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Waivers: 10/05/22

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Another large group of players finds themselves on waivers today, hoping to get picked up by an NHL roster. The AHL awaits most that clear, though placement on the wire doesn’t necessarily indicate assignment to the minor leagues. Some players will clear just to give their team a little more roster flexibility over the next few weeks. Everyone from yesterday has cleared, and waivers today include:

Carolina Hurricanes

Ryan Dzingel
Maxime Lajoie
Lane Pederson
Stelio Mattheos
Mackenzie MacEachern

Minnesota Wild

Brandon Baddock

New York Islanders

Dennis Cholowski
Cory Schneider
Parker Wotherspoon
Hudson Fasching
Arnaud Durandeau
Cole Bardreau
Andy Andreoff

Philadelphia Flyers

Adam Brooks
Max Willman
Louis Belpedio

This page will be updated as more reports come in

Victor Rask Released From PTO

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The Columbus Blue Jackets released James Neal from his professional tryout a few days ago, and now Victor Rask has joined him on the free agent market. The veteran forward’s PTO has come to an end without an NHL contract, meaning he’ll have to find another place to play this season.

Rask, 29, played in 47 games last season, splitting time between the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken. It was the end of a six-year, $24MM contract that he signed in 2016 with the Carolina Hurricanes, one that turned into one of the worst deals in the league as Rask went from solid middle-six center to barely even a fourth-line contributor.

Now, released from a PTO, there should be legitimate questions over whether his NHL career will continue at all. Selected in the second round back in 2011, Rask has more than 500 games of NHL experience and could potentially find a landing spot as injuries start to pile up around the league, but a departure for Europe seems more likely. The Swedish forward hasn’t played there in a decade, but at this point, it might be the SHL or the AHL, unless a new team emerges for his services in the next few days.

If it is the end of his days in the NHL, he still scored 223 points at the highest level, including a career-high 21 goals and 48 points in 2015-16.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/05/22

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Regular season NHL hockey is now just two days away, with the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators doing battle in Czechia on Friday. The North American schedule starts just a few days after that, meaning teams will have to cut down their rosters as the preseason wraps up. As always, we’ll keep track of those cuts right here.

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)

G Lukas Dostal (to San Diego, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (via team release)

F Sean Malone (to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)

F Noel Gunler (to Chicago, AHL)
F Vasily Ponomarev (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Chicago, AHL)
F Malte Stromwall (to Chicago, AHL)
F Tuukka Tieksola (to Chicago, AHL)
D Anttoni Honka (to Chicago, AHL)
D Griffin Mendel (to Chicago, AHL)
G Pyotr Kochetkov (to Chicago, AHL)
G Zachary Sawchenko (to Chicago, AHL)
D Grigori Dronov (released from PTO)
F Ryan Dzingel (to Chicago, AHL)*
F Lane Pederson (to Chicago, AHL)*
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)*
F Mackenzie MacEachern (to Chicago, AHL)*
D Maxime Lajoie (to Chicago, AHL)*

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release)

F Dylan Sikura (to Rockford, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Rockford, AHL)
F Luke Philp (to Rockford, AHL)
D Nicolas Beaudin (to Rockford, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

F Kirill Marchenko (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Carson Meyer (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Jake Christiansen (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Victor Rask (released from PTO)

Minnesota Wild (via team release)

D Carson Lambos (to Winnipeg, WHL)
F Adam Beckman (to Iowa, AHL)
F Mitchell Chaffee (to Iowa, AHL)
F Nick Swaney (to Iowa, AHL)
D Ryan O’Rourke (to Iowa, AHL)
F Brandon Baddock (to Iowa, AHL)*
G Zane McIntyre (to Iowa, AHL)*

New York Islanders (via team release)

D Isaiah George (to London, OHL)
F William Dufour (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Simon Holmstrom (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ruslan Iskhakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Aatu Raty (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Jakub Skarek (to Bridgeport, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (via team release)

G Mads Sogaard (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)

F J.R. Avon (to Peterborough, OHL)
F Tyson Foerster (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Olle Lycksell (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Adam Ginning (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Adam Karashik (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Cameron York (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Pat Nagle (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Adam Brooks (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)*
F Max Willman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)*
D Louis Belpedio (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)*

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

D Taylor Fedun (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

*Pending waivers

This page will be updated throughout the day

Montreal Canadiens Sign Logan Mailloux

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed prospect Logan Mailloux to a three-year, entry-level contract, inking the 2021 first-round pick a few days ahead of the start of the NHL season.

