured reserve to start the 2025-26 campaign, who is recovering from offseason knee surgery. As James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now points out, the Devils will only save approximately $3.8MM of Kovacevic’s salary per the new rules of the CBA, projecting them $183K over the upper limit to start the season.

That financial gap is more than manageable, and it’ll give New Jersey time to work out a larger cap-clearing deal. The two likeliest candidates are Hamilton and Ondrej Palat, though both have limited no-movement and no-trade protection in their contracts. Still, by having Hughes in the mix for the next seven years, the Devils are in a much better position than they were yesterday.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images. 

Bruins’ Michael DiPietro Unlikely To Pass Through Waivers

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Despite signing a two-year, $1.63MM extension with the team this summer, Michael DiPietro’s tenure in the Boston Bruins organization appears to be numbered. In his recent rendition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said, “I have no doubt teams will be looking hard at [him]. There will be teams this week curious to see what the Bruins do.”

The news isn’t surprising, as reports in mid-June indicated that teams were interested in signing DiPietro last offseason before the Bruins worked out an extension with him on the eve of free agency. Still, Boston has not indicated that they’ll want to carry three netminders on the roster for the bulk of the 2025-26 campaign, and DiPietro is unlikely to move past Jeremy Swayman or Joonas Korpisalo on the depth chart barring injury.

It wasn’t all that long ago that DiPietro was an impressive prospect coming out of the Canadian Major Junior system. Throughout his four-year career with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, DiPietro managed a 98-53-13 record in 174 games with a .913 SV% and 2.52 GAA, while backstopping the Spitfires to a Memorial Cup Championship in 2017. DiPietro was selected 64th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2017 NHL Draft.

The native of Windsor, Ontario, struggled to advance in the Canucks system, although he had strong seasons with the Utica Comets and Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL. Vancouver pulled the plug on DiPietro’s tenure with the organization fairly quickly, including him in a package to the Bruins for Jack Studnicka earlier on in the 2022-23 campaign.

As alluded to, DiPietro has come into his own with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Particularly last season, DiPietro earned a 26-8-7 record in 40 games with a .927 SV% and 2.05 GAA, with four shutouts. The season was impressive enough for DiPietro to earn the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the league’s top netminder and AHL First All-Star Team honors.

Similar to Arturs Silovs’ meteoric rise through the AHL last season, and subsequent trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins this past offseason, any team with a need at the backup goalie position would be interested in giving DiPietro an opportunity at the NHL level. Unfortunately, that market is fairly limited, as most teams have filled their backup position through some form or another throughout the offseason.

Still, the Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights may all have lukewarm interest at the very least. Further, if an unfortunate injury arises to another goaltender as the preseason wraps up, that would create another void that DiPietro could conceivably fill.

Max Pacioretty Retires, Joins University Of Michigan’s Coaching Staff

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Tuesday: Pacioretty has indeed retired with the University of Michigan announcing that the long-time NHLer has been hired as a special assistant to head coach Brandon Naurato.  Pacioretty released the following statement:

After 17 seasons in the NHL, I’m excited to begin this next chapter with Michigan Hockey. I’m so thankful for the teammates, coaches and fans who have been a part of my journey. Hockey has given me so much, and now I have the opportunity to help develop the next generation of players. Michigan has a tradition of producing elite talent, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned to help these guys grow on and off the ice. Just as important, this next step allows me to be closer to my family and spend more time with my kids. I’m going to be coaching my four boys in youth hockey and that’s something I’ll really cherish as a dad.

Monday: One of the NHL’s better goal-scorers from the 2010s has reportedly hung up his skates. According to Nick Alberga of TheLeafsNation, instead of giving it one last shot in the NHL, veteran Max Pacioretty has chosen to hang up his skates and take a job at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

Given that much of the conjecture surrounding Pacioretty this offseason was his desire to play close to Southeast Michigan, that effectively left his options down to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Although reporting from earlier in the summer indicated the Red Wings as his preferred destination, the team seemingly filled the void on the opening day of free agency by signing James van Riemsdyk.

Still, the New Canaan, CT native will get his desired outcome, albeit in a different role. Alberga didn’t allude to the exact position Pacorietty is taking in Ann Arbor, though it’s a fair guess to assume it’s with their hockey program.

Despite failing to find another job in the NHL, there’s very little for Pacioretty to feel ashamed about in his 17-year career.

He was originally selected with the 22nd overall pick of the 2007 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He immediately shifted to the University of Michigan after being drafted, scoring 15 goals and 39 points in 37 games during his freshman season. The Canadiens felt that one season of growth was enough in the NCAA and signed Pacioretty to his entry-level contract after his impressive one-and-done campaign.

In the first three years of his professional career, Pacioretty split his time between Montreal and its then-AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. From the beginning of the 2008-09 season to the end of the 2010-11 campaign, Pacioretty scored 20 goals and 49 points in 123 games with the Canadiens, and 25 goals and 72 points with the Bulldogs in 82 contests.

Since the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign, Pacioretty hadn’t looked back. He exploded offensively, scoring 33 goals and 65 points in 79 games, nearly tripling his production from one year prior. Rewarding his success, the Canadiens signed Pacioretty to a six-year, $27MM extension the following offseason.

Over the next six years, despite some injury concerns, Pacioretty became a consistent scoring winger in Montreal and was named the team’s captain ahead of the 2015-16 season. Throughout that stretch, he crossed the 60-point threshold four times, scoring 173 goals and 334 points in 424 games. Additionally, although the Canadiens managed only one quality postseason run with Pacioretty on the roster, he scored 10 goals and 19 points in 38 postseason games with Montreal, averaging 19:29 of ice time per game.

Unfortunately, he would not play out the rest of his extension with the only organization he had ever known. The Canadiens traded Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 13th, 2022, for Nick Suzuki, Tomáš Tatar, and a 2019 second-round pick. He signed a four-year, $28MM contract with the Golden Knights one day later.

His first three years in Vegas were impressive, scoring 78 goals and 157 points in 185 games after the team’s Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural campaign. He continued his quality scoring in the postseason, registering 15 goals and 30 points in 36 postseason contests for the Golden Knights.

Again, due to growing injury concerns and the need for additional cap space, the Golden Knights traded Pacioretty for the second time in his career, this time to the Carolina Hurricanes, along with Dylan Coghlan, for future considerations. In one of those unfortunate cases from the 2021-22 season, Pacioretty only managed five games with the Hurricanes due to two torn Achilles tendons.

Working his way back the following offseason and through much of the 2022-23 campaign, Pacioretty signed a bonus-laden one-year contract with the Washington Capitals. After returning to game action in early January, Pacioretty finished the year with four goals and 23 points in 47 games, with an additional assist in four postseason contests.

In what would become the last contract of his career, Pacioretty signed another bonus-laden deal, this time with the Maple Leafs. He struggled with injuries throughout the year, managing only five goals and 13 points in 37 games. Still, he was one of Toronto’s better performers in the playoffs, scoring three goals and eight points in 11 games, including the game-winner that allowed the Maple Leafs to move to the second round.

Pacioretty finishes his career with 335 goals and 681 points in 939 games, averaging 17:16 of ice time per contest. All of us at PHR congratulate “Patches” on a successful career and wish him the best as he moves to his next role at the University of Michigan.

Photo courtesy of Jean-Yves Ahern-Imagn Images. 

Buffalo Sabres Injury Updates

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With 10 days remaining until their opening game of the 2025-26 season, the Buffalo Sabres are dealing with injuries on multiple fronts of their roster. Earlier today, the Sabres provided updates on several injured players, including Bowen Byram, Mattias Samuelsson, Jiri Kulich, Jordan Greenway, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Fortunately, aside from Samuelsson, it doesn’t appear that any player is expected to miss opening night, though there is some cause for concern. Byram, who the team shares is dealing with an undisclosed injury, is expected to practice with the team tomorrow. However, he’ll miss their preseason contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Luukkonen, who is the de facto top netminder in Buffalo, has only recently returned to practice after suffering a lower-body injury toward the end of his offseason training. The Sabres expect Luukkonen to play in Buffalo’s contests on Wednesday and Thursday this week, and there’s no doubt in the organization that he’ll play opening night. It will be an important year for Luukkonen’s trajectory, as he followed up a promising 2023-24 campaign with a disappointing effort last season.

Kulich (undisclosed) and Greenway (middle body) are expected to return to practice either this week or next, though the latter has yet to practice with the team at all this preseason. Although Greenway, who signed a two-year, $8MM extension with the Sabres last season, may be healthy enough to play on opening night, Buffalo may wait a week or two to allow him time to ramp up after missing several weeks already.