Mailloux, 19, asked not to be drafted at all a year ago, after being charged with taking and distributing an offensive photo without consent while playing in Sweden. At the time, he wrote that it was “best that I renounce myself from the 2021 NHL draft and ask that no one select me.” The Canadiens did not feel the same, and selected the young defenseman with the 32nd overall pick. The OHL then suspended Mailloux for several months, reinstating him in the New Year. He played 12 games for the London Knights, registering nine points.

In today’s press release, new general manager Kent Hughes, who was not part of the staff that selected Mailloux, released a statement:

This is a decision that we have thought through carefully. Having Logan around members of our team and hockey operations staff for a good part of the summer allowed us to gain a greater appreciation of Logan Mailloux the person. He has an opportunity to affect positive change and we will work to support him in any effort towards that goal. Logan recognizes the impact of his gesture and of course, the process continues.

When the OHL decided to reinstate him, the league explained that Mailloux had gone through a “personal development plan” that included therapy, counseling, and certification in programs like Respect in Sport, Mental Health in Sport, and Cultural Awareness. The Canadiens, apparently comfortable with his progress, have now brought him into the organization on a full-time basis under this contract. He will likely be re-assigned to the Knights to start the year, and his contract will slide forward.

For the rest of his career, Mailloux will likely be a hot-button player in hockey circles. The hope at this point must be that he has learned from his actions and can move forward to “affect positive change” as Hughes puts it. His contract will pay $750K in the first year and $832.5K in the following two, along with a $92K signing bonus in each.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Owen Beck

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6:54 pm: Beck’s contract breakdown is as follows, via CapFriendly:

2022-23: $775K base + $95K signing bonus + $82.5K minors salary + $10.5K juniors salary
2023-24: $835K base + $95K signing bonus + $82.5K minors salary + $10.5K juniors salary
2024-25: $855K base + $95K signing bonus + $82.5K minors salary

8:22 am: While all eyes were on first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, one of the real standouts in Montreal Canadiens camp was second-round pick Owen Beck. While he likely won’t make the team out of camp, he’ll at least leave with something in hand. Beck has been signed to a three-year, entry-level contract that carries a cap hit of just under $917K.

Beck, 18, played last season for the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, after missing the entire 2020-21 campaign due to the COVID shutdown. That may have clouded his upside slightly, dropping him to 33rd overall, but so far his impression on Canadiens brass and fans has been a good one. Given how many picks the team had this year, the 2022 draft could go down as a franchise-altering moment for Montreal, especially if second-rounders Beck and Lane Hutson reach their potential as NHL difference-makers.

While Beck is still in camp with the Canadiens, the likely outcome for him is an assignment back to Mississauga where he can continue his growth. After scoring 51 points in 68 games, he should be a much more productive offensive piece this time around, and set himself for another good training camp a year from now. There’s not much more he could have done this time around, and this contract rewards him for his strong play.

New York Islanders Extend Mathew Barzal

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6:33 pm: According to CapFriendly, Barzal will receive exactly $9.15MM in base salary across all eight seasons. A 22-team no-trade clause will kick in for the 2024-25 season and continue for the duration of the contract.

11:44 am: The New York Islanders have signed Mathew Barzal to an eight-year extension worth a total of $73.2MM. The deal will start in 2023-24 and carries an average annual value of $9.15MM.

Barzal, 25, is heading into the third season of a three-year, $21MM bridge contract he signed in 2021 and would have been due a qualifying offer of $8.4MM next summer. That also would have been his final year as a restricted free agent, he would have had arbitration rights, and could have potentially walked himself right to unrestricted free agency by agreeing to a one-year deal. With all of that in mind, the Islanders had to pay up to keep Barzal in the fold long-term, buying out a very expensive RFA season and seven more UFA years.

At $9.15MM, he will become the team’s highest-paid player by quite a bit, blowing by the previous $7MM cap that Anders Lee carries through 2025-26. While the last couple of seasons hasn’t been quite as impressive as Barzal’s incredible 85-point rookie campaign in 2017-18, his dynamic offensive skill is something that is difficult to come by. There’s little doubt that Barzal is the most talented forward on the team, and now with a contract like this in hand, he becomes the pillar to build the rest of the offensive group around.