Unfortunately, Samuelsson, who has dealt with injury concerns every season of his professional career, may not start the season on time due to an upper-body injury suffered last week. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said that Samuelsson is expected to miss multiple weeks, which would take his recovery timeline beyond Buffalo’s opening night contest on October 9th. The update is becoming a theme with Samuelsson, who played in a career-high 62 games last season. He has five years and $21.43MM remaining on his contract.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/27/25

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We are now 10 days away from opening night, now that training camp has reached its second Saturday. Over the next few days, teams will have some of their biggest cuts of the preseason, while also putting additional players up for claim on the waiver wire. Each team’s current roster can be found at our Training Camp Roster Tracker. Here is the list of today’s cuts:

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

D Isaac Belliveau (to AHL Rochester)
F Matteo Costantini (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz (to AHL Rockford)
D Aidan Fulp (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Konsta Helenius (to AHL Rochester)
F Jagger Joshua (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Tyler Kopff (to AHL Rochester)
D Vsevolod Komarov (to AHL Rochester)
F Trevor Kuntar (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
D Noah Laaouan (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
G Topias Leinonen (to AHL Rochester)
G Devon Levi (to AHL Rochester)
D Zach Metsa (to AHL Rochester)
F Olivier Nadeau (to AHL Rochester)
F Viktor Neuchev (to AHL Rochester)
D Nikita Novikov (to AHL Rochester)
D Jack Rathbone (to AHL Rochester, pending waiver clearance)
G Scott Ratzlaff (to AHL Rochester)
F Isak Rosen (to AHL Rochester)
F Redmond Savage (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Graham Slaggert (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
D Peter Tischke (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Anton Wahlberg (to AHL Rochester)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

D Cavan Fitzgerald (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)
D Taige Harding (to AHL Rockford)
D Dmitry Kuzmin (to AHL Rockford)
F Paul Ludwinski (to AHL Rockford)
D Ryan Mast (to AHL Rockford)
D Andrew Perrott (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)
F Brett Seney (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Alex Barre-Boulet (to AHL Colorado, pending waiver clearance)
F Tye Felhaber (to AHL Colorado, pending waiver clearance)
F Jason Polin (to AHL Colorado, pending waiver clearance)
F T.J. Tynan (to AHL Colorado, pending waiver clearance)
D Sean Behrens (to AHL Colorado)
F Ivan Ivan (to AHL Colorado)
F Jayson Megna (to AHL Colorado)
F Tristen Nielsen (to AHL Colorado)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Roman Ahcan (to AHL Cleveland)
F Riley Bezeau (to AHL Cleveland)
D Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm (to AHL Cleveland)
D Caleb MacDonald (to AHL Cleveland)
D Will MacKinnon (to AHL Cleveland)
D Dysin Mayo (to AHL Cleveland, pending waiver clearance)
F Hunter McKown (to AHL Cleveland, pending waiver clearance)
F Ryland Mosley (to AHL Cleveland)
D Guillaume Richard (to AHL Cleveland)
G Zachary Sawchenko (to AHL Cleveland, pending waiver clearance)
F Owen Sillinger (to AHL Cleveland, pending waiver clearance)

Edmonton Oilers (per team announcement)

D Josh Brown (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waiver clearance)
F Roby Jarventie (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waiver clearance)
G Samuel Jonsson (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Viljami Marjala (to AHL Bakersfield)

New York Islanders (per team announcement)

G Tristan Lennox (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Eetu Liukas (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Jesse Pulkkinen (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Gleb Veremyev (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Marshall Warren (to AHL Bridgeport)

New York Rangers (per team announcement)

F Nathan Aspinall (to OHL Flint)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

D Spencer Gill (to QMJHL Blainville-Boisbriand)
F Jack Nesbitt (to OHL Windsor)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

F Raivis Ansons (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D David Breazeale (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Tommy Budnick (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Kyle Criscuolo (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Brayden Edwards (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Zach Gallant (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Max Graham (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Brent Johnson (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Jordan Kaplan (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Gabe Klassen (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Daniel Laatsch (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Brett Murray (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
G Maxim Pavlenko (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Emil Pieniniemi (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Zach Urdahl (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)

Seattle Kraken (per team announcements)

F JR Avon (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Lukas Dragicevic (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Jagger Firkus (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F David Goyette (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Kaden Hammell (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Justin Janicke (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Tyson Jugnauth (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Niklas Kokko (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Jack LaFontaine (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Andrei Loshko (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Ian McKinnon (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Jacob Melanson (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Logan Morrison (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Ty Nelson (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Gustav Olofsson (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Victor Ostman (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Caden Price (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Carson Rehkopf (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Lleyton Roed (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Eduard Sale (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Nathan Villeneuve (to OHL Sudbury)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team announcement)

F Braeden Bowman (to AHL Henderson)
F Jakub Brabenec (to AHL Henderson)
F Mathieu Cataford (to AHL Henderson)
D Artur Cholach (to AHL Henderson)
D Jeremy Davies (to AHL Henderson)
F Jakub Demek (to AHL Henderson)
F/D Joe Fleming (to AHL Henderson)
F Jackson Hallum (to AHL Henderson)
F Ben Hemmerling (to AHL Henderson)
D Brandon Hickey (to AHL Henderson)
D Lucas Johansen (to AHL Henderson)
D Viliam Kmec (to AHL Henderson)
D Samuel Mayer (to AHL Henderson)
F Riley McKay (to AHL Henderson)
F Mitch McLain (to AHL Henderson)
F Devon Paliani (to AHL Henderson)
F Matyas Sapovaliv (to AHL Henderson)
D Christoffer Sedoff (to AHL Henderson)
F Sloan Stanick (to AHL Henderson)
F Trent Swick (to AHL Henderson)
F Kai Uchacz (to AHL Henderson)
F Tuomas Uronen (to AHL Henderson)
G Jesper Vikman (to AHL Henderson)
F Kevin Wall (to AHL Henderson)
G Cameron Whitehead (to AHL Henderson)

Washington Capitals (per team announcement)

F Zac Funk (to AHL Hershey)
G Mitch Gibson (to AHL Hershey)
F Ryan Hofer (to AHL Hershey)
F Lynden Lakovic (to WHL Moose Jaw)
D Aaron Ness (to AHL Hershey)
F Ludwig Persson (to AHL Hershey)
D Calle Rosen (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
F Spencer Smallman (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
F Matt Strome (to AHL Hershey)
F Alexander Suzdalev (to AHL Hershey)

East Notes: KeyBank Center, Ovechkin, McLaughlin, Dorwart

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The Buffalo Sabres are staying in their current home for a few more years. As part of its agreement with Erie County, the Sabres have declined an opt-out clause in their lease at the KeyBank Center and have extended the deal for another five years, according to a team announcement.

The KeyBank Center has been home to the Sabres since 1996, although it has been known as Marine Midland Arena, HSBC Arena, and First Niagara Center during that time. Once the lease concludes after the 2030-31 NHL season, it will have served as Buffalo’s home arena for 35 years, which is on the shorter side compared to the typical NHL stadium’s lifespan.

If the Sabres’ ownership decides to build a new arena for the 2031-32 NHL season, it likely won’t be very far from the KeyBank Center. As cited in the team’s announcement, a third-party consulting firm conducted a study, revealing that the arena had an economic impact of $694.2 million in 2023, generating tax revenue of $48.6 million.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • For more than a week, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been struggling with a lower-body injury, which has limited his participation in the team’s practices and preseason games. Fortunately, Ovechkin continues to take positive steps back to action, as Sammi Silber of the DC Backcheck reported that Ovechkin is participating in the team’s practice this morning, albeit in a non-contact jersey. There are no concerns for Ovechkin’s availability for Washington’s first game on October 8th.
  • The New Jersey Devils have lost a potential depth forward for the rest of training camp. Earlier this morning, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News passed along a note from Devils’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe, saying that Marc McLaughlin has sustained a significant injury. In the report, Keefe said, “There’s a definite injury there that will require him to miss some time. [..] He is not going to be available for the remainder of this camp, for sure.“
  • In another injury update from the Metropolitan Division, a prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury sustained earlier in training camp. According to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, forward Karsen Dorwart is taking part in on-ice activity before the team’s practice. Despite playing in a handful of games for the Flyers last season, the Michigan State University alumnus will have a difficult time cracking Philadelphia’s opening night roster after missing so much time.

KHL’s Barys Astana Sign Tyler Wotherspoon

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Another depth player is headed overseas after failing to find a new home in North America. Earlier today, the KHL’s Barys Astana announced a one-year contract for defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon for the 2025-26 season.

Tyler, the older brother of Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner Parker Wotherspoon, will play his first professional season overseas after a lengthy run in the American Hockey League. The 32-year-old defenseman first joined the professional ranks with the Calgary Flames as the 57th overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft.

Wotherspoon played several more years with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks before joining the Flames organization, where he achieved a seven-goal, 37-point performance during the 2012-13 season in 61 games. He debuted in the NHL the following year, tallying four assists in 14 games with Calgary, and another one goal and nine points in 48 games for their then-affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat.

The native of Burnaby, British Columbia, spent an additional four years in the Flames organization, concluding his time with a career-high of seven goals and 37 points in 67 AHL games during the 2017-18 season, with a +19 rating. From the 2018-19 season to the 2024-25 campaign, Wotherspoon bounced around various locations, all in the AHL, with the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, and Montreal Canadiens organizations.

As the assistant captain for the Laval Rocket last year, Wotherspoon concluded his professional tenure in North America for the time being with a two-goal, 18-point performance in 72 games. He’ll now join a Barys Astana team that has started the 2025-26 season with a 3-4-1 record through their first eight contests, one year after finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference.

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