The question, of course, is whether the Islanders will be able to support Barzal with enough skill once he’s earning so much. A $9.15MM cap hit makes him the 21st highest-paid forward in the league, ahead of some very consistent goal scorers like Filip Forsberg and Mika Zibanejad, and some young up-and-coming talents like Brady Tkachuk and Robert Thomas. The contract that CapFriendly notes as most comparable is Brayden Point’s $76MM extension, which kicks in this year, but that is a pretty high bar for Barzal to reach on a consistent basis.

With more than $71MM now committed to next season, with a roster of just 17 players, Islanders management will need to make some tough decisions in the years to come. Ilya Sorokin, Josh Bailey, and Anthony Beauvillier are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency after 2023-24. The team is likely betting on the salary cap taking the sharp increase that has been reported, or else things are going to get tight, quick.

Either way, this locks a fan favorite in for the better part of his career, and allows Islanders fans to breathe easy about Barzal’s future. The 16th overall pick from 2015 is now under contract through 2030-31 and now has no negotiations to distract him from getting back to the point-per-game player he has proven capable of being.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Nate Thompson Released From PTO

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The Los Angeles Kings announced a huge group of cuts today, and among them was veteran forward Nate Thompson. While most of the group is headed to the minor leagues to continue with the organization, Thompson will need to find a new home if he’s to continue his NHL career.

Now 37, Thompson has played 844 regular season games in the NHL, and another 86 in the postseason. The 2003 sixth-round pick worked his way p to the NHL with the Boston Bruins, and has also suited up for the Kings, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators,  Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Winnipeg Jets.

Last season, in his second go-round with Philadelphia, Thompson scored just a single goal and three points in 33 games. Never known for his offense, the versatile bottom-sixer has always been asked to play a physical brand of defensive hockey, win his fair share of draws (he was at 55.7% last season), and contribute on the penalty kill. With nearly 1,500 career hits, more than 600 blocked shots, and more than 4,400 won draws, he’s been pretty successful at each.

Still, it’s hard to see him becoming a regular in an NHL lineup at this point, after now hitting the open market again just a few days before the season begins. Perhaps a team dealing with injuries down the middle will pick him up but it is far from guaranteed that he earns a contract before opening day.

Waivers: 10/04/22

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After all of the players from yesterday cleared, there is a new batch of talent on waivers today. Placement here is usually indicative of a training camp cut, though not necessarily. It gives teams the option to send a player to the minor leagues, but that doesn’t have to happen right away. Until a player spends 30 days on the active roster or plays in ten regular season games, they won’t have to clear waivers again.

Here are the players on waivers today:

Boston Bruins

Oskar Steen
Nick Wolff
Connor Carrick

Buffalo Sabres

Sean Malone

Chicago Blackhawks

Luke Philp
Nicolas Beaudin
Dylan Sikura
Brett Seney

Columbus Blue Jackets

Brendan Gaunce

Minnesota Wild

Zane McIntyre

Montreal Canadiens

Alex Belzile
Anthony Richard
Mitchell Stephens

New Jersey Devils

Tyler Wotherspoon
Robbie Russo
Joseph Gambardella
Jeremy Groleau

Pittsburgh Penguins

Taylor Fedun

Vancouver Canucks

Collin Delia
John Stevens
Noah Juulsen
Brady Keeper
Guillaume Brisebois

Danny DeKeyser Released From PTO

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The Vancouver Canucks have released Danny DeKeyser from his PTO, leaving him now searching for another opportunity just a week out from the regular season. The veteran defenseman got some action in the preseason with the Canucks but apparently didn’t do enough to earn a contract with the club.

DeKeyser, 32, has spent his entire career to this point with the Detroit Red Wings, playing 547 regular season games over parts of ten seasons. Undrafted, he was a hometown kid that made good, attending Western Michigan University before making an impact with the Red Wings right away. Now, a decade later, it is not at all clear if DeKeyser’s career will continue.

Landing a spot in Vancouver did always seem like a longshot, given how many bodies they already have for the blue line. With the continued emergence of Jack Rathbone, it was even tighter for a veteran defender like DeKeyser. Perhaps he showed enough in his short Canucks outing to land a deal somewhere else, or maybe he’ll have to wait for an injury to pop up.

Either way, there isn’t much time for him to catch on if he wants to start the season on an NHL roster. DeKeyser joins Thomas Hickey and James Neal, who were cut from their PTOs yesterday, as veteran names who may have to settle for minor league jobs if they want to continue their playing careers.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/04/22

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Just a few more days until regular season NHL hockey is upon us, and teams are getting closer to their opening rosters. While there will be many more cuts this weekend, things continue to come in throughout the week as groups are pared down. As always, we’ll keep track of all the cuts right here.

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)

F Chase De Leo (to San Diego, AHL)
F Justin Kirkland (to San Diego, AHL)
D Olli Juolevi (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via team release)

D Victor Berglund (to Providence, AHL)
D Mike Callahan (to Providence, AHL)
D Kai Wissmann (to Providence, AHL)

Calgary Flames (via team release)

D Jeremie Poirier (to Calgary, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release)

F Cole Guttman (to Rockford, AHL)
F Lukas Reichel (to Rockford, AHL)
F Michal Teply (to Rockford, AHL)
F Josiah Slavin (to Rockford, AHL)
F Mike Hardman (to Rockford, AHL)
D Jakub Galvas (to Rockford, AHL)
D Isaak Phillips (to Rockford, AHL)
F David Gust (released from PTO)
F Kale Howarth (released from PTO)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

F Joshua Dunne (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Owen Sillinger (released from PTO)
F Brendan Gaunce (to Cleveland, AHL)*

Dallas Stars (via team release)

D Gavin White (to Hamilton, OHL)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release)

F Martin Chromiak (to Ontario, AHL)
F Aidan Dudas (to Ontario, AHL)
F Samuel Helenius (to Ontario, AHL)
F Tyler Madden (to Ontario, AHL)
F Akil Thomas (to Ontario, AHL)
F T.J. Tynan (to Ontario, AHL)
F Austin Wagner (to Ontario, AHL)
F Taylor Ward (to Ontario, AHL)
D Frederic Allard (to Ontario, AHL)
D Tobie Bisson (to Ontario, AHL)
D Helge Grans (to Ontario, AHL)
D Kim Nousiainen (to Ontario, AHL)
G Matthew Villalta (to Ontario, AHL)
F Brett Kemp (released from PTO)
F Justin Nachbaur (released from PTO)
F Nate Thompson (released from PTO)
F Alan Quine (released from PTO)
D Cameron Gaunce (released from PTO)
D Tyler Inamoto (released from PTO)
D Cameron Supryka (released from ATO)

Montreal Canadiens (via team release)

F Filip Mesar (to Laval, AHL)
F Xavier Simoneau (to Laval, AHL)
D Mattias Norlinder (to Laval, AHL)
G Kevin Poulin (to Laval, AHL)
F Alex Belzile (to Laval, AHL)*
F Anthony Richard (to Laval, AHL)*
F Mitchell Stephens (to Laval, AHL)*

New Jersey Devils (via team release)

F Jack Dugan (to Utica, AHL)
F Zachary Senyshyn  (to Utica, AHL)
D Michael Vukojevic (to Utica, AHL)
F Joseph Gambardella (to Utica, AHL)*
D Jérémy Groleau (to Utica, AHL)*
D Robbie Russo (to Utica, AHL)*
D Tyler Wotherspoon (to Utica, AHL)*

Ottawa Senators (via team release)

F Viktor Lodin (to Belleville, AHL)
D Zachary Massicotte (to Belleville, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

F Jonathan Gruden (to Wilkes-Barre Scranton, AHL)

Seattle Kraken (via team release)

D Ryker Evans (to Coachella Valley, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release)

F Arshdeep Bains (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Danila Klimovich (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F William Lockwood (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Tristen Nielsen (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Wyatt Kalynuk (to Abbotsford, AHL)
G Michael Dipietro (to Abbotsford, AHL)
G Artus Silovs (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Danny DeKeyser (released from PTO)
F John Stevens (to Abbotsford, AHL)*
D Noah Juulsen (to Abbotsford, AHL)*
D Brady Keeper (to Abbotsford, AHL)*
D Guillaume Brisebois (to Abbotsford, AHL)*
G Collin Delia (to Abbotsford, AHL)*

*Pending waivers

This page will be updated throughout the day

